Lithium acetate gastrointestinal diffusion system. Part 1: Lithium acetate single-unit gastrointestinal diffusion system: preparation and release rate studies

The gastrointestinal diffusion system (GDS), containing lithium acetate (1), releases the drug by a controlled source of diffusion energy. The unit can possibly be used for all soluble drugs in which solubility is independent from the pH of the gastrointestinal contents as is the case with 1. The one-compartment unit is obtained by tabletting the drug and coating the tablets with a membrane of cellulose acetate to which soluble porofores-gum arabic, sodium chloride, 1-are added. When the pore-creating substance is dissolved out of the coating, there remains a porous film, which controls the rate of release of the drug. The release characteristics depend on membrane composition and mass. The systems reported here provided for zero-order drug delivery in vitro.