Fat in gut intensifies perception of heartburn without
increasing acid reflux
Fat in the small intestine enhances the perception
of heartburn without increasing the amount of acid reflux in the stomach,
suggest researchers from the University of California at Los Angeles School
of Medicine.
They tested whether fat in the gastrointestinal
lumen lowers the threshold to pain of 11 patients with daily, typical
heartburn caused by gastro-oesophageal reflux disease. The patients received
omeprazole to suppress endogenous acid and then, after fasting, were given
increasing doses of hydrochloric acid while being perfused with either
saline or emulsified fat.
The researchers found that while the time to onset,
and severity of heartburn varied with the dose of oesophageal acid, fat
perfusion shortened the time to onset of heartburn as well as increasing
its severity.
The researchers suggest that afferent nerves that
are present in the small intestine and that release signals when fatty
acids are present, might alter pain thresholds (Gut 2001;49:624).
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