Author/Editor     Kerec, Mojca; Bogataj, Marija; Veranič, Peter; Mrhar, Aleš
Title     Permeability of pig urinary bladder wall: the effect of chitosan and the role of calcium
Type     članek
Source     Eur J Pharm Sci
Vol. and No.     Letnik 25
Publication year     2005
Volume     str. 113-21
Language     eng
Abstract     Chitosan is a cationic polysaccharide widely employed as an absorption enhancer. The aim of this work was to examine the effect of chitosan on the permeability of isolated pig urinary bladder wall as well as to determine the role of calcium ions in this process. Besides permeability studies, scanning electron microscopy and fluorescent microscopy were applied to get an insight into the mechanism by which chitosan increases the permeability of urinary bladder wall. Additionally, the obtained findings were compared to the mechanism proposed for Caco-2 cells. The results show that 0.5% (w/v) chitosan increases the permeability of urinary bladder wall by causing the desquamation of the urothelium. Calcium ions, when applied to the luminal surface of the urinary bladder at the same time as chitosan, decreases the effect of chitosan on permeation of the model drug moxifloxacin into the bladder wall in concentration dependent way. The desquamation of urothelium cells caused by chitosan was reduced in the presence of calcium, but not to such extent as it would be expected from the permeability studies. When present, calcium obviously interferes directly in the interactions between chitosan and the surface of urothelium.
Descriptors     BLADDER
CALCIUM
AZA COMPOUNDS
QUINOLINES
UROTHELIUM
SWINE
PERMEABILITY
MICROSCOPY, ELECTRON, SCANNING
MICROSCOPY, FLUORESCENCE