Acute effect of nicotine patch on gastric emptying of liquid and solid contents in healthy subjects

The effect of nicotine on gastric emptying remains controversial. Gastric e mptying is delayed in chronic smokers after smoking high-dose nicotine ciga rettes, but it is unchanged after chewing nicotine gums. No information is available on the effect of transdermal nicotine patches on the gastric empt ying of solid and liquid contents in healthy nonsmokers. Our objective was to prospectively evaluate the effect of the nicotine patch on gastric empty ing of liquid and solid contents in healthy nonsmokers. Ten healthy nonsmok ing volunteers underwent a baseline dual-isotope gastric scintigraphy with [In-111]-diethylenetriaminepantaacetic acid (DTPA) and [99(m)Tc]sulfur coll oid isotopes to evaluate prospectively the gastric emptying of liquid and s olid contents, respectively. The gastric scintigraphy was repeated after pl acing a transdermal nicotine patch (Habitrol) for 12 hr designed to deliver 14 mg of nicotine per day. Plasma nicotine level was measured prior to bas eline gastric scintigraphy and after 12 hr placing the nicotine patch. Plas ma nicotine was absent in all subjects at baseline and but was significantl y elevated after 12 hr of nicotine patch (P < 0.009). The mean half-emptyin g times (T1/2) for the gastric emptying of liquids before and after nicotin e patch placement were 31.2 +/- 23.3 and 25.6 +/- 8.4 min, respectively (P = 0.498). The mean T1/2s for the gastric emptying of solids before and afte r nicotine patch placement were 70.1 +/- 34.0 and 59.7 +/- 31.4 min, respec tively (P = 0.202). There was no correlation between the plasma nicotine le vel and gastric emptying of liquid and solid contents (correlation coeffici ent = -0.23 and -0.01, respectively). In conclusion, acute transdermal deli very of nicotine does not affect the gastric emptying of solid and liquid c ontents in healthy nonsmoking subjects.