GASTROINTESTINAL TRANSIT OF A DRUG-RESINATE ADMINISTERED AS AN ORAL SUSPENSION

The distribution in the gastrointestinal tract of a radiolabelled drug -resinate formulation, administered in the form of an oral suspension, and the concomitantly administered water wash, was investigated using the technique of dual-isotope gamma scintigraphy. The results demonst rate the influence of the suspension formulation on the gastric emptyi ng and small intestinal transit properties of the drug-resinate comple x. Emptying of the suspension formulations from the stomach was indepe ndent of the concomitantly administered water wash. In all cases, empt ying of the suspension from the stomach was slower than that of the wa ter wash. The distribution of the labelled resinate in the stomach, an d subsequent gastric emptying, was influenced by the physical characte ristics of the suspension. Although the study was only carried out in a small number of subjects, the small intestinal transit of the non-aq ueous suspensions formulated using Migylol was significantly shorter t han that of the aqueous suspensions. This may be due to the inclusion of certain pharmaceutical excipients in the formulations. Further work is required to investigate the possibility that these excipients may act as small intestinal cathartics.