Absorption of Water and Electrolytes from a Liposome Based Oral Rehydration Solution: An in vivo Perfusion Study on Mucosal Injured Small Intestine Rat Model

Diarrhoeal disorders constitute a leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally and continue to be a major concern, particularly for developing countries. Based upon the pathogenic mechanisms, the diarrhoeal organisms may be broadly divided into two groups, secretory and invasive. Vibrio cholera is the prototype pathogen causing secretory diarrhea and on the other hand Shigella the prototype invasive pathogen causing mucosal gut injury. Similar to this, different research groups orally administrated 5fluorouracil to induce small intestinal injury, which resembles bacterial injury. 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is an antimetabolite that acts as a pyrimidine antagonist. Major side effects of 5-FU include leukopenia, thrombocytopenia and diarrhea. However, we know that chemotherapy alters the state of the intestinal microbiome. 5-FU and irinotecan cause severe mucositis manifesting as diarrhea, and changes to the microflora are observed following administration of these drugs.