[Effect of calcitonin on gastric emptying and postprandial secretion of gastrin and insulin in patients with duodenal ulcer].

The effect of calcitonin on gastric emptying of a radiolabelled test meal was examined in 10 patients with an endoscopically confirmed duodenal bulb ulcer. According to a double-blind study protocol, the patients were given on two different days placebo or synthetic salmon calcitonin (415 pmol i.v. bolus followed by a 90-min infusion to reach an overall dose of 62.25 pmol.kg-1 body mass)--in randomized order. Calcitonin did not affect the postprandial gastrin release nor did it change significantly the serum calcium or phosphorus concentration. The abolished postprandial insulin release by calcitonin was accompanied by a different pattern of serum glucose concentration, when compared to the situation with placebo. In all patients examined calcitonin evoked a profound delay in gastric emptying--the mean gastric transit time, MTT90: 34.1 +/- 1.4 min (placebo) vs 41.0 +/- 1.1 min (calcitonin), p less than 0.001.