Effects of an osmotically active agent on colonic transit

  It is unknown if sorbitol, a widely used laxative agent, accelerates colonic transit, and if these effects are modified by concomitant meal ingestion. Colonic transit was assessed by 111 In scintigraphy in 40 healthy subjects. After a 24‐h scan, subjects received sorbitol (30 mL of 70% solution) or dextrose (30 mL of 70% solution), administered with or without a meal. Colonic transit, breath hydrogen excretion, and symptom scores were recorded for 4 h thereafter. VAS scores for flatulence, but not other symptoms increased ( P  = 0.004) by 13.1 ± 6.3 mm (mean ± SEM) on a 100 mm scale after sorbitol alone or sorbitol with a meal (by 18.9 ± 7.2 mm), but not after dextrose. After adjusting for GC 24 , sorbitol accelerated ( P  < 0.001) colonic transit (GC 28  = 3.0 ± 0.3) compared with dextrose (GC 28  = 2.2 ± 0.2), regardless of meal ingestion. Breath hydrogen excretion was correlated with the change in colonic transit (r = 0.52, P < 0.01) and with flatulence (r = 0.45, P  = 0.003) after sugar ingestion. In healthy subjects, sorbitol accelerated colonic transit and increased flatulence but not other symptoms within 4 h, regardless of meal intake.