Abnormal ghrelin and pancreatic polypeptide responses in gastroparesis.

Vagal nerve dysfunction has been implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetic gastroparesis, but its role in idiopathic gastroparesis remains uncertain. The increase in pancreatic polypeptide with sham feeding is often used as a measure of vagal integrity. Ghrelin has been suggested to function as an appetite-stimulating hormone from the gut to the brain acting through vagal afferent pathways.