title: In vitro motor patterns and electrophysiological changes in patients with colonic diverticular disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The underlying mechanism responsible for motility changes in colonic diverticular disease (DD) is still unknown. In the present study, our aim was to investigate the structural and in vitro motor changes in the sigmoid colon of patients with DD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Muscle bath, microelectrodes and immunohistochemical techniques were performed with samples obtained from the left and sigmoid colon of patients with DD and compared with those of patients without DD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The amplitude and area under the curve of the spontaneous rhythmic phasic contractions were greatly reduced in patients with DD whereas their frequency and tone remained unaltered. Electrical field stimulation induced a neurally mediated, enhanced ON-contraction (amplitude) in patients with DD and increased the duration of latency of OFF-contractions. The resting membrane potential of smooth muscle cells was hyperpolarized and the amplitude of the inhibitory junction potential was increased in patients with DD. In contrast, no significant histological differences were observed in patients with DD as smooth muscle (circular and longitudinal layers), interstitial cells of Cajal, glial cells and myenteric neurons densities remained unaltered.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sigmoid strips from patients with asymptomatic DD showed an altered motor pattern with reduced spontaneous motility and enhanced neurally mediated colonic responses involving both excitatory and inhibitory motor pathways. No major neural and muscular structural elements were detected at this stage of the disease. These findings could be valuable in understanding the pathophysiology of this prevalent digestive disease.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (Ciberehd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III. Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gallego
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Espín
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mikulka
authors.forename: Ondřej
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Šmirg
authors.forename: Víctor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gil
authors.forename: Marcos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Faundez-Zanuy
authors.forename: Marcel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jiménez
authors.forename: Pere
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Clavé
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D043963:Diverticulosis, Colonic / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D055724:Electrophysiological Phenomena; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D009197:Myenteric Plexus / Q000503:physiopathology