OBJECTIVETo investigate mechanism and relation of some disorder motive forces of digest system in patients with liver cirrhosis.

METHODSPlasma vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), gastrin and motilin (MTL), electrogastrogram (EGG) and pH value of gastric juice in 24 hours; gastric elimination time by isotope. All above factors have been determined in patients with liver cirrhosis and analyzed with multiple linear regressions. While a group of normal cases has been observed as control.

RESULTSCompared to the control group, higher level of VIP and Gastrin and lower MTL down were observed in liver cirrhosis group (Plasma VIP, Gastrin and MTL are 14.8+/-4.8, 58.6+/-29.8 and 360+/-54.2 separately, t=5.181, 0.05, t=3.871, 0.01 and t=5.529, 0.05 separately). The EGG dominant frequency (DF) and dominant power (DP) decreased around diet; normal slow wave number (N%) decreased and gastric excretion time prolonged, lower bradygastrias (B%) and pH value of 24 hours gastric juice denoted the incline of return movement, there are remarked different with 0.05 or 0.01 separately. Throughout analyzing these factors with multiple linear regressions, there are remarkable relationship between liver cirrhosis and pH value of gastric juice; gastrointestinal hormone and EGG with 0.05 or 0.01.

CONCLUSION(1) There are remarkable gastro esophageal function abnormal which has been conveyed by disorder gastric electric physiology and gastric elimination time in patients with liver cirrhosis. It is suggested that unusual gastrointestinal hormone played an important role during these abnormal process. (2) There is remarkable changing of pH value of 24 hours gastric juice denoted the opposite movement of gastroduodenal juice in patients with liver cirrhosis.