EFFECTS OF CISAPRIDE ON SALIVARY PRODUCTION IN NORMAL SUBJECTS

Cisapride improves reflux esophagitis and enhances esophageal acid cle arance, To test the effect of cisapride on salivary production, we enr olled 14 healthy volunteers in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-con trolled study, Subjects received cisapride, 10 mg per os four times a day, or placebo for three days, Saliva, collected during fasted and fe d states, was analyzed for volume and buffer capacity, Buffer capacity was expressed as the volume of 0.01 N HCl needed to titrate 1 mi of s aliva to pH 6.1, Both volume and buffer capacity significantly increas ed during the fed state as compared to the fasted on both cisapride an d placebo, Cisapride significantly enhanced the postprandial salivary volume and buffer capacity compared to placebo: 29.6 +/- 11.3 mi vs 22 .9 +/- 9.5 mi and 1.07 +/- 0.31 vs 0.89 +/- 0.28, respectively (P < 0. 0001), Cisapride's enhancement of salivary flow rate and buffer capaci ty in the fed state may be another mechanism by which it exerts its be neficial effect in patients with reflux esophagitis.