Effect of Rioprostil, 600 μg, on the Interdigestive Myoelectrical Activity of the Human Small Intestine: Conclusion

The effect of rioprostil, a PGE1 analogue, on the interdigestive motility of the upper human small intestine was investigated in 8 normal volunteers in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Rioprostil was administered intraduodenally in a dose of 600 μg. The myoelectrical activity was recorded simultaneously at 8 different levels of the jejunum, at 10 cm intervals. Rioprostil, 600 μg, does not disrupt the migrating motor complex (MMC) and does not change the characteristics of phase 3 of the MMC, except for an increased propagation velocity. The main effect of rioprostil, 600 μg, is a marked inhibition of phase 2 contractions without induction of propulsive motility patterns during phase 2. This may explain why rioprostil in a dose of 600 μg is not markedly diarrheogenic in man.