Gastroenterology

Gastroenterology

Volume 101, Issue 5, November 1991, Pages 1289-1297
Gastroenterology

Colonic motility and transit in health and ulcerative colitis

https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-5085(91)90079-ZGet rights and content

Abstract

Preprandial and postprandial colonic motility and transit (scintigraphy), with respect to the splenic flexure, were studied in 10 patients with ulcerative colitis and in 9 healthy subjects. The healthy subjects had a postprandial increase in intraluminal pressure that was significantly (P < 0.03) greater in the descending colon than in other regions of the colon. In ulcerative colitis, the pressure was decreased in all regions compared with healthy subjects, with no significant pressure gradient among different regions. In normal subjects, transit was quiescent during fasting; eating stimulated both antegrade and retrograde transit. In ulcerative colitis, transit was variable before as well as after the meal. Both healthy subjects and patients with ulcerative colitis had more rapid emptying from the splenic flexure into the sigmoid than into the transverse colon. More frequent, low-amplitude, postprandial propagating contractions occurred in ulcerative colitis (P < 0.05) than in healthy subjects. Propagating contractions were always antegrade and caused a rapid movement of the tracer into the sigmoid. In conclusion, ulcerative colitis is characterized by (a) decreased contractility, (b) increased low-amplitude propagating contractions, and (c) variable transit. These disturbances may accentuate the diarrhea in ulcerative colitis.

References (19)

There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (172)

  • Endoscopic Treatment of Postoperative Bleeding, Bezoars, and Foreign Bodies

    2022, Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Clinics of North America
    Citation Excerpt :

    It is not clear whether GI dysmotility is a contributing factor for retained bezoars or foreign bodies in CD. In contrast, patients with UC tend to show normal gastric emptying and overall accelerated colonic transit.34,41,42 GI bezoars in surgery-naïve patients with UC have not been reported.

  • Dendrobium huoshanense polysaccharides ameliorate ulcerative colitis by improving intestinal mucosal barrier and regulating gut microbiota

    2022, Journal of Functional Foods
    Citation Excerpt :

    Coristol and 18-Hydroxycorticosterone are both involved in the two metabolic pathways of steroid hormone biosynthesis and the synthesis and secretion of aldosterone. Patients with UC have faster intestine peristalsis and shorter stool reabsorption times which result in severe diarrhea (Reddy et al., 1991). In UC, elevated pro-inflammatory cytokines selectively impair Epithelial Na+ channel (ENaC) expression and reduce colon sodium absorption leading to diarrhea (A masheh et al., 2004; Barmeyer et al., 2016).

  • What Does Disease Progression Look Like in Ulcerative Colitis, and How Might It Be Prevented?

    2022, Gastroenterology
    Citation Excerpt :

    They describe an increased propulsive activity, possibly due to limited absorption of water and salt along with intraluminal load from mucosal inflammation, leading to distention of the bowel wall and subsequent increased colonic propulsion.51 Relatedly, a common finding among other studies is decreased contractility, followed by rapid transit time primarily from the splenic flexure and through the rectosigmoid region.51,52 Older studies that show such decreased to absent motor activity explain these findings as a cause of paradoxical motility, in which there is accelerated intestinal transit time because of a loss of colonic haustration and decreased resistance to the flow of contents.49,53

View all citing articles on Scopus

The results of this study were presented in part at the American Gastroenterological Association meeting in Washington, D.C., in May 1989.

1

Supported in part by the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center and in part by UCLA—Harbor Collegium Research Award to S. Narasimha Reddy.

View full text