Influence of dosing time on pharmacological action of G-CSF in mice

The role of the susceptibility of living organisms and the pharmacokinetics of G-CSF on the rhythm of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) activity was investigated. ICR male mice were housed in a standardized light-dark cycle (lights on at 0700, off at 1900) with food and water ad libitum. The leukocyte counts at 2 and 24 hr after G-CSF (250 μg/kg, iv) injection were significantly higher in mice injected with the drug at 0700 than at 1900 (p < 0.01, respectively). The higher leukocyte-increasing effect corresponded to drug dosing at the time in which the granulocyte colony formation stimulated by G-CSF and DNA synthesis increased and the lower effect corresponded to drug dosing at the time in which they decreased. The rhythmicity corresponded to that in plasma G-CSF concentration. The present study suggests that the rhythm of G-CSF activity is caused by that of the sensitivity of bone marrow cells to the drug and the pharmacokinetics of the drug.