Employing a Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Model Including Absorption and Exhalation to Examine Chemical Transport Throughout the Body Based on the Method of Drug Delivery

Undergraduate #250
Discipline: Mathematics and Statistics
Subcategory: Mathematics and Statistics

Zanah S. Marshall - North Carolina A&T State University
Co-Author(s): Arie D. Walker and Linh N. Tran, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC

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In this study, a Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model is utilized to investigate the distribution of a chemical based on multiple drug delivery methods. The PBPK model is comprised of a system of differential equations, where each equation models the change in chemical for a different organ or tissue group. Organs and tissues considered in this modeling effort include the slowly perfused tissue, rapidly perfused tissue, fat, kidney, lung, gut, and liver. Ultimately, researchers use this type of model to estimate the internal dose of toxic chemicals and their metabolites in target organs and tissues. The purpose of this research was to quantitatively analyze the distribution of chemicals throughout the body from various methods of delivery. The PBPK model was used to simulate the distribution of a toxicant administered by three different exposures: inhalation, oral, and intravenous into male B6C3F1 mice. The PBPK modeling efforts in this project include absorption for the oral exposure, and exhalation for the inhalation exposure. Results from this study show that under the assumptions of this modeling effort, the route of exposure does affect the distribution of a chemical throughout the body.

Funder Acknowledgement(s): National Science Foundation HRD #1036299

Faculty Advisor: Nicholas Luke,