Name
Pharmacokinetics of terbinafine in Kemp's ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii)
Description
Thousands of endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtles have been treated at New England Aquarium (NEAq) after stranding secondary to cold-stunning. These animals may experience significant morbidity and mortality due to subsequent fungal infections, including osteomyelitis and pneumonia. Based on antifungal susceptibility data published from previous cases at NEAq, some of these fungal infections may respond well to terbinafine treatment. Although there are some published data for terbinafine pharmacokinetics other chelonians species, no published studies exist for sea turtles. The goal of this study was to determine the pharmacokinetics of a single dose of oral terbinafine in plasma in fifteen clinically convalescent Kemp's ridley sea turtles that were undergoing rehabilitation due to cold-stunning.     Blood samples were collected via a sparse sampling protocol. Pharmacokinetic parameters were determined via reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Terbinafine plasma concentrations, after a single oral dose of 20 mg/kg (varied between approximately 15 to 25 mg/kg, based on size of the animal), were above the minimum inhibitory concentration for several fungal pathogens of interest. Maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) was 1.17 µg/mL, time to maximum plasma concentration (Tmax) was 24 hours. These results may help guide treatment for Kemp's ridley sea turtles with fungal infections. A multi-dose study is warranted to determine further dosing recommendations.
Session Type
Lecture (25 Min)