Purpose: Establishment of the pharmacokinetic profile of methotrexate (MTX) in the extracellular fluid (ECF) of a brain C6-glioma in rats.
Methods: Serial collection of plasma samples and ECF dialysates after i.v. infusion of MTX (50 or 100 mg/kg) for 4 h. HPLC assay.
Results: Histological studies revealed the presence of inflammation, edema, necrosis, and hemorrhage in most animals. In vivo recovery (reverse dialysis) was 10.8 +/- 5.3%. MTX concentrations in tumor ECF represented about 1-2% of the plasma concentrations. Rapid equilibration between MTX levels in brain tumor ECF and plasma. ECF concentrations almost reached steady-state by the end of the infusion (4 h), then decayed in parallel with those in plasma. Doubling of the dose did not modify MTX pharmacokinetic parameters (t1/2alpha, t1/2beta, MRT, fb, Vd, and CL(T)), except for a 1.7-fold increase of AUC(Plasma) and a 3.8-fold increase in AUC(ECF), which resulted in a 2.3-fold increase in penetration (AUC(ECF)/AUC(Plasma)). In spite of an important interindividual variability, a relationship between MTX concentrations in plasma and tumor ECF could be established from mean pharmacokinetic parameters.
Conclusions: High plasma concentrations promote the penetration of MTX into brain tissue. However, free MTX concentrations in tumor ECF remain difficult to predict consistently.