Sucralfate, a basic aluminum salt of sucrose sulfate. IV. Interaction with enzyme pepsin.

The interactions of sucralfate in various physical states, i.e., suspension, paste, and dissociated sucrose sulfate ion, with the enzyme pepsin were studied. The suspended form of sucralfate strongly adsorbs pepsin. The paste form also adsorbs pepsin but to a limited extent due to the reduced effective surface area. In view of other studies indicating selective coating of the ulcer lesion with sucralfate, this property supports the concept that it provides a potential protective barrier against the peptic attack of the lesion. By contrast, the interaction of sucrose sulfate ions with pepsin was found almost nil, giving additional evidence to the previous conclusion that the inhibition of peptic hydrolysis by sucrose sulfate is due to the interaction with the substrate rather than pepsin.