L’immunosuppression optimale après greffe d’organe solide est une balance délicate et propre à chaque individu entre le risque de rejet et les risques liés à une surexposition au traitement immunosuppresseur. L’évaluation de la fonction résiduelle des lymphocytes T après stimulation par un mitogène (pharmacodynamie effective) devrait permettre de mesurer l’effet direct des médicaments immunosuppresseurs sur leur cible. Nous avons étudié différents paramètres de pharmacodynamie effective chez 34 receveurs pédiatriques de greffe d’organes solides traités par tacrolimus et mycophénolate. Les tests proposés dans ce travail sont adaptés au milieu pédiatrique et à une réalisation en temps réel. La quantification du CD25 parmi les CD4 activés par l’OKT3 permet de distinguer deux groupes de patients selon leur degré d’immunosuppression. L’âge médian est plus bas et la concentration plasmatique médiane en MPA plus élevée dans le groupe de patients plus fortement immunosupprimés. L’étude des paramètres immunologiques pouvant influencer la réponse (sécrétion des interleukines, proportion des sous-populations lymphocytaires CD4, CD8, T naïfs et Trég) ainsi que l’étude du pouvoir de restauration de la fonction lymphocytaire par l’Il-2, la guanosine ou la xanthosine, ne permettent pas de mieux comprendre les variabilités interindividuelles observées. Ces résultats devront être confirmés sur une cohorte plus grande de patients afin de juger de leur intérêt en pratique clinique. / Optimal immunosuppression following solid organ transplantation is unique to each individual and requires a balance between risks of rejection and overexposure to immunosuppressive therapy. The evaluation of residual function of T lymphocytes after mitogen stimulation (effective pharmacodynamic monitoring) should allow measurement of the direct effect of immunosuppressive drugs on their target. We studied various parameters of effective pharmacodynamic monitoring in 34 paediatric patients receiving solid organ transplants and treated with tacrolimus and mycophenolate (MPA). The tests proposed in this work are adapted to the paediatric setting in real time. Quantification of CD25 among CD4 cells activated by OKT3 can differentiate two groups of patients according to their degree of immunosuppression. Median values for age and MPA plasma concentration are lower and higher, respectively, in the patient group most heavily immunosuppressed. Neither study of the parameters that may influence the response (secretion of interleukins, proportion of lymphocyte subpopulations CD4, CD8, naive and regulatory T cells) nor study of the restoration of basal cell function brought about by Il2, guanosine or xanthosine, helped to explain the observed inter-individual variability. These results should be confirmed in a larger cohort of patients in order to test their relevance in clinical practice.

Resistance against anti-malarial drugs remains one of the greatest obstacles to the effective control of malaria. The current first-line treatment regimen for uncomplicated P.falciparum malaria is based on artemisinin combination therapies (ACTs). However, reports of an increase in tolerance of the malaria parasite to artemisinins used in ACTs have alarmed the malaria community. The spread of artemisinin-resistant parasites would impact negatively on malaria control. Chloroquine and amodiaquine are 4-aminoquinolines. Chloroquine and amodiaquine were evaluated in a primate model by comparing the bioavailability of these compounds in a reference formulation and also in a Pheroid® formulation. In vivo pharmacokinetic studies were conducted for chloroquine, and in vitro and in vivo drug metabolism and pharmacokinetic (DMPK) studies were conducted for amodiaquine. Pheroid® technology forms the basis of a colloidal drug delivery system, and it is the potential application of this technology in combination with the 4-aminoquinolines that was the focus of this thesis. Pheroid® is a registered trademark but for ease of reading will be referred to as pheroid(s) or pro-pheroid(s) throughout the rest of the thesis. The non-human primate model used for evaluation of the pharmacokinetic parameters was the vervet monkey (Chlorocebus aethiops). Chloroquine was administered orally at 20 mg/kg. A sensitive and selective LC-MS/MS method was developed to analyze the concentration of chloroquine in both whole blood and plasma samples. The Cmax obtained for whole blood was 1039 ± 251.04 ng/mL for the unformulated reference sample of chloroquine and 1753.6 ± 382.8 ng/mL for the pheroid formulation. The AUC0-inf was 37365 ± 6383 ng.h/mL (reference) and 52047 ± 11210 ng.h/mL (pheroid). The results indicate that the use of pheroid technology enhances the absorption of chloroquine. The effect of pheroid technology on the bioavailability of amodiaquine and N-desethylamodiaquine was determined in two groups of vervet monkeys, with the reference group receiving capsules containing the hydrochloride salt of amodiaquine and the test group receiving capsules containing a pro-pheroid formulation of amodiaquine. Amodiaquine was administered at 60 mg/kg. Blood concentrations of amodiaquine and N-desethylamodiaquine samples were monitored over 13 time points from 0.5 to 168 hours. Amodiaquine and pro-pheroid formulated amodiaquine were incubated in vitro with human and monkey liver (HLM and MLM) and intestinal (HIM and MIM) microsomes and recombinant cytochrome P450 enzymes. The in vitro metabolism studies confirm the rapid metabolism of amodiaquine to the main metabolite N-desethylamodiaquine in monkeys. Although the pharmacokinetic parameters varied greatly, parameters for both the parent compound and main metabolite were lower in the test formulation compared to the reference formulation. For HLM, MLM and CYP2C8, the pro-pheroid test formulation showed significantly longer amodiaquine clearance and slower formation of N-desethylamodiaquine. However, the effect was reversed in MIM. Pheroid technology impacts differently on the bioavailability of the various pharmaceutical classes of anti-malarials. Pheroid technology did not enhance the bioavailability of amodiaquine or N-desethylamodiaquine. This is contrary to the observed effects of pheroid technology on the pharmacokinetics of other drugs such as artemisone and chloroquine where it increases the area under the curve and prolongs the drug half-life. / Thesis (PhD (Pharmaceutics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

Resistance against anti-malarial drugs remains one of the greatest obstacles to the effective control of malaria. The current first-line treatment regimen for uncomplicated P.falciparum malaria is based on artemisinin combination therapies (ACTs). However, reports of an increase in tolerance of the malaria parasite to artemisinins used in ACTs have alarmed the malaria community. The spread of artemisinin-resistant parasites would impact negatively on malaria control. Chloroquine and amodiaquine are 4-aminoquinolines. Chloroquine and amodiaquine were evaluated in a primate model by comparing the bioavailability of these compounds in a reference formulation and also in a Pheroid® formulation. In vivo pharmacokinetic studies were conducted for chloroquine, and in vitro and in vivo drug metabolism and pharmacokinetic (DMPK) studies were conducted for amodiaquine. Pheroid® technology forms the basis of a colloidal drug delivery system, and it is the potential application of this technology in combination with the 4-aminoquinolines that was the focus of this thesis. Pheroid® is a registered trademark but for ease of reading will be referred to as pheroid(s) or pro-pheroid(s) throughout the rest of the thesis. The non-human primate model used for evaluation of the pharmacokinetic parameters was the vervet monkey (Chlorocebus aethiops). Chloroquine was administered orally at 20 mg/kg. A sensitive and selective LC-MS/MS method was developed to analyze the concentration of chloroquine in both whole blood and plasma samples. The Cmax obtained for whole blood was 1039 ± 251.04 ng/mL for the unformulated reference sample of chloroquine and 1753.6 ± 382.8 ng/mL for the pheroid formulation. The AUC0-inf was 37365 ± 6383 ng.h/mL (reference) and 52047 ± 11210 ng.h/mL (pheroid). The results indicate that the use of pheroid technology enhances the absorption of chloroquine. The effect of pheroid technology on the bioavailability of amodiaquine and N-desethylamodiaquine was determined in two groups of vervet monkeys, with the reference group receiving capsules containing the hydrochloride salt of amodiaquine and the test group receiving capsules containing a pro-pheroid formulation of amodiaquine. Amodiaquine was administered at 60 mg/kg. Blood concentrations of amodiaquine and N-desethylamodiaquine samples were monitored over 13 time points from 0.5 to 168 hours. Amodiaquine and pro-pheroid formulated amodiaquine were incubated in vitro with human and monkey liver (HLM and MLM) and intestinal (HIM and MIM) microsomes and recombinant cytochrome P450 enzymes. The in vitro metabolism studies confirm the rapid metabolism of amodiaquine to the main metabolite N-desethylamodiaquine in monkeys. Although the pharmacokinetic parameters varied greatly, parameters for both the parent compound and main metabolite were lower in the test formulation compared to the reference formulation. For HLM, MLM and CYP2C8, the pro-pheroid test formulation showed significantly longer amodiaquine clearance and slower formation of N-desethylamodiaquine. However, the effect was reversed in MIM. Pheroid technology impacts differently on the bioavailability of the various pharmaceutical classes of anti-malarials. Pheroid technology did not enhance the bioavailability of amodiaquine or N-desethylamodiaquine. This is contrary to the observed effects of pheroid technology on the pharmacokinetics of other drugs such as artemisone and chloroquine where it increases the area under the curve and prolongs the drug half-life. / Thesis (PhD (Pharmaceutics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

Siauro terapinio indekso vaistų vartojimas ir farmakokinetikos tyrimų interpretavimas reikalauja specialių farmakokinetikos žinių. Mokslinės literatūros šaltiniuose teigiama, jog gydymo procese dalyvaujant klinikiniams vaistininkams vaistų vartojimas yra optimizuojamas. Lietuvoje panašios vaistininkų veiklos nėra, todėl tyrimo tikslas buvo įvertinti siauro terapinio indekso vaistų vartojimo racionalumą ir nustatyti klinikinės farmacijos paslaugos poreikį stacionarinio gydymo įstaigoje. Darbo uždaviniai: nustatyti ir įvertinti farmakoterapinių problemų, siejamų su siauro terapinio indekso vaistų (vankomicino, ciklosporino, digoksino, gentamicino) vartojimu, paplitimą tretinio lygio ligoninėje; kiekybiškai ir kokybiškai įvertinti nustatytų farmakoterapinių problemų rizikos veiksnius; įvertinti vankomicino farmakokinetikos stebėsenos praktiką ligoninės skyriuose; įvertinti farmacininko konsultacijos įtaką vankomicino farmakokinetikos stebėsenai. Tyrimui pasirinktų siauro terapinio indekso vaistų farmakokinetikos tyrimų analizė atskleidė klinikinės farmacijos paslaugos poreikį optimizuojant tokių vaistų vartojimą Lietuvos ligoninėse. Nustatytų farmakoterapinių problemų rizikos veiksnių analizė identifikavo praktikoje dar visuotinai nepripažintą padidintą inkstų klirensą ir jo reikšmingą įtaką vaistų veiksmingumui. / The prescription of narrow therapeutic index drugs (NTID) and interpretation of pharmacokinetic measurements require special pharmacokinetic knowledge. Scientific publications report that active participation of clinical pharmacists in the treatment process results in optimization of the drugs use. In Lithuania, there are no similar services provided by pharmacists up till now. Aim of the study: to evaluate the rationality of the use of NTIDs and to determine the demand for clinical pharmacy services in hospitals. Objectives of the study: to identify and evaluate the prevalence of drug-related problems associated with the use of NTIDs (vancomycin, cyclosporine, digoxin, and gentamicin) in the tertiary-level hospital; to perform quantitative and qualitative analysis of risk factors for the identified drug-related problems; to evaluate the practice of pharmacokinetic vancomycin monitoring in hospital departments; to evaluate the influence of pharmacist intervention on pharma¬cokinetic vancomycin monitoring. The analysis of pharmacokinetic measurements of NTIDs selected for this study revealed the demand for clinical pharmacy services while optimizing NTIDs use in the Lithuanian hospitals. The analysis of risk factors associated with the identified drug-related problems identified augmented renal clearance, which is not widely acknowledged in practice, and its significant impact on the effectiveness of drugs.

Introdução: Em pacientes críticos, como os grandes queimados, todos os parâmetros farmacocinéticos (absorção, distribuição, metabolismo e excreção) de muitas classes de drogas, incluindo antimicrobianos, estão alterados. Devido à forte associação entre a terapia antimicrobiana adequada em pacientes com queimaduras e mortalidade, intervenções como o monitoramento terapêutico de drogas podem ser uteis para otimizar a concentração sérica desses agentes em diferentes estágios do estado hiperdinâmico. Portanto, é possível melhorar desfecho clínico e sobrevivência além de reduzir o desenvolvimento de resistência. O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar o impacto em mortalidade de uma estratégia de ajuste de dose de acordo com o monitoramento terapêutico e modelagem farmacocinética/farmacodinâmica em pacientes de uma Unidade de Terapia Intensiva (UTI) para Queimados. Métodos: Um estudo comparativo, retrospectivo, foi conduzido entre pacientes admitidos com pneumonia, infecção em queimadura, infecção de corrente sanguínea e/ou infecção do trato urinário associados à assistência à saúde em uma UTI para Queimados do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (HC-FMUSP). Estes pacientes foram divididos em dois grupos: aqueles admitidos de maio de 2005 a outubro de 2008 que receberam antibioticoterapia em regime de dose convencional proposto pelo Grupo de Controle de Infecção Hospitalar do HC-FMUSP e aqueles admitidos de novembro de 2008 a junho de 2011 que receberam terapia antimicrobiana com dose ajustada de acordo com o monitoramento plasmático e modelagem farmacocinética. Características gerais dos dois grupos foram analisadas e desfechos clínicos (melhora dos sinais e sintomas da infecção), mortalidade em 14 dias e mortalidade hospitalar foram comparados. Resultados: 63 pacientes admitidos na UTI de Queimados apresentaram os critérios de inclusão para o grupo de tratamento convencional e 77 para o grupo de tratamento monitorado. Comparando dois grupos homogêneos em suas características gerais, houve diferenças quanto ao número de desbridamentos realizados e história de alcoolismo e uso de drogas ilícitas, mais frequentes no grupo de tratamento monitorado. Melhora clínica ocorreu em 56% dos pacientes sob regime monitorado e a mortalidade hospitalar foi similar entre os grupos. Pertencer a um dos grupos de tratamento não afetou o prognóstico. Na análise multivariada final, variáveis significativamente associadas com mortalidade hospitalar foram superfície corporal queimada maior que 30%, idade mais avançada e sexo masculino. Conclusão: Nosso estudo demonstrou que a estratégia de monitoramento terapêutico de antimicrobianos não alterou prognóstico de pacientes queimados. Acreditamos que são necessários mais estudos para embasar esta estratégia / Introduction: In critical patients, such as burn patients, pharmacokinetic parameters (absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion) of many classes of drugs, including antibiotics, are altered. The aim of this study was to compare two groups of burned patients under treatment for healthcare associated infections with and without therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) based on PK/PD modeling. Methods: A comparative study was conducted with patients with healthcare-associated pneumonia, burn infection, bloodstream infection and urinary tract infection in the Burn Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a tertiary-care hospital. These patients were divided into two groups: 1) those admitted from May 2005 to October 2008 who received conventional antimicrobial dose regimen; and 2) those admitted from November 2008 to June, 2011 who received antibiotics with doses adjusted according to plasma monitoring and pharmacokinetics modeling. General characteristics of the groups were analyzed and clinical outcomes, 14-day and in-hospital mortality. Results: 63 patients formed the conventional treatment group and 77 the monitored treatment group. The groups were very homogeneous. Improvement occurred in 56% of the patients under monitored treatment and the in-hospital mortality was similar between groups. In the final multivariate models, variables significantly associated with in-hospital mortality were total burn surface area (TBSA) > 30%, older age and male sex. Treatment group did not affect the prognosis. Conclusions: TDM for antimicrobial treatment did not alter the prognosis of burn patients. More trials are needed to support the use of TDM to optimize treatment in burn patients

La teicoplanine est utilisée par voie intraveineuse (IV) dans le traitement de la pneumonie acquise sous ventilation mécanique (PAVM) à Staphylocoque aureus méticilline résistant. Nous avons évalué la faisabilité et les bénéfices de la nébulisation de teicoplanine en ventilation mécanique (VM) par rapport à la voie IV. L’administration d’un aérosol de teicoplanine chez le rat a permis d’obtenir des concentrations pulmonaires 48 fois supérieures à celles après IV et des concentrations plasmatiques inférieures à celles après IV. Après avoir mesuré l’influence des nébuliseurs sur les paramètres ventilatoires du respirateur, nous avons sélectionné le nébuliseur Aeroneb Pro®. Les propriétés bactériologiques de l’antibiotique ne sont pas altérées par le nébuliseur et l’exposition d’un modèle d’épithélium pulmonaire in vitro à des doses 100 fois supérieures à celles utilisées en IV n’a pas montré de cytotoxicité. L’étude réalisée sur la nébulisation de teicoplanine chez le porc en VM a montré un dépôt pulmonaire moyen de 18,1%. En conclusion, la nébulisation de teicoplanine pourrait etre envisagée comme une nouvelle arme thérapeutique dans la PAVM. / Nebulization of teicoplanin should be an alternative way of administration in Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) caused by Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus. We assessed the faisibility and advantages of nebulization of teicoplanin in mechanical ventilation. After a nebulization of teicoplanin in a rat model, the lung concentrations were more than 48 times higher than the lung concentrations following intravenous administration. In the next study, we used an Aeroneb Pro® nebulizer selected according to its safe properties with ventilator which was evaluated in a bench study. Any cytotoxicity was observed with high doses of teicoplanin and nebulization did not affect its pharmacological properties. In mechanically ventilated piglets, teicoplanin was administered efficiently by nebulization wih an aerosol delivery of 18.1% [16.3-27.0]. Pharmacokinetic parameters are particularly consistent with this time-dependent antibiotic and emphasize the potential of airways delivery of teicoplanin. In conclusion, nebulization of teicoplanin adds a further challenge to the development of aerosol therapy of antibiotics in VAP.

Ce doctorat porte sur l’étude de l’activité antipaludique de la cépharanthine. Deux méthodes écologiques d’extraction, utilisant des micro-ondes et ultrasons, ont été proposées. L'activité antiplasmodiale a été évaluée par le calcul de la concentration qui inhibe 50 % de la croissance parasitaire. Les cibles potentielles ont été évaluées par l’étude de la variation d’expression des gènes. Au niveau microscopique, la cépharanthine a semblé inhiber le développement parasitaire et bloquer les parasites au stade anneau. Au niveau transcriptomique, la cépharanthine semble avoir un impact sur le transport de protéines plasmodiales à la surface du globule rouge ; sur des organelles nécessaires à la survie du parasite, et sur les interactions entre le globule rouge parasité et l’endothélium ou les globules rouges sains. Des études de combinaisons thérapeutiques ont montré que la cépharanthine semble potentialiser certains antipaludiques. Une analyse quantitative de la cépharathine plasmatique a permis d’effectuer une étude pharmacocinétique. La cépharanthine pourrait être un chef de file intéressant pour le développement de nouveaux antipaludiques. / This PhD focuses on the study of the antimalarial activity of cepharanthine. Two green extraction methods, using microwave and ultrasound, have been proposed. The antiplasmodial activity was evaluated by calculating the concentration inhibiting 50 % of parasite growth. Potential targets were evaluated by studying the variation of gene expression. At the microscopic level, cepharanthine seemed to inhibit the parasite growth and to block parasite at the ring stages. The transcriptomic assay showed that cepharanthine seems to have an impact on the transport of Plasmodium proteins to the red blood cell surface, on organellar functions necessary for the survival of the parasite, and on the interactions between infected red blood cells and the endothelium or healthy red blood cells. The study of combination therapies showed that cepharanthine appears to potentiate some antimalarial compounds. A quantitative analysis of cepharathine in mouse plasma allowed performing a pharmacokinetic study. Cepharanthine could be an interesting lead to the development of new antimalarial drugs.

A mistura triterpênica ¤ e ß- amirinas é comumente encontrada em quantidades significativas em espécies do gênero Protium (Burseraceae) e possuem reconhecidas atividades anti-inflamatória, hepatoprotetora, gastroprotetora e analgésica, dentre outras. Entretanto, pouco se sabe sobre sua farmacocinética e metabolismo. Neste sentido, esta tese teve o objetivo de desenvolver metodologias bioanalíticas para determinar a farmacocinética e a eliminação de ? e ?-amirinas isoladas de P. spruceanum bem como avaliar o metabolismo in vitro destes triterpenos. A mistura de ¤ e ß-amirinas foi isolada em grau de pureza cromatográfica acima de 99%. Foi desenvolvida e caracterizada uma nanoemulsão do tipo O/A contendo ¤ e ß-amirinas a fim de viabilizar a administração por vias oral e endovenosa e realizar os estudos de disposição cinética dessas substâncias em camundongos. O tamanho médio das partículas da nanoemulsão foi de 103,5 ± 0,44 nm, com porcentagem de encapsulação de acima de 99%. Os estudos de liberação in vitro mostraram baixa taxa de liberação após 24 horas. A avaliação da disposição cinética de ? e ?-amirinas em camundongos mostrou que após administração oral a suspensão de CMC não foi absorvida, entretanto a nanoemulsão contendo as substancias foi absorvida e a biodisponibilidade oral de ¤ e ß-amirinas foi de 1,03 ± 0,08 e 1,56 ± 0,24%, respectivamente. O Vd foi elevado e a T1/2 foi de 2,61±0,15 e 2,57±0,07 horas, respectivamente. O ClB mostrou-se elevado, comparado ao ClR. Após administração oral da nanoemulsão, praticamente toda a mistura foi eliminada inalterada nas fezes devido a baixa absorção. Entretanto, após administração endovenosa cerca de 50% da mistura foi eliminada inalterada pela via biliar. Estudos de eliminação renal de ¤ e ß-amirinas mostraram que apenas cerca de 0,2% das substâncias foram eliminadas por via renal após administração endovenosa. O fenômeno Flip-Flop ocorreu para a via extravascular utilizada. Os resultados da eliminação parcial e de baixa liberação in vitro sugerem que após administração endovenosa da nanoemulsão pode ocorrer acúmulo extravascular dos compostos, corroborando com altos Vd. As reações biomiméticas de oxidação de ¤ e ß-amirinas mostraram baixa taxa degradação. Apenas um metabólito putativo foi encontrado, entretanto, não foi possível observá-lo nas matrizes biológicas analisadas. / The triterpene mixture of ¤ and ß-amyrins is generally found in significative amounts in Protium species (Burseraceae). They have known biological activities as anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, gastroprotective and antinociceptive effects among others. However, their pharmacokinetics and metabolism are practically unknown. The purpose of this thesis was to develop bioanalytical methodologies to perform pharmacokinetic and elimination studies of ¤ and ß-amyrins from P. spruceanum as well as to evaluate in vitro metabolism of these triterpenes. The mixture ¤ and ß-amyrins was isolated with chromatography purity above 99%. One ¤ and ß-amyrins loaded O/W nanoemulsion was developed and characterized to enable the intravenous and oral administration and to performed pharmacokinetic studies of these compounds in mice. The average particle size was 103.5 ± 0.44 nm and the encapsulation efficiency was higher than 99%. In vitro release study demonstrated low release rater after 24 hours. The pharmacokinetics studies of ? and ?-amyrins indicated CMC suspension was not absorbed, however ¤ and ß-amyrins loaded O/W nanoemulsion was poorly absorved and bioavailability was 1.03 ± 0.08 and 1.56 ± 0.24% respectively. The Vd was high and T1/2 was 2.61 ± 0.15 e 2.57± 0.07 hours respectively. The ClB was high compared to ClR. After oral administration almost all ¤ and ß-amyrins were eliminated unchanged in faeces due to low absorption. However, after intravenous administration about 50% was excluded unchanged by biliar excretion pathway. Studies of ¤ and ß-amyrins renal elimination directed only 0.2 % were removed unchanged by renal pathway after intravenous administration. The Flip-Flop phenomenon was happen when ¤ and ß- amyrins was dispensed by extravascular via. The partial biliar excretion in vivo and low release rate in vitro suggests ¤ and ß-amyrins could be stored after nanoemulsion intravenous administration confirming high Vd. The biomimetic reactions of oxidation of ¤ and ß-amyrins showed low degradation rate and only one metabolite was found however it was not detected in biological samples.

Acute liver failure (ALF) is a rare but devastating clinical syndrome with multiple causes and a variable course. The mortality rate is high. Orthotopic liver transplantation is the only therapy of proven survival benefit but the limited supply of donor organs, the rapidity of progression and the variable course of ALF limit its use. A need therefore exists for a method to ‘bridge’ patients, that is, provide temporary support, to either the spontaneous regeneration of the innate liver or transplantation. One possibility includes bio-artificial liver support systems (BALSS). This technology is composed of an extracorporeal circulation system incorporating a bioreactor that contains parenchymal liver cells (hepatocytes) to perform the detoxifying, transforming and synthetic properties of a liver. However, the development of a BALSS holds particular challenges. Despite approximately four decades of research, bio-artificial liver (BAL) technology globally remains in a pre-commercial stage. The University of Pretoria (UP) and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) have developed a BALSS with novel characteristics. These include a computationally optimized radial-flow primary porcine hepatocyte bioreactor perfused with blood plasma, and a perfluorocarbon oxygen carrier which replaces hemoglobin. There are also novel design properties in the circulation system itself. Demonstrating the metabolic and clinical efficacy of a BAL device requires implementing, in vitro (cell biology), in vivo (animal) and mathematical modeling studies. These studies are a formal necessity but are inherently ‘models’ of the in vivo human clinical circumstance. That is, they are limited by their experimentally controlled configuration/s. In investigating these, this thesis firstly provides a foundation by reviewing the clinical and biological context of ALF and BAL technology, then presents and evaluates particular studies/models that have been implemented over several years in the course of the UP-CSIR BAL project. For each section, thoughts and recommendations regarding future work that will facilitate the development of BAL technology are discussed in detail. The thesis is concluded with an evaluation of success and the consensus-agreed requirement of continued research and innovation in the field. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Chemical Engineering / unrestricted

L'acceptabilité de la forme orale d'un médicament est fondamentale en pédiatrie dans la mesure où elle conditionne le succès de l'administration et l'adhérence au traitement. Malgré les règlements mis en place pour favoriser le développement de médicaments adaptés à l'usage pédiatrique, le manque de données de haut niveau de preuve portant sur les avantages et les inconvénients des différentes formes orales rend difficile le choix d'une formulation adaptée à l'enfant. L'objectif de ce travail de thèse était (i) d'évaluer les avantages et les inconvénients des différentes formes pharmaceutiques orales chez l'enfant, et (ii) de proposer une méthodologie pour évaluer l'influence de la forme orale sur la balance bénéfice / risque clinique et globale (aspects économiques, pratiques et logistiques) du médicament en pédiatrie. Dans une première partie, après avoir évalué et discuté les avantages et les inconvénients des formes orales utilisées en pédiatrie au moyen d'une revue de la littérature et d'études observationnelles, nous avons proposé un protocole de méta analyse Cochrane. Un état des lieux des formes orales administrées en pédiatrie a permis d'identifier les formes potentiellement non adaptées. Dans une seconde partie, nous avons étudié la faisabilité d'une modélisation pharmacocinétique pharmacodynamique pour évaluer l'influence de la forme orale sur la balance bénéfice / risque appliquée à l'acide valproïque (VPA). Les données de routine (concentrations résiduelles) ne permettant pas de construire un modèle pharmacocinétique afin d'évaluer l'influence des formes orales sur le profil de concentration du VPA, nous avons conçu un protocole d'essai clinique randomisé visant à évaluer l'acceptabilité et l'observance des formes orales du VPA, et à collecter les données pharmacocinétiques et pharmacodynamiques nécessaires à la construction du modèle pour l'évaluation de la balance bénéfice / risque du VPA. L'analyse des difficultés liées à l'évaluation de l'acceptabilité chez l'enfant et des limites à l'utilisation des données de routine tout au long de ce travail de thèse a été déterminante pour la conception de ce protocole / The acceptability of a medicine oral dosage form is fundamental in paediatrics as it determines the success of the administration and treatment adherence. Despite regulations implemented to stimulate the development of appropriate medicine for the paediatric population, the lack of high level proof data concerning advantages and limits of the different oral dosage forms makes difficult the choice of a suitable paediatric dosage form. The objectives of this thesis were (i) to assess advantages and limits of the different available oral dosage forms in children, and (ii) to propose a method to evaluate the influence of the oral dosage form on both clinical and overall (i.e. including economic, practical and logistical aspects) risk/benefit balance in paediatrics. First, we assessed and discussed advantages and limits of oral dosage forms used in children based on a literature review of expert’s opinion and available studies, and conducting observational studies in our paediatric hospital. We finally designed a Cochrane meta-analysis protocol. In addition, the analysis of oral dosage forms currently administered in our paediatric hospital allowed to identify those not suitable for children. Secondly, we studied the feasibility of a pharmacokinetic pharmacodynamic model to assess the influence of the oral dosage form on the valproate (VPA) risk/benefit balance. Routine data (serum trough concentrations) did not allow to simulate the influence of the oral dosage form on the VPA serum level profile. Thus, we designed a protocol of a randomised controlled trial aiming to assess the acceptability and adherence of the different VPA oral dosage forms, and to collect VPA pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic data needed for the building of the model to evaluate the influence of the oral dosage form on the risk/benefit balance. The difficulties related to medicine acceptability measurement in children and limits we encountered were decisive for the design of such protocol