Abstract
Our goal was to determine whether Seirogan, an herbal medicine used as an antidiarrheal agent, modifies colonic function, including motility. Experiments were performed on four female Yucatan mini-pigs with established permanent cecal fistulas providing direct access to the colon. Long-term recordings of proximal colonic motility were accomplished by a solid-state probe (six pressure ports 10 cm apart), and a motility index was calculated. Stool viscosity was also measured. The laxative bisacodyl (15 mg/kg) was used to induce colonic motility (increase in motility index) and stool softening, prior to investigating the effect of Seirogan (2–15 mg/kg per os twice a day) or a vehicle control. Seirogan (15 mg/kg), but not the placebo, reversed the bisacodyl-induced stool softening and restored the motility index to normal values by reducing the number of propagating contractions. Taken together the results suggest that inhibition of proximal colonic motility by Seirogan may contribute to its antidiarrheal action.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Greenwood B, Davison JS: The relationship between gastrointestinal mechanical activity and transport. Am J Physiol 252:G1–G7, 1987
Ogata N: Suppression of intestinal smooth muscle contraction by phenolic compounds. Res Commun Chem Pathol Pharmacol 77:359–366, 1992
Toyoda M, Ogata N, Shibata T: Suppression of intestinal smooth muscle contraction by 4-ethylguaiacol, a constituent of wood creosote. Pharmacology 47:300–308, 1993
Ogata O, Baba T, Shibata T: Demonstration of antidiarrheal and antimotility effects of wood creosote. Pharmacology 46:173–180, 1993
Ogata N, Ataka K, Morino H, Shibata T: Effects of wood creosote and loperamide of propulsive motility of mouse colon and small intestine. Pharmacology 59:212–220, 1999
McRorie J, Greenwood B, Rudolph C: Propagating contractions in the mini-pig colon: a proposed mechanism for rapid gas propulsion. Dig Dis and Sci 43(5):957–963, 1998
Greenwood-Van Meerveld B, Neeley D, Tyler K, McRorie J: Comparison of effects on colonic motility and stool characteristics caused by feeding olestra and wheat bran to ambulatory mini-pigs. Dig Dis Sci 44(7):1282–1287, 1999
Ataka K, Ogata N, Kuge T, Shibata T: Suppression of enterotoxin-induced intestinal fluid secretion by wood creosote. Res Commun Mol Pathol Pharmacol 93:219–224, 1996
Greenwood-Van Meerveld B, Tyler K, Kuge T, Ogata N: Antidiarrheal effects of seirogan on jejunal and colonic motility in vitro. Alimentary Pharmacol Ther 13(1):97–102, 1999
Greenwood-Van Meerveld B, Tyler KT, Venkova K, Kuge T: Comparison of the antidiarrheal effects of wood creosote and loperamide in the rat jejunum and colon in vitro. Biol Pharm Bull 23(8):952–956, 2000
Kuge T, Kalina Venkova, Beverley Greenwood-Van Meerveld: Effects of wood creosote on enterotoxin-induced secretion in the rat jejunum and colon in vitro. Biol Pharm Bull 24(6):623–627, 2001
Leng-Peschlow E: Effect of sennosides A + B and bisacodyl on rat intestine. Pharmacology 8(5):310–318, 1989.
Hamid SA, Di Lorenzo C, Reddy SN, Flores AF, Hyman PE: Bisacodyl and high amplitude propagating colonic contractions in children. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 27(4):398–402, 1998
Kamm MA, van der Sijp JR, Lennard-Jones JE: Observations on the characteristics of stimulated defaecation in severe idiopathic constipation. Int J Color Dis 7(4):197–201, 1992
Pescatori M: Myoelectric and motor activity of the terminal ileum after pelvic pouch for ulcerative colitis. Dis Colon Rectum 28(4):246–253, 1985
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kuge, T., Venkova, K. & Greenwood-Van Meerveld, B. Effects of Seirogan (Wood Creosote) on Propulsive Colonic Motility and Stool Characteristics in Ambulatory Mini-Pigs. Dig Dis Sci 47, 2651–2656 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021032500553
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021032500553