We have studied the pharmacokinetics of desferrioxamine (DFA), ferrioxamine (FeA) and aluminoxamine (AlA) in patients with chronic renal failure on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) after 10 mg/kg (15.24 mumol/kg) body weight desferrioxamine (DESFERAL) administration by intramuscular and intraperitoneal routes. The results show an easy exchange of DFA between the plasma and the peritoneal fluid regulated by the relative concentrations of DFA in the two compartments. When the equilibrium is reached, the concentration of DFA are approximately the same in the plasma and the peritoneal fluid.