Table 1.
Prokinetic effects of exogenous ghrelin on gastric motility in healthy human volunteers (D-Lys). GHRP-6: GHRP receptor antagonist; GE: gastric emptying; GHRP-6: ghrelin secretagogue receptor 6 (non-synthetic ghrelin receptor agonist); GHS-R: growth hormone secretagogue receptor; IV: intravenous; MI; motility index; MMC: migrating motor complex; SPECT: single photon emission computed tomography; VAS: visual analogue scale.
| Author | Subjects | Study design | Ghrelin type | Effective dose | Methods | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Levin F., [39] | Healthy volunteers (5M, 3F) | Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover | Ghrelin | 10 pmol/Kg/min for 180 min after meal | Assessment of solid GE by scintigraphy | Ghrelin accelerated the rate of GE |
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| Tack J., [35] | Healthy fasting volunteers (4F, 5M) | Cross-sectional | Ghrelin (Clinalfa, Switzerland) | 40 μg IV infusion over 30 min given 20 min after the end of phase III of MMCs | Assessment of antroduodenal motility and gastric tone by manometry and barostat |
Ghrelin induced premature phase III contractions and increased the tone of the proximal stomach |
|
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| Cremonini F., [37] | Healthy volunteers: obese (5M, 20F) and | Randomized, parallel-group, one dose, double-blind, placebo-controlled | Ghrelin (Clinalfa, Switzerland) | 0.33 μg/Kg IV given 10 minutes after IV injection of 99mTc-pertechnetate | Assessment of gastric volume and emptying by SPECT | Ghrelin marginally decreased fasting gastric volumes, but not GE or symptoms |
| normal weight (13F) | Assessment of symptoms by VAS | |||||
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| Bisschops R., [36] | Healthy volunteers (n = 9) | No information | (i) Ghrelin | 40 μg IV infusion over 30 min given 20 min after the end of phase III of MMCs | Assessment of antroduodenal pressures by manometry and gastric tone by barostat | (i) Ghrelin induced phase III contractions of gastric origin; those were of increased amplitude and duration. |
| (ii) GHRP-6(Clinalfa, Switzerland) | (ii) Ghrelin increased proximal gastric tone | |||||
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| Ang D., [38] | Healthy volunteers (4M, 6F) | Randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, cross over | Ghrelin | 40 μg IV infusion over 30 min given10 min before meal | Assessment of gastric accommodation by barostat | (i) Ghrelin inhibited gastric accommodation and decreased postprandial gastric volumes |
| (ii) Ghrelin had no effects on postprandial symptoms | ||||||