INFLUENCE OF ERYTHROMYCIN AND TERBINAFINE ON LIQUID GASTRIC-EMPTYING IN HEALTHY-VOLUNTEERS

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of erythromycin an d terbinafine on gastric emptying of liquids in healthy volunteers, by evaluating the proportional cumulative area under the curve (PC(AUC)) of paracetamol as an index of gastric emptying. Although not signific ant, there was a trend for erythromycin to accelerate gastric emptying . From 15 minutes onward, terbinafine reduced the PC(AUC) paracetamol significantly, indicating a delay in gastric emptying. Erythromycin, a known agonist at motilin receptors, generally influences gastric empt ying in a dose-dependent manner; however, doses used in this study mig ht have been insufficient to produce a significant accelerating effect on gastric emptying. This study confirms results obtained with terbin afine in rodents. Although the mechanism is still unclear, this delay is hypothesized as either an antimotilin effect or due to modulation o f 5-hydroxytryptamine-stimulated acetylcholine release.