Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic modeling of benazepril and benazeprilat after administration of intravenous and oral doses of benazepril in healthy horses.

Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) properties of the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) benazeprilat have not been evaluated in horses. This study was designed to establish PK profiles for benazepril and benazeprilat after intravenous (IV) and oral (PO) administration of benazepril using a PK/PD model. This study also aims to determine the effects of benazeprilat on serum angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), selecting the most appropriate dose that suppresses ACE activity. Six healthy horses in a crossover design received IV benazepril at 0.50mg/kg and PO at doses 0 (placebo), 0.25, 0.50 and 1.00mg/kg. Blood pressures (BP) were measured and blood samples were obtained at different times in order to measure serum drug concentrations and serum ACE activity, using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and spectrophotometry, respectively. Systemic bioavailability of benazeprilat after PO benazepril was 3-4%. Maximum ACE inhibitions from baseline were 99.63% (IV benazepril), 6.77% (placebo) and 78.91%, 85.74% and 89.51% (for the three PO benazepril doses). Significant differences in BP were not found. Although oral availability was low, benazeprilat 1.00mg/kg, reached sufficient serum concentrations to induce long lasting serum ACE inhibitions (between 88 and 50%) for the first 48h. Additional research on benazepril administration in equine patients is indicated.

Modulation of acute transient exercise-induced hypertension after oral administration of four angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors in normotensive horses.

Changes in blood pressure (BP) during acute hypertension in response to angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) have not been investigated in normotensive horses. In this study, six healthy horses were subjected to five trials, consisting in a treadmill exercise workload of 8 m/s for 1 min, 2 h after oral administration (PO) of placebo (0 mg/kg), enalapril (2.0 mg/kg), quinapril (1.0 mg/kg), ramipril (0.2 mg/kg) or benazepril (0.5 mg/kg). Serum angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) activity was measured and systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressures were recorded at rest (R), 2 h after placebo or ACEI administration (pre-E) and within the first 20 s after exercise (post-E). Mean maximum serum ACE inhibition 2 h after PO administration was 4.8% (placebo), 39.4% (enalapril), 46.4% (quinapril), 55.0% (ramipril) and 71.68% (benazepril). There were no significant differences in serum ACE inhibition between enalapril and quinapril. SBP and DBP at times R and pre-E were not different in any of the five trials. In response to exercise, SBP increased by 67.6% (placebo), 52.7% (enalapril), 43.1% (quinapril), 26.6% (ramipril) and 4.2% (benazepril). In response to exercise, DBP increased by 20.6, 13.2, 11.7, 16.6 and 3.7% after placebo, enalapril, quinapril, ramipril and benazepril administration, respectively. Serum ACE activity changed during exercise, but statistical significance was not achieved. In conclusion, administration of PO benazepril at a dose of 0.5 mg/kg modulated physiological hypertension induced by exercise in horses that were otherwise normotensive.