[Hormonal control of intestinal motility].

There is increasing evidence that digestive hormones are involved in the regulation of the gastrointestinal motor profile in man. A typical profile of postprandial activity corresponding to the continuous occurrence of irregular contractions propagated over short distance is accompanied by an increase in plasma level of 8 to 10 identified digestive hormones. Four of them (insulin, gastrin, neurotensin and CCK8) infused systemically may produce or prolong this typical "fed" pattern suggesting that they may be involved physiologically in the initiation and duration of the fed pattern. The fasted state is characterized by the cyclic occurrence of gastrointestinal migrating motor complexes (MMC) which are associated with cyclic changes in plasma levels of motilin, somatostatin pancreatic polypeptide and gastrin. Numerous recent findings support the hypothesis that an increase in motilin initiates the MMC at foregut level which, in turn, produces the release of somatostatin. These hormones may be responsible for the aboral migration of MMC from the duodenum to the ileum and for the cycling rhythm by affecting blood levels of motilin (and/or) pancreatic polypeptide.