Seroprevalence of Transplacentally acquired Measles antibodies in unvaccinated infants at nine months of age and its relation to the feeding practices.

Background: In recent years Pakistan has faced frequent measles outbreaks killing hundreds of children despite the availability of vaccine for decades. This study was undertaken to determine the persistence of maternal transferred measles antibody levels in infants before measles vaccination with relation to their feeding practices.

Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted at district Islamabad over 1 year between 1st October 2013 to 30th Sept.

Hepatitis E virus seroprevalence in pregnant women in Pakistan: maternal and fetal outcomes.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is endemic in Pakistan. Although otherwise asymptomatic, HEV infection becomes fatal in pregnancy, with considerable maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. We conducted a descriptive study from April to October 2015 in 10 tertiary care hospitals throughout Pakistan to determine maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality in HEV-positive pregnant women with acute jaundice or raised liver function tests.

Oral Feeding of Probiotic Bifidobacterium infantis: Colonic Morphological Changes in Rat Model of TNBS-Induced Colitis.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease of unknown etiology. It has been proposed that modifying the bacterial flora in intestine with probiotics may decrease the inflammatory process and prevent relapses in UC. We investigated the possible protective and therapeutic effects of a single strand of probiotic, Bifidobacterium infantis (BI), on colonic inflammation, in rats with regular feedings.

Autonomic nervous system and secretion across the intestinal mucosal surface.

Chloride secretion is important because it is the driving force for fluid movement into the intestinal lumen. The flow of accumulated fluid flushes out invading micro-organisms in defense of the host. Chloride secretion is regulated by neurons in the submucosal plexus of the enteric nervous system.

ADOA3R as a therapeutic target in experimental colitis: proof by validated high-density oligonucleotide microarray analysis.

Adenosine A3 receptors (ADOA3Rs) are emerging as novel purinergic targets for treatment of inflammatory diseases. Our goal was to assess the protective effect of the ADOA3R agonist N(6)-(3-iodobenzyl)-adenosine-5-N-methyluronamide (IB-MECA) on gene dysregulation and injury in a rat chronic model of 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)--induced colitis. It was necessary to develop and validate a microarray technique for testing the protective effects of purine-based drugs in experimental inflammatory bowel disease.

Development and face validity of explicit indicators of appropriateness of long term prescribing.

Objectives: To develop a set of explicit and operationalisable indicators of appropriate prescribing and assess their face validity using clinical pharmacists practising in secondary and primary care.

Method: Appropriateness indicators were derived from the literature, applied to data in the hospital clinical records of all newly prescribed long-term drugs for 50 randomly selected patients, further refined and then applied to another 25 randomly selected patients. A pre-piloted postal questionnaire was sent to 200 hospitals and primary care pharmacists, asking them to assess the indicators as to their importance for the assessment of appropriateness of long-term prescribing initiated in hospitals.

Endogenous adenosine differentially modulates 5-hydroxytryptamine release from a human enterochromaffin cell model.

Background & Aims: The aim was to determine whether adenosine receptors modulate cAMP, intracellular free calcium ([Ca(2+)](i)), and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) release in human carcinoid BON cells.

Methods: Adenosine receptor (R) mRNA, proteins, and function were identified by Western blots, immunofluorescent labeling, Fluo-4/AM [Ca(2+)](i) imaging, and pharmacologic/physiologic techniques.

Results: A1, A2, and A3Rs were present in BON cells and carcinoid tumors.

Mechanically evoked reflex electrogenic chloride secretion in rat distal colon is triggered by endogenous nucleotides acting at P2Y1, P2Y2, and P2Y4 receptors.

Mechanical activation of the mucosal lining of the colon by brush stroking elicits an intestinal neural reflex and an increase in short circuit current (Isc) indicative of electrogenic chloride ion transport. We tested whether endogenous nucleotides are physiologic regulators of mucosal reflexes that control ion transport. The brush stroking-evoked Isc response in mucosa and submucosa preparations (M-SMP) of rat colon was reduced by the P2Y1 receptor (R) antagonist 2'deoxy-N6-methyl adenosine 3',5'-diphosphate diammonium salt (MRS 2179) and further blocked by tetrodotoxin (TTX).

Mechanical stimulation releases nucleotides that activate P2Y1 receptors to trigger neural reflex chloride secretion in guinea pig distal colon.

Stroking the mucosal lining of the guinea pig colon with a brush elicits an intestinal neural reflex, and an increase in short-circuit current (Isc) indicative of chloride secretion. We tested whether endogenous and exogenous nucleotides are physiologic regulators of mucosal reflexes that modulate chloride secretion. The basal Isc was augmented by 6-N,N-diethyl-beta,gamma-dibromomethylene-D-adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ARL67156) inhibition of nucleotide breakdown or adenosine A1 receptor blockade and reduced by apyrase inactivation of nucleotidases, P2 receptor antagonists, tetrodotoxin (TTX), or piroxicam.