Mosapride is a

gastroprokinetic agent A prokinetic agent (also gastroprokinetic agent, gastrokinetic agent or propulsive) is a type of drug which enhances gastrointestinal motility by increasing the frequency or strength of contractions, but without disrupting their rhythm. They are us ...

that acts as a selective 5HT₄

agonist An agonist is a chemical that activates a receptor to produce a biological response. Receptors are cellular proteins whose activation causes the cell to modify what it is currently doing. In contrast, an antagonist blocks the action of the ago ...

. The major active metabolite of mosapride, known as M1, additionally acts as a 5HT₃

antagonist An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the chief foe of the protagonist. Etymology The English word antagonist comes from the Greek ἀνταγωνιστής – ''antagonistēs'', "opponent, competitor, villain, enemy, riv ...

, which accelerates gastric emptying throughout the whole of the gastrointestinal tract in humans, and is used for the treatment of

gastritis Gastritis is inflammation of the lining of the stomach. It may occur as a short episode or may be of a long duration. There may be no symptoms but, when symptoms are present, the most common is upper abdominal pain (see dyspepsia). Other possi ...

gastroesophageal reflux disease Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) is one of the upper gastrointestinal chronic diseases where stomach content persistently and regularly flows up into the esophagus, resulting in symptoms and/ ...

functional dyspepsia Indigestion, also known as dyspepsia or upset stomach, is a condition of impaired digestion. Symptoms may include upper abdominal fullness, heartburn, nausea, belching, or upper abdominal pain. People may also experience feeling full earlier t ...

and

irritable bowel syndrome Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a "disorder of gut-brain interaction" characterized by a group of symptoms that commonly include abdominal pain and or abdominal bloating and changes in the consistency of bowel movements. These symptoms may ...

. It is recommended to be taken on an empty stomach (i.e. at least one hour before food or two hours after food). In addition to its

prokinetic A prokinetic agent (also gastroprokinetic agent, gastrokinetic agent or propulsive) is a type of drug which enhances gastrointestinal motility by increasing the frequency or strength of contractions, but without disrupting their rhythm. They are us ...

properties, mosapride also exerts anti-inflammatory effects on the gastrointestinal tract which may contribute to some of its therapeutic effects. Mosapride also promotes

neurogenesis Neurogenesis is the process by which nervous system cells, the neurons, are produced by neural stem cells (NSCs). It occurs in all species of animals except the porifera (sponges) and placozoans. Types of NSCs include neuroepithelial cells (NECs) ...

in the gastrointestinal tract which may prove useful in certain bowel disorders. The neurogenesis is due to mosapride's effect on the 5-HT₄ receptor where it acts as an agonist. Its common side effects include dry mouth, abdominal pain, dizziness, headache, insomnia,

malaise As a medical term, malaise is a feeling of general discomfort, uneasiness or lack of wellbeing and often the first sign of an infection or other disease. The word has existed in French since at least the 12th century. The term is often used ...

, nausea, diarrhea and sometimes constipation.Mosapride drug information – Drugs Update India
/ref> Unlike some other prokinetic agents, mosapride has little effect on potassium channels, no effect on

hERG hERG (the human '' Ether-à-go-go''-Related Gene) is a gene () that codes for a protein known as Kv11.1, the alpha subunit of a potassium ion channel. This ion channel (sometimes simply denoted as 'hERG') is best known for its contribution to th ...

transfected cells, and no effect on cardiovascular function that could be detected in tests on humans. Due to the pharmacokinetics of mosapride, it would take 1,000–3,000 times the therapeutic dose to elicit cardiovascular effects.

References

{{Serotonergics Motility stimulants Serotonin receptor agonists Benzamides Morpholines Phenol ethers Chloroarenes Fluoroarenes