Effect of topical capsaicin on esophageal clearance of healthy volunteers

The physiologic importance of afferent sensory pathways in the esophageal motor functions has been recently recognised. Capsaicin-sensitive sensory afferents were shown to play a role in the maintenance of mucosal integrity of the GI tract, and regulation of human esophageal motility. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of topical application of capsaicin-containing red pepper sauce (Tabasco, 25%v/v, pH: 5.7) suspension on the phasic activity and clearance of the human esophagus in healthy volunteers. Methods: Simultaneous stacionary manometry and esophageal impedance measurement were performed i…