GASTRIC-EMPTYING IN HUMANS - INFLUENCE OF DIFFERENT REGIMENS OF PARENTERAL-NUTRITION

Intravenous administration of nutrients can suppress oral food intake. Inhibition of gastric emptying (GE) is a potential explanation for th is process. Inhibition of GE during parenteral nutrition (PN) and atte nuation of this by parenteral nutrition enriched with branched-chain a mino acids (BCAAs) was examined in nine healthy males maintained on st andard liquid diets for 6 d before each of three GE studies. GE was me asured by scintigraphy after ingestion of a liquid test meal, at weekl y intervals, after a 6-h infusion of Ringer lactate solution (RL), per ipheral PN, or PN with half the amino acids replaced with BCAAs (BCPN) . With PN, gastric emptying during the first 50 min was delayed by 38% compared with RL infusion; BCPN attenuated the effect, suggesting tha t postabsorptive control of food intake may act through changes in GE. These findings have clinical potential to reduce interference with ap petite and to optimize food intake during PN administration.