Pharmacology Research using ALZET® Osmotic Pumps
The study of the action of chemicals upon living tissues encompasses a wide range of interests, from assessment of the responses evoked at the subcellular level to those seen in the organism as a whole. The ALZET osmotic pump provides the pharmacologist with a means of delivering diverse compounds for extended periods of time.
The ALZET pump is an invaluable tool for investigating the effect of agents upon receptor populations, where achievement of a constant drug level is essential if stable receptor occupancy is to be realized. The ability to maintain a continuous presence of a drug is also beneficial in determining its effect on protein synthesis or physiological response, or when assessing a drug's potential for inducing tolerance and dependence. In addition, controlled, continuous delivery of compounds is advantageous in bioavailability and pharmacokinetic studies.
The ALZET pump also provides a reliable means of accomplishing targeted delivery of compounds to specific organs or tissues. Precise delivery at the proposed site of action permits a more thorough evaluation of the compound's immediate interaction with the cellular mechanisms of interest. Localized delivery also avoids complications associated with bioavailability and activation of feedback mechanisms, commonly seen after systemic administration. The successful targeted delivery of cell modulators by ALZET pumps has also been utilized to generate animal models of disease states providing valuable tools for use in therapeutic assessment.
ALZET pumps are drug discovery tools which offer enhanced control over test compound levels in plasma and tissues. In pharmacologic research, ALZET pumps have been used in a wide range of applications, including:
Some of these bibliographies may be large and take a short while to display. These bibliographies are updated frequently. As the references are listed most recent first, you may wish to truncate your printing to ten pages or less.
- Injection-Infusion Comparisons (studies which compare the effects of drugs when given by injection and infusion)
- Neurotrophic Factors
- Nicotine
- Nitric Oxide Research
- NSAIDS
- Opioids and Opiate Peptides
- Prostaglandins
- Targeted Delivery
If you are interested in a specific agent and did not find it listed above, check the index by Agent Administered.
Looking for references? We can help!
ALZET will perform a custom bibliography search for you! ALZET pumps have been used to deliver hundreds of different compounds, including proteins and peptides, in a myriad of different experimental applications. We have recently updated our database, which now contains over 11,000 references that can help you guide your research project!
Pump Advantages
- Ensure around-the-clock exposure to test agents at predictable levels
- Permit continuous administration of short half-life proteins and peptides
- Provide a convenient method for the chronic dosing of laboratory animals
- Minimize unwanted experimental variables and ensure reproducible, consistent results
- Eliminate the need for nighttime or weekend dosing
- Reduce handling and stress to laboratory animals
- Small enough for use in mice or very young rats
- Allow for targeted delivery of agents to virtually any tissue
- Cost-effective research tool