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Endothelin-1 Is a Candidate Mediating Intestinal Dysmotility in Patients with Acute Pancreatitis

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Abstract

We studied whether gastrointestinal transit wasdisturbed during acute pancreatitis and attempted toidentify which mechanisms might be involved in acutepancreatitis. Using a noninvasive hydrogen breath test to determine the orocecal transit time, 24patients with the clinical diagnosis of acutepancreatitis were enrolled into the intestinal motilitystudy. Orocecal transit time was measured twice in all patients: once at the acute stage and once atrecovery. Blood was obtained to study amylase, lipase,C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, andendothelin-1 and nitrate/nitrite levels. Orocecal transit times measured at the acute stage weresignificantly delayed compared with those at recovery(mean values ± SEM, 130.0 ± 9.0 vs 80.8± 7.4 min, P < 0.001). Plasma endothelin-1levels exhibited a positive correlation with orocecal transittimes in the acute stage (r = 0.509, P = 0.011). Thepercentages of altered orocecal transit times alsocorrelated with the percentages of altered plasmaendothelin-1 levels (r = 0.751, P < 0.001). Plasmanitrate/nitrite levels significantly decreased at theacute stage compared with those at recovery (5.25± 0.82 vs 10.20 ± 1.24 μM, P <0.05). We conclude that intestinal transit is delayed in patientswith mild to moderate acute pancreatitis. Elevatedplasma endothelin-1 levels in the acute stage may be onemechanism mediating intestinal dysmotility.

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Authors
  1. Chih-Yen Chen
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  2. Ching-Liang Lu
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  3. Full-Young Chang
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  4. Rei-Hwa Lu
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  5. Wai-Wah Ng
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  6. Shou-Dong Lee
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Chen, CY., Lu, CL., Chang, FY. et al. Endothelin-1 Is a Candidate Mediating Intestinal Dysmotility in Patients with Acute Pancreatitis. Dig Dis Sci 44, 922–926 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1026696227575

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