Pharmacokinetics in horses involves the study of how drugs are absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and excreted in equine species. This field of study provides insights into the time course of drug concentrations within the horse's body and helps in understanding the effects of various pharmaceuticals. Key parameters in equine pharmacokinetics include absorption rates, bioavailability, half-life, and clearance. These parameters can vary significantly due to factors such as age, breed, and health status of the horse. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the pharmacokinetic profiles of different drugs in horses, aiming to optimize dosing regimens and improve therapeutic outcomes in equine medicine.
Welsh JC, Lees P, Stodulski G, Cambridge H, Foster AP.The effects of access to hay and of restricted feeding on the pharmacokinetics of flunixin administered orally to six healthy ponies were compared in a cross-over study. No access to feed for a few hours before and after flunixin administration resulted in rapid absorption with a mean peak plasma concentration of 2.84 +/- 0.28 micrograms/ml attained in an average time of 0.76 +/- 0.18 h, followed by an exponential decline in plasma concentration. A lower peak plasma concentration was obtained when ponies had free access to hay before and after drug dosing. The mean maximum concentration (Cmax)...
Muir WW, Sams RA, Ashcraft S.The haemodynamic, respiratory and behavioural effects and pharmacokinetics of methocarbamol were studied in eight healthy, adult horses after intravenous (i.v.) and oral administration of large dosages. Heart rate, cardiac output, mean pulmonary arterial blood pressure, systolic, diastolic and mean aortic blood pressure, respiratory rate and arterial blood gases did not change after either i.v. (30 mg/kg bodyweight [bwt]) or oral (50 and 100 mg/kg bwt) dosages of methocarbamol. Mild to moderate depression was observed in five of eight horses administered i.v. methocarbamol, and in all horses a...
Waterman AE, Amin A.The plasma concentration of pethidine was measured in 16 horses, after its administration intravenously (i.v.) at a dose rate of 1 mg/kg bodyweight (bwt). In eight animals studied before surgery, the plasma levels of the drug decreased in a bi-exponential manner with a distributive half life of 3 mins and an elimination half life of 57.7 mins. Total body clearance was 17.7 ml/kg bwt/min. The remaining horses were investigated immediately after a period of anaesthesia and surgery and in these animals the drug exhibited smaller volumes of distribution (V1 cand Vdarea) and a significantly lower c...
Jaussaud P, Guieu D, Bellon C, Barbier B, Lhopital MC, Sechet R, Courtot D, Toutain PL.The pharmacokinetics of tolfenamic acid were studied in five ponies after an intravenous (iv) administration (2 mg/kg bodyweight [bwt]) and in four horses after an oral administration (30 mg/kg bwt) of tolfenamic acid. The plasma levels were determined by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). For the iv administration, a three-compartment model was used to represent the plasma concentration-time curve of the drug. The elimination half-life of the compound was 6.1 +/- 1.5 h, the total body clearance was 72.4 +/- 16.7 ml/kg bwt/h and the ste...
Sams RA, Detra RL, Muir WW.The pharmacokinetics and metabolism of doxapram in horses administered intravenous (iv) doses of 0.275, 0.55 and 1.1 mg doxapram/kg bodyweight (bwt) were investigated. Plasma doxapram concentrations decreased rapidly after drug administration and the disappearance of doxapram from plasma was best described by a polyexponential equation. Median values of total body clearance were 10.9, 10.6 and 10.9 ml/min/kg bwt for the three doses and were independent of dose. The steady-state volume of distribution was approximately 1,200 ml/kg bwt and the median biological half-life ranged from 121 to 178 m...
Jaussaud P, Guieu D, Courtot D, Barbier B, Bonnaire Y.A tolfenamic acid metabolite, a hydroxylated product, has been identified in equine plasma and urine samples using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in the electron-impact and chemical-ionization modes. The method also allows the qualitative monitoring of the elimination of the drug and its metabolites from plasma. The two compounds are detected up to 48 and 24 h, respectively, after a single oral administration of a 30 mg/kg dose. The simultaneous detection of the two products increases the reliability of anti-doping control analysis.
Matassa LC, Woodard D, Leavitt RK, Firby P, Beaumier P.Glycopyrrolate (Robinul) is a quaternary ammonium salt which serves as a respiratory enhancing drug. It is reportedly used in horse racing to improve breathing. Extraction of glycopyrrolate from equine urine employing unique solid-phase extraction techniques gave a residue suitable for liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). LC-MS-MS analysis employed an extract derived from 5 ml of urine subjected to cation-exchange chromatography. The daughter ion of m/z 318 monitored in the positive-ion mode was m/z 116. Recovery of glycopy...
Riond JL, Riviere JE, Duckett WM, Atkins CE, Jernigan AD, Rikihisa Y, Spurlock SL.Intravenous use of doxycycline in horses is associated with deleterious side effects on the cardiovascular system which may result in fatalities. At dosages and infusion rates used in these studies, supraventricular tachycardia, systemic arterial hypertension, clinical signs of discomfort, collapse and death were observed. Results of the present study suggest that the intravenous use of doxycycline should be avoided in horses.
Errecalde JO, Landoni MF.The pharmacokinetics of a slow-release theophylline formulation was investigated following intravenous and oral administration at 10 mg/kg in horses. A tricompartmental model was selected to describe the intravenous plasma profile. The elimination half-life (t1/2 beta) was 16.91 +/- 0.93 h, the apparent volume of distribution (Vd) was 1.35 +/- 0.18 L/kg and the body clearance (ClB) was 0.061 +/- 0.009 L kg-1 h. After oral administration the half-life of absorption was 1.24 +/- 0.30 h, and the calculated bioavailability was above 100%. The t1/2 beta after oral administration was 18.51 +/- 1.75 ...
Salonen JS, Vuorilehto L, Gilbert M, Maylin GA.Horse urine was investigated for metabolites by chromatography and mass spectrometry following the oral administration of the large animal analgesic sedative detomidine to two stallions and intravenous administration of [3H]-detomidine to a mare. Detomidine carboxylic acid and hydroxydetomidine glucuronic acid conjugate were identified in the urine after the oral doses. In addition, traces of free hydroxydetomidine were observed. About half of the radioactivity of [3H]-detomidine was excreted in the urine in 12 h after the i.v. dose (80 micrograms/kg). Most of the excretion occurred between 5 ...
Hinchcliff KW, McKeever KH, Muir WW.The effect of furosemide administration (1 mg/kg body weight, i.v.) on plasma and blood volumes in 6 intact and 4 splenectomized horses was measured using Evans blue dye dilution, hematocrit, and hemoglobin and plasma total solids concentrations. Body weight decreased by 33.6 +/- 3.3 and 33.7 +/- 0.8 g/kg 4 h after furosemide administration to intact and splenectomized mares, respectively. Plasma volume, estimated by Evans blue dye dilution, was reduced by 8.3 +/- 3.3% (mean +/- SE) 4 h after furosemide administration. The reduction in plasma volume was first detectable 5-10 min after furosemi...
Day TK, Skarda RT.Understanding of the pharmacology of local anesthesia is important for selection of a local anesthetic for use in equine standing surgery. In general, the action potential is inhibited by local anesthetics by preventing the influx of sodium ions across the axonal membrane. The physicochemical properties of each local anesthetic determine the onset of action, potency, and duration of action. Procaine, chlorprocaine, lidocaine, and mepivacaine are the local anesthetics still used clinically in horses; lidocaine is the most widely used. The future of equine local anesthesia may see the introducti...
Deumer J, de Haan F, Tulp MT, van den Hoven R.The effects of an oral isoxsuprine-resin preparation on the blood flow in the thoracic limb of seven horses was determined by thermography. Treatment with the oral resin preparation resulted in increased skin temperatures compared with the non-medicated controls. The maximal temperature differences, 2.2 degrees C for the horses treated with 0.9 mg/kg and 1.8 degrees C for the horses treated with 1.2 mg/kg, occurred four hours after dosing. Plasma total isoxsuprine, determined in three horses, was detectable two hours after oral dosing and maximal eight hours after dosing, but free isoxsuprine ...
Wilson DV, Nickels FA, Williams MA.Benztropine mesylate was used successfully to treat priapism that developed during anesthesia in 2 horses. After IV injection, there was a rapid resolution of signs in both horses, and no side effects were observed. The choice of an effective method to treat priapism is challenging because precise causes in most patients have not been well-defined. Benztropine mesylate is a synthetic compound resulting from the combination of the active portions of atropine and diphenhydramine, and is believed effective because of its central acetyl-choline-antagonizing properties.
Aramaki S, Suzuki E, Ishidaka O, Momose A, Umemura K.The pharmacokinetics of caffeine (CAF) and its metabolites, dimethylxanthines, were examined in horses administered 2.5 mg/kg of CAF intravenously (i.v.), intramusculary (i.m.), or orally (p.o.). The plasma samples were extracted by Extrelut and the concentrations of CAF and metabolites were determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a short column. The pharmacokinetics of CAF after bolus i.v. injection were described by the assumption of a two-compartment model, and those of CAF after i.m. or p.o. administration were done by the assumption of a one-compartment model. The...
Stanley S, Jeganathan A, Wood T, Henry P, Turner S, Woods WE, Green M, Tai HH, Watt D, Blake J.We have raised antibodies to morphine and etorphine and developed one-step enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) for these drugs as part of a panel of post race tests for drugs in racing horses. These tests are simple, can be completed in 2 h, and can be read by visual inspection. The morphine ELISA has an I50 for morphine of about 1.5 ng/mL, while the etorphine ELISA has an I50 for etorphine of 250 pg/mL. Cross-reactivity studies show that the antimorphine antibody cross-reacts well with levorphanol, hydromorphone, and oxycodone, while the anti-etorphine antibody showed no cross-reactivi...
Martinuk SD, Manning AW, Black WD, Murphy BD.The sialylation of eCG was examined to determine its influence on the in vivo metabolism and biological activity of the molecule. Sialic acid was decrementally removed from eCG by incubation with agarose-linked neuraminidase for varying time periods. Pharmacokinetic parameters for the disappearance of 4,000 IU (267 micrograms) of three desialylated eCG preparations (20%, 53%, and 80% sialic acid removed) and control eCG were determined in sheep. The clearance rate of eCG increased (p less than 0.05) with each decrement of sialic acid. The removal of 53% sialic acid enhanced the distribution of...
Ohnesorge VB, Deegen E, Jöchle W.Detomidine was used in this field trial effectively as a sedative and analgesic for laryngoscopic examinations in a total of 193 foals and 806 mature horses (Hanoverians). Detomidine was given either i.v. in foals 3 to 11 months old (20 micrograms/kg) and in mature horses (15 micrograms/kg), or i.m. in foals below 6 months of age (35 micrograms/kg). After i.v. administration, laryngoscopy was tolerated in more than 90% of all animals without additional use of a twitch, while in foals treated i.m. more than 70% required a twitch in order to enable this procedure. The effectiveness of detomidine...
Kallings P, Ingvast-Larsson C, Persson S, Appelgren LE, Förster HJ, Rominger KL.To evaluate the effects of clenbuterol on cardio-respiratory parameters and blood lactate relation to exercise tolerance, experimental horses performed standardized exercise tests on a high-speed treadmill before and after administration of the drug. Clenbuterol was administered in feed to six healthy Standardbreds at a dose rate of 0.8 micrograms/kg b.wt twice daily for 5.5 days. Each horse was tested twice, without and with a respiratory mask, during two consecutive days. One week elapsed between the baseline tests without drug and the tests with clenbuterol treatment (each horse served as i...
Pascoe PJ, Black WD, Claxton JM, Sansom RE.The pharmacokinetics of alfentanil were investigated in the horse. Four doses of alfentanil (4, 10, 20 and 40 micrograms/kg) were given to four horses at different times and their locomotor activity monitored. Doses of 20 and 40 micrograms/kg produced a significant increase in locomotor activity. The plasma concentrations of alfentanil were measured in six standing horses and the pharmacokinetics calculated. It was found that the decay curves were best described by a biexponential equation. The elimination half-life (t1/2 beta) was 21.65 +/- 3.99 min and the clearance (Cl) was 14.1 +/- 0.7 ml/...
Johansson IM, Kallings P, Hammarlund-Udenaes M.The pharmacokinetics and the effects on treadmill exercise of the anti-inflammatory drug meclofenamic acid were studied in seven Standardbred horses after single intravenous and/or oral doses. The decline in plasma concentration after a single intravenous dose of meclofenamic acid (2.2 mg/kg b.wt) was described by a two-compartment open model. The average elimination half-life was 1.4 h, the apparent volume of distribution 0.14 l/kg and the plasma clearance 0.12 l/h kg. Absorption was the rate-limiting step after oral administration. Non-compartmental analysis showed a mean absorption time of ...
Steffey EP, Willits N, Wong P, Hildebrand SV, Wheat JD, Meagher DM, Hodgson D, Pascoe JR, Heath RB, Dunlop C.Fifty-eight foals were divided into two groups for study of aspects of the clinical anesthetic management of foals and to characterize effects of halothane (n = 30) and isoflurane (n = 28) in foals. There were no significant differences (P greater than 0.05) in the demographics of the two groups. Results of hemograms and biochemical analysis of venous blood samples before and after anesthesia were either not influenced or only mildly (clinically unimportant) affected by either agent. Like adult horses, foals have an increased PaCO2 when anesthetized with inhaled anesthetics. We could detect no...
Redding WR, Booth LC.Equine fibroblasts and Staphylococcus aureus were exposed for 30 minutes to six dilutions of chlorhexidine gluconate, a chlorous acid-chlorine dioxide irrigation solution, a chlorous acid-chlorine dioxide disinfectant, and phosphate buffered saline controls. Cell viability was determined by trypsinizing the cells, staining them with trypan blue, and counting cells that did not take the stain. All fibroblasts were killed when exposed to 1.0% and 0.5% chlorhexidine. The survival rate of fibroblasts increased linearly with decreasing concentrations of chlorhexidine gluconate, with a peak survival...
Chapman CB, Courage P, Huntington PJ.A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) assay was developed for the detection of reserpine. The assay was used to monitor the plasma concentrations of the drug given intramuscularly on one or two occasions to five horses. The blood concentrations of reserpine varied quite considerably between horses given the same dose of the drug. However, on average, reserpine could be detected consistently, and quantified, for 48 h after a single dose of 2.5 mg, and for a similar period after the second of two 2.5 mg doses given 13 d apart. Because of the apparently large variability in the pharmaco...
Horspool LJ, McKellar QA.A high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed for the determination of seven short-chain fatty acids in equine caecal liquor. Samples were cleaned up on a Sep-pak (C18) cartridge, and the analyte was eluted from the extraction cartridge and filtered through a 0.45 micron cellulose nitrate filter. The analyte was chromatographed by ion exchange HPLC. Detection was by UV at 210 nm. Recovery from phosphate buffer (0.05 M, pH 7.0) and equine caecal liquor was 76.95% (lactic), 76.76% (valeric). The limit of (propionic), 89.35% (isobutyric), 88.73% (butyric), 80.33% (isovaleri...
Timofeev BA, Bolotin IM, Stepanova LP, Bogdanov AA, Georgiu Kh, Malyshev SN, Petrovskiĭ , Klibanov AL, Torchilin VP.The cultures of Nuttalia eque mainly develop in the reticuloendothelial organs and so in treatment of nuttaliosis in horses and the Nuttalia carriers diamidine, an analog of imidocarb or imidozoline, was used encapsulated in liposomes. The liposomes were prepared with a modification of the phase inversion method (the lipids were dissolved in a mixture of freon-11 and chloroform). The content of the organic solvents in the preparation, as evidenced by gas liquid chromatography, was less than 0.2 per cent. The main fraction consisted of particles 1.5 to 2.5 microns in diameter. The tests on anim...
Dieckmann M, Deegen E.Twelve horses with clinical symptoms of a gastric disorder were studied by gastroscopy. Symptoms of gastric disorders were periprandial colic, bruxism, ructus and reflux. Preliminary to gastroscopy the horses were fasted for 24 h. Access to water was not restricted. The gastroscopy could be conducted easily using a fiberscope 2.5 m in length and 11 mm in outer diameter. While ulcers were present in the squamous fundus of all horses only one horse showed ulceration of the glandular fundus. Solitary ulcers near the margo plicatus were found in horses with mild clinical symptoms. In contrast, dif...
McKellar QA, Bogan JA, von Fellenberg RL, Ludwig B, Cawley GD.Carprofen, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) was administered to three Thoroughbred geldings and three Shetland ponies to determine its plasma disposition and tolerance. The main pharmacokinetic characteristics of carprofen in horses and ponies were a volume of distribution of 0.08 to 0.32 litres/kg (mean +/- se = 0.23 +/- 0.04) a systemic clearance of 26.4 to 78.5 ml/min (mean +/- se = 44.9 +/- 8.0) and a plasma elimination half-life of 14.5 to 31.4 h (mean +/- se = 21.9 +/- 2.3). There was no evidence of any accumulation of carprofen in plasma when the drug was given orally at a...
Sweeney CR, Soma LR, Beech J, Reef V, Simmons R.Serum and peritoneal fluid concentrations of ticarcillin were measured in 10 healthy adult horses from 0.5 to 8 hours after IV or IM administration of 44 mg/kg of body weight. After IV injection, the serum concentration at 30 minutes was 104.3 +/- 6.1 mg/L and the mean peak peritoneal fluid concentration (61.4 +/- 29.0 mg/L) occurred 2 hours after injection. The peak serum (28.3 +/- 5.5 mg/L) and the peak peritoneal fluid concentrations (19.2 +/- 6.0 mg/L) occurred 2 hours after the IM injection. Ticarcillin (greater than or equal to 2 mg/L) persisted in serum and peritoneal fluid for 6 hours ...
Stanley S, Deng D, Van den Berg K, Foo HC.The abuse of performance-enhancing catecholamine-based stimulants, such as levodopa, is controlled in horse racing through the application of a regulatory threshold for the common major metabolite. However, catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) enzyme inhibitors can be used to restrict the catalysis of the stimulant, and so the concurrent administration of both substances would be a viable strategy to enhance racing performance while removing the risk of exceeding the threshold. A 200 mg dose of nitecapone, a COMT inhibitor, was administered to a Thoroughbred horse, and we have analysed the bl...
Gardner SY, Sweeney RW, Divers TJ.Serum concentrations of cefotaxime and desacetylcefotaxime were measured in 1-week-old pony foals after IV administration of a single dose of cefotaxime. The cefotaxime disposition data conformed to a two-compartment model with elimination half-life of 0.60 hour. The combined cefotaxime and desacetylcefotaxime data was best described by a four-compartment model. The apparent half-life describing the disappearance of desacetylcefotaxime was 1.69 hours. Dosage of 40 mg/kg of body weight given IV every 4 to 6 hours for neonatal foals with gram-negative septicemia and every 2 hours for foals with ...
Allen WE.Plasma concentrations of sodium benzylpenicillin were measured following intrauterine infusion at a dose rate of 22,000 u/kg (250,000 u/ml). The reproductive status of the mare at the time of infusion did not appear to influence plasma concentrations of penicillin, but preswabbing the endometrium for bacteriological culture resulted in peak plasma concentrations which were nearly twice those found in unswabbed mares.
Chapman DI, Marcroft J.1. The metabolism of (±)-[14C]noradrenaline in horses has been studied. The plasma half-life of radioactivity following intravenous injection was 95 min.
2. Two horses each excreted about 80–85% of the radioactivity in the urine in 15 h after rapid intravenous injection and about 75% of the excreted radioactivity has been identified.
3. The unchanged drug in the urine accounted for less than 1% of the dose and 3-methoxynoradrenaline for about 7%. The main metabolites were 4-hydroxy-3-methoxymandelic acid (22%), 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzoic acid (13%) and 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenylglycol ...
Staudacher G.23 horses and one donkey with congestive heart failure are treated with a standardized methyldigoxin dose (0.0032 mg/kg of body weight). The therapy is controlled by the serum concentration of the cardiac glycoside. 4 horses have a higher and 13 horses a lower serum concentration as necessary for therapeutic approach. The influence of additional diseases and medications is demonstrated. Finally a rule for the evaluation of the individual therapeutic glycoside-dose is given.
Ganjam VK, Kenney RM, Flickinger G.The disappearance rate of progesterone from blood plasma of an ovariectomized mare was rapid and occurred in three phases. The half-life of the first component was 2-5 min and that of the second was 20 min; the half-life of the much slower third component was not measured. Progesterone, administered to ovariectomized and deeply anoestrous mares at the rate of 150 or 300 mg/day, maintained maximal peripheral levels of 6 to 8 ng/ml. Physiological levels were reached in 21 days using a dose of 150 mg and in 11 days with 300 mg daily. After withdrawal, circulating levels dropped rapidly. Blood pla...