Motilin-and neuropeptide Y-like immunoreactivity in a psychophysiological stress experiment on patients with functional dyspepsia

Background  The aim of the study was to compare plasma motilin-like immunoreactivity (MOT-LI) and neuropeptide Y (NPY)-like immunoreactivity (NPY-LI) in patients with functional dyspepsia (FD) during a controlled psychophysiological experiment. Method  25 patients (12 men, 13 women), age 24–50, with recurrent FD, and 25 pair-wise sex- and age-matched community control subjects were studied. In an experiment, after a rest period, subjects were studied during a 15-min stress interview. The aim of the interview was to elicit anxiety. Before and during the intervention blood samples were drawn for peptide analyses. Outcome measures were the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale, fasting blood glucose, heart rate and blood pressure as well as the subjects’ self-ratings on visual analogue scales. The plasma concentrations of MOT-LI and NPY-LI are given as anti-logarithms. Results  Mean plasma MOT-LI concentration was 7.3 (CI: 5.7–9.4) pmol/L in the patient group, and 7.9 (CI: 6.1–10.2) pmol/L in the control group. Mean plasma NPY-LI concentration was 14.2 (CI: 12.3–16.4) pmol/L in the patient group, and 13.4 (CI: 11.8–15.3) pmol/L in the control group. Using ANCOVA (covariates: group, gender, age, body mass index and smoking) MOT-LI was related to lower indigestion symptomatology (p<0.04) and positive change in joyfulness during the interview (p<0.03). In the patient group delta motilin correlated with increased joyfulness (p<0.03) and decreased sadness (p<0.03). The NPY-LI increase during the interview was related to higher fasting blood glucose before the interview (p<0.01) and a stronger increase in systolic blood pressure during the test (p<0.05). Conclusion: During a stress interview plasma MOT-LI is positively related to less indigestion symptomatology and joyfulness, while changes in plasma NPY-LI were positively related to sympathetic nervous system activity, but not to gastrointestinal symptoms.