Effects of Erythromycin on Myoelectric Activity of the Spiral Colon of Dairy Cows

Abstract

The effects of erythromycin on myoelectric activity of the spiral colon of dairy cows were investigated in a prospective study. Four Simmental x Red-Holstein crossbred cows of similar body weight and condition with seven pairs of bipolar electrodes implanted in the intestine (one each in the distal ileum, caecum and proximal colon, and four in the spiral colon) were included. Erythromycin lactobionate (1 mg kg(-1)) and 0.9% sodium chloride solution (NaCl) were administered to each cow in a random order. Erythromycin was diluted with NaCl and both treatments were administered slowly intravenously over a period of 5 min 1 h after onset of a phase III of the bovine colonic migrating myoelectric complex (bcMMC). A 3-6-day washout period was scheduled between trials. Significant differences between the results of the treatments were observed for spike duration in phase I as well as for spike duration and duration of spiking activity during phase II of the second bcMMC, which were significantly higher after erythromycin treatment than after NaCl. These findings suggest an indirect effect of erythromycin on colonic motility in cattle.

The Effect of Lidocaine on Postoperative Jejunal Motility in Normal Horses

“…The cycle then repeats, beginning with Phase I. Duration of the MMC is the most frequently cited measure of intestinal electrical activity in horses, cattle, and humans, and it is an accepted method for assessing the effects of drugs on intestinal motility in horses 6–12 . Atropine, butorphanol, pentazocine, and meperidine have all been assessed in this manner and are known to lengthen the MMC and inhibit electrical activity 8,12…”

“…The individual components of the MMC (duration of each phase and spiking activity) have also been used as an additional determinant of electrical activity 3,10,11 . Scott et al 11 completed a meta‐analysis of the human literature (1977–2006) and many publications use the duration of phase and spiking activity as an assessment of jejunal motility.…”

“…Phase duration can be used to indirectly measure the duration of the MMC when complete MMCs are unavailable. Spiking activity is an index of motility using the number of spike bursts occurring per unit of time, and has been used to quantify small intestinal motility in horses, cattle, and humans 3,10,11 . These spike bursts are directly correlated to muscular contractions and presumably propulsive motility 2 .…”