• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.86-92
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• 2002

The enhancement of paracellular transport of heparin disaccharide using several absorption enhancers across Caco-2 cell monolayers was tested . The cytotoxicity of these enhancers was also examined. The enhancing effects by Quillaja saponin, diponin glycyrrhizinate, $18{\beta}-glycyrrhetinic$ acid, sodium caprate and taurine were determined by changes in transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) and the amount of heparin disaccharide transported across Caco-2 cell monolayers. Among the absorption enhancers, $18{\beta}-glycyrrhetinic$ acid arid taurine decreased TEER and increased the permeability of heparin disaccharide in a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner with little or negligible cytotoxicity. Our results indicate that these absorption enhancers can widen the tight junction, which is a dominant paracellular absorption route of hydrophilic compounds . It is highly possible that these absorption enhancers can be applied as pharmaceutical excipients to improve the transport of macromolecules and hydrophilic drugs having difficulty in permeability across the intestinal epithelium.