Effect of food and antacid on binding of sucralfate to normal and ulcerated gastric and duodenal mucosa in rats.

Sucralfate, a basic aluminum salt of sucrose sulfate, has been shown to accelerate the healing of peptic ulcers. We studied its binding to normal and ulcerated rat mucosa after gastric and duodenal ulcers had been induced by acetic acid. Sucralfate adhered to ulcerated mucosa for over 6 hours, in the presence and absence of antacid. Food, eaten 1 hour after sucralfate administration, did not appear to alter its selective binding to ulcer sites, but did reduce the amount of sucralfate bound to healthy tissue. The results suggest that sucralfate has a greater affinity for ulcerated mucosa than normal mucosa.