BACKGROUND: Measuring colonic transit time (CTT) by the radio-opaque marker method is simple, widely available and important for the diagnosis of slow transit constipation. Moreover, the effects of gender and menstrual cycle on CTT remain controversial. Thus, in this study, we examined the effects of gender and menstrual cycle on CTT in healthy subjects. METHODS: We measured CTT in 42 healthy subjects (21M, 21F) by using a radio-opaque marker, Kolomark (TM). Two simple abdominal radiographs were taken on the 4th and 7th days. Average daily intake of dietary fiber and menstrual history were surveyed. RESULTS: The mean CTT of the 42 healthy subjects was 26.5 +/- 19.4 hours. The mean CTT was not significantly different between the male and female subjects (22.3 +/- 16.1 h vs. 30.1 +/- 21.4 h, p> 0.05). However, the mean CTT of 11 female subjects in the luteal phase was significantly longer than that of 10 female subjects in the follicular phase (40.9 +/- 19.0 h vs. 20.6 +/- 19.2 h, p< 0.05). Serum progesterone level, age, BMI, and the average daily intake of dietary fiber did not correlate with CTT. CONCLUSION: The effects of the menstrual cycle should be considered in interpreting CTT in young women.
Adult ; Colon/*physiopathology/radiography ; Comparative Study ; Constipation/physiopathology/radiography ; Contrast Media ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Transit/*physiology ; Human ; Male ; Menstrual Cycle/*physiology ; Middle Aged ; Radiography, Abdominal ; Sex Factors ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

OBJECTIVETo investigated the involvement of pulmonary function impairment in ulcerative colitis (UC), to explore a scientific basis for the Chinese medicine (CM) theory of exterior-interior correlation between Lung (Fei) and Large intestine (Dachang).

METHODSTotally 120 patients with a diagnosis of UC were recruited and the demographics, clinical data, and blood samples were collected. C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) concentrations were measured. Every patient accepted pulmonary function test and took chest radiograph (CXR).> RESULTS: Pulmonary function abnormalities were present in 72 of 120 patients. The median (interquartile range) vital capacity (VC), forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV), carbon monoxide diffusion capacity (DL) of lung, total lung capacity (TLC) and functional residual volume (FRV) were decreased in distal UC and pancolitis compared with ulcerative prochitis (P <0.0005). Male patients had increased VC, FEV/FVC, and residual volume (RV)/TLC compared with female (P <0.0005), but decreased DLand carbon monoxide iffusion capacity (K) of lung/alveolar ventilation (P <0.0005). Age was strongly correlated with RV (Spearman rank correlation coefficient (rs)=-0.57,P <0.0001), and RV/TLC (rs=0.48,P<0.0001). Age was also correlated with FEV/FVC (rs=-0.29, P=0.001), forced expiratory flow in 75% vital capacity (FEF75%, rs=-0.20, P=0.03), DL(rs=-0.21, P=0.02), TLC (rs=-0.25, P=0.006), and FRV (rs=-0.28, P=0.002). The course of disease was correlated with FEF75% (rs=-0.18, P=0.049) and K(rs=-0.19, P=0.036). Chest radiograph abnormalities were presented in 38 of 120. Pulmonary symptoms were presented in 10 of 120. Other extraintestinal complications were presented in 21 of 120.

CONCLUSIONSPulmonary function impairment was more frequently than other extraintestinal complications in UC patients, which may be affected by sex, age, extent and course of disease. These results may be a scientific basis for the theory of exterior-interior correlation between Lung and Large intestine.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Age of Onset ; Aged ; Colitis, Ulcerative ; complications ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Colon ; pathology ; Demography ; Female ; Humans ; Inflammation ; complications ; pathology ; Lung ; diagnostic imaging ; physiopathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Young Adult