Abstract
Laxatives are among the drugs widely used without prescription. Warnings of their side effects are frequent. Such warnings, however, can hardly be supported by data as long as medication with recommended doses is concerned. This chapter reviews the literature on laxative damage to the colon. However, other side effects are also mentioned.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Avery Jones, F (1967) Cathartic colon. Proc R Soc Med 60: 503–550
Badiali, MD, Marcheggiano, A, Pallone, F, Paoluzi, P, Bausano G, Iannoni, C, Materia, E, Anzini, F, Corazziari, E (1985) Melanosis of the rectum in patients with chronic constipation. Dis Colon Rectum 28: 241–245
Balasz, M (1986) Melanosis coli. Ultrastructural study of 45 patients. Dis Colon Rectum 29: 839–844
Beubler, E (1985) Influence of chronic bisacodyl treatment on the effect of acute bisacodyl on water and electrolyte transport in the rat colon. J Pharm Pharmacol 37: 131–133
Bockus, HL, Williard, JH, Bank, J (1933) Melanosis coli. The etiologic significance of the anthracene laxatives. A report of forty-one cases. JAMA 101: 1–6
Bo-Linn, GW, Santa Ana, CA, Morawsky, SW, Fordtran, JS (1983) Purging and calorie absorption in bulimic patients and normal women. Ann Intern Med 99: 14–17
Brunton, LL (1990) Agents affecting gastrointestinal water flux and motility, digestants, and bile acids. In: Goodman Gilman, A, Rall, TW, Nies, AS, Taylor, P (eds) The pharmacological basis of therapeutics, 8th edn. Pergamon, New York pp 914–932
Bytzer, P, Stokholm, M, Andersen, I, Klitgaard, NA, Schaffalitzky, DE, Muckadell, OB (1989) Prevalence of surreptitious laxative abuse in patients with diarrhoea of uncertain origin: a cost benefit analysis of a screening procedure. Gut 30: 1379–1384
Campbell, WL (1983) Cathartic colon. Reversibility of roentgen changes. Dis Colon Rectum 26: 445–448
Diller, WF (1965) Röntgenologische Aspekte des “Abführmittelcolons.” Dtsch Med Wochenschr 90: 478–483
Dobb, GJ, Edis, RH (1984) Coma and neuropathy after ingestion of herbal laxative containing podophyllin. Med J Aust 140: 495–496
Dufour, P, Gendre, P. (1984) Ultrastructure of mouse intestinal mucosa and changes observed after long-term anthraquinone administration. Gut 15: 1358–1363
Franken, FH, Wiechers, B (1975) Melanosis coli. Leber Magen Darm 5, 269–271
Geboes, K, Bossaert, H (1980) Cathartic colon — two case reports. Am J Proc-tol 31: 21–24
Ghadially, FN, Parry, EW (1966) An electron-microscope and histochemical study of melanosis coli. J Path Bact 92: 313–317
Göbel, D (1978) Melanosis coli. Med Klin 73: 519–523
Hall, M, Eusebi, V (1978) Yellow-brown spindle bodies in mesenteric lymph nodes: a possible relationship with melanosis coli. Histopathology 2: 47–52
Haward, LRC, Hughes-Roberts, HE (1962) The treatment of constipation in mental hospitals. Gut 3: 85–90
Heilbrun, N (1943) Roentgen evidence suggesting enterocolitis associated with prolonged cathartic abuse. Radiology 41: 486–491
Heilbrun, N, Bernstein, C (1955) Roentgen abnormalities of the large and small intestine associated with prolonged carthagic ingestion. Radiology 65: 549–556
Heinicke, EA, Kiernan, JA (1990) Resistance of myenteric neurons in the rat colon to depletion by 1,8-dihydroxyanthraquinone. J Pharm Pharmacol 42: 123–125
Heiny, BM (1976) Langzeitbehandlung mit einem pflanzlichen Laxativum. Se-rumelektrolyte und Säurenbasenhaushalt. Ärztliche Praxis 28: 563–564
Jewell, FC, Kline, JR (1954) The purged colon. Radiology 62: 368–370
Kiernan, JA, Heinicke, EH (1989) Sennosides do not kill myenteric neurons in the colon of the rat or mouse. Neuroscience 30: 837–842
Kim, SK, Gerle, RD, Rozanski, R (1978) Cathargic colitis. Am J Roentgenol 131: 1079–1081
Kinnunen, O, Salokannel, J (1987) Constipation in elderly long-stay patients: its treatment by magnesium hydroxyde and bulk laxative. Ann Clin Res 19: 321–323
Klück, P, ten Kate, FJW, Schouten, WR, Bartels, KCM, Tibboel, D, van der Kamp, AWM, Molenaar, JC, van Blankenstein, M (1987) Efficacy of antibody NF2F11 staining in the investigation of severe long-standing constipation. Gastroenterology 93: 872–875
Koskela, E, Kulju, T, Collan, Y (1989) Prevalence, distribution, and histologic features in 200 consecutive autopsies at Kuopio University Central Hospital. Dis Colon Rectum 32: 235–239
Krishnamurthy, S, Schuffler, MD, Rohrmann, CA, Pope, CE (1985) Severe idiopathic constipation is associated with a distinctive abnormality of the colonic myenteric plexus. Gastroenterol 88: 26–34
Lemaitre, G, L’Herminé, C, Decoulx, M, Houcke, M, Linquette, M (1970) Aspect radiologique des colites chroniques par abus de laxatifs à propos de quatre observations. J Belge Radiologie 53: 339–345
Meisel, JL, Bergman, D, Graney, D, Saunders, DR, Rubin, CE (1977) Human rectal mucosa: proctoscopic and morphological changes caused by laxatives. Gastroenterol 72: 1274–1279
Müller-Lissner, SA, Bavarian Constipation Study Group (1987) Treatment of chronic constipation with cisapride and placebo. Gut 28: 1033–1038
Müller-Lissner, SA (1992) Nebenwirkungen von Laxantien. Z Gastroenterol 30: 418–427
Odenthal, KP, Ziegler, D (1988) In vitro effects of anthraquinones on rat intestine and uterus. Pharmacology 36: 57–65
Park, C, Cho, NH, Jeong, HJ (1990) Histochemical and immunohistochemical comparison of the pigments of melanosis coli and Dubin-Johnson syndrome. Yonsei Med J 31:27–32
Plum, GE, Weber, HM, Sauer, WG (1960) Prolonged cathartic abuse resulting in roentgen evidence suggestive of enterocolitis. Am J Roentgenol 83: 919–925
Plumley, PF (1973) Radical surgery in the treatment of carthatic colon. Proc R Soc Med 66: 243–244
Ralevic, V, Hoyle, CHV, Burnstock, G (1990) Effects of long-term laxative treatment on rat mesenteric resistance vessel responses in vitro. Gastroenterol 99: 1352–1357
Read, NW, Krejs, GJ, Read, MG (1980) Chronic diarrhea of unknown origin. Gastroenterol 78: 264–271
Riecken, EO, Zeitz, M, Emde, C, Hopert, R, Witzel, L, Hintze, R, Marsch-Ziegler, U, Vester, JC (1990) The effect of an anthraquinone laxative on colonic nerve tissue: a controlled trial in constipated women. Z Gastroenterol 28: 660–664
Riemann, JF, Schenk, J, Ehler, R, Schmidt, H, Koch, H (1978) Ultrastructural changes of colonic mucosa in patients with chronic laxative misuse. Acta Hepato-Gastroenterol 25: 213–218
Riemann, JF, Schmidt, H, Zimmermann, W (1980) The fine structure of colonic submucosal nerves in patients with chronic laxative abuse. Scand J Gastroent 15: 761–768
Rosprich, G, Dauerbehandlung mit Laxantien (1980) Therapiewoche 30: 5836–5837
Rudolph, RL, Mengs, U (1988) Electron microscopical studies on rat intestine after long-term treatment with sennosides. Pharmacology 36 (Suppl 1): 188–193
Russel, NJ, Royland, JE, McCawley, EL (1980) Danthron induced melanosis coli in guinea pig. Proc West Pharmacol Soc 23: 277–280
Schmidt, H, Riemann, JF, Rödi, W (1983) Megakolon nach langährigem Laxan-tienabusus. Med Klin Prax 78: 62/64/76
Shelton, MG (1980) Standardized senna in the management of constipation in the puerperium. S Afr Med J 57: 78–80
Smith, B (1969) Effect of irritant purgatives on the myenteric plexus in man and the mouse. Gut 9: 139–143
Smith, B (1973) Pathologic changes in the colon produced by anthraquinone purgatives. Dis Colon Rectum 16: 465–468
Speare, GS (1951) Melanosi coli. Experimental observations on its production and elimination in twenty-tree cases. Am J Surg 82: 631–637
Spiessens, C, De Witte, D, Geboes, K, Lemli, J (1991) Experimental inductium of pseudomelanosis coli by anthromoid laxatives monanthronoid laxatives. Phar-maceut Pharmacol Lett 1: 3–6
Steer, HW, Colin-Jones, DG (1975) Melanosis coli: studies of the toxic effects of irritant purgatives. J Path 115: 199–205
Urso, FP, Urso, MJ, Lee, CH (1975) The cathartic colon: pathological findings and radiological/pathological correlation. Radiology 116: 557–560
Vogel, A, Fabricius, W, Dulce, HJ, Stolpmann, HJ (1969) Zur Struktur und Herkunft des Pigmentes bei der Melanosis coli. Virchows Arch Abt A Path Anat 346: 74–88
Walker, NI, Bennet, RE, Axelsen, RA (1988) A consequence of anthraquinone-induced apoptosis of colonic epithelial cells. Amer J Pathology 131: 465–476
Wittoesch, JH, Jackman, RJ, McDonald, JR (1958) Melanosis coli: general review and a study of 887 cases. Dis Colon Rectum 1: 172–180
Wolcott L (1963) Laxation in patients with chronic disease utilizing bisacodyl. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 44: 375–377
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1993 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this paper
Cite this paper
Müller-Lissner, S. (1993). Laxative-Induced Damage to the Colon. In: Drug-Induced Injury to the Digestive System. Springer, Milano. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-2220-1_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-2220-1_9
Publisher Name: Springer, Milano
Print ISBN: 978-88-470-2222-5
Online ISBN: 978-88-470-2220-1
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive