Premium
Effect of a single oral dose of two erythromycin ethylsuccinate formulations on gastric emptying in healthy volunteers: A scintigraphic study
Author(s) -
Delatour F,
Guludec D,
Caron F,
Faurisson F,
Torlotin JC,
Rouveix B
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
fundamental and clinical pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.655
H-Index - 73
eISSN - 1472-8206
pISSN - 0767-3981
DOI - 10.1111/j.1472-8206.1998.tb00957.x
Subject(s) - gastric emptying , erythromycin , crossover study , placebo , pharmacokinetics , oral administration , chemistry , dosage form , gastroenterology , stomach , medicine , chromatography , antibiotics , biochemistry , alternative medicine , pathology
Summary— Macrolides are potential gastrokinetic agents. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of a single oral dose of two erythromycin formulations on gastric emptying of the solid and liquid phases in twelve healthy volunteers and to seek a correlation between pharmacokinetic parameters and changes in gastric emptying. The gastric emptying times of liquids and solids were measured simultaneously by means of a scintigraphic technique after a single oral administration of amorphous erythromycin ethylsuccinate (500 mg), crystalline erythromycin ethylsuccinate (1000 mg) or a placebo, in a double‐blind crossover study in three separate weeks. Blood samples were obtained for erythromycin assay. The two oral formulations induced a similar acceleration of gastric emptying. When compared to the placebo, both erythromycin preparations significantly shortened the gastric transit time of solids and liquids (respectively 30% and 20% on average, p < 0.01). The incidence of gastrointestinal side‐effects was similar with the two erythromycin forms and the placebo. No correlation was found between the peak serum erythromycin concentrations and the solid or liquid gastric half‐lives. With the amorphous formulation, the area under the plasma time‐concentration curves was small and solid and liquid gastric emptying were strongly accelerated, pointing to a direct effect on the gastrointestinal smooth muscle.