title: [Measurement of the intestinal clearance of alpha 1-antitrypsin and the exchangeable potassium pool in elderly patients treated with anthraquinone glycosides].
abstract: In order to check the long-term tolerance of a laxative treatment, the authors supervised during six months a group of 14 elderly people (12 women and 2 men) with a mean age of 81.3 years suffering from long-standing constipation without any organic cause. The laxative was given in a daily dosage corresponding to 20 mg of sennosides. Alpha 1-antitrypsin (alpha 1-AT) clearance and exchangeable potassium pool (PPE) were measured, at the beginning (T0), and at the end of the third (T3) and the sixth (T6) months of the study. No abnormal variation of intestinal protein loss (alpha 1-AT: T0, 6.74 +/- 3.16; T3, 2.96 +/- 1.35; T6, 4.15 +/- 1.45 ml/24 h; T0-T3; p less than 0.05, T0-T6, T3-T6: NS) and exchangeable potassium pool (PPE: T0, 19.54 +/- 2.55; T3, 20.29 +/- 3.46, T6, 23.56 +/- 4.92 mEq/kg; T0-T3, T0-T6, T3-T6: NS) was observed. In opposition to current views, all long-term laxative treatments do not necessarily induce significant intestinal protein and potassium losses.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000880:Anthraquinones / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002400:Cathartics / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003248:Constipation / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism*; D012676:Senna Extract; D000081226:Sennosides; D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000880:Anthraquinones; D002400:Cathartics; D000081226:Sennosides; D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin; D012676:Senna Extract; D011188:Potassium
vernacular_title: Mesure de la clairance intestinale de l'alpha 1-antitrypsine et du pool potassique échangeable chez des patients âgés, traités par des glucosides anthraquinoniques.