The sublingual mucous membrane lines the floor of the mouth and the ventral surface of the tongue. It consists of non-keratinized stratified squamous epithelium supported by a vascular lamina propria. Its thin epithelium and rich venous drainage make it relatively permeable compared with buccal mucosa, enabling rapid systemic absorption and avoiding hepatic first-pass metabolism.<\/p>
Small, lipophilic drugs such as nitroglycerin achieve high bioavailability and fast onset via this route, which is not suited to sustained delivery because of salivary clearance and limited surface area. Lipid composition differs from keratinized oral epithelia, with lower levels of ceramides and acylceramides, consistent with its higher permeability. The sublingual mucosa remains an important route for emergency and short-acting therapies.<\/p>","categories":[{"id":68,"title":"Experimental","breadcrumb":[{"id":60,"title":"Oral"},{"id":68,"title":"Experimental"}]}],"url":"https:\/\/molmedb.upol.cz\/api\/v1\/membranes\/41","landing_page":"https:\/\/molmedb.upol.cz\/membrane\/41","created_at":"2020-01-13T13:17:35.000000Z","updated_at":"2026-06-28T18:17:53.000000Z"}}