Effect of erythromycin lactobionate on myoelectric activity of ileum, cecum, and right ventral colon, and cecal emptying of radiolabeled markers in clinically normal ponies.

The research study investigates the impact of erythromycin lactobionate (a type of antibiotic) on the muscle electric activity and radiolabeled marker passage in the lower parts of the digestive system in healthy horses. The findings suggest that erythromycin lactobionate could be beneficial in managing the cecal motility dysfunction.

Research Methods

• The study involved six healthy adult ponies.
• During a 12-hour nonfeeding period, radiolabeled markers were administered directly to the cecal apex, the top part of the large intestine. This included technetium 99m-labeled sulfur colloid in egg albumen and indium 111-labeled diethyltriaminepentaacetic acid in water.
• A range of erythromycin lactobionate (ERY) concentrations was tested: 0.01, 0.10, 1.0, and 10.0 mg/kg of body weight, and a 0.10 mg/kg bolus dose. A saline solution was also tested as a control.
• The treatments, except the 0.10-mg/kg bolus dose and the saline solution, were given over a 60-minute period through intravenous infusions based on randomized complete block design. Each treatment was administered twice to every pony.
• Dual-phase scintigraphic images were captured, and the best fit function was determined for every study using data from the right side.
• Data on myoelectric activity were collected before and after each treatment and analyzed for various parameters like spike burst rate, relative activity, and burst duration.

Research Results

• The time to 50% emptying (t50) after administering ERY displayed dependency on the dosage. All treatments, barring the 0.01-mg/kg infusion, led to notably shorter t50 compared to saline administration (230.2 +/- 17.12 minutes).
• Shortest t50 was observed when the dosage was 1.0 mg/kg of ERY (76.9 +/- 22.0 minutes).
• Although not significantly different, the t50 and beta were shorter (108.6 +/- 25.9 minutes) and steeper after a bolus dose of 0.10 mg/kg of ERY than after infusion at the same dose (131.1 +/- 18.7 minutes).

Research Conclusions

• The study concluded that ERY can be potentially utilized as a prokinetic for treating or preventing cecal motility dysfunction.
• The effectiveness of ERY in creating a similar response in the early postanesthetic or postoperative period still needs further research.