Pharmacokinetics, bioavailability and dose assessment of Cefquinome against Escherichia coli in black swans (Cygnus atratus)

BACKGROUND The objective of this study is to investigate pharmacokinetics and dose regimens of cefquinome in black swans following intravenous (IV) and intramuscular (IM) administration at a single dose of 2 mg/kg. The MICs of cefquinome against 49 Escherichia coli isolates from black swans were determined. Monte Carlo simulation was applied to conduct the dose regimen assessment and optimization of cefquinome against E. coli in black swans, and a pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) cutoff was established for E. coli isolates obtained in this study. RESULTS The PK parameters of T1/2α (0.31 h), T1/2β (1.69 h) and ClB (0.13 L/kg·h) indicated a rapid distribution and elimination of cefquinome in black swans after IV administration. After IM injection, the corresponding PK parameters of T1/2Ka, T1/2Ke, Tmax, Cmax, and F were 0.12 h, 1.62 h, 0.39 h, 5.71 μg/mL and 74.2%, respectively. The MICs of cefquinome against black swans E. coli ranged from 0.03 to 8 μg/mL, with MIC50 and MIC90 of 0.06 and 0.5 μg/mL, respectively. The PK/PD cutoff of cefquinome against E. coli was determined to be 0.2 μg/mL. Monte Carlo simulation showed that the nominal dose regimen (2 mg/kg/24 h) could not achieve a satisfactory probability of target attainment (PTA) for %TMIC ≥ 50%, indicating a risk of treatment failure and the development of potential drug resistance. CONCLUSIONS The current daily dosage of cefquinome when divided into 12-h interval (1 mg/kg/12 h) may be effective for the treatment of E. coli infections with an MIC ≤0.5 μg/mL.