title: Pharmacokinetic properties of recombinant porcine growth hormone in pigs.
abstract: The plasma pharmacokinetic profile of recombinant porcine growth hormone (rpGH) was studied in six healthy gilts after a rapid single i.v. injection of 250 micrograms/kg rpGH. The linear pharmacokinetic properties of rpGH were investigated by giving four different doses of the hormone at intervals of 2 days. The plasma rpGH concentration was determined by radioimmunoassay with a lowest detection limit of 50 pg/ml. Plasma levels of rpGH were fitted to a three-compartment open model; a triexponential decrease in plasma rpGH with a rather long mean terminal half-life of 40.22 +/- 5.623 min was obtained in these pigs. Linear pharmacokinetic properties of rpGH were confirmed in the additional pig that received doses between 25 and 250 micrograms/kg rpGH. The small volume of distribution, 0.029 +/- 0.003 l/kg, indicated that most of the injected rpGH was confined to the blood and probably lymph. The total plasma clearance of rpGH was 31.80 +/- 2.802 ml/h x kg. The results not only contribute significantly to our knowledge about rpGH pharmacokinetics, but also to future studies for the rational design of optimal dosage regimens and the development of a controlled-release device for rpGH.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Republic of China.
authors.forename: O Y
authors.initials: OY
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: T S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D006207:Half-Life; D008657:Metabolic Clearance Rate; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D013552:Swine / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013006:Growth Hormone