Physiology Research Using ALZET^® Osmotic Pumps

The administration of endogenous factors and assessment of their physiological effect in live animals presents numerous challenges. The ALZET osmotic pump has proven a useful tool for researchers, enabling the reliable long-term delivery of compounds whilst avoiding stress-related complications induced by frequent handling and dosing schedules. Continuous, controlled administration of hormones, trophic factors, proteins and peptides, permits physiological concentrations to be achieved, despite the poor bioavailabilty or short half-life often associated with such agents.

Due to the widespread biological activity of many endogenous compounds, the ability to deliver an agent directly to a tissue or organ simplifies the identification of specific effects, whilst avoiding adverse reactions associated with systemic delivery. The ALZET pump may also be used to deliver modulators of naturally occurring, biologically-active chemicals, such as nitric oxide. Administration of synthesis inhibitors, precursors, or the agent itself, enables the in vivo levels of the chemical to be controlled and the physiological consequences to be determined.

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.

If you are interested in a specific agent and did not find it listed above, check the index by Agent Administered.