Role of Obesity, Mesenteric Adipose Tissue, and Adipokines in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are a group of disorders which include ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Obesity is becoming increasingly more common among patients with inflammatory bowel disease and plays a role in the development and course of the disease. This is especially true in the case of Crohn's disease.

Melatonin or L-tryptophan accelerates healing of gastroduodenal ulcers in patients treated with omeprazole.

Melatonin and L-tryptophan (Trp) are highly gastroprotective in humans, but no study has assessed their impact on healing of chronic gastroduodenal ulcers in humans. Three groups (A, B and C) of 14 idiopathic patients in each treatment group with gastroduodenal chronic ulcers were treated with omeprazole (20 mg twice daily) combined either with placebo (group A), melatonin (group B) or with Trp (group C). The rate of ulcer healing was determined by gastroduodenoscopy at day 0, 7, 14 and 21 after initiation of therapy.

Endogenous gastric mediators: patho-physiological role and measurements.

The protocols described in this unit are designed to present the major endogenous gastric mediators involved in the control of gastric acid secretion, namely gastrin and histamine, and in the regulation of gastric motility, which include motilin and ghrelin, under physiological and pathological conditions. The measurement of these mediators in plasma or serum of humans and animals by radioimmunoassay are described and their pathophysiological role is discussed.

Involvement of orexigenic peptides in the mechanism of gastric mucosal integrity and healing of chronic gastric ulcers.

Orexigenic peptides are group of endocrine hormones exerting a pleiotropic influence on many physiological functions including regulation of the feeding behaviour and energy expenditure, release of growth hormone (GH) and inotropic effects on the heart. Some of these peptides such as ghrelin, originally identified in the gastric mucosa, has been involved not only in control of food intake and growth hormone release but also exerts the immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties. This review summarizes the recent attempts to prove the concept that orexigenic peptides such as ghrelin, orexin-A and obestatin besides playing an important role in the mechanism of food intake, exhibit a potent gastroprotective action against the formation of acute gastric mucosal injury induced by various ulcerogens.

Nitric oxide releasing aspirin protects the gastric mucosa against stress and promotes healing of stress-induced gastric mucosal damage: role of heat shock protein 70.

Background/aim: Nitric oxide (NO) releasing nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs do not cause gastric mucosal damage, despite inhibition of the cyclooxygenase activity to a similar extent as conventional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that induce such damage. We compared the effects of native aspirin (ASA) with those of NO-releasing ASA (NO-ASA) on the development and healing of acute gastric lesions induced by water immersion and restraint stress (WRS) and the mucosal expression of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70).

Methods: Wistar rats received: (1).