Safety of albendazole in developing bovine fetuses.

Albendazole, administered orally at a dose rate of 25 mg/kg of body weight to presumed pregnant cows or heifers on days 21, 31, 41, 51, and 61 of gestation, did not induce toxicosis in embryos or fetuses, and all calves born were structurally normal. Albendazole administration at a rate of 25 mg/kg to cows at 7 and/or 14 days of gestation decreased the apparent conception rate (ie, embryolethality), but did not have a teratogenic effect. Apparent embryolethality was greater in cows administered 25 mg/kg only on day 14, compared with those administered the drug only on day 7. Single dosage of 25 mg/kg given in the final 3 months of gestation did not induce abortion. There were no adverse effects of albendazole at a dosage of 10 or 15 mg/kg on developing embryos or fetuses when administered to presumed pregnant cows at various times in early gestation.

Effect of anaesthetic agents on bile flow and biliary excretion of 131I-cholylglycyltyrosine in the rat.

We have compared in the rat the effects of i.v. anaesthetic agents on bile flow rate and on the biliary excretion of a novel bile acid, 131I-cholylglycyltyrosine (131I-cholylgly.tyr.). Etomidate 1-mg bolus and 2-mg h-1 infusion, Althesin 3-mg bolus and 14.5-mg h-1 infusion and propofol 3.3-mg bolus and 3.3-mg h-1 were given via a tail vein cannula and pentobarbitone 50 mg kg-1 was given by the intraperitoneal route, to groups of six rats. Each animal received only one anaesthetic agent. One hour after cannulation of the common bile duct, 131I-cholylgly.tyr. 5 microCi was injected into the jugular vein and bile was collected every 1 min for 10 min. The mean (SD) percentage cumulative biliary excretion of 131I-cholylgly.tyr. at the end of 10 min was: propofol group 74.1 (5.2)%; Althesin group 82.3 (2.2)%; etomidate group 69.4 (17.6)%; pentobarbitone group 76.4 (3.2)%. Propofol and Althesin were relatively more choleretic, causing bile flow rates twice that produced by pentobarbitone. Only Althesin caused a significant increase in biliary excretion of 131I-cholylgly.tyr. relative to that in rats that received pentobarbitone. Bile flow rates for the respective anaesthetic techniques (microliter min-1/100 g body weight) (mean (SD)) were: propofol group 14.1 (1.8); Althesin group 12.5 (1.7); etomidate 8.5 (1.4); pentobarbitone group 7.3 (1.0). There was a marked metabolic acidosis in all rats except in the propofol group, in which normal acid-base status and oxygenation were observed.

Efficacy of albendazole against Fasciola hepatica in cattle.

Albendazole in drench formulation was administered to calves 16 weeks after infection with 400 metacercariae of Fasciola hepatica. In separate experiments, albendazole at dose levels of 10 or 15 mg/kg reduced the fluke burden by 92.84 per cent and 95.0 per cent, respectively. In another experiment, a dose level of 7.5 mg/kg given once, twice with a two-week interval, or twice with a three-week interval reduced the mean fluke burden by 43.75 per cent, 72.29 per cent and 90 per cent, respectively.

Toxicologic and teratologic studies of oxibendazole in ruminants and laboratory animals.

Acute toxicity of oxibendazole was assessed with single oral doses given to mice (4 to 32 g/kg of body weight), sheep (230 to 600 mg/kg), and cattle (600 mg/kg); there were no ill effects. Subacute toxicity did not occur with multiple doses given 5 days to cattle (30 to 75 mg/kg/day) and to sheep (10 to 50 mg/kg/day). Chronic effects did not occur with daily doses of 3 to 30 mg/kg given 98 days to rats and dogs. Teratogenicity of the compound was studied in mice, rats, and sheep medicated at a dose level of 30 mg of oxibendazole/kg and in cattle given 75 mg/kg on selected dates during pregnancy. Microscopically, rodent fetuses seemed normal, and on gross physical examination, lambs and calves were free of malformations and ossification variations.

Efficacy of oxibendazole against gastrointestinal nematodes of cattle.

In 3 separate studies, oxibendazole in drench and premix formulation was shown efficacious against larvae and adults of the genera Haemonchus, Ostertagia, Trichostrongylus, Strongyloides, Nematodirus, Cooperia, Bunostomum, Capillaria, Oesophagostomum, and Trichuris. In the first study, artificially infected calves were cleared of virtually all histotrophic larvae and adult parasites after medication with oxibendazole drench at a dose level of 10 mg/kg of body weight. Smaller doses (7.5 and 5.0 mg/kg) expelled 84 to 100% of the parasites. Oxibendazole at a dose level of 15 mg/kg in premix form was given to artificially infected calves 3, 7, or 42 days after infection in a 2nd study. Third stage and 4th stage Cooperia oncophora larvae were, respectively, 92 and 98% susceptible to the drug at day 3 and day 7 after infection; neither larval stages of Ostertagia ostertagi and of Oesophagostomum radiatum were susceptible. Premix given on day 42 after infection removed 83 to 100% of adult O ostertagi, Nematodirus spp, C oncophora, O radiatum, and Trichuris spp. In a 3rd study, calves harboring a mixture of parasitic stages from artificial and pasture-acquired infections were medicated with oxibendazole at a dose of 15 mg/kg in premix form. The burdens of larvae from the abomasum and small intestines were reduced 93 to 95%, respectively; the burdens of adults of 11 species of worms were reduced 87 to 100%.