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Updated: May 18, 2026

The Mesenteric Lymph Duct Cannulated Rat Model: Application to the Assessment of Intestinal Lymphatic Drug Transport
Published on: March 6, 2015
Laxative treatment with polyethylene glycol does not affect lipid absorption in rats
Mariëtte Y M van der Wulp1, Frans J C Cuperus, Frans Stellaard
1Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Beatrix Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Objectives:
Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is a frequently used laxative agent. It is unknown, however, whether PEG affects the absorptive capacity of the intestine. Reduced lipid (dietary fat and cholesterol) absorption induced by long-term PEG treatment could negatively affect growth in children. We tested whether PEG accelerates gastrointestinal transit and alters lipid absorption and plasma lipid levels.
Methods:
Wistar rats were administered drinking water with or without PEG (7%) for 2 weeks. We studied whole gut transit time by recording the first appearance of red feces after intragastric carmine red administration. We measured plasma concentrations of cholesterol and triglycerides, dietary fat absorption by 48-hour fat balance and by plasma appearance of intragastrically administered stable-isotope labeled fats, and cholesterol absorption with a dual stable isotope technique.
Results:
PEG decreased whole gut transit time by 20% (P=0.028) without causing diarrhea. PEG treatment did neither affects overall dietary fat balance nor fat uptake kinetics, cholesterol absorption, or plasma lipid concentrations.
Conclusions:
PEG does not affect lipid absorption nor steady-state plasma lipid levels in rats, although it accelerates the gastrointestinal transit.
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