BACKGROUND: @entity842 (NO) produced in excess by the inflamed @entity1 colon is generally considered a pathway of @entity16 . In an attempt to quantify colonic mucosal production of NO in various forms of @entity1960 we performed 'steady-state' gas perfusion of whole colon in 11 @entity1 with @entity31 , 10 @entity1 with @entity4143 and 20 controls with uninflamed mucosa. METHODS: The tip of a Teflon tube was placed in the caecum during colonoscopy. Subsequently, @entity3503 was infused at a constant rate for 70-180 min. @entity3503 and NO in gas sampled from the rectum were measured by neutron activation analysis and the chemiluminescence technique, respectively. RESULTS: The use of @entity3503 as a marker of colonic NO output was justified by complete recovery (96%+/-2; mean +/- s(x); n = 5) of @entity3503 in gas collected from the rectum and a constant output of NO at varying perfusion rates (25, 50 and 75 ml/min coefficient of variation 21%; n = 6). In @entity1 with @entity31 , colonic output of NO was 10-fold higher (P < 0.001) than in controls and positively correlated (P < 0.01) to indices of disease activity. In @entity1 with @entity4143 , colonic output of NO was 50-fold higher (P < 0.01) than in controls during periods with watery @entity294 (n = 6), but within the range observed in @entity31 in the absence of @entity294 (n = 4). CONCLUSIONS: @entity3503 gas perfusion of whole colon using chemiluminescence technique for measurement of NO is a reliable method for quantification of colonic mucosal NO production. Increased colonic production of NO in @entity4143 , which exceeds the output observed even in extensive @entity31 , militates against the theory that NO per se is a cause of @entity3137 .

Colonic production of XXXX gas in @entity31 , @entity4143 and uninflamed bowel.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['human', 'patients'] @entity16 :: ('MESH:D009422', 'Disease') :: ['mucosal damage'] @entity31 :: ('MESH:D003093', 'Disease') :: ['ulcerative colitis'] @entity294 :: ('MESH:D003967', 'Disease') :: ['diarrhoea'] @entity1960 :: ('MESH:D003092', 'Disease') :: ['colitis'] @entity842 :: ('MESH:D009569', 'Chemical') :: ['Nitric oxide'] @entity3137 :: ('MESH:D009059', 'Disease') :: ['mucosal injury'] @entity4143 :: ('MESH:D046729', 'Disease') :: ['collagenous colitis'] @entity3503 :: ('MESH:D001128', 'Chemical') :: ['argon', 'Argon']
@entity842 :: (MESH:D009569,Chemical) :: ['nitric oxide']
