Pharmacokinetics of isometronidazole. Basic model and estimation of the kinetic parameters from experimental data.

For the optimal timing of application of radiosensitizers in a course of radiotherapy it is important to know the sensitizer concentration at the time of irradiation. We have studied the pharmacokinetics of the hypoxic cell sensitizer isometronidazole in man and mouse and analyzed the data on the basis of an open two-compartment model after extravasal application. The parameter estimation is performed directly to avoid estimation biasing and data points from blood and tissue compartments are approximated simultaneously. The values obtained differ significantly from the estimations calculated by other authors for the same data.