title: Effects of phenylpropanolamine on gastric retention in the adult rat.
abstract: Phenylpropanolamine (PPA) induces anorexia and weight loss via an as yet unidentified mechanism. In the present study, we evaluated the inhibitory action of PPA on gastric emptying. Adult female Sprague-Dawley rats consumed a wet-mash test meal and were then treated (IP) with either saline or 5, 10, 20 or 40 mg/kg PPA. Gastric retention (ratio of weight of gastric content to weight of mash consumed) was evaluated immediately after the meal in a group of saline-treated rats or 3 hours after the meal in the drug groups and another saline-treated group. Rats treated with saline exhibited minimal retention (0.21) over a 3 hour period whereas rats treated with 5, 10, 20 or 40 mg/kg dl-PPA exhibited increased gastric retention ratios of 0.29, 0.66, 0.63, and 1.38, respectively. These data demonstrate that PPA has a marked inhibitory action on gastric emptying and suggest that further studies are warranted to evaluate the possible contribution of gastric retention to the anorexic action of PPA.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005746:Gastric Emptying / Q000187:drug effects*; D010665:Phenylpropanolamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D010665:Phenylpropanolamine