Kinetics of ketamine and its metabolites in rabbits with normal and impaired renal function

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Abstract
The plasma levels of ketamine, an anaesthetic, a n d its metabolites were studied in 10 rabbits with normal renal function a n d in 9 rabbits with varying degrees of experimentally induced renal impairment. All the animals received a single bolus type i.v. dose of 10 mg/kg of the drug. The results obtained reveal an apparent inhibition of the biotransformation of ketamine in rabbits with renal impairment in which the drug is accumulated. The plasma half-life of ketamine ranged from 0.74 h in rabbits with normal renal function to 2.6 h in the animals with severe renal impairment. The plasma levels of norketamine (metabolite I) did not alter significantly in states of renal impairment. However, the kinetics of t h e other metabolite (II), dehydronorketamine, did change significantly in renal impairment, due to its high renal excretion capacity.