title: The effect of metoclopramide on antral emptying of a semisolid meal in patients with functional dyspepsia. A randomized placebo controlled sonographic study.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of metoclopramide on the antral emptying of a semisolid meal. Twenty-five patients with functional dyspepsia received in a prospective randomized trial either metoclopramide 10 mg t.i.d. (n = 14) or placebo (n = 11) for 7 days. The antral emptying was measured by real-time ultrasound with a 3.5 MHz probe from the antral area recordings in the aorto-mesenteric plane. The measurements were carried out in fasting condition and at 0, 15, 30, 45, 60 min after a standardized semisolid meal. The symptoms quantified in a symptom score were also recorded. Metoclopramide was superior to placebo in improving the symptom score. Antral emptying was accelerated by metoclopramide compared with placebo. Fasting antral emptying was not changed by metoclopramide and the postprandial antral area had a trend to decrease. These data suggest that the effect of metoclopramide is less due to the enhancement of antral motility but rather to the reduction of postprandial fundus relaxation.
authors.affiliation: Third Medical Department of Internal Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj, Romania.
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Dumitraşcu
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ungureanu
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Verzea
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Pascu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018492:Dopamine Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004415:Dyspepsia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005746:Gastric Emptying / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008787:Metoclopramide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011706:Pyloric Antrum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D018492:Dopamine Antagonists; D008787:Metoclopramide