Cigarette smoking and nicotine delay postprandial mouth-cecum transit time.

The acute effects of both cigarette smoking and nicotine on postprandial mouth-cecum transit were studied in 20 habitual smokers, 10 males and 10 females. Mouth-cecum transit time was measured by the breath hydrogen technique, following ingestion of a standard mixed liquid meal. Each subject was studied on four separate occasions, either (1) sham or actively smoking two standard cigarettes, commencing 20 min after the meal, or (2) chewing two placebo or nicotine tablets over a 60-min period, commencing immediately after the meal.

A comparison between the disease status of hospitalized dogs from developed and those from developing communities.

The health status of canine populations within developed and those within developing communities was studied in a retrospective survey and compared. There were significant differences in the prevalence of disease amongst the hospitalised dogs from the 2 communities. Dogs from developing communities were mainly young cross-bred dogs which suffered from infectious diseases (44%), trauma (22%) and parasitic diseases (11%).

Enteric and central contributions to intestinal dysmotility in irritable bowel syndrome.

The aim of the study was to further elucidate the pathophysiology of irritable bowel syndrome and its subgroups by examining and comparing alterations in small bowel motility, specifically phase II and phase III components of the migrating motor complex. Prolonged recordings of interdigestive small bowel motility were obtained during both diurnal and nocturnal periods in 20 patients with irritable bowel syndrome--10 with predominant constipation and 10 with predominant diarrhea--and in 10 healthy subjects. Diurnal amplitude (mean +/- SD) of phase III activity fronts was lower (P less than 0.

Effects of acute psychologic stress on small-intestinal motility in health and the irritable bowel syndrome.

Psychologic stress may be a provoking factor in the alterations in phase-2 motor activity of the migrating motor complex (MMC) which have been recorded in patients with the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). To test this, changes in phase-2 duodenojejunal motor activity during 20 min of psychologic stress in 10 patients with IBS were compared with those shown by 10 healthy subjects. Autonomic arousal in response to the stressor was assessed by cardiovascular responses and self-reported levels of anxiety and tension.

A craniopharyngioma in a seven-year-old dog.

A seven-year-old male Border Collie was presented with a history of lethargy, episodic circling, incoordination and polydypsia. Physical examination revealed depression, obesity and bradycardia. A neurological examination indicated the possible presence of a space-occupying lesion in the brain.