KEY WORDS Systemic availability Michaelis-Menten kinetics Sinusoidal perfusion modelTHEORETICAL Equation (1) is the general ~n e ' -~ which relates all important variables of the sinusoidal perfusion model for the steady-state situation, where v is the velocity of metabolism of the drug in the liver (masshime), Q is the liver blood flow (volume/time), K*, is the Michaelis constant, C,, is the outlet (venous concentration) of unchanged drug being metabolized, Ci is the inlet (arterial) concentration of drug and V*, is the maximal velocity of metabolism (masshime), V*, and K*, have different numerical values than the corresponding values, V , and K,, of the venous equilibration ('well-stirred') modeL6At steady-state v = R = constant rate of input of the drug (masshime). Also, CJCi is the systemic* availability, F, of the drug.' Replacing v by R and *We are assuming that only hepatic metabolism occurs.