No abstract

Gastric emptying of liquid (orange juice containing technetium-99m ('Tc) labelled antimony sulphide colioid) and solid (570 kcal pancake containing O 5 mm resin microspheres labelled with Indiun-ll ("'-In)) was measured in seven patients with jejunum and no colon (jejunal lengths 30-160 cm), six patients with jejunum in continuity with the colon (jejunal length 25-75 cm), and in 12 normal subjects. In patients with no colon early emptying of liquid was rapid (median 25% emptying: 7 v 25 min, no colon v normal, p

Many patients with severe idiopathic constipation complain of upper gastrointestinal symptoms, and these often persist after subtotal colectomy. To determine if there is a disturbance of upper gastrointestinal motility in this condition, we have studied gastric emptying for solids (111In-containing pancake) and liquids (99mTc-containing orange juice) for a longer period after a meal (6 hr) than in previously reported gastric emptying studies. Small bowel transit for solids was also measured. All patients had emptied their colon the day before the study. Twelve women (mean age 36 years) with a bowel frequency of less than once per week, proven slow intestinal transit, and a normal diameter colon were studied. Twelve healthy controls (eight female and four male, mean age 33) were also studied. As a group the constipated patients demonstrated no statistically significant delay in emptying during the first 3 hr, although the emptying rate for three of 12 individuals fell outside the normal range. However, at 6 hr after ingestion of the meal, six of 10 patients had residual gastric contents greater than normal--up to 48% solid residue (median: 11% for patients and 0% for controls, P < 0.01) and 40% of liquid (median 9% vs 0%, P < 0.01). Three of four patients with upper gastrointestinal symptoms 6 hr after the meal had gastric retention of solids markedly outside the normal range (48%, 32%, and 16%; normal < 4%). Small bowel transit time was assessed as the time for the solid phase to pass from the duodenum to the cecum; the constipated patients demonstrated delayed transit (median: 75 vs 55 min, P < 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

We have labeled a series of short peptides with technetium-99m either by direct labeling at pH 11 or by exchange from [99mTc]technetium glucoheptonate. Typical labeling yields obtained were as follows: N-acetyl-Gly-Cys(S-Acm)-Gly-Cys(S-Acm)-Gly-NH2 (Acm = acetamidomethyl) 99%, S-benzoyl-mercaptoacetyltriglycine (S-Benzoyl-MAG3) 95%, mercaptoacetyldiglycine-NH2 (MAG2-NH2) 94%, MAG3 92%, N-acetyl-Aib-Aib-Cys-NH2 (Aib = aminoisobutyric acid) 91%, Gly-Gly-Gly-Gly 90%, N-acetyl-Gly-Gly-Cys-Gly 87%, cyclo-1, 4-(Gly-Gly-Gly-Gln) 40%, S-methyl-MAG2-NH2 0%. In the absence of cysteine, all of the labeled peptides were quite stable in solution, with at least 80-90% of the labeled peptide remaining at 24 h. The order of stability of the labeled peptides to challenge with cysteine was found to be MAG3 > S-benzoyl-MAG3 > N-acetyl-Gly-Cys(S-Acm)-Gly-Cys(S-Acm)-Gly-NH2 >N-acetyl-Aib-Aib-Cys-NH2 > MAG2-NH2 > N-acetyl-Gly-Gly-Cys-Gly > cyclo-1,4-(Gly-Gly-Gly-Gln) > Gly-Gly-Gly-Gly. The peptides without a sulfur donor were least stable to challenge with cysteine.