CO as a potential therapeutic agent: an initial investigation of dosing and concentration dynamics in solution

Abstract

Carbon monoxide (CO) is an endogenously produced gaseous signaling molecule that has been shown to have therapeutic values. In studying CO pharmacology, dose dependency has not been properly studied in most, if not all, such work. Part of the reason is the difficulty in determining the solution concentration of a gaseous molecule (CO) with limited water solubility (~1 mM). Along this line, CO solution prepared at a pre-determined concentration has been widely used in studying CO pharmacology. However, different from making a solution of a non-volatile small-molecule drug, CO is expected to quickly escape from the solution, leading to unknown concentrations and an intractable scenario for dose-dependency studies. In this study, we hope to help define the boundary conditions by studying the concentration decay profiles of CO in solution at a pre-determined concentration. Results from such studies will be very important foundational information for future dose-dependency studies of CO pharmacology.