Pharmacokinetics and Renal Excretion of Sulfamethoxazole in Sheep

Pharmacokinetics and urinary excretion of sulfamethoxazole were investigated in healthy sheep. From the plasma disappearance curves after intravenous bolus injection (50 mg/kg), the half-life and volume of distribution were found to be 76 $\PM$14 min and 0.41 $\PM$ 0.18 lit/kg respectively. Body clearance was 4.06 $\PM$ 1.03 ml/kg/min. Very low Concentration of ddrug was present in plasma after 3 hours of administration and plasma level at 6 hour was only 4.4 $\PM$ 2.0 $\mu$g/ml. The renal clearance of sulfamethoxazole (22 $\PM$ 2.17 ml/min/10 kg) exeeded the creatinine clearance (9.78 $\PM$ 1, 57 ml/min/ 10 kg) which may be due to involvement of active tubular secretion and pH dependent back diffusion. Half of the dose of sulfamethoxazole was excreted as unchanged free drug while acetylated amine comprised of 20 percent within the first 6 hours of drug administration.