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World J Gastroenterol. Jul 14, 2013; 19(26): 4214-4220
Published online Jul 14, 2013. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v19.i26.4214
Published online Jul 14, 2013. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v19.i26.4214
Effect of amitriptyline on gastrointestinal function and brain-gut peptides: A double-blind trial
Wei Huang, Shu-Man Jiang, Lin Jia, Le-Qing You, Yao-Xing Huang, Department of Gastroenterology, Guangzhou First People’s Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510180, Guangdong Province, China
Yan-Mei Gong, Department of Radiology, Guangzhou First People’s Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510180, Guangdong Province, China
Gui-Qin Wang, Department of Statistics, Guangzhou First People’s Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510180, Guangdong Province, China
Author contributions: Jia L designed the study; Wang GQ designed the randomisation scheme and assessed the sample size; Gong YM, Huang YX and Jiang SM performed the experiment; Jia L and You LQ analysed the data; Huang W and Jiang SM wrote the paper.
Correspondence to: Dr. Lin Jia, Department of Gastroenterology, Guangzhou First People’s Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, No.1 Panfu Road, Guangzhou 510180, Guangdong Province, China. jialin@medmail.com.cn
Telephone: +86-20-81628809 Fax: +86-20-81628809
Received: February 27, 2013
Revised: May 2, 2013
Accepted: May 8, 2013
Published online: July 14, 2013
Revised: May 2, 2013
Accepted: May 8, 2013
Published online: July 14, 2013
Core Tip
Core tip: Low-dose amitriptyline has been used to treat functional gastrointestinal disorders for many years, but the precise mechanism is still not clear. Brain-gut peptides, such as motilin, ghrelin and neuropeptide Y, may regulate gastrointestinal functions. However, evidence indicating the possible effects of amitriptyline on the levels of brain-gut peptides in healthy Chinese volunteers is limited. In this study, we conclude that low-dose amitriptyline can slow orocecal transit time, make the stomach less sensitive and increase the plasma levels of ghrelin and neuropeptide Y. Thus, we recommend the use of low-dose amitriptyline for functional gastrointestinal disorders.