Pharmacokinetics and dosage of chlorpromazine in goats.

Pharmacokinetic parameters which describe the distribution and elimination of chlorpromazine in goats were determined. Following the intravenous administration of a single dose (2.5 mg/kg), disposition of the drug was described in terms of the biexponential expression Cp = Ae-alpha t + Be-beta t. Based on total (free and bound) chlorpromazine levels in plasma, pseudo-distribution equilibrium was rapidly attained, and the elimination half-life was 1.51 +/- 0.48 h (mean +/- SD, n = 8). Total body clearance, which is the sum of all clearance processes, was 80 +/- 25 ml/min/kg. The curves of an animal representative of the group, based on individual rate constants associated with the two-compartment open model, showed that at 5 h after drug administration 8% and 6% of the dose were present in the peripheral and central compartments, respectively. The kinetic parameters of chlorpromazine determined at a dosage level of 10 mg/kg body weight in six goats showed that the drug followed first-order kinetics and kinetic parameters were similar after both dose levels. Based on these findings and therapeutic plasma levels, a satisfactory intravenous regimen should be 2.0-3.5 mg/kg and the drug action will persist for 5-6 h.