Gut hormone responses in the irritable bowel syndrome.

Fasting and postprandial levels of gastrin, insulin, gastric inhibitory polypeptide, pancreatic polypeptide, motilin, enteroglucagon and neurotensin were measured in 42 patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). No overall major abnormalities of secretion of any of these peptides were found, although minor differences from normal of pancreatic polypeptide and neurotensin were observed. It is doubtful whether abnormalities of gut hormone secretion play an important role in the pathophysiology of IBS.