Actions of the novel gastrointestinal pro kinetic agent cisapride on equine bowel motility

The effect of cisapride was evaluated on the normal fasting bowel motility of four ponies with chronically implanted electromechanical transducers. Cisapride was infused over 60-min periods at 0.05 mg/kg (n = 4), 0.1 mg/kg (n = 5) and 0.25 mg/kg (n = 5). It produced marked and prolonged increases in electrical and mechanical activity at all sites examined. In the stomach there was increased total contraction activity with increased contraction amplitude and a slight reduction in rate. In the small intestine there was an increase in irregular (phase II) activity with an increase in number and amplitude of contractions and a decrease in the number of regular (phase III) activity fronts. There was a decrease in the number of phase III fronts that spread distally from the jejunum to the ileum. The phase II activity was coordinated temporally with prolonged activity in the stomach. Cisapride increased electrical and contractile activity in the left dorsal colon with increased contraction amplitude and an increase in electrical activity in the small colon. In the stomach and small intestine cisapride produced dose-dependent increases in activity but in the left dorsal and small colon the intermediate dose (0.1 mg/kg) produced the largest and most consistent responses. Side-effects observed were increased bowel sounds and frequency of defaecation, a slight increase in heart rate and transient signs of discomfort at the highest (0.25 mg/kg) dose rate.