Dynamic simulation of pharmacokinetic systems using the electrical circuit analysis program SPICE2.

The electrical circuit simulation program SPICE2 is used to perform computer simulations of linear and non-linear pharmacokinetic systems. This is achieved by applying novel network thermodynamic principles which make use of the analogy between the conservation laws of chemical reactions and mass transport and Kirchoff's laws of current and voltage balance for electrical circuits. A simple description of program input for general pharmacokinetic simulation as well as simulation of complex pharmacokinetic and physiologic phenomena such as single and multiple divided daily dosing, Michaelis--Menten kinetics, gastric emptying cycle, drug resorption and linear and non-linear drug protein binding is provided. Drug concentrations or amounts in different compartments are graphically obtained or tabulated as time functions. The economy of time and effort afforded by this program is illustrated by simulating the metabolism and accumulation kinetics of salicylic acid on single and repeated divided dosing. The advantages of SPICE2 over other available simulation packages and its educational value as a teaching and research tool are discussed.