Increased cell loss in the human jejunum induced by laxatives (ricinoleic acid, dioctyl sodium sulphosuccinate, magnesium sulphate, bile salts).

Two conjugated bile salts (10 mmol/l sodium glycocholate, 10 mmol/l sodium taurodeoxycholate) and three laxatives (30 mmol/l magnesium sulphate, 10 mmol/l ricinoleic acid, 2 mmol/l dioctyl sodium sulphosuccinate) were tested on seven subjects with no intestinal lesions in 14 experiments by intestinal perfusion of the jejunum. A 25 cm segment was studied. Each solution was perfused at the rate of 10 ml/min. Water and electrolyte fluxes, losses of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), and intestinal cell enzyme activity were measured in the fluids collected. All the laxatives and bile salts tested (except sodium glycocholate) induced water and electrolyte secretion, a rise in intraluminal DNA loss, and enzyme activity. It was possible to establish a significant correlation (p less than 0.001) between the amounts of water fluxes and DNA loss under the effect of dioctyl sodium sulphosuccinate and ricinoleic acid.