Oral Nitrate Reductase Activity Is Not Associated with Development of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH): A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND NAFLD/NASH is a manifestation of metabolic syndrome and is associated with obesity/overweight. Not all obese/overweight individuals develop NASH. Gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) is considered a gastrointestinal manifestation of the metabolic syndrome and is associated with obesity/overweight. Again not all obese/overweight individuals develop GERD. Recent data show association of dietary nitrate content and oral nitrate reductase activity (NRA) with GERD. Nitrates need to be converted to nitrite (done in human beings by nitrate reductase of oral bacteria exclusively) to be active in metabolic pathways. OBJECTIVE To assess the relation between NASH/NAFLD and oral NRA. METHODS Oral NRA was measured in individuals with NASH (compatible abdominal ultrasound and two elevated ALT/AST levels over six months) and was compared with that of those without NASH. Oral NRA was measured according to a previously reported protocol. RESULTS Eleven NASH patients and twelve controls were enrolled. Mean oral NRA activity were 2.82 vs. 3.51 µg nitrite-N formed per person per minute for cases and controls respectively (p=0.46). CONCLUSION According to our data, oral nitrite production is not different between individual swith and without NASH.

Mucoid Helicobacter pylori isolates with fast growth under microaerobic and aerobic conditions.

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori is microaerobic and turns into coccoid under aerobic conditions. In this study, two mucoid strains, A and D, were isolated from gastric biopsies which grew well on blood agar after 24-hour incubation under aerobic as well as microaerobic conditions. The aim of this study was to identify these strains and compare their growth under aerobic and microaerobic conditions with that of control H. pylori. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The two isolates A and D were identified as H. pylori according to microscopic morphology, urease, catalase and oxidase tests. Their growth under humidified aerobic and microaerobic conditions was compared with that of control H. pylori which grew only under microaerobic conditions. They were further identified by amplification of 16S rRNA, vacA alleles, cagA and ureAB genes by PCR. Their susceptibility to current antimicrobials was also examined. RESULTS: The strains A and D produced mucoid colonies under aerobic and microaerobic conditions after 24-hour, exhibiting the typical spiral morphology of H. pylori. The results of urease, catalase and oxidase tests were positive. Sequencing of amplified products showed 99-100% homology with those of the reference H. pylori strains in GenBank. Both strains exhibited resistance to the high concentrations of antimicrobials. CONCLUSIONS: This study reports the isolation of two mucoid strains of H. pylori with confluent growth under aerobic and microaerobic conditions. It appears that production of exopolysaccharide (EXP) could serve as a physical barrier to reduce oxygen diffusion into the bacterial cell and uptake of antibiotics. EXP protected the mucoid H. pylori isolates against stressful conditions, the result of which could be persistence of bacterial infection in the stomach.

Comparison of the effect of non-antifungal and antifungal agents on Candida isolates from the gastrointestinal tract.

BACKGROUND: Non-antifungal drugs appear promising in treatment of opportunistic infections of Candida spp. that are often resistant to current antifungals. METHODS: The broth macrodilution method (NCCLS M27-P document) was used to compare the antifungal activity of trifluoperazine, propranolol, and lansoprazole with that of ketoconazole and amphotericin B, using 50 yeast isolates from the GI tract. The minimum fungicidal concentrations (MFCs), resistance rates and the time required for fungicidal activity of the drugs (2 - 48 hours) were determined. RESULTS: The most effective antifungal activity was exhibited by trifluoperazine. Its MFC was 32 µg/mL for Candida albicans (3.3% resistance) and Candida spp. (0% resistance) yeasts, and 64 µg/mL for Candida tropicalis with 10% resistance. The MFC for C. albicans and Candida spp. was comparable to that of ketoconazole. However, the time required for the inhibitory effect (6 hr) was shorter than that of ketoconazole (48 hr) or amphotericin B (24 hr). The time required for the inhibitory activity on C. tropicalis was 24 hr, which was shorter than that of ketoconazole and amphotericin B (48 hr). A considerable number (40%) of Candida spp. showed resistance to ketoconazole, and 20% of C. tropicalis showed resistance to amphotericin B. Trifluoperazine, an antipsychotic drug, exhibited effective antifungal activity with the MFC, comparable to ketoconazole (32 µg/mL). Among the three yeast groups, C. tropicalis showed resistance to trifluoperazine and amphotericin B, and Candida spp. was considerably resistant to ketoconazole. CONCLUSION: Trifluoperazine could be considered as an alternative antifungal when encountering Candida spp. resistant to current antifungals.

Oral nitrate reductase activity and erosive gastro-esophageal reflux disease: a nitrate hypothesis for GERD pathogenesis.

BACKGROUND: Despite the rich literature on GERD, its cause and reason for increased prevalence remain obscure. Currently accepted mechanisms leave many questions unanswered. Nitrite chemistry at the GEJ is well described for carcinogenesis. Recent epidemiological and animal data have linked nitrates to GERD. "Nitrate reductase" of oral bacteria converts nitrates to nitrites. We hypothesized that nitrate reductase activity is higher in patients with erosive GERD, delivering more nitrite at the gastroesophageal-junction for a given nitrate intake. AIM: To compare oral nitrate reductase activity of erosive GERD patients with controls. METHODS: Patients with erosive GERD and controls without GERD were enrolled. After overnight fasting, nitrite of oral cavity contents was measured at 1-min intervals for 3 min while incubating a 10-mg nitrate-N/L solution in the mouth. Nitrate reductase activity was calculated and compared between groups. RESULTS: Eleven cases (ten males, mean age: 42.6 ± 11.7 year) and ten controls (eight males, mean age: 37.6 ± 9.2 year) were enrolled. Mean nitrate reductase activity was 3.23 ± 0.99 vs. 2.30 ± 0.83 "µg nitrite-N formed/person/minute" in cases and controls, respectively (p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Oral nitrate reductase activity in erosive GERD patients is higher than controls. Therefore, any dietary nitrate load generates more nitrite in these patients. This excess nitrite at the gastroesophageal junction, may potentially contribute to the development of GERD. This is the first report linking oral nitrite production to erosive GERD in man. We suggest that a "nitrate hypothesis" may answer yet unanswered questions about GERD pathogenesis. If confirmed, it may change our understanding of mechanisms of GERD and provide novel therapeutic targets.