Purpose

Bombesine (BN) is a hormone with a critical role on the control of the secretory gastrointestinal (GI) function and the immunological sufficiency of the human body. The aim of this study is to evaluate the influence of nutritional schedule (enteral vs total parenteral) on BN levels, during the first 5 days of ICU hospitalization.

Methods

Twenty-one sedated and mechanically ventilated patients were randomly divided into two groups. Group A consisted of 11 patients, who received continuous nasogastric nutrition, and Group B consisted of 10 patients, who received continuous Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN). Serum hormone levels were measured on the 2nd, 3rd and the 5th day of patients admission with radioimmunoassay method. BN levels were compared between the three measurements with the aid of ANOVA for each group, while the corresponding measurements between the two groups were compared with the aid of Wilcoxon test.

Results

Values of BN (ng/ml) as mean values ± standard deviations during subsequent measurements in the two groups of patients are presented in the Table.

Table 1
Full size table

No statistically significant changes between hormone levels are observed in each group for the three different measurements (P > 0.05). The corresponding differences between the two groups are also not significant (P > 0.05). Despite the non-significance of the differences it should be noted that BN is increased through measurements in the enteral nutrition (EN) group whereas a decrease is observed in the TPN group on the 5th day.

Conclusions

The administration of either enteral or parenteral nutritional formulas for a short period of hospitalization in the Intensive Care Unit does not affect the levels of BN. The extra-gastrointestinal presence of BN might explain the non-significant differences observed in our study between the EN and TPN groups. The results of the present study refer to a short-term application of the tested nutritional schedules. BN showed a clear tendency to increase, during EN. A longer follow up of the gastrointestinal hormones profile seems necessary.