Brain Microdialysis Services

Microdialysis is a minimally invasive sampling technique based on the mechanism of osmotic pressure, which can accurately measure the concentration of free analytes in the extracellular fluid of almost any tissue continuously. In pathological studies, microdialysis can provide in situ tissue fluid composition and concentrations of molecules of interest. In the field of pharmacology and drug development, microdialysis can monitor the real-time concentration and distribution of free drugs in selected areas, detect the instantaneous changes caused by drug delivery, infer the biochemical process and drug behavior of drugs by using endogenous compounds as markers, or directly use osmotic pressure to achieve regional delivery of drugs. Creative Biolabs has the capability to assist the project of our global clients with our professional and reliable microdialysis services.

Introduction to Microdialysis

Microdialysis works by inserting a specially designed semi-permeable catheter into the area of interest and continuously perfusing an aqueous solution with a composition similar to the surrounding tissue fluid at a lower flow rate. Driven by the concentration gradient and osmotic pressure, the collection or delivery of small molecules can be achieved. The driving force is determined by the transmembrane concentration ratio and is affected by the probe flow rate, the area of the dialysis membrane, the temperature, the molecular weight of the substance to be tested, and the fluid tortuosity. The collected dialysate can be subsequently analyzed by high-pressure liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, capillary electrophoresis and other methods to improve the sensitivity, reliability and efficiency of separation and detection.

Fig 1. Schematic of a typical microdialysis system. (Stangler, et al., 2021)

Advantages and Applications of Microdialysis

Microdialysis has many advantages, such as:

1. it is not difficult to establish an experiment after having a certain foundation;
2. the sampling of microdialysis will not affect the balance of the surrounding environment of the sample or cause pollution;
3. it can be used for the long-term data collection on the living body and directly use itself to establish a reference due to its local detection characteristics.

One of the most common microdialysis applications in clinical and drug development is the measurement of neurotransmitter concentrations, including acetylcholine, dopamine, serotonin, some metabolic gases and many others. The concentration of these substances can infer the life process triggered by the drug, monitor the parameters of the local effect of the drug, or directly indicate the effect of the drug and elucidate their mechanism of action.

Our Professional Microdialysis Services

Thanks to our reliable and stable microdialysis platform, whether you want to use this technology to capture changes in the chemical composition of the extracellular environment for subsequent analysis, or use microdialysis to directly deliver your pharmacological reagents to the relevant area, Creative Biolabs can always provide you with efficient microdialysis services and sensitive, repeatable data. We'll design the probe according to your needs, customize the perfusion rate, and offer you the opportunity to devote your valuable time and energy to other important work. If you would like to verify drug effects, advance your topical pharmacodynamics research, or have any other needs, please do not hesitate to contact us for more information.

Reference

1. Stangler, L.A.; et al. Microdialysis and microperfusion electrodes in neurologic disease monitoring. Fluids and Barriers of the CNS. 2021, 18: 52.