Intracerebral microdialysis technique and its application on brain pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic study

Intracerebral microdialysis (IC-MD) has been developed as a well-validated and powerful technique for decades. As a practical sampling tool, it can gain the continuous dialysates of endogenous and exogenous substances in extracellular fluid (ECF) of awake freely moving animals. Also, variform IC-MD probes (IC-MDPs) have grown more exquisite. The implantation of the IC-MDP in certain tissue of brain allows monitor drug distribution and measure drug and corresponding neurotransmitters levels in brain ECF after administration for brain pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (B-PK-PD) study. So it is suitable for IC-MD to B-PK-PD study (IC-MD/B-PK-PD). The performance of IC-MD/B-PK-PD can not only elevate the degree of precision and accuracy of experimental data, minimize the individual difference by reduced number of animals, but also give important information for the prediction and optimization of drug effective dose in preclinical study. In this review, we have discussed various IC-MD/B-PK-PD studies of analgesic, antiepileptic and antidepressant drug. The role of IC-MD/B-PK-PD in confirming and assessing the drug effect before clinic trials is highlighted.