Impact of plasma-protein binding on receptor occupancy: an analytical description

J Theor Biol. 2009 Jan 21;256(2):253-62. doi: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2008.09.014. Epub 2008 Oct 2.

Abstract

In this paper we analyse the dynamics of an inhibitor I which can either bind to a receptor R or to a plasma protein P. Assuming typical association and dissociation rates, we find that after an initial dose of inhibitor, there are three time scales: a short one, measured in fractions of seconds, in which the inhibitor concentration and the plasma-protein complex jump to quasi-stationary values, a medium one, measured in seconds in which the receptor complex rises to an equilibrium value and a large one, measured in hours in which the inhibitor-receptor complex slowly drops down to zero. We show that the average receptor occupancy, the pharmacologically relevant quantity, taken over, say, 24h reaches a maximal value for a specific value of the plasma-protein binding constant. Potentially, understanding and exploiting this optimum could be of great interest to those involved in drug discovery and development.

MeSH terms

  • Blood Proteins / metabolism*
  • Drug Discovery
  • Humans
  • Models, Chemical*
  • Pharmaceutical Preparations / blood
  • Plasma / metabolism*
  • Protein Binding
  • Receptors, Drug / blood
  • Serum Albumin / metabolism

Substances

  • Blood Proteins
  • Pharmaceutical Preparations
  • Receptors, Drug
  • Serum Albumin