title: Effect of oral erythromycin on patients with diabetic gastroparesis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Abnormal gastrointestinal motility is a well recognized complication of diabetes mellitus, and disordered gastric emptying may hamper glycemic control. The objects of this study were to investigate the effect of oral erythromycin on gastric emptying and to evaluate the effect of corrected gastric emptying on glycemic control in patients with diabetic gastroparesis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty patients of Type II (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus with typical symptoms of gastroparesis and delayed solid phase gastric emptying were studied. There were 18 males and 2 females, aged 49 to 72 years. Erythromycin (erythromycin estolate) was given orally at a dose of 250 mg, 3 times daily, 30 minutes before each meal. Radionuclide-labelled solid phase gastric emptying and fasting blood sugar (FBS) were studied after one day of erythromycin therapy, and again after 2 weeks of the therapy. The half time of gastric emptying (GETt1/2) represented the time needed for 50 percent of the initial radioactivity to leave the stomach, and was used to express the gastric emptying status.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The GETt1/2 decreased from 198.0 +/- 58.9 minutes at baseline to 139.1 +/- 67.6 minutes following one day of erythromycin therapy (p < 0.01), and to 137.1 +/- 71.2 minutes after two weeks of treatment (vs. baseline p < 0.01). The FBS decreased from 159.0 +/- 40.2 mg/dl at baseline to 149.0 +/- 38.5 mg/dl following one day of therapy (p = 0.12, NS), and to 139.2 +/- 39.8 mg/dl after two weeks of treatment (vs. baseline p < 0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It was concluded that erythromycin is an effective prokinetic agent for diabetic gastroparesis, and that corrected gastric emptying may improve glycemic control.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan, R.O.C.
authors.forename: D Y
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: G H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Poon
authors.forename: C K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Kao
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000368:Aged; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005746:Gastric Emptying / Q000187:drug effects; D018589:Gastroparesis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D004917:Erythromycin