Disposition Kinetics of Cefepime in Healthy and Experimentally Salmonella Typhimurium Infected Broiler Chicken

Abstract

Cefepime is a broad-spectrum semi synthetic β-lactamase resistant fourth generation cephalosporin. Looking to potential for clinical use, pharmacokinetics of cefepime following single intravenous and intramuscular (IM) dose (100mg/kg b. wt.) in healthy and experimentally Salmonella typhimurium infected broiler chickens were determined. Cefepime concentration in plasma samples was determined by reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography with mobile phase. The mobile phase was a mixture of 10mM phosphate buffer (pH 7): Methanol; 75:25 was always freshly prepared. Flow rates were 1 ml/min. UV detection was performed at 256 nm, injection volume was 20 µl. After a single intravenous injection, cefepime reached its maximum serum concentrations of 4.28 ± 0.37μg/ml in normal chickens, while in the infected chickens, the maximum serum concentration was 2.62 ± 0.72 μg/ml. Cefepime was eliminated after intravenous injection with half-life (t1/2 β) of 4.608 ± 0.145 h in normal which significantly longer than 4.19 ± 0.158 h in infected chickens. The mean residence time (MRT) was 6.51 ± 0.189h in normal vs 5.86±0.18 h in infected chickens. After IM administration the drug reached its maximum serum concentrations of 193.06 ± 2.27μg/ml at maximum time of 1.138 ± 0.012 h in normal, while in infected chickens the maximum serum concentrations was 132.93 ± 1.53μg/ml attained at maximum time of 1.265 ± 0.013 h. In conclusion a cefepime at dose of 100 mg/kg administered intravenously or IM at 24 h intervals may provide successful treatment of chicken infected with Salmonella typhimurium.