THE EFFECT OF LIQUID FIBER ON GASTRIC-EMPTYING IN THE RAT AND HUMANS AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF SMALL-INTESTINAL CONTENTS IN THE RAT

A combination of the polysaccharide ethylhydroxyethylcellulose (EHEC) and the surfactant sodiumdodecylsulphate (SDS) has the extraordinary p hysical property of being liquid at room temperature but gelling firml y at 37-degrees-C. It has been named 'liquid fibre' and its effect on gastric emptying has been tested in rats and humans, as well as its ef fect on intestinal distribution in rats. Rats were gavaged with 5 ml o f radiolabelled liquid fibre, SDS in water, or water control. Subgroup s were killed after 25, 50, 100, 200, and 300 minutes, the gut removed , and the distribution of radioactivity measured scintigraphically. Li quid fibre gelled in the stomach and spread exponentially down the sma ll intestine before 25 minutes. This distribution was maintained for 2 00 minutes after which the stomach began to empty again. In the human study, 10 healthy men drank 250 ml liquid fibre and placebo labelled w ith 1.85 MBq technetium tin colloid on separate occasions. Gastric emp tying was measured by gammacamera. Half emptying time significantly in creased from 17.7 to 55.8 minutes (means, p<0.05). The time for 10% to empty (which includes any lag time) increased from 7.0 to 19.4 minute s (p<0.05). Average emptying rate decreased from 4.49%/min for placebo to 1.60%/min for liquid fibre (p<0.01). The dramatic delay in gastric emptying suggests liquid fibre may have clinical applications while i ts liquid formulation should improve acceptability.