Study protocol for a pilot randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of Frondanol in adults with inflammatory bowel disease.

Introduction: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), consisting of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, is a debilitating condition with a rising incidence globally over recent years. Frondanol, a widely available nutraceutical extract of the edible sea cucumber Cucumaria frondosa has been reported to possess potent anti-inflammatory effects, likely mediated by the inhibition of 5-lipoxygenase and 12-lipoxygenase pathways, whilst showing no signs of toxicity. The potent anti-inflammatory effects of Frondanol in a mouse model of IBD provide encouragement for investigating its effects in human IBD patients. Here we describe the study protocol of a pilot randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial of Frondanol in patients with mild to moderate IBD who are on standard therapy. Material and methods: One hundred patients will be randomized (1:1) to receive Frondanol or placebo as an adjunct to their standard therapy for the period of six months. Blood and stool samples will be obtained during routine visits at baseline, and after three months and six months of treatment, and tissue samples from colon biopsies will be obtained during clinically indicated colonoscopies at baseline and after six months of treatment. The levels of inflammatory markers will be compared in serum and tissue samples between patients treated with Frondanol and those treated with placebo, and findings will be correlated with clinical and histological parameters. Discussion: If proven beneficial, treatment with Frondanol may increase the likelihood of patients remaining in remission and potentially provide an effective, natural and safe addition/alternative for treatment-naive patients in the future.(Clinical trial registration number: NCT05194007).

Dieulafoy's lesion-like bleeding: an underrecognized cause of upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage in patients with advanced liver disease.

Dieulafoy's lesion is a gastrointestinal submucosal artery that ruptures into the lumen causing massive hemorrhage. Until recently, failure to diagnose and treat patients endoscopically may have necessitated blind gastrectomy. Because arteriolar spider nevi abound in patients with liver disease and bleeding from such lesions has been described in the upper gastrointestinal tract, we reviewed our experience to determine whether a diagnosis of advanced liver disease could facilitate recognition and treatment of this type of arterial bleeding. Endoscopy records from 1991 to 1996 for all cases of upper gastrointestinal bleeding at our institution were reviewed. Dieulafoy's lesion-like bleeding was defined as arterial-type bleeding with no evidence of mucosal ulceration or erosions. Advanced liver disease was defined as signs of portal hypertension and/or cirrhosis or infiltrative liver disease. Dieulafoy's lesion-like bleeding was the cause in 6 of 4569 cases (0.13%). Five patients with Dieulafoy's lesion-like gastrointestinal hemorrhage had advanced liver disease compared with 954 of 4569 of all patients endoscoped for gastrointestinal hemorrhage for the period evaluated (OR = 19.04; 95% CI 2.1-900.8; p < 0.002 by Fisher's exact test). Dieulafoy's lesion-like bleeding was treated successfully with epinephrine injection and endoscopic cauterization in 5 of 6 patients with 1 patient requiring surgery. No other clinical associations were evident. Dieulafoy's lesion-like bleeding occurs more commonly in patients with advanced liver disease and should be included as a potential cause for bleeding in advanced liver disease and aggressively sought.