The Effect of an Oral Gold Preparation on the Gastrointestinal Tract Motility in Two Species of Experimental Animals

The oral gold preparation, auranofin, used in rheumatoid arthritis has been reputed to cause chronic diarrhea. To investigate this the G.I. tract motility was measured before auranofin therapy and after 1, 3, and 5 weeks of therapy using scintigraphy following indium-111-labeled meals in three beagle dogs. The gastric emptying times of the dogs accelerated throughout the duration of the experiment, although the large bowel transit times did not seem to be affected. The affect of auranofin on the stools of the baboon Papio ursinus was also noted. The baboon stools were observed for any change in consistency. Sigmoidoscopic examination including mucosal biopsies was carried out monthly over a 6-month period. The baboon's stools were noted to become very soft in consistency, but histology indicated no mucosal changes.