A dispersion model for the hepatic uptake and elimination of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin

A convection-dispersion model for the uptake and elimination of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) in the liver is presented. The model is adapted from the general dispersion model of Roberts and Rowland and includes the dynamics of TCDD interaction with two intracellular proteins, the Ah receptor and cytochrome P450 IA2. A “well-mixed” compartment was added to describe the venous blood concentration of TCDD. The result is a nonlinear system of seven coupled partial and ordinary differential equations with time delays.