Animal Welfare Information Center
United States Department of Agriculture
National Agricultural Library
United States Department of Agriculture
National Agricultural Library
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Animal Welfare Information Center United States Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Library |
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Information Resources on the Care and Welfare of Ferrets |
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Nagakura, Y., T. Kiso, K. Miyata, H. Ito, K. Iwaoka, and T. Yamaguchi (2002). The effect of the selective 5-HT(3) receptor agonist on ferret gut motility. Life Sciences 71(11): 1313-1319. ISSN: 0024-3205.
Abstract: The effect of the selective 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)(3) receptor agonist YM-31636 (2-(1H-imidazol-4-ylmethyl)-8H-indeno[1,2-d]thiazole monofumarate) on gut motility of fed ferrets was investigated. YM-31636 (0.1 mg/kg p.o.) induced a giant migrating contraction (GMC)-like, high-amplitude, ungrouped colonic contraction although it did not change the basal colonic motility pattern. This GMC-like contraction was always accompanied by defecation. Both GMC-like contraction and defecation were inhibited with the selective 5-HT(3) receptor antagonist ramosetron. YM-31636 affected gastric, duodenal and ileal motility pattern only slightly. These results suggest that 5-HT(3) receptor agonists such as YM-31636 are useful in treating constipation since they facilitate GMC-like contractions and defecation without undesired changes in gut motility pattern.
Descriptors: ferrets, gastrointestinal motility, pyrroles, serotonin agonists, thiazoles, benzimidazoles, colon drug effects, defecation, gastrointestinal motility, muscle contraction, serotonin antagonists.