On the mechanism of human intestinal absorption

In order to investigate whether the main step in intestinal absorption in humans is dominated by partition or by diffusion, we have transformed % human intestinal absorption into a first-order rate constant, and have regressed the latter, as log k, against our solvation parameters. The obtained regression coefficients are compared with those for diffusion and partition processes. The coefficients in the log k equation are completely different to those for water/solvent partitions, but are very similar to those for processes (not involving transport through membranes) in which diffusion is the major step. It is suggested that the main step in the absorption process is diffusion through a stagnant mucus layer, together with transfer across the mucus\membrane interface. It is further shown that for strong Bronsted acids and bases, the rate constant for absorption of ionic species is close to that for absorption of the corresponding neutral species, so that to a first approximation the % intestinal absorption can be calculated from properties of the neutral species. (C) 2002 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.