Motilin and clinical application.

Motilin is a regulatory polypeptide of 22 amino acid residues and orginates in motilin cells scattered in the duodenal epithelium of most mammals and chickens. Motilin is released into the general circulation at about 100-min intervals during the interdigestive state and is the most important factor in controlling the interdigestive migrating contractions. Recent studies have revealed that motilin stimulates endogenous release of the endocrine pancreas. Clinical application of motilin as a prokinetic has become possible since erythromycin and its derivatives were proved to be nonpeptide motilin agonists.