[Control of gastrointestinal motility and secretion by gastrointestinal peptides]

Cyclic pattern of interdigestive motility and of plasma levels of motilin, somatostatin and pancreatic peptide (PP) show close relationship. During interdigestive state gastric and lower esophageal motility seems to be mediated by pulsatile release of motilin, whereas the motor activity of duodenum seems to be controlled by somatostatin. Disturbed interdigestive motility could be demonstrated in gastrointestinal diseases like bacterial overgrowth, sclerodermia, post-vagotomy diarrhea and reflux esophagitis.