The action of cysteamine and synkavit on gastric emptying in the normal and irradiated rat

A radiographic method for studying the delay in gastric emptying in the rat caused by whole body irradiation has been applied to the investigation of two compounds which modify the effects of irradiation. The method may be of general use in the study of the action of drugs. Synkavit, which can potentiate the lethal effects of irradiation on tumours, caused a delay in gastric emptying. When Synkavit and irradiation were combined, a simple summation of the delays produced by each of these agents occurred. Cysteamine, which gives some protection against the lethal action of x-rays, also caused a delay in gastric emptying. It did not protect against the action of x-rays on stomach emptying.

The effect of ether and pentobarbitone sodium on gastrointestinal function in the intact rat

The effect of ether and pentobarbitone anaesthesia on gastrointestinal motility and absorption has been studied by measuring simultaneously gastric emptying, small intestinal transit and intestinal absorption of glucose and iodide in intact rats. Both gastric emptying and intestinal transit are very slow under ether anaesthesia, but with pentobarbitone there is no significant delay. The absorption of glucose by the small intestine is significantly impaired by ether but not by pentobarbitone, and a tracer dose of iodide is absorbed normally under both forms of anaesthesia.