Influence of mode of intravenous administration and blood sample collection on rat pharmacokinetic data

The influence of the mode of intravenous dosing and blood sample collection on the pharmacokinetics of 4-[(3-methoxyphenyl)-methyl]-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-oxa-4-aza-2, 6-disilacyclohexane hydrochloride (I) was studied in the rat. Blood samples obtained from the tail and by exsanguination following injection of the 14C-labeled drug into the caudal vein, the jugular vein, and the heart were analyzed for total radioactivity, and the concentration profiles from the different treatments were compared. Dosing and sampling from the tail vein resulted in significantly different blood levels (and related pharmacokinetic parameters) when compared to other methods, probably attributable to a local depot effect. Intracardiac administration tended to cause higher drug levels in the heart than intravenous doses, although no significant differences were found between the respective blood concentrations. The results showed that caudal vein injection is a simple and adequate method of intravenous administration in rats designated for exsanguinated blood and tissue collection. For serial blood sampling in individual animals, the dose may be given via the jugular vein and the blood collected from the cut tail. These methods require little or no surgical preparations and are particularly suitable for prolonged sampling in studies where a relatively large number of animals are involved.