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Long-term mucosal alterations by sennosides and related compounds

P Dufour1, P Gendre

  • 1Department of Pharmacology, University of Bordeaux II, School of Pharmacy, France.

Pharmacology
|January 1, 1988
PubMed

Insights

Sennosides show good intestinal tolerance in long-term studies. Unlike related compounds, sennosides did not cause significant histological or ultrastructural damage to the mouse jejunum and colon.

Area of Science:

  • Gastroenterology
  • Toxicology
  • Histopathology

Background:

  • Prolonged ingestion of sennosides and related compounds is suspected to cause severe cell poisoning.
  • Previous studies on laxative misuse reported conflicting findings regarding myenteric plexus and colonic epithelium injuries.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the long-term effects of sennosides on intestinal mucosa.
  • To compare the intestinal toxicity of sennosides with a synthetic anthracene derivative (1,8-dihydroxyanthraquinone).

Main Methods:

  • Histological and ultrastructural examination of mouse jejunum and colon after long-term sennoside ingestion.
  • Comparative analysis of sennoside and 1,8-dihydroxyanthraquinone effects using electron microscopy.

Main Results:

  • No intestinal mucosa injury was observed in mice after long-term sennoside ingestion in the initial study.
  • Electron microscopy revealed nervous myenteric plexus abnormalities exclusively in animals treated with 1,8-dihydroxyanthraquinone, not sennosides.

Conclusions:

  • Sennosides demonstrate good intestinal mucosa tolerance.
  • Aglycosidic-related compounds, such as 1,8-dihydroxyanthraquinone, may pose a higher risk of intestinal damage.

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