Novel Uses of in Vivo Ultrafiltration for Pre-Clinical Pharmacokinetic Studies in Animals

There have been several methods to study the tissue concentrations and distribution of drugs, including blood/plasma sampling, tissue homogenates, tissue cages, microdialysis, ultrafiltration, bronchoalveolar lavage, and skin blister fluid, to name a few. Each of these techniques has unique advantages and disadvantages which have been previously reviewed (Deitchman & Derendorf; 2014). Whole blood, serum, or plasma sampling and analysis are convenient and common methods used in PK-PD studies, thanks to ease of sampling technique, drug analysis, and understanding of results. However, a major disadvantage to this technique is that concentrations in plasma do not reflect those at the site of action (Toutain et al., 2001; Deitchman & Derendorf, 2014). [...]