AJP - Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology, Vol 260, Issue 5 752-G757, Copyright © 1991 by American Physiological Society
Site and substrates for methane production in human colon
B. Flourie, P. Pellier, C. Florent, P. Marteau, P. Pochart and J. C. Rambaud
Unite de Recherches sur les Fonctions Intestinales et la Nutrition, Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale Unite 290, Paris, France.
On two occasions separated by seven days, 22 g mucin (hog gastric mucin)
was infused into right and left colon of 12 healthy volunteers (6 CH4
producers and 6 non-producers) maintained on a controlled diet. In the six
CH4 producers, excess volumes of H2 excreted in breath were 73.4 +/- 11.9
and 35.1 +/- 14.1 (SE) ml/8 h (P less than 0.05) in response to right and
left colonic infusion of mucin, respectively; excess volumes of CH4 were,
respectively, 6.7 +/- 1.7 and 38.9 +/- 11.1 ml/8 h (P less than 0.05). In
the six CH4 nonproducers, excess volumes of H2 excreted in breath were 76.6
+/- 17.6 and 30.8 +/- 6.3 ml/8 h (P less than 0.02) in response to right
and left colonic infusion of mucin, respectively; excess volumes of CH4
were, respectively, 0.0 +/- 0.0 and 0.1 +/- 0.1 ml/8 h (not significant).
In a further experiment, 17 healthy volunteers (10 CH4 producers and 7
nonproducers) were given on 2 consecutive days an oral load and an enema of
10 g lactulose. In the 10 CH4 producers, excess volumes of H2 excreted in
breath were 74.6 +/- 15.1 and 32.3 +/- 11.5 ml/6 h (P less than 0.001) in
response to oral ingestion and lactulose enema, respectively; excess
volumes of CH4 were, respectively, 7.7 +/- 3.0 and 38.2 +/- 7.2 ml/6 h (P
less than 0.001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
