The Function of Pharmacokinetics

Pharmacokinetic has evolved over the years from being a graphic science to a systematic and is frequently used in the current clinical studies. Scientists are progressively being conscious and willing to collect relevant pharmacokinetic data by using the in vitro studies. In vitro studies will allow the safer and more predictable studies compared and results compare to in vivo studies. Interpretation of toxic side effects of all the medications can be studied via pharmacokinetics in vitro analysis.

Pharmacokinetics describes what the body does to the drug, as opposed to pharmacodynamics which describes what the drug does to the body. Pharmacokinetic information is required to utilize and increase the drug response. The primary pharmacokinetic disposition parameter is clearance. This is really important to have knowledge of this value and its major parts. For example the fractional renal and hepatic elimination and clearance will allow the clinician to prescribe the correct dosage regimen. The accurate dosage regimen could help the clinicians to obtain an average therapeutic concentration and to predict the effects of various disease states. The other pharmacokinetic disposition parameter which can be utilized in vitro is the volume of distribution. The volume of distribution can be measured at steady-state; this may also vary with changes in physiologic and pathologic conditions of the body2. Clearance and volume of distribution would be expected to vary with changes in plasma protein binding. The usage of in vitro setting could help us to measure these modifiable elements. Although plasma concentration measurements are usually easiest to perform via in vitro settings, clarification of parameters in original organism or the hu...

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...his test examines the medication via in vitro analysis to induce or inhibit CYP1A2, CYP2B6 or CYP3A4 in fresh cultured human hepatocytes by evaluating catalytic activity3.

The accuracy of in vitro pharmacokinetics parameters depends on laboratory which is being used to determine with the true value. The accuracy of all the laboratory settings could be maximized by calibrating laboratory equipment with the control or blank group. Then the control group needs to be referenced and compared to the actual results. Using the control groups such as cells or live organism could help the researchers in determining more accurate pharmacokinetics parameters. If these parameters are accurate, they can be a huge help for the future clinicians in determining the best therapeutic and toxic dosage of the medications.

Works Cited

Hewitt NJ et al. (2007) Xenobiotica 37: 1196-1224