LOCAL HEMODYNAMICS IN THE HUMAN LARGE INTESTINE

Abstract

Laser Doppler velocimetry was applied through a colonoscope to investigate the local microcirculation of the large intestine in normal subjects, ulcerative colitis patients and liver cirrhosis patients. In normal subjects (47 cases), laser Doppler flow (LDF) of the rectum was significantly (p <0.001) lower compared with LDF of the colon and cecum. In ulcerative colitis patients (13 cases, 23 times), LDF of the rectum was significantly higher in active stage compared with remission stage (p <0.01) and normal subjects (p <0.05). There was no difference in LDF of the rectum between ulcerative colitis patients in remission and normal subjects. These results coincided with the results obtained by hydrogen clearance method. In liver cirrhosis patients (9 cases), LDF of the sigmoid colon and rectum was significantly lower compared with normal subjects. It is suggested that measurement of local blood flow in the large intestine could be a good method for studying the pathophysiology of the large intestine under various disease conditions.