Background: Postnatal glucocorticosteroid administration has trophic effects on the gastrointestinal tract of preterm infants. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether antenatal glucocorticosteroids affect the secretion of gastrointestinal peptides that are involved in the regulation of secretion, motility and mucosal protection of the gastrointestinal tract.
Methods: Plasma levels of gastrin, motilin and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) were estimated in 28 preterm infants with a mean birth weight of 1280 g, and mean gestational age of 30.5 weeks, whose mothers had received a full course of antenatal glucocorticosteroids (GC group) and in 17 preterm infants with mean birth weight of 1200 g, mean gestational age of 30.2 weeks, whose mothers had not received corticosteroids (control group). GI peptides were estimated on two occasions: (a) Immediately after birth and (b) following the initiation of enteral feeding.
Results: Gastrin levels in the GC group were significantly higher both immediately after birth (early measurement) and also after receiving enteral feeding (late measurement) (p<0.001, p<0.05, respectively) but the increase in plasma gastrin concentration was identical in both groups (32 vs. 33 pg/ml). Motilin levels in the GC group were also significantly higher as compared to the control group but only in the late measurement (p<0.001). Gastrin and motilin levels in both groups were significantly higher in the late measurement as compared to the early measurement (GC group: p<0.001, p<0.001, respectively;
Controls: p<0.001, p<0.01, respectively). There was no significant difference in VIP levels between the two groups both in the early and the late measurements.
Conclusion: Antenatal glucocorticoids (GCs) stimulate gastrin secretion in the fetus but not in the neonate. Contrary to this, corticosteroid effect on motilin is seen only postnatally following the introduction of enteral feeding. Glucocorticosteroids appear to have no effect on VIP levels. Plasma gastrin and motilin levels increase significantly following the introduction of enteral feeding regardless of the use of steroids.