Studies on drug absorption from oral cavity: physicochemical factors affecting absorption from hamster cheek pouch.

A new experimental method using a hamster cheek pouch in vivo for studying absorption processes across the keratinized oral mucous membrane was developed and some characteristics of the oral-mucosal absorption were clarified. A positive correlation between the absorption rate and the lipophilicity was observed in 18 aromatic compounds examined. The absorption of ionizable compounds was poor in the ionized form. These results suggest that the absorption from the keratinized hamster cheek pouch is due to a passive diffusion mechanism and obeys pH-partition hypothesis. The systemic transfer of salicylic acid after intra-cheek-pouch administration could be approximated by the first-order absorption model including a lag time process and the plasma levels found were consistent with this model.