Erythromycin induces pyloric relaxation accompanied by a contraction of the gastric body after pylorus-preserving gastrectomy.

Background: Pylorus-preserving gastrectomy (PPG) is a function-preserving surgery; however, long-term retention of food in the residual stomach is a frequent complication during the early postoperative period. We reported that gastric stasis after PPG was attributable to the delayed recovery of gastric phase III, in which pyloric relaxation accompanied a contraction of the gastric body. The objective of the present study is to determine whether erythromycin can induce phase III with pyloric relaxation after PPG.

Methods: We studied gastrointestinal motility in dogs after PPG by using strain gauge force transducer. After randomized administration of either erythromycin or saline, interdigestive gastropyloroduodenal motility was recorded.

Results: Erythromycin induced phase III with pyloric relaxation in the early postoperative period. Pyloric relaxation accompanied a contraction of the gastric body. Compared with the saline group (body: 87.2 +/- 16.7 mmHg x min, antrum: 69.7 +/- 13.7 mmHg x min, pylorus: 91.7 +/- 22.1 mmHg x min), the erythromycin group showed significantly increased gastropyloric motility indexes (body: 506.2 +/- 33.5 mmHg x min, antrum: 430.9 +/- 53.7 mmHg x min, pylorus: 589.5 +/- 59.5 mmHg x min).

Conclusions: Erythromycin can induce phase III, in which pyloric relaxation accompanied a contraction of the gastric body in the early postoperative period after PPG. Erythromycin might be used as a prokinetic agent for the treatment of early gastric stasis after PPG.