A comparative study of the effects of four motor-stimulating agents on canine jejunal spike bursts. The use of a computer program to analyze spike burst spread.

The intestinal myoelectric effects of four motor-stimulating drugs were compared in conscious dogs. Dogs were fed a standardized 400-kcal meal, and the myoelectric activity was monitored before and after drug administration. Graded doses of metoclopramide, cisapride, bethanechol, and cholecystokinin (CCK) were compared by means of a computer program to identify spike bursts and determine their frequency, duration, and length of migration. Bethanechol and CCK produced the greatest increase in myoelectric activity in terms of spike burst frequency and duration but the least in terms of length of spike burst spread. Metoclopramide had minimal measurable myoelectric effects. Cisapride had the greatest effect on the length of spike burst migration but little effect on spike burst frequency and duration. The results suggest that cisapride is a more efficient prokinetic agent than bethanechol, CCK, or metoclopramide. The greater length of spike burst spread caused by cisapride was associated with a more rapid rate of transit along the monitored segment of bowel when compared with control. This confirms the correlation between length of spike burst spread and propulsive efficiency.