No abstract

Increased fecal pellet output that occurs during cold-restraint stress (CRS) was evaluated systematically. Free-feeding rats, which exhibit a reduced occurrence of gastric ulcers under these conditions, were studied. CRS significantly increased fecal pellet production and fluid content. However, the fecal output produced during CRS was not associated with increased gut secretory activity or somatic motor activity associated with cold restraint and did not occur in anesthetized animals. Cold and restraint stress were additive in producing increased fecal output. Significant dose-related decreases in fecal output were produced by drugs that decrease gut transit (i.e., B-HT 920, clonidine, Lomotil, loperamide, and lidamidine). Anticholinergic-antisecretory drugs, antidepressants, and tranquilizers had little effect on fecal output or fluid content. Changes in gastrointestinal transit did not contribute to the increased fecal output during CRS. Transit in the lower small intestine was not altered, but the cecum tended to empty more contents into the large intestine during CRS. Colonic transit was dramatically affected by CRS, which eliminated retrograde transit and produced the evacuation of the majority of colonic contents. The increased colonic transit produced by CRS was decreased in a dose-related fashion by hexamethonium, nifedipine, loperamide, and B-HT 920. In several time-response and drug-inhibition studies during CRS, both fecal pellet output and colonic transit were affected similarly. These data indicate that CRS appears to change central nervous system output to the colon and that it alters colonic smooth muscle motility in a manner that facilitates colonic transit and evacuation. Small intestinal transit is not involved in this phenomenon and is regulated differently during CRS.

No abstract

The physiology of intestinal electrolyte transport is currently an area of intense research interest. Also, reports regularly appear that define possible roles of various endocrine, paracrine, and neurohumoral substances in regulating intestinal ion and water flux. A vast body of knowledge has appeared recently that focuses on the action of specific intracellular mediators or second messengers and certain biochemical events that are thought to be involved in this transport process. This area of research has drawn the attention of the clinical investigator as well as the basic scientist because of the implications of these findings to the understanding of secretory disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, in particular diarrheal disease. The purpose of this review is to focus on recent findings reported in three major areas: the physiology of intestinal electrolyte transport and its regulation; the pathophysiology of secretory diarrhea; and current thoughts and practices in the therapeutic approach to the disease.

Canine experiments were designed to determine if both histamine H1 and H2 receptors are present in the renal circulation. Renal blood flow (RBF) increased steeply over the first minute of intra-arterial histamine infusion, then increased gradually to a plateau in 3--5 min. Infusion of either histamine + H2 antagonist or of H1 agonist produced the initial rapid increase in RBF, whereas infusion of either histamine + H1 antagonist or of H2 antagonist produced a slower but more sustained increase in RBF. Histamine significantly increased urine flow rate (V), chloride excretion, and glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Infusion of the H2 agonist also increased V and Cl excretion without affecting GFR. By contrast H1 agonist significantly reduced V and Cl excretion and tended to reduce GFR (P less than 0.1 greater than 0.05). Histamine, H1 agonist, and H2 agonist each increased inner cortical more than outer cortical blood flow. These data suggest that 1) H1 and H2 receptors are present in the renal vasculature, 2) changes in intrarenal blood flow distribution are not responsible for histamine-induced diuresis, and 3) H1 receptors are primarily postglomerular while H2 receptors exhibit both pre- and postglomerular distribution.