LAUSR

The oral administration is probably the most used and largely applicable method, even if absorption across the intestinal epithelium is a limiting factor that can invalidate the achievement of a therapy. The aim of this study was to assess the steady state bioavailability of very low molecular weight hyaluronic acid (vLMW-HA) and its distribution in different districts of mice. Adult female C57BL6/J mice (n = 26) were divided in three groups and orally treated for 7 days with: saline solution (SHAM-HA), high dose of vLMW-HA (5 kDa; 500 mg/kg/day; HD-vLMW-HA), and low dose of vLMW-HA (5 kDa; 100 mg/kg/day; LD-vLMW-HA). HA content was quantified in plasma, skin, bladder, gut, rectum, vagina, and eyes with ELISA assay at the end of treatment. HA level significantly increased after treatment with HD-vLMW-HA in all analyzed tissues and plasma. Therefore, vLMW-HA easy absorption and distribution after the oral intake opens new possibilities for future biomedical applications.