Quantification of Drugs in Brain and Liver Mimetic Tissue Models Using Raman Spectroscopy

Quantitative analysis of drug delivery with in biological systems is an integral challenge in drug development. Analytical techniques are important for assessing both drug target delivery, target action, and drug toxicology. Using mimetic tissue models, we have investigated the efficacy of Raman spectroscopy in quantitative detection of alkyne group and deuterated drugs in rat brain and rat liver tissue models. Lasers with 671 nm and 785 nm wavelengths were assessed for their feasibility in this application due to opposing relative benefits and disadvantages. Thin tissue sections have been tested as a practical means of reducing autofluorescent background by minimizing out-of-focus tissue and therefore maximizing photobleaching rates. Alkyne-tagged drugs were quantitatively measured at 18 ± 5 μg/g drug/tissue mass ratio in rat brain and at 34 ± 6 μg/g in rat liver. Quantification calibration curves were generated for a range of concentrations from 0–500 μg/g. These results show the potential of Raman spectroscopy as a diffraction-limited spatially resolved imaging technique for assessing drug delivery in tissue applications.