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PubMedDate not supplied

Multi-detector row CT: spectrum of diseases involving the ileocecal area.

The ileocecal area is a relatively short segment of the gastrointestinal tract but may be affected by pathologic conditions that are either common throughout the gastrointestinal system or exclusive to this area. These conditions include benign and malignant tumors, inflammatory processes (appendicitis, diverticulitis, epiploic appendagitis, Crohn disease), infectious diseases, and miscellaneous conditions (cecal ischemia, typhlitis, cecal volvulus, duplication cyst). The various components of the ileocecal area (cecum, appendix, ileocecal valve, terminal ileum) are close to one another, so that these conditions may involve more than one anatomic structure, thereby creating a diagnostic dilemma. The evaluation of various parameters (eg, stratified enhancement pattern of the thickened bowel wall, degree of thickening, extent and location of bowel wall involvement, degree of fat stranding relative to the degree of wall thickening) and associated findings (lymph nodes, mesenteric stranding, abscess and sinus tracts, fatty proliferation, solid organ abnormalities) will help narrow the differential diagnosis. Multi-detector row computed tomography (CT) is considered the best imaging examination for the evaluation of the ileocecal area. Consequently, the radiologist should be familiar with the multi-detector row CT features of the spectrum of diseases affecting this area to help ensure correct diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

Cecal Diseases↗

PubMed1992

Calcium oscillations in freshly dispersed and cultured interstitial cells from canine colon.

Spontaneous oscillations in intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) and membrane potential were used to monitor rhythmicity in freshly dispersed and cultured interstitial cells (IC) from the canine colon. The frequency of oscillations and responses to a number of channel blockers, agonists, ionic substitutions, and temperature were similar in freshly dispersed and cultured cells. An increase in the amplitude of Ca2+ oscillations after 3-6 days in culture and an increase in the rate of decline of [Ca2+]i in cultured IC were two differences noted between freshly dispersed and cultured cells. The frequency and amplitude of oscillations were a function of extracellular Ca2+ concentrations, and oscillations were abolished when the transmembrane flux of Ca2+ was reduced by nicardipine, La3+, or removal of Ca2+ from the extracellular medium. Oscillations persisted in the presence of ryanodine and ouabain. Lowered temperatures or a reduction in the concentration of Ca2+ in the medium reduced the frequency of spontaneous oscillations. Carbachol and substance P caused a transient increase in [Ca2+]i. Substance P then abolished spontaneous events. ATP and calcitonin gene-related peptide increased the frequency of spontaneous activity. Vasoactive intestinal peptide caused a temporary delay in spontaneous oscillations when added to the medium. Results indicate that freshly dispersed and cultured IC may be useful in studies of the mechanisms of rhythmicity in the gastrointestinal system.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

PubMed2000

Propagation of individual spikes as "patches" of activation in isolated feline duodenum.

Asynchrony of spikes has made it difficult to study the spatial and temporal behavior of spikes in the gastrointestinal system. By simultaneously recording from a large number of closely spaced electrodes, we investigated the propagation of individual spikes. Recordings were performed from the serosal surface of the isolated feline duodenum at 240 sites simultaneously. Analysis of the tracings made it possible to reconstruct the propagation of individual spikes. Spikes propagate in the longitudinal and circumferential directions in self-limiting areas or "patches." Conduction within patches may occur in the orad or aborad direction irrespective of the direction of the slow wave. Most of the patches are smaller (<40 mm(2)), although inhomogeneous activation by the preceding slow wave may increase their size. Stimulation by ACh, TTX, or tetraethylammonium does not affect the average patch size but does increase significantly their number and distribution in the duodenum [from 26% (control) to 56%, 61%, and 72%, respectively]. In conclusion, individual spikes activate limited areas or patches in the small intestine, and pharmacological stimulation increases the number and distribution of these patches. In the small intestine, this pattern of activation would induce localized contractions. Contraction could be modulated by the size, number, and distribution of spike patches.

Acetylcholine↗

PubMed1983

Effects of area postrema/caudal medial nucleus of solitary tract lesions on food intake and body weight.

Lesions of the area postrema/caudal medial nucleus of the solitary tract (AP/cmNTS), located on the surface of the dorsal medulla of the rat, cause a transient syndrome of hypophagia and body weight loss, with the establishment of a new growth curve at a lower body weight set point. The regulatory responses to prolonged food deprivation, glucoprivic stimulation, and chronic access to a palatable diet are left largely intact. However, there is an overconsumption of highly palatable foods during acute exposure to supermarket and high-fat diets. Intestinal transit and gastric retention are unaffected by the lesion, indicating normal motor function within the gastrointestinal system. The hypophagia and chronic depression of body weight by the AP/cmNTS lesion demonstrate that this area is an important part of the larger neurocircuitry subserving feeding behavior and energy balance.

Animal Feed↗

PubMed1992

Vertebrate gastrointestinal fermentation: transport mechanisms for volatile fatty acids.

Symbiotic microbial fermentation of plant polysaccharides can potentially provide significant levels of nutrients to host organisms in the form of volatile fatty acids (VFAs). Microbial fermentation can account for as much as 10% of maintenance energy requirements in carnivores and omnivores, and up to 80% in ruminant herbivores. In this review epithelial transport processes for the products of microbial fermentation are described in various mammalian and lower vertebrate species. Studies of transepithelial movement of VFA in vertebrate gastrointestinal systems have mostly been investigated in the mammals. In these it is widely held that the transmural movement of VFA is a concentration-dependent passive diffusion process whereby VFA is transported in the protonated form. A different model is described in this paper for carrier-mediated VFA transport, by way of anionic exchange with intracellular bicarbonate, in the intestine of a fermenting herbivorous teleost. These models for diffusive and carrier-mediated transport are compared and discussed from both physiological and experimental viewpoints.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

Successful control of external biliary fistula by using SMS 201-995 in a child.

Somatostatin is a potent inhibitory hormone, it's synthetic analogue is more potent and has a prolonged action. It has a wide range of actions in the gastrointestinal system; among which is an anticholeritic action on bile secretion. The use of Sandostatin in the management of a case of complicated biliary fistula is reported; it controlled the fistula reducing its daily output from 200 ml to less than 5 ml per day.

Biliary Fistula↗

PubMed2005

The increasing prevalence of Crohn's disease in industrialized societies: the price of progress?

Crohn's disease (CD) is an idiopathic inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal system. While inflammation can activate one of a number of specific branches of the immune system, CD promotes a T helper cell type 1 (Th1) profile. The prospect that CD is a form of Th1-dominant autoimmune disease is gaining acceptance, with support from the current use of immunosuppressants. Recently, convincing evidence that the various branches of the immune system have the ability to keep each other in check has suggested that the Th1 profile of CD may stem from a greatly reduced T helper cell type 2 (Th2) immune response. A strong Th2 immune response is a characteristic of the once prevalent enteric parasitic diseases, now nearly eradicated from industrial society. This has led to the acceptance of a hygiene hypothesis, which suggests that the inverse relationship between CD and the level of a society's industrialization is, in fact, causal - that the lack of parasitic infections causes a weakened systemic Th2 cytokine profile, leading to elevated Th1 cytokines and, ultimately, the development of spontaneous Th1-mediated diseases such as CD. Supporting this, it has been recently demonstrated that an experimentally-induced Th2 response can help moderate Th1-dominant events in both animal and human studies. Based on this recent and convincing work, the present review focuses on the role of immunoregulation in the development of CD, with particular emphasis on the potential use of Th2-promoting agents (such as helminths or cytokines) as therapeutics in the treatment or prevention of CD.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Eosinophil infiltration, gastric juice and serum eosinophil cationic protein levels in Helicobacter pylori-associated chronic gastritis and gastric ulcer.

INTRODUCTION: Helicobacter pylori is one of the main causes of gastroduodenal diseases, such as chronic gastritis and peptic ulcer. It has been shown that eosinophils increase in the stomach in H. pylori infection. Eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP) is a cytotoxic molecule secreted by the activated eosinophils. However, there are no sufficient data about the role of ECP in H. pylori infection and its effect on ulcer development. In this study we investigated the gastric eosinophilic infiltration, gastric juice and serum ECP levels in patients with chronic gastritis and gastric ulcer associated with H. pylori. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-four H. pylori-positive and 20 H. pylori-negative patients who underwent upper gastrointestinal system endoscopy after admitting with dyspeptic complaints were enrolled in the study. Twenty-one of the H. pylori-positive patients had gastric ulcer while 23 patients had none. During endoscopy, multiple gastric biopsies and juices were taken. In gastric biopsies, H. pylori and eosinophilic infiltration were assessed. Additionally, gastric juice and serum ECP levels were measured. RESULTS: Eosinophil infiltration, gastric juice ECP levels, and gastric juice/serum ECP ratios in the H. pylori-positive group were greater than in the H. pylori-negative group (p < 0.01). There was no statistically significant difference regarding serum ECP levels between the two groups (p > 0.05). When H. pylori-positive patients were compared with regard to gastric ulcer presence, however, there was no significant difference in gastric eosinophil infiltration, gastric juice ECP levels, serum ECP levels, and gastric juice/serum ECP ratios (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that eosinophils and eosinophil-released ECP may contribute to inflammatory changes seen in chronic gastritis, whereas there is no proof that they play a role in ulcer development.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Interleukin 11 reduces apoptosis in UVB-irradiated mouse skin.

BACKGROUND: UVB radiation, the major cause of skin cancer, causes apoptosis in the skin, characterized by the appearance of 'sunburn cells'. Interleukin 11 (IL-11) has been shown to protect cells in the gastrointestinal system from chemotherapy and radiation-induced death. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether exogenous IL-11 has any effect on the UVB-induced apoptosis of cutaneous tissues. METHODS: Mice were injected with IL-11 or vehicle control prior to irradiation, and TUNEL assays were performed on paraffin-embedded tissue sections at various times after irradiation. RESULTS: Exogenous IL-11 protects epidermal keratinocytes, epithelial cells of the hair follicles inflammatory cells and fibroblasts in the dermis from UVB-induced apoptotic death. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that IL-11 may play a role in the general homeostasis of the skin.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

Multicenter randomized comparative double-blind controlled clinical trial of the safety and efficacy of zinc gluconate versus minocycline hydrochloride in the treatment of inflammatory acne vulgaris.

BACKGROUND: In addition to tetracyclines, zinc may constitute an alternative treatment in inflammatory lesions of acne. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the place of zinc gluconate in relation to antibiotics in the treatment of acne vulgaris. METHODS: Zinc was compared to minocycline in a multicenter randomized double-blind trial. 332 patients received either 30 mg elemental zinc or 100 mg minocycline over 3 months. The primary endpoint was defined as the percentage of the clinical success rate on day 90 (i.e. more than 2/3 decrease in inflammatory lesions, i.e. papules and pustules). RESULTS: This clinical success rate was 31.2% for zinc and 63.4% for minocycline. Minocycline nevertheless showed a 9% superiority in action at 1 month and one of 17% at 3 months, with respect to the mean change in lesion count. Regarding safety, the majority of the adverse effects of zinc gluconate and of minocycline concerned the gastrointestinal system and were moderate (5 dropouts with zinc gluconate and 4 with minocycline). CONCLUSION: Minocycline and zinc gluconate are both effective in the treatment of inflammatory acne, but minocycline has a superior effect evaluated to be 17% in our study.

Abdominal Pain↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Reimplanted ureter as an alternative to the catheterizable Mitrofanoff tube.

OBJECTIVE: We performed this study in dogs to investigate whether a ureter can be used as an alternative to the appendix without disrupting the uniformity of the gastrointestinal system. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study comprised 10 adult healthy female mongrel dogs. The procedure was done in 2 stages: in the first stage, we performed a left-end cutaneous ureterostomy at the lower left quadrant just above the inguinal ligament. A second operation was performed 6 weeks later. The left ureter was divided and using Paquin's technique, the proximal end of the distal third of the left ureter was reimplanted in the anterolateral surface near the dome of the bladder. A high transureteroureterostomy with the remaining left proximal ureter to the opposite ureter completed the reconstruction. The bladder neck was ligated in order to create an experimental bladder outlet obstruction. At the time of creating the distal ureteral stoma, a feeding tube was left in the bladder, passing through the ureterostomy stoma and sutured to the skin. This catheter remained in place for 20 days, preventing the bladder form distending. Then in the following 6 months, intermittent catheterization was applied through the stoma at 3- to 4-hour intervals. Exploration was performed at the end of the 6th month. RESULTS: No animal died. The dogs were still continent. Intravenous urography, urea and creatinin values were normal. The ureteral stoma was viable in all 10 cases. Stenosis of the ureteral stoma developed in 1 dog and required surgical revision. Possible traumatic effects were investigated by histological sections, but no harmful effects were found at the ureteral endothelium. CONCLUSION: This method may be an alternative to the Mitrofanoff method, which uses the appendix.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Effects of cyclooxygenase-1 and -2 inhibition on gastric acid secretion and cardiovascular functions in rats.

The discovery of a second isoform of cyclooxygenase has led to a re-evaluation of the mechanisms underlying the adverse effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, focusing in particular on the gastrointestinal system. We investigated the involvement of cyclooxygenase-1 and -2 in the regulation of gastric acid secretion and cardiovascular functions in anesthetized rats, after acute intravenous administration of the selective cyclooxygenase-1 inhibitor SC-560, the selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor celecoxib and the nonselective inhibitor indomethacin. Indomethacin, celecoxib and SC-560 did not significantly modify basal acid secretion. Indomethacin and celecoxib were also ineffective on the acid secretion stimulated by pentagastrin; by contrast, SC-560 significantly enhanced the acid secretion stimulated by pentagastrin, electrical vagal stimulation or histamine. The stimulatory effects of SC-560 were prevented by cervical vagotomy, atropine and famotidine. Indomethacin caused either no change, increasing or decreasing effects on mean arterial pressure and heart rate. By contrast, SC-560 was unable to change cardiovascular parameters at 5 mg/kg, while inducing a marked bradycardia at 10 mg/kg. Celecoxib was ineffective. Our findings indicate that cyclooxygenase-1-derived prostaglandins are involved in the regulation of stimulated acid secretion and of basal heart rate; the role of prostaglandins in the acute control of systemic blood pressure under resting conditions seems to be negligible.

Animals↗

PubMed1977

The pharmacological activity of tribenoside.

Ethyl-3,5,6-tri-O-benzyl-D-glucofuranoside (RBGF) the active substance of Glyvenol displays a unique spectrum of activities. It possesses anti-inflammatory, mild analgesic, antitoxic, wound-healing, fibrinolysis-promoting, anti-arthrotic, amine-release-inhibitory, membrane-stabilizing and venotropic properties. Unlike corticosteroids or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents, TBGF dose not exert untoward effects on the gastrointestinal system, the connective tissue or the body's defence systems. In addition, TBGF does not affect the prostaglandin-synthetase system. TBGF thus seems to share the positive pharmacological properties ascribed to glucocorticoids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents, yet is free from the undesirable effects of both.

Analgesics↗

PubMed1990

Detection of prune-belly syndrome in a 35-year-old man: a rare cause of end-stage renal failure in the adult.

The clinical entity of prune-belly syndrome is mainly encountered in childhood. Here we present the case of a 35-year-old male patient with end-stage renal failure, the underlying cause of which being prune-belly syndrome. Apart from the typical triad of abdominal muscle deficiency, severe urinary tract abnormality, and cryptorchidism, a multitude of other abnormalities and malformations existed, especially of the skeletal and gastrointestinal systems. The major hypotheses regarding etiology and pathogenesis of the syndrome are briefly discussed.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

A history of natural membranes in dialysis.

Nature uses various natural membranes to eliminate toxic substances from the blood, mainly in renal failure. The membranes used for this purpose are predominantly those of the gastrointestinal system and the skin. Humans tried to imitate nature, and employed the same membranes for blood purification in patients with renal failure. The beginning of the practice can be dated to at least 4,000 years ago. However, the initiative for such clearing maneuvers was given by the human mind's conception for purifying the cosmos, the polis and the soul. This article traces similarities between such metaphysical tactics and procedures of the applied sciences. It also describes the historical evolution of the use of natural membranes for medical reasons in nephrological patients.

History, 17th Century↗

PubMed1991

Regulation of hunger and satiety in man.

From the perspective presented in this minireview, it is clear that a variety of psychological and physiological factors interact to regulate feeding behavior. The hunger-satiety cycle involves preabsorptive and postabsorptive humoral and neuronal mechanisms. Psychological, social and environmental factors, nutrients and metabolical processes and gastric contractions originate hunger signals. Eating, in turn, activates inhibitory signals to produce satiety. Because of the delay between the swallowing of food and the digestion of food, the satiety mechanism requires a short-term signal to prevent over-eating. This short-term satiety signal is activated by psychological factors (such as sensory-specific satiety), chemical senses (taste and smell) and mechanical factors related to the process of swallowing and gastric distension. The long-term satiety is then activated by the chemoreception of nutrients and peptides by the gastrointestinal system (including the liver), the CNS and by intrinsic CNS mechanisms. The fine regulation of feeding behavior through these mechanisms will ensure the maintenance of normal energy metabolism. It is important to note, however, that despite all the efforts that have gone into the study of peripheral and central mechanisms of ingestive behavior--expressed in thousands of publications related to the anatomy, chemistry and metabolism, physiology and behavioral aspects of feeding--we will lack an understanding of the interactions among signals within a system or among different systems.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed1983

Bile acid pattern and cholesterol saturation of bile after cholecystectomy and endoscopic sphincterotomy.

The effect of endoscopic sphincterotomy on bile acid composition and cholesterol saturation of bile has been studied in cholecystectomized patients. Individual bile acids and biliary lipids were measured in hepatic bile of 13 cholecystectomized females aged 56.8 +/- 16.6 years more than 9 months (mean 16.7 +/- 8.8 months) after sphincterotomy and of 12 cholecystectomized females aged 59.3 +/- 11.5 years who served as controls. The sphincterotomy group exhibited a significantly (p less than 0.01) higher percentage of chenodeoxycholic acid in bile--39.2 +/- (SD) 7.7%--than the controls with cholecystectomy only (29.1 +/- 7.4%), but showed no differences in the proportion of cholic acid (32.4 +/- 6.2 vs. 33.6 +/- 7.8%). The percentages of the secondary bile acids, deoxycholic acid (25.0 +/- 8.8 vs. 32.3 +/- 8.3%), and lithocholic acid (1.7 +/- 0.8 vs. 2.6 +/- 2.3%) were lower, but these differences were not statistically significant. The biliary lipid composition in the sphincterotomy group was not different from that in the controls, resulting in a similar cholesterol saturation index in both groups (1.87 +/- 0.60 vs. 2.02 +/- 0.60 according to Carey and Small; 1.45 +/- 0.32 vs. 1.55 +/- 0.32 according to Hegardt and Dam). These findings do not demonstrate any alterations of the bile composition after sphincterotomy which may be expected to have undesirable effects on the biliary and/or gastrointestinal system.

Adult↗

PubMed1989

Low intestinal lactase activity in offspring from ethanol-treated mothers.

Some aspects of small intestine maturation have been studied in the newborns from chronic ethanol-treated pregnant rats (25% ethanol in drinking fluid) immediately after birth (before suckling) and after 30 days of life. Litters delivered by mothers fed ad libitum with a standard diet diluted 50% with cellulose were used as a nutritional control. At birth, pups from ethanol-treated mothers showed significant decreases in total intestinal length and thickness, low total lactase activity and low somatostatin intestinal content. The intestinal alterations of these neonatal parameters are not present in newborns from mothers on fiber-diluted diet. From delivery, pups from different experimental groups were nursed by normal lactating dams. At 30 days of age neither of those parameters differed among the groups. We propose that the low levels of total lactase activity in newborns from alcoholic mothers, that are a consequence of a lower intestinal mucosa content, are a direct effect of ethanol in utero on the fetal gastrointestinal system.

Aging↗