Albendazole failure to control resistant nematodes in lambs: Lack of effect of fasting-induced improvement on drug absorption

ALVAREZ, L; ENTROCASSO, C; LIFSCHITZ, A; MANAZZA, J; CEBALLOS, L; BORDA, B; LANUSSE, C

JOURNAL OF PARASITOLOGY

AMER SOC PARASITOLOGISTS

Año: 2010 vol. 96 p. 1204 - 1210

0022-3395

The time and level of parasite exposure to active drug concentrations determines the efficacy for the most of the anthelmintic drugs used in ruminants. Enhanced plasma availability of albendazole sulphoxide (ABZSO), the active metabolite of albendazole (ABZ), was described in feed restricted sheep. The aim of the current work was to investigate if the absorption-related pharmacokinetic changes derived from fasting animals prior to drug treatment, modify the clinical efficacy of ABZ against resistant gastrointestinal (GI) nematodes in lambs. Forthy (40) Corriedale lambs, naturally infected with resistant GI nematodes were divided into four (4) groups: Control fed, the animals were fed ad libitum and did not receive any drug treatment; Treated fed, the animals were fed ad libitum up to 30 min prior to treatment, and treated with ABZ (3.8 mg/kg) by the intraruminal (i.r.) route; Control fasted, the animals were fasted 24 h prior to the start of the experiment and did not receive any drug treatment; Treated fasted, the animals were fasted 24 h prior to the treatment with ABZ, as previously described for the Fed treated group. Blood samples were collected over 72 h post-treatment from six animals in each treated group. Plasma samples were analysed by HPLC after clean up and solid phase extraction. The estimated pharmacokinetic parameters were statistically compared using parametric statistical tests. The indirect estimation of the efficacy of the different treatments was performed by the faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT). Additionally, four (4) animals randomly chosen from the Control fed and treated groups were sacrificed 13 days post-treatment to evaluate the efficacy against different adult nematode parasites. The results were statistically compared by parametric and non parametric test. Significantly (P60%) did not improve its activity against nematodes with a high degree of resistance.