Pharmacokinetics of dexamethasone after intravenous and intramuscular administration in pigs

• Published in: The veterinary journal (1997) 2013-10, Vol.198 (1), p.286-288
• Main Authors: Wyns, Heidi, Meyer, Evelyne, Watteyn, Anneleen, Plessers, Elke, De Baere, Siegrid, De Backer, Patrick, Croubels, Siska
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: absorption; Animals; Area Under Curve; Bioavailability; Biological Availability; body weight; Chromatography, Liquid; Dexamethasone; Dexamethasone - analogs & derivatives; Dexamethasone - blood; Dexamethasone - pharmacokinetics; Female; Glucocorticoids - blood; Glucocorticoids - pharmacokinetics; half life; Injections, Intramuscular - veterinary; Injections, Intravenous - veterinary; Intramuscular; intramuscular injection; intravenous injection; liquid chromatography; Pharmacokinetics; Pig; sodium phosphate; Sus scrofa - metabolism; swine; Tandem Mass Spectrometry
• ISSN: 1090-0233; 1532-2971
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2013.06.015

The pharmacokinetics of dexamethasone (DEX) were investigated after an intravenous (IV) or intramuscular (IM) bolus injection of 0.3mg/kg bodyweight DEX sodium phosphate in pigs. The plasma concentrations of DEX were determined using a validated high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) method and the pharmacokinetics were determined by one-compartmental analysis. The mean area under the plasma concentration–time curve and the mean elimination half-life were 133.07±39.59ng.h/mL and 0.77h, and 173.24±53.59ngh/mL and 1.06h following IV and IM administration, respectively. The volume of distribution and clearance recorded after IV administration were 2.78±0.88L/kg and 2.39±0.57L/hkg, respectively. An IM bolus injection of DEX sodium phosphate in pigs resulted in a fast and complete absorption, with a mean maximal plasma concentration of 80.94±21.29ng/mL at 0.35±0.21h and a high absolute bioavailability of 131.06±26.05%.