Ganciclovir delivery through an intravitreal microdialysis probe in rabbit

Cerebral microdialysis in glioma studies, from theory to application

Despite recent advances in the treatment of solid tumors, there are few effective treatments for malignant gliomas due to the infiltrative nature, and the protective shield of blood-brain barrier or blood-tumor barriers that restrict the passage of chemotherapy drugs into the brain. Imaging techniques, such as PET and MRI, have allowed the assessment of tumor function in vivo, but they are indirect measures of activity and do not easily allow continuous repeated evaluations. Because the biology of glioma on a cellular and molecular level is fairly unknown, especially in relation to various treatments, the development of novel therapeutic approaches to this devastating condition requires a strong need for a deeper understanding of the tumor's pathophysiology and biochemistry. Cerebral microdialysis, a probe-based sampling technique, allows a discrete volume of the brain to be sampled for neurochemical analysis of neurotransmitters, metabolites, biomarkers, and chemotherapy drugs, which has been employed in studying brain tumors, and is significant for improving the treatment of glioma. In this review, the current concepts of cerebral microdialysis for glioma are elucidated, with a special emphasis on its application to neurochemistry and pharmacokinetic studies.

Ocular microdialysis: a continuous sampling technique to study pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in the eye

The unique anatomy and physiology of the eye present many challenges to the successful development and delivery of ophthalmic drugs. Any therapeutic strategy developed to control the progression of anterior and posterior segment diseases requires continuous monitoring of effective drug concentrations in the relevant ocular tissues and fluids. Ocular microdialysis has gained popularity in recent years due to its ability to continuously monitor drug concentrations and substantially reduce the number of animals needed. The intrusive nature of ocular microdialysis experimentation has restricted these studies to animal models. This review article intends to highlight various aspects of ocular microdialysis and its relevance in examining the disposition of drugs in the anterior and posterior segments.

Validation of an ocular microdialysis technique in rabbits with permanently implanted vitreous probes: systemic and intravitreal pharmacokinetics of fluorescein

The purpose of this work is to validate a novel ocular microdialysis sampling technique in rabbits with permanently implanted vitreous probes. This objective is achieved by studying the vitreous pharmacokinetics of fluorescein following systemic and intravitreal administration. The rabbits were divided into two groups (groups I and II) based on whether or not they were allowed a recovery period following surgical implantation of probes. The integrity of the blood-retinal barrier was determined by the vitreal protein concentrations and the fluorescein permeability index. Vitreal protein concentrations returned to baseline 48 h after probe implantation and therefore experiments were conducted 72 h post-implantation of probes in rabbits where recovery period was allowed. The permeability indices for fluorescein after systemic administration in group I (without recovery period) and group II (with recovery period) indicated that the integrity of the blood-retinal barrier was maintained and were found out to be 0.55 +/- 0.27 and 0.71 +/- 0.38%, respectively, for the vitreous chamber. Following microdialysis probe implantation in the group II rabbits, the blood-retinal barrier integrity was not compromised. A novel microdialysis technique in rabbits with permanently implanted probes for studying the pharmacokinetics of posterior segment has been developed and characterized.

Microdialysis—theoretical background and recent implementation in applied life-sciences

In the past decade microdialysis has become a method of choice in the study of unbound tissue concentrations of both endogenous and exogenous substances. Microdialysis has been shown to offer information about substances directly at the site of action while being well tolerable and safe. The large variety of its field of application has been demonstrated. However, a few challenges have to be met to make this method generally applicable in routine applications. This review will provide an overview over theoretical aspects that have to be considered during the implementation of microdialysis. Moreover, a comparison between microdialysis and other tissue sampling techniques will demonstrate advantages and limitations of the methods mentioned. Subsequently, it will present a critical synopsis of a variety of scientific/biomedical applications of this method with emphasis on the most recent literature, focussing on target tissues while giving examples of substances examined. It is concluded that microdialysis will be of great value in future investigations of pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and in monitoring of disease status and progression.

Disposition of short-chain aliphatic alcohols in rabbit vitreous by ocular microdialysis

Anatomic and physiological barriers limit drug delivery to the posterior segment of the eye via topical or systemic administration. Intravitreal administration has proven to be a safe and effective means of treating various posterior segment diseases. Elimination of a compound from the vitreous chamber may depend on lipophilicity, diffusivity, and aqueous solubility. This information is critical for optimizing intravitreal dosing which in turn can aid in the design of drug delivery systems. The purpose of this study is to determine the vitreous disposition of an ascending homologous series of short chain aliphatic alcohols ranging from hydrophilic methanol to lipophilic 1-heptanol by microdialysis. Radiolabelled 14C-methanol, 14C-1-propanol, 14C-1-pentanol, and 14C-1-heptanol with log partition coefficient values ranging from -0.77 to 2.7 were studied. Microdialysis probes were implanted in both anterior and vitreous chamber of the rabbit eye to sample aqueous and vitreous humors simultaneously. Concentric probe was implanted in vitreous chamber about 3mm below the cornealscleral limbus. Linear probe was implanted in the anterior chamber using a 25-guage needle. Isotonic phosphate buffer saline (IPBS) (pH 7.4) was perfused through the probe with a flow rate of 2 microlml(-1). Alcohols (2.0 microg-130.72 microg) were injected into the vitreous body. In vitro recovery for the probes was calculated using respective alcohols in IPBS. Pharmacokinetic parameters were determined by non-compartmental analysis. Vitreal elimination half-lives of methanol, 1-propanol, 1-pentanol and 1-heptanol are 52.0+/-5.7, 58.5+/-5.8, 72.9+/-5.8 and 153.7+/-21.6 min, respectively. Dose normalized area under the aqueous concentration time curve values of methanol, 1-propanol and 1-pentanol are 33.8+/-13.4, 28.3+/-11.9 and 29.2+/-4.9 microgminml(-1)microg(-1)10(-2), respectively. Time taken to reach maximum concentration in the anterior chamber for methanol, 1-propanol and 1-pentanol is 120+/-42, 160+/-26, and 260+/-26 min, respectively. The maximum concentration of methanol, 1-propanol and 1-pentanol achieved in the anterior chamber is 18.6+/-10.3, 9.4+/-3.2, and 5.9+/-1.3 microgml(-1)10(-4) respectively. Detectable 1-heptanol levels were not observed in the anterior chamber with the intravitreal dose administered. The shorter vitreal elimination half-lives of the alcohols studied suggest retina as major route of elimination from the vitreous body. The elimination rate constants of alcohols from the vitreous appear to be progressively decreasing with ascending chain length and lipophilicity (methanol to 1-heptanol). Among the alcohols studied, methanol produced the highest concentration in the anterior chamber following vitreal administration.

A review of membrane sampling from biological tissues with applications in pharmacokinetics, metabolism and pharmacodynamics

This review provides an overview of membrane sampling techniques, microdialysis and ultrafiltration, and cites illustrations of their applications in pharmacokinetics, metabolism and/or pharmacodynamics. The review organizes applications by target tissue and general type of information gleaned. It focuses on recently published microdialysis studies (1999 to this writing) and offers the first review of ultrafiltration sampling studies. The advantages and limitations of using microdialysis and ultrafiltration sampling as tools for obtaining pharmacokinetic and metabolism data are discussed. Numerous examples are described including studies in which several types of data are collected simultaneously. Reports that study local metabolism of drug delivered through the probe are also presented.

Noninvasive detection of ganciclovir in ocular tissue by Raman spectroscopy: implication for monitoring of drug release

Treatment of various pathological conditions in ophthalmology, such as cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinopathy and endophthalmitis, requires a local drug intervention rather than a systemic approach. Accurate knowledge of intraocular drug concentration can permit the ophthalmologist to maintain drug levels within the therapeutic levels necessary for an optimal prognosis, while preventing or minimizing toxicity associated with drug overdose.

PURPOSE

To develop a noninvasive/noncontact method for quantification of the local concentration of ganciclovir in the ocular media.

METHODS

An integrated CCD-based Raman spectroscopic system designed specifically for ophthalmic applications was used to noninvasively detect the presence of ganciclovir in the ocular media. Various known concentrations of ganciclovir were injected into the aqueous humor of rabbit eyes in a pilot study, in vivo. Raman spectra were then acquired by focusing an argon laser beam within the anterior chamber of the eye. The specific Raman signature of ganciclovir was assessed at several concentrations.

RESULTS

Spectral features unique to ganciclovir were identified and distinguished from those of ocular tissue. The amplitudes of the spectral peaks corresponding to ganciclovir exhibited a linear dependence on the local concentration of the drug in the anterior chamber of the eye.

CONCLUSION

Raman spectroscopy may offer an effective tool for the noninvasive assessment of the local concentration of ganciclovir in the ocular media. This technique offers the potential to determine both the amount and the rate of the drug release from implants designed to deliver antiviral drugs locally within the eye. The availability of such data could enable the ophthalmologist to improve treatment efficacy by avoiding premature or late surgical replacement of the implants.