Gentamicin plasma concentrations in pregnant and non-pregnant rats and fetuses after single and multiple injections

As part of our studies on the prenatal induction of renal dysfunctions in rats by gentamicin we measured maternal plasma levels of the drug. Additionally, the gentamicin concentrations in the plasma of rat fetuses after single s.c. injections of gentamicin were measured. The following results were obtained: 1) Non-pregnant rats excrete the drug faster than pregnant rats; 2) after a single s.c. injection of 110 mg gentamicin/kg body wt to six pregnant rats on day 21 of gestation the following pharmacokinetic variables were calculated: t1/2(inv): 27.0 +/- 6.1 min, t1/2(elim): 54.7 +/- 3.8 min, Cmax: 166.2 +/- 22.7 mg/l, tmax: 53 +/- 6.7 min, AUC: 431.7 +/- 53.4 mg/l x h; 3) plasma concentrations increase with the duration of pregnancy; 4) fetal plasma concentrations were determined between 45 and 660 min after single injections of 150 mg/kg to the dams. The concentrations showed minimum variation over this time period. Thus, the ratio of maternal to fetal plasma levels decreases drastically during this period; 5) 8 h after s.c. injection of 110 mg/kg to six dams (day 21 of gestation) individual plasma concentrations in the plasma of mother animals and in the plasma of 65 fetuses were determined. All fetal plasma samples showed higher concentrations than the corresponding maternal ones; 6) after multiple injections a significant increase in plasma concentrations can be seen. A considerable individual variance is obvious at all times and with both doses investigated; 7) since maternal plasma concentrations vary considerably in individual animals, especially after multiple injections, fetal exposure must also be variable in different litters. This would also affect the extent of postnatal dysfunction in various litters.