Effect of dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate on colonic fluid and electrolyte movement.

These studies evaluated the effect of dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate (DSS), a detergent and the active ingredient of some commercially available stool softeners, on intestinal fluid and electrolyte movement. DSS produced water, sodium and chloride secretion into the in vivo rat cecum. This secretion readily reverted to net absorption following replacement of DSS by isotonic saline. In in vitro studies, DSS increased the short circuit current and diminished sodium absorption. The increase in short circuit current was not observed either when HCO3 and chloride were absent from the incubation solution or when theophylline was present. DSS also significantly increased mucosal cyclic adenosine monophosphate levels. These results which are similar to previous studies of the effect of cholera enterotoxin on ileal mucosa and bile salts on colonic mucosa are consistent with the proposal that DSS stimulates fluid and electrolyte secretion which is mediated by increased mucosal cyclic adenosine 3':5' monophosphate.