Selected aspects of the clinical pharmacology of visceral analgesics and gut motility modifying drugs in the horse.
Abstract: Comparison of the visceral analgesic effects of xylazine, morphine, butorphanol, pentazocine, meperidine, dipyrone, and flunixin in a cecal distention model of colic pain indicated that xylazine produces the most relief from abdominal discomfort. Repeated administration of xylazine may reduce visceral pain so effectively that the seriousness of abdominal disease is obscured. Xylazine decreased propulsive motility in the jejunum and pelvic flexure of healthy ponies. Morphine and butorphanol also gave relief from visceral pain in the cecal distention model. Morphine may inhibit colonic, and butophanol jejunal, motility. Whether xylazine or opiate mediated decreases in gut motility cause clinically important slowing of ingesta transit is controversial and requires further investigation. The development of behavioral changes (i.e., apprehension and pawing) in horses given opiate therapy may limit the use of these drugs. Combinations of xylazine and morphine or butorphanol produce excellent, safe, visceral analgesia and sedation without untoward behavioral effects. Although flunixin fails to demonstrate good visceral analgesic effects in the cecal distention model, this drug produces analgesia in some cases of colic by blocking prostaglandin mediated induction of pain. Improvement of propulsive gut motility in patients with ileus may follow administration of neostigmine (which is particularly effective when the large bowel is hypomotile), naloxone (which experimentally stimulates propulsive colonic motility), and metoclopramide (which stimulates stomach and proximal small intestinal motility).
Publication Date: 1988-04-01 PubMed ID: 3065495DOI: 10.1111/j.1939-1676.1988.tb02799.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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The research focuses on the efficacy of various drugs in relieving abdominal discomfort in horses caused by colic, while also investigating their effects on gut movement. Xylazine was found to be the most effective in relieving pain, while concerns were raised over possible slowed gut activity due to administration of these drugs.
Drug Comparison for Visceral Analgesics
- This research compared several drugs (xylazine, morphine, butorphanol, pentazocine, meperidine, dipyrone, and flunixin) to determine their effectiveness as visceral analgesics, which are drugs that relieve internal organ pain.
- Xylazine was observed to be the most effective at relieving abdominal discomfort in a cecal distention model of colic pain in horses.
- Repeated use of xylazine may potentially obscure the severity of abdominal diseases due to its proficient pain relief.
- Morphine and butorphanol also provided notable pain relief in this model, but each drug may inhibit certain areas of gut motility; morphine in the colon, butorphanol in the jejunum.
- The implications of decreased gut motility due to xylazine or opiate usage are unclear and need to be investigated further.
- Behavioral changes, such as increased apprehension and pawing, may limit the widespread use of opiate therapy in horses.
Combination Therapy and Analgesia
- Data suggests combining xylazine with either morphine or butorphanol can yield efficient pain relief and sedation, without causing adverse behavioral changes.
- Despite underperforming in the cecal distention model, flunixin was still able to provide some analgesic effects in cases of colic, but works by blocking pain induction via prostaglandins.
Improving Propulsive Gut Motility
- The study also considered the effects of several drugs on gut motility.
- Administration of drugs like neostigmine, naloxone, and metoclopramide reportedly improved propulsive gut motility in cases of ileus (a severe obstruction of the gut).
- Neostigmine proved especially effective when the large bowel showed decreased activity, while naloxone stimulated propulsive colonic motility in experimental scenarios and metoclopramide helped stimulate stomach and proximal small intestinal motility.
Cite This Article
APA
Kohn CW, Muir WW.
(1988).
Selected aspects of the clinical pharmacology of visceral analgesics and gut motility modifying drugs in the horse.
J Vet Intern Med, 2(2), 85-91.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1939-1676.1988.tb02799.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Ohio State University, Columbus 43210.
MeSH Terms
- Analgesics / therapeutic use
- Animals
- Colic / drug therapy
- Colic / veterinary
- Gastrointestinal Motility / drug effects
- Horse Diseases / drug therapy
- Horses
- Metoclopramide / therapeutic use
- Naloxone / therapeutic use
- Neostigmine / therapeutic use
- Pantothenic Acid / analogs & derivatives
- Pantothenic Acid / therapeutic use
Citations
This article has been cited 5 times.- Emanuel D, Kästner SBR, Delarocque J, Grob AJ, Bienert-Zeit A. Influence of Butorphanol, Buprenorphine and Levomethadone on Sedation Quality and Postoperative Analgesia in Horses Undergoing Cheek Tooth Extraction.. Vet Sci 2022 Apr 6;9(4).
- Haunhorst FR, Hopster K, Schmicke M, Bienert-Zeit A, Kästner S. Clinical effect of buprenorphine or butorphanol, in combination with detomidine and diazepam, on sedation and postoperative pain after cheek tooth extraction in horses.. Can Vet J 2022 Jan;63(1):39-46.
- Watkins AR, Hopster K, Levine D, Hurcombe SD. Cervical Epidural Spinal Analgesia for Acute Management of Severe Unilateral Forelimb Lameness: Case Report.. Front Vet Sci 2021;8:749713.
- Oliveira MA, Lino-Alvarado AE, Moriya HT, Vitorasso RL. Drug class effects on respiratory mechanics in animal models: access and applications.. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2021 May;246(9):1094-1103.
- Reppas C, Karatza E, Goumas C, Markopoulos C, Vertzoni M. Characterization of Contents of Distal Ileum and Cecum to Which Drugs/Drug Products are Exposed During Bioavailability/Bioequivalence Studies in Healthy Adults.. Pharm Res 2015 Oct;32(10):3338-49.
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