[Effects of corticoids, 5-aminosalycilic acid and sucralfate on the potential difference of the rectum in inflammatory colitis in man].

Glucocorticoids are able to increase ionic transport across the rectal mucosa and improve the potential difference (PD) which is known to be decreased in inflammatory bowel diseases in man. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of therapeutic enemas or parenteral drugs used in the treatment of inflammatory colitis, by means of rectal PD variations. Seventeen patients (10 women, 7 men, mean age 47 +/- 16 years) with chronic colitis and rectal involvement were studied (ulcerative colitis: n = 12, Crohn's disease n = 4, radiation proctocolitis : n = 1). In each patient, mean PD basal value was measured before treatment for 30 min; a few days later PD measurements were performed 5 h after either intravenous administration of hydrocortisone (HC i.v.: 100 mg) or local administration of therapeutic enemas: 5-aminosalicylate acid (5-ASA: 4 g), hydrocortisone (HC L: 100 mg) or sucralfate (S: 1 g). Statistical analysis used Student's T test for paired or unpaired data, the Mann-Whitney U or Wilcoxon test. PD increased from: - 30.7 mV to - 45.6 mV after HC i.v. (p less than 0.001), - 31.8 mV to - 48.7 mV after HC L (p = 0.01), - 29.8 mV to - 39.8 mV after 5-ASA (p less than 0.01) and - 20.6 mV to - 24.9 mV after sucralfate (NS) respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)