The pharmacology and pharmacokinetics of high-dose methocarbamol in horses

The haemodynamic, respiratory and behavioural effects and pharmacokinetics of methocarbamol were studied in eight healthy, adult horses after intravenous (i.v.) and oral administration of large dosages. Heart rate, cardiac output, mean pulmonary arterial blood pressure, systolic, diastolic and mean aortic blood pressure, respiratory rate and arterial blood gases did not change after either i.v. (30 mg/kg bodyweight [bwt]) or oral (50 and 100 mg/kg bwt) dosages of methocarbamol. Mild to moderate depression was observed in five of eight horses administered i.v. methocarbamol, and in all horses administered oral methocarbamol. Plasma methocarbamol concentration declined very rapidly during the initial or rapid disposition phase after i.v. administration; the terminal elimination half-life ranged from 59 to 90 mins. Peak plasma methocarbamol concentrations following oral administration occurred within 15 to 45 mins and oral bioavailability ranged from 50.7 to 124 percent.

Reduction of the ventricular arrhythmogenic dose of epinephrine by ketamine administration in halothane-anesthetized cats

The effect of ketamine administration on the ventricular arrhythmogenic dose of epinephrine (VADE) was studied in 4 halothane-anesthetized cats. Each cat was anesthetized 4 times, 1 week apart, with halothane (end-tidal concentration, 1.5%) and with halothane (end-tidal concentration, 1.5%) combined with ketamine infusion (50, 100, and 200 micrograms/kg of body weight/min). Epinephrine was infused in progressively increasing doses. The VADE (micrograms/kg) was calculated as the product of infusion rate of epinephrine and time of infusion necessary to induce 4 or more ventricular premature depolarizations within 15 s. The mean (+/- SD) VADE during halothane anesthesia was 1.1 (+/- 0.30) micrograms/kg. Ketamine infusion significantly (P less than 0.01) lowered the VADE independently of dose. The dose of epinephrine (micrograms/kg) that induced an ECG change in P-wave configuration was calculated similarly. Less epinephrine was necessary to induce a change in P-wave configuration than was necessary to induce 4 or more ventricular premature depolarizations within 15 s. Blood samples were collected after 4 hours of ketamine infusion and again immediately after determination of the VADE for analysis of plasma ketamine and norketamine concentrations by use of gas chromatography. Plasma ketamine and norketamine concentrations after a 4-hour infusion and immediately after determination of the VADE were similar for any given ketamine infusion rate, indicating that steady-state plasma concentrations had been reached for each infusion rate. Blood pressure and heart rate were measured immediately before (base line) and immediately after infusion of the VADE. Ketamine infusion significantly (P less than 005) lowered base-line blood pressure, but not heart rate.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Pharmacologic and pharmacokinetic properties of methocarbamol in the horse

The hemodynamic, respiratory, and behavioral effects, as well as the pharmacokinetic properties of methocarbamol, were determined in horses. Heart rate, cardiac output, arterial and venous blood pressures, respiratory rate, and arterial blood gases did not change after IV methocarbamol (4.4, 8.8, 17.6 mg/kg) administration. There were no signs of behavior modification or ataxia observed. Analysis of plasma concentration time data indicated that the disposition of methocarbamol may be dose-dependent. Clearance and steady-state volume of distribution decreased as the dose increased. Plasma concentrations of guaifenesin, a metabolite of methocarbamol, were never greater than 0.5% of the plasma concentration of methocarbamol.