Pharmacokinetics of orally administered SrCl2 (2.5 mmol) were studied in six healthy male volunteers. In the overall plasma concentration time (C-t) curves, two absorption phases were observed due to two dominant intestinal absorption loci. A method was devised to obtain separately the plasma C-t curves associated with each of the two absorption loci (curve 1 and curve 2). These curves and the overall plasma C-t curve were analyzed with a nonlinear estimation program (PCNONLIN). Pharmacokinetic parameters (mean +/- SD, n = 6) calculated from the overall curve were as follows: peak plasma concentration (Cmax) 3.55 +/- 1.22 micrograms/ml and area under the plasma C-t curve (AUC affinity) 9138 +/- 1930 micrograms.min/ml. The pharmacokinetic parameters calculated from curve 1 were as follows: terminal plasma elimination half-life time 47.3 +/- 7.9 hour, the plasma elimination half-life time of the preceding phase 5.2 +/- 3.3 hour, Cmax 1 3.09 +/- 0.95 micrograms/ml, the first-order absorption rate constant for absorption locus 1 (Ka,1) 5.7 +/- 1.2 * 10(-2) minute-1 and the time lag (tlag,1) 11.7 +/- 7.9 minute. In three of the subjects the pharmacokinetic parameters of absorption locus 2 could be evaluated: Ka,2 = 4.6 +/- 0.4 * 10(-2) minute-1, tlag,2 = 77.3 +/- 4.0 minute, tmax,2 = 153 +/- 16 minute, Cmax,2 = 0.9 +/- 0.4 micrograms/ml and AUC 2 affinity = 1204 +/- 565 micrograms. minute/ml. and AUC2 affinity = 0.14, indicating that 14% of the absorbed dose was absorbed via the second locus.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)