Which factor may increase gastric emptying rate and may increase absorption of water-soluble drugs?

Which factor may increase gastric emptying rate and may increase absorption of water-soluble drugs?

• A. Liquids or gastric distention
• B. Solid meals delay emptying
• C. Fasting state
• D. High-fat meals

Answer: (A)

Gastric emptying rate determines how quickly a dissolved drug leaves the stomach and reaches the small intestine where water-soluble drugs are absorbed. Liquids empty from the stomach more rapidly than solids because they don’t require grinding and can move through the pylorus more freely. When the stomach is distended with liquid, stretch receptors and normal motility patterns promote faster emptying, so the contents—including any water-soluble drug—reach the absorption site sooner. This helps increase overall absorption for drugs that are already in solution. In contrast, a solid meal must be mechanically broken down and gradually emptied, which slows the delivery to the small intestine. A fasting state can influence motility but doesn’t directly promote the rapid emptying of liquids the way a filled, liquid stomach does. High-fat meals slow gastric emptying through hormonal and neural pathways, reducing the rate at which contents reach the intestine. So, liquids or gastric distention best explain the increase in gastric emptying rate and the potential boost in absorption for water-soluble drugs.

Gastric emptying rate determines how quickly a dissolved drug leaves the stomach and reaches the small intestine where water-soluble drugs are absorbed. Liquids empty from the stomach more rapidly than solids because they don’t require grinding and can move through the pylorus more freely. When the stomach is distended with liquid, stretch receptors and normal motility patterns promote faster emptying, so the contents—including any water-soluble drug—reach the absorption site sooner. This helps increase overall absorption for drugs that are already in solution.

In contrast, a solid meal must be mechanically broken down and gradually emptied, which slows the delivery to the small intestine. A fasting state can influence motility but doesn’t directly promote the rapid emptying of liquids the way a filled, liquid stomach does. High-fat meals slow gastric emptying through hormonal and neural pathways, reducing the rate at which contents reach the intestine.

So, liquids or gastric distention best explain the increase in gastric emptying rate and the potential boost in absorption for water-soluble drugs.