Pharmacokinetics of theophylline in Guinea pig tears.

It is well recognized that the theophylline (TP) concentration in human tears correlates well with the free TP concentration in human plasma. However this correlation was found only in a very narrow range of concentrations of TP, and pharmacokinetic analysis of TP in tears has not been carried out for a wide range of concentrations of TP. The aims of this investigation were to develop a simple kinetic model for TP in guinea pig plasma (total [Cf+b] and free [Cf]), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) [C](CSF) and tears [C](T), and to examine whether [Cf], [Cf+b] and [C](CSF) can be predicted from [C](T) using the resulting kinetic parameters. [Cf+b], [Cf], [C](CSF) and [C](T) were determined by GC/EI-SIM following bolus i.v. injection of TP in doses of 10, 50 and 100 mg/kg into guinea pigs. The wide range of concentrations of [Cf+b] could be quantitatively described by a two-compartment model with non-linear elimination kinetics and individual volume distribution of TP at each dose. [C](T) and [C](CSF) were analyzed using passive diffusion models with and without the pH-partition theory, respectively. The value of [Cf] could be predicted from the value of [C](T). Thus, the measurement of [C](T) which can be collected non-invasively would be a useful method for the therapeutic drug monitoring of TP.