Antibody pharmacokinetics in rat brain determined using microdialysis

Here, we present the first case-study where microdialysis is used to investigate the pharmacokinetics of antibody in different regions of rat brain. Endogenous IgG was used to understand antibody disposition at steady-state and exogenously administered trastuzumab was used to understand the disposition in a dynamic setting. Microdialysis samples from the striatum (ST), lateral ventricle (LV), and cisterna magna (CM) were collected, along with plasma and brain homogenate, to comprehensively understand brain pharmacokinetics of antibodies. Antibody concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were found to vary based on the site-of-collection, where CM concentrations were several-fold higher than LV. In addition, antibody concentrations in CSF (CM/LV) were found to not accurately represent the concentrations of antibody inside brain parenchyma (e.g., ST). Elimination of CSF from CM was found to be slower than LV, and the entry and exit of antibody from ST was also slower. Pharmacokinetics of exogenously administered antibody revealed that the entry of antibody into LV via the blood-CSF barrier may represent an early pathway for antibody entry into the brain. Plasma concentrations of antibody were 247–667, 104–184, 165–435, and 377–909 fold higher than the antibody concentrations in LV, CM, ST, and brain homogenate. It was found that the measurement of antibody pharmacokinetics in different regions of the brain using microdialysis provides an unprecedented insight into brain disposition of antibody. This insight can help in designing better molecules, dosing regimens, and route of administration, which can in turn improve the efficacy of antibodies for central nervous system disorders.