Gastric emptying of hypertonic glucose in diabetes mellitus and duodenal ulcer.

Abstract

Gastric emptying of hypertonic glucose liquid meals was studied in diabetes, duodenal ulcer, and hospitalized controls by means of the 10% glucose 30-minute test meal, with phenol red as nonabsorbable marker. Acid secreted into the meal was measured. Results revealed no significant difference in gastric emptying between controls and patients with duodenal ulcer and diabetes mellitus. Among diabetics, some individuals empty this meal more rapidly than normal. The results show that alterations of gastric emptying cannot account for the late peaks observed on oral glucose tolerance tests in diabetics, nor for any tendency toward reactive hypoglycemia in duodenal ulcer. They suggest that autovagotomy may occur in some diabetics.