Abstract
Manipulation of cameline urine pH and its effect on urine disposition of ampicillin in camels was studied. Urine alkalinity (pH 8.5) achieved by oral administration of 900 mg of sodium bicarbonate/kg/ day (5 animals). Urine acidity (pH 4.5) was achieved by oral administration of 800 mg of ammonium chloride/ kg/day (5 animals). Normal urine (pH 7.4) was achieved by oral administration of normal saline (5 animals, controls). Ampicillin was administered intravenously to camels at a single dose of 4 mg/kg body weight. Ampicillin kinetics was estimated by microbiological method using Bacillus subtilis as a test organism. The mean percentage dose of ampicillin excreted unchanged in urine over 8 hours was 19.3 +/- 0.3, 19.7 +/- 0.3, 18.9 +/- 0.2% in normal, alkaline and acidic urine, respectively. The maximum peak of excretion was 0.29, 0.31 and 0.30 mg/ml in normal, alkaline and acidic urine, respectively. The time taken to reach that peak of excretion was 5, 5.3 and 5.1 hours in normal, alkaline and acidic urine, respectively. The half-life of drug was 0.277, 0.271 and 0.274 hour in normal, alkaline and acidic urine, respectively. These results indicate that changes in urinary pH over the range studied did not affect ampicillin kinetics in urine of camel.