Pharmacodynamic modeling of chemotherapeutic effects: Application of a transit compartment model to characterize methotrexate effects in vitro

The time course of chemotherapeutic effect is often delayed relative to the time course of chemotherapeutic exposure. In many cases, this delay is difficult to characterize mathematically through the use of standard pharmacodynamic models. In the present work, we investigated the relationship between methotrexate (MTX) exposure and the time course of MTX effects on tumor cell growth in culture. Two cancer cell lines, Ehrlich ascites cells and sarcoma 180 cells, were exposed for 24 hours to MTX concentrations that varied more than 700-fold (0.19–140 μg/mL). Viable cells were counted on days 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 20, 22, and 24 for Ehrlich ascites cells and on days 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 14, 15, 17, 19, and 21 for sarcoma 180 cells, through the use of a tetrazolium assay. Although MTX was removed 24 hours after application, cell numbers reached nadir values more than 100 hours after MTX exposure. Data from each cell line were fitted to 3 pharmacodynamic models of chemotherapeutic cell killing: a cell cycle phase-specific model, a phase-nonspecific model, and a transit compartment model (based on the general model recently reported by Mager and Jusko, Clin Pharmacol Ther. 70:210–216, 2001). The transit compartment model captured the data much more accurately than the standard pharmacodynamic models, with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.86 to 0.999. This report shows the successful application of a transit compartment model for characterization of the complex time course of chemotherapeutic effects; such models may be very useful in the development of optimization strategies for cancer chemotherapy

Pharmacokinetic model of target-mediated disposition of thrombopoietin

Thrombopoietin, TPO, a 353 amino acid cytokine, is a primary regulator of platelet production that was cloned recently. A target-mediated (platelet receptors) pharmacokinetic model was developed to characterize the disposition of TPO. Receptor-mediated endocytosis was assigned as the major elimination pathway in the model. A nonspecific binding compartment was also incorporated into the model. TPO concentration vs time profiles from a published phase 1 and 2 clinical trial were used to apply this model. Noncompartmental analysis demonstrated that TPO exhibits nonlinear kinetics. The proposed model captured the concentration-time profiles relatively well. The first-order internalization rate constant was estimated as 0.1 h−1. The endogenous binding capacity was estimated as 164.0 pM. The second-order binding association constant (kon) was 0.055 h−1·pM−1 and the first-order dissociation constant (koff) was estimated as 2.5 h−1, rendering the equilibrium dissociation constant Kd as 45.5 pM. This model may be relevant to other therapeutic agents with receptor-mediated endocytotic disposition

Pharmacokinetics of paclitaxel-containing liposomes in rats

In animal models, liposomal formulations of paclitaxel possess lower toxicity and equal antitumor efficacy compared with the clinical formulation, Taxol. The goal of this study was to determine the formulation dependence of paclitaxel pharmacokinetics in rats, in order to test the hypothesis that altered biodistribution of paclitaxel modifies the exposure of critical normal tissues. Paclitaxel was administered intravenously in either multilamellar (MLV) liposomes composed of phosphatidylglycerol/phosphatidylcholine (L-pac) or in the Cremophor EL/ethanol vehicle used for the Taxol formulation (Cre-pac). The dose was 40 mg/kg, and the infusion time was 8 to 9 minutes. Animals were killed at various times, and pharmacokinetic parameters were determined from the blood and tissue distribution of paclitaxel. The area under the concentration vs time curve (AUC) for blood was similar for the 2 formulations (L-pac: 38.1±3.32 μg-h/mL; Cre-pac: 34.5±0.994 μg-h/mL), however, the AUC for various tissues was formulation-dependent. For bone marrow, skin, kidney, brain, adipose, and muscle tissue, the AUC was statistically higher for Cre-pac. For spleen, a tissue of the reticuloendothelial system that is important in the clearance of liposomes, the AUC was statistically higher for L-pac. Apparent tissue partition coefficients (Kp) also were calculated. For bone marrow, a tissue in which paclitaxel exerts significant toxicity, Kp was 5-fold greater for paclitaxel in Cre-pac. The data are consistent with paclitaxel release from circulating liposomes, but with efflux delayed sufficiently to retain drug to a greater extent in the central (blood) compartment and reduce penetration into peripheral tissues. These effects may contribute to the reduced toxicity of liposomal formulations of paclitaxel