Motilin in plasma and tumor tissues from patients with the carcinoid syndrome. Possible involvement in the increased frequency of bowel movements.

Motilin, normally present in a specific cell type in the upper small intestine, is believed to have a physiologic role in initiating the interdigestive migrating motor complex. Motilin may play a pathophysiologic role in the diarrhea in the irritable bowel syndrome, the dumping syndrome, chronic liver disease, and chronic renal failure. Furthermore, increased frequency of bowel movements is an important symptom in patients with the carcinoid syndrome. We have studied 73 patients with metastatic carcinoid tumors with regard to stool frequency and plasma concentration of motilin and neuropeptide K (NPK) and diurnal urinary excretion of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA). Thirty-eight (52%) of the 73 patients had elevated (greater than 126 pmol/l) plasma concentrations of motilin, whereas 59 (81%) of the patients had diarrhea. The increased frequency of bowel motions correlated significantly (p less than 0.01) with the plasma concentrations of motilin, whereas no significant correlation with 5-HIAA and NPK was found. High-performance liquid chromatography of plasma extracts showed a single component eluting in the position of synthetic porcine motilin. However, extracts from five carcinoid tumors did not contain any significant levels of motilin. Carcinoid tumors are known to contain and secrete several biologically active substances such as serotonin, histamine, prostaglandins, and tachykinins, which are likely to cause disturbances of intestinal secretion and motility, which in turn might release motilin from the motilin-containing cells of the small intestine. The increased motilin levels might then participate in a vicious diarrhea circle together with the other agents.