Triethylenetetramine.2.HCl (trientine, TE) is an orphan drug for the treatment of Wilson's disease. There has been no reports regarding the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion in the body. In the current study, the absorption and excretion of TE in rats were examined. The observed mean percentage amount of TE absorbed at the jejunum and ileum with the loop method for 1 h was 42.0% and 22.5%, respectively. Tight junction blocking agent inhibited the absorption of TE from the jejunum loop with 27%, but the absorption of TE from the ileum loop was not affected by this blocking agent. Therefore, the main absorption route for TE might be permeation across the plasma membrane of intestinal epithelial cells. TE and amikacin, a polycationic compound like TE, bound to the brush border membrane (BBM) of rat small intestine in the absence of inorganic ions such as Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+ and Cu2+. But the binding of TE to BBM was inhibited markedly under the physiological concentration of these ions. The bioavailability of TE was below 10% and the plasma levels of TE in non-fasted rats were significantly lower than that observed in fasted rats. The urinary excretion of unchanged TE during 24 h was only 3.5% of the orally administered dose. However, the urinary excretion of total TE including metabolites, though they have not been identified, was 35.7%. These results suggest that low bioavailability of TE might be due to the rapid metabolism in the body after absorption from the gastrointestinal tract.