Effect of acute hyperglycemia on esophageal motility and lower esophageal sphincter pressure in humans

Abstract

The effect of acute hyperglycemia on esophageal motility and lower esophageal sphincter pressure (LESP) was investigated. Esophageal manometry was performed for 120 minutes in seven healthy volunteers on two separate occasions during euglycemia and during hyperglycemia with blood glucose levels stabilized at 15 mmol/L. At 90 minutes, motility was stimulated with edrophonium chloride (0.08 mg/kg intravenously). Pancreatic polypeptide (PP) secretion was determined as an indirect measure of vagal-cholinergic tone. During hyperglycemia the LESP decreased significantly (P < 0.05) from 20.1 ± 1.6 mm Hg to 10.7 ± 0.6 mm Hg; plasma PP levels were also significantly (P < 0.05) decreased during hyperglycemia. Edrophonium induced significant (P < 0.05) increases in LESP and PP levels in both experiments. However, LESP and PP levels after edrophonium stimulation remained significantly (P < 0.05) reduced during hyperglycemia compared with euglycemia. During hyperglycemia a significant (P < 0.05) increase in peristaltic wave duration and a decrease in peristaltic velocity were observed in the distal part of the esophagus. It is concluded that blood glucose levels affect esophageal motility, acute hyperglycemia reduces LESP and impairs esophageal motility under both basal and edrophonium-stimulated conditions, and hyperglycemia reduces plasma PP levels, suggesting impaired vagal-cholinergic activity during hyperglycemia.