Pharmacokinetics after intravenous, intramuscular and subcutaneous administration of moxifloxacin in sheep.

The disposition kinetics of moxifloxacin, a fluoroquinolone antibiotic, after intravenous (IV), intramuscular (IM) and subcutaneous (SC) administration was determined in sheep at a single dose of 5mg/kg. The concentration-time data were analysed by compartmental (after IV dose) and non-compartmental (after IV, IM and SC administration) pharmacokinetic methods. Plasma concentrations of moxifloxacin were determined by high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. Steady-state volume of distribution (V(ss)) and clearance (Cl) of moxifloxacin after IV administration were 2.03+/-0.36L/kg and 0.39+/-0.04L/hkg, respectively. Following IM and SC administration, moxifloxacin achieved maximum plasma concentration of 1.66+/-0.62mg/L and 0.90+/-0.19mg/L at 2.25+/-0.88h and 3.25+/-1.17h, respectively. The absolute bioavailabilities after IM and SC routes were 96.12+/-32.70% and 102.20+/-23.76%, respectively. From these data (kinetic parameters and absence of adverse reactions) moxifloxacin may be a potentially useful antibiotic in sheep.