Related Experiment Videos
Cephalosporin antibiotics accelerate gastric emptying in mice
W H Kuo1, K S Wadwa, C D Ferris
1Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA.
Abstract:
Gastroparesis is a common debilitating complication in many diabetic patients. While several drugs are available for gastroparesis, many patients are not adequately treated. Many patients do not respond to available drugs or appear to develop tachyphylaxis after an initial response. New agents are needed. Erythromycin is a macrolide antibiotic that accelerates gastric emptying through interaction with motilin receptors. Many antibiotics, like erythromycin itself, have significant gastrointestinal side effects. We investigated the ability of cephalosporin antibiotics to alter gastric emptying in mice by employing phenol red spectrophotometry to monitor gastric emptying. Our results indicate that several cephalosporin antibiotics, particularly cefazolin, accelerate gastric emptying. In some cases these drugs appear more efficacious than either erythromycin or metoclopramide. At very high doses, many drugs, including erythromycin, appear to delay gastric emptying. We hypothesize that the gastrointestinal side effects of nausea and vomiting may result from delayed gastric emptying occurring at high doses while lower doses are prokinetic in the stomach.
Insights
Cephalosporin antibiotics, like cefazolin, can accelerate gastric emptying in diabetic gastroparesis patients. This offers a potential new prokinetic treatment option when other drugs fail.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Pharmacology
- Diabetology
Background:
- Diabetic gastroparesis is a common, debilitating complication.
- Current treatments for gastroparesis are often ineffective or lead to tachyphylaxis.
- Novel prokinetic agents are urgently needed for improved patient outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prokinetic effects of cephalosporin antibiotics on gastric emptying.
- To compare the efficacy of cephalosporins with existing gastroparesis medications.
- To explore the dose-dependent effects of antibiotics on gastric motility.
Main Methods:
- Utilized phenol red spectrophotometry in a mouse model to quantify gastric emptying.
- Administered various cephalosporin antibiotics and compared their effects to erythromycin and metoclopramide.
- Assessed gastric emptying at different drug dosages.
Main Results:
- Several cephalosporin antibiotics, notably cefazolin, significantly accelerated gastric emptying.
- Cefazolin demonstrated greater efficacy in accelerating gastric emptying than erythromycin or metoclopramide in this model.
- High doses of some antibiotics, including erythromycin, were observed to delay gastric emptying.
Conclusions:
- Cephalosporin antibiotics represent a promising new class of drugs for treating gastroparesis.
- The prokinetic effects of cephalosporins may be dose-dependent, with lower doses enhancing motility.
- Understanding dose-response relationships could mitigate gastrointestinal side effects like nausea and vomiting.