Microdialysis in mice for drug delivery research

Intracerebral microdialysis was first performed in the mouse at the end of the 1980s. Most microdialysis studies on mice were confined to neuropharmacology and changes in neurotransmitter concentrations up to 1995, although pharmacological studies were done on other tissues like the skin, kidney and implanted tumors. The use of microdialysis in mice for pharmacokinetic and drug delivery studies owes much to the recent availability of genetically engineered mice, such as mice in which the genes encoding multiple drug resistance have been knocked out. The quantitative microdialysis of blood and various tissue fluids of the mouse is now feasible and the recent development of specific microdialysis devices for use in mice should facilitate its use in these small animals. This review covers the technical aspects of microdialysis in the mouse and includes references to many of the published studies on pharmacokinetics and drug delivery.