[Clinical study of erythromycin action on gallbladder motility in patients with non-ulcer dyspepsia].

Thirty-two patients of non-ulcer dyspepsia (NUD) with gallbladder hypokinesia treated by oral erythromycin administration 0.125g three times daily for two weeks. Before and after oral erythromycin administration, gallbladder volumes were determined by ultrasound, and plasma motilin concentration were determined by radioimmunoassay. The results showed that before and after oral erythromycin administration, maximal percentage emptying of gallbladder were 48.24 +/- 8.30ml vs 69.74 +/- 10.78ml (P < 0.01), plasma motilin were 361.28 +/- 87.92ng/L vs 394.97 +/- 134.27ng/L (P > 0.05). It is indicated that erythromycin could reduce fasting and postprandial residual gallbladder volumes and increases maximal percentage emptying of gallbladder. It suggests that erythromycin might have an agonist action on the motilin receptor as an agonist action on the motilin receptor as an exogenously administrated motilin.