The absorption of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) from two different enteric-coated dosage forms, tablets (Premaspin) and granules (Reumyl), was studied in healthy volunteers under fasting and non-fasting conditions by following the plasma concentration and urine recovery of salicylates after single doses of ASA 1 g. Conventional tablets (Aspirin) were used as the reference. Under fasting conditions the absorption of ASA from the two different enteric-coated preparations was complete. Taken with food the enteric-coated tablets gave much lower plasma concentrations than under fasting conditions, and absorption was not complete in all subjects. In contrast, absorption from the enteric-coated granules was not influenced by the intake of food. It was concluded that enteric-coated granules of ASA permit more reproducible absorption than enteric-coated tablets.

Studies were carried out in 36 adult male rats to determine the characteristics of lipid substances which, after infusion into the ileum, slow the stomach to caecum transit time of the head of a bean meal in the rat. Stomach to caecum transit time was measured by environmental hydrogen analysis. Ileal infusion of a range of free fatty acids including petroselinic, oleic, myristoleic, erucic, linoleic, and linolenic all significantly slowed stomach to caecum transit time, as did the detergents (sodium bis (2-ethyl hexyl) sulphosuccinate and sodium linoleyl sulphate), the triglyceride corn oil, and the phospholipid lecithin. Although the lipid soluble deconjugated bile acid deoxycholic acid slowed stomach to caecum transit time, the water soluble conjugated bile acid taurocholic acid accelerated it. Infusion of the lipid alcohol oleyl alcohol and the calcium chelating agent disodium edetate (EDTA) into the ileum did not delay the passage of the meal through the stomach and small intestine. The diversity of lipid substances activating the ileal brake suggest a nonspecific effect by lipid soluble substances that can penetrate cell membranes. The lack of effect ofEDTA suggested that calcium binding was not important.Ileal infusion of triglyceride emulsions delay gastric emptying and small bowel transit in human volunteers"2 and stomach to caecum transit in rats.3 The experiments described in this paper were designed to elucidate the possible mechanism by which fat soluble substances may interact with receptor mechanisms in the ileal epithelium, by determining the range of substances that activate the ileal brake mechanism. Measurement of stomach to caecum transit time using environmental hydrogen analysis during infusion of test substances via an ileal cannula allowed us to screen a large number of compounds.3 These included a range of free fatty

A combination of the polysaccharide ethylhydroxyethylcellulose (EHEC) and the surfactant sodiumdodecylsulphate (SDS) has the extraordinary physical property of being liquid at room temperature but gelling firmly at 37°C. It has been named 'liquid fibre' and its effect on gastric emptying has been tested in rats and humans, as well as its effect on intestinal distribution in rats. Rats were gavaged with 5 ml of radiolabelled liquid fibre, SDS in water, or water control. Subgroups were killed after 25, 50, 100, 200, and 300 minutes, the gut removed, and the distribution of radioactivity measured scintigraphically. Liquid fibre gelled in the stomach and spread exponentially down the small intestine before 25 minutes. This distribution was maintained for 200 minutes after which the stomach began to empty again. In the human study, 10 healthy men drank 250 ml liquid fibre and placebo labelled with 1.85 MBq technetium tin colioid on separate occasions. Gastric emptying was measured by gammacamera. Haff emptying time significantly increased from 17*7 to 55 8 minutes (means, p<005). The time for 10% to empty (which includes any lag time) increased from 7 0 to 19*4 minutes (p<005). Average emptying rate decreased from 4-49%/min for placebo to 1-60%/min for liquid fibre (p<0 01). The dramatic delay in gastric emptying suggests liquid fibre may have clinical applications while its liquid formulation should improve acceptability.

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After oral intake of enteric‐coated granules containing [3H]‐digoxin extensive metabolism was observed. Maximum 66% of the 24 h urinary excretion was identified as [3H]‐dihydrodigoxin, using high performance liquid chromatography for the analysis. It is suggested that metabolism of digoxin may depend on the absorption site.

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