Pharmacokinetic of florfenicol in pulmonary epithelial lining fluid of swine and effects of anesthetic agent on drug plasma disposition kinetics

The primary objective of the current study was to compare the pharmacokinetic (PK) of florfenicol (FFL) in pulmonary epithelial lining fluid and the plasma in swine. The second objectives were to evaluate the effect of anesthesia with ketamine and propofol on the PK of FFL in plasma. Bronchoaveolar lavage was utilized for quantification of PELF volume and the urea dilution method was used to determine the concentration of FFL in PELF. FFL was administered intramuscularly (IM) to swine in a single dose of 20mg/kg body weight. The main PK parameters of FFL in plasma and PELF were as follows: the area under the concentration-time curve, maximal drug concentration, elimination half-life and mean residence time were 69.45 +/- 4.36 vs 85.03 +/- 9.26 mu g.hr/ml, 4.65 +/- 0.34 vs 5.94 +/- 0.86 mu g/ml, 9.87 +/- 1.70 vs 10.69 +/- 1.60hr and 12.75 +/- 0.35 vs 14.46 +/- 1.26hr, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between the PK profiles of FFL for the anesthetized and unanesthetized pigs. This study suggest that (i) FFL penetrated rapidly into the pulmonary and the drug concentration decay faster in plasma than in the pulmonary, (ii) the PK profile of FFL in swine was not interfered after administration of anesthetic agent.