Ginseng increases intestinal elimination of albendazole sulfoxide in the rat

Herbal products show potential drug interactions, some of them with adverse effects. The main aim of this work was to study the effect of Panax ginseng on the intestinal elimination of the benzimidazole derivative albendazole sulfoxide (ABZSO). An upper small intestine segment was isolated and perfused in situ with saline, while ABZSO solution (10 mg/kg i.v.) was administered intravenously. Blood samples and intestinal secretion were collected over 60 min and analysed by HPLC. The intestinal clearance of ABZSO was 0.106+/-0.010 ml/min. Systemic co-administration of ginseng (10 mg/kg i.v.) increased significantly (P<0.05) the clearance of ABZSO (0.132+/-0.005 ml/min). The increase in ABZSO elimination could be the result of the effect of ginseng on metabolic pathways. These results highlight the interactions between herbal products (sometimes dietary constituents) and drugs such as benzimidazoles, since ginseng modifies the luminal clearance of this anthelminthic drug and could potentially interfere with drugs that undergo the same intestinal processes.     

腹腔镜监控肠镜下（LMCP）息肉摘除术对比常规肠镜下息肉切除的随机对照临床研究

目的:探讨腹腔镜监控下的肠息肉摘除术(LMCP)治疗效果,比较LMCP肠息肉摘除术对比常规肠镜下息肉切除的临床治疗效果及预后情况。方法:将符合条件的所有手术患者随机分为两组,每组各41例,其中试验组使用腹腔镜监控下结肠镜息肉摘除术,对照组单纯使用肠镜行息肉切除术。所有病人均观察并记录其预后情况。结果:研究共纳入82例病人,男53例,女29例,平均年龄70岁。息肉平均大小为2.0 cm。所有患者术后无并发症。试验组和对照组的第一次通便时间分别为13.2 h和24.5h,统计学具有显著性差异P<0.001,风险比为1.81,95%置信区间为[1.13-3.00]。试验组和对照组的总住院天数分别为4.5天和8.0天,统计学具有显著性差异P<0.001,风险比为4.15,置信区间95%CI为[2.40-7.18]。结论:LMCP术对病人具有显著的获益,可以避免不必要的并发症,手术操作更安全。因此,LMCP是一种安全有效的方法,并且创伤更小,住院周期更短,是息肉切除术首选的方法。     

CT平扫对肠坏死诊断价值

目的:探讨CT平扫对肠坏死诊断价值,总结肠管坏死征象。方法:分析98例可疑肠坏死患者CT平扫图像,所有患者均经手术证实或未能及时治疗死亡患者CT平扫影像,总结、分析影像特点。结果:全部患者中40例患者存在肠坏死,肠壁厚度改变,包括29例肠壁增厚,8例肠壁菲薄,5例表现为肠壁密度减低,3例表现为肠壁密度增加,25例表现肠管扩张,8例表现肠管塌陷,36例肠管内积液,其中34例见气液平面,4例仅见积气,5例肠壁内见气泡影,38例见腹腔积液,10例见系膜水肿,2例见肠系膜血管密度增高,1例肠系膜静脉内气体,1例门静脉内气体,5例见腹腔游离气体。结论:多排螺旋CT平扫对肠坏死部位及范围的评价有较高的价值,同时CT平扫能明确病因,为及早治疗打下良好基础。     

Involvement of lectin pathway activation in the complement killing of Giardia intestinalis

Giardia intestinalis (syn. G. lamblia, G. duodenalis) is a flagellated unicellular eukaryotic microorganism that commonly causes diarrheal disease throughout the world. In humans, the clinical effects of Giardia infection range from the asymptomatic carrier state to a severe malabsorption syndrome possibly due to different virulence of the Giardia strain, the number of cysts ingested, the age of the host, and the state of the host immune system at the time of infection.The question about how G. intestinalis is controlled by the organism remains unanswered. Here, we investigated the role of the complement system and in particular, the lectin pathway during Giardia infections. We present the first evidence that G. intestinalis activate the complement lectin pathway and in doing so participate in eradication of the parasite. We detected rapid binding of mannan-binding lectin, H-ficolin and L-ficolin to the surface of G. intestinalis trophozoites and normal human serum depleted of these molecules failed to kill the parasites. Our finding provides insight into the role of lectin pathway in the control of G. intestinalis and about the nature of surface components of parasite.     

Cloning and characterization of a new intestinal inflammation-associated colonic epithelial Ste20-related protein kinase isoform

Intestinal epithelial cells respond to inflammatory extracellular stimuli by activating mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling, which mediates numerous pathophysiological effects, including intestinal inflammation. Here, we show that a novel isoform of SPS1-related proline alanine-rich kinase (SPAK/STE20) is involved in this inflammatory signaling cascade. We cloned and characterized a SPAK isoform from inflamed colon tissue, and found that this SPAK isoform lacked the characteristic PAPA box and alphaF loop found in SPAK. Based on genomic sequence analysis the lack of PAPA box and alphaF loop in colonic SPAK isoform was the result of specific splicing that affect exon 1 and exon 7 of the SPAK gene. The SPAK isoform was found in inflamed and non-inflamed colon tissues as well as Caco2-BBE cells, but not in other tissues, such as liver, spleen, brain, prostate and kidney. In vitro analyses demonstrated that the SPAK isoform possessed serine/threonine kinase activity, which could be abolished by a substitution of isoleucine for the lysine at position 34 in the ATP-binding site of the catalytic domain. Treatment of Caco2-BBE cells with the pro-inflammatory cytokine, interferon γ, induced expression of the SPAK isoform. Over-expression of the SPAK isoform in Caco2-BBE cells led to nuclear translocation of an N-terminal fragment of the SPAK isoform, as well as activation of p38 MAP kinase signaling cascades and increased intestinal barrier permeability. These findings collectively suggest that pro-inflammatory cytokine signaling may induce expression of this novel SPAK isoform in intestinal epithelia, triggering the signaling cascades that govern intestinal inflammation.     

Calcium uptake and membrane trafficking in response to PTH or 25(OH)D3 in polarized intestinal epithelial cells

Cell culture techniques providing retention of the polarized enterocyte morphology has allowed, for the first time, comparison of parathyroid hormone (PTH)- and 25-hydroxyvitamin D(3) [25(OH)D(3)]-induced (45)Ca uptake with membrane trafficking events discerned using confocal microscopy. Treatment of cells with 65 pM bPTH(1-34) promoted enhanced (45)Ca uptake between 1 and 10 min after peptide. The protein kinase A (PKA) antagonist, RpcAMP inhibited hormone-mediated uptake. At the microscopic level, cells labeled with the endocytic tracking dye FM1-43 revealed increased punctate staining 50-550s after hormone. Pretreatment of cells with RpcAMP abolished this pattern of staining. The calcium indicator dye fluo-3 AM revealed faint punctate labeling in controls, with increased bands of punctate labeling in the apical region of the cells after peptide hormone, and ultimately the basal region. Parallel studies conducted with the metabolite 25(OH)D(3) resulted in a slower stimulation of (45)Ca uptake 5-10 min after steroid, which was also inhibited by preincubation with RpcAMP. Cells labeled with FM1-43 and then treated with steroid showed no change in distribution of fluorescence during the 10 min incubation period. Confocal microscopy with fluo-3 revealed intense apical fluorescence--that after steroid --streamed to a perinuclear position, and ultimately the basal area. Uniformly diffuse staining, which would indicate cytoplasmic calcium transport, was observed only in controls. Membrane trafficking and compartmentalized calcium appear to be integral to agonist mediated cation transport.     

Development of an efficient method for screening microorganisms by using symbiotic association between <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nasutitermes takasagoensis</Emphasis> and intestinal microorganisms

Screening method of microorganisms that utilized the symbiotic association between insect (Nasutitermes takasagoensis: Nt) and intestinal microorganisms was developed. The existence of desired microorganisms that grew by degrading difficult-to-degrade materials in the gut was detected using survivability of Nt as an indicator. The desired microorganisms were isolated from the survived Nt. It was thought that guts of Nt behave as continuous culture systems whereby microorganisms that cannot degrade diet components are washed out, whereas those that can degrade it are retained and concentrated in the gut. About 60% of Nt fed with phenol artificial diet (PAD) died within 7 days, while 4% of termites survived for 9 days. The structure of intestinal microorganisms of the survived Nt fed with PAD differed from the bacterial communities obtained from enrichment culture (which contained phenol) of wood-feeding Nt. Relatively high colonies (650-times) were detected in the gut of Nt fed on phenol artificial diet compared with those obtained when Nt was fed on wood. Seven denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) bands were detected from gut of wood-feeding Nt, whereas 11 DGGE-bands were detected from that of phenol-feeding Nt. Out of 11 DGGE-bands, 5 of them were sequenced, and bacterial species including phenol-degrading bacteria were identified.     

微生态制剂治疗肝硬化肠功能紊乱患者的临床观察

目的探讨微生态制剂治疗肝硬化肠功能紊乱患者的疗效。方法选择80例肝硬化肠功能紊乱患者,随机分成治疗组和对照组。治疗组:常规保肝治疗加金双歧(4粒/次,2次/d);对照组:常规保肝治疗。疗程均为4周。结果治疗组和对照组相比,腹胀、腹泻、腹部不适症状明显改善,血氨水平降低,血浆内毒素水平下降,2组相比差异有显著性(P<0.05)。结论微生态制剂对于改善肝硬化患者临床症状有肯定的价值,并可降低血氨及血浆内毒素水平,有利于肝功能的改善。     

乳果糖对肝癌TACE后肠黏膜损伤的保护作用研究

目的了解乳果糖对肝癌TACE后患者肠黏膜损伤的保护作用。方法将54例患者随机分为2组,治疗组按常规治疗加服乳果糖,对照组按常规治疗,服药后观察全身和肠道情况并检测二胺氧化酶(DAO)的内毒素水平。结果治疗组血二胺氧化酶水平与术前相比差异无显著性(P>0.05),未应用乳果糖组血内毒素水平比术前降低(P<0.05);治疗组血内毒素水平与术前相比差异无显著性(P>0.05),而未应用乳果糖组血内毒素水平比术前升高(P<0.05)。结论乳果糖增强了肠道黏膜的屏障作用,在避免肝癌TACE后的肠道细菌易位,内毒素血症起到积极作用。