Pharmacokinetic compartmental model with n sites of absorption along the gastrointestinal tract.

A double site of absorption model was previously proposed to depict the "double peak phenomenon" in plasma concentration observed after oral administration of veralipride. We intend to generalize this model to the case where the drug reaches not two but n (n > or = 2) successive absorption sites along the gastrointestinal tract. Fractions of dose absorbed in each site are given as well as the area under concentration curves related to the central compartment. The effect of the number of absorption sites on absorbed amounts, on area under the curves and bioavailability is taken into account. Furthermore, as an example, we give simulated plasma concentration curves for a three-absorption site model.