Accumulation of ivermectin in the brain of sea bream, Sparus aurata after intraperitoneal administration

Ivermectin, which is widely used in veterinary and human, has been considered safe due to its inability to penetrate into the central nervous system of higher vertebrates. This paper presents data on the ability of the drug to cross the blood-brain barrier of the marine teleost sea bream, Sparus aurata and accumulate in the brain. The concentration of the drug in the brain and the serum of the fish was assessed by the use of a direct competitive ELISA commercial kit. Our results showed a rapid uptake of the substance by the brain of the fish reaching a maximum concentration of 98.9 ng g(-1) 8 h post treatment. The trend of the absorption of the drug in brain followed that of the blood. Concentration of the drug in the brain remained high at each sampling point over the 24 h duration of the experiment. In view of these findings, the need of study of the role of the blood-brain barrier and particularly the multidrug resistance mechanism in sea bream is outlined. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.