Tetraethylammonium enhances the rectal and colonic motility in rats and human in vitro.

Hirschsprung's disease is the congenital absence of generating the peristaltic contractions transmitting from the proximal colon to rectum. We previously have found that tetraethylammonium (TEA), the nonselective Ca(2+)-activated K(+) channel blocker, increases the maximal contractile force and the amplitude of the contraction in rat duodenum. The present study is to test the effect of TEA on motility of colon and rectum from rats and Hirschsprung's disease patients in vitro, in order to find an alternative method to improve the syndrome of Hirschsprung's disease. The rectal and colonic motility was recorded by a tension transducer connected to a biology function experiment system. Histology was analyzed with standard hematoxylin and eosin staining. TEA (1, 3, and 5 mM) significantly increased the amplitude and frequency of contractility of colon and rectum from rats in longitudinal and circular direction. TEA at 5 and 15 mM concentrations showed no effect on histology of colon and rectum from rats that were administered locally with TEA into colon lumen from anus for 10 days. TEA at 15 mM increased the amplitude and frequency of contractions of the colon and rectum from Hirschsprung's disease patients. Our data showed that TEA increased the contractility of colon and rectum from rats and Hirschsprung's disease patients in vitro, suggesting that local administration of TEA in colon or rectum lumen might be an alternative method to ameliorate the syndrome of Hirschsprung's disease patients who are not cured completely by surgery or not suitable for surgery.