Perfluorochemical erythrocyte substitutes: disposition and effects on drug distribution and elimination.

As a result of their ability to transport oxygen, PFC emulsions are being investigated for possible use in a wide variety of conditions. The recent FDA approval of F-DA to diminish myocardial ischemia during angioplasty is the first marketing approval for such a product in the world. The many potential uses of such products may result in their common application in the future, especially as new and better products are developed. The elimination, distribution, and tissue retention of PFC emulsions as well as the physiological changes that occur upon their administration have been the subject of many investigations. The results indicate that these agents may influence the pharmacokinetic properties of other drugs by a wide variety of mechanisms. Several studies have shown significant, but not necessarily consistent, changes in drug elimination and distribution following PFC emulsion infusion. Changes appear dependent on the drug examined, emulsion utilized, degree of blood exchange, species utilized, and the controls chosen for comparison. Often, the changes are time dependent indicating the importance of conducting long-term studies. While PFC emulsions do not appear to alter renal elimination of drugs, several studies have demonstrated that these agents have the potential to induce drug metabolism from several days to possibly months after exposure. Observed changes in drug volumes of distribution, which are often time dependent, may be due to changes in normal drug transport throughout the circulation and/or changes in membrane permeability and cell transport mechanisms. Changes in drug transport may result from depletion of plasma proteins or increases in alpha 1-acid glycoprotein levels due to trauma or PFC emulsion effects. The binding of drugs by PFC emulsion droplets varies greatly and PFC emulsion components displace some plasma protein bound drugs. The wide variability in the results and conclusions of the pharmacokinetic studies conducted to date emphasize the importance of utilizing adequate controls to identify which alterations are PFC emulsion specific.