Chewable Tablets for Precise Unit Dosing of Animals.

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology
• Animal Models
• Drug Delivery Systems

Background:

• Oral administration of preclinical drugs typically uses oral gavage or food formulations.
• Oral gavage causes distress and is unsuitable for behavioral studies.
• Food-based delivery methods lack precision in dosing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate tablets for precise peroral drug delivery in laboratory mice.
• To assess the feasibility of using tablets for unit dosing in preclinical research.

Main Methods:

• Tablet compositions were assessed for compactability and compressibility.
• CD-1 mice were tested for voluntary tablet consumption.
• Denatonium benzoate, a bitter compound, was added to tablets at escalating doses.
• Tablet consumption was measured over four weeks in male and female mice.

Main Results:

• Tablet consumption increased with exposure, indicating a need for habituation.
• After a one-week habituation to placebo tablets, 9 of 11 mice consumed all bitter tablets.
• Mice consumed 97% of tablet mass within one hour.
• No significant changes in body weight were observed.

Conclusions:

• Tablets are a viable and precise method for preclinical drug delivery in laboratory mice.
• The habituation strategy enhances tablet acceptance in mice.
• This method offers an alternative to less precise or distressing drug administration techniques.