Immunological control of drug absorption from the gastrointestinal tract: effect of local anaphylaxis on the intestinal absorption of low molecular weight drugs in the rat.

Intestinal absorption of various drugs was examined by means of in situ recirculation technique during local anaphylaxis. The antibody was determined by passive cutaneous anaphylaxis technique in rats immunized once or three times. The optimal condition of local anaphylaxis was determined by the leakage of Evans Blue. The most significant increase in leaks of the dye was observed by the intraluminal challenge with 400 mg of ovalbumin for 10 min in ovalbumin-immunized rats, and this condition was chosen as the optimal condition of local anaphylaxis. Under this condition, intestinal absorption of caffeine, phenylbutazone, and bromthymol blue (BTB) significantly decreased in ovalbumin-immunized rats compared with the control, whereas no significant effect was noted in the intestinal absorption of salicylic acid, quinine, pralidoxime iodide (2-PAM), tetracycline, and phenol red. In normal rats, no significant decrease was obtained in the intestinal absorption of caffeine, phenylbutazone, and BTB. On the other hand, the decreased absorption of BTB was not found in ovalbumin-immunized rats by the intraluminal challenge with bovine gamma-globulin. Furthermore, there was no significant change in the decreased absorption of BTB between rats immunized once and three times. The most effective condition for decreased BTB absorption was observed by the intraluminal challenge with 200 mg of ovalbumin for 10 min in ovalbumin-immunized rats, which almost correlated with the data of Evans Blue leakage. From these observations, it appears that the mucosal immune responses affect the intestinal absorption of low molecular weight drugs.