ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of ghrelin on duodenal migrating myoelectric complex (MMC) in rats with chronic renal failure (CRF).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty healthy male SD rats were randomly assigned into sham-operated group (n=6) and CRF group (n=24), and the latter group was divided into 4 subgroups according to ghrelin doses administered with or without pretreatment with the receptor antagonist D-Lys(3)-GHRP-6. After a 18-h fasting, the rats with or without pretreatment with D-Lys(3)-GHRP-6 were given subcutaneous injections of ghrelin at different doses to observe the changes in duodenal MMC recorded using a multi lead physiological recording system.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Ghrelin significantly increased the MMC cycle duration and dose-dependently enhanced the frequency, amplitude and percentage of phase III MMC cycle. This effect was inhibited by the pretreatment with ghrelin receptor antagonist D-Lys(3)-GHRP-6.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Ghrelin can promote gastrointestinal motilities of rats with CRF, and the receptor of ghrelin can regulate the activity of MMC.</p>