I want to take advantage of the thymidine kinase ganciclovir system to delete specific population of cells in vivo in mice coupled to the alzet mini-osmotic pump. In order to do so, I need to fill the pump with a 400 mg/mL concentration in order to get around 100mg/kg/day. Administration of ganciclovir with alzet mini-osmotic pump was reported in the literature but technical details were not.
Your help in appreciated as always. thanks
Have you checked the pH at 400mg/ml? Pure ganciclovir is only soluble at pH 11-12. Most studies use Cytovene or a similar ganciclovir sodium formulation. Information sheets for ganciclovir sodium or Cytovene suggest that at 50mg/ml dissolved in water, the pH should be 11. I've used pure ganciclovir and had issues dissolving even at lower concentrations. Ganciclovir sodium dissolves much better, but I'm not using it above 50mg/ml. I'm interested to know if you can dissolve it completely!
I agree, the sodium salt have better solubility but even it is not enough.
FOLLOW UP:
After talking to people at a meeting, it turns out that the best way would be to mix it in chow (custom made), this way you have little control on the eaxct dose that they take up but its enough to answer yes/no question.
Are you absolutely certain that you need to use such a high concentration of Ganciclovir? The average adult mouse weighs between 25g-35g, so 100mg/kg/day would be 10mg/100g/day, or approx 3mg/mouse/day which, at 10mls/kg, is equivalent to 0.3mls/day of a 10mg/ml solution of ganciclovir, or .06mls/day of a 50mg/ml solution, that Fallon K Noto has had experience using.