Pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of marbofloxacin in lambs following administration of intravenous, intramuscular and subcutaneous

In this study, the pharmacokinetic disposition and bioavailability of marbofloxacin (MB) were determined in lambs after single intravenous (IV), intramuscular (IM), and subcutaneous (SC) administrations at a dose of 3 mg/kg. The plasma concentration of MB was measured using high-performance liquid chromatography-UV, and the pharmacokinetic parameters were analyzed using a non-compartmental analysis. Following IV, IM, and SC administrations, the mean terminal half-life (t1/2ʎz) was 11.48, 12.64, and 24.86 h, respectively, and the mean residence time (MRT) was 7.27, 7.81, and 10.11 h, respectively. The bioavailability (F) was 96.01 and 126.39%, after IM and SC administration, respectively. This study showed that SC administration of MB at a dose of 3 mg/kg exhibited flip-flop pharmacokinetics in lambs. These results suggested that MB could be useful in the treatment of severe systemic infections, such as those with M. haemolytica (MIC = 0.035 μg/mL), in lambs since high AUC0-24/MIC and Cmax/MIC ratios were achieved after IV and IM administration at 3 mg/kg. However, MB administration (3 mg/kg) via the IV, IM, and SC routes might not be effective in the treatment of respiratory infections caused by organisms with MIC90 value in lambs.