EFFECTS OF MORPHINE UPON THE ISOLATED SMALL INTESTINE OF RATS, RABBITS AND GUINEA PIGS
1966 Volume 16 Issue 5 Pages 528-540
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1966 Volume 16 Issue 5 Pages 528-540
1. Utilizing MAGNUS' as well as TRENDELENBURG'S method the action of morphine upon the motility of the isolated small intestine of rats, rabbits and guinea pigs were studied.
2. The drug almost always produced the augmentation of the intestinal motility: At smaller concentrations the contractions were increased in their amplitude with or without being accompanied with a rise of tone, while at higher concentrations there was produced a remarkable rise of tone, which could culminate in its extreme to produce disordered contractions.
3. After applying the ganglion blocking agents such as nicotine and hexamethonium as well as atropine morphine produced the excitatory effect not inferior to that observed before the application of the agents described above. On the other hand, no change was observed in the inhibitiory effect produced by the strong stimulation of the mesenteric nerves before and after the application of morphine. And furthermore, morphine did not alter the excitatory effect of the ganglion stimulating agent, DMPP.
4. From the results described above it may be concluded that morphine exerts an excitatory action solely on the intestinal muscle, without having any action on the intramural nervous elements.
