American researchers have highlighted the role of posture and stomach motility in taking an oral treatment.
- The stomach is located below the liver, in front of the pancreas and next to the spleen.
- This hollow, pocket-like organ measures an average of 25 centimeters long and 11 centimeters wide.
Capsules, pills, tablets… The oral route is the most common way a drug is taken due to several advantages, such as convenience or low cost. But according to scientists at Johns-Hopkins University (USA), oral administration is the most complex method for the body to absorb an active pharmaceutical ingredient, because “The bioavailability of the drug in the gastrointestinal tract depends on the ingredients of the treatment and the dynamic physiological environment of the stomach.”
A simulator based on the anatomy of the stomach
In a study published in the journal Physics of Fluids, they used an in-silico biomimetic simulator based on stomach anatomy and morphology to examine the effect of body posture and stomach motility on drug bioavailability. As a reminder, bioavailability corresponds to the rate and speed of absorption of the active ingredient of a drug depending on its mode of administration.
An impact on the emptying speed
Based on the simulations, changes in posture can have a significant effect (up to 83%) on the rate of active pharmaceutical ingredient emptying into the duodenum, the initial part of the small intestine. “Similarly, decreased stomach contractions associated with gastroparesis (a digestive disorder that affects the natural movement of stomach muscles) can also significantly reduce pill dissolution as well as principle emptying. active in the duodenum”, can we read in the works.
