The effect of saturation of ACE binding sites on the pharmacokinetics of enalaprilat in man.

1. Eight healthy male volunteers received oral enalapril, 10 mg, in the presence and absence of pretreatment with captopril, 50 mg, twice daily for 5 days. 2. Enalaprilat pharmacokinetics were characterised after both doses of enalapril to investigate the effect of saturating ACE binding sites by pretreatment with captopril. 3. The pharmacokinetics of enalaprilat were best described by a one compartment model with zero order input incorporating saturable binding to plasma and tissue ACE. 4. Values of AUC (0.72 h) for enalaprilat were 419 +/- 97 and 450 +/- 87 ng ml-1 h in the presence and absence of captopril, respectively. The difference was not statistically significant nor were there any other differences in model parameters. 5. Induction of ACE by captopril resulting in an increase in the number of ACE binding sites, may have obscured any effect of captopril on the occupancy of ACE binding sites by enalapril.