Effect of drugs on oro-caecal transit time assessed by the lactulose/breath hydrogen method

Abstract

The comparative actions of two benzamides; the one metoclopramide, having and the other, BRL 20627, lacking dopamine receptor antagonist properties have been investigated on orocaecal transit time (OCTT) using the lactulose/breath hydrogen method. In addition, the action of codeine, propantheline and domperidone on OCTT has been assessed. Similar quantitative reductions in apparent OCTT were found with metoclopramide and BRL 20627 thus, metoclopramide 20 mg orally and 10 mg i.v. brought about 32.5% and 42% reductions in OCTT. Similar reductions were also found using 20 mg BRL 20627 orally and 10 mg i.v. (31 and 26% respectively). In addition 20 mg domperidone orally was found to cause a 10% reduction. Codeine orally and propantheline i.m. brought about increases in the assessed transit time.

Methods for the Assessment of Small-Bowel and Colonic Transit

“…Validation studies have confirmed a high degree of correlation with simultaneous scintigraphy (19-22). Lactulose breath tests have been used to document pharmacological effects on gut motility (23-27) and to study disease states in adults and in children (28-33). …”

Orocaecal transit time in patients with Crohn disease

“…A close and linear relationship between this procedure and radiological evaluation of small bowel transit time following a barium meal has been described [9]. Its application in children has been investigated lately [3,18,26,28] and the effect of several disorders [1,4,23,26] and a variety of drugs [24] on OCTT have been reported in children and adults. To date there are no publications on the use of the lactulose hydrogen breath test in patients with Crohn disease (CD) although small bowel transit time is delayed on upper gastrointes-…”

Simultaneous noninvasive evaluation of gastric emptying and orocaecal transit times

“…The lactulose/breath hydrogen test has been used to evaluate the effects of drugs on orocaecal transit time [16], but lactulose artificially reduces the transit time [17], and the measurement of hydrogen concentrations in expired breath samples is difficult. Staniforth has shown that mean orocaecal transit time was significantly shorter as measured by the lactulose/breath hydrogen test than by the sulphasalazinesulphapyridine method [17].…”