ABSTRACT
Among the cardinal principles of both toxicology and pharmacology is that the means by which an agent comes in contact with or enters the body (i.e., the route of exposure or administration) does much to determine the nature and magnitude of an effect. However (particularly for acute toxicology), an understanding of routes and their implications is not rigorous. And in the day-to-day operations of performing studies in animals, such an understanding of routes, their manipulation, means and pitfalls of achieving them, and the art and science of vehicles and formu lations, is essential to the sound and efficient conduct of a study.
