Phillips et al. [1] demonstrated abnormally rapid gastric emptying of glucose solutions in patients with recently diagnosed non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), which contrasts with delayed gastric emptying (gastroparesis), a well-documented late manifestation of diabetes attributed to autonomic neuropathy [2]. Intravenous administration of cholecystokinin (CCK), a physiological inhibitor of gastric emptying in healthy humans [3], normalized gastric emptying of a glucose test meal in NIDDM diabetic patients and reduced the postprandial hyperglycaemia [4]. This outcome was predicted from studies in healthy human subjects which showed that CCK regulated postprandial blood glucose levels by slowing gastric emptying [5]. These studies support the hypothesis [1] that accelerated gastric emptying in early NIDDM in humans may contribute to poor glucose control by increasing the rate of glucose entry into the small intestine, thereby increasing absorption rate and exacerbating postprandial hyperglycaemia.To further examine this phenomenon, the gastric emptying of glucose was investigated in a newly Diabetologia (1997) Summary Patients with early non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) empty glucose solutions from their stomachs more rapidly than non-diabetic control subjects, and this exacerbates postprandial hyperglycaemia.To determine if accelerated gastric emptying occurred in a rat model of NIDDM and influenced postprandial hyperglycaemia, gastric emptying of glucose was measured, and the effect of slowing the gastric emptying rate on postprandial hyperglycaemia was observed. We tested eight male obese Zucker diabetic rats and eight age-matched lean Zucker controls at 10-13 weeks of age to measure gastric emptying of glucose (by gamma scintigraphy). Rats fasted overnight were gavaged with 30 % glucose at 1 ml/100 g body weight. Separately, six Zucker diabetic rats and six lean controls were tested for sensitivity to the inhibitory effects of cholecystokinin and secretin on gastric emptying. The diabetic rats emptied glucose significantly faster than controls (t 1/2 = 37.3 ± 1.5 vs 58.8 ± 2.3 min in controls), and aging exaggerated this differential. Camostat, a stimulant of cholecystokinin and secretin release, added to the glucose meal significantly slowed gastric emptying (t 1/2 = 123 ± 23 and 166 ± 19 min, diabetic vs lean, respectively), and significantly reduced postprandial hyperglycaemia in diabetic rats. Compared to Zucker lean controls, Zucker diabetic rats were as sensitive (cholecystokinin) or more sensitive (secretin) to gastrointestinal hormones that inhibit gastric emptying. The results demonstrate accelerated gastric emptying in a rat model of NIDDM, consistant with similar observations in humans with early NIDDM. These results also support the proposal that interventions to slow gastric emptying may improve glucose control in this disease. [Diabetologia (1997) 40: 136-142]