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. 1976 Mar 1;17(1):1–14. doi: 10.1186/BF03547938

Pharmacokinetics of Hexobarbital, Sulphadimidine and Chloramphenicol in Neonatal and Young Pigs

Ove Sυendsen 1,✉
PMCID: PMC8383965  PMID: 1266681

Abstract

Half-life and apparent specific volume of distribution of hexobarbital, sulphadimidine and chloramphenicol were investigated in newborn, 1, 3, 5 and 8 weeks old pigs. Hexobarbital sleeping time and plasma concentration of hexobarbital at recovery were measured in the same age groups. The half-life of hexobarbital and chloramphenicol was long in newborn pigs but decreased fast during the first week after birth. From 1 to 8 weeks after birth the decrease was less pronounced. The half-life of sulphadimidine increased during the first 3 weeks of life, but in 1 and 3 weeks old pigs the amount of N4-acetylated sulphadimidine in plasma at 200 min. after the injection was higher than in the newborn pigs.

The apparent specific volume of distribution of hexobarbital, sulphadimidine and chloramphenicol was changed in different ways from birth to 8 weeks of age.

The hexobarbital sleeping time was very long in the newborn pigs and decreased until 3 weeks of age. The concentration of hexobarbital in plasma at recovery was unchanged from birth to 8 weeks of age.

The concentration of chloramphenicol metabolites in plasma 100 min. after the injection increased very fast during the 8 weeks of observation. The concentration of N4-acetylated sulphadimidine in plasma at 200 min. after the injection increased from birth to 1 week of age, then it decreased.

The data are stressing that the neonatal pig is a convenient model for pharmacokinetic testing of drugs used as pharmacotherapeutics in neonatal life.

Keywords: pharmacokinetics, hexobarbital, sulphadimidine, chloramphenicol, neonatal pigs

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Acknowledgements

The author wishes to thank mrs. Lis Bærendsen and mr. Ernst Eriksen for skilful technical assistance during the work.

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