Visceral response to acute retrograde gastric electrical stimulation in healthy human

To investigate the visceral response to acute retrograde gastric electrical stimulation (RGES) in healthy humans and to derive optimal parameters for treatment of patients with obesity.

RGES with a series of effective parameters were performed via a bipolar mucosal electrode implanted along the great curvature 5 cm above pylorus of stomach in 12 healthy human subjects. Symptoms associated with dyspepsia and other discomfort were observed and graded during RGES at different settings, including long pulse and pulse train. Gastric myoelectrical activity at baseline and during different settings of stimulation was recorded by a multi-channel electrogastrography.

The gastric slow wave was entrained in all the subjects at the pacing parameter of 9 cpm in frequency, 500 ms in pulse width, and 5 mA in amplitude. The frequently appeared symptoms during stimulation were satiety, bloating, discomfort, pain, sting, and nausea. The total symptom score for each subject significantly increased as the amplitude or pulse width was adjusted to a higher scale in both long pulse and pulse train. There was a wide diversity of visceral responses to RGES among individuals.

Acute RGES can result in a series of symptoms associated with dyspepsia, which is beneficial to the treatment of obesity. Optimal parameter should be determined according to the individual sensitivity to electrical stimulation.