1. Acute tryptophan depletion slows gastric emptying in females
- Author
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Sabine D. M. Valks, Michiel A. van Nieuwenhoven, Robert-Jan M. Brummer, W.J. Riedel, Sjacko Sobczak, Interne Geneeskunde, Psychiatrie en Neuropsychologie, Neuropsychology & Psychopharmacology, RS: NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, RS: FPN NPPP, and RS: CAPHRI School for Public Health and Primary Care
- Subjects
Adult ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Serotonin ,Medicine (miscellaneous) ,Placebo ,Serotonergic ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Double-Blind Method ,Internal medicine ,medicine ,Humans ,Amino Acids ,Neurotransmitter ,Breath test ,Nutrition and Dietetics ,Cross-Over Studies ,medicine.diagnostic_test ,Gastric emptying ,Stomach ,Tryptophan ,Crossover study ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Endocrinology ,chemistry ,Breath Tests ,Gastric Emptying ,Female - Abstract
Serotonin (5-HT) is an important neurotransmitter involved in the brain–gut axis. It is possible to lower the 5-HT level in the body by means of a nutritional intervention using an amino acid mixture; the acute tryptophan depletion (ATD) method. We studied the effect of ATD on gastric emptying in healthy females, who received both ATD and placebo in a random order. Gastric emptying was measured using the [13C]octanoic acid breath test. The present data demonstrate significant differences in both gastric emptying and lag phase (Tlag) between the ATD and placebo experiment. Eight out of ten subjects showed a delayed gastric emptying in the ATD experiment. Both the gastric half-emptying time (T1/2) and the Tlag were significantly higher in the ATD experiment. T1/2 in the ATD experiment was 137·2 (range 76·2–634·8) min; T1/2 for the placebo experiment was 98·5 (range 63·7–168·8) min (P=0·028). Tlag in the ATD experiment was 83·7 (range 45·1–356·2) min; Tlag for the placebo experiment was 56·9 (range 23·2–101·2) min (P=0·007). We conclude that lowering the 5-HT level in the body using the ATD method leads to a significantly delayed gastric emptying of a solid meal. Nutritional manipulation of the serotonergic system in healthy volunteers may lead to alterations in gastrointestinal motility.
- Published
- 2004