No Effect of Propranolol on Chronic Diarrhea

To the Editor: There has been recent interest in the use of propranolol in the treatment of diarrheal diseases. In the rat and rabbit, propranolol prevents intestinal secretion induced in the colon by agents thought to act by activation of adenylate cyclase, including bile salts, hydroxy fatty acids, prostaglandin E₁ and cholera toxin, and also prevents the ileal secretion induced in the rat by cholera toxin.^{1 2 3 4 5 6} Also, one report suggests that propranolol in vitro prevents activation of human colonie adenylate cyclase induced by bile salts and hydroxy fatty acids.¹ In vivo human studies have not been reported. We treated. No extract is available for articles shorter than 400 words.