COMPARATIVE EFFICACY OF A SINGLE ORAL DOSE OF ONDANSETRON AND OF BUSPIRONE AGAINST CISPLATIN-INDUCED EMESIS IN CANCER-PATIENTS

Buspirone, an agonist of the 5-HT1A subtype of serotonin receptors, ha s shown antiemetic activity in animal models. However, in cancer patie nts treated with cisplatin, ondansetron, given either i.v. (one 8-mg d ose 30 min after cisplatin) or orally (one 16-mg dose at the end of ci splatin infusion) was superior (P<0.001) to buspirone (60 mg p.o. at t he end of cisplatin and 60 mg p.o., 30 min later), in all parameters o f antiemetic efficacy. These results are in favour of 5-HT3 receptors, but against the participation of 5-HT1A receptors in acute emesis ass ociated with cisplatin chemotherapy.