Cephalosporin antibiotics accelerate gastric emptying in mice

WH Kuo, KS Wadwa, CD Ferris - Digestive diseases and sciences, 1998 - Springer
WH Kuo, KS Wadwa, CD Ferris
Digestive diseases and sciences, 1998Springer
Gastroparesis is a common debilitatingcomplication in many diabetic patients. While
severaldrugs are available for gastroparesis, many patients arenot adequately treated. Many
patients do not respond to available drugs or appear to developtachyphylaxis after an initial
response. New agents areneeded. Erythromycin is a macrolide antibiotic thataccelerates
gastric emptying through interaction with motilin receptors. Many antibiotics,
likeerythromycin itself, have significant gastrointestinalside effects. We investigated the …
Abstract
Gastroparesis is a common debilitatingcomplication in many diabetic patients. While severaldrugs are available for gastroparesis, many patients arenot adequately treated. Many patients do not respond to available drugs or appear to developtachyphylaxis after an initial response. New agents areneeded. Erythromycin is a macrolide antibiotic thataccelerates gastric emptying through interaction with motilin receptors. Many antibiotics, likeerythromycin itself, have significant gastrointestinalside effects. We investigated the ability ofcephalosporin antibiotics to alter gastric emptying inmice by employing phenol red spectrophotometry tomonitor gastric emptying. Our results indicate thatseveral cephalosporin antibiotics, particularlycefazolin, accelerate gastric emptying. In some casesthese drugs appear more efficacious than eithererythromycin or metoclopramide. At very high doses, manydrugs, including erythromycin, appear to delay gastricemptying. We hypothesize that the gastrointestinal side effects of nausea and vomiting may resultfrom delayed gastric emptying occurring at high doseswhile lower doses are prokinetic in thestomach.
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