 
         
         
         Abstract
         
         
         Background
         
         Neuropathy of the enteric nervous system and hyperglycaemia are regarded as the main
            causes of diabetic gastroparesis.
         
         
         
         Patients and Methods
         
         In ten patients with Type-1 diabetes mellitus and sensomotoric neuropathy gastric
            emptying half times were compared with ten healthy controls by employing the 13C-octanoic acid and the 13C-sodiumacetate breath test, resp., following the intake of equally composed and isocaloric
            liquid and solid meals. Plasma glucose concentrations were controlled by permanent
            intravenous administration of insulin.
         
         
         
         Results
         
         In diabetes mellitus gastric emptying half times after the intake of the liquid meal
            (p < 0.05) but not after ingestion of the solid meal were slightly prolonged. Gastric
            emptying half times in patients and controls were not different when liquid and solid
            meals were compared.
         
         
         
         Conclusions
         
         Acute hyperglycaemia appears to be more important than the neuropathy of the enteric
            nervous system in the pathophysiology of diabetic gastroparesis. The rate of gastric
            emptying is obviously not dependent on the phase of a meal, but rather on the composition
            and the caloric content.
         
         
         
            
Key words
         
         
            Gastric emptying - diabetes mellitus - solid - liquid - glucose control
          
      
    
   
      
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PD Dr. med. Christian Folwaczny
            Chirurgische Klinik und Medizinische Poliklinik-Innenstadt
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
            
            Nussbaumstraße 20
            
            80336 München
            
            Germany
            
            Phone: + 498951602625
            
            Fax: + 49 89 51 60 41 87
            
            Email: Christian.Folwaczny@medinn.med.uni-muenchen.de