Effect of isosorbide dinitrate on gastroesophageal reflux in healthy volunteers and patients with Chagas' disease.

The effect of isosorbide dinitrate (ISD) on gastroesophageal reflux and gastric emptying during the 24-min period following a liquid meal was studied in healthy volunteers, Chagas' disease patients with normal esophageal motility (CD-1 group), and Chagas' disease patients with esophageal dysmotility (CD-2 group) with dynamic scintigraphy. At random, on two separate days, the subjects received 5 mg isosorbide dinitrate or an identical-appearing placebo tablet, by the sublingual route, and ingested a liquid test meal containing [99mTc]phytate colloid before scintigraphic studies were performed. Gastroesophageal reflux episodes were more frequent (P = 0.016) and gastroesophageal reflux indexes were greater (P < 0.010) after isosorbide dinitrate than after placebo in CD-2 group (N = 15) but not in healthy volunteers (N = 14) or CD-1 group (N = 9); six of seven CD-2 patients presenting with gastroesophageal reflux after isosorbide dinitrate had abnormal clearance of refluxate. Gastric emptying was similar in healthy volunteers (N = 13), CD-1 patients (N = 6), and CD-2 patients (N = 13), and no effect of isosorbide dinitrate on it was detected in any of the groups. In separate studies, 5 mg isosorbide dinitrate reduced the lower esophageal pressure (P < 0.01) in seven CD-2 patients. These results indicate that ISD increases the tendency towards GER in CD-2 patients, but not in healthy volunteers or CD-1 patients. This effect is probably related to an exceedingly intense relaxation of the LES caused by ISD in CD-2 patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

RCT Entities:   Population Interventions Outcomes