Sex differences in the gastrointestinal tract of rats and the implications for oral drug delivery.

Pre-clinical research often uses rodents as animal models to guide the selection of appropriate oral drug and dose selection in humans. However, traditionally, such research fails to consider the gastrointestinal differences between the sexes of rats and the impact on oral drug delivery. This study aimed to identify and characterise the potential sex-related differences in the gastrointestinal environment of sacrificed male and female Wistar rats. Their gastrointestinal tracts were excised and segmented into the stomach, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, caecum and colon. The respective contents and tissue sections were collected and analysed for pH, buffer capacity, surface tension, osmolality and relative P-glycoprotein (P-gp) expression. The pH in the stomach of females was found to be lower than in males. Female rats also exhibited a higher buffer capacity in the caecum and colon when compared with their male counterparts. Males were found to have a higher osmolality than females in the duodenum, ileum and colon. Significant sex differences (p < 0.05) in surface tension were observed in the ileum, where females exhibited a higher surface tension. Interestingly, female rats displayed significantly higher relative P-gp expression levels (p < 0.05) when compared with male rats in the duodenum (1.24 ±â€¯0.85 vs. 0.36 ±â€¯0.26), jejunum (1.45 ±â€¯0.88 vs. 0.38 ±â€¯0.26) and ileum (0.92 ±â€¯0.43 vs. 0.40 ±â€¯0.18) but not in the colon (0.5 ±â€¯0.32 vs. 0.33 ±â€¯0.16) segments. The work reported has demonstrated the stark physiological differences between male and female rats at a physiological level, indicating how the 'sex of the gut' could influence oral drug delivery. These findings, therefore, are of critical importance in pre-clinical research and drug development.

Excipient-mediated alteration in drug bioavailability in the rat depends on the sex of the animal.

The pharmaceutical excipient, polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG 400), unexpectedly alters the bioavailability of the BCS class III drug ranitidine in a sex-dependent manner. As ranitidine is a substrate for the efflux transporter P-glycoprotein (P-gp), we hypothesized that the sex-related influence could be due to interactions between PEG 400 and P-gp. In this study, we tested this hypothesis by: i) measuring the influence of PEG 400 on the oral bioavailability of another P-gp substrate (ampicillin) and of a non-P-gp substrate (metformin); and ii) measuring the effect of PEG 400 on drug bioavailability in the presence of a P-gp inhibitor (cyclosporine A) in male and female rats. We found that PEG 400 significantly increased (p<0.05) the bioavailability of ampicillin (the P-gp substrate) in male rats, but not in female ones. In contrast, PEG 400 had no influence on the bioavailability of the non-P-gp substrate, metformin in male or female rats. Inhibition of P-gp by oral pre-treatment with cyclosporine A increased the bioavailability of the P-gp substrates (ampicillin and ranitidine) in males and females (p<0.05), and to a greater extent in males, but had no influence on the bioavailability of metformin in either male or female rats. These results prove the hypothesis that the sex-specific effect of PEG 400 on the bioavailability of certain drugs is due to the interaction of PEG 400 with the efflux transporter P-gp.

Sex differences in excipient effects: Enhancement in ranitidine bioavailability in the presence of polyethylene glycol in male, but not female, rats.

Males and females respond differently to drugs: indeed, sex plays a crucial role in determining drug pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Excipients have also been shown to enhance the biovailability of drugs differently in men and women. The aim of this work was to investigate whether rodents are a good model in which to study sex-specific effects of polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG 400) on the bioavailability of ranitidine. Ranitidine (50mg/kg) was dissolved in water with different amounts of PEG 400-0 (control), 13, 26, 51, 77, 103, and 154mg/kg; these solutions were dosed orally by gavage to male and female Wistar rats. Blood samples were withdrawn over 480min and assayed via HPLC-UV. Individual ranitidine plasma profiles were constructed for each rat, and standard pharmacokinetic parameters were determined. In the male rats, the change in the area under the plasma ranitidine curve (AUC0-480) compared to the control group, was +18%; +49% (p<0.05); +37% (p<0.05); +31% (p<0.05); +8% and -22% (p<0.05) for PEG 400 doses of 13; 26; 51; 77; 103; and 154mg/kg respectively. On the other hand, females showed no statistically significant difference between the groups. In conclusion, low doses of PEG 400 enhanced the bioavailability of ranitidine in male, but not female, rats. These findings are in agreement with previously published human data, therefore confirming the validity of the rodent model, and highlight the unusual and clinically significant phenomenon that an excipient can influence drug bioavailability in one gender and not the other.

Gastrointestinal characterisation and drug solubility determination in animals.

OBJECTIVES: To characterise the gastrointestinal (GI) environment in rat, rabbit and pig for the purpose of determining their utility as animal models for drug delivery in humans. METHODS: GI fluid samples were characterised for osmolality, surface tension, pH and buffer capacity. The solubility of two model drugs, mesalazine (ionisable) and prednisolone (unionisable), were also measured and the results were correlated to the physicochemical fluid data. KEY FINDINGS: The solubility of the ionisable drug mesalazine was positively correlated to the GI pH in all three species and was significantly influenced by the pH difference. In contrast, the solubility of the unionisable compound prednisolone was not correlated significantly to the changes in pH, buffer capacity, osmolality or surface tension. In general, the solubility of prednisolone was constant irrespective of the location of the sample in the gut from rabbit and pig; however, an unusual trend was observed for the solubility of prednisolone in rats. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that solubility of ionisable drugs or pH-responsive formulations is significantly influenced by the differences in pH along the GI tract and inter-species differences. It was also found that the data on the GI solubility of prednisolone (a neutral compound) in rats might overestimate its true value in humans.

Influence of ageing on the gastrointestinal environment of the rat and its implications for drug delivery.

Age-mediated changes in gut physiology are considerations central to the elucidation of drug performance from oral formulations. Using rats of different age groups we measured the pH, buffer capacity, fluid volume, osmolality, and surface tension of gastrointestinal (GI) fluids, and therein explored the impact of these variables on prednisolone and mesalazine solubility in luminal fluids. We also studied the distribution of gut associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) and mucus layer thickness across the GI tract in rats of different age groups. At a mucosal level, there was an increase in GALT from young to adult rat. Gastrointestinal pH and buffer capacity remained mostly unchanged with age, except some pH differences in stomach and distal small intestine and a higher buffer capacity in the large intestinal fluids of young rats. Osmolality and surface tension also remained unaffected with the exception of a lower osmolality in elderly stomach and a lower surface tension in the small intestine of young rats. The difference in luminal environment on ageing influenced the solubility of studied drugs, for instance prednisolone solubility was shown to be higher in adult rats (mid small intestine and caecum) and solubility of mesalazine was significantly higher in the elderly distal small intestine.