Theophylline absorption and gastric emptying after partial gastrectomy in dogs

The pharmacokinetic parameters of theophylline, administered orally as a solution (4 mg/kg body weight), were studied in six dogs before and after two different kinds of gastric surgery in which part of the stomach was removed. The theophylline absorption rate was slightly increased after this antrectomy, whereas other pharmacokinetic parameters, such as area under the concentration time curve (AUC) and the elimination half-life (t1/2), remained unchanged. Gastric emptying was quantified using radionuclide imaging; after antrectomy, it was accelerated for liquids and delayed for solids.