Abstract
Reports concerning the action of amphetamine sulfate (A.S.) on gastro-intestinal motility are somewhat variable. Myerson and Ritvo 1 summarizing the results of their studies on man state that A.S. is a sympathomimetic drug which is of great value in diminishing or abolishing spasm of the G. I. tract. Ivy and Krasno, 2 summarizing the clinical literature state that 10-30 mg orally delays the rate of evacuation of the stomach, increases the tone of the pylorus, shows no marked constant effect on the small intestine and variable effects on the colon. Ersner, 3 after treating 500 cases of obesity with the drug, reports it to cause mild constipation, in 10 mg doses.
Experimental. Our study of A.S. consisted in measurement of the action of various doses on effective peristalsis and egestion time in intact animals and its action on isolated segments of colon.
The animals were fasted for 4 hours before each determination in order that they would quickly eat their test meal which consisted of a 3 g pellet made up of the following parts by wt: bread 1, milk 4, hamburger 5, and Fe2O3 1. The A.S. dissolved in water was injected intraperitoneally, immediately after the food pellet was eaten.
The action on effective peristalsis 4 was measured by comparing the rate of progress of a test meal dyed with Fe2O3 in treated and non-treated litter mates of the same sex, paired data being secured in all determinations; 30 min. after eating the animals were killed by decapitation, the gastro-intestinal tract quickly excised, straightened out on a warm moist plate and slit open with fine scissors; thus the distance which the dyed mass had been propelled from the stomach could be measured accurately.
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