title: Pharmacokinetics of meloxicam in adult goats: a comparative study of subcutaneous, oral and intravenous administration.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the plasma disposition of meloxicam in goats following S/C, oral or I/V administration at a single dose of 0.5 mg/kg bodyweight.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five healthy Saanen goats, aged 12-14 months and weighing 35-40 kg, were used for a three phase cross-over design with a 10-day washout period, with meloxicam administered I/V, then orally and S/C. Heparinised blood samples (5 mL) were collected from all animals prior to drug administration (0 hours) and subsequently up to 96 hours. Concentrations of meloxicam in plasma were measured using high performance liquid chromatography. Concentration-time curves were fitted and pharmacokinetic parameters were estimated for each administration group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Subcutaneous administration of meloxicam exhibited unique plasma distribution characteristics that differed from oral and I/V administration. Mean peak plasma concentrations were greater (1.91 (SD 0.39) vs. 0.71 (SD 0.17) µg/mL) and the time to reach them shorter (3.20 (SD 1.64) vs. 14.33 (SD 2.19) hours) following S/C compared with oral administration (p<0.05). The terminal half-life was longer (15.16 (SD 4.74) vs. 10.69 (SD 1.49) hours) and the MRT was shorter (15.67 (SD 2.37) vs. 24.33 (SD 3.12) hours) following S/C than oral administration (p<0.05), but bioavailability was similar (98.24 (SD 9.62) vs. 96.49 (SD 10.71)%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Subcutaneous administration of meloxicam resulted in long-term presence of drug at high concentration in goat plasma. This unique plasma disposition characteristic may offer an advantage in some clinical cases towards potentially improving the treatment efficacy in goats.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine , University of Adnan Menderes , Isikli Koyu, Aydin , Turkey.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Karademir
authors.affiliation: b Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine , University of Adnan Menderes , Isikli Koyu, Aydin , Turkey.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Erdogan
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine , University of Adnan Menderes , Isikli Koyu, Aydin , Turkey.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boyacioglu
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine , University of Adnan Menderes , Isikli Koyu, Aydin , Turkey.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kum
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine , University of Adnan Menderes , Isikli Koyu, Aydin , Turkey.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sekkin
authors.affiliation: c Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine , University of Adnan Menderes , Aydin , Turkey.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bilgen
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D019540:Area Under Curve; D001682:Biological Availability; D006041:Goats; D006207:Half-Life; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D000077239:Meloxicam; D013843:Thiazines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D013844:Thiazoles / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D013843:Thiazines; D013844:Thiazoles; D000077239:Meloxicam
keywords: Goats; NSAID; meloxicam; pharmacokinetics