EFFECT OF PRETREATMENT WITH RANITIDINE ON THE PHARMACOKINETICS AND GASTROINTESTINAL TRANSIT OF A SUSTAINED-RELEASE THEOPHYLLINE PREPARATION

A scintigraphic and pharmacokinetic study of the behaviour of (Bronchoretard(R) forte, CAS 58-55-9) was carried out in 8 healthy male volunteers to evaluate the sensitivity of the preparation to changes in gastric pH. Volunteers were pretreated with ranitidine (CAS 66357-35-5) (150 mg b.d.) or placebo for three days prior to and on the study day to reduce gastric acidity. The effect of the pretreatment with ranitidine on gastric pH was measured on the prestudy day and the mean pH was significantly reduced compared to the placebo (ranitidine pH 2.2 +/- 2.4; placebo pH 1.6 +/- 2.0, p < 0.01 Wilcoxon Signed Rank test). All subjects were pretreated with theophylline for 3 days (500 mg b.d.) to achieve steady-state. On the study day the volunteers swallowed two theophylline sustained release capsules radiolabelled by inclusion of indium-111 micronised Amberlite resin and the gastrointestinal transit followed continuously for 14 h using gamma scintigraphy with a further image at 24 h. Blood samples were taken from each subject throughout the study to determine the pharmacokinetic profile of theophylline when presented in the sustained release formulation. No significant differences were found in the gastrointestinal transit of the labelled microparticulates between the data obtained from the group when treated with ranitidine or placebo. Plasma theophylline concentration profiles were identical for the two treatments. These data indicate that the theophylline sustained release formulation is not sensitive to the effects of major changes in gastric H+ concentration.