title: A pharmacokinetic model for multiple sites discontinuous gastrointestinal absorption.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To build a pharmacokinetic model taking into account a discontinuous absorption along the gut, from n successive sites, a non-absorbing intestinal segment being always in between two successive sites. To solve the mathematical model linked with the pharmacokinetic model to obtain the concentration and contribution of each site to absorption, area under curve and bioavailability.
  
  
  METHODS
  Whatever the number n of sites, we obtained the Laplace transform of amounts of drug in each site, then plasma concentration, so that concentration or AUC were expressed analytically. When only two absorption sites are present, concentration is obtained from Heaviside's theorem; but for n> or =3, Bromwich's theorem is necessary, a pole being of the order of more than two.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Simulations performed with data gathered from the literature allow to find, with n=2 sites, the particular case used for ranitinine and to show the efficacy of each site. For n=3 sites, real data exhibiting three peaks of various magnitude were fitted on our model.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This general discontinuous oral absorption pharmacokinetic model may be taken as a possible tool to characterize each site of absorption and to estimate the area under curves or bioavailability.
authors.affiliation: UFR de Mathématiques, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Plusquellec
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Efthymiopoulos
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Duthil
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Houin
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000897:Anti-Ulcer Agents / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D019540:Area Under Curve; D001682:Biological Availability; D006801:Humans; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D010599:Pharmacokinetics; D011899:Ranitidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics
chemical_list: D000897:Anti-Ulcer Agents; D011899:Ranitidine