title: Relationship between changes in plasma gastrin and lower oesophageal sphincter pressure after meals.
abstract: Changes in plasma gastrin and lower oesophageal sphincter pressure were measured in 20 subjects after a standard protein meal. Significant increases in both gastrin and sphincter pressure were seen. Peak gastrin response occurred an average of 19-5 minutes and peak lower oesophageal sphincter response 40-0 minutes after the meal. Both gastrin and sphincter pressure showed a wide spectrum of response. In 5 subjects there was no appreciable rise (less than 5 pg/ml) in plasma gastrin after the meal, and 3 of these had symptoms of oesophageal reflux. In this group there was only a small but nervertheless significant rise in lower oesophageal sphincter pressure (mean pressure rise 18-0 per cent of fasting value, p less than 0.05). Greater increases in sphincter pressure (mean rise 54-2 per cent, p less than 0.005) were seen in subjects with a moderate (up to 50 pg/ml) rise in plasma gastrin, and those with the most marked gastrin response (less than 50 pg/ml) showed the greatest rise in pressure (mean rise 80-3 per cent, p less than 0.0025). These results suggest that endogenous plasma gastrin is the main stimulus to the rise in lower oesophageal sphincter pressure after food. Subjects with a poor gastrin response to the meal have only a small increase in sphincter pressure and as a result may be more liable to develop gastro-oesophageal reflux.
mesh_terms: D004044:Dietary Proteins; D004435:Eating; D004943:Esophagogastric Junction / Q000502:physiology*; D005215:Fasting; D005755:Gastrins / Q000097:blood*; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D011312:Pressure; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D004044:Dietary Proteins; D005755:Gastrins