The use of dual-isotope imaging to compare the gastrointestinal transit of food and pancreatic enzyme pellets in cystic fibrosis patients

Specific aspects of gastro-intestinal transit in children for drug delivery design

“…The pellets (size before coating = 0.8-2 mm) were labelled with a 99 Technetium tin colloid before being entericcoated with Eudragit ® (no data was given on the grade of Eudragit ® or size of the coated pellets). The half emptying time (GET 1/2 ) was found to be 103 ± 41 min for the pancake and <93 ± 62 min for the pellets showing considerable variation in emptying rate and little mixing of the pellets and food (Hillel et al, 1998). These results were reproducible (Taylor et al, 1999).…”

Effects of meal consistency and ingested fluid volume on the intragastric distribution of a drug model in humans—a magnetic resonance imaging study

“…The most commonly used method for in vivo imaging to date has been γ‐scintigraphy 4 . Dual‐isotope imaging techniques allow the labelling of the drug and meal, and thus the assessment of drug distribution relative to the meal 3 , . 11 This is an advantage over MRI, where direct labelling of the drugs with an MRI marker has so far not been approved for clinical studies.…”

“…4 Dual-isotope imaging techniques allow the labelling of the drug and meal, and thus the assessment of drug distribution relative to the meal. 3,11 This is an advantage over MRI, where direct labelling of the drugs with an MRI marker has so far not been approved for clinical studies. Signi®cant limitations of c-scintigraphy include the restriction to two dimensions and the exposure to ionizing radiation.…”

“…For example, orally administered enzyme preparations aiming to improve fat digestion, and consequently to control steatorrhoea in chronic exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, are often not distributed homogeneously within the gastric contents. Therefore, they do not empty simultaneously with the food into the small intestine, diminishing their efficacy to improve maldigestion 1–3 …”