CONCENTRATIONS OF GENTAMICIN IN SERUM, MILK, URINE, ENDOMETRIUM, AND SKELETAL-MUSCLE OF COWS AFTER REPEATED INTRAUTERINE INJECTIONS

  • 1 July 1986
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 47  (7) , 1597-1601
Abstract
Healthy mature cows (n = 6) were injected intrauterinally (IU) with gentamicin (50 ml of a 5% injectable solution) daily for 3 consecutive days. Venous blood and milk samples were collected at postinjection (initial) hours (PIH) 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 24, 28, 31, 34, 37, 48, 51, 54, 57, 60, and 71, and endometrial biopsies were performed at PIH 6, 25, 48, 73, 95, and 119. Skeletal muscle biopsy samples were taken at PIH 25 and 73, and urine was collected every 1 or 2 hours during 12 consecutive hours after the first IU injection. Serum, milk, urine, and tissue concentrations of gentamicin were measured by radioimmunoassay. The highest mean serum concentration of gentamicin occurred during the 3 hours after each injection (2.49 .+-. 1.46, 6.60 .+-. 5.47, and 4.98 .+-. 2.70 .mu.g/ml). The mean peak concentration of gentamicin in milk occurred 3 to 6 hours after each injection. Mean peak urine concentration of gentamicin (256.8 .+-. 127.9 .mu.g/ml) was measured at PIH 6. The mean percentage of the first dose of gentamicin excreted in the urine within 12 hours was 14.78 .+-. 3.56. The highest concentration of gentamicin in endometrial tissue (639.16 .+-. 307.22 .mu.g/g) was measured at PIH 6, decreasing to 9.64 .+-. 3.55 .mu.g/g before the next IU dose. Gentamicin was still detectable in endometrial tissue (0.86 .+-. 0.43 .mu.g/g) 71 hours after the 3rd (last) IU injection.