Measurement of ileal permeability with different-sized polyethylene glycols (PEG 400, 600 and 1000)

Polyethylene glycols (PEGs; 400, 600, and 1000) were used to study the molecular weight (MW) permeability dependence in the rat ileal mucosa. Absorption of the PEGs was measured by following their recirculation perfusion over a 3 hr collection period. HPLC methods were used to separate and quantitate the individual oligomers present in the solution of PEGs mixtures (MW range 330 to 1 1 22 D). In the range studied, a distinct molecular weight cutoff was not identified. Corrected for the length of ileum used in the study, over the molecular weight range 330 to 1122 D, the apparent permeability $(P_{app)$ of PEG ranged from $3.2\pm0.06\times10_{-5} cm/sec(mean\pmSEM, n=7)\; to\; 0.1\pm0.02\times10^{-5} cm/sec.$ Also, it was observed that the apparent permeability was inversely proportional to approximately $MW^{2.4}$.