EFFECTS OF MEDIUM-CHAIN AND LONG-CHAIN TRIGLYCERIDES ON ANTRODUODENALMOTILITY AND SMALL-BOWEL TRANSIT-TIME IN MAN

Medium-chain triglycerides are known to induce diarrhea, possibly resu lting from accelerated intestinal transit. We performed antroduodenal manometry and lactulose hydrogen breath testing simultaneously in eigh t healthy subjects in order to determine the effects of intraduodenall y administered medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) and long-chain triglyc erides (LCT) on gastrointestinal motility and small bowel transit time . LCT (15 mmol/hr) induced a fed motor pattern. In contrast, during MC T, in both equimolar (15 mmol/hr; MCT-1) and equicaloric (30 mmol/hr; MCT-2) amounts comparable to LCT, interdigestive motility was preserve d but with a significantly (P < 0.05) shorter MMC cycle length (MCT-1, 65 +/- 7 min; MCT-2, 53 +/- 6 min) compared to control (saline infusi on; 127 +/- 14 min), Duodenocecal transit time (DCTT) was significantl y (P <: 0.05) accelerated during administration of MCT (MCT-1, 56 +/- 6 min; MCT-2, 69 +/- 9 min) and was not affected by LCT (105 +/- 13 mi n) when compared to control (101 +/- 9 min), In conclusion: MCT, in co ntrast to LCT, preserve interdigestive motility with a shorter MMC cyc le length and accelerate DCTT.