Comparison of Prokinetic Activity of Ranitidine and Neostigmine Alone and in Combination- An in Vitro Study

Abstract

Objective: To explore the prokinetic effect of Ranitidine, to compare it with the prokinetic effect of Neostigmineand to observe the potentiating prokinetic effect of Ranitidine and Neostigmine in combination.
 Study Design: Randomised controlled trial (experimental study).
 Place and Duration of Study: Multi disciplinary centre, Army Medical College, Rawalpindi, from Jan to Dec 2015.
 Methodology: Experiments were performed on three groups of rabbits (n=6) and Cumulative dose responsecurves were plotted using isolated duodenal tissue on power lab (USA). In the first two groups of experiments,cumulative concentrations of Neostigmine and Ranitidine were studied separately with neostigmine acting as acontrol and in the third group the potentiating effect of a fixed dose of ranitidine on neostigmine was evaluated.
 Results: Neostigmine’s response was taken as 100 percent and Ranitidine’s response when compared to it came out to be 197 percent. The dose response curve of Neostigmine was shifted to the left and upwards in the presence of Ranitidine. The percent response with Neostigmine alone was taken as 100 percent and increased to 212 percent when the tissue was pre-treated with Ranitidine.
 Conclusion: Our study has indicated that Ranitidine has marked prokinetic effect which is found to be greaterthan Neostigmine. It is also inferred that Ranitidine can potentiate the prokinetic effect of Neostigmine.