Interpretation of transit compartments pharmacodynamic models as lifespan based indirect response models.

Transit compartments (TC) models are used to describe pharmacodynamic responses that involve drug action on cells undergoing differentiation and maturation. Such pharmacodynamic systems can also be described by lifespan based indirect response (LIDR) models. The purpose of this report is to investigate conditions under which the transit compartments models can be considered a special case of LIDR models. An integral representation of a solution to TC model has been used to determine the lifespan distribution for cell population described by this model. The distribution served as a basis for definition of new LIDRE (lifespan based indirect response with an effect on the lifespan distribution) models. Time courses of responses described by both types of models were simulated for a monoexponential pharmacokinetic function. The limit response was calculated as the number of transit compartments approached infinity. The difference between the limit response and TC responses were evaluated by computer simulations using MATLAB 7.7. TC models are a special case of LIDR models with the lifespan distribution described by the gamma function. If drug affects only the production of cells, then the cell lifespan distribution is time invariant. In this case an increase in the number of compartments results in a basic LIDR model with a point lifespan distribution. When the drug inhibits or stimulates cell aging, the cell lifespan distribution becomes time dependent revealing a new mechanism for drug effect on the gamma probability density function. The TC model with a large number of transit compartments converges to an LIDRE model. The limit LIDR models are approximated by the TC models when the number of compartments is at least 5. A moderate improvement in the approximation is observed if this number exceeds 20. The lifespan distribution for a cell population described by a TC model is described by the gamma probability density function. A drug affects this distribution only if it stimulates or inhibits the rate of cell maturation. If the number of transit compartments increases, then the TC model converges to a new type of LIDR model.