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[Pharmacological studies of loperamide, an anti-diarrheal agent. III. Interaction between loperamide and various agonists in the guinea pig intestine (author's transl)].

To clarify the mode of action of loperamide, the interaction with various agonists was investigated in guinea pig intestines. The following results were obtained. Prostaglandin E1 (0.1 microgram) or acetylcholine (1 approximately 3 microgram) injection into the mesenteric artery at 10 min intervals caused a constant rise of intraluminal pressure of the intestinal loop in situ. Loperamide (0.01 approximately 0.1 mg/kg i.v.) markedly suppressed the response induced by prostaglandin E1. Morphine (0.1 approximately 1.0 mg/kg i.v.) and atropine (0.01 mg/kg i.v.) also suppressed the response. The intestinal response induced by acetylcholine was inhibited markedly by atropine and slightly by loperamide (0.1 mg/kg i.v.) but not by morphine. Contractions of the isolated ileum induced by coaxial stimulation, BaCl2, nicotine and serotonin were suppressed by loperamide (10(-9) approximately 2 X 10(-7) g/ml). Morphine, methadone and codeine showed the same effect as loperamide but the activity was weaker than that of loperamide. Contractions of isolated ileum induced by acetylcholine, histamine and bradykinin, and Ca-contraction in the depolarized taenia coli were inhibited by relatively high concentrations of loperamide (2 X 10(-7) g/ml or above). These results suggest that loperamide suppresses the function of cholinergic neurons in the intestines.

Acetylcholine

Effects of loperamide on the human hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis in vivo and in vitro.

Loperamide, an opiate agonist of high specificity for mu-receptors, was recently reported to suppress ACTH and cortisol levels in normal subjects, but not in patients with proven ACTH-dependent Cushing's disease. However, there is little information on the site of action of loperamide in the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis of man. We investigated the effect of loperamide on pituitary hormone secretion in vivo and in vitro. In seven normal subjects, basal ACTH plasma levels were significantly suppressed 3 h after loperamide administration (16 mg, orally) from 5 +/- 1 to 2 +/- 0 pmol/L (P less than 0.0001). After the combined pituitary stimulation test (100 micrograms human CRH, 100 micrograms GnRH, 100 micrograms GH-releasing hormone, and 200 micrograms TRH), the ACTH peak (maximum increase at 30 min) was significantly blunted by loperamide from 9 +/- 1 to 4 +/- 1 pmol/L (P less than 0.001) and the area under the curve of ACTH from 0-120 min was reduced from 35 +/- 5 to 23 +/- 4 pmol/L.2 h (P less than 0.05). In the insulin-hypoglycemia test (0.15 IU/kg BW), neither the ACTH peak nor the area under the curve of ACTH was affected by loperamide. In six patients with Cushing's disease and one patient with secondary adrenal insufficiency due to hypothalamic failure, neither basal ACTH and cortisol levels nor CRH-stimulated levels were influenced by loperamide. In four cultured human corticotropic adenomas, loperamide was not able to reduce basal and CRH-induced ACTH secretion. In summary, loperamide is able to reduce basal and CRH-induced ACTH and cortisol levels in normal subjects, but not in patients with Cushing's disease or secondary adrenal failure of hypothalamic origin. Loperamide has no significant effect on insulin-hypoglycemia-induced ACTH and cortisol levels and, therefore, no effect on stress-induced elevation of cortisol levels. Loperamide might act at a suprapituitary site in man in vivo, but, nevertheless, a pituitary site cannot be excluded.

Adenoma

Loperamide binding to opiate receptor sites of brain and myenteric plexus.

Loperamide, a new antidiarrheal agent, was tested to determine whether its biological activity involves binding to opiate receptor sites. Loperamide and morphine competitively inhibited 3H-naloxone binding to homogenates a guinea-pig brain and myenteric plexus. The Kp values obtain in the presence of Na+ were: morphine, 9.60-10(-9) M (brain), 1.66-10(-7) M (myenteric plexus); loperamide, 7.20-10(-9) M (brain), 1.33-10(-7) M (myenteric plexus); naloxone, 4.78-10(-10) M (brain), 1.27-10(-9) M (myenteric plexus. In the absence of Na+, binding a loperamide and morphine to brain homogenate was enhanced while the binding of naloxone was reduced. Morphine (IC50 = 7.5-10(-8) M) and loperamide (IC50 = 6.9-10(-9) M) inhibited the electrically induced contractions of longitudinal muscle from guinea-pig ileum, and naloxone competitively antagonized these effects. The Kd value calculated for the interaction of naloxone with binding sites associated with the contracting muscle was between 0.98-10(-9) M and 1.85-10(-9) M. In the mouse hot plate test, subcutaneous administration of morphine (minimal effective dose = 6.6 mugmol/kg) and loperamide (minimal effective dose = 78 mugmol/kg) delayed the response to heat stimuli and this effect was completely blocked by prior administration of naloxone. In the anesthetixed dog, intravenous administration of morphine (100 mug/kg) and loperamide (100 mug/kg) enhanced the contractile activity of circular muscle in proximal and distal duodenum, distal ileum and proximal colon but duodenal longitudinal muscle was relaxed; these effects were completely reversed by subsequent administration of naloxone. It is concluded that loperamide binds to opiate receptor sites and possesses opiate agonist activity both in vivo and in vitro.

Analgesics, Opioid

[Pharmacological studies of loperamide, an anti-diarrheal agent. II. Effects on peristalsis of the small intestine and colon in guinea pigs (author's transl)].

Effects of loperamide on peristalsis in the guinea pig intestines were investigated in comparison with those of morphine and atropine. The following results were obtained. The ejection of intraluminal fluid produced by the peristaltic contraction of the isolated ileum was suppressed by loperamide at a concentration of 10(-8) or 2 X 10(-8) g/ml. Peristalsis in the intestinal loop of anesthetized guinea pigs was inhibited by i.v. administration of loperamide at a dose of 0.03 mg/kg. Morphine (0.03 mg/kg i.v.) and atropine (0.05 mg/kg i.v.) also inhibited the peristaltic contraction. The effect of loperamide continued longer than that of morphine. Peristalsis in the colonic loop of anesthetized guinea pigs was inhibited by i.v. administration of loperamide at a dose of 0.01 or 0.03 mg/kg. Morphine (0.1 mg/kg i.v.) and atropine (0.03 mg/kg i.v.) also inhibited the peristaltic contraction of the colonic loop. Loperamide (0.01 or 0.03 mg/kg i.v.) and morphine (0.1 mg/kg i.v.) caused a slight and temporary increase of resting level of intraluminal pressure with inhibition of peristalsis in the colonic loop. These results suggest that loperamide suppresses the peristaltic contraction caused by distension of the intestinal lumen.

Animals

Loperamide in chronic diarrhea and after ileostomy: a placebo-controlled double-blind cross-over study.

Fifteen patients (20 to 66 years) with long-standing chronic diarrhea of varying etiology were selected for an open trial of loperamide 2 mg capsules. The optimal daily dose for substantial reduction of the diarrhea ranged from two to seven capsules. Eleven patients showed a significant improvement in stool consistency and stool frequency, and a decrease of abdominal cramps. Loperamide appeared to be ineffective in two patients with cholerrheic diarrhea, and in one patient with laxative-induced diarrhea, and in one patient with diarrhea of unknown etiology. The eleven successfully treated patients then entered a double-blind placebo-controlled trial for ten days or until relapse, the daily dose being identical to the optimal one previously determined in the open phase. The investigator was able to guess the code correctly in ten out of eleven cases. Twenty ileostomy patients (ages 25 to 73 years) volunteered for the evaluation of the inhibitory activity on small intestinal peristalsis by loperamide in a double-blind placebo-controlled cross-over study. Mean daily ileostomy output decreased by 22% in the loperamide period, as compared with the drug-free study phase (P less than 0.001). Of the 20 patients, 16 were able to guess their code correctly, whereas four were uncertain, although their fecal weights were lower with loperamide. Many patients noticed an increased urinary production and experienced an improvement in their ileostomy care during loperamide treatment. Because of its effectiveness, its low side-effect liability and its lack of toxicity, loperamide is considered a promising drug in the symptomatic treatment of chronic diarrhea, and as a reliable agent in the treatment of ileostomy patients.

Adult

Human pharmacokinetics and comparative bioavailability of loperamide hydrochloride.

A pharmacokinetic study of the antidiarrheal agent loperamide hydrochloride (Imodium) was conducted in six male subjects. The study utilized a random crossover design and employed a 2-mg capsule and a 0.2-mg/ml syrup formulation. Each treatment consisted of a single oral dose of 8 mg loperamide HCl followed by a two-week interval before the next treatment. Serum and urine samples obtained at various times after drug administration were assayed for loperamide using a radioimmunoassay specific for the drug. The mean biologic half-life, calculated from the elimination phase of the log serum concentration-versus-time data, was 10.8 +/- 0.6 hours for the overall study, 10.2 +/- 0.6 hours for the syrup formulation, and 11.2 +/- 0.8 hours for the capsules. The loperamide from the syrup was absorbed more rapidly than from the capsule formulation, with the peak serum levels observed at a mean time of 2.4 +/- 0.7 hours for the syrup and 5.2 +/- 0.3 hours for the capsule formulation. The relative areas under the serum loperamide concentration-versus-time curves suggested that the two formulations have comparable physiologic availability. The maximum observed serum concentrations were also similar, indicating the safety of the syrup formulation. Excretion of approximately 1 per cent of the dose in the urine as unchanged loperamide after seven days was observed independent of the particular dosage form that was administered.

Adult

[Pharmacological studies of loperamide, an anti-diarrheal agent. I. Effects on diarrhea induced by castor oil and prostaglandin E. (author's transl)].

Effects of loperamide on diarrhea induced by castor oil and prostaglandin E1 were investigated in rats and mice and compared with those of narcotic analgesics, atropine, mecamylamine and local anesthetics. The following results were obtained. Loperamide markedly suppressed the appearance of diarrhea induced by oral administration of castor oil in rats and the ED50 values for 1 and 2 hr protection was 0.082 and 0.42 mg/kg p.o., respectively. Loperamide markedly suppressed the appearance of diarrhea induced by i.v. administration of prostaglandin E1 and the ED50 value for 2 hr protection was 0.24 mg/kg p.o. in rats. The ID120 min value of loperamide which was calculated on the basis of the dose producing a 20% or more inhibition of the charcoal transport in the small intestine for 120 min was 0.8 mg/kg p.o. in mice and this activity was 9.2 times more potent than that of morphine. The analgesic ED50 value (Haffner's method) and LD50 value of loperamide was 149 and 249 mg/kg p.o., respectively. These results suggest that loperamide has a potent anti-diarrheal activity and specificity to the gastrointestinal tract and inhibits the effect of prostaglandin E1 and ricinoleic acid on the intestinal tract in rats.

Analgesics

Loperamide: a review of its pharmacological properties and therapeutic efficacy in diarrhoea.

Loperamide, a butyramide derivative is a new agent for use in symptomatic control of acute non-specific diarrhoea and chronic diarrhoea. Unlike diphenoxylate or codeine, loperamide does not appear to exert opiate activity in man at normal therapeutic doses. In acute diarrhoea, loperamide provides more rapid control of symptoms than diphenoxylate when given in a flexible dosage according to unformed bowel movements, and in single dose studies 4mg loperamide has a much longer duration of effect than 5mg diphenoxylate. Loperamide is probably superior to diphenoxylate in providing symptomatic control of chronic diarrhoea such as that associated with chronic inflammatory bowel disease or following gastrointestinal surgery. It has been used for up to 3 years in such conditions without evidence of tolerance. The possibility of once daily dosage of loperamide in chronic diarrhoea is an advantage. Side-effects have not proved a problem.

Acute Disease

Effects of loperamide on the guinea pig taenia coli.

The effects of an antidiarrhoeal agent, loperamide, were studied using isolated guinea pig taenia coli. Loperamide in concentrations ranging from 10(-7) M inhibited the cholinergic, contractile responses induced by electrical transmural stimulation, nicotine and serotonin, and the nonadrenergic, relaxing responses induced by electrical transmural stimulation and nicotine. However, the adrenergic response to perivascular nerve stimulation was not affected by these concentrations. The inhibitory effects of loperamide were not reversed by washing with a drug-free solution. Morphine (10(-6 M to 10(-5) M) also inhibited both cholinergic and nonadrenergic responses, but the effect was reversible. Naloxone (1o(-6) M) attenuated the inhibitory effects of both drugs. Unlike morphine, loperamide in concentrations higher than 5 x 10(-6) M relaxed the strips and reduced the contractile response to acetylcholine noncompetitively, and these effects were not blocked by naloxone. These results suggest that loperamide at low concentrations acts selectively on the opiate receptors located in both cholinergic and nonadrenergic nerves and at higher concentrations also acts directly on smooth muscle thus producing relaxation of the intestinal tone.

Acetylcholine

The effect of loperamide on anorectal function in normal healthy men.

Loperamide improves anorectal functioning in patients with diarrhea and incontinence. Loperamide reduces sensitivity of the recto-anal inhibitory reflex and increases internal anal sphincter tone. Additionally, it has an effect on rectal compliance in incontinent patients with diarrhea. We studied the effect of loperamide versus placebo at different distances from the anal verge in 18 healthy male volunteers, using standard anorectal manometry was a double-blind, two-factorial design. We found that the recto-anal inhibitory reflex is most pronounced when stimulated in regions close to the anal canal and that distention stimuli are also perceived best in that region. Both effects are counteracted by loperamide. We found no effect on internal sphincter tone or rectal compliance. These results imply a gradient of sensitivity for rectal perception and the recto-anal inhibitory reflex in healthy volunteers. Loperamide action on both mechanisms suggests a common mediator for both effects.

Adult

In vivo motor effects of loperamide on the rat urinary bladder.

Bladder motility recordings were performed in anaesthetized rats and the effect of the peripherally active opiate agonist loperamide on urinary bladder function was studied. Regional intra-arterial administration of loperamide (0.01-2 mg kg-1) induced weak bladder contraction per se. Loperamide caused an effective dose-dependent inhibition of bladder motility induced by regional injection of the receptor agonists acetylcholine (ACh) and substance P (SP), as well as by peripheral motor nerve stimulation (PNS). Pretreatment with naloxone (0.5 mg kg-1) partially antagonized the inhibitory action of loperamide on the nerve-mediated detrusor contraction. However, the depression of the motor responses induced by the receptor agonists ACh and SP was not influenced. It is suggested that the demonstrated inhibitory effect of loperamide on bladder motility is partially mediated by peripheral opioid receptors. The main non-opioid part of the inhibition might be a direct smooth muscle action.

Acetylcholine

Non-opioid-dependent inhibitory action of loperamide on cholinergic neurotransmission in canine isolated bronchial smooth muscle.

The effect of loperamide on cholinergic neurotransmission in canine bronchial smooth muscle was studied under isometric conditions in-vitro. Addition of loperamide decreased contractile responses to electrical field stimulation in a dose-dependent fashion, the maximal decrease from the control response and the IC50 value being 65.4 +/- 5.9% and 1.5 microM, respectively. In contrast, loperamide was without effect on the responses to exogenously administered acetylcholine. The inhibitory effect of loperamide was not altered by pre-incubation of tissues with propanol, 6-hydroxydopamine, bicuculline, or naloxone. These results suggest that loperamide attenuates the neurally mediated airway contraction probably by inhibiting acetylcholine release from cholinergic nerve terminals through a non-opioid-dependent mechanism.

Animals

Interaction of loperamide and diphenoxylate with ethanol and methohexital.

The antidiarrheal drugs loperamide and diphenoxylate were tested for their ability to potentiate central nervous system depression induced by ethanol in mice and nethohexital in rats. Oral diphenoxylate potentiated the loss of righting reflex (hypnosis) at 10 mg/kg in mice and at 5 mg/kg in rats, doses which were considerably lower than those required to induce morphine-like behavior in mice and rats. Oral loperamide did not potentiate hypnosis. Increased incidence and duration of hypnosis was observed with loperamide only at very high, nearly toxic doses (100 mg/kg in mice and 80 mg/kg in rats) and these doses induced only nonspecific central nervous system depression. The failure of loperamide to potentiate the action of hypnotics confirms data from clinical trials which showed that loperamide is essentially free of central depressant effects when given orally.

Animals

The neuropharmacology of loperamide-induced emesis in the ferret: the role of the area postrema, vagus, opiate and 5-HT3 receptors.

Loperamide, an opiate receptor agonist, commonly used in the treatment of diarrhoea, reliably induced emesis in the ferret, when given subcutaneously. The response latency was short (less than 10 min) and the emesis lasted for approx 70 min. The dose-response curve for the emetic response was "bell-shaped" and all animals responded at 0.5 mg/kg but none at 5 mg/kg (s.c.). The response was unaffected by dopamine D2 receptor antagonism (domperidone 1.0 mg/kg, s.c.) or 5-HT3 receptor antagonism (granisetron or ondansetron 1.0 mg/kg, s.c.). The onset of the response was delayed for about 60 min by naloxone or naloxone methiodide (1.0 mg/kg, s.c.) and abolished by naloxanazine (1.0 mg/kg, s.c.), reported to be relatively selective for mu receptors. The results implicate mu receptors (possibly mu 1) in the induction of emesis by loperamide and provide some support for activation of opiate receptors also having anti-emetic effects, as suggested in previous studies. The emetic response to loperamide was unaffected by abdominal vagotomy but was abolished by ablation of the area postrema, indicating that loperamide-induced emesis may be used as a test for ablation of the area postrema in studies of the emetic mechanism in the ferret.

Animals

Optimal dosing of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole when used with loperamide to treat traveler's diarrhea.

To explore the optimal dosing regimen for trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) when used in combination with loperamide to treat traveler's diarrhea, 190 U.S. adults with acute diarrhea were enrolled in a double-blind, randomized trial in Guadalajara, Mexico. All patients received loperamide (4-mg loading dose; 2 mg after each loose stool, not to exceed 16 mg/day for 3 days) and were randomized to receive a 3-day course of TMP-SMX (160:800 mg twice daily for six doses) (group A), a single large dose of TMP-SMX (320:1,600 mg) (group B), or a large loading dose (320:1,600 mg) followed by standard doses for 3 days (160:800 mg twice daily for five doses) (group C). Patients in group C responded best (P < 0.01), with 75% of subjects recovered from diarrhea in 12 h compared with 34 h (group A) and 33 h (group B). Similar differences in favor of group C were noted in the subset of patients who presented with moderate to severe diarrhea. On average, patients in group C took significantly (P < 0.05) less loperamide (1.2 mg) after the 4-mg loading dose compared with patients in group A (2.4 mg) or group B (2.0 mg). We conclude that the most efficacious treatment of traveler's diarrhea in the interior of Mexico is to take loperamide in usual doses to control symptoms in combination with a single large dose of TMP-SMX, which should then be continued for 3 days in standard doses.

Acute Disease

[Effects of loperamide on the gastric and intestinal motilities in the guinea pig and dog (author's transl)].

In anesthetized dogs, intravenous administration or intrajejunal infusion of Loperamide produced the excitatory effect of gastric, small and large bowel motilities accompanied with elevation of the muscle tone. The excitatory response was slightly suppressed by administration of atropine. Such effects were similar to those of morphine and methadone. In non-anesthetized spinal guinea pigs, Loperamide increased colonic motility accompanied with the augmentation of the colonic muscle tone, but the conduction of the contraction waves was prevented. In anesthetized guinea pigs, intravenous administration of Loperamide reduced the rate of the rhythmic contraction waves of the small intestine, but its effect on the muscle tone was not evident. The activity of Loperamide as an antidiarrheal agent was discussed.

Animals

Naloxone inhibits the anti-diarrhoeal activity of loperamide.

1 Subcutaneous prostaglandin E2 (2.5 mg/kg) produces profuse diarrhoea in fed rats. 2 Pretreatment of rats with subcutaneous loperamide (1.0 mg/kg) completely prevents prostaglandin-induced diarrhoea. If naloxone is administered prior to loperamide injections the activity of the antidiarrhoeal compound is completely destroyed. 3 These data provide strong evidence that the antidiarrhoeal activity of loperamide is mediated via the opiate receptor.

Animals

Double-blind placebo-controlled study of loperamide (Imodium) in chronic diarrhoea caused by ileocolic disease or resection.

Loperamide (R 18 553) was compared with placebo in a double-blind crossover study of 21 patients with chronic diarrhoea caused by ileocolic disease or resection. Eighteen patients completed the trial. At a median daily dose of 6 mg the new antidiarrhoeal preparation was found to be superior to placebo in controlling chronic diarrhoea. The frequency and weight of stools significantly decreased, the stools became more solid, and carmine transit time was prolonged during loperamide therapy. Loperamide was consistently preferred to placebo by the patients. Gastrointestinal side-effects were few and comparable during both treatment periods.

Adult