Cisapride does not modify equine gastrointestinal motility disrupted by E. coli endotoxin or prostaglandin E2

Cisapride, E.coli endotoxin and prostaglandin E2 were administered intravenously to ponies in which strain gauges had been attached to the stomach and proximal jejunum in order to test if cisapride could modify motility patterns induced by endotoxin or PGE2- Endotoxin at a dose of 0.1 μg kg−1 and PGE2 at a dose of 10 μg kg−1 produced decreases in gastric motility and jejunal phase-II motility with short intervals between jejunal phase-Ill-activity fronts. Cisapride at a dose of 0.2 mg kg1 increased gastric motility and jejunal phase-II activity with increased intervals between jejunal phase-III-activity fronts when given alone, but did not modify the motor effects of endotoxin or PGE2. Cisapride may be ineffective in improving gastrointestinal motility in clinical cases of equine ileus caused by endotoxaemia.