Brief Article
Copyright ©2010 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Dec 14, 2010; 16(46): 5861-5868
Published online Dec 14, 2010. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v16.i46.5861
Effects of meal size and proximal-distal segmentation on gastric activity
Madileine F Américo, Marjorie V Ietsugu, Fernando G Romeiro, Luciana A Corá, Ricardo B Oliveira, José Ricardo A Miranda
Madileine F Américo, Marjorie V Ietsugu, José Ricardo A Miranda, Department of Physics and Biophysics, IBB, UNESP - Sao Paulo State University, 18618-000, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
Madileine F Américo, Institute of Biological Sciences and Health, ICBS, UFMT - University of Mato Grosso, 78600-000, Barra do Garças, Mato Grosso, Brazil
Fernando G Romeiro, Department of Clinical Medicine, FMB, UNESP - Sao Paulo State University, 18618-000, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
Luciana A Corá, Department of Clinical Medicine, FMRP, USP - University of São Paulo, 14049-900, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, and UNCISAL - Alagoas State University of Health Sciences, 57010-001, Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil
Ricardo B Oliveira, Department of Clinical Medicine, FMRP, USP - University of São Paulo, 14049-900, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
Author contributions: Américo MF, Oliveira RB and Miranda JRA designed the research; Américo MF, Ietsugu MV and Corá LA performed the research; Corá LA, Romeiro FG and Oliveira RB contributed analytic tools; Américo MF and Miranda JRA analyzed the data; Américo MF and Romeiro FG wrote the paper.
Supported by (in part) the São Paulo State Funding Agency - FAPESP
Correspondence to: Madileine F Américo, Post-doctoral Fellow, Department of Physics and Biophysics, IBB, UNESP - Sao Paulo State University, 18618-000, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil. madileine@ibb.unesp.br
Telephone: +55-14-38116254 Fax: +55-14-38116346
Received: April 23, 2010
Revised: June 30, 2010
Accepted: July 7, 2010
Published online: December 14, 2010
Abstract

AIM: To evaluate the effects of meal size and three segmentations on intragastric distribution of the meal and gastric motility, by scintigraphy.

METHODS: Twelve healthy volunteers were randomly assessed, twice, by scintigraphy. The test meal consisted of 60 or 180 mL of yogurt labeled with 64 MBq 99mTc-tin colloid. Anterior and posterior dynamic frames were simultaneously acquired for 18 min and all data were analyzed in MatLab. Three proximal-distal segmentations using regions of interest were adopted for both meals.

RESULTS: Intragastric distribution of the meal between the proximal and distal compartments was strongly influenced by the way in which the stomach was divided, showing greater proximal retention after the 180 mL. An important finding was that both dominant frequencies (1 and 3 cpm) were simultaneously recorded in the proximal and distal stomach; however, the power ratio of those dominant frequencies varied in agreement with the segmentation adopted and was independent of the meal size.

CONCLUSION: It was possible to simultaneously evaluate the static intragastric distribution and phasic contractility from the same recording using our scintigraphic approach.

Keywords: Gastric motility, Phasic contractions, Proximal stomach, Scintigraphy, Meal size