The Pharmacodynamic-Toxicodynamic Relationship of AUC and CMAX in Vancomycin Induced Kidney Injury in an Animal Model

Background Vancomycin induces exposure-related acute kidney injury. However, the pharmacokinetic-toxicodynamic (PK-TD) relationship remains unclear. Methods Sprague-Dawley rats received IV vancomycin doses of 300mg/kg/day and 400mg/kg/day, divided once, twice, thrice or 4xdaily (i.e., QD, BID, TID or QID) over 24-hours. Up to 8-samples were drawn during the 24-hour dosing period. Twenty-four-hour urine was collected and assayed for kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1). Vancomycin was quantified via LC-MS/MS. Following terminal sampling, nephrectomy and histopathologic analyses were conducted. PK analyses were conducted using Pmetrics. PK exposures (i.e. AUC 0-24h , CMAX 0-24h ,) were calculated for each rat, and PK-TD relationships were discerned. Results A total of 53-rats generated PK-TD data. A 2-compartment model fit the data well (Bayesian observed vs. predicted concentrations, R 2 =0.96). KIM-1 values were greater in QD and BID groups (P-values: QD vs TID:<0.002, QD vs QID:<0.004, BID vs TID:<0.002, and BID vs QID:<0.004). Exposure–response relationships were observed between KIM-1 vs CMAX 0–24h and AUC 0-24h (R 2 □=□ 0.7 and 0.68). Corrected Akaike’s information criterion showed CMAX 0-24h as most predictive PK-TD driver for vancomycin-induced kidney injury (VIKI) (−5.28 versus −1.95). Conclusions While PK-TD indices are often inter-correlated, maximal concentrations and fewer doses (for the same total daily amount) resulted in increased VIKI in our rat model.