Absence of Correlation between Hepatic Function and Characteristics of Migrating Motor Complexes in the Gastrointestinal Tract

Abstract

Background: Cyclic changes in gallbladder filling and emptying during the migrating motor complex (MMC) cycle have been demonstrated by scintigraphy. However, a possible cyclic change in the hepatic function and handling of the pharmacologic agents used for scintigraphy during the MMC cycle could have an influence on these results. The aim of the present study was to investigate the hepatic handling of cholic acid and mebrofenin in relation to the MMCs of the gastrointestinal tract.

Methods: The plasma disappearance rate of ¹⁴C-cholic acid and the hepatic uptake and excretion of ^99mTc-mebrofenin were examined during phase I and phase II of the MMC in six healthy male volunteers.

Results: The plasma disappearance rate of ¹⁴C-cholic acid showed a biexponential course with an initial rapid and late slow phase after a bolus injection. There were no significant differences between the initial or late plasma disappearance rate of ¹⁴C-cholic acid during phase I as compared with phase 11. The results of the time-activity curves from the ^99mTc-mebrofenin scintigraphy showed an exponential rapid increase in radioactivity followed by an almost linear slow decrease after a bolus injection. There was no significant difference between phase I and phase II in any of the variables studied.

Conclusion: The lack of a relationship between hepatic handling of cholic acid and mebrofenin and MMC excludes this as a possible source of error in the investigations of the dynamic function of the enterohepatic circulation and especially gallbladder motility by the use of either cholic acids or iminodiacetic acid derivatives as investigative agents.

Key Words:

• ¹⁴C-Cholic acid
• gastrointestinal motility
• hepatic function
• ^99mTc-mebrofenin
• plasma disappearance rate
• scintigraphy