Pharmacokinetics of tramadol and its major metabolite after intramuscular administration in piglets

Tramadol (T) is a centrally acting atypical opioid used for treatment of dogs. Piglets might experience pain following castration, tooth clipping and tail docking and experimental procedures. The aim of this study was to assess the pharmacokinetics of T and its active metabolite M1 in male piglets after a single intramuscular injection. Six healthy male piglets were administered T (5 mg/kg) intramuscularly. Blood was sampled at scheduled time intervals and drug plasma concentrations evaluated by a validated HPLC method. T plasma concentration was quantitatively detectable from 0.083 to 8 h. M1 was quantified over a shorter time period (0.083–6 h) with a T_max at 0.821 h. The study demonstrated that piglets produce a larger amount of M1 compared with dogs, horses and goats. The human minimum effective concentration of M1 (40 ng/mL) was exceeded for over 3 h in piglets. If it is assumed to also apply to piglets, it could be speculated that the drug efficacy might exert its action over 3 h or longer. This assumption has to be confirmed by further specific pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic studies.