A Higher Manometric Esophageal Length to Height Ratio in Achalasia Explains the Lower Prevalence of Hiatal Hernia.

Background/aims: The evidence suggests that a shorter esophageal length (EL) in gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) patients is associated with the presence of hiatal hernia (HH). However, there are no reports of this association in patients with achalasia. The aim is to (1) determine the prevalence of hiatal hernia in achalasia patients, (2) compare achalasia EL with GERD patients and healthy volunteers (HV), (3) measure achalasia manometric esophageal length to height (MELH) ratio, and (4) determine if there are differences in symptoms between patients with and without hiatal hernia.

Multifactorial causes of chronic itch in diabetes: More than just neuropathy.

Background: Chronic pruritus is common in patients with diabetes though its pathophysiology is unknown and difficult to pinpoint given the multi-system manifestations of diabetes. Herein, we aim to evaluate the severity of chronic itch in patients with diabetes and its association with glycaemic control, microvascular complications and quality of life.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of 105 adults with diabetes evaluated by a dermatologist at a tertiary care centre in Mexico City.

Histamine activates an intracellular Ca signal in normal human lung fibroblast WI-38 cells.

Histamine is an inflammatory mediator that can be released from mast cells to induce airway remodeling and cause persistent airflow limitation in asthma. In addition to stimulating airway smooth muscle cell constriction and hyperplasia, histamine promotes pulmonary remodeling by inducing fibroblast proliferation, contraction, and migration. It has long been known that histamine receptor 1 (H1R) mediates the effects of histamine on human pulmonary fibroblasts through an increase in intracellular Ca concentration ([Ca]), but the underlying signaling mechanisms are still unknown.

Type 2 Diabetes Alters Intracellular Ca Handling in Native Endothelium of Excised Rat Aorta.

An increase in intracellular Ca concentration ([Ca]) plays a key role in controlling endothelial functions; however, it is still unclear whether endothelial Ca handling is altered by type 2 diabetes mellitus, which results in severe endothelial dysfunction. Herein, we analyzed for the first time the Ca response to the physiological autacoid ATP in native aortic endothelium of obese Zucker diabetic fatty (OZDF) rats and their lean controls, which are termed LZDF rats. By loading the endothelial monolayer with the Ca-sensitive fluorophore, Fura-2/AM, we found that the endothelial Ca response to 20 µM and 300 µM ATP exhibited a higher plateau, a larger area under the curve and prolonged duration in OZDF rats.