Capsaicin increases gastric emptying rate in healthy human subjects measured by 13C-labeled octanoic acid breath test

The role of capsaicin-sensitive primary afferent sensory nerves in the regulation of gastrointestinal motility in human is not clarified yet. In this study, we investigated the effect of 400 mu g capsaicin given intragastrically on gastric emptying measured by C-13-octanoic acid breath test in ten healthy human subjects. Four parameters of gastric emptying curves were taken into consideration: 1) maximum value of the curve, 2) time belonging to this maximum, 3) slope of the rising part of the curve and 4) time belonging to the 50% of the area under the curve. Administration of 400 mu g capsaicin significantly increased the slope of gastric emptying curve (from 0.1 +/- 0.01 to 0.139 +/- 0.014 U . min(-1), P < 0.05) and significantly decreased the time belonging to the maximum value of emptying curve (from 150 +/- 18 to 75 +/- 12 min, P < 0.05) and the time belonging to the 50% of the area under the curve (from 112 +/- 15 to 99 +/- 14 min, P < 0.05). According to our results 400 mu g capsaicin enhances gastric emptying rate in healthy human subjects. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. Published by Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.