Gastric emptying and orocecal transit time in pregnancy

Purpose. To evaluate the effects of pregnancy on gastrointestinal function, we determined gastric emptying time, orocecal transit time, and fasting ga strointestinal hormone levels (cholecystokinin, gastrin, pancreatic polypep tide, neurotensin) in 11 women with mild dyspeptic symptoms during the firs t and third trimesters of their pregnancies, and again 4-6 months after del ivery. Methods. After the women ingested a disaccharide solution, orocecal transit time was determined by monitoring breath hydrogen concentrations at 10-min intervals, and values were compared with the postpartum value. Ultr asound examinations of gastric emptying were performed during the same inte rvals. Results. The half-emptying time and the final gastric emptying time did not differ in the first and third trimesters and postpartum, but gastro intestinal transit time was significantly longer in the third trimester of pregnancy than postpartum ([100.0 min (range, 50.5-240.0 min] vs 70.0 min [ range, 40.5-240.0 min; P < 0.05]), respectively. Mean plasma pancreatic pol ypeptide values were lower in the third trimester of pregnancy than postpar tum, and a negative correlation was observed between pancreatic polypeptide levels and transit time in the third trimester (r = -0.65; P = 0.0261). Th e plasma levels of other gastrointestinal hormones did not differ in the va rious periods studied. Conclusions. Our study shows that, despite evident d yspeptic symptoms, there were no significant alterations in gastric emptyin g or orocecal transit time during the first trimester of pregnancy. Convers ely, in the third trimester, orocecal transit time was significantly longer .