Effect of short term starvation on gastric emptying in normal and
obese subjects. relationship to oral glucose tolerance.
Corvilain, Bernard, Marc Abramowicz, Francoise F[acute]ery,
Andr[acute]e Schoutens, Marleen Verlinden, Edmond Balasse, and
Micha[diaeresis]el Horowitz.
Departments of Endocrinology, Genetics, Radioisotopes, Erasmus
Hospital, Laboratory of Experimental Medicine, Free University of
Brussels, Brussels, Belgium, Janssen Research Foundation, Beerse,
Belgium; and Department of Medicine, University of
Adela[diaeresis]ide, Adela[diaeresis]ide, South Australia
APStracts 2:0074G, 1995.
To evaluate the effects of short term starvation on gastric emptying
in normal and obese subjects, the relationship between gastric
emptying and oral glucose tolerance, and the mechanisms responsible
for the delay in the systemic appearance of oral glucose observed
after short-term fasting, we determined the effects of a 4-day fast
on (I) gastric emptying and oral glucose tolerance in normal subjects
and (II) gastric emptying in obese patients. Gastric emptying of 75 g
glucose (320 ml) labeled with 99mTc colloid was measured in 12
healthy volunteers and 11 obese subjects after 12-h and 4-day fasts.
In 7 other obese subjects, the effect of a 4-day fast on gastric
emptying of 320 ml normal saline was quantified. Gastric emptying of
glucose was slower after the 4-day than the overnight-fast in both
normal (p = 0.02) and obese (p<0.001) subjects, with no difference
between the two groups. In normal subjects the rate of gastric
emptying was related directly to the rise in plasma glucose at 30 min
(r = 0.60; p < 0.05), but inversely to the plasma glucose at 180
min (r = -0.64; p < 0.02). In the obese subjects, gastric emptying
of saline was not affected by fasting. These observations indicate
that: (I) gastric emptying of glucose is retarded by a 4-day fast
(II) the changes in gastric emptying reported in obesity may reflect
different patterns of prior nutrient intake and (III) delay in
gastric emptying accounts for the slower systemic appearance of
glucose after fasting.
Received 10 August 1994; accepted in final form 31 March 1995.
APS Manuscript Number G299-4.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Gastrointest. Liver
Physiology).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1995 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 25 April 1995.