Absorption and elimination of a prostaglandin F analog, fenprostalene, in lactating dairy cows

Pharmacokinetic characteristics of the prostaglandin F2 alpha analog, fenprostalene, were studied in five lactating Holstein cows. Blood samples, milk, urine, and feces were collected for up to 7 d following a single subcutaneous injection of 1 mg of 13,14-hydrogen-3-fenprostalene in polyethylene glycol-400. The maximum concentration of tritium in plasma, observed 4 h after injection, equated to .17 ngeq/ml fenprostalene and declined with a fractional disappearance rate of .051 X h-1 to less than .04 ngeq/ml by 48 h. Likewise, milk contained .53 ngeq/ml fenprostalene at 4 h and the concentration declined with a fractional disappearance rate of .069 X h-1 to less than .03 ngeq/ml by 48 h. Milk was a very minor route of elimination of fenprostalene with only .46% of the injected dose recovered over a 7-d sampling. Recovery of tritium in urine accounted for 55% of the total dose and recovery in feces accounted for an additional 43%. Residues from fenprostalene at 7 d after injection were less than .1 ppb in all edible tissues. Differences in the molecular structure, formulation, and route of injection of fenprostalene resulted in a slower rate of absorption and elimination of this analog than previously reported for other prostaglandin products. Nonetheless, the percentage of the injected dose of fenprostalene secreted in milk was not increased appreciably, and no persistent tissue residues of fenprostalene were observed.