Gastrointestinal scintigraphy with 99mTc-DTPA labeled tablets in fed and fasting subjects

The in vitro and in vivo dissolution of a sustained release theophylline formulation labeled with 99mTc-diethyltriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) has been monitored in six subjects with a scintillation camera. The study was performed in fasting conditions and was repeated after ingestion of a standardized meal. Results showed that the presence of food in the stomach dramatically increased the oesoduodenal transit time of the tablet (74 +/- 27 min vs 352 +/- 77 min, P less than 0.001) but did not modify the biodisponibility of theophylline. This study is another example when scintigraphy can be of definite value in pharmacokinetics.