Objectives: It has been claimed that recognizable organized sensory nerve endings could not be detected in the rectal wall. Hence the identification of cold receptors sensitive to cold temperature in the rectal wall has so far not been reported in the literature. We investigated the hypothesis that rectal cooling effected an increase of the rectal tone. Methods: Twenty-eight healthy volunteers (18 men, 10 women, age 26–50 years) were studied. The rectal wall tone was assessed by the barostat system during infusion of normal saline at 30°C and at 4°C. The test was repeated after rectal anesthetization with lidocaine. Results: The rectal tone on rectal saline infusion showed no response at a temperature of 30°C, and asignificant increase (p < 0.05) at 4°C. The latency measured by the switch-inflation apparatus recorded a mean of 15.3 ± 1.2 ms. Iced saline infusion into the anesthetized rectum effected no significant change in the rectal tone. Conclusions: The current study has demonstrated that rectal infusion of iced saline produced an increase of the rectal tone. This effect is suggested to be a reflex and mediated through the ‘rectal cooling reflex’. The reflex is suggested to act as an investigative tool in the diagnosis of rectal motile disorders provided further studies are performed.

This content is only available via PDF.
Copyright / Drug Dosage / Disclaimer
Copyright: All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be translated into other languages, reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, microcopying, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Drug Dosage: The authors and the publisher have exerted every effort to ensure that drug selection and dosage set forth in this text are in accord with current recommendations and practice at the time of publication. However, in view of ongoing research, changes in government regulations, and the constant flow of information relating to drug therapy and drug reactions, the reader is urged to check the package insert for each drug for any changes in indications and dosage and for added warnings and precautions. This is particularly important when the recommended agent is a new and/or infrequently employed drug.
Disclaimer: The statements, opinions and data contained in this publication are solely those of the individual authors and contributors and not of the publishers and the editor(s). The appearance of advertisements or/and product references in the publication is not a warranty, endorsement, or approval of the products or services advertised or of their effectiveness, quality or safety. The publisher and the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to persons or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content or advertisements.
You do not currently have access to this content.