Plasma insulin, leptin, adiponectin, resistin, ghrelin, and melatonin in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis patients treated with melatonin.

Insulin resistance, oxidative stress, and an abnormal production of adipokines and cytokines are implicated in the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Recently, we reported a significant improvement in plasma liver enzymes among patients with NASH treated with melatonin. In this study, we investigated the effect of melatonin, administered at a dose of 10 mg/day for 28 days to 16 patients with histologically proven NASH on insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), on the plasma levels of adiponectin, leptin, ghrelin, and resistin.

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.

Ghrelin and gastrin in advanced gastric cancer before and after gastrectomy.

Aim: To investigate plasma ghrelin, gastrin and growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHS-R) expression in advanced gastric cancer (GC) before and after resection.

Methods: Seventy subjects in whom endoscopy of the upper gastrointestinal tract was performed in the Department of General Surgery at Cracow University during the past decade: (1) 25 patients with GC associated with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection; (2) 10 patients with GC 4-5 years after (total or subtotal) gastrectomy; (3) 25 healthy H.

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.

Usefulness of 13C-methacetin breath test in liver function testing in Amanita phalloides poisoning; breast feeding woman case.

Introduction: Mortality from ingestion of the mushroom Amanita phalloides still remains as high as 8-10%. In critical patients, liver dialysis can bridge the patient to liver transplantation, which may be a lifesaving procedure. We report the use of 13C-methacetin breath test (13C-MBT) in monitoring hepatic function in a case of A.

Gastroprotective action of orexin-A against stress-induced gastric damage is mediated by endogenous prostaglandins, sensory afferent neuropeptides and nitric oxide.

Orexin-A, identified in the neurons and endocrine cells in the gut, has been implicated in control of food intake and sleep behavior but little is known about its influence on gastric secretion and mucosal integrity. The effects of orexin-A on gastric secretion and gastric lesions induced in rats by 3.5 h of water immersion and restraint stress (WRS) or 75% ethanol were determined.

Implications of oral Helicobacter pylori for the outcome of its gastric eradication therapy.

Background And Aims: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is an important pathogen in gastritis, peptic ulcer and possibly gastric cancer, but several questions remain unanswered. Particularly how the organism is transmitted and what is the relationship between oral presence of H.

Effects of cyclooxygenase-2 inhibition on serum and tumor gastrins and expression of apoptosis-related proteins in colorectal cancer.

The objective of the present study was to determine the influence of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibition by Celecoxib (CLX) in humans with distal colorectal adenocarcinoma (CRC) on serum and tumor levels of progastrin and gastrin and serum levels of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-8, TNF-alpha). In addition, the effects of this CLX treatment on tumor and adjacent mucosa expression of gastrin, its receptors (CCK2), and COX-1 and COX-2, as well as protein expression of the active form of nuclear factor kappa B (NFkappa B) and the apoptotic-related proteins Bcl-2 and survivin, have been examined. Ten distal CRC patients were examined twice, once before and then after 14-day treatment with CLX (200 mg bid).

Effect of probiotics and triple eradication therapy on the cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 expression, apoptosis, and functional gastric mucosal impairment in Helicobacter pylori-infected Mongolian gerbils.

Background: Helicobacter pylori infection in Mongolian gerbils is an established experimental model of gastric carcinogenesis that mimics H. pylori-positive patients developing gastric ulcer and gastric cancer, but the effect of probiotic therapy on functional aspects of this infection remains unknown.

Methods: We compared the effects of intragastric inoculation of gerbils with H.

Dual age-dependent effect of ghrelin administration on serum level of insulin-like growth factor-1 and gastric growth in young rats.

Unlabelled: Ghrelin is a circulating growth hormone-releasing peptide primarily isolated from human and rat stomach. The aim of present study was to investigate the effect of ghrelin administration on gastric growth in suckling, and young peripubertal 7-week-old rats. Rats were treated for 7 days with saline or ghrelin (4, 8 or 16 nmol/kg/dose) intraperitoneally twice a day.

[Long-term observation of children with previously proved Helicobacter pylori infection].

Aim Of The Work: Long-term observation of children previously infected with Helicobacter pylori (HP) and evaluation of the reinfection rate after successful therapy. 29 children were included in the study: 16 girls and 13 boys, aged 9-20 years, who in 1998 were diagnosed as having gastritis and/or duodenitis and being infected with Helicobacter pylori. After the treatment, Urea Breath Test (UBT) was performed to evaluate eradication of HP.

Biomarkers in various types of atrophic gastritis and their diagnostic usefulness.

Atrophic gastritis has been shown to involve either the oxyntic gland area, resulting in hypergastrinemia and hypopepsinogenemia I, the antral gland area, causing hypogastrinemia without change in serum pepsinogen I (diffuse antral gastritis; DAG), or the entire gastric mucosa (multifocal atrophic gastritis; MAG), resulting in both hypogastrinemia and hypopepsinogenemia I; and rare atrophic gastritis limited to the oxyntic gland area, with antibodies against oxyntic cells and/or intrinsic factor (autoimmune metaplastic atrophic gastritis; AMAG). This study was performed on 126 patients with various forms of gastritis and on 126 age- and gender-matched controls, who were subjected to endoscopy with biopsy, H. pylori testing (13C-UBT, serology), assays for serum gastrin and pepsinogen I, and testing for basal and pentagastrin-induced gastric acid secretion.

Helicobacter pylori and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in perforations and bleeding of peptic ulcers.

Background: This study was designed to assess the relative contribution of H pylori (Hp) infection and NSAID in the pathogenesis of perforation and bleeding of peptic ulcer (PU).

Material/methods: Total of 91 PU perforations and 135 active bleeding were examined during last 5 years. At the same time, 1384 age- and gender-matched PU patients without such complications were examined.

Influence of COX-2 inhibition by rofecoxib on serum and tumor progastrin and gastrin levels and expression of PPARgamma and apoptosis-related proteins in gastric cancer patients.

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression and certain growth hormones, such as gastrin, have been related to gastric carcinogenesis, but little is known about the factors that enhance this COX-2 expression and whether specific blockade of this enzyme has any influence on tumor growth and progression. Our objective was to determine the influence of a specific COX-2 inhibitor, rofecoxib (Vioxx), on serum and tumor levels of gastrin and its precursor, progastrin, as well as on tumor gene expression of COX-2, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma), and apoptosis-related proteins (Bax and Bcl-2, caspase-3, and survivin). Twenty-four gastric cancer (GC) patients entered this study and were examined twice, once before and then following a 14-day treatment with Vioxx at a dose of 25 mg twice daily.

The usefulness of capsulated 13C-urea breath test in diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection in patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

Background: H. pylori infection and peptic ulcerations and their complications such as bleeding are causally related, but the available methods used in bleeding to confirm active H. pylori lack accuracy.

Serological differentiation of Helicobacter pylori CagA(+) and CagA(-) infections.

Many Helicobacterpylori strains causing gastroduodenal diseases have a cagA gene encoding CagA protein, a virulence factor of these bacteria. Anti-CagA antibodies produced by the majority of people infected with CagA(+) strains can indicate such an infection. In this study, the efficacy of three immunoenzymatic tests for detecting CagA(+) and CagA(-) infections were compared: immunoblot (Milenia ID Blot H.

Gene expression of ornithine decarboxylase, cyclooxygenase-2, and gastrin in atrophic gastric mucosa infected with Helicobacter pylori before and after eradication therapy.

H. pylori (Hp) -induced atrophic gastritis is a well-known risk factor for the development of gastric cancer. Whether Hp eradication can prevent or retard the progress of atrophy and metaplasia has been the topic of numerous studies but the subject remains controversial.

Detection of specific Helicobacter pylori DNA and antigens in stool samples in dyspeptic patients and healthy subjects.

In this study stool samples from dyspeptic patients and healthy subjects were used for detection of specific Helicobacter pylori antigens and DNA by immunoenzymatic test (PPHpSA) and semi-nested PCR (ureA-PCR), respectively. The H. pylori status was estimated by invasive endoscopy-based rapid urease test and histology or noninvasive urea breath test (UBT), and by serology (ELISA, Western blot).

Influence of chronic Helicobacter pylori infection on ischemic cerebral stroke risk factors.

Background: Infection by Helicobacter pylori (Hp) has been linked to extradigestive pathologies including ischemic cerebral disease. The aim of our study was to assess the relationship between chronic Hp infection and ischemic stroke risk factors.

Material/methods: 80 patients (pts) aged 60-75 years with ischemic stroke confirmed by CT scans (group I) and 80 age- and gender-matched healthy controls (group II) were included into trial.

Progastrin and cyclooxygenase-2 in colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancers (CRCs) are one of the most common forms of cancer in Poland and one of the leading causes of death. The tumors have been attributed to genetic, dietary, and other environmental factors, but recently growth factors such as gastrin have also been implicated in the carcinogenesis. The relationship between plasma amidated and nonamidated gastrin in CRCs is controversial.

Interaction of Helicobacter pylori (Hp) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) on gastric mucosa and risk of ulcerations.

Hp and NSAID are the most common pathogens in the stomach, but their interaction on gastro-duodenal mucosa has been little studied. Hp infection in humans does not interfere with NSAID-induced gastric ulcer healing by omeprazole, therefore, there is no rationale to eradicate the germ. Hp infection induces COX-2 expression resulting in excessive biosynthesis of gastroprotective prostaglandin (PG), which should in turn counteract NSAID-induced gastropathy and contribute to healing of existing ulcers.

Incidence of complications of peptic ulcers in patients with Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection and/or NSAID use in the era of Hp eradication.

Background: Hp and NSAID are considered as major pathogens in peptic ulcerations and their complications but little is known about the incidence of ulcers and their complications following wide-spread use of Hp eradication. The aims of the study were: 1) to analyze incidence of ulcers and their complications, bleeding and perforations at time when the Hp eradication has been used in ulcer therapy, and 2) to assess the impact of Hp infection and NSAID use on the incidence of ulcers and complications.

Material/methods: From 1996 to 2001, 381 patients with complications of peptic ulcers were admitted to the emergency surgery, including 273 patients with bleeding ulcers and 108 with perforations out of a sample of 6515 dyspeptic patients examined with upper endoscopy and 13C-urea breath test (UBT).

Impact of Helicobacter pylori and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on gastric ulcerogenesis in experimental animals and in humans.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) are the most common pathogens in the gastroduodenal mucosa in animals and humans, but their relationship in ulcerogenesis has been little studied. According to some authors, H.

Leptin protects the pancreas from damage induced by caerulein overstimulation by modulating cytokine production.

Background: Recent identification of specific leptin receptors in the pancreas suggests that this peptide may also play some role in this gland.

Aim: To examine the effect of intraperitoneal (i.p.