Pharmacokinetics of Ticarcillin in the Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta Caretta) After Single Intravenous and Intramuscular Injections

Abstract

Three captive loggerhead sea turtles, Caretta caretta, were used in four trials, one i.v. and three i.m., to determine the pharmacokinetic properties of a single dose of ticarcillin. For the i.v. study, each turtle received a single 50 mg/kg dose and blood samples were collected at 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 12 hr and at 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 14 days after administration. For the i.m. study, each turtle received one of three dosages (25, 50, or 100 mg/kg) in a randomized complete block design and blood samples were collected at the same time intervals. Each trial was separated by a minimum of 28 days to allow for complete drug clearance. Drug concentration in plasma was determined by a validated liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry assay. For the i.v. study, the elimination half-life was 5.0 hr. The apparent volume of distribution and plasma clearance were 0.17 L/kg and 0.0218 L/hr/kg, respectively. For the i.m. study, mean time to maximum plasma concentrations ranged from 1.7 ( +/- 0.58) hr in the 50 mg/kg group to 3.7 (+/- 2.5) hr in the 100 mg/kg group. Mean bioavailability ranged from 45% ( +/- 15%) in the 50 mg/kg group to 58% (+/- 12%) in the 100 mg/kg group, and the mean residence time ranged from 7.5 ( +/- 2.6) hr in the 25 mg/kg group to 16 (+/- 6.8) hr in the 100 mg/kg group. Two turtles had slight alanine aminotransferase elevations that were not clinically apparent at two different dosages, but otherwise, blood chemistries were unaffected. Possible i.m. dosage regimens for loggerhead sea turtles are 50 mg/kg q24 hr or 100 mg/kg q48 hr. Liver enzymes should be monitored during treatment.

Pharmacokinetics of danofloxacin after single dose intravenous, intramuscular and subcutaneous administration to loggerhead turtles Caretta caretta

“…This V ss is lower than those determined for danofloxacin in rabbits (V ss = 3.16 l kg The terminal half-life (t 1 /2λz ) after IV dosing was 15.40 h; this value was longer than those reported for florfenicol (Stamper et al 2003) and ticarcillin (Manire et al 2005) in loggerhead turtles, showing advantages, in principle, over these 2 drugs. The mean t 1 /2λz value following IM administration was 14.70 h. The fact that half-life value after IV dosing is longer than that after IM dosing has also been reported for danofloxacin and other fluoroquinolones in goats (Aliabadi & Lees 2001), sheep (Aliabadi et al 2003a) and horses (Fernández-Varón et al 2006).…”

“…Wild loggerhead turtles Caretta caretta may require antimicrobial therapy when brought into oceanariums and rehabilitation facilities for treatment and/or prevention of primary and secondary bacterial infections; however, few pharmacokinetic studies have been performed (Stamper et al 1999, Harms et al 2004, Jacobson et al 2005, Manire et al 2005. The pharmacokinetic properties of danofloxacin have been evaluated in several species (rabbits, Fernández-Varón et al 2007;cows, Shem-Tov et al 1998;and horses, Fernán-dez-Varón et al 2006), but not yet in sea turtles.…”

Pharmacokinetics of cefovecin sodium after subcutaneous administration to Hermann's tortoises (Testudo hermanni)

“…Most studies have been performed with marine turtles, [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] with few focusing on freshwater 13,14 and terrestrial chelonians. [15][16][17] Consequently, to establish antimicrobial treatment protocols, veterinary practitioners often have to rely on anecdotal reports 18 for information instead of proper pharmacokinetics studies.…”

Depletion Study of Oxolinic Acid in Freshwater Softshell Turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis) with Multiple-Dose Oral Administration

“…The Chinese softshell turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis), an important member of reptilian aquaculture with high nutritional and medicinal value, is the best-known species in Asia due to its large-scale farming (Rawski et al, 2018). However, literature concerning the residual studies in turtle farming is limited, e.g., ticarcillin (Manire et al, 2005), florphenicol (Zhu et al, 2006), melamine (He et al, 2012), and meloxicam (Lai et al, 2015). Similarly, aquatic animal diseases are a major constraint for increasing aquaculture production.…”