Home General Physiology and Biophysics 2009 General Physiology and Biophysics Vol.28, No.3, p.309–315, 2009

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Founded: 1982
ISSN 1338-4325 (online)
ISSN 0231-5882 (print)
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General Physiology and Biophysics Vol.28, No.3, p.309–315, 2009

Title: Transepithelial transport of ambroxol hydrochloride across human intestinal Caco-2 cell monolayers
Author: Věra Štětinová, Libuše Smetanová, Dagmar Kholová, Zbyněk Svoboda and Jaroslav Květina

Abstract:  This study aimed i) to characterize the transepithelial transport of the mucolytic agent ambroxol hydrochloride across the intestinal barrier, ii) to classify the ambroxol according to Biopharmaceutics Classification System (BCS) and iii) to predict ambroxol absorption in humans. Transport of ambroxol (100, 300 and 1000 µmol/l) was studied in a human colon carcinoma cell line Caco-2 in apical to basolateral and basolateral to apical direction, under iso-pH 7.4 and pH-gradient (6 vs. 7.4) conditions. The relative contribution of the paracellular route was estimated using Ca2+-free transport medium. Ambroxol samples from receiver compartments were analysed by HPLC with UV detection (242 nm).
Results showed that ambroxol transport is linear with time, pH-dependent and direction-independent, displays non-saturable (first-order) kinetics. Thus, the transport seems to be transcellular mediated by passive diffusion. Estimated high solubility and high permeability (Papp = 45 × 10–6 cm/s) of ambroxol rank it among well absorbed compounds and class I of BCS. It can be expected that the oral dose fraction of ambroxol absorbed in human intestine is high.

Keywords: Ambroxol — Caco-2 cells — Transport — Biopharmaceutics Classification System
Year: 2009, Volume: 28, Issue: 3 Page From: 309, Page To: 315
doi:10.4149/gpb_2009_03_309


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