Manometric Study of Colonic Motor Activiity in Healthy Human

Kang, Dong Hoon; Song, Chi Wook; Choi, Jai Hyun; Hyun, Jin Hae

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The physiological mechanisms of the whole colon has not yet been established because the only available data comes chiefly from distal colonic segments, therefore the rnotor response of the whole colon to a rneal is still not fully understood. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the motor function of the whole colon and to investigate the proximal and distal colonic motor response to a meal in healthy subjects.
METHODS
Thirty one healthy volunteers were studied with a colonoscopically positioned multilumen manometric catheter and a low compliance infusion system. Recordings were obtained for 4 hours during fasting and for 4 hours after a standard mixed meal(810 Calory).
RESULTS
During fasting, motility was quite low and no significant differences between the proximal and the distal colon were observed. After a meal, motor activities increased in each segment significantly throughout the subsequent recording periods. Ascending and transverse colon had at first a sudden maxirnal increase and then a decrease. Whereas, the distal segments had a slower and more sustained increase in its activity. In 21 of 31 subjects, there were 48 isolated high propagated contractions(HAPCs) in each segments of the whole colon for 8 hours. The mean amplitude was recorded as being 127.3+26.7 mmHg, and the rnean duration was found to be 17.6 > 2.9 seconds, and the rnean velocity was 0.7+0.1 cm/sec. The peristaltic contractions were often felt as an urge to defecate or proceded defecation and this could represent the manometric equivalent of the mass movement in the colon.
CONCLUSIONS
Manometric measurement of the whole colon is a useful diagnostic method to directly evaluate the colonic motor function and may be used to study the pathophysiology of colonic motor funtion of patients with colonic motility disorders.