Physiologic Surface-Active Agents and Drug Absorption III: Effect of Bile Salt on Drug Absorption in Goldfish

Abstract

Sodium taurodeoxycholate significantly increases the uptake of nonionized 4-aminoantipyrine in goldfish. Studies of drug uptake as a function of bile salt concentration suggest that sodium taurodeoxycholate exerts an essentially all-or-none effect which is consistent with a mechanism involving rapid adsorption of the bile salt on the external membranes of the fish and consequent alteration of membrane permeability when a minimum “surface” concentration is reached. Evidence is also presented to demonstrate that the adsorption of 4-aminoantipyrine, in the presence and absence of sodium taurodeoxycholate, involves a passive process.