Effects of surfactant-based permeation enhancers on mannitol permeability, histology, and electrogenic ion transport responses in excised rat colonic mucosae

Surfactant-based intestinal permeation enhancers (PEs) are constituents of several oral macromolecule formulations in clinical trials. This study examined the interaction of a test panel of surfactant-based-PEs with isolated rat colonic mucosae mounted in Ussing chambers in an attempt to determine if increases in transepithelial permeability can be separated from induction of mucosal perturbation. The aim was to establish assess if increases in permeability (i) intestinal permeability (the apparent permeability coefficient (Papp) of [14C]-mannitol), (ii) epithelial histology, and (iii) short-circuit current (ΔIsc) responses to a cholinomimetic (carbachol, CCh). Enhancement ratio increases for Papp values followed the order: C10 > C9 = C11:1 > a bile salt blend > sodium choleate > sucrose laurate > Labrasol® >C12E8 > C12 > Cremophor® A25 > C7 > sucrose stearate > Kolliphor® HS15 > Kolliphor® TPGS. Exposures that increased the Papp by ≥2-fold over 120 min were accompanied by histological damage in 94% of tissues, and by a decreased ΔIsc response to CCh of 83%. A degree of separation between the increased Papp of [14C]-mannitol, histological damage, and diminution of the ΔIsc response to CCh was observed at selected PE concentrations (e.g. Labrasol® at 2 mg/mL). Overall, this surfactant-based PE selection caused transcellular perturbation at similar concentrations to those that enhanced permeability.