Effect of timepidium bromide, an anticholinergic agent, on gastric and duodenal blood flow distribution in rabbits

Effects of timepidium bromide (TB; anticholinergic agent), acetylcholine (ACh) and neostigmine (Neost) on gastric and duodenal blood flow distribution were studied by the use of 131I-labeled macroaggregated human serum albumin (MAA) in rabbits. In normal rabbits, gastric blood flow was found to be uneven in various regions of the stomach: anterior corpus (50% of total gastric blood flow) greater than posterior corpus (40%) greater than pyloric antrum (7%). Intravenous administration of TB (200 microgram/kg) to normal rabbits produced a slight increase in total gastric blood flow, but the increase in the mucosal layer of the pyloric antrum was considerable. On the other hand, ACh (10 microgram/kg, i.v.) and Neost (50 microgram/kg. i.v.) significantly reduced the total gastric blood flow, in particular, the mucosal blood flow in the anterior and posterior corpus. This reduction in blood flow was virtually abolished by TB and was restored to the normal level. These results suggest that these cholinergic or anticholinergic drugs affect the gastric blood flow and that these effects may be mediated through muscarinic receptors. Blood flow in the duodenum was only slightly changed by these drugs.