Pharmacokinetic approaches to drug distribution in the cerebrospinal fluid based on ventricular administration in beagle dogs.

Two mathematical approaches are described to approximate the distribution of compounds (e.g., drugs) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) downstream of or distal to both the ventricular injection site and the cisterna magna sampling site. The first approach uses a graphic representation and is, in essence, model independent; the second approach considers the geometry and physiology of CSF distribution and clearance. In all studies, radiolabeled inulin was used as an "internal standard" since it is not metabolized and is eliminated from the CSF primarily by bulk flow. Temporal comparison of the study compound to radiolabeled inulin in the cisternal CSF allowed testing of these models in beagle dogs. One use of this data is in the estimation of the drug exposure integral for antineoplastic drugs administered in the CSF to treat leptomeningeal neoplasia.