ENHANCING EFFECT OF DQ-2511 ON GASTRIC-EMPTYING OF SPONTANEOUSLY HYPERTENSIVE RATS

The present study was designed to clarify the potential of DQ-2511 yl) ethyl]carbamoyl]methyl]amino-N-methylbenzamide: ecabapide) as a gastro prokinetic agent in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). The gastric emptying of SHR was clearly retarded relative to that of weight-match ed normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats when evaluated by the acetamin ophen (APAP) method with the semi-solid test meal. There was, however, no significant difference between both strains in gastric mucosal blo od flow (GMBF) determined by means of a laser doppler flowmetry. A 2-w eek treatment of SHR with DQ-2511 (1 mg/kg, oral) stimulated gastric e mptying without affecting body weight gain or indirect systolic blood pressure (SBP), whereas cisapride (3 and 10 mg/kg, oral) had no effect under the same conditions. The pharmacological characteristics of DQ- 2511 as a gastroprokinetic agent are discussed on the basis of these r esults.