PHARMACOKINETICS OF AMOXICILLIN COADMINISTERED WITH A SALINE POLYETHYLENE-GLYCOL SOLUTION IN HEALTHY-VOLUNTEERS

The pharmacokinetics of orally administered amoxicillin were investiga ted in 12 healthy volunteers in a crossover design. They received eith er a placebo or a saline-polyethylene glycol solution (SPG) for 4 d, t he last dose being given simultaneously with 1 g amoxicillin; blood sa mples were drawn for the next 12 h. Amoxicillin kinetics were similar in the two treatments but small differences in some pharmacokinetic pa rameters reached significance. The mean +/- SD area under the curve wa s lower with SPG (43.8+/-6.8 against 47.8+/-8.2 mg h L(-1), p<0.05) bu t the treatments were equivalent according to Westlake's test (95% con fidence interval = 14.95%). Analysis of SPG against placebo amoxicilli n absorption kinetics after fitting the data to a Weibull model reveal ed a longer duration of the absorption, a slower rate of absorption, a nd a different shape of the curve. No clinical consequences are expect ed from these minor variations but possible mechanisms could be releva nt to other drugs.