A review of microdialysis sampling for pharmacokinetic applications

As an in vivo technique, microdialysis sampling reflects the composition of the extracellular fluid and can be used in virtually any tissue, organ or biological fluid. Microdialysis has several characteristics that make it a valuable addition to the classical techniques used in pharmacokinetic studies. Probe geometries are described and their suitability for particular target organs is discussed as is tissue response to probe implantation. The application of microdialysis sampling for pharmacokinetic and metabolism studies and its use in target tissues other than the brain have increased over the past decade. This review cites recent examples to illustrate the utility of microdialysis sampling for pharmacokinetic applications. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.