title: Tibetan herbal formula Padma Digestin modulates gastrointestinal motility in vitro.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the effects of Padma Digestin on the smooth muscle motility of different gastrointestinal segments in vitro.
  
  
  METHODS
  The effects of the ethanolic extract of Padma Digestin (at 8.16 mg/mL or 81.6 mg/mL) on the contractility and susceptibility to acetylcholine (ACh) of muscle strips from the cardia, antrum, pylorus, duodenum, jejunum, ileum and colon of male Wistar rats were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the control treatment, the Padma Digestin extract had a procontractile effect on the antral smooth muscle strips. Padma Digestin decreased ACh sensitivity in cardia muscle strips and increased it in those from the antrum and pylorus. In the intestinal segments, spontaneous contractility was inhibited in both the duodenal and jejunal strips, whereas reactivity to ACh was inhibited in the jejunal strips only. In the colonic samples, Padma Digestin inhibited spontaneous and ACh-stimulated contractility at a low dose but seems to have increasing effects at a high dose.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Padma Digestin extract has region-specific effects on the contractility and excitability of gastrointestinal smooth muscle. Our results support the traditional use of Padma Digestin for maldigestion and functional gastrointestinal disorders.
authors.affiliation: Bruno M Balsiger, Juergen M Gschossmann, Department of Clinical Research, University of Berne, 3001 Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Bruno M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Balsiger
authors.forename: Magali
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krayer
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rickenbacher
authors.forename: Beatrice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Flogerzi
authors.forename: Cecile
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vennos
authors.forename: Juergen M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Gschossmann
keywords: Gastrointestinal motility; Herbal; Padma Digestin; Smooth muscle; Tibetan Medicine System