Rectal sensitivity was enhanced in D-IBS patients with moderately increased mucosal mast cells, but it was attenuated in patients with markedly increased ones. This study might provide evidence for an important role of mast cells in visceral hypersensitivity.

No gender differences in visceral perception were determined to exist between the healthy controls and the IBS patients. Therefore, the increased prevalence of IBS in women may be related to another set of pathophysiological factors, and not to gender-related differences in visceroperception.

SIADH was observed in a woman who was administered linezolid for more than three weeks, with concurrent development of progressive severe anemia associated with linezolid toxicity. The patient's hyponatremia resolved after cessation of linezolid use.

Autonomic imbalance has been proposed to be a pathophysiological factor for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The aim of this study was to assess beta-adrenergic abnormalities in IBS and to evaluate their relationship to visceral hypersensitivity and other symptoms of IBS patients. Sixteen IBS patients and 16 control subjects were recruited into this study. Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire regarding bowel symptoms, and in order to study beta-adrenergic sensitivity, isoproterenol stimulation tests were performed and visceral hypersensitivity was evaluated by barostat test. Results showed that beta-adrenergic activity and rectal sensitivity were more pronounced in IBS patients than in normal control patients (P < 0.01). Although both IBS subgroups also exhibited more pronounced beta-adrenergic sensitivity than did the controls (P < 0.05), a significant correlation between beta-adrenergic activity and maximally tolerable pressures on the barostat test was found only in IBS-C patients (P = 0.03, R = 0.855). In addition, patients with "hard or lumpy" stools exhibited a higher degree of beta-adrenergic activity (P = 0.00). We conclude that increased beta-adrenergic activity significantly correlated with visceral hypersensitivity in constipation-predominant IBS and symptoms of hard or lumpy stools in IBS patients.

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