Analgesic and spasmolytic effects of dipyrone, hyoscine-N-butylbromide and a combination of the two in ponies.

This study looks at the painkilling and muscle relaxation effects of drugs dipyrone and hyoscine-N-butylbromide, both individually and combined, in ponies suffering from colic. It was found that while both drugs and their combination can quickly stop intestinal contractions, their pain relief efficacy varied widely.

Research Method and Participants

The researchers used five ponies with caecal fistulae, adopting a model where colic was induced by inflating a balloon. Three different drug approaches were used:

• Dipyrone (Novalgin), a non-narcotic pain reliever, at a dose of 2500 mg per 100 kg of bodyweight.
• Hyoscine-N-butylbromide (Buscopan), a drug used to treat spasms, at a dose of 20 mg per 100 kg of bodyweight.
• A combination dosage of the two drugs mentioned.

The drugs were administered intravenously and compared against a control group given a 0.9% sodium chloride solution at 5 ml per 100 kg of bodyweight.

Results on Caecal Contractions

• The saline solution and dipyrone had no impact on caecal contractions, one of the symptoms of colic in ponies.
• Following the injection of hyoscine-N-butylbromide alone or in combination with dipyrone, caecal contractions stopped within 30 seconds; this stoppage lasted for 20 minutes and 24 minutes respectively. The difference was statistically significant (P less than 0.05).

Analgesic Effects and Pain Relief

• Dipyrone alone provided good pain relief in only two of the ponies, with the impact starting after eight to 10 minutes and lasting for 50 minutes.
• Hyoscine-N-butylbromide by itself produced pain relief within 30 seconds of injection, and this relief lasted for 20 minutes.
• The combination of both drugs relieved pain within 30 seconds of injection. This relief period lasted for 50 minutes in three of the ponies and for 20 minutes in the other two.
• However, none of the drugs’ pain relief results were statistically significant.

The study, therefore, concludes that while both drugs and the combination can effectively treat colic by halting caecal contractions, pain relief is neither as consistent nor as statistically significant.