Gastric Electrical Stimulation Using Endoscopically Placed Mucosal Electrodes Reduces Food Intake in Humans

• Published in: The American journal of gastroenterology Vol. 101; no. 4; pp. 798 - 803
• Main Authors: JUN LIU, XIAOHUA HOU, GENGQING SONG, HUI CHA, BIN YANG, CHEN, Jiande D. Z
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Blackwell Publishing 01-04-2006; Wolters Kluwer Health Medical Research, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Drinking; Eating; Electric Stimulation Therapy; Electrodes, Implanted; Female; Gastric Emptying; Gastric Fundus - physiopathology; Gastric Mucosa; Gastroenterology; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Gastroscopy; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Myoelectric Complex, Migrating; Obesity - physiopathology; Obesity - therapy; Weight Loss; Electrodes; Human; Stomach; Food intake; Mucosa; Gastroenterology
• ISSN: 0002-9270; 1572-0241
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1572-0241.2006.00493.x

Implantable gastric stimulation (IGS) has been proposed for treating obesity. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of temporary mucosal electrical stimulation on water and food intake as well as gastric emptying in healthy humans.
The study was designed to study the effects of temporary gastric electrical stimulation (GES) on symptoms, gastric accommodation, food intake, and gastric emptying. It was performed in 12 healthy volunteers on 3 consecutive days. GES was performed using mucosal electrodes endoscopically placed in the fundus.
The amount of maximum water intake was reduced with GES (894 +/- 326 mL) compared with sham-GES (1,093 +/- 417 mL, p = 0.01). The food intake was also reduced with GES (p = 0.012). In comparison with sham stimulation, GES delayed gastric emptying during the first 45 min after the meal but not during the remaining time. GES with parameters effective in reducing water and food intake and delaying gastric emptying did not induce significant dyspeptic symptoms, compared with sham stimulation.
GES using temporary mucosal electrodes decreases food intake as well as maximum intake of water, and has a tendency of delaying gastric emptying. It may have a potential application for the treatment of obesity.