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Transdermally administered nicotine accumulates in gastric juice

  • PHARMACOKINETICS AND DISPOSITION
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European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Methods:

Transdermal nicotine patches (Nicorette® 15 mg ⋅ 16 h–1) were administered to 7 healthy volunteers. Nicotine concentrations in gastric juice were monitored for 8 h via a naso-gastric tube and so was nicotine in saliva and plasma.

Results:

Nicotine accumulated in gastric juice, the average concentration being 60.6-times higher than in plasma. In saliva, too, the concentration was higher than in plasma, the average ratio being 10.5. These results strongly suggested ion-trapping of nicotine base in the acidic gastric juice and possibly also in the acinar cells, followed by active secretion. It is hypothesised that accumulation in saliva occurs via a similar mechanism. Pretreatment with omeprazole did not increase the pH to a sufficiently high degree to test the hypothesis that the accumulation of nicotine in gastric juice was pH dependent.

Conclusions:

Transdermal administration of nicotine produced a high intragastric concentration. The clinical consequence of this effect of long-term nicotine replacement therapy during smoking cessation is unclear.

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Received: 20 February 1996 / Accepted in revised form: 21 May 1996

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Lindell, G., Lunell, E. & Graffner, H. Transdermally administered nicotine accumulates in gastric juice. E J Clin Pharmacol 51, 315–318 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/s002280050204

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s002280050204

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