Systemic availability of acetylsalicylic acid in human subjects after oral ingestion of three different formulations.

Systemic availability of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) in normal human subjects after oral ingestion of 1 g in three different formulations was determined by using high-pressure liquid chromatography for ASA assay. For an effervescent, a plain and a sustained release preparation systemic availabilities expressed in percent of the ingested dose were 16.9 +/- 3.2, 8.6 +/- 1.2 and 2.6 +/- 0.4%, respectively. All subjects had clearly measureable amounts of ASA in plasma after oral intake of a sustained release preparation with an average peak concentration of 15 mumol/l. Peak concentration after an effervescent and plain formulation was on the average 80 and 40 mumol/l, respectively. Half-life of ASA in plasma was 18.1 +/- 1.2 min. for the effervescent and 28.7 +/- 5.3 min. for the plain preparation, while the elimination phase was too ill defined for the sustained release formulation. Average plasma half-life of salicylic acid (SA) was similar after the three different administration forms with values between 3.0 and 3.7 hrs. Further, no difference in SA distribution volumes or amounts of SA absorbed was found. The present study demonstrates that oral ingestion of ASA in effervescent, plain and sustained release formulations gives rise to significant amounts of ASA in plasma. Concentrations found indicate that long-term antithrombotic therapy with ASA in a sustained release formulation may be possible.