Preparations for measuring gastric emptying ability

Abstract

Preparations whereby reduction or acceleration of the gastric emptying rate can be noninvasively evaluated: and a method of evaluating the gastric emptying rate by using these preparations. Thus, reduction or acceleration of the gastric emptying rate can be safely and conveniently examined. Namely, theses preparations are useful in objectively diagnosing the gastric motor function, as well as in evaluating and judging the drug effect or therapeutic effect of a drug concerning the gastric motor function on individual patients.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a technique for the diagnostic measurement of the gastric emptying rate. More specifically, the present invention relates to a preparation which can measure the reduction or acceleration of the gastric emptying rate in a noninvasive manner using the expired air, and a method for measuring the gastric emptying rate using the preparation. [0002] The present invention allows the safe and easy examination of reduction or acceleration of the gastric emptying rate. Specifically, the preparation of the present invention is useful for the objective diagnosis of the gastric motor function, and are useful for evaluating the pharmacological effects or therapeutic effects of drugs relating to the gastric motor function in individual subjects. BACKGROUND ART [0003] In the field of internal medicine, the treatment of stomach ulcer and duodenal ulcer has made a great transition from treatment by means of surgical procedures to noninvasive dru...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides a simple and noninvasive method for measuring the gastric emptying function using a preparation that can be orally administered. The preparation contains a labeled compound that is converted into labeled carbon dioxide gas in the stomach and excreted in the exhalation. The method measures the elution behavior of the preparation, which is correlated with the gastric emptying rate. The invention can be used for diagnosing and evaluating the gastric motor function and pharmacological effects of drugs on the gastric motor function. The invention also provides a method for measuring the gastric emptying rate using a disintegrate-release type sustained-release preparation.

Problems solved by technology

Such indefinite complaint is generally diagnosed on the basis of the symptoms reported by the subject, and it is extremely difficult to diagnose such complaint in an objective and quantitative manner.

Furthermore, the difficulty of such diagnosis delays appropriate treatment, and also causes a deterioration in the quality of life (QOL) of such subject with indefinite complaint.

However, conventional methods for measuring the gastric emptying rate are expensive, or are invasive so that such methods impose a psychological and physical burden on the subject.

Moreover, the time for which the subject is constrained is long in the case of such methods, and the measurement precision is insufficient.

For example, among conventional methods for measuring the gastric emptying rate, the isotope method (e. g., scintigraphy or the like) uses a radioactive isotope; as a result, the administration of this method is complicated.

Furthermore, since this method requires an expensive γ-ray camera, the use of this method is restricted to special facilities.

Furthermore, in the case of the X-ray impermeable marker method, the marker is not discharged from the stomach simultaneously with the food contents, but is instead discharged from the stomach after all of the food contents have been discharged; as a result, the actual gastric emptying function cannot be accurately examined.

Furthermore, in the case of the acetaminophen method, there is a danger of drug allergy and liver damage due to the side effects of acetaminophen; furthermore, since this drug is subject to other effects in the body such as absorption in the small intestine, metabolization by the liver, excretion from the kidneys and the like, the gastric emptying function cannot be accurately examined.

Furthermore, since the concentration of acetaminophen in the blood is measured after administering acetaminophen, the invasive procedure of blood collection is required.

Furthermore, methods such as a method in which the endogastric volume and saburra are measured by means of ultrasonic waves (ultrasound method), a method in which the gastric emptying rate is measured by MRI (magnetic resonance imaging method), a method in which the gastric motor function is evaluated by measuring an electrogastrogram (elctrogastrography) and the like have also been proposed as other methods for measuring the gastric emptying rate; however, such methods suffer from the following problems: (i) There are problems in the precision of the diagnostic method, (ii) there are no fixed criteria, so that evaluations vary according to the evaluator, and (iii) the subject must be constrained for a long period of time while the diagnosis is being made.

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