Effect of cimetidine on the human lower oesophageal sphincter.

Abstract

SUMMARY Lower oesophageal sphincter pressures in healthy volunteers were measured by a rapid pull-through technique during intravenous infusion of the histamine H2-receptor antagonist, cimetidine. No consistent effects on sphincter pressure were observed which are liable to be of clinical importance. Serum gastrin concentrations during cimetidine infusion were measured by radioimmunoassay and showed no significant variation. In a further series of experiments, the response of the lower oesophageal sphincter to intravenous bolus injection of pentagastrin was measured before and during cimetidine infusion. Cimetidine infusion had no significant effect on the sphincter response to pentagastrin.

The Influence of Cimetidine on Basal Gastrooesophageal Sphincter Pressure, Intragastric pH, and Serum Gastrin Concentration in Normal Subjects

“…Our investigation was in agreement with those of Osborne et al ( 13) and Kravitz et al ( 1 1) in finding no change in basal gastro-oesophageal sphincter pressure in normal subjects after peroral ingestion of 400 mg of cimetidine. Siewert et al (16) and…”

“…The rise in intragastric pH observed in our experiments was less marked and did not affect the gastro-oesophageal pressure. In earlier reports conflicting results have been recorded concerning serum gastrin concentration after ingestion of cimetidine (13)(14)(15). In our investigation we found a significant, but moderate, increase in serum gastrin concentration 150 min after peroral ingestion of cimetidine: a significant rise in intragastric pH was observed first, followed by the rise in serum gastrin concentration.…”

Ranitidine in Reflux Oesophagitis

“…Regurgitation was not improved by ranitidine. This is not altogether unex pected since H2 antagonists have no direct action on the lower oesophageal sphincter [9].…”