Brief Reports
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2004. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Feb 1, 2004; 10(3): 419-423
Published online Feb 1, 2004. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v10.i3.419
Effects of gastric pacing on gastric emptying and plasma motilin
Min Yang, Dian-Chun Fang, Qian-Wei Li, Nian-Xu Sun, Qing-Lin Long, Jian-Feng Sui, Lu Gan
Min Yang, Dian-Chun Fang, Qing-Lin Long, PLA, Research and Clinical Center of Gastroenterology, Southwest Hospital, Chongqing 400038, China
Jian-Feng Sui, Department of Physiology, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
Qian-Wei Li, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Southwest Hospital, Chongqing 400038, China
Nian-Xu Sun, Lu Gan, Department of Surgery, Southwest Hospital, Chongqing 400038, China
Correspondence to: Dian-Chun Fang, M.D., Ph.D, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China. fangdianchun@hotmail.com
Telephone: +86-23-68754624 Fax: +86-23-68754124
Received: June 10, 2003
Revised: August 9, 2003
Accepted: August 16, 2003
Published online: February 1, 2004
Abstract

AIM: To investigate the effects of gastric pacing on gastric emptying and plasma motilin level in a canine model of gastric motility disorders and the correlation between gastric emptying and plasma motilin level.

METHODS: Ten healthy Mongrel dogs were divided into: experimental group of six dogs and control group of four dogs. A model of gastric motility disorders was established in the experimental group undergone truncal vagotomy combined with injection of glucagon. Gastric half-emptying time (GEt1/2) was monitored with single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT), and the half-solid test meal was labeled with an isotope 99mTc sulfur colloid. Plasma motilin concentration was measured with radioimmunoassay (RIA) kit. Surface gastric pacing at 1.1-1.2 times the intrinsic slow-wave frequency and a superimposed series of high frequency pulses (10-30 Hz) was performed for 45 min daily for a month in conscious dogs.

RESULTS: After surgery, GEt1/2 in dogs undergone truncal vagotomy was increased significantly from 56.35 ± 2.99 min to 79.42 ± 1.91 min (P < 0.001), but surface gastric pacing markedly accelerated gastric emptying and significantly decreased GEt1/2 to 64.94 ± 1.75 min (P < 0.001) in animals undergone vagotomy. There was a significant increase of plasma level of motilin at the phase of IMCIII (interdigestive myoelectrical complex, IMCIII) in the dogs undergone bilateral truncal vagotomy (baseline vs vagotomy, 184.29 ± 9.81 pg/ml vs 242.09 ± 17.22 pg/ml; P < 0.01). But plasma motilin concentration (212.55 ± 11.20 pg/ml; P < 0.02) was decreased significantly after a long-term treatment with gastric pacing. Before gastric pacing, GEt1/2 and plasma motilin concentration of the dogs undergone vagotomy showed a positive correlation (r = 0.867, P < 0.01), but after a long-term gastric pacing, GEt1/2 and motilin level showed a negative correlation (r = -0.733, P < 0.04).

CONCLUSION: Surface gastric pacing with optimal pacing parameters can improve gastric emptying parameters and significantly accelerate gastric emptying and can resume or alter motor function in a canine model of motility disorders. Gastric emptying is correlated well with plasma motilin level before and after pacing, which suggests that motilin can modulate the mechanism of gastric pacing by altering gastric motility.

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