Effect of sucralfate on the viscosity of gastric mucus and the permeability to hydrogen ion.

The effect of sucralfate on the viscosity of pig gastric mucus and on its ability to retard the diffusion of hydrogen ion was investigated. Using a cone/plate viscometer at shear rates between 1.15 and 230 s-1, it was found that preincubation of mucus with increasing concentrations of sucralfate led to a gradual enhancement of the mucus viscosity. This enhancement in viscosity was proportional to the sucralfate concentration up to 1.0 X 10(-4) M and increased about 18% for each 10-fold increment in its concentration. The permeability measurements, conducted in a specially designed two compartment chamber, revealed that addition of sucralfate to gastric mucus had a profound beneficiary effect on its ability to retard the diffusion of hydrogen ion. In the presence of 1.0 X 10(-6) M sucralfate the permeability of mucus to hydrogen ion decreased by 35%, while the 1.0 X 10(-3) M sucralfate reduced the mucus permeability by 68%. The results show that sucralfate increases the viscosity of gastric mucus and improves its ability to impede the hydrogen ion penetration.