A Versatile Gas Uptake Inhalation System Used in Pharmacokinetic and Metabolic Studies of Volatile Organic Compounds

Abstract

This paper describes an automated gas uptake system for pharmacokinetic research with volatile organic compounds, designed to operate within the parameters maintained during conventional whole-body inhalation exposures according to the Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) guidelines. Benefits are twofold: (1) to ensure that animals are tested under the same widely accepted guidelines, and (2) to minimize the number of animals required to perform a study, by allowing direct comparison of results from gas uptake studies with results from other inhalation toxicology studies and use of animals from gas uptake experiments for postexposure toxicological testing. Other features implemented in the chamber design improve the ease of use and productivity of the system. These include provisions to adapt the apparatus for use in different pharmacokinetic experimental protocols, automation of data acquisition and oxygen control during exposures, and automated calculation of exposure summary statistics and graphics using a spreadsheet program. The automation system reduces the labor hours required to perform a gas uptake experiment by approximately one-half.

Key Words: :

• Pharmacokinetics
• Gas uptake inhalation chambers
• Gas chromatography
• Physiological measurements
• Volatile organic compounds
• Good Laboratory Practices (GLP)