The effect of meal composition on the gastrocolonic response: implications for drug delivery to the colon.

The response of the colon to eating, the gastrocolonic response (GCR), may have important implications for the design of drug dosage forms for selective delivery to the colon. Therefore, the effect of meal composition on the GCR and its relation to the transit of nondisintegrating tablets has been investigated. Eight healthy male volunteers each received 5 x 6-mm radiolabeled nondisintegrating tablets, and the transit was followed using a gamma camera. When the tablets reached the ileocolonic region, each volunteer received a test meal (1000 kcal) containing 70% carbohydrate, 15% fat, and 15% protein. The subsequent movement of the tablets was then monitored. The study was repeated using a 70% fat meal and a 70% protein meal, so that the effects of a high-carbohydrate, a high-fat, and a high-protein meal on the GCR could be compared. The incidence of GCRs was similar after all meals. Thus, there appeared to be no effect of meal composition on the movement of the tablets into the colon. This implies that the ingestion of food may not necessarily stimulate the passage of material across the ileocecal junction and that other factors may also be involved.