Prokinetic effects of erythromycin on the ileum, cecum, and pelvic flexure of horses during the postoperative period.

This research explores the impacts of the drug erythromycin on the intestinal movements in horses during post-surgery periods, suggesting variations in the effect during recovery and advising caution in applying these results broadly for animals with irregular gut movement.

Methodology

• The study involved eight healthy adult horses.
• These horses were anaesthetized, and bipolar electrodes were placed into the smooth muscles of the ileum, cecum, and the pelvic flexure. These electrodes were used to monitor and record myoelectric activities, which are electrical activities related to muscular contractions in these areas.
• Four testing sessions were organized, timed at approximately 4, 16, and 24 hours after the surgical procedure. An additional session was held after eight days, during the recovery period.
• Before and after each session, the horses were administered erythromycin at doses of 0.5 mg/kg.

Results

• Post erythromycin administration, an increase in the ileum’s myoelectric activity was noticed during all post-surgery recording sessions. However, no such increase was observed during the post-recovery session.
• For the cecum, an increase in myoelectric activity was only noticed post-recovery and not during the other sessions.
• The pelvic flexure showed an increase in myoelectric activity following erythromycin administration during all sessions.
• Interestingly, there were several short periods during the recording sessions where the myoelectric activity significantly decreased after erythromycin was administered.

Conclusions

• The findings suggest that erythromycin does influence the ileum, cecum, and pelvic flexure’s myoelectric activity in horses.
• The drug’s prokinetic effects, that is, its ability to speed up the digestive tract’s movement, during the post-surgery period, were not consistent with the effects noted after the horses had recovered from the surgery.
• Therefore, caution should be exercised when applying these findings to animals with abnormal gastrointestinal motility. It is especially so because healthy animals were used in this study, and results might vary in those with digestive irregularities.