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Home / Equine Research Bank / Vet Sci / The Suitability of Dried Blood Spot Sampling for Pharmacokin...
Veterinary sciences2025; 12(5); 488; doi: 10.3390/vetsci12050488

The Suitability of Dried Blood Spot Sampling for Pharmacokinetic Studies in Veterinary Medicine.

Abstract: Dried blood spot (DBS) sampling has emerged as a promising microsampling technique in biomedical and clinical research, offering advantages such as reduced invasiveness, minimal blood volume requirements, and enhanced analyte stability. Although well established in human medicine for neonatal screening and diagnostic applications, its potential in veterinary pharmacology remains underexplored. This study investigated the feasibility of using DBS samples to quantify anesthetic agents-ketamine and medetomidine in cats and lidocaine in horses-during routine surgical procedures at a veterinary teaching hospital. A standardized DBS collection protocol was developed, and LC-MS/MS methods were validated for the quantification of target analytes in both DBS and plasma samples. These methods were subsequently applied to real samples collected during anesthesia to conduct pharmacokinetic analyses. Comparative evaluations, including Bland-Altman analysis, assessed the suitability of DBS samples for pharmacokinetic studies in veterinary medicine. Preliminary results indicated satisfactory agreement for medetomidine, meeting EMA guidelines, with 75.6% of mean values falling within ±20% of paired measurements. Results for ketamine (46.9%) were promising but require further optimization, while those for lidocaine (21.4%) highlighted the need for additional investigation. These findings underscore the potential of DBS sampling as a minimally invasive alternative for pharmacokinetic studies in veterinary medicine, particularly for medetomidine, while identifying areas for further methodological refinement. Future research should optimize DBS techniques and expand their application to other drugs and species, broadening their impact on veterinary pharmacology.
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Publication Date: 2025-05-18 PubMed ID: 40431581PubMed Central: PMC12115528DOI: 10.3390/vetsci12050488Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

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The research study investigates the suitability of using dried blood spot (DBS) sampling for pharmacokinetic studies in veterinary medicine, focusing on anesthetic agents like ketamine, medetomidine, and lidocaine in cats and horses.

Introduction

Researchers applied a largely human medicine technology called dried blood spot (DBS) sampling in the veterinary field. DBS sampling is appreciated in the biomedical realm for its less invasive approach, requiring only a minimal volume of blood and offering better analyte stability. Through this study, the researchers aim to determine the feasibility of utilizing DBS samples to measure anesthetic agents – such as ketamine and medetomidine in cats, and lidocaine in horses – during surgical procedures at a veterinary teaching hospital.

Methodology

  • The team crafted a standardized DBS collection protocol.
  • They validated LC-MS/MS methods, which were established to quantify the target analytes in both DBS and plasma samples.
  • The methods developed and validated were then used to analyze samples collected during anesthesia in the pharmacokinetic analyses.

Results and Evaluation

  • Bland-Altman analysis along with other comparative evaluations was performed to evaluate the preset DBS samples for the pharmacokinetic research work in veterinary medicine.
  • Initial results for medetomidine showed an adequate agreement, with 75.6% of the mean values falling within ±20% of the paired measurements, meeting the EMA guidelines.
  • As for ketamine, the results were seen as promising, accounting for 46.9% agreement, although additional enhancements would be beneficial.
  • The outcomes for lidocaine, only achieving a 21.4% agreement, indicated the necessity for more in-depth examination.

Conclusion and Future Implications

Overall, the research highlighted the potential of DBS sampling being a minimally invasive alternative for pharmacokinetic studies in veterinary medicine. While the results indicated a promising scope especially for medetomidine, it also pointed out the areas where methodological refinement was needed. The researchers recommend future research on the optimization of DBS techniques and expanding their applications to different drugs and species to enhance their influence on veterinary pharmacology.

Cite This Article

APA
Bardhi A, Barbarossa A, Joubert A, Gehring R, Lambertini C, Romagnoli N. (2025). The Suitability of Dried Blood Spot Sampling for Pharmacokinetic Studies in Veterinary Medicine. Vet Sci, 12(5), 488. https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci12050488

Publication

Veterinary sciences
ISSN: 2306-7381
NlmUniqueID: 101680127
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 12
Issue: 5
PII: 488

Researcher Affiliations

Bardhi, Anisa
  • Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, 40064 Ozzano dell'Emilia (Bo), Italy.
Barbarossa, Andrea
  • Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, 40064 Ozzano dell'Emilia (Bo), Italy.
  • Health Sciences and Technologies-Interdepartmental Centre for Industrial Research (CIRI-SDV), University of Bologna, 40064 Ozzano dell'Emilia (Bo), Italy.
Joubert, Andrè
  • Division of Veterinary Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Department of Population Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584 CM Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Gehring, Ronette
  • Division of Veterinary Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Department of Population Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584 CM Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Lambertini, Carlotta
  • Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, 40064 Ozzano dell'Emilia (Bo), Italy.
Romagnoli, Noemi
  • Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, 40064 Ozzano dell'Emilia (Bo), Italy.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interests.

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