Integrated acidity and rabeprazole pharmacology

• Published in: Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics Vol. 16; no. 3; pp. 455 - 464
• Main Authors: Gardner, J. D., Perdomo, C., Sloan, S., Hahne, W. F., Barth, J. A., Rodriguez‐Stanley, S., Robinson, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford UK Blackwell Science Ltd 01-03-2002; Blackwell
• Subjects: 2-Pyridinylmethylsulfinylbenzimidazoles; Adult; Anti-Ulcer Agents - pharmacology; Anti-Ulcer Agents - therapeutic use; Benzimidazoles - pharmacology; Benzimidazoles - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Digestive system; Esophagitis, Peptic - drug therapy; Esophagitis, Peptic - physiopathology; Female; Gastric Acid - metabolism; Gastric Acidity Determination; Gastroesophageal Reflux - drug therapy; Gastroesophageal Reflux - physiopathology; Humans; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration - drug effects; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Omeprazole - analogs & derivatives; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Rabeprazole; Treatment Outcome; Human; Gastroesophageal reflux; Stomach; Digestive system; Esophageal disease; Oral administration; Acidity; Rabeprazole; Proton pump inhibitor; Esophagus; Chemotherapy; Treatment; Benzimidazole derivatives; Antisecretory agent; pH; Digestive diseases; Antiacid
• ISSN: 0269-2813; 1365-2036
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2036.2002.01158.x

Background:
Integrated gastric and oesophageal acidity can be calculated from measurements of gastric and oesophageal pH and used to quantify gastric and oesophageal acidity over time. Rabeprazole is a new proton pump inhibitor that is effective in treating gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
Aim:
To use measurement of integrated gastric and oesophageal acidity to determine the onset, duration and overall effect of rabeprazole in subjects with GERD.
Methods:
Subjects with GERD were required to have oesophageal pH ≤ 4 for at least 10% of a 24‐h recording. Effects of 20 mg rabeprazole on 24‐h gastric and oesophageal pH were measured on days 1 and 7 of dosing. Integrated gastric and oesophageal acidity were calculated from time‐weighted average hydrogen ion concentrations at each second of the 24‐h record.
Results:
At steady‐state, 20 mg rabeprazole inhibited gastric acidity by 89% and oesophageal acidity by 95%. The first dose of rabeprazole inhibited gastric and oesophageal acidity by at least 70% of the steady‐state effect. Oesophageal acidity could be divided into monophasic and biphasic patterns, and rabeprazole had different effects on oesophageal and gastric acidity in these two GERD subpopulations. The onset of action of the first dose of rabeprazole on gastric acidity was 4 h and on oesophageal acidity was 4 h in monophasic subjects and 7 h in biphasic subjects. Integrated acidity was more sensitive than time pH ≤ 4 in measuring the inhibitory actions of rabeprazole.
Conclusions:
Integrated gastric and oesophageal acidity are quantitative measurements that provide useful and novel information regarding the pathophysiology of GERD as well as the impact of antisecretory agents such as rabeprazole.