A synthetic prostaglandin E2 analogue, enprostil, hastens gastric emptying of solids in patients with an active duodenal ulcer.
The effect of gastric emptying of two doses (35 and 70 micrograms) of enprostil given orally was evaluated in eight patients with endoscopically confirmed duodenal ulcer. Gastric emptying of a radiolabelled solid meal was assessed with the use of a gamma camera. Enprostil dose-dependently accelerated gastric emptying of solids; the gastric emptying index, Ix, increased from 1.62 +/- 0.38 min-1.10(-2) after placebo to 2.77 +/- 0.56 min-1.10(-2) after 35 micrograms enprostil (p less than 0.05 versus placebo) and to 3.65 +/- 0.64 min-1.10(-2) after 70 micrograms enprostil (p less than 0.005 versus placebo). The fraction of the radiolabelled food retained in the stomach at the end of the gastric emptying examination (that is, after 90 min) amounted to 50.5 +/- 6.9% after placebo, 35.2 +/- 7.4% after 35 micrograms enprostil, and 24.1 +/- 8.4% after 70 micrograms enprostil. It is concluded that enprostil elicits a significant speeding up of solid-phase gastric emptying in duodenal ulcer patients.
Nowak
A
A
Dept. of Gastroenterology, Silesian School of Medicine, Katowice, Poland.
Jonderko
K
K
Nowakowska-Duława
E
E
Adamczak
D
D
Rudzka
J
J
Nowak
S
S
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004381:Duodenal Ulcer / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016620:Enprostil; D005502:Food; D005746:Gastric Emptying / Q000187:drug effects*; D005769:Gastrointestinal Motility / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011459:Prostaglandins E, Synthetic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D011459:Prostaglandins E, Synthetic; D016620:Enprostil