5-Hydroxytryptamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine-3 receptor antagonists.

5-Hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) is present throughout the gastrointestinal tract, which acts as the major reservoir of this substance in the body. Its physiologic role has not been clearly established, although it seems likely that 5-HT is involved in the regulation of aspects of intestinal motility such as peristalsis and the migrating motor complex. In disease states the contribution of 5-HT is perhaps more clearly established, particularly its role in chemotherapy-induced emesis, in the carcinoid syndrome, and, possibly, in mediating the effect of some intestinal secretagogues, notably cholera toxin. Many of the functions of 5-HT in the gut have been elucidated as a result of the development of antagonists to 5-HT receptors. However, some of these compounds have 5-HT agonist activity as well as 5-HT receptor blocking activity, making interpretation of their effects in health and disease difficult. Nevertheless, 5-HT receptor antagonists are finding an important place in the management of the carcinoid syndrome and in chemotherapy-induced emesis and may well evolve as important agents for modulating gut motility and for inhibiting secretory states in the small and large intestine. The suggestion that 5-HT3 receptor antagonists might also modulate visceral sensation in the gut is of great interest because of their potential to relieve symptoms of functional bowel disorders such as pain, urgency, and bowel frequency.