| Description |
Poly(amido amine) (PAMAM) dendrimers have shown potential to carry poorly absorbed drugs across the intestinal barrier and into systemic circulation, reducing the need for intravenous injections. Much of the in vitro transepithelial transport of PAMAM dendrimers to date has been investigated using Caco-2 monolayers which lack the microvilli morphology and enzymes present in isolated intestinal tissues. In addition, a challenge in predicting oral absorption is establishing a correlation between transport across rodent and human intestinal tissues. This dissertation focused on investigating the transepithelial transport of PAMAM dendrimers across rat and human isolated intestinal tissues. Permeability values in isolated tissues were compared with those across Caco-2 cell monolayers. Results indicate a difference in transport of PAMAM dendrimers, morphological changes and transepithelial electrical resistance between Caco-2 cell monolayers, rat and human intestinal tissue models. A relatively high transport rate across the tissues, given the macromolecular nature of PAMAM dendrimers, shows promise for use of these constructs for oral delivery in human. |
