THE EFFECT OF FLUFENAMIC ACID ON GASTROINTESTINAL MYOELECTRICAL ACTIVITY AND TRANSIT-TIME IN DOGS

Background-Flufenamic acid, a fenamate, has been shown to alter marked ly the membrane potential of small intestinal smooth muscle and increa se intracellular calcium in single cells. Aims-To determine the effect s of flufenamic acid on myoelectrical motor activity and gastrointesti nal transit in the Intact animal. Methods-Myoelectrical motor activity was recorded via seromuscular platinum electrodes sutured at regular intervals in the stomach and throughout the small intestine. Fasted an d fed gastrointestinal transit was assessed using technetium-99m (Tc-9 9m) as the radioactive marker linked to 1 mm amberlite pellets or adde d to the meal. Results-Flufenamic acid (600 mg, intravenously) induced intense spike activity in the small intestine. The mean duration of i rregular spike activity was 250 (7) minutes. Spike activity was more p ronounced In the lower small Intestine. Flufenamic acid also accelerat ed initial gastric emptying and markedly shortened transit time in the small intestine. In the fasted state the 50% transit time in the smal l intestine was 54 (8) minutes with infusion of flufenamic acid compar ed with 105 (10) minutes in the control group; in the fed state Tc-99m first reached the colon at 220 (10) minutes compared with 270 (12) mi nutes in the control group. Conclusions-Flufenamic acid had marked eff ects on both myoelectrical motor complex activity and small intestinal transit in the dog. The observed effects suggest that flufenamic acid may be of potential use as a prokinetic agent.