MULTIPLE PATH PARTICLE DOSIMETRY FOR PREDICTION OF MOUSE LUNG DEPOSITION OF NANOAEROSOL PARTICLES

Nanoaerosolized particle (dia.<200 nm) antibiotic inhalation therapy was tested to treat pneumonic tularemia in mice caused by Francisellanovicida infection. Very limited experimental techniques are available to properly estimate inhaled doses and distribution of the drug inside the mouse lungs. To overcome this problem, computational simulation of particle deposition based on the Multiple Path Particle Dosimetry (MPPD) model was employed to simulate in vivo experimental conditions which included nasal breathing with whole body exposure to the antibiotic in the form of nano-aerosolized medicine. The deposition results were compared with several in vivo experimental data reported in literature; and satisfactory agreements were found. Comparing with in vivo experimental data, regional deposition results are very close with ±10-15% variations. After testing application of the MPPD model, the total inhaled doses of levofloxacin encapsulated into nanoliposomes were estimated which take into account distribution of sizes of nanoaersol particles. Thus, we have demonstrated that MPPD can be used to model the deposition of nanoaerosol particles in mice.