Distinctive motor responses to human acute salmonellosis in the jejunum and ileum

Given the differences that normally exist in jejunal and Heal motility patterns, we wished to determine whether these regions respond differently to acute enteric infections. In 10 patients with acute gastroenteritis induced by Salmonella infection and 12 healthy individuals jejunal and Heal motility was recorded at eight equidistant sites by a manometric system for 6 h during fasting. All were healthy individuals, but only three of 10 patients exhibited the cyclic inter digestive motor complex; 82 ± 9 min duration in healthy individuals (mean ± SE). In the jejenum, patients exhibited short bursts of intense activity (6.3 ± 1.6 bursts/subject in patients vs. 1.8 ± 0.5 in controls; P < 0.05); burst activity was scarce in the ileum. In contrast to healthy subjects, patients exhibited prolonged periods (64 ± 3 min duration) of Heal motor quiescence, that accounted for 32 ± 11% of recording time; such silent periods were not observed in the jejunum. Prolonged propagated ileal contractions were observed only in two healthy subjects, but in seven out of 10 patients. These data indicate that acute Salmonella infection magnifies the motor differences between the jejunum and the ileum; both regions generate aberrant and markedly different dysmotility patterns.