Improvement of bioavailability of poorly absorbed drugs. I. Effect of medium chain glyceride base on the rectal absorption of cefmetazole sodium in rats.

The effect of medium chain glyceride on the rectal absorption of cefmetazole sodium is investigated using an in situ experiment in rats. Each glyceride component of medium chain glyceride was separated using a high-performance liquid chromatographic method. The promoting effect of medium chain glyceride was found to be mainly due to glycerylmonocaprylate and dependent on the concentration of glycerylmonocaprylate. When cefmetazole sodium in medium chain glyceride solution was administered into the rectal lumen of rats, rapid absorption of the drug was observed leading to a residual amount of about 45% at 15 min after administration. The promoting effect of medium chain glyceride was found to be more effective in the rectum than in the small intestine.