Edy E. Soffer, MD is Co-Director of the GI Motility Laboratory in the Division of Gastroenterology at Cedars-Sinai.

Dr. Soffer's primary areas of research interest involve innovative treatments for gastroparesis and obesity. His research has received funding from the American College of Gastroenterology, the BIRD Foundation, Israel's Ministry of Health, the Janssen Research Foundation and several pharmaceutical companies.

Board certified in internal medicine with a subspecialty in gastroenterology, Dr. Soffer is a member of the American College of Gastroenterology, American Gastroenterological Association and American Motility Society. He has written articles for numerous peer-reviewed publications, including American Journal of Gastroenterology, American Journal of Physiology, Digestive Diseases and Sciences, Gastroenterology and Medical Engineering and Technology.

Dr. Soffer received his medical degree from Technion School of Medicine in Haifa, Israel. He completed internships at Soroka Medical Center in Beer-Sheva, Israel and at Coney Island Hospital in New York, where he also completed a residency in internal medicine. Dr. Soffer fulfilled a fellowship in gastroenterology at the University of Tennessee Center for Health Sciences in Memphis and research fellowships at the University of Iowa Hospital/Clinic in Iowa City and at London Hospital Medical College in England.

The physicians of the Department of Medicine have a strong commitment to the most praiseworthy tradition of medicine — the patient-physician relationship. We provide our patients a full range of care — from general health services to the most complex and specialized treatments — all within a sensitive and compassionate environment.

More than just practitioners, our physicians are teachers and scholars. They have trained a great many of the physicians practicing in Los Angeles today. As well, many of our doctors conduct much of the cutting edge research that is moving the science of medicine to higher thresholds. This expertise is available to you for all of your health needs. Staff is available to help coordinate with your insurance company when necessary.

The Department of Medicine includes more than 100 full-time faculty-physicians who practice in 11 subspecialty divisions:
•Cardiovascular Medicine
•Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension
•Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases
•General Internal Medicine
•Geriatric Medicine
•Hematology
•Infectious Diseases
•Nephrology
•Oncology
•Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
•Rheumatology

Department of Medicine faculty care for patients at USC-affiliated hospitals and at the modern, well-equipped Healthcare Consultation Center II on the USC Health Sciences Campus as well as at Keck Medical Center of USC - Downtown and at the USC Westside Center for Diabetes in Beverly Hills.

 Effect of Lubiprostone on Small Bowel Contractions in Female Patients With Constipation Irritable Bowel Syndrome (C-IBS)

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder, defined by symptom-based diagnostic criteria. The pathogenesis is multifactorial and gut motor dysfunction is considered to be a contributing factor. Changes in motor patterns in the small bowel in IBS patients are quantitative rather than qualitative with no distinct patterns to distinguish patients from healthy individuals. Changes in motor patterns can affect transit of bowel contents. Indeed, variation in intestinal transit was reported in patients with IBS. Lubiprostone is a novel agent that is Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved for the treatment of chronic constipation. More recently 2 randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trials showed the drug to be effective in relieving symptoms in patients with constipation-predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome (C-IBS), resulting in approval for female patients with C-IBS at a dose of 8 micrograms twice a day.

The investigators hypothesize that lubiprostone works not just as a laxative, but by actually altering motility patterns in the small intestine of female patients with C-IBS. These alterations can be measured through High Resolution Manometry (HRM), a new technique that uses catheters with multiple closely spaced sensors and special software that uses color schemes to portray a pressure gradient. This technique allows a detailed assessment of the direction and spread of contractions. The investigators would like to use HRM to see if lubiprostone affects intestinal contractions by giving blinded participants lubiprostone and placebo while they are undergoing High Resolution Manometry and seeing if any changes in contractions occur. Participants will be recruited from investigator's clinic. If interested, potential subjects will be provided with a copy of the consent form for review. Patients will be informed that after they have had an opportunity to review the consent form, they may contact the study team to further discuss the research and address any questions/concerns they have.

Participants will undergo a screening visit and a manometry visit. During the screening visit investigators will determine eligibility, including application of inclusion/exclusion criteria and administration of a pregnancy test. Then during the manometry visit patients will receive two capsules, lubiprostone and placebo, three hours apart during HRM. Patients will receive each capsule only once and will not know which order they're receiving them in.

Enrollment: 4
Study Start Date: March 2010
Study Completion Date: December 2010
Primary Completion Date: December 2010 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)