title: [Effects of various prokinetic drugs on gastrointestinal transit times in patients with progressive systemic scleroderma].
abstract: The intestine is involved in about half of the cases with progressive-systemic sclerosis. Intestinal transit disturbances which are caused by neuropathy of the enteric nerve system occur frequently. However, upto-date only few studies which determined the effect of prokinetic drugs exist. Patients with intestinal involvement caused by progressive-systemic sclerosis were treated with the prokinetic drugs cisapride (20 mg, TID; n = 9), erythromycin (250 mg, TID; n = 7) and octreotide (50 micrograms s. c., at night time; n = 5) over a period of four weeks. At study entry and after each treatment period the transit times through the stomach, small and large intestine were evaluated by use of the metal-detector test. Gastric emptying was only accelerated by erythromycin (42 +/- 3 min vs. 54 +/- 6 min; p = 0.0422), whereas treatment with cisapride and octreotide did not result in significant changes (48 +/- 4 min; p = 0.3743 and 44 +/- 4 min; p = 0.1975; resp.). Small intestinal transit times were not altered significantly by cisapride (108 +/- 15 min vs. 108 +/- 9 min; p = 0.2733), crythromycin (92 +/- 8 min; p = 0.0707) or octreotide (106 +/- 12 min; p = 0.8927). Furthermore colonic transit was not fastened by none of the prokinetic agents (study entry: 68 +/- 12 h; cisapride: 88 +/- 12 h; p = 0.0569; erythromycin 77 +/- 14 h; p = 0.7349; octreotide 107 +/- 14 h; p = 0.8927). Four patients were withdrawn from the study because of diarrhea. Prokinetic drugs do not seem to have a major impact on intestinal transit times in patients with progressive-systemic sclerosis. The use of these drugs is limited because of frequent side effects.
authors.affiliation: Medizinische Klinik, Klinikum Innenstadt, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, München.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Folwaczny
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Läritz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Meurer
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Endres
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: König
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Schindlbeck
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D020117:Cisapride; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005746:Gastric Emptying / Q000187:drug effects*; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005769:Gastrointestinal Motility / Q000187:drug effects*; D005772:Gastrointestinal Transit / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015282:Octreotide / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010880:Piperidines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013566:Sympathomimetics / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents; D010880:Piperidines; D013566:Sympathomimetics; D004917:Erythromycin; D015282:Octreotide; D020117:Cisapride