Therapy and prevention of gastric ulcer.

After establishing the benign nature of a gastric ulcer, the treatment is primarily medical. This medical therapy is aimed to alleviate symptoms, to heal the ulcer and to prevent relapses. Based on the history of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and the Helicobacter pylori-status, gastric ulcer patients can be divided into four categories (1) H. pylori positive plus NSAID-use, (2) H. pylori positive without NSAID use, (3) NSAID use with negative H. pylori-status, (4) Negative H. pylori-status and no NSAID use. Patients taking NSAIDs should stop this therapy if possible. Patients with gastric H. pylori infection should be treated by a regimen of a proton pump inhibitor with at least two appropriate antibiotics. This treatment will result in early alleviation of symptoms, rapid healing of the ulcer and prophylaxis of ulcer relapse. In patients with gastric ulcer who cannot stop NSAIDs, maintenance therapy with prostaglandins or potent antisecretory drugs should be considered. The few patients with gastric ulcer who do not take NSAIDs and do not have gastric H. pylori infection should be treated by antisecretory drugs, and they should be carefully followed endoscopically to exclude malignant (carcinoma, lymphoma) or non-peptic (Crohn''s disease) disease. All patients with gastric ulcer should be re-endoscoped to verify complete ulcer healing. Surgery may be considered in gastric ulcer patients with complications, in those with severe dysplasia of the gastric mucosa, and in those who are not able or willing to take the medication.     

Industrial microbiology of solar salt production

Solar salterns can be modeled as giant outdoor chemostats, much like a series of dams on a slow-moving river. Microorganisms and their products play an essential, but sometimes uncharacterized, role in salt production in these ponds, from seawater salinity up through NaCl saturation. They may physically affect the evaporation process and their by-products may chemically modify or bind with dissolved ions. Many solar salt facilities engage microbiologists to establish monitoring programs for analyses of nutrients, standing crop and associated biological variables in the ponds. Other solar salt companies engage microbiologists only when there are “crises” in the ponds that interfere with salt production. Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology (2002) 28, 42–47 DOI: 10.1038/sj/jim/7000173 Received 20 May 2001/ Accepted in revised form 13 June 2001     

Motilin effects on the proximal stomach in patients with functional dyspepsia and healthy volunteers

This study investigates motilin effects on the proximal stomach in patients with functional dyspepsia (FD) and healthy volunteers. Eight healthy volunteers and 12 patients with FD were infused with synthetic motilin or placebo. Proximal gastric volume was measured with a barostat at constant pressure and during isobaric distensions. Abdominal symptoms were scored by visual analog scales. Plasma motilin concentrations were measured by radioimmunoassay. Motilin concentrations and baseline gastric volumes were similar for patients and healthy volunteers. Motilin, compared with placebo, reduced gastric volume by 112 ml [F(29,195); confidence interval (CI) 95%] in patients and by 96 ml [F(-7,200); CI 95%] in healthy volunteers. In patients, motilin decreased compliance by 76 ml/mmHg [F(9,143); CI 95%] compared with placebo, which was similar in volunteers [66 ml/mmHg; F(11,120); CI 95%]. Patients were more nauseous during motilin compared with placebo (P = 0.04), whereas healthy volunteers did not experience nausea. We conclude that in a fasted condition, FD patients have a similar proximal gastric motor response to motilin as healthy volunteers, but experience an exaggerated sensation of nausea.     

Antroduodenal motility in chronic pancreatitis: are abnormalities related to exocrine insufficiency?

In patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP) the relation among exocrine pancreatic secretion, gastrointestinal hormone release, and motility is disturbed. We studied digestive and interdigestive antroduodenal motility and postprandial gut hormone release in 26 patients with CP. Fifteen of these patients had pancreatic insufficiency (PI) established by urinary para-aminobenzoic acid test and fecal fat excretion. Antroduodenal motility was recorded after ingestion of a mixed liquid meal. The effect of pancreatic enzyme supplementation was studied in 8 of the 15 CP patients with PI. The duration of the postprandial antroduodenal motor pattern was significantly (P < 0.01) prolonged in CP patients (324 +/- 20 min) compared with controls (215 +/- 19 min). Antral motility indexes in the first hour after meal ingestion were significantly reduced in CP patients. The interdigestive migrating motor complex cycle length was significantly (P < 0.01) shorter in CP patients (90 +/- 8 min) compared with controls (129 +/- 8 min). These abnormalities were more pronounced in CP patients with exocrine PI. After supplementation of pancreatic enzymes, these alterations in motility reverted toward normal. Digestive and interdigestive antroduodenal motility are abnormal in patients with CP but significantly different from controls only in those with exocrine PI. These abnormalities in antroduodenal motility in CP are related to maldigestion.     

Rapid and unexpected effects of piscivore introduction on trophic position and diet of perch (Perca flavescens) in lakes recovering from acidification and metal contamination

1. Yellow perch (Perca flavescens) are often the only surviving fish species in acidified lakes. We studied four lakes along a gradient of recovery from acidification and that had different food web complexities. All had abundant yellow perch, two had low piscivore abundance, one had a well‐established piscivore population and one was manipulated by introducing piscivorous smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu). We hypothesised that there would be strong effects on perch abundance, behaviour and diet induced by the presence of piscivores. 2. In the manipulated lake, the bass reduced yellow perch abundance by 75% over a 2‐year period. Concomitantly, perch use of the pelagic habitat fell from 48 to 40%. 3. In contrast to findings from less disturbed systems, yellow perch in the littoral zone of the manipulated lake did not strongly shift from zooplankton to benthic food sources after the arrival of piscivores. Diet analysis using stable carbon isotopes revealed a strong continued reliance on zooplankton in all lakes, independent of the degree of piscivory. The failure to switch to benthos in the refuge area of the littoral zone is most likely related to the depauperate benthos communities in these formerly acidified lakes. 4. Yellow perch in lakes recovering from acidification face a considerable ecological challenge as the necessary switch to benthic diet is hindered by a low abundance of benthos. The arrival of piscivores in these recovering lakes imposes further restrictions on perch access to food items. We infer that future recovery of perch populations (and higher trophic levels) will have to be preceded by the re‐establishment of diverse benthic macroinvertebrate communities in these lakes.     

Comparative effects of trichothecene mycotoxins on bovine platelet function: Acetyl T-2 toxin,a more potent inhibitor than T-2 toxin

The effects of the trichothecene mycotoxins (acetyl T-2 toxin, T-2 toxin, HT-2 toxin, palmityl T-2 toxin, diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS), deoxynivalenol (DON), and T-2 tetraol) on bovine platelet function were examined in homologous plasma stimulated with platelet activating factor (PAF). The mycotoxins inhibited platelet function with the following order of potency: acetyl T-2 toxin > palmityl T-2 toxin = DAS > HT-2 toxin = T-2 toxin. While T-2 tetraol was completely ineffective as an inhibitor, DON exhibited minimal inhibitory activity at concentrations above 10×10^?4M. The stability of the platelet aggregates formed was significantly reduced in all mycotoxin treated platelets compared to that of the untreated PAF controls. It is suggested that the increased sensitivity of PAF stimulated bovine platelets to the more lipophilic mycotoxins may be related to their more efficient partitioning into the platelet membrane compared to the more hydrophilic compounds.     

Active and passive cation transport and L antigen hertogeneity in low potassium sheep red cells

Several lines of experimental evidence are presented suggesting that the L antigens in low potassium (LK) sheep red cells are associated with separate Na(+)K(+) pump flux is distinct from the action of anti-L(l) on K(+) leak flux, implying that K(+) leak transport sites may not be converted into active pumps by the L antiserum. Treatment of LK red cells with trypsin completely abolished both the stimulation of K(+) pump flux and the enhancement of the rate of ouabain binding brought about by anti- L. That this effect is due to a total destruction of the L(p) determinant associated with the LK pump was evident from the complete failure of anti-L(p) to bind to trypsinized LK red cells. The L(p) antigen can be effectively protected against the trypsin attack by prior incubation with anti-L, indicating that the sites for antibody binding and trypsin action may be closely adjacent at the structural level. Trypsin treatment, however, did not interfere with anti-L(l) reducing ouabain insensitive K(+) leak influx, nor did it prevent binding of anti-L(ly), the hemolytically active L antibody which is probably identical with anti-L(l). The functional independence of the L(p) and L(l) sites was documented by the observation that anti-L(l) still reduced K(+) leak influx in LK cells with experimentally induced high potassium concentrations, at which K(+) pump flux is fully suppressed, whether or not anti-L(p) was binding to the L(p) antigen associated with the LK pump.     

Predation on Moose Calves by European Brown Bears

Abstract: In North America, brown bears (Ursus arctos) can be a significant predator on moose (Alces alces) calves. Our study in Sweden is the first in which brown bears are the only predator on moose calves. Bears and moose occurred at densities of about 30/1,000 km² and 920/1,000 km², respectively, and bears killed about 26% of the calves. Ninety-two percent of the predation took place when calves were <1 month old. Bear predation was probably additive to other natural mortality, which was about 10% in areas both with and without bears. Females that lost their calves in spring produced more calves the following year (1.54 calves/F) than females that kept their calves (1.11 calves/F), which reduced the net loss of calves due to predation to about 22%.     

Bronchoabsorption; a novel bronchoscopic technique to improve biomarker sampling of the airway

Background

Current techniques used to obtain lung samples have significant limitations and do not provide reproducible biomarkers of inflammation. We have developed a novel technique that allows multiple sampling methods from the same area (or multiple areas) of the lung under direct bronchoscopic vision. It allows collection of mucosal lining fluid and bronchial brushing from the same site; biopsy samples may also be taken. The novel technique takes the same time as standard procedures and can be conducted safely.

Methods

Eight healthy smokers aged 40–65 years were included in this study. An absorptive filter paper was applied to the bronchial mucosa under direct vision using standard bronchoscopic techniques. Further samples were obtained from the same site using bronchial brushings. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was obtained using standard techniques. Chemokine (C-C Motif) Ligand 20 (CCL20), CCL4, CCL5, Chemokine (C-X-C Motif) Ligand 1 (CXCL1), CXCL8, CXCL9, CXCL10, CXCL11, Interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), IL-6, Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), Matrix metalloproteinase 8 (MMP-8) and MMP-9 were measured in exudate and BAL. mRNA was collected from the bronchial brushings for gene expression analysis.

Results

A greater than 10 fold concentration of all the biomarkers was detected in lung exudate in comparison to BAL. High yield of good quality RNA with RNA integrity numbers (RIN) between 7.6 and 9.3 were extracted from the bronchial brushings. The subset of genes measured were reproducible across the samples and corresponded to the inflammatory markers measured in exudate and BAL.

Conclusions

The bronchoabsorption technique as described offers the ability to sample lung fluid direct from the site of interest without the dilution effects caused by BAL. Using this method we were able to successfully measure the concentrations of biomarkers present in the lungs as well as collect high yield mRNA samples for gene expression analysis from the same site. This technique demonstrates superior sensitivity to standard BAL for the measurement of biomarkers of inflammation. It could replace BAL as the method of choice for these measurements. This method provides a systems biology approach to studying the inflammatory markers of respiratory disease progression.

Trial registration

NHS Health Research Authority (13/LO/0256).