ABSTRACT-It is known that 5-HT4 receptors in the colon of guinea pigs show a distribution similar to that in humans. Thus, we examined the effects of mosapride citrate (mosapride) and cisapride, two 5-HT4-receptor agonists, on colonic motility in conscious guinea pigs implanted with force transducers. Mosapride and cisapride administered intragastrically at doses of 3 -30 mg /kg significantly enhanced the colonic motility. The enhancing effect of mosapride was antagonized by atropine or GR113808, a 5-HT 4 -receptor antagonist, but not by methysergide, a 5-HT 1 -and 5-HT 2 -receptor antagonist; ondansetron, a 5-HT 3 -receptor antagonist; or CP-99994, a tachykinin NK 1 -receptor antagonist. In vitro receptor autoradiography showed that mosapride and cisapride inhibit the specific binding of [125 I]-SB207710, a selective radioligand of 5-HT 4 receptors, in the colon of guinea pigs. These results suggest that mosapride enhances colonic motility through the 5-HT 4 -receptor activation in guinea pigs and may be useful for treating constipation in patients with colonic motility dysfunction.