STW 5 in a model of 5-HT3 receptor mediated ileal contraction in vitro

Introduction: 5-HT3 receptors are widely distributed in the gastrointestinal tract and are significantly involved in its function. In some disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), 5-HT3 receptor inhibitors have been found effective in relieving the symptoms, especially in patients experiencing IBS associated with diarrhoea. STW 5 (Iberogast) has beeen shown to be effective in functional gastrointestinal diseases in several randomiced controlled double blind studies and is widely used in therapy since more than four decades, having a very favourable safety profile. Recent experiments showed that STW 5 w…