Pharmacokinetics of florfenicol and its metabolite, florfenicol amine, in the Korean catfish ( Silurus asotus )

The pharmacokinetics of florfenicol and its metabolite, florfenicol amine, was investigated after its intravenous (i.v.) and oral (p.o.) administration of 20 mg/kg of body weight in Korean catfish (Silurus asotus). After i.v. florfenicol injection (as a bolus), the terminal half-life (t(1/2)), the volume of distribution at steady state (V(dss)), and total body clearance were 11.12 +/- 1.06 h, 1.09 +/- 0.09 L/kg and 0.07 +/- 0.01 L x kg/h respectively. After p.o. administration of florfenicol, the t(1/2), C(max), t(max) and oral bioavailability (F) were 15.69 +/- 2.59 h, 9.59 +/- 0.36 microg/mL, 8 h and 92.61 +/- 10.1% respectively. Florfenicol amine, an active metabolite of florfenicol, was detected in all fish. After i.v. and p.o. administration of florfenicol, the observed C(max) values of florfenicol amine (3.91 +/- 0.69 and 3.57 +/- 0.65 mg/L) were reached at 0.5 and 7.33 +/- 1.15 h. The mean metabolic rate of florfenicol amine after i.v. and p.o. administration was 0.4 and 0.5 respectively.