Effects of Intramuscular Meloxicam Administration on Prostaglandin E2 Synthesis in the North American Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana)

Abstract

Meloxicam is a commonly used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) in veterinary medicine, but its use in amphibians has not been reported in the literature. NSAIDs are known to act by providing anti-inflammatory and analgesic actions by inhibiting the synthesis of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). The objective of this study was to evaluate whether the intramuscular administration of meloxicam would decrease the circulating serum PGE2 levels in the North American bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) following tissue trauma induced by a punch biopsy. Eighteen adult North American bullfrogs were randomly assigned to two treatment groups: meloxicam (0.1 mg/kg i.m.) and control (0.9% saline i.m.). Blood was obtained via cardiocentesis immediately prior to administration of the two treatment regimes and serum was frozen. A 4-mm punch biopsy was taken from the right triceps femoris muscle to induce an inflammatory response. Twenty-four hours later, a second blood sample was collected and serum was harvested and frozen. Serum PGE2 concentrations were measured using a commercial PGE2 enzyme assay (EIA) kit. Twenty-four hours following the biopsy, the mean circulating PGE2 levels of animals treated with meloxicam was 57.79 +/- 12.35 pg/ml, which did not differ significantly from animals that were treated with saline (85.63 +/- 17.55 pg/ml, P > or = 0.05). The calculated means of the absolute change between the circulating baseline PGE2 levels and the postinjury circulating PGE2 levels were significantly lower in animals treated with meloxicam (13.11 +/- 17.31 pg/ml) than in control animals treated with saline (46.14 +/- 38.02 pg/ml) (P < or = 0.05). These results suggest that the systemic administration of meloxicam at a dosage of 0.1 mg/kg once daily suppresses circulating serum PGE2 levels postinjury in the North American bullfrog.

Advances in Amphibian Clinical Therapeutics

“…At a dose of 0.1 mg/kg IM, meloxicam was found to mitigate prostaglandin E2 increases after surgical trauma. 21 Assuming a taxonomically conserved mechanism for inflammation, this study suggests the likely anti-inflammatory properties of meloxicam in this species. The pharmacodynamic modeling used for the meloxicam study provides useful information on the distribution and metabolic effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs at the tissue level, not just plasma levels.…”

Surgically Treated Hind-Limb Fibromyxochondroma in a Cranwell’s Horned Frog (Ceratophrys cranwelli)

“…Butorphanol and meloxicam were selected for perioperative analgesia. While the specific effects of these drugs have not been documented in the Cranwell's horned frog, they have been used with positive results in other anuran and amphibian species [15,[21][22][23][24][25], being selected for this reason in the present case. Despite the absence of a specific pain assessment for anurans performed in this case, the rapid resumption of ambulation and normal behavioral and feeding patterns suggest that pain management was effective in this patient with the mentioned drugs and dosages.…”

Biology and Diseases of Amphibians

“…Forceps are used to grasp the ovary and exteriorize the oocyte masses. Common analgesics that have been used in Xenopus or other frog species include buprenorphine, butorphanol, and meloxicam (Koeller, 2009;Minter et al, 2011). 18.12).…”