The effects of biliary obstruction on excretion of cefoperazone in the rat

A study has been carried out on the influence of biliary obstruction on the elimination of cefoperazone (CPZ), an antibiotic mainly excreted in the bile. Rats were submitted to ligature of the common bile duct, given CPZ 100 mg/kg i.m., and killed 1 to 72 h afterwards. At death, measurements were made of CPZ concentrations in the serum, liver, lung, striated muscle, kidney, urine, intestinal wall and intestinal contents. The results were compared with those found in intact and in sham operated rats. Biliary obstruction led to a prolongation of the time taken for CPZ to disappear from the serum and markedly changed the way in which the drug was excreted. The amount of the drug excreted in the urine was 88% in the presence of biliary obstruction compared with 6% in intact rats and 14% in sham operated rats. The amount of CPZ in the small intestine 1 h after injection was very high in sham operated rats but only minimal amounts were found at this time in the presence of biliary obstruction. However, from 6 h after the injection, large amounts of CPZ were found in the intestinal contents despite the presence of biliary obstruction. In conclusion, in the presence of biliary obstruction, CPZ is eliminated by a combination of urinary and intestinal (non-biliary) excretion.