系统性硬化病患者的食物胃排空和胃内分布

为探讨无消化道症状的系统性硬化病（ＳＳ）患者的胃排空功能，以双核素标记试餐及单光子发射计算机断层摄影（ＳＰＥＣＴ）技术检测了１１例无消化道症状的ＳＳ患者之液体与固体食物的胃排空和胃内分布，对照组为１７例健康志愿者。结果：ＳＳ组液体和固体食物的近端胃排空和全胃排空均慢于对照组（Ｐ值＜０．０５）；液体和固体食物的近端胃半排空时间均与它们的全胃半排空时间之间存在正相关（Ｐ值分别＜０．０２和０．０１）。９例患者固体半排空时间延迟，其中８例伴液体排空障碍。在食物的排空过程中，远端胃内的活性变化与对照组的差异无显著性。结果提示：尽管缺乏胃轻瘫的主观症状，但该组患者也存在明显的胃排空障碍，这可能与其神经功能紊乱所致的近端胃的紧张性收缩障碍有关。     

功能性消化不良患者的胃排空和胃内食物分布

目的:探讨功能性消化不良(FD)患者的胃排空、胃内食物分布情况及其与消化不良症状之间的关系．方法:采用双核素标记试餐SPECT检测FD患者和正常对照组(HC)胃排空功能及胃内食物分布情况,并对60例FD患者的症状进行分级评分．结果:23例(38％)FD患者的固体及液体排空时间同时延迟,40例(67％)FD患者至少存在一项胃内固体食物分布参数异常,液体食物近端胃半排空时间较对照组延长,而在远端胃内的分布两组十分相似．胃排空正常和延迟的FD两组之间各症状积分相似,而在餐后胃内食物分布异常的FD组,恶心和早饱两种症状积分明显高于胃内食物分布正常的FD组．结论:部分FD患者存在胃排空和/或胃内食物分布异常,其中胃内食物分布异常与消化不良症状的严重程度之间存在一定的关系．     

三维超声检测糖尿病胃轻瘫患者胃排空功能的研究

目的应用三维超声扫描技术检测2型糖尿病患者胃液体半排空功能的改变,以利于糖尿病性胃轻瘫的诊断和治疗。方法采用三维超声技术检测30例2型糖尿病患者及20例健康志愿者进食液体试餐后胃排空的指标,经计算机拟合出不同时点胃容积的变化,计算出胃半排空时间（T1/2）、胃排空时间（T）及液体胃排空曲线,并与正常对照组比较。结果2型糖尿病胃轻瘫组胃半排空时间及胃排空时间均较正常对照组延长,30名糖尿病患者中有17名患者存在胃排空延迟,约占56．7％。结论应用三维超声技术检测液体胃排空功能,方法简单易行、患者易接受、可多次重复。为临床诊断糖尿病性胃轻瘫提供一种可靠、无创性的检测手段。     

胃排空障碍与功能性消化不良相关性的研究

目的：探讨胃排空障碍与功能性消化不良（FD）之间的关系。方法：以双核素标记试餐SPECT技术检测了22例FD患者的液、固体食物胃排空和食物胃内分布，并以实时超声检测了72例FD患者在西沙必利治疗前后的液体胃排空变化，分析这些变化与症状积分变化的相关性．结果：68．2％的FD患者存在胃排空障碍，以固体胃排空延迟为主，单纯液体排空障碍较少；摄食后比对照组有更多的食物滞留于远端胃内，然而，延迟的胃排空和改变了的固体食物胃内分布与FD的主要症状无显著相关性。西沙必利明显缩短FD患者的液体胃排空时间，改善其中部分患者的临床症状，而另一部分患者的症状无明显缓解．结论：西沙必利改善FD症状并非完全依赖于其促排空效应，胃排空障碍与FD之间缺乏必然的联系，它们可能是同一病生基础的两种不同表现．     

健康成人餐后胃内食物分布和排空的研究──应用双核素标记试餐及SPECT技术

应用双核素标记试餐和ＳＰＥＣＴ检测１２例健康志愿者液体、固体食物排空及排空过程中胃内食物分布情况。摄食后液体很快在胃内分布，液体的近端胃排空及远端胃内容量与排空时间均有相关性，排空曲线呈指数相，无延迟时间存在；而固体的胃排空有个体差异，摄食后常在近－远端胃之间形成一局部收缩带，影响固体的分布。与液体排空相似，固体的近端胃排空及远端胃内容量与排空时间亦有相关性，排空曲线呈双相性，即先缓慢后快速排空，存在延迟时间。液、固体半排空时间之间无相关性。     

13C-辛酸呼气试验评估糖尿病胃固体排空功能的研究

目的探讨老年2型糖尿病患者胃固体排空功能及其与心血管自主神经功能的关系。方法老年2型糖尿病组71例，正常对照组30例，应用^13C-辛酸呼气试验技术检测胃固体排空功能，并行心血管自主神经功能评估。结果（1）糖尿病患者胃半排空时间（GET1／2）、延迟相（Tlag）及120min胃残留率（Ret120min）明显高于正常对照组（P均〈0．01）；（2）糖尿病患者胃排空延迟患病率高于正常对照人群（P〈0．01）；（3）糖尿病合并胃排空延迟者心血管自主神经病变患病率明显高于胃排空正常糖尿病患者（P〈0．05）；（4）糖尿病组GET1/2与心血管自主神经功能积分呈显著正相关（r=0．353，P〈0．01）。结论（1）老年2型糖尿病患者胃动力明显下降，胃固体排空延迟常常与心血管自主神经病变合并存在。（2）^13C-辛酸呼气试验是检测胃排空的理想选择。     

糖尿病性胃轻瘫的动力学研究

目的研究糖尿病性胃轻瘫患者胃动力学异常的机制．方法非胰岛素依赖性糖尿病（ｎｏｎｉｎｓｕｌｉｎｄｅｐｅｎｄｅｎｔｄｉａｂｅｔｅｓｍｅｌｉｔｕｓ，ＮＩＤＤＭ）患者３２例，正常人２２例作对照．采用同位素方法测定固体液体胃排空．另外，用胃频谱图机做胃频谱分析．结果ＮＩＤＤＭ患者的固体液体胃半排空时间较正常对照组明显延缓／ｍｉｎ．（９１５±２３７ｖｓ４９２±９２及５９１±１１４ｖｓ３３２±１４８，Ｐ＜００１），固体胃排空延迟主要在排空３０ｍｉｎ以后，液体胃排空延迟主要在６０ｍｉｎ以后；ＮＩＤＤＭ患者中糖尿病性胃轻瘫检出率为５６３％；ＮＩＤＤＭ胃轻瘫患者伴有胃动过速者（４４４％）多于ＮＩＤＤＭ不伴胃轻瘫的患者（７１％，Ｐ＜００５）；ＮＩＤＤＭ患者的胃排空延迟与自主神经病变有关（Ｐ＜００１）；ＮＩＤＤＭ患者的胃排空延迟与外周神经病变、肾脏病变、空腹血糖和病程无关（Ｐ＞００５）．结论ＮＩＤＤＭ患者胃固体液体胃排空延迟，胃轻瘫检出率５６３％，其特点：固体液体胃排空延迟和胃节律紊乱．自主神经病变是引起糖尿病性胃轻瘫的重要因素．     

固、液体混合餐的胃排空研究

目的和方法:本文以~(131)I-BSA 和99mTc-DTPA 分别作为混合餐固、液体食物的标记物,检测35例慢性胃炎病人和10名健康志愿者的胃排空,其中两例受检者1周内进一步用~(99m)Tc-SC 复查固体排空,比较两次固体排空过程的相关性。在体外对上述3种放射性标记物在胃液、1mol/L NaCl 和0.1mol/L HCl 溶液中消化2小时,检测其稳定性。结果:~(131)I-BSA 和~(99m)Tc-SC 标记的固体食物经消化后的脱标率分别<2.87%和4.63%,~(99m)Tc-DTPA吸附于固相的吸附率<8.36%。固/液体排空曲线明显不同,固体排空有明显的延迟期,半排空时间较长,慢性胃炎病人固/液体排空时间均较正常对照组延长,两种固体标记物的排空曲线相似,相关性为 r=0.989(p<0.01),前、后两次排空相比,最大差值为9.2%,最小差值仅为0.8%。结论:~(131)I-BSA 作为固体标记物有较好的稳定性,可供临床选择用于胃排空的检测。     

胃食管反流病的胃排空率与感知研究

目的 探讨胃食管反流病（gastroseophageal reflux diease,GERD)患者的胃排空率,对饱胀、饥饿感知敏感性,及胃排空速度对感知的影响。方法 临床诊断的15例GERD病人和17例对照者采用核素法测定胃液体、固体排空功能,并记录试餐前后饱胀、饥饿计分。结果 GERD组平均胃液体和固体半排空时间显著长于对照组。GERD组在空腹时有较高的饱胀计分和较低的饥饿计分,随着胃排空延迟,餐后GERD组饱胀计分下降和饥饿计分上升较对照组缓慢,结论 GERD病人存在胃液体,固体排空延迟;对饱胀、饥饿感知敏感性增加,胃排空病速度影响对饱胀、饥饿的感知。     

高龄糖尿病患者血糖与胃排空的相互关系

目的研究高龄糖尿病(DM)患者胃排空与血糖间的关系。方法将63例2型糖尿病(T2DM)患者根据血糖控制情况分成2组(血糖控制正常组DM1和血糖异常组DM2),均给予99mTc标记的试餐,测定固相胃排空时间,并与30例正常对照组比较,对DM2组中胃排空延迟者给予莫沙比利5 mg,3次/d,服药4 w后再测放射性核素胃排空及血糖。结果DM2组胃半排空时间延迟,平均(106.9±29.5)m in,与正常对照组(78.1±19.6)相比,P<0.05,DM1组胃半排空时间(76.5±17.1)m in,与正常对照组相比,P>0.05。DM2组中17例血糖异常胃排空延迟者服用莫沙比利后,胃半排空时间明显改善,平均为(81.3±15.2)m in;服药后空腹血糖无变化,8例餐后血糖降低,4例上升,平均餐后血糖与服药前相比,变化无显著差异。结论高龄DM患者高血糖时可延迟胃排空;改善胃排空后可降低部分病人的餐后血糖,空腹血糖无变化。     

Disturbed gastric and small bowel transit in severe idiopathic constipation

Many patients with severe idiopathic constipation complain of upper gastrointestinal symptoms, and these often persist after subtotal colectomy. To determine if there is a disturbance of upper gastrointestinal motility in this condition, we have studied gastric emptying for solids (¹¹¹In-containing pancake) and liquids (^99mTc-containing orange, juice) for a longer period after a meal (6 hr) than in previously reported gastric emptying studies. Small bowel transit for solids was also measured. All patients had emptied their colon the day before the study. Twelve women (mean age 36 years) with a bowel frequency of less than once per week, proven slow intestinal transit, and a normal diameter colon were studied. Twelve healthy controls (eight female and four male, mean age 33) were also studied. As a group the constipated patients demonstrated no statistically significant delay in emptying during the first 3 hr, although the emptying rate for three of 12 individuals fell outside the normal range. However, at 6 hr after ingestion of the meal, six of 10 patients had residual gastric contents greater than normal-up to 48% solid residue (median: 11% for patients and 0% for controls,P<0.01) and 40% of liquid (median 9% vs 0%P<0.01). Three of four patients with upper gastrointestinal symptoms 6 hr after the meal had gastric retention of solids markedly outside the normal range (48%, 32%, and 16%; normal<4%). Small bowel transit time was assessed as the time for the solid phase to pass from the duodenum to the cecum; the constipated patients demonstrated delayed transit (median: 75 vs 55 min,P<0.01). Effectiveness of small bowel transit was assessed by the proportion of solids in the cecum at the time the stomach had emptied 50% of the solid meal; this was reduced in the patients (median: 6 vs 18%,P<0.01). All patients with normal gastric emptying had normal small bowel transit, and all those with delayed gastric emptying had prolonged small bowel transit. Colonic transit of the radioisotope was slow in all patients (head of the radioisotope column, cecum to stool, median: 96 vs 31 hr,P<0.01). Many patients with severe idiopathic constipation have a disturbance of gastric and small bowel transit that may be related to symptoms and that have implications for treatment.     

Gastric and esophageal emptying in dystrophia myotonica. Effect of metoclopramide

Gastric and esophageal emptying were measured using scintigraphic techniques in 16 patients with dystrophia myotonica and in 22 normal volunteers. Gastric emptying of a solid meal was slower than the normal range (defined as the mean +/- two standard deviations obtained in the normal volunteers) in 15 of the 16 patients, and gastric emptying of the liquid meal was slower than the normal range in 10 of the patients. Esophageal emptying was also markedly delayed in patients, with 15 of 16 patients having an emptying time longer than the normal range. There was no relationship between gastrointestinal symptoms, or the severity of the peripheral (skeletal) muscle weakness, and either gastric or esophageal emptying. Oral administration of metoclopramide resulted in a significant improvement in gastric emptying of the solid meal and a nonsignificant trend toward more rapid liquid emptying, but no change in esophageal emptying. These results indicate that there is a very high prevalence of gastric and esophageal smooth muscle dysfunction in dystrophia myotonica and that gastroparesis is likely to be a treatable cause of morbidity in this disease.     

Impaired transit of chyme in chronic intestinal pseudoobstruction. Correction by cisapride

Chronic intestinal pseudoobstruction is a clinical syndrome whose pathophysiology, objective diagnosis, and treatment are poorly understood. We investigated 8 patients with this syndrome in whom intestinal dysmotility was established manometrically by two or more of the following criteria: abnormal configuration or propagation of interdigestive motor complexes, sustained incoordinate pressure activity, non-propagated bursts of phasic pressure activity, and failure of a solid-liquid meal to induce a fed pattern. To establish the functional impairment and region of the gut primarily affected by the disease, we quantified radio-scintigraphically the gastrointestinal transit of the solid (131I-fiber) and liquid (99 mTc-DTPA) components of a meal. Our techniques allowed us to quantify separately gastric emptying and pylorus-to-cecum transit. Furthermore, we evaluated the effects of a new prokinetic agent, cisapride. Gastric emptying times in pseudoobstruction were not significantly delayed; however, transit times through the small bowel (t1/2) were markedly prolonged [solids, 235 +/- 43 min (mean +/- SEM) vs. 138 +/- 25 controls, p less than 0.05; liquids, 310 +/- 67 vs. 181 +/- 28 controls, p = 0.07]. Cisapride was effective in reducing the delayed intestinal transit time to within the normal range (delta solids = -115 +/- 25 min; delta liquids = -146 +/- 71 min; p less than 0.05 for both). These studies suggest that intestinal dysmotility in this group of patients with pseudoobstruction was associated with delayed small bowel transit of radiolabeled solid and liquid components of chyme. Cisapride can restore to normal the delayed transit, indicating that it may potentially correct the impaired propulsive activity in the small bowel of these patients.     

Rapid distal small bowel transit associated with sympathetic denervation in type I diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND: The pattern of progression of a meal from the stomach to the caecum in diabetes mellitus is controversial and the differential roles of transit through the jejunum and the ileum have not been investigated in diabetes. AIMS: To determine gastric emptying and transit rates through proximal and distal regions of the small bowel in type I diabetic patients. SUBJECTS: The study included six diabetic patients with evidence of autonomic neuropathy (DM-AN group), 11 diabetics without autonomic dysfunction (DM group), and 15 control volunteers. METHODS: Gastric emptying and small bowel transit of a liquid meal were evaluated scintigraphically in these subjects. Transit through regions of interest corresponding to the proximal and distal small intestine up to the caecum was determined and correlated with gastric emptying rates, cardiovascular measurements of autonomic function, and the occurrence of diarrhoea. RESULTS: Gastric emptying and transit through the proximal small bowel were similar in the three groups. The meal arrived to the caecum significantly earlier in DM-AN patients (median; range: 55 min; 22-->180 min) than in the DM group (100 min; 44-->180 min, p < 0.05) or in controls (120 min; 80-->180 min, p < 0.02). Accumulation of chyme in the distal small bowel was decreased in DM-AN patients, who showed values for peak activity (30%; 10-55%) significantly lower than in the DM group (49%; 25-77%, p = 0.02) and controls (50%; 30-81%, p = 0.02). In DM patients (n = 17), the time of meal arrival to the caecum was significantly correlated with both orthostatic hypotension (coefficient of contingency, C = 0.53, p < 0.01) and diarrhoea (C = 0.47, p < 0.05), but not with gastric emptying rates. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with type I diabetes mellitus and sympathetic denervation have abnormally rapid transit of a liquid meal through the distal small bowel, which may play a part in diarrhoea production.     

Ileocolonic transfer of solid chyme in small intestinal neuropathies and myopathies

The aims of this study were to assess gastric emptying, small bowel transit and colonic filling in patients with motility disorders, with particular attention to the patterns of colonic filling. Gastrointestinal transit was assessed using a previously validated radiolabeled mixed meal. Fourteen patients with clinical and manometric features of chronic intestinal pseudoobstruction & classified as intestinal neuropathy and 6 as intestinal myopathy, were studied. The results were compared with those from 10 healthy controls studied similarly. Gastric emptying and small bowel transit of solids were significantly slower in both groups of patients than in healthy controls (P less than 0.05). In health, the ileocolonic transit of solid chyme was characterized by intermittent bolus transfers. The mean size of boluses transferred to the colon (expressed as a percentage of ingested radiolabel) was significantly less (P less than 0.05) in patients with intestinal myopathy (10% +/- 4% (SEM)] than in healthy controls (25% +/- 4%) or in patients with intestinal neuropathy (25% +/- 4%). The intervals between bolus transfer of solids (plateaus in the colonic filling curve) were longer (P less than 0.05) in myopathies (212 +/- 89 minutes) than in health (45 +/- 7 minutes) or neuropathies (53 +/- 11 minutes). Thus, gastric emptying and small bowel transit were delayed in small bowel neuropathies and myopathies. Bolus filling of the colon was less frequent and less effective in patients with myopathic intestinal pseudoobstruction, whereas bolus transfer was preserved in patients with neuropathic intestinal pseudoobstruction.     

Simultaneous measurement of gastric emptying, small bowel residence and colonic filling of a solid meal by the use of the gamma camera

A method for determining the profiles of gastric emptying, small intestinal residence, and colonic filling of a solid test meal, labelled with 250 microCi 99mTechnetium sulphur colloid has been evaluated in nine healthy volunteers and six patients with a disturbance in bowel habit. Mean small bowel transit time was determined by deconvolving the rate of colonic filling with the rate of gastric emptying. In normal subjects, the stomach appeared to empty exponentially with a half time of 1.2 +/- 0.3 hours (mean +/- SD). Food reached the colon by 2.8 +/- 1.5 hours. The mean small bowel transit time was 4.0 +/- 1.4 hours. In most normal subjects, the colon appeared to fill in a linear fashion with approximately 16% food residues entering every hour, and the profile of colonic filling in normal subjects was similar to the profile of ileal emptying observed after feeding a similar radiolabelled solid meal to 14 patients equipped with terminal ileostomies. There was a highly significant correlation between the onset of breath hydrogen excretion and the appearance of radioactivity over the caecum (r = 0.88, p less than 0.01), though in one third of subjects the increase in caecal radioactivity preceded the rise in breath hydrogen concentration by more than 20 minutes. There was also a highly significant correlation between the mean transit time and values for colonic filling but not values for gastric emptying. Patients with irritable bowel syndrome who had diarrhoea tended towards short small bowel transit and early colonic filling, whereas patients who have constipation tended towards long small bowel transit and delayed colonic filling. This method offers a novel means of assessing small bowel transit time, small bowel residence and the profile of colonic filling in man.     

Abnormal Intragastric Distribution of a Liquid Nutrient Meal in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus

Disordered gastric motility and emptying arewell known complications of diabetes mellitus (DM), butthe pattern of intragastric distribution of food has notbeen extensively studied in diabetics. We examined the partition of a liquid nutrient meal betweenthe proximal and distal stomach and the relationshipsbetween intragastric distribution of food and gastricemptying (GE) and the symptoms in DM patients with and without autonomic neuropathy (AN).Fourteen healthy volunteers and 20 DM patients (13 withAN; 9 with dyspepsia symptoms) ingested a liquidnutrient meal (250 ml; 437 kcal) labeled with[^99mTc]phytate. Anterior and posterior serial images of thestomach were taken for 90 min with a gamma camera.Regions of interest for the proximal and the distalhalves of the stomach and for the total gastric areawere defined. Counts from each region along timeallowed estimation of GE and the proportion of activityretained in the proximal stomach after meal ingestion(initial) and throughout GE (mean). GE half-times in controls (median; range: 66 min; 29-90 min)were not significantly different from diabetics (76 min;5->150 min, P > 0.10), but abnormal GE was foundin 11 DM patients (seven delayed and four rapid). In DM patients, initial retention inthe proximal stomach (42%; 16-79% ) was significantlylower (P < 0.02) than in controls (55%; 44-71%). Meanretention in the proximal stomach throughout emptying also was significantly lower (P <0.05) in DM patients (43%; 18-58%) than in controls(51%; 32-69%). There were no differences betweensubgroups of patients with normal, delayed, or rapid gastric emptying regarding mean meal retentionin the proximal stomach. Patients with evidence of AN orwith dyspepsia symptoms had significantly decreasedretention of food in the proximal stomach throughout gastric emptying. We concluded that patientswith diabetes mellitus have abnormally decreasedretention of gastric contents in the proximal stomachafter a liquid meal, which seems to be related to the occurrence of autonomic neuropathy anddyspepsia symptoms, but not to disordered gastricemptying.     

Altered solid and liquid gastric emptying in patients with duodenal ulcer disease.

Alteration in gastric emptying has been implicated in duodenal ulcer disease. The precise abnormalities remain controversial. We have used a radionuclide technique to assess solid and liquid gastric emptying in 14 patients with endoscopically proven duodenal ulcer and 22 healthy controls. Solid gastric emptying values for the patient group fell within the normal range. The median time taken for 50% (T50) of the liquid marker to empty from the stomach was 12 minutes (range 6-23 minutes) which was significantly faster (p less than .005) than controls (median 18 minutes, range 11-35). In 10 of the 14 patients, however, the rate of liquid emptying was within the normal range. There was no significant difference in the T50 for gastric emptying of solids between the groups, but in duodenal ulcer patients food left the stomach significantly earlier than in controls (p less than .05). After this, however, the linear rate at which duodenal ulcer patients emptied solid food from the stomach was a median 0.75%/minutes (range 0.5-1.4 minutes), which was slower (p less than .0005) than controls, median 1.25/minutes (range 0.7-2.3). These results show that the pattern of gastric emptying of digestible solids and liquids in patients with duodenal ulcer disease, as a group, is significantly altered.     

Centrally administered neuropeptide Y (NPY) inhibits gastric emptying and intestinal transit in the rat

Neuropeptide Y is distributed abundantly not only in the brain, but also in the gastrointestinal tract and suppresses intestinal muscle contraction in isolated muscle preparations. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether centrally administered neuropeptide Y modulated gastric emptying and intestinal transit in conscious rats. Graded doses of neuropeptide Y were administered intracisternally 1 min before ingestion of test meals through an oral tube. Four hours after ingestion of 60 Amberlite pellets, the rats were sacrificed and residual pellets in the stomach and the small intestine segments were counted to calculate the solid meal transit rate. The liquid meal transit rate was calculated 1 hr after 0.07% phenol red ingestion by determining the residual phenol red in the stomach and the small intestine segments. Neuropeptide Y elicited potent suppression of gastric emptying and intestinal transit of both solid and liquid meals. Pretreatment with propranolol antagonized, whereas phentolamine did not affect, the suppressive effect of central neuropeptide Y. Although carbachol blocked the effects of neuropeptide Y, neither atropine nor hexamethonium altered the actions of neuropeptide Y. In conclusions, centrally administered neuropeptide Y strongly inhibited gastrointestinal transit by stimulating a beta-adrenergic pathway.     

Intestinal transit in insulin-requiring diabetics

Intestinal transit was assessed in 25 insulin-requiring male diabetics and 15 healthy controls by measuring the breath hydrogen appearance time after the ingestion of both the liquid and the solid meal containing non absorbable carbohydrate. Three groups of patients were studied: A) nine patients without peripheral or autonomic neuropathy or retinopathy; B) nine patients with peripheral neuropathy; and C) seven patients with peripheral and autonomic neuropathy. Eight patients complained of gastrointestinal symptoms, including three with watery diarrhea. Intestinal transit of the solid meal was more prolonged than the liquid meal in normal and diabetic subjects. There was no significant difference in intestinal transit between normal controls and any group of diabetics; however, one-third of the diabetics had abnormal intestinal transit of the liquid test meal (four rapid, four delayed); only one patient with diarrhea had rapid intestinal transit. These data suggest that abnormal intestinal transit is common in diabetics. Altered intestinal transit is not a prerequisite of diabetic diarrhea.