Gastric emptying in diabetic patients by the (13)C-octanoic acid breath test: role of insulin in gastric motility.
BACKGROUND
Impairment of gastric emptying is well recognized in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), especially long-standing insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). The aim of this study was to evaluate the cause of delayed gastric emptying in DM patients.


METHODS
In 16 controls, 16 non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) patients and 23 IDDM patients, gastric emptying was studied using the (13)C octanoic acid breath test. Breath samples were taken before a test meal labeled with 100 mg of (13)C octanoic acid, and at 15-min intervals over a 300-min period postprandially.


RESULTS
In all DM patients, the gastric emptying coefficient was lower than that in the controls (P < 0.05), and lag time and half-emptying time were significantly longer (P < 0.05). Both NIDDM and IDDM patients showed delayed (13)CO(2) excretion compared with the controls, but IDDM patients showed more delayed gastric emptying than NIDDM patients (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in sex, HbA1c level, or the rate of neuropathy between the two groups.


CONCLUSIONS
IDDM patients showed delayed gastric emptying compared with NIDDM patients, and the (13)C octanoic acid breath test is useful for evaluating DM patients with delayed gastric emptying.
Department of Medicine and Bioregulatory Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Fukuoka, Japan.
Masahiro
M
Matsumoto
Rie
R
Yoshimura
Hirotada
H
Akiho
Naomi
N
Higuchi
Kunihisa
K
Kobayashi
Noriaki
N
Matsui
Kentaro
K
Taki
Hiroyuki
H
Murao
Haruei
H
Ogino
Kenji
K
Kanayama
Yorinobu
Y
Sumida
Takahiro
T
Mizutani
Kuniomi
K
Honda
Shigetaka
S
Yoshinaga
Soichi
S
Itaba
Hiromi
H
Muta
Naohiko
N
Harada
Kazuhiko
K
Nakamura
Ryoichi
R
Takayanagi
D000328:Adult; D001944:Breath Tests; D002210:Caprylates; D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005746:Gastric Emptying; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D002210:Caprylates; D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D007328:Insulin; C031492:octanoic acid