Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT00911612

Does Welchol (Colesevelam Hydrochloride) Improve Colonic Transit in Diarrhea-predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome (D-IBS)?

Our hypothesis is that the medication approved for treatment of high blood cholesterol levels, Colesevelam HCl (WELCHOL), decreases colonic transit and permeability in patients with diarrhea due to irritable bowel syndrome.

This effect is thought to result from the effect of the medication on bile acids, which can cause diarrhea.

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Irritable Bowel Syndrome Colonic Diseases Colonic Diseases, Functional Diarrhea Digestive System Diseases Gastrointestinal Diseases Intestinal Diseases Malabsorption Syndromes Metabolic Diseases Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms, Digestive

Age range

18 year–65 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Phase 2

Primary location

Mayo Clinic

Rochester, Minnesota, 55905, United States

About this study

Background:

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) affects about 15% of the U.S. population, about 5% having predominant diarrhea; current treatment is suboptimal as it may not be tolerated, lead to side effects or insufficient benefit. Bile acid malabsorption (BAM) is recognized as a cause of chronic diarrhea and has been investigated as a mechanism for the phenotype of diarrhea predominant IBS (D-IBS). Increased exposure of the colon to bile acids which may result from accelerated small bowel transit or abnormal function of the apical sodium bile acid transporter (ASBT) has been postulated to cause functional diarrhea or symptoms of D-IBS by a number of mechanisms, such as increase colonic secretion, and mucosal permeability. Recent preliminary data suggest that doses of chenodeoxycholate (CDC) that are approved for the dissolution of gall stones are associated with accelerated colonic emptying and looser stool consistency.

Hypothesis:

The bile acid binding agent, Colesevelam HCl, decreases colonic transit and permeability in patients with D-IBS.

Specific Aim:

To investigate the effect of Colesevelam, which binds bile acids in the small intestine and reduces the concentration of bile acids in the colon, on colonic transit, permeability and the bowel function of patients with D-IBS.

Methods:

Twenty-four D-IBS participants will be randomized to placebo or treatment with Welchol (Colesevelam HCL) 1.875 gram b.i.d. for 12-14 days. A baseline colon transit, 24 hour urine for colon permeability, and blood for serum 7 alpha-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one (7 alpha-HCO) will be measured and venous blood DNA will be collected and stored. The measurement of serum 7 alpha-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one (7 alpha-HCO), which is a measurement of hepatic cholesterol synthesis, is closely related to the fecal loss of bile acids, and is a validated method for screening for BAM. Following treatment for 12 days, transit and permeability studies will be repeated. Bowel function symptoms will be recorded for the duration of the study.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Patients with D-IBS
  • Aged 18-65 years
  • No abdominal surgery (except appendectomy or cholecystectomy as long as patients IBS-diarrhea symptoms preceded the cholecystectomy

Exclusion criteria

  • Participants with known chronic liver disease or Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) or Alanine transaminase (ALT) > 2.0 X upper limit of normal
  • Hypertriglyceridemia and pancreatitis by history
  • Diabetes or hypoglycemia
  • Significant coagulation disorder
  • History of bowel obstruction
  • Serum triglycerides >500 mg/dL
  • History of vitamin A, D, E, or K deficiencies

Treatment and study plan

Colesevelam

Drug

Welchol (Colesevelam HCL) 1.875 gram twice daily for 12-14 days

Other names: Welchol

Placebo

Drug

Inert capsule matching the study drug, given twice daily

Primary outcomes

  1. Colonic Transit, Geometric Center at 24 Hours

    Time frame: After 12-14 days treatment

    The scintigraphic method is used to measure colonic transit. An isotope is adsorbed on activated charcoal particles and delivered to the colon in a delayed release capsule. Anterior and posterior gamma images are taken hourly. The geometric center (GC) is the weighted average of counts in the different colonic regions. The scale ranges from 1 to 5; a high GC implies faster colonic transit. A GC of 1 implies all isotope is in the ascending colon, and a GC of 5 implies all isotope is in the stool.

  2. Ascending Colon Emptying T1/2

    Time frame: After 12-14 days' treatment

    The half time for the ascending colon emptying (T1/2) was measured by the scintigraphic method. An isotope is adsorbed on activated charcoal particles and delivered to the colon in a delayed release capsule that is swallowed by the subject. Anterior and posterior gamma images are taken hourly. From the hourly scans, a time-activity curve is plotted using linear interpolation between time points when content was measured. The time taken to empty 50% of the isotope from the ascending colon is read from this time-activity curve.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Colonic Permeability as Measured by Cumulative Urinary Excretion of Mannitol 8-24 Hours

    Time frame: after 12-14 days' treatment

    Colonic permeability is measured through differential excretion of urine saccharides. The subject ingests a methacrylate-coated capsule that contains saccharides (mannitol 1g and lactulose 5 g powder). The capsule provides a means to protect the sugars from absorption, until the sugars are delivered to the colon by means of a standard delayed release capsule. The value reported is the mean for each arm of the total amount of mannitol excreted over the 8-24 hour time period.

  2. Colonic Transit, Geometric Center at 48 Hours

    Time frame: After 12-14 days' treatment

    The scintigraphic method is used to measure colonic transit. An isotope is adsorbed on activated charcoal particles and delivered to the colon in a delayed release capsule. Anterior and posterior gamma images are taken hourly. The geometric center (GC) is the weighted average of counts in the different colonic regions. The scale ranges from 1 to 5; a high GC implies faster colonic transit. A GC of 1 implies all isotope is in the ascending colon, and a GC of 5 implies all isotope is in the stool.

  3. Stool Consistency

    Time frame: After 12-14 days' treatment

    The subjects rated their stool consistency using the Bristol Stool Scale. The Bristol Stool Scale is a medical aid designed to classify the form of human feces into seven categories or types. Types 1 and 2 indicate constipation with 3 and 4 being the "ideal stools" especially the latter, as they are the easiest to defecate, and 5-7 tending towards diarrhea.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Mayo Clinic

Other

Collaborators

  • National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

Registry information

Official study title

A Phase IIB Study to Evaluate the Effects of Welchol (Colesevelam Hydrochloride) on Colonic Transit, Intestinal Permeability and Bowel Function in Diarrhea-predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome (D-IBS)

Acronym: welchol

Important dates

Study start
2009
Primary completion
2009
Study completion
2009
First posted
Jun 2, 2009
Registry last updated
Apr 4, 2012

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.