Impacts of pharmacokinetic phenomena during phage therapy. These processes occur in approximate temporal order as indicated by blue or inner arrows. Metabolism, via amplification of virion numbers, is also shown as contributing to increases in phage numbers that then may be distributed to other locations or compartments within the body (green or outer arrow). Amplification can also give rise to increased phage titers in blood, though this is not indicated. Also not indicated is activation of phage bactericidal activity, which can be viewed as an aspect of metabolism and one that precedes amplification (though which leads to amplification only given successful lytic, productive infection). Note that absorption and distribution too have the effect of increasing phage concentrations in specific compartments, the blood and nonblood tissues, respectively, as these are a means by which access to these compartments is achieved. These increases in concentration, however, are not relative to the initial phage dose but instead are relative to concentrations within compartments as observed prior to dosing.
