Interaction of cyclosporine with phenobarbital in cats: a preliminary study

Phenobarbital (PB) decreases the cyclosporine (CsA) blood level in humans. However, the interaction of PB with CsA has not been reported in cats. This study investigated the effects of multiple doses of PB on the pharmacokinetics of CsA in three healthy cats. The treatments included oral CsA 5 mg/kg alone and oral CsA 5 mg/kg plus PB 5 mg/kg for 4 weeks. Co-administration of PB with CsA resulted in significant decreases in the oral bioavailability of CsA though both the first pass and elimination phases. These preliminary results suggest that oral administration of multiple doses of PB increases the required CsA dosage in CsA-based immunosuppressive therapy in cats.