Whole-gut transit time

Patients with anxiety and depression often have bowel symptoms. Gorad et al. compared 21 psychiatric outpatients with generalized anxiety disorders and depression with an equal number of healthy controls. Whole-gut transit time (WGTT) was measured using abdominal radiography after ingestion of radioopaque markers, and found to be shorter in patients with anxiety (mean 14 h ... 

The first observation in this field was made by Heaton et al In normal-weight women with gallstones but no other obvious risk factors, the Bristol investigators found that, compared with age- and sex-matched controls, the gallstone carriers had almost a 20-h longer whole gut transit time. Despite this, their mean faecal wet weight was only half that of the controls. Put another way, the women with gallstones had slow transit constipation. 

Waller, P. A., Gopal, P. K., Leyer, G. J., Ouwehand, A. C., Reifer, C., Stewart, M. E., et al. (2011). Dose-response effect of Bifidobacterium lactis HN019 on whole gut transit time and functional gastrointestinal symptoms in adults. Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology, 46, 1057-1064. 

Faster whole gut transit time At high dose No Yes... 

Oral administration to rats of DDT in solution in three oils of different chemical composition was found to yield significantly different plasma-concentration time curves (see Table 8.9). Emulsification of the oils with 6 % v/v Tween 80 had different effects on both the rate and extent of absorption and was dependent upon the nature of the oil. The effect of each oil on the total gut transit time of a co-administered "Tc-sulphur colloid was investigated. The time taken for 50 % of the marker to be excreted was determined from faecal recoveries and whole body gamma scintigraphy. The sulphur colloid was most rapidly cleared in the presence of liquid paraffin (r5o . = 9.8 3.6h). There was no significant difference in the total transit times in the presence of Miglyol 812 ( 50% = 15.5 2.0h) and arachis oil (tso% = 14.1 1.1 h). Therefore, the differences in DDT absorption may only be explained in part by the effect of oils on total gut transit time. 

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