Computed tomography colonography: a retrospective analysis of outcomes of 2 years experience in a district general hospital.

Background: Colonoscopy is the gold-standard investigation for direct luminal visualization of the large bowel. Studies have shown the efficacy of computed tomography colonography (CTC) is equivalent to colonoscopy in both cancer and polyp detection.

Methods: A retrospective review of patients undergoing CTC from January 2013 to October 2014 was performed.

Excess anticoagulation as a cause of small-bowel obstruction: a report of two cases.

Spontaneous intramural haemorrhage is a rare cause of small-bowel obstruction, occurring most commonly in those who are anticoagulated. We describe two cases that presented with a history and imaging suggestive of small-bowel obstruction; both had International Normalized Ratios of above 10 on admission. The first case, a 62-year-old lady on warfarin for atrial fibrillation, was managed conservatively with good effect.

Pituitary protein 7B2 plasma levels in patients with liver disease: Comparisons with other hormones and neuropeptides.

7B2, a protein initially isolated from the porcine pituitary gland, has been identified in numerous animal and human tissues, with the highest concentrations in the pituitary and hypothalamus. The 7B2 molecule is highly evolutionarily conserved and is considered to be indispensable in the function and regulation of proprotein convertase 2 (PC2). In the present study, the plasma 7B2 immunoreactivity (7B2-IR) of 18 patients with liver disease was studied.

Computed tomography findings of bowel wall thickening: its significance and relationship to endoscopic abnormalities.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to conduct retrospective analysis of abdominopelvic computed tomography (CT) reports, identifying those patients in whom bowel wall thickening (BWT) was observed, and to correlate these reports with subsequent endoscopic evaluation.

Methods: Formal reports for all patients undergoing abdominopelvic CT between February 2007 and September 2009 were reviewed. Where patients were identified as having colorectal 'wall thickening', results of subsequent endoscopic evaluations were documented.

The two-week rule in colorectal cancer. Can it deliver its promise?

Despite recent advances in technology, a high percentage of patients with colorectal cancer present with disease that is already advanced, leading to an overall 5-year survival rate of 49.6% in men and 50.8% in women.

The distribution and pathological staging of colorectal cancers in ethnic groups.

Background: There is little data on the distribution and histological staging of colorectal cancer in ethnic groups in the United Kingdom. A study to investigate this was undertaken at a hospital serving a multi-ethnic population.

Patients And Methods: Case analysis from a prospective database of all colorectal cancers between 2000-2004 was performed.

Cloning and characterization of the cDNA encoding the human neuromedin U (NmU) precursor: NmU expression in the human gastrointestinal tract.

Many peptide precursors encode more than one bioactive peptide. Recent cloning of the rat neuromedin U (NmU) precursor revealed potential proteolytic processing sites which may generate three associated peptides in addition to the NmU peptide, which is known to have potent uterine contractile effects. To assess the degree of evolutionary conservation, which often suggests conserved biological function and hence physiological importance, we have cloned and sequenced the cDNA encoding the human NmU precursor.

Influence of temporary faecal diversion on long-term survival after curative surgery for colorectal cancer.

Experimental carcinogenesis is enhanced at colorectal anastomoses, inhibited by proximal faecal diversion and promoted by the closure of a defunctioning stoma. The clinical relevance of these observations was investigated in a retrospective study of curative restorative resection for colorectal carcinoma. The 5-year disease-free survival rate (95 per cent confidence interval) in 122 patients with a temporary stoma (50.

Release of vasodilator, but not vasoconstrictor, neuropeptides and of enteroglucagon by intestinal ischaemia/reperfusion in the rat.

Reperfusion of ischaemic intestine is characterised by an initial hyperaemia with ensuing mucosal repair. This study investigated possible roles for gut vasoactive neuropeptides and trophic peptides in these phenomena. Groups of rats were monitored during superior mesenteric artery occlusion for five or 20 minutes, with or without subsequent reperfusion for five minutes.

Atrial natriuretic peptide and glucagon release in experimental intestinal ischaemia and reperfusion.

Intestinal ischaemia and reperfusion cause changes in cardiovascular and pulmonary function. In a rat model, the plasma concentrations of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and pancreatic glucagon rose on reperfusion after 20 min of intestinal ischaemia, coinciding with significant arterial hypotension: mean(s.e.

Peptide histidine valine: its haemodynamic actions and pharmacokinetics in man differ from those of vasoactive intestinal peptide and peptide histidine methionine.

1. The effects of intravenous and intra-arterial infusion of the peptides derived from prepro-vasoactive intestinal peptide, vasoactive intestinal peptide, peptide histidine methionine and peptide histidine valine, were examined in six healthy volunteers. 2.

The hormonal responses to repetitive brief maximal exercise in humans.

The responses of nine men and nine women to brief repetitive maximal exercise have been studied. The exercise involved a 6-s sprint on a non-motorised treadmill repeated 10 times with 30 s recovery between each sprint. The total work done during the ten sprints was 37,693 +/- 3,956 J by the men and 26,555 +/- 4,589 J by the women (M greater than F, P less than 0.

Pro-atrial natriuretic peptide (1-98): the circulating cardiodilatin in man.

The nature of plasma cardiodilatin, the amino-terminal product of the human pro-atrial natriuretic peptide, was investigated by two separate radioimmunoassays directed against the N-terminal and the putative C-terminal of the cardiodilatin molecule: ANP-[Asn1-Lys16] and ANP-[Lys87-Arg98], respectively. Serial dilutions of normal and cardiac failure plasma exhibited parallelism with the synthetic peptide standard curves in both assays. The concentrations of N- and C-terminal cardiodilatin-immunoreactivity equivalents (-IE) were significantly higher in cardiac failure patients.

Atrial natriuretic peptide concentrations in hypoxic secondary pulmonary hypertension: relation to haemodynamic and blood gas variables and response to supplemental oxygen.

Plasma atrial natriuretic peptide concentrations, measured in samples drawn from the pulmonary artery, were raised in nine of 17 patients with hypoxic pulmonary hypertension but normal right atrial pressures at rest. No relationship was seen between atrial natriuretic peptide concentrations and mean pulmonary artery or right atrial pressure, or calculated pulmonary or systemic vascular resistance. Patients with the most severe hypoxaemia tended to have higher plasma atrial natriuretic peptide concentrations; three patients with no past history of oedema had concentrations more than twice the upper limit of normal.

Atrial natriuretic peptide levels in plasma and in cardiac tissues after chronic hypoxia in rats.

1. Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) levels were measured in cardiac tissues and in plasma from adult rats exposed to chronic alveolar hypoxia for periods of 2 h, 24 h and 7 days. Levels were also measured in rats that were maintained in hypoxia for 7 days and then returned to air for 24 h.

Increase in plasma concentrations of cardiodilatin (amino terminal pro-atrial natriuretic peptide) in cardiac failure and during recumbency.

Plasma concentrations of cardiodilatin, the peptide sequence at the amino terminal of the pro-atrial natriuretic peptide, in 17 normal subjects ranged from 59 to 202 (mean 118 (SEM) (9] pmol/l. Recumbency increased the mean (SEM) concentration to 160 (13) pmol/l. The plasma concentration of cardiodilatin in 24 patients with congestive cardiac failure was much higher (964 (175) pmol/l) than in the normal subjects.

The presence and molecular forms of cardiodilatin immunoreactivity in the human and rat right atrium.

A sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay has been developed for cardiodilatin, the N-terminal peptide sequence of the atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) prohormone. Cardiodilatin-immunoreactivity (-IR) concentrations in the human right atrial appendage were found to correlate with ANP-IR concentrations, determined by an established radioimmunoassay, (cardiodilatin-IR = 13.2 +/- 1.

Expression of the atrial natriuretic peptide gene in the cardiac muscle of rat extrapulmonary and intrapulmonary veins.

Atrial natriuretic peptide is a peptide regulating salt and water balance, originally isolated from the cardiac atrium, where it is synthesised as part of a precursor molecule in specialised myocardial cells. The myocardium extends into the extrapulmonary part of the pulmonary veins in many species, including man. In some small mammals, however, such as the rat, mouse, and bat, it extends further to veins in the peripheral parts of the lung.

Colostomy or ileostomy after colorectal anastomosis?: a randomised trial.

Sixty one patients were entered in a randomised trial to compare transverse loop colostomy with loop ileostomy after a colorectal anastomosis thought to be at risk of dehiscence. Radiologically proven breakdown of the colorectal anastomosis occurred in 13% of these selected patients and most frequently in the colostomy group. Ileostomies functioned earlier than colostomies (P less than 0.