Effects of caffeine and coffee on fluid transport in the small intestine

Abstract

Although caffeine is known to stimulate small intestinal water secretion in man, no available studies have examined the effect of coffee on small intestinal fluid transport. We have studied the effect of both coffee and caffeine on jejunal sodium and water transport by the triple lumen intestinal perfusion technique. Both caffeine and coffee solutions had equivalent caffeine concentrations, approximating the caffeine concentration in one cup of coffee. Control and coffee perfusion resulted in net absorption of 0.9 ± 0.2 and 1.1 ± 0.3 ml per min per 30 cm, respectively, whereas caffeine perfusion resulted in net water secretion of 2.4 ± 0.4 ml per min per 30 cm (P < 0.02). Net sodium absorption was observed with control and coffee solutions with a mean absorption of 190 ± 32 and 184 ± 40 μEq per min per 30 cm, respectively. Net sodium secretion of 334 ± 25 μEq per min per 30 cm was observed during caffeine perfusion (P < 0.02). We conclude that coffee perfusion has no significant effect on sodium and water transport in the jejunum in spite of the marked secretory effects of caffeine solutions. The results of this study yield further support to the suggestion that the effects of caffeine may not be similar to the effects of caffeine-containing compounds such as coffee.