Pharmacokinetic profile of Ceftiofur Hydrochloride Injection in lactating Holstein dairy cows.

Ceftiofur (CEF), a broad-spectrum third-generation cephalosporin, exhibits a good activity against a broad range of gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, including many that produce β-lactamase. To design a rational dosage regimen for the drug in lactating Holstein dairy cows, the pharmacokinetic properties of ceftiofur hydrochloride injection were investigated in six cows after intravenous, intramuscular, and subcutaneous administration of single dose of 2.2 mg/kg BW (body weight). Plasma concentration-time curves and relevant parameters were best described by noncompartmental analysis through WinNonlin 6.3 software. After subcutaneous administration, the absolute bioavailability was 61.12% and the T1/2λz (elimination half-life) was 8.67 ± 0.72 hr. The Cmax (maximum plasma concentration) was 0.88 ± 0.21 μg/ml and Tmax (the time after initial injection to when Cmax occurs) was 1.50 ± 0.55 hr. The MRT (mean residence time) was 11.00 ± 0.30 hr. Following intramuscular administration, the Cmax (1.09 ± 0.21 μg/ml) was achieved at Tmax (1.20 ± 0.26 hr) with an absolute availability of 70.52%. In this study, the detailed pharmacokinetic profiles of free and total CEF showed that this drug is widely distributed and rapidly eliminated and may contribute to a better understanding of the usage of ceftiofur hydrochloride injection in Holstein dairy cows.