engleski

Pharmacokinetics of an immunomodulating dose of levamisole in weaned pigs

The pharmacokinetics (PK) of an immunomodulating dose of levamisole was studied in 20 weaned crossbred pigs divided in two treatment groups. In this parallel-design study, a single dose of levamisole (2.5 mg/kg b.w.) was administered by intramuscular (i.m.) or oral (p.o.) route. Blood samples were collected at predetermined time intervals before and after drug administration. Using compartmental analysis, levamisole followed two-compartmental open model. In the PK analysis of levamisole disposition, the elimination half-life (t1/2β) was 2.549 ± 1.311 and 3.168 ± 0.897 h for the i.m. and p.o. routes, respectively. Mean peak serum concentration (Cmax) was 0.473 ± 0.171 and 0.207 ± 0.070 µg/mL for the i.m. and p.o. routes, respectively. The time to reach Cmax (tmax) was 0.700 ± 0.349 and 0.950 ± 0.369 h for the i.m. and p.o. routes, respectively. Statistically significant differences between i.m. and p.o. routes in both intercepts, apsorption half-time (t1/2α), Cmax, area under the plasma concentration-time curve from time zero to infinity (AUC0-inf), area under the plasma concentration–time curve from time 0 to the last quantifiable time point (AUC0-t) and area under the plasma concentration-time curve calculated from exponential terms (AUCexpo) were determined. All values except t1/2α were significantly higher after i.m. administration. Further research is needed to establish a relationship between the PK and immunomodulating effect of levamisole in pigs.

Levamisole; Pharmacokinetics; Immunomodulating dose; Weaned pigs

nije evidentirano