ABSTRACT
Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) had been postulated to be a 'masking agent' when used concurrently with therapeutic or prohibited drugs in racing animals. Eight drugs (flunixin, furosemide, caffeine, apomorphine, phenylbutazone, lidocaine, cocaine, and acepromazine maleate) were administered to six horses singly and with concurrent intravenous DMSO. Urine samples were analyzed for the presence of the drugs and/or their metabolites by thin layer chromatography. Direct comparison of thin layer chromatograms of extracts of positive urine samples with and without DMSO verified that DMSO did not interfere with the detection of these drugs.
Subject(s)
Dimethyl Sulfoxide/urine , Horses/urine , Pharmaceutical Preparations/urine , Acepromazine/urine , Animals , Apomorphine/urine , Caffeine/urine , Chromatography, Thin Layer , Clonixin/analogs & derivatives , Clonixin/urine , Cocaine/urine , Drug Interactions , Female , Furosemide/urine , Lidocaine/urine , Phenylbutazone/urineABSTRACT
Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) was administered IV to 6 Thoroughbred horses at 2 dosages: 1.0 g/kg and 0.1 g/kg. The pharmacokinetics seemed linear, with biological half-lives of 8.6 +/- 0.3 hours and 9.8 +/- 2.2 hours for the 1.0 g/kg and 0.1 g/kg dosages, respectively. This was further substantiated by mean residence times of 9.8 +/- 0.44 hours and 13.8 +/- 4.25 hours, areas under the curve of 12.55 +/- 1.42 mg/ml/hr and 1.63 +/- 0.49 mg/ml/hr, and the clearances of 0.081 +/- 0.009 L/kg/hr and 0.066 +/- 0.022 L/kg/hr for the large and small dosages, respectively. At 12 hours after 1.0 g/kg was administered, 26.6% of the DMSO dose was excreted unchanged into the urine; at 12 hours after 0.1 g/kg was administered, 25.3% of the DMSO dose was excreted unchanged into the urine. It was predicted that 29.4% and 40.6% of the total DMSO dose would be excreted into the urine for the 1.0 g/kg and 0.1 g/kg dosages, respectively. A 10% DMSO concentration in normal saline solution was safe to give as rapid IV infusion. Slow administration is recommended for more concentrated solutions. Based on the half-life, DMSO should be administered 2 times a day IV for the treatment of increased intracranial pressure and/or cerebral edema in horses.