Comparative pharmacokinetics of metronidazole in healthy andinfected pigeons (, var.).

Abstract

1. This study investigated the pharmacokinetics of metronidazole after intravenous (i.v.) and oral administration to healthy and experimentally-infected pigeons, and determined theantiprotozoal activity of metronidazole against.2. Twelve pigeons which were experimentally infected toand twelve healthy pigeons received metronidazole at the dose of 25 mg/kg by oral or i.v. administration. Serial blood sampling was used for pharmacokinetic analysis. The metronidazole minimum lethal concentration (MLC) and the concentration killing 50% of the trophozoites (LC) in the culture media were determined.3.data showed that the 24 h LCand MLC of metronidazole were 0.31 and 25 µg/ml, respectively.results showed no statistical differences between pharmacokinetics in infected and non-infected pigeons for both routes of administration. The area under the curve was statistically higher after the i.v. administration in both infected and healthy pigeons. The mean oral bioavailability was similar in the infected (83.8%) and the healthy (81.5%) birds.4. In conclusion, the pharmacokinetics of metronidazole in pigeons was not affected by experimentally-induced trichomoniasis. Despitesusceptibility testing, which showed probable resistance of the isolatedto metronidazole, five-day oral treatment of infected pigeons with 25 mg/kg metronidazole twice a day resulted in total eradication of trophozoites recovered in crop lavage of infected birds.