Simultaneous and minimally invasive assessment of muscle tolerance and bioavailability of different volumes of an intramuscular formulation in the same animals.

Evaluation of skeletal muscle tolerance during development of new drug formulations for i.m. use is most often based on terminal methods performed in the target species after slaughtering. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of muscle damage on the pharmacokinetic parameters of the drug delivered into the muscle using an alternative, noninvasive method. Phenylbutazone (PBZ) was used as the test article. Six ewes received increasing volumes of a 20% PBZ i.m. formulation, according to a cross-over design, and an i.v. bolus of the same formulation. Serial blood samples were taken, and a pharmacokinetic analysis of the plasma activity of creatine kinase and plasma PBZ concentrations was carried out. The amount of muscle damage after i.m. administration of 2, 4, or 8 mL of PBZ, calculated from the area under the curve of plasma creatine kinase across time was 36, 76, and 178 g for a 70-kg ewe. The corresponding absolute bioavailability of PBZ was 100 +/- 32%, 96 +/- 19%, and 100 +/- 17%, and the maximal PBZ concentrations were 42 +/- 3.4, 74 +/- 8.8, and 119 +/- 18.2 microg/mL. The plasma clearance of PBZ (i.v.) was 4.2 +/- 0.94 mL.kg(-1).h(-1). In conclusion, the absolute bioavailability of PBZ after i.m. administration was not altered by the increased volume of formulation administered despite the overall increase in the extent of muscle damage.

Preliminary investigations of pain and analgesia assessment in horses administered phenylbutazone or placebo after arthroscopic surgery.

Twenty-five horses undergoing arthroscopic surgery were studied to develop a scheme for assessing pain in horses while investigating the effects of phenylbutazone (PBZ) analgesia. Fifteen of the 25 horses received PBZ 4 mg/kg intravenously (IV) before surgery and 2 mg/kg (IV) every 12 hours thereafter until 60 hours; the remaining 10 (placebo group) were given a corresponding volume of saline. In both groups, venous blood samples were collected for catecholamine, beta-endorphin, and cortisol assays before premedication and up to 72 hours after surgery. Postoperative pain was evaluated by measuring predefined behavioral and physiological variables. A total postoperative pain severity index (TPPSI) was calculated using all variables. There were no differences between PBZ and placebo groups in plasma beta-endorphin or catecholamine concentrations, but the TPPSI was higher in the placebo group than in the PBZ group, suggesting that perioperative treatment with PBZ has some analgesic benefit. This study shows the difficulties associated with pain assessment in horses.

Assessment of drug exposure in rat dietary studies.

1. The objective of this study was to justify the evaluation of exposure of animals to chemical substances on the basis of only three blood samples taken during a 24-h period, but still with acceptable accuracy. 2. Fischer rats were fed a diet mixed with either paracetamol, 100 mg.kg-1 (short half-life compound), antipyrine, 100 mg.kg-1 (medium half-life compound), or phenylbutazone, 50 mg kg-1 (long half-life compound) for 3 weeks. It had been shown in a preliminary study that these compounds when administered at these dose levels did not influence feeding behaviour. At the end of 3 weeks, five rats were sampled every 3 h beginning and ending at 19.00 h (45 rats in total) and plasma concentrations were measured using h.p.l.c. 3. The area under the curve over 24 h (AUC24), calculated using all nine concentrations was considered to be the true AUC24. Subsequently, estimates of this parameter were made using different combinations of concentrations at three or even two selected time points. 4. For each compound, the highest concentration occurred at 07.00 h. It was shown that using the concentrations at 07.00, 10.00 and 16.00 h the estimate of the AUC24 was within 15% of the true value. 5. In comparison with a gavage study in the same rat (strain and age), bioavailability was lower in the diet study with relative bioavailabilities of 27, 22 and 61% for paracetamol, antipyrine and phenylbutazone, respectively. 6. In conclusion, drug exposure as expressed by AUC24 and Cmax can be accurately determined in rat studies using compound administration in the diet by measuring concentrations at three selected time points for compounds with elimination half-lives ranging from about 1 to 5 h.

Determinaçäo dos efeitos das drogas antiinflamatórias näo esteróides (indometacina, butazona, clinoril, naprosin, benflogin e inflaril) nos leucogramas de ratos portadores de processo inflamatório crônico / Assessment of the effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (indomethacin, phenylbutazone, sulindac, naproxen, benzydamine and neflumic acid) on rat leucograms with chronic inflammatory process

Neste trabalho procurou-se avaliar os efeitos dos antiinflamatórios näo esteróides: Indometacina (indocid), Butazona (Fenilbutazona), Clinoril (Sulindac), Naprosin (Naproxen), Benflogin (Cloridrato de Benzidamina) e Inflaril (Acido neflúmico) nos leucogramas de ratos portadores de um processo inflamatório crônico provocado pela introduçäo intradérmica de lamínulas de vidro nos períodos de 3, 12 e 18 dias. O sangue para a contagem total dos leucócitos, eletrônica e diferencial, esfregaço, foi obtido por punçäo intracardíaca (Burhoe). A Indometacina, o Clinoril e a Butazona indicaram diminuiçäo de linfócitos e eosinófilos e aumento de monócitos e neutrófilos em todos os períodos e observaçäo em todos os períodos; o Inflaril reduziu o número de linfócitos, neutrofilia e eosinopenia em todos os períodos; o Inflaril reduziu o número de linfócitos e eosinófilos de aumentou os monócitos, com exceçäo de 3§ período, e os neutrófilos nos três períodos; e o Benflogin elevou os linfócitos na 1ª e 3ª fases, e os monócitos nos três períodos, e reduziu os neutrófilos nos dois primeiros, e os eosinfófilos nos dois últimos períodos. Todas as drogas usadas provocaram reduçäo de leucócitos em todos os períodos de tratamento, exceçäo feita ao Naprosin no 3§, ao Benflogin no 2§ e ao Inflaril no 1§ e 2§ períodos

Butacote: the first assessment in general practice.

A double-blind crossover trial in the treatment of rheumatic conditions in general practice compared the effect and tolerance of 100 mg t.d.s. standard phenylbutazone (Butazolidine) with enteric-coated phenylbutazone (Butacote), each preparation being given for one week to fifty patients. There was no difference in effectiveness. Nine patients complained of dyspeptic symptoms, three during the first week, six during the second week, but none during treatment with Butacote. This, together with the significant 17:7 patient preference, clearly demonstrated the superiority of Butacote.

Butacote and ibuprofen: a comparative assessment in rheumatic diseases in general practice.

A multicentre double-blind trial in general practice compared Butacote (enteric-coated phenylbutazone) 300 mg daily, ibuprofen 1200 mg daily, and a placebo in the treatment of rheumatic conditions. Each patient recieved two of the three treatments for one month each. Twenty-nine doctors admitted 193 patients. One hundred and sixty-eight patients (sixty-four with inflammatory polyarthritis, and sixty-three with osteoarthrosis) completed the study, which showed that Butacote was significantly better than both ibuprofen and placebo for the relief of pain and morning stiffness, and improvement of function. Butacote was significantly preferred to both ibuprofen and placebo by patients and doctors, to placebo by the patients. Ibuprofen was significantly better than placebo for relief of morning stiffness and for reducing the amount of supplementary analgesics. All three preparations were well tolerated and showed a similar incidence of gastric side-effects. It is concluded from this study that Butacote is more effective and as well tolerated as ibuprofen in the treatment of rheumatic conditions in general practice.