Drugs Affecting Gut Motility Flashcards
What are the categories of control of gastric motility?
- Myogenic
- Neuronal
- Hormonal
What causes the stomach to contract rhytmically?
Slow waves of depolarisation throughout the smooth muscle
What allows the stomach smooth muscle to contract in a coordinated manner?
Passive current spread through gap junctions
What acts as a pacemaker to drive electrical activity in the stomach?
Interstitial cells of Cajal
Is neural control of gut motility intrinsic or extrinsic?
Elements of both
What causes an increase in the force of contraction of the gut?
Stimulation of the post-ganglionic cholinergic enteric nerves
What inhibits the contraction of the gut?
Stimulation of non-adrenergic inhibitory nerves
What provides the local nerves to the stomach?
Enteric nervous system
What is the enteric nervous system?
An autonomous collection of nerves within the gut wall
What plexuses are involved in neuronal control of gastric motility?
- Auerbach’s plexus
- Meissner’s plexus
- Henle’s plexus
- Cajal’s plexus
Where is Auerbach’s plexus found?
Between circular and longitudinal muscle layers
Where is Meissner’s plexus found?
In the submucosa
Where is Henle’s plexus found?
In circular muscle adjacent to submucosa
Where is Cajal’s plexus found?
In circular muscle adjacent to longitudinal muscle
What gastric reflexes are provided by extrinsic nerves?
- Intestino-intestinal inhibitory reflex
- Anointestinal inhibitory reflex
- Gastrocolic and duodenocolic reflexes
What is the intestino-intestinal inhibitory reflex?
Distention of one intestinal segment causes complete intestinal inhibition
What happens in the anointestinal inhibitory reflex?
Distention of the anus causes intestinal inhibition
What is the purpose of the gastrocolic and duodenocolic reflexes?
Stimulates motility after material has entered stomach or duodenum
What kind of endocrine hormones are found in the GI tract?
Peptide
Where are the endocrine hormones effective in the GI tract produced?
In endocrine cells of the mucosa
What neurotransmitters are found in the GI tract?
- Gastrin
- Secretin
- Cholecystokinin
- Motilin
- Paracrine transmitters
What is the function of gastin?
Promotion of acid secretion
Where is secretin found?
In the duodenum
Where does secretin act?
In the duodenum
Where does cholecystokinin act?
In the small intestine
Where does motilin act?
In the small intestine
What paracrine transmitters are important in the GI tract?
- Histamine
- Somatostatin
- Prostaglandins
What happens in emesis?
- The pyloric sphincter closes while the cardia and oesophagus relax
- Gastric contents is propelled by contraction of the abdominal wall and diaphragm
- The glottis closes with elevation of the soft palate, preventing entry of vomit into the trachea and nasopharynx
What can cause vomiting?
- Pregnany
- Medications, toxins, pain, and irradiation
- Smell or touch
- Increased intracranial pressure
- Inflammation or stretching of the stomach
- Rotational movement
Where is the vomiting center found?
The chemosensory trigger zone
What are the preliminary signs of nausea?
- Nausea
- Dilated pupils
- Increased salivation
- Outbreak of sweat
- Retching
- Paleness
What structures are involved in emesis control?
- Vestibular apparatus
- Medullary centre
- Postreme on the floor of the 4th ventricle
What receptors are found in the vestibular apparatus?
- Acetyl choline
- Histamine
What receptors are found in the medullary centre?
- Acetyl choline
- Histamine
- 5-hydroxytyptamine
What receptors are found in the postrema on the floor of the 4th ventricle?
Dopamine
What are the categories of anti-emesis drugs?
- Dopamine receptor antagonists
- 5HT3 receptor antagonist
- Anti-muscarinics
- Histamine receptor antagonists
- Cannabinoids
- Benzodiazapines
Give three examples of dopamine receptor antagonists
- Domperidone
- Metoclopramide
- Phenothiazines
Give two examples of 5-HT3 receptor antagonists
- Ondansteron
- Granisetron
Give an example of an anti-muscarinic
Hyoscine
Give two examples of histamine receptor antagonists
- Cyclizine
- Promethazine
Give an example of a cannabinoid
Nabilone
Give an example of a benzodiazapine?
Lorazapam
Where does domperidone act?
On the postrema on the floor of the 4th ventricle
What is the action of domperidone?
Increases rate of gastric emptying
Where is domperidone indicated?
In acute nausea/vomiting, especially if induced by L-dopa or dopamine agonists
How is domperidone administered?
Oral or PR
Why is domperidone not always effective when given orally?
As the patient has nausea and vomiting, so may not keep it down
Is domperidone affected by first pass metabolism?
Yes, extensively
Does domperidone cross the blood-brain barrier?
No
What are the adverse drug reactions of domperidone?
- Stimulates prolactin release, causing galactorrhoea
- Rarely, dystonia
What happens when 5-HT is released into the gut?
It causes vagal stimulation
Where does ondansteron act?
On postrema on the floor of the 4th ventricle
How does ondansteron act?
It acts against vagal afferent nerves in the GI to reduce release of 5-HT
Where is ondansteron indicated?
- In high doses in radiation sickness and chemotherapy
- Post-operative
How is ondansteron administered?
- IV
- IM
- Orally
What is the dose of ondansteron dependant on?
Indication
How can the anti-emetic effect of ondansteron be enhanced?
By a single dose of corticosteroids
What are the adverse drug reactions of ondansteron?
- Headaches
- Constipation
- Flushing
How does metaclopramide achieve its function?
- Anti-cholinergic effects on the GI tract
- Blocks vagal afferent 5-HT3 receptors in the GI tract
- Dopamine antagonism acting on the 4th ventricle, causing gastric emptying
What are the indications for metoclopramide?
- GI cause of nausea and vomiting
- Migraine
- Post-op
What are the routes of administration for metoclopramide?
- Oral
- Intramuscular
- Intravascular
What is the half life of metoclopramide?
4 hours