Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 17, 2026
Real-time Measurement of Epithelial Barrier Permeability in Human Intestinal Organoids
Published on: December 18, 2017
The duration of enzyme induction in orocaecal transit time measurements
11Research Laboratory Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Children's Hospital, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany. klaus-dieter.wutzke@med.uni-rostock.de
Objective:
In this study, the duration of enzyme induction provoked by unlabelled lactose ureide (LU) in orocaecal transit time (OCTT) measurements with lactose-[(13)C]ureide ((13)C-LU) was evaluated.
Design:
Experimental study.
Setting:
University of Rostock, Children's Hospital, Research Laboratory.
Subjects:
Fifteen healthy adults aged 19-54 years.
Intervention:
One-half gram of (13)C-LU was administered together with a continental breakfast. After 1 week, the test was repeated after pre-dosing of 5 x 100 mg LU on the day before the study began. The (13)C-LU ingestion was repeated under identical conditions but without pre-dosing 1 and 3 weeks after pre-dosing. Expired air samples were taken over 14 h. (13)CO(2)-enrichment was measured by isotope ratio mass spectrometry (SerCon, Crewe, UK). The OCTT was calculated from the interval between (13)C-LU administration and the detection of a significant and sustained (13)C-rise of 2 delta over baseline in breath.
Results:
Without pre-dosing, an OCTT of 419+/-82 min was measured. The pre-dosing resulted in higher (13)C-enrichments and caused a significant OCTT shortening of 311+/-99 min (P=0.028). One and 3 weeks after pre-dosing, the measured OCTT again increased to 404+/-124 and 379+/-103 min, respectively.
Conclusions:
Pre-dosing with LU before pulse labelling with (13)C-LU led to an induction of enzyme activity and resulted in a definitive estimation of the OCTT when using a threshold of 2 delta over baseline. After 1 and 3 weeks, respectively, the OCTT was no longer significantly different to those without pre-dosing, indicating the disappearance of enzyme induction. Therefore, a pre-dosing with LU on the day before (13)C-LU ingestion is essential for OCTT measurements.
