title: Mouth-to-cecum transit time in patients affected by chronic constipation: effect of glucomannan.
abstract: Mouth-to-cecum transit time was studied in 13 patients affected by chronic idiopathic constipation and 18 control subjects matched with the constipation group for age, sex, and dietary habits. In a preliminary investigation, all patients showed a prolonged whole gut (oroanal) transit time as measured with radiopaque markers. Mouth-to-cecum transit time was studied through the serial determination of breath H2 after administration of 12 g lactulose diluted in 120 ml water. Breath H2 was measured with a gas analyzer and was determined in parts per million (ppm). Breath H2 after lactulose was also determined in the group with constipation after a 10-day diet that included either glucomannan (1 g tid orally) or placebo administered in a double-blind manner. The results show a statistically significant increase in mouth-to-cecum transit time in the group with constipation, compared with controls, and a return to within the normal range after the 10-day treatment with glucomannan. With placebo, no difference in transit time was noted. We therefore suggest that chronic idiopathic constipation is a disease that involves the whole gut.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Fisiopatologia Medica, Universita' di Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marzio
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Del Bianco
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Donne
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Pieramico
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cuccurullo
mesh_terms: D001944:Breath Tests; D002432:Cecum / Q000503:physiopathology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003248:Constipation / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004435:Eating; D005260:Female; D005772:Gastrointestinal Transit; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008351:Mannans / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D004043:Dietary Fiber; D008351:Mannans