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Sigmoid Afferent Mechanisms in Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome

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Abstract

Up to 60% of patients with IBS have loweredperception thresholds in the rectum to balloondistension. The current study sought to test thehypothesis that IBS patients with normal perceptionthresholds in the rectum show hypersensitivity of afferentpathways in the sigmoid colon. Eleven healthy normalsubjects and eight IBS patients with normal rectalperception thresholds underwent a balloon distension protocol in the sigmoid and rectum. Discomfortthresholds, receptive relaxation, compliance, andreferral patterns were measured. Although IBS patientshad significantly lower discomfort thresholds in the sigmoid when measured as volume, pressure, andwall tension, thresholds were similar to normals.Receptive relaxation and dynamic compliance weresignificantly decreased in IBS patients in the sigmoid. Referral patterns were similar during sigmoiddistention in IBS patients in comparison to normals.Despite normal perception thresholds in rectum andsigmoid, IBS patients show evidence for alterations in rectosigmoid afferent mechanisms. In thesigmoid, this is seen in the form of reduced reflexrelaxation and compliance and in the rectum in the formof altered viscerosomatic referral.

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Authors
  1. T. Lembo
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  2. J. Munakata
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  3. B. Naliboff
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  4. S. Fullerton
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  5. E. A. Mayer
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Lembo, T., Munakata, J., Naliboff, B. et al. Sigmoid Afferent Mechanisms in Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Dig Dis Sci 42, 1112–1120 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018817132213

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018817132213

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