Pirbenicillin: Pharmacokinetic Parameters in Mice

The rapid intravenous administration to mice of pirbenicillin, carbenicillin, and ampicillin produced biexponential blood concentration-time curves when assessed by frequent blood samplings at short intervals. The pharmacokinetic behavior of pirbenicillin and the other penicillins was analyzed by the two-compartment open model. This is thought to be the first study giving detailed pharmacokinetic values of penicillins in mice. Some significant differences were noted between the pharmacokinetic values of pirbenicillin, ampicillin, and carbenicillin. These values suggest that the interchange of pirbenicillin between the central and peripheral body compartments of the mouse was slower than that of either carbenicillin or ampicillin and indicated that a greater fraction of the pirbenicillin than the ampicillin dose reached the peripheral compartment.