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Purpose To evaluate the reliability of selective surveillance colonoscopy based on 6 specific perioperative risk factors in the early diagnosis of colonic ischemia (CI) after successful ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (rAAA) repair.Patients and Methods From 1999 to 2005, 62 consecutive patients underwent rAAA repair. In 59 of them, routine aggressive surveillance colonoscopy was offered every 12 hours within the first 48 hours, and CI was graded consistently. Patients with stage I or stage II CI were treated conservatively and were followed up with repeat colonoscopy, whereas patients with stage III CI underwent immediate laparotomy and colectomy. In parallel, 6 specific perioperative risk factors (PRFs) were retrospectively analyzed.Results Overall mortality was 33.9%. Nineteen patients (32.2%) developed CI and 12 (63.2%) of them survived.Thirteen (22%) had grade III CI and among these 6 survived. In patients with CI the mortality rate was 36.2%. Patients with less than 3 PRFs had no CI whereas all instances of CI could be diagnosed if colonoscopy was offered selectively in patients with more than 3 PRFs. The positive predictive value of CI increased with the number of PRFs. Patients with 5 or 6 PRFs were about 101 times more likely to develop CI compared with patients with 0 to 4 PRFs (P < .001).Conclusion Our study showed that CI is a frequent complication after successful rAAA repair and could reliably be early diagnosed if surveillance colonoscopy was offered selectively in patients with more than three PRFs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intestinal failure (IF) refers to the condition in which certain causes lead to derangements in nutrient absorption capacity. Gut adaptation occurs in response to IF and it is both morphologic and physiologic in nature and can be mediated by growth factors and nutrients. Our paper reviews certain trophic growth factors that have important interactions relevant for intestinal growth, function and adaptation. Data Source: The literature was reviewed (data from both animal and human studies) and certain trophic factors that modulate intestinal adaptation are summarized. The factors reviewed are: epidermal growth factor, insulin-like growth factor I and II, transforming growth factor α and ß, neurotensin, interleukin-11, glucagon-like peptide-2, keratinocyte growth factor, human growth hormone, short-chain fatty acids, and glutamine. Conclusions: Growth factors augment intestinal proliferation, diminish programmed apoptosis, and modulate the adaptive process. They also have the potential to improve nutrient absorption in some bowel disease. The enhancement of gut adaptation may allow patients to transition of parenteral/enteral to normal nutrition, in a shorter period of time, which reduce the rate of adverse effects caused by artificial nutrition and improve quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This experimental study compares the effects of early postoperative administration of three enteral diets of different compositions on the healing of colonic anastomoses. Sixty Wistar rats were subjected to colonic anastomoses. Following surgery, the rats were randomly allocated to four groups of 15 each. The rats in control group A received an electrolyte and glucose solution, the rats in group B received a complete balanced nutrition, in group C a complete balanced nutrition supplemented with fiber and in group D an isocaloric specialized elemental nutrition enriched with glutamine. The rats were sacrificed on day 7 following operation. Rupture of the anastomosis was higher in rats of the control group compared to the other three groups. Adhesion formation was more extensive in group A in comparison to the other three groups. The anastomotic bursting pressures were statistically significantly higher in groups C and D compared to the other two groups (p < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between group C and D (p > 0.05) while a statistically significant difference was noted between group B and group A (p < 0.05). Histological examination showed more profound inflammatory reaction in group A compared to the other three groups. There was also a statistically significant difference between group B and groups C and D while inflammatory reaction was of no statistically significant difference between group C and group D. Healing of the anastomoses was statistically significantly impaired in group A compared to the other three groups. There was no statistically significant difference between group C and group D while a statistically significant difference was found between group B and groups C and D. In conclusion, early postoperative enteral feeding improves healing of experimental colonic anastomoses in rats. This effect was more evident when fiber-supplemented diets or diets enriched with glutamine were administered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objective of the study was to estimate the effects of synbiotics on laboratory, macroscopic, and histopathologic features in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) experimental colitis., Materials and Methods: A total of 40 Wistar rats received 5% of DSS in their drinking water for 8 days to induce ulcerative colitis (UC). Eight rats were sacrificed to confirm the presence of UC. The remaining rats were randomly assigned to two groups: the synbiotics group, which received synbiotics once per day and the control group, which received tap water for another 8 days., Results: On the 8 th day of DSS administration animals developed UC with bloody diarrhea. In the majority of the hematologic variables studied (hemoglobin [HB], red blood cells, platelets, mean corpuscular volume, and mean corpuscular HB), in bodyweight and histopathologic colitis score there was no significant difference between groups. However, the synbiotics group, compared to control, presented a significantly greater colon length on the 4 th day, significantly increased hematocrit (HT) on the 8 th day, and a significantly decreased number of myeloperoxidase positive cells on the 8 th day. Furthermore, there was a trend toward histopathological and clinical improvement., Conclusions: Administration of synbiotics in the experimental UC results in an attenuation of mucosal inflammatory neutrophil infiltration and an increase in HT., (Copyright: © 2020 Permanyer.)

Purpose: This experimental study was designed to evaluate the renal tissue oxygenation under the coexistence of abdominal compartment syndrome and sepsis., Material and Methods: Fourteen non-breed dogs were divided into two groups: the control group (8) and the study group (6). Sepsis was established with intravenous endotoxin infusion at 100μg/kg for over 30min. Insufflation of CO 2 in the peritoneal cavity was used for the increase in intra-abdominal pressure (IAP). A special catheter placed and fixed in the renal cortex at a depth of 3mm from the renal capsule was used for the measurement of renal tissue oxygenation., Results: Study parameters were recorded at the starting phase, at IAP of 15mmHg and 30mmHg and after decompression of the abdomen in the control group, and at the same intervals plus the induction of sepsis, prior to increasing abdominal pressure, in the study group. With the elevation of the IAP a reduction of renal tissue oxygenation presents itself, which is more pronounced in the presence of sepsis, especially for IAP over 15mmHg. Like other parameters, after abdominal decompression the renal tissue oxygenation returns to the initial levels, independently of sepsis., Conclusions: The afferent arterioles vasoconstriction, which takes place during sepsis, and the intra-renal shunt, which occurs and leads to blood diversion to the medulla from the renal cortex due to the combination of intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) and sepsis, seem to explain this finding., (Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Oxidative damage is a central feature of ulcerative colitis. Here, we tested whether the antioxidant Mesna, when administered alone or in combination with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs), affects the outcome of dextran sodium sulphate (DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis in rats. After the induction of colitis, DSS-treated rats were further treated orally (p.o), intraperitoneally (i.p) or intrarectally (i.r) for either 7 or 14 days with Mesna, n-3 PUFAs or both. Rats were euthanized at the end of each treatment period. Clinical disease activity index was recorded throughout the experiment. At necropsy colorectal gross lesions were scored. Colitis was scored histologically, and the expression of myeloperoxidase (MPO), caspase-3, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and nuclear factor κB (NF-κΒ) in colonic tissue was assessed by immunohistochemistry. Mesna alone was sufficient to significantly reduce colorectal tissue damage when administered orally or intraperitoneally. Orally coadministered n-3 PUFAs enhanced this effect, resulting in the significant suppression of DSS colitis after 7 days, and a remarkable recovery of colorectal mucosa was evident after 14 days of treatment. The amelioration of colon pathology co-existed with a significant decrease in MPO expression, overexpression of iNOS and reduction of nuclear NF-κB p65 in inflammatory cells, and the suppression of apoptosis in colonic epithelial cells. The simultaneous administration of Mesna and n-3 PUFAs is particularly effective in ameliorating DSS colitis in rats, by reducing oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis, probably through a mechanism that involves the inhibition of NF-κB and overexpression of iNOS., (© 2016 The Authors. International Journal of Experimental Pathology © 2016 International Journal of Experimental Pathology.)

Introduction: Intestinal wound healing is an essential process for surgical reconstruction of the digestive tract. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of perioperative administration of glutamine and synbiotics on the biological behavior of intestinal mucosal barrier and the healing of colonic anastomosis in rats., Material and Methods: 80 Wistar rats were divided in five groups. A: Control. B: Mechanical bowel preparation and antibiotics.C: Glutamine. D: Synbiotics. E: Glutamine and synbiotics. The animals were sacrificed on 3rd and 7th postoperative day., Results: Zero mortality and no septic complications were noted. On 3rd postoperative days, a significant weight loss was observed in all groups in comparison with the preoperative weights, but on the 7th day in groups C and E, in contrast with the other groups, weight loss was not significant. On the 3rd postoperative day, neoangiogenesis, inflammatory infiltration and fibroblast activity were significantly enhanced in group E compared to control. On the 7th postoperative day in group E fibroblast activity was significantly enhanced and inflammatory infiltration was significantly limited compared to control. The bursting pressures as well as the hydroxyproline tissue content were significantly higher in the group E on 3rd and 7th postoperative days. The percentage of positive mesenteric lymph node cultures were significantly limited in group E compared to control., Conclusions: The administration of synbiotics in conjunction with glutamine resulted in increasing the mechanical strength of the anastomosis, thus increasing the bursting pressure and decreasing or effacing of anastomotic dehiscence and limiting bacterial translocation.

The gastrointestinal tract has a major role in digestion and absorption of nutrients while playing a leading role in defense of the body. It forms a shield against the invasion of various microorganisms or their products (e.g. antigens, toxins) and therefore it is important to establish its integrity and functionality. That depends on the route of administration and the composition of the artificial nutrition. This study concentrates on the influences of different kinds of artificial nutrition in the functionality of the intestinal mucosal barriers. It seems that full macromolecular solutions of enteral nutrition ensure an adequate mucous immune response, while a lack of nutritional stimulus in the lumen leads rapidly to a dysfunction of gastric-associated lymphatic tissue and mucosal immune system. This dysfunction renders the patients susceptible to infections in distant organs, hospital pneumonia, and multiorgan failure of non-infectious etiology. In patients with indication of total parenteral nutrition administration, addition of bombesin or glutamine preserves mucosal immune response and may limit the adverse effects., (© 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Background: Parathyroid cysts (PC) are uncommon entities in routine clinical practice. The vast majority are nonfunctioning and are commonly present as asymptomatic nodular cervical lesions. PC should be considered in the differential diagnosis of an asymptomatic neck mass. Large PC can manifest with compressive symptoms of the surrounding tissues., Objective: The aim of this study is to describe nine new cases of PC and review the current literature regarding the clinical presentation, the aetiopathology, the diagnostic procedures, as well as the therapeutic approaches for this relatively rare clinical entity. METHODS-PATIENTS: We present nine new patients (7 females and 2 males) diagnosed with PC, which in three were ectopic. The diagnosis of PC was based on the elevated levels of PTH in the cysts fluid. Six of the patients had nonfunctioning parathyroid lesions, while the other three had functioning ones. Patients with functioning PC had elevated serum calcium and PTH levels. Five out of nine of the cases had no symptoms, while two patients had compressive symptoms and the other two had signs and symptoms of hypercalcaemia. Needle aspiration (NA) was performed in five out of six patients with nonfunctioning PC. Surgery was the treatment in all three patients with functioning PC., Results: Remission after NA was achieved in four out of five patients with non-functioning PC (follow-up time: 17.7±2.3 months). In two of them, two and three aspirations were needed. One patient with nonfunctioning PC submitted to surgery with no previous NA. Patients with functioning PC maintained remission after surgery (mean follow-up time: 22.1±2.9 months). In one of them, a second surgery was performed due to the co-existence of an ectopic parathyroid adenoma., Conclusions: The diagnosis of a PC can be established by finding high levels of PTH in the fluid collected by the aspiration of the cyst. PTH and Ca levels in the serum can differentiate functioning from nonfunctioning PC. The treatment of choice in nonfunctioning cysts is aspiration. Surgical removal of the cyst is indicated in hyperfunctioning cysts in cases of relapse after NA in nonfunctioning cysts and when compressive symptoms are present. Based on our series, which appears to be one of the largest reported, we propose a diagnostic algorithm to guide the diagnostic and therapeutic approach to PC.

Purpose: omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties and can be beneficial in the treatment of inflammatory diseases, such as ulcerative colitis. Dextran sodium sulphate (DSS) colitis in rats appears to mimic nearly all of the morphological characteristics and lesion distributions of ulcerative colitis. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the efficacy of omega 3 fatty acids in the treatment of experimental ulcerative colitis., Methods: thirty-six Wistar rats were randomly assigned to group A or group B receiving 5% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) in their drinking water for eight days. For the next eight days post-DSS, group A animals received tap-water, and group B animals were fed a nutritional solution containing high levels of omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ProSure®, Abbott Laboratories, Zwolle, Netherlands) once per day, administrated with a orogastric feeding tube., Results: animals fed an omega 3 rich diet exhibited a statistically significant increase in hematocrit and hemoglobin levels, compared to animals drinking tap water, and a trend towards histopathological and clinical improvement, with the administration of omega 3 fatty acids ameliorating epithelial erosion by day 8 post-DSS, but no statistically significant difference was observed between group A and group B animals at 4 or 8 days post-DSS. Also, a statistically significant increase in neutrophil infiltration was observed, as depicted by myelohyperoxidase activity., Conclusion: our findings support a positive role of omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids supplementation in an experimental model of ulcerative colitis despite the increased colonic neutrophil infiltration. Further studies are needed in order to investigate the role of increased neutrophils in colonic mucosa.

Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis represent distinct phenotypic forms of inflammatory bowel disease and continue to be a common cause of morbidity. The corticosteroids and the immunomodulatory drugs, which are the basis of treatment for the inflammatory bowel diseases, do not assure always satisfactory outcomes. Nutrition has been used in order to modify the inflammatory response of various chronic inflammatory diseases, including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. In the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases, the intestinal microflora and the intestinal mucosal disorders play a crucial role. Also, the release of reactive oxygen species is a significant factor of initiation and preservation of the inflammatory reaction in these diseases. The advantages of the nutritional treatment derive from the sequestration of intraluminal agents which may promote the inflammatory bowel response or, alternatively, nutrition is able to modify the immune response, reducing the uncontrolled inflammatory reaction. Furthermore, nutrition can enhance the mucosal barrier function and consists a significant source of antioxidants. This review focuses on certain nutritional components that modulate the inflammatory response of the bowel and aims to present a rational thesis regarding the use of nutritional agents in the management of inflammatory bowel diseases., (Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

In the majority (80%) of patients with acute pancreatitis, the disease is self limiting and, after a few days of withholding feeding and intravenous administration of fluids, patients can again be normally fed orally. In a small percentage of patients, the disease progresses to severe necrotic pancreatitis, with an intense systemic inflammatory response and often with multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. As mortality is high in patients with severe disease and as mortality and morbidity rates are directly related to the failure of establishing a positive nitrogen balance, it is assumed that feeding will improve survival in patients with severe disease. The aim of nutritional support is to cover the elevated metabolic demands as much as possible, without stimulating pancreatic secretion and maximizing self-digestion. The administration of either total parenteral nutrition or jejunal nutrition does not stimulate pancreatic secretion. Recently, a series of controlled clinical studies has been conducted in order to evaluate the effectiveness of enteral nutrition with jejunal administration of the nutritional solution. The results have shown that enteral nutrition, as compared to total parenteral nutrition, was cheaper, safer and more effective as regards the suppression of the immunoinflammatory response, the decrease of septic complications, the need for surgery for the management of the complications of acute pancreatitis and the reduction of the total hospitalization period. It did not seem to affect mortality or the rate of non-septic complications. In conclusion, enteral nutrition should be the preferred route of nutritional support in patients with acute pancreatitis.

Aim: of this study is to present our experience in the management of patients with Altemeier-Klatskin tumor, with particular focus on the risk factors that influence survival after tumor resection., Methods: Over a 15-year period, 37 patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma were managed in our Department. The mean age of the patients was 62.5 years. Twenty-one patients were treated by palliative measures while sixteen patients had resection of the tumor and 11 of these had negative histological margins. An associated major hepatectomy was performed in six. In parallel, certain risk factors that could influence survival were analyzed., Results: The resectability rate was 43.2%. The 30-day mortality rate was 7.4% and postoperative morbidity was 37.5%. The sites of the resected tumors were Bismuth-Corlette type I lesions in 3 patients, type II in 6, type IIIa in 2, and type IIIb in 5. The median survival of patients undergoing resection was significantly higher than of patients not undergoing resection (p<0.001). Furthermore, patients with R0 resection and histological clear margins experienced significantly superior survival than patients with R1 resection and positive margins (p=0.001, and p<0.001 respectively). Resections resulting in cancer-positive margins did not portend a survival benefit., Conclusion: Negative surgical margins, tumor differentiation and infiltrating macroscopic appearance, were statistically significant prognostic factors. Our findings emphasize that complete resection of the tumor with negative histological margins offers the best possibility of long-term survival, and that the addition of hepatectomy to biliary resection results in a greater number of patients with margin negative resections.

Unlabelled: The aim of our study is to present our experience in the surgical treatment of nonfunctioning pancreatic endocrine tumors (NFPETs) in patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN-1)., Patients and Method: Between 1996 and 2006 a total of 11 patients with clinically confirmed MEN 1 syndrome were monitored in an annual screening program that included evaluation of the pancreas. Our policy was to use Computed Tomography (CT), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) in combination with biochemical screening in an effort to early diagnose and categorize the pancreatic involvement in MEN-1., Results: NFPETs were identified in 4 female patients (36.4%). Diagnosis of NFPET was established 4.2 years later than that of MEN 1. The median tumor diameter at diagnosis was 2.2 cm (range 1.8-2.6 cm). All patients were treated by distal pancreatectomy. Diagnosis of NFPET was established in histological sections by staining with neuroendocrine tumor markers. Adjuvant therapy with streptozocin in combination with 5-fluorouracil was applied in two patients. After surgery the patients were followed up annually with clinical evaluation, biochemical tests and imaging studies., Conclusions: Early detection of NFPETs in patients with MEN-1 syndrome can be accomplished by biochemical and radiological screening program. NFPETs should be removed when diagnosed, in order to achieve a timely and efficient prophylaxis against further tumor growth and malignant development.

Stapled hemorrhoidopexy (SH) has become a widely accepted surgical procedure for hemorrhoids; however, one of the most serious complications of this technique is severe bleeding. We report a case of extensive hemoperitoneum after SH for third-degree hemorrhoids. On postoperative day (POD) 1, the patient complained of severe abdominal pain and clinical signs of peritonitis soon became evident. Computed tomography (CT) showed blood in the abdomen. We performed an emergency exploratory laparotomy, which revealed extensive hemoperitoneum, and a devitalized, edematous rectum with a tense hematoma, approximately 1 cm above the staple line and extending up to the level of the peritoneal reflection. We also found a small seromuscular laceration in the anterior aspect of the rectum just above the peritoneal reflection. This small laceration was bleeding actively. Thus, we performed a low anterior resection and the patient was discharged from hospital 10 days later. We report this case to raise awareness of the possibility of life-threatening intra-abdominal complications without evidence of typical rectal bleeding.

Adrenocortical oncocytomas are exceptionally rare. To our knowledge, only 23 cases have been reported in the world literature, most of which were benign and nonfunctioning. We report a case of adrenocortical oncocytoma diagnosed by pathological examination of an extirpated right adrenal mass in a young woman. We discuss this case and review the literature on this unusual entity.

Pseudoaneurysms of the popliteal artery (PPA) rarely occur in children. In fact, we found only 10 cases reported in the medical literature. We report the case of a 4-year-old boy who presented with a painful palpable mass in the right popliteal fossa. He also had mild, painless right foot-drop and difficulty toe-walking on the same side. The diagnosis of a PPA was based on the findings of triplex ultrasound and computed tomographic-angiography. We attributed the cause of the lesion to blunt trauma, which he had suffered 2 years earlier. Thorough preoperative evaluation excluded the possibility of a self-immune process or a bone tumor in the region. Neurological examination demonstrated a mild, isolated, peripheral mononeuropathy of the right peroneal nerve. Thus, we performed surgical repair using an autologous reversed great saphenous vein graft. The patient had an uneventful postoperative course and his peripheral neuropathy and foot-drop resolved completely within 1 month after surgery. Now, after 3 years of follow-up, the patient has a patent graft and a fully functioning limb. PPAs are rare, especially in children, and trauma is the predominating underlying cause. PPAs should be treated immediately after diagnosis because their complications are associated with high rates of functional impairment and even limb loss.

Background: The aim of this study is to report the outcome after surgical treatment of 32 patients with ampullary cancers from 1990 to 1999., Methods: Twenty-one of them underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy and 9 local excision of the ampullary lesion. The remaining 2 patients underwent palliative surgery., Results: When the final histological diagnosis was compared with the preoperative histological finding on biopsy, accurate diagnosis was preoperatively established in 24 patients. The hospital morbidity was 18.8% as 9 complications occurred in 6 patients. Following local excision of the ampullary cancer, the survival rate at 3 and 5 years was 77.7% and 33.3% respectively. Among the patients that underwent Whipple's procedure, the 3-year survival rate was 76.2% and the 5-year survival rate 62%., Conclusion: In this series, local resection was a safe option in patients with significant co-morbidity or small ampullary tumors less than 2 cm in size, and was associated with satisfactory long-term survival rates.

Thyroid nodules may undergo a wide range of degenerative change such as infarction, hemorrhage, or fibrosis, which may be localized or extensive and associated with calcification or even ossification. However, the detection of true bone formation in a thyroid nodule is a very rare occurrence. Extramedullary hemopoiesis (EMH) has been described in almost every organ of the body, mainly in tissues active in hemopoiesis in embryonic life. It is extremely rare for EMH to occur in the thyroid gland especially in patients without known chronic anemia. We describe a case of a cold thyroid nodule with histologically proven extensive bone metaplasia and formation of mature bone with foci of hemopoietic tissue in a young woman without chronic anemia, which, to the best of our knowledge, is the first to be reported in the English language literature.

Background: Bile duct injury (BDI) is perhaps the most feared complication of laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). Proper management of iatrogenic BDI is mandatory to avoid immediate or later life-threatening sequelae. The results of surgery depend mainly on the type of injury, prompt detection of the injury, and timing of the surgery., Methods: Twelve patients with BDI after LC were treated. Eight of them were referred to our institution for further treatment. The follow-up evaluation was focused on clinical outcome and biochemical analysis., Results: Five of the patients had minor BDI with leakage. In all of them, the BDI was recognized postoperatively. Two of these patients were managed by endoscopic retrograde cholongio pancreatographic sphincterotomy and stent placement. The other three patients underwent open laparotomy and bile duct ligation. Seven of the patients had major BDI. In two patients, biliary injuries were identified at the time of LC, and the procedure was converted to laparotomy. At the time of conversion, primary suture repair with T-tube drainage of the injured bile duct was performed. Strictures developed in these patients after 2 and 6 months, respectively, and they were treated with a Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy. In five additional patients, BDI was recognized postoperatively. One of these patients died because of delayed detection of biliary peritonitis. At this writing, during a median follow-up period of 52 months, neither clinical nor biochemical evidence of biliary disease has been found in the remaining patients., Conclusions: Laparoscopic BDI has a high morbidity and mortality rate. Late recognition of the BDI remains a problem.

In this study the ultrastructure of rat jejunal epithelial cells was examined, following a starvation period of 72 hours and an enteral refeeding period of 12 days, with either Nutrison, Pepti 2000, or Nutri 2000. Most changes occurred in the animals examined immediately after the 72-hour starvation period; these mainly included a significant decrease in microvilli population, occasional cell membrane disintegration, and a usual microvesicular appearance and degranulation of the rough endoplasmic reticulum. No alterations were found in the normally-fed animals (control group). This was also practically the same for the Pepti 2000 group. In the Nutrison group, a small amount of changes were found, while in the Nutri 2000 group many alterations were detected, which nevertheless were fewer than in the starved animals. The results demonstrate that the micromorphological alterations of the intestinal epithelium caused by starvation improve faster when an oligopeptidic formula is provided, which consequently results in faster and better absorption of the nutrients.

Synthetic neurotensin (NT) was infused intracerebroventricularly in 14 mongrel dogs to study the effects of the peptide on gastric secretion and on gastrin and NT levels. The infusion was performed with a specific apparatus, and gastric fluid was collected with a Pavlov pouch. NT was given in two series of experiments: as a bolus intracerebroventricular injection of 269.8 pmol/kg and as a continuous intracerebroventricular infusion at a rate of 539.6 pmol/kg/h for 30 min. The bolus injection caused a very significant decrease of gastric fluid volume, a significant decrease of HCl output and a significant increase of its pH, while serum immunoreactive gastrin increased significantly. The continuous infusion of NT caused similar changes in gastric secretion. The plasma NT levels did not change. In conclusion, the intracerebroventricular administration of NT increases the serum gastrin levels, decreases the volume and HCl content of gastric fluid, and increases its pH.