Pharmacokinetic Analysis Using a High Spatial-Resolution Mass Microscope

Abstract

Imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) has recently been applied to the analysis of drug kinetics using an animal model. Previous reports revealed that IMS could be used to identify the organ where an administered drug was distributed to. In this study, we attempted to visualize the distribution of Famotidine with a higher spatial-resolution in mouse sections using a Mass Microscope that we developed in collaboration with the Shimadzu Corp. In IMS analyses of whole-body sections, Famotidine was found to be distributed largely in the kidney. Moreover, a higher spatial-resolution analysis of the kidney revealed indicated that Famotidine was distributed in the renal pelvis of the kidney. The results suggest that the Famotidine is concentrated in the renal pelvis through the cortex and marrow in the kidney during the excretion process. It can therefore be concluded that a Mass Microscope permits deeper insight into therapeutic and toxicological processes associated with drug administration to be enabled, with a high spatial-resolution.