[Use of the in vivo microdialysis technique in basic and clinical research]

Microdialysis is in vivo technique that permits monitoring of local concentrations of metabolites and drugs at specific sites in the body that makes it an attractive tool for the basic and clinical research. Microdialysis entered the experimental studies of the brain, and later also of the peripheral tissues such as adipose and muscle tissues, kidney, lung, eye, skin, and blood. There are several critical factors in the experimental implementations of microdialysis: the probe, the perfusion solution, tissue integrity, and the sensitivity of microdialysate analysis method. When the experimental conditions are optimised to give valid results, microdialysis can provide numerous data from the relatively small number of individual subjects. It can bring about detailed clinical information reflecting free metabolite and drug concentrations in studied tissues and/or in plasma. With the progress of analytical methods, applications and importance of the microdialysis technique in clinical and pharmacokinetic research and diagnostics will increase.