A comparative study of the effect of cimetidine and ranitidine on the rate of gastric emptying of liquid and solid test meals in man.

Paired studies were carried out on 18 healthy male volunteers (20.9 +/- 1.9 years; mean +/- S.D.) to compare the effect of oral doses of the H2-receptor antagonists, ranitidine and cimetidine, on the rate of gastric emptying of radiolabelled solid and liquid test meals. Oral administration of ranitidine 300 mg accelerated the emptying of a liquid meal from the stomach, but it had no significant effect on the rate of emptying of a solid meal. Oral administration of either 400 or 800 mg cimetidine did not alter the rate of emptying of either the liquid or the solid meals from the stomach.