Human colonic muscle tone varies diurnally and postprandially in predictable ways. Increased tone reduces the capacity of the colon to store contents after a meal, whereas increased distensibility (lesser tone) during sleep enlarges the storage capabilities and may slow transit. We tested the hypothesis that antidiarrhoeal drugs would also alter tone which, in turn, might reduce diarrhoea by fa...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Monoglyceride lipase (MGL) degrades 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG), an endogenous agonist of cannabinoid receptors (CB1/2 ). Because the CB1 receptor is involved in the control of gut function, we investigated the effects of pharmacological inhibition and genetic deletion of MGL on intestinal motility. Furthermore, we determined whether defective 2-AG degradation affects ...

Background. Spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to bowel dysfunction. Electroacupuncture (EA) may improve bowel function. Objective. To assess EA on daily rhythmicity of intestinal movement and circadian rhythmicity of colonic Per2 expression in rats with SCI. Methods. Rats were randomized to the sham, SCI, and SCI+EA groups. EA was performed at bilateral Zusanli point (ST36) during daytime (11:00-1...

BACKGROUNDS/AIMS High intraluminal pressure has been reported to cause left colonic diverticula. However, the pathophysiology of right colonic diverticula is still unclear. Methane gas has been reported to delay small intestinal transit and to increase intraluminal pressure. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between right colonic diverticula and intestinal gas produced by e...

The colon is a promising site for drug targeting owing to its long transit time and mild proteolytic activity. The aim of this study was to prepare new low methoxy amidated pectin/NaCMC microspheres cross-linked by a mixture of Zn(2+) and Al(3+) ions and test their potential for colonic targeting of progesterone. A 2(4) factorial design was carried out to optimize the preparation conditions. Hi...

Patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) with diarrhea (IBS-D) carrying human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DQ2/8 genotypes benefit from gluten withdrawal. Our objective was to compare gastrointestinal barrier function, mucosal inflammation, and transit in nonceliac IBS-D patients and assess association with HLA-DQ2/8 status. In 45 IBS-D patients who were naive to prior exclusion of dietary glute...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Tegaserod is approved for the treatment of constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (C-IBS) in females. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of tegaserod on colonic transit time (CTT) and symptoms in male patients with C-IBS. METHODS Forty-four males with C-IBS (Rome II) were enrolled. After a baseline washout period of 2 weeks, 40 patients were random...

BACKGROUND Children with chronic intractable constipation experience severe and long-lasting symptoms, which respond poorly to conventional therapeutic strategies. Detailed characterization of colonic motor patterns in such children has not yet been obtained. METHODS In 18 children with chronic intractable constipation, a high-resolution water-perfused manometry catheter (36 sensors at 1.5-cm...

AIM To compare the effects of regular vs low-FODMAP rye bread on irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms and to study gastrointestinal conditions with SmartPill®. METHODS Our aim was to evaluate if rye bread low in FODMAPs would cause reduced hydrogen excretion, lower intraluminal pressure, higher colonic pH, different transit times, and fewer IBS symptoms than regular rye bread. The study wa...