Evaluation of the role of garlic on the structure of liver and gastric mucosa in aged male albino rat: a histological and histochemical study

Age related changes in the hepatic and gastric tissues have been discovered and are considered to be implicated in the pathogenesis of some diseases. To evaluate the effect of garlic as a prophylactic or a therapeutic tool against age related changes in the liver and stomach. 80 male albino rats were used. Classified into four groups: group 1: 15 rats served as control adult, group 2: 15 rats served as control aged, group 3: 25 adult rat treated with Tomax in a dose of 100 mg/kg orally daily till aging and group 4: 25 aged rats treated with Tomax in the same previous dose for 4 months. Animals were sacrificed and specimens from the liver and stomach were prepared for light and electron microscopy. Light and electron microscopic examination of liver and stomach of group 1 revealed the normal structure. Age related changes were detected in group 2 in the form of vacuolation of cells lining the gastric glands and disturbed hepatic architecture. Ultrastructurally, degenerative changes in parietal and chief cells were observed. Hepatocytes showed variable sized nuclei with marginated hetero chromatin clumps, areas of rarified cytoplasm, fragmented endoplasmic reticulum and interrupted cell membrane. Tomax treatment in group 3 greatly improved the aging changes in liver and gastric mucosa. Decreased vacuolation of gastric epithelial cells and restored hepatic architecture were observed. Ultrastructural degenerative changes were less pronounced in both tissues. In group 4 there was no obvious improvement but they were more or less similar to group 2. It could be concluded that garlic could be used as a prophylactic measure against age induced structural changes in the liver and stomach rather than being used as a therapeutic one

Fisiología gástrica / Gastric physiology

La secreción gástrica, como cada una de las funciones de nuestro organismo, requiere de una compleja integración de mecanismos neurales y endocrinológicos. El nervio vago y el sistema nervioso entérico, así como tres diferentes tipos de células (G, D, ECL) participan en la regulación de la función gástrica. La histamina es el principal secretagogo y tanto la vía nerviosa como la gástrica controlan la secreción de la misma. Esta sustancia actúa en receptores H2 que están unidos a proteína Gs, la cual activa a la adenilciclasa para que produzca AMPc y excite a la proteincinasa-C, que a su vez fosforila a la H+/K+ ATPasa. En esta revisión analizamos estos mecanismos.

Actividad gastrointestinal del extracto acuoso bruto de Quassia amara (Simarubaceae) / The gastrointestinal activity of crude aqueous extract of Quassia amara (Simarubaceae)

En este estudio se ha investigado el efecto del extracto acuoso bruto de Q. amara a nivel gastroitestinal utilizando varios modelos experimentales en animales. Los resultados muestran que este extracto a dosis de 500 y 1000 mg/Kg produce un aumento del tránsito gastrointestinal y que es capaz de inhibir las lesiones inducidas por la indometacina, el alcohol y el estres. Los animales tratados con dosis de 1000mg/Kg mostraron disminución de la acidez de los contenidos estomacales y de la actividad péptica y un incremento en la cantidad del moco protector de la mucosa

Tonometría intragástrica en la vigilancia y el pronóstico de niños en choque / Intragastric tonometry in the surveillance and the prognosis of children with shock

Objetivo: determinar si el pH gástrico intromucoso (pHi) ofrece información útil acerca del estado hemodinámico y contribuye a delinear el pronóstico en niños con falla circulatorio periférico (choque). Pacientes y método: Se estudiaron siete niños de 4 a 14 (promedio=8,5) años de edad, con choque que requirieron catéter en la arteria pulmonar. En todos se midió pHi simultáneamente con pH arterial (pHa), índice de entrega de oxígeno (IDO2), índice e consumo de oxígeno (IVO2), saturación venoso mixto (SvO2) y concentración de lactato en la sangre arterial cada 6 horas durante 24 horas. Resultado: se encontró una correlación inverso significativo entre el IDO2 y pHi (r =-0,85) (p = 0,01). No hubo correlación entre la concentración arterial de lactato, pHa, SVO2 y el pHi. El promedio de la concentración de lactato fue más alto en los fallecidos que en los sobrevivientes (3,53 mmol/I vs 1,59 mmol/I; p = 0,051). Conclusión: en esta serie se encontró una correlación significativa entre pHi e IDO2, pero en el sentido contrario al fisiológicamente esperado y no se encontró relación entre pHi y letalidad

Tonometría gástrica en paciente pediátrico / Gastric tonometry in pediatric patients

Se describen los fundamentos teóricos e indicaciones de la tonometría, ilustrándola con una experiencia inicial en el país. La tonometría gástrica tiene cada vez más acogida como método relativamente simple y no invasivo para evaluar la magnitud de la hipoxia tisular de la mucosa enteral, un territorio de gran importancia en pacientes en estado crítico. El procedimiento, que es aplicable en pacientes pediátricos, permite estimar la disponibilidad y utilización de oxígeno en la mucosa gástrica a partir del pH en el interior de ella aplicando la ecuación de Henderson Hasselbalch modificada a partir de la tensión de dióxido de carbono en el interior del estómago, obtenida por equilibrio en solución salina contenida en una sonda balón de silicona, y de la concentración arterial de bicarbonato. Ambas mediciones se realizan en un analizador corriente de gases

Study of the argyrophilic nucleolar organizer regions in different types of gastritis and normal gastric mucosa

Routine paraffin embedded sections from 83 specimens of gastric mucosa were stained using Hx and E, colloidal silver, PAS and Giemsa stains. Different morphological types of AgNOR were counted in different types of gastritis and compared with the normal gastric mucosa. The normal gastric mucosa showed most of the AgNORs as the clusters type while, in general, gastritis cases showed AGNORs mostly as the separate dot type with little of the clusters type. The H-Pylori + ve group of gastritis showed statistically significant higher value of separate and total mean AgNOR counts and a lower value of clusters type count when compared with the corresponding count of the control normal gastric mucosa. The group of H-Pylori - ve gastritis failed to show any statistically significant difference in these counts when compared with the control. It, however, showed statistically significant differences in these counts when compared with the corresponding counts in the H-Pylori + ve group. Within the H-Pylori + ve group the cases showing moderate or sever PNL infiltrate showed the highest mean of the separate type and total AgNOR counts. Cases showing mucous depletion came second in this respect. Other cases of H-Pylori + ve Gastritis with metaplasia and glandular atrophy showed statistically significant difference both types as well as total AgNOR counts when compared with the corresponding count of the normal control gastric mucosa. The only exception was the group of H-Pylori + ve gastritis with normal mucous secretion which failed to show statistically significant difference in the total AgNOR count when compared with the normal control. The observation of highest correlation between AgNOR count and the severity of mucous depletion and PNL infiltration suggested particular influence of these changes on the cellular proliferation rate. We concluded that the difference in AgNOR counts between the normal gastric mucosa and that showing chronic H-Pylori + ve gastritis reflects the increased cell proliferation rate in the last group which provide an evidence for the role of H-Pyloi infection in gastric carcinogenesis. The differential response of the two morphological types of AgNOR in gastritis highlights the importance of examining the morphological types of AgNOR separately and encourages further work on pattern recognition of AgNOR and its relation with different other cellular changes

Esvaziamento gástrico e acidose metabólica I. Estudo de um modelo experimental em ratos, empregando uma soluçäo de cloreto de amônio por via orogástrica / Gastric emptying and metabolic acidosis. I. Study of an experimental model in rats, using an ammonium chloride solution administered through the orogastric route

O objetivo do estudo foi o de obter um modelo de acidose metabólica, induzida por via orogástrica, que pudesse ser utilizado em estudos posteriores, os quais tivessem como objetivo relacionar esvaziamento gástrico (EG) e acidose metabólica. Para isto foram necessárias 141 ratas brancas, variedade Wistar, que foram utilizadas em três etapas: a primeira (n=27) tinha como objetivo definir o perfil da acidose metabólica induzida pela soluçäo de cloreto de amónio, por via orogástrica, na dose de 1 mEq/100 gramas de peso do animal; a segunda (n=60), com a finalidade de avaliar o EG da soluçäo de cloreto de amônio utilizada na primeira etapa e, a terceira (n=54), com o objetivo de verificar possível lesäo da mucosa gástrica pela soluçäo acidificante, através do estudo do ECG da água em ratos com acidose e em controles. Como grupo controle, foram utilizados animais aos quais era infundido soluçäo de cloreto de sódio (nas duas primeiras etapas) com a mesma concentraçäo e volume da soluçäo acidificante. Os resultados mostraram que o estabelecimento e manutençäo da acidose ocorreram em níveis considerados adequados a estudos experimentais. O EG da soluçäo de NH4Cl completou-se entre 4 e 6 horas após a infusäo da soluçäo, havendo, mesmo após este período, manutençäo de níveis moderados a graves de acidose metabólica. Desta forma, conclui-se que com o modelo empregado pode-se obter um intervalo de tempo (6-8 horas após a infusäo da soluçäo) adequado a estudos posteriores. O EG da água näo diferiu entre animais com acidose e controle

Citoprotección gastroduodenal: concepto y aplicaciones / Gastroduodenal cytoprotection: concepts and applications

La mucosa gastroduodenal posee un conjunto de mecanismos fisiológicos, encargados de su protección frente a la acción de agentes agresivos endógenos o exógenos. Las prostaglandinas participan activamente en la regulación de estos recursos, cuyo incremento constituye la base de los mecanismos de citoprotección. Mayor citoprotección de la mucosa gastroduodenal se puede alcanzar por estimulación de la síntesis de prostaglandinas o mediante su administración en forma de análogos metilados. También se han identificado otras sustancias con efecto citoprotector tales como el factor de crecimiento epidérmico; algunos antiácidos, antioxidantes, sucralfato, etc. La experiencia alcanzada con ellos en animales de experimentación se proyecta al hombre, en quien se han iniciado ensayos clínicos destinados a objetivar sus beneficios. Actualmente la citoprotección aparece como una alternativa interesante en la búsqueda reiterada de recursos dirigidos a suprimir la acción de factores agresivos, en el manejo de las lesiones agudas o crónicas de la mucosa gastroduodenal

gastric mucosal barrier. Weakness syndrome

Facing agressive agents of any kind, including food, gastric mucous has different means of defence called gastric mucous barrier. It seems that in some digestive diseases agression itself is not more important than weakness of the digestive mucous barrier. The concept of "mucous barrier weakness syndrome" opens perspectives in a better comprehension of some digestive diseases: [digestive functional diseases in particular] and therefore a better therapeutic approach

Effect of adrenalectomy and administration of prednisolone on gastric ulcer formation in forestomachectomized Shay albino rats.

The gastric ulcerogenic effect of the glucocorticoid, prednisolone, was studied in albino rats. Shay operation in forestomachectomized rats with intact adrenals induced acute gastric ulcers in the corpus, whereas adrenalectomy prevented the development of gastric ulcers in another group of forestomachectomized Shay rats. Only superficial erosion of gastric epithelium was noticed in 66.67% of these rats. Administration of prednisolone to another group of similarly operated rats increased the number and severity of gastric ulceration, whether the adrenals were ablated or otherwise. From the observation of acid and mucous content of the stomach, it is postulated that the reduced mucous secretion may be an important predisposing factor in gastric ulcerogenic effect of steroids.