Pharmacokinetic parameters of a ketamine (10 mg/kg, iv) bolus in decerebrate and intact cats were compared. A two-compartment open model best described the data in both groups. The apparent volume of distribution of the peripheral compartment, the apparent volume of distribution of the drug in the body, and the half-life of the postdistributive phase were significantly less (p < 0.05) in the decerebrate animals. These results emphasize the importance of correlating behavior and neuronal activity with plasma or blood concentrations of drug in animals rather than assuming that, for a given drug dose, blood (and thus tissue) levels of the agent will be similar regardless of how the animal is prepared for study.
A model system for investigating the biliary excretion of an anion in the rat
