Ceruloplasmin (Cp) was isolated from fresh equine plasma by precipitation, cellulose chromatography, and improved ion-exchange chromatography. Purified equine Cp is a glycoprotein having a molecular weight of approximately 115,000. In electrophoresis, equine Cp migrated to the alpha 1-globulin region, its isoelectric point was about 4.15 and consisted of about 890 amino acid residues. Serum Cp concentration was measured by use of the single radial immunodiffusion method. In clinically normal horses, the mean (+/- SD) serum Cp concentration of newborn foals was 2.87 +/- 0.40 mg/ml and that of 3-month-old foals was 5.02 +/- 0.92 mg/ml, which was similar to the adult value. It reached a peak of 6.06 +/- 0.74 mg/ml in 2-year-old horses. The Cp concentration in mares was not statistically different for the perinatal period, but it decreased immediately before and after delivery. Concentration of Cp increased at 6 days after IM administration of turpentine oil, castration, or jejunojejunostomy in adult horses, and increased to peak values twice as high as baseline values at 7 to 14 days, returning to baseline values at 28 days after treatment. We concluded that equine serum Cp is an acute-phase reactive protein increased in the intermediary or later phase of acute inflammation.

The effect of age on the pharmacokinetics of chloramphenicol was determined after IV administration of chloramphenicol sodium succinate (25 mg/kg of body weight) to 6 foals at 1 day and 3, 7, 14, and 42 days of age. The disposition of chloramphenicol was best described, using a two-compartment open model in all foals at all ages evaluated. Significant age-related changes were observed in values for the major kinetic terms describing the disposition of chloramphenicol in foals; the greatest changes were observed between 1 day and 3 days of age. The mean +/- SD value for elimination rate constant (beta) for chloramphenicol in 1-day-old foals (0.131 +/- 0.06 h-1) was significantly (P < 0.005) lower than the value in 3-day-old foals (0.514 +/- 0.156 h-1), and both values were significantly (P < 0.005) lower than values for beta in 7-, 14-, and 42-day-old foals. With increasing age, the increase in the mean value for beta resulted in decrease in the harmonic mean elimination half-time (t1/2 beta) for chloramphenicol, from 5.29 hours in 1-day-old foals to: 1.35 hours in 3-day-old foals; 0.61 hour in 7-day-old foals; 0.51 hour in 14-day-old foals; and 0.34 hour in 42-day-old foals. At 1, 3, and 7 days of age, values for t1/2 beta of chloramphenicol in a premature foal born after parturition was induced with oxytocin, were considerably longer than comparable t1/2 beta values for term foals born naturally. The mean body clearance (ClB) of chloramphenicol in 1-day-old foals (2.25 +/- 0.67 ml/min.kg of body weight) was significantly lower than values in: 3-day-old (6.23 +/- 2.22 ml/min.kg; P < 0.05); 7-day-old (8.86 +/- 1.90 ml/min.kg; P < 0.0005); 14-day-old (9.63 +/- 1.63 ml/min.kg; P < 0.0005); and 42-day-old (9.68 +/- 2.76 ml/min.kg; P < 0.0001) foals. In foals of all ages, ClB of chloramphenicol in the parturition-induced premature foal was lower than the mean value for term foals born naturally. The volume of distribution (V'd[area]) of chloramphenicol decreased progressively with increasing age between day 1 and day 42, so that the mean value for 42-day-old foals (362 +/- 163 ml/kg) was less than a third the mean value for 1-day-old foals (1,101 +/- 284 ml/kg). The mean value for V'd(area) in 1-day-old foals was significantly greater than values for: 7-day-old (491 +/- 158 ml/kg; P < 0.01); 14-day-old (426 +/- 65 ml/kg; P < 0.005); and 42-day-old (362 +/- 162; P < 0.0005) foals, and the mean value for V'd(area) on day 3 was significantly (P < 0.05) greater than the mean value for V'd(area) on days 7, 14, and 42. Using dosage calculations based on mean values for the pharmacokinetic terms derived for each age group, it was predicted that to maintain plasma chloramphenicol concentration > 8 microgram/ml, chloramphenicol sodium succinate (25 mg/kg) would have to be administered at dose intervals of 10, 3, 1.5, 1.5, and 1 hours in clinically normal foals 1 day and 3, 7, 14, and 42 days, of age, respectively. It was concluded that the marked changes in the disposition of chloramphenicol detectable during the first few days of life, the variation between individuals, the potentially major effect of prematurity, and the potential for compromised liver function in septicemic foals indicate that use of drugs, such as chloramphenicol, which rely heavily on hepatic metabolic processes for elimination, should be avoided whenever possible during the early neonatal period, unless plasma concentration is monitored.

To evaluate renal function and obtain reference values for measurements of urinary excretion of various substances, quantitative urinalysis was performed in healthy, growing kittens from 4 to 30 weeks after birth. Endogenous creatinine clearance, 24-hour urine protein excretion, and urine protein-to-creatinine ratio were determined. Additionally, fractional excretion to creatinine clearance was calculated for calcium, inorganic phosphorus, sodium, potassium, and chloride. Mean +/- SD endogenous creatinine clearance values (range, 3.80 +/- 0.48 to 4.74 +/- 0.61 ml/min/kg) were significantly (P < 0.0001) higher in kittens 9 to 19 weeks old, compared with younger (range, 1.39 +/- 0.85 to 3.59 +/- 0.86 ml/min/kg) and older kittens (range, 2.69 +/- 0.40 to 3.46 +/- 0.37 ml/min/kg). Mean values for all kittens for 24-hour urine protein excretion (range, 2.54 +/- 1.81 mg/kg at 4 weeks to 11.39 +/- 7.61 mg/kg at 14 weeks) and for urine protein-to-creatinine ratio (range, 0.14 +/- 0.03 to 0.34 +/- 0.18) varied from week to week of age. The urine protein-to-creatinine ratio in kittens greater than or equal to 9 weeks old correlated well (R2 = 0.861) with 24-hour urine protein excretion. Urinary fractional excretion of calcium, inorganic phosphorus, sodium, potassium, and chloride in kittens varied among age groups, being significantly (P < 0.01) different for potassium and calcium in young kittens (4 to 6 weeks) and older kittens (greater than or equal to 7 weeks).

The concentrations of 23 amino acids in the plasma of 13 healthy foals were determined before suckling, when foals were 1 to 2 days old, 5 to 7 days old, 12 to 14 days old, and 26 to 28 days old. The ratio of the branched chain amino acids to the aromatic amino acids was also calculated at the 5 time points. Analysis of the concentrations at the 5 ages revealed a significant temporal relationship for each amino acid ranging from a polynomial order of 1 to 4 inclusively. There were significant differences between several concentrations of amino acids in plasma at specific sample times; however, no consistent patterns were revealed. The concentrations of amino acids in healthy foals were markedly different from previously determined values in adult horses. The significant differences in the concentrations of amino acids in plasma of healthy foals at the 5 ages may represent developmental aspects of amino acid metabolism or nutrition.