Compartmental Analysis of Kinetic Processes in Multicellular Systems: A Necessary Condition

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Abstract
The use of compartmental models in the determination of such cellular kinetic properties as influx and efflux rates of various simple ions in cell suspensions or tissues has become fairly widespread. Proposals were also advanced to apply the methods of compartmental analysis to more complex problems, such as the investigation of intracellular metabolic pathways. In these studies it is usually assumed that the cells of a given type (e. g., erythrocytes, liver cells, etc.) can be lumped together in the analysis, and that the flux rates and compartment sizes obtained represent mean values for the cells in question. Intuitively, this lumping process appears justified and its validity is, therefore, seldom questioned. It is shown here that the use of compartmental equations in the analysis of these lumped systems is correct only under rather stringent conditions; it is shown by means of some hypothetical examples that if these conditions are not satisfied, serious error in the estimates of the mean parameter values may result.