Disposition kinetics of ceftizoxime following single dose intramuscular administration in sheep

Ceftizoxime is a third generation broad spectrum antimicrobial drug, widely used in veterinary medicine. The present study was planned to investigate pharmacokinetics of ceftizoxime in sheep (n = 6) at the dose rate of 10 mg kg^-1 body weight following single intramuscular administration. Plasma was separated from periodical blood samples drawn after drug administration. Drug concentration in plasma was determined using Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatography (UHPLC) with UV detector. The ceftizoxime plasma concentrations versus time data after intramuscular administration was described by non-compartment model of pharmacokinetics with the use of “PK Solver Software”. The LOQ of ceftizoxime was found to be 0.1 μg ml^-1 in plasma. Following single dose intramuscular administration of ceftizoxime (10 mg kg^-1 b. wt.), therapeutically effective concentration of ceftizoxime as 0.34 ± 0.03 μg ml-1 persisted in plasma up to 36 h. The average mean values of elimination rate constant, half-life, area under curve, mean residence time and total body clearance were found as 0.07 h-1, 9.97 h, 152.32 μg h ml-1, 9.48 h and 0.07 L h^-1 kg^-1, respectively.