The effects of Mannheimia haemolytica and albendazole on marbofloxacin pharmacokinetics in lambs

Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic modeling in plasma and milk and Monte Carlo simulations of marbofloxacin against Staphylococcus aureus and Mycoplasma agalactiae in lactating sheep

In livestock ruminants such as sheep, different infectious diseases such as mastitis or contagious agalactia are originated from pathogens as Staphylococcus aureus and Mycoplasma agalactiae. Fluoroquinolones are authorized in dairy animals, including their extralabel use, as an alternative when other treatment failed in the European Union (EU), however, in the United States, are prohibited from extralabel drug use in food-producing animals. Marbofloxacin, a well-known fluoroquinolone is commonly used in dairy cattle in the EU at 10 mg/kg. However, their off-label use in sheep also has been described. Nevertheless, the dose extrapolations from dairy cows should include pharmacokinetic (PK) studies because of interspecies differences and the potential risks of antimicrobial resistance or toxicity. In this regard, the aims of this research were to (1) describe the i.v. and i.m. PK analysis of marbofloxacin in plasma and milk of lactating sheep at 10 mg/kg, (2) determine the MIC and calculate the tentative epidemiological cutoff values (TECOFF) for Mycoplasma agalactiae and Staphylococcus aureus wild-type isolates from sheep, and (3) conduct a pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) analysis with the Monte Carlo simulation to obtain the probability of target attainment for different MIC values, known as the PK/PD cutoff values. The results of this study could help to establish the efficacy of a 10 mg/kg dosage regimen of marbofloxacin in lactating sheep. Plasma and milk concentrations were described with a nonlinear mixed effects model. The intramuscular bioavailability was 88%, and the volume of distribution was 1.31 L/kg with a clearance value of 0.38 L/h/kg. Half-lives after i.v. and i.m. dosing were 6.53 and 7.09 h in plasma, and 6.62 and 6.65 h in milk, respectively. High concentrations were determined in milk with area under the curve (AUC) milk/plasma ratios close to 1.28. The MIC values for Staphylococcus aureus and Mycoplasma agalactiae were obtained, and TECOFF values of 1.0 and 2.0 µg/mL, respectively, were determined. The Monte Carlo simulations predicted that the dosage regimen of 10 mg/kg per 24 h in lactating sheep can be adequate for intermediate and high MIC values of 0.5 and 1.0 μg/mL, respectively, and could be useful for populations with a target AUC/MIC ratio ≤48 for Staphylococcus aureus, but not for Mycoplasma agalactiae. Results derived for this study could be taken as previous tentative points for further studies of marbofloxacin in lactating and nonlactating sheep in a clinical context.

Pharmacokinetic Behavior and Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic Integration of Danofloxacin Following Single or Co-Administration with Meloxicam in Healthy Lambs and Lambs with Respiratory Infections

The aim of this study was to determine the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of danofloxacin (DAN; 6 mg/kg) following subcutaneous administration alone or co-administration with meloxicam (MLX; 1 mg/kg) in healthy lambs and lambs with respiratory infections. The study was carried out using a total of four groups: HD (healthy; n = 6) and ID (infected; n = 7) groups who were administered DAN only, and HDM (healthy; n = 6) and IDM (infected; n = 7) groups who were administered DAN and MLX simultaneously. The plasma concentrations of DAN were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography–UV and analyzed by the non-compartmental method. DAN exhibited a similar elimination half-life in all groups, including both the healthy and infected lambs. The total clearance in the HDM, ID and IDM groups and volume of distribution in the HDM and IDM groups were significantly reduced. MLX in the IDM group significantly increased the area under the curve (AUC) and peak concentration (C_max) of DAN compared to the HD group. The Mannheimia haemolytica, Escherichia coli, and Streptococcus spp. strains were isolated from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples of the infected lambs. When co-administration with meloxicam, DAN at a 6 mg/kg dose can provide optimum values of ƒAUC_0–24/MIC (>56 h) and ƒC_max/MIC (>8) for susceptible M. haemolytica isolates with an MIC₉₀ value of 0.25 µg/mL and susceptible E. coli isolates with an MIC value of ≤0.125 µg/mL.