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Suppression of castor oil‐induced diarrhoea by α 2 ‐adrenoceptor agonists
Author(s) -
THOLLANDER M.,
HELLSTRÖM P. M.,
SVENSSON T. H.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
alimentary pharmacology and therapeutics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.308
H-Index - 177
eISSN - 1365-2036
pISSN - 0269-2813
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2036.1991.tb00026.x
Subject(s) - oxymetazoline , castor oil , clonidine , medicine , agonist , antidiarrhoeal , pharmacology , motility , concomitant , endocrinology , chemistry , receptor , biology , biochemistry , genetics
SUMMARY The effects of systemic administration of α 2 ‐adrenoceptor agonists on migrating myoelectric complexes and castor oil‐induced diarrhoea of the small intestine were studied in conscious rats. Castor oil (1 mg/kg, intraduodenally) disrupted the migrating myoelectric complexes and induced irregular spiking activity with sporadic bursts of myoelectric activity. This change of motility pattern was present concomitant with diarrhoea 1–2 h after instillation of castor oil and during the whole period of diarrhoea. Pre‐treatment with clonidine (5–10 μg/kg i.v.) or oxymetazoline (5.6–11.2 μg/kg i.v.), a peripherally active α 2 ‐agonist, inhibited the irregular spiking induced by castor oil and no diarrhoea occurred during the experimental period of 6 h. Thus, the antidiarrhoeal action of peripherally acting α 2 ‐adrenoceptor agonists such as oxymetazoline, may be of clinical value in the treatment of diarrhoea.