Search

Nineteen patients with symptoms of upper gastrointestinal disease were assessed by endoscopy. Transmucosal potential difference (PD) in the lower oesophagus was recorded and suction biopsy specimens were obtained from the site of measurement and examined by light microscopy after haematoxylin and eosin staining. In 10 patients with normal histology, mean PD was--14.4 mV (SEM +/- 0.4 mV), whereas in nine patients with histological changes of reflux mean was +9.4 mV (SEM +/- 3.0 mV). In this latter group, polarity of the PD was reversed in all but one case. Good correlation was found between these objective indices of lower oesophageal disease and the presence of symptoms such as dysphagia and heartburn. The visual appearance at endoscopy was less reliable. It is suggested that measurement of PD is a simple, rapid, and sensitive method of detecting the presence of oesophageal mucosal damage. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background & Aims: Interleukin (IL)-10 gene-deficient mice, raised under germfree conditions, do not develop colitis, implying a role for bacteria. This study mapped the appearance of luminal colonic bacteria and, using antibiotic treatment, determined their association with colitis in IL-10 gene-deficient mice., Methods: Mice were treated with ciprofloxacin or with neomycin and metronidazole. The intestine was harvested for histological scoring and bacterial assessment., Results: At 2 weeks of age, before the development of colitis, IL-10 gene-deficient mice demonstrated an earlier appearance of Streptococcus and Clostridium sp., and had a greater proportion (P < 0.01) of bacteria adherent to the colonic mucosa. This pattern of increased adherent bacteria persisted for the 12 weeks of study. Treatment of mice before the onset of colonic inflammation, with either antibiotic regime, reduced mucosal adherent bacteria and prevented colitis (P < 0.01). In contrast, treatment of established colitis with neomycin and metronidazole did not reduce adherent bacterial levels, yet was more efficacious (P < 0.05) in treating established colitis than ciprofloxacin, which did reduce adherent colonic bacteria., Conclusions: In the IL-10 gene-deficient mouse model, the appearance and number of mucosal adherent colonic bacteria are altered before the onset of colitis. Antibiotics both prevent and treat the colitis through correction of this primary bacterial alteration.

Background & Aims: Intestinal luminal microflora, or their products, are likely an important initiating factor in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease. The aim of this study was to determine the role of colonic aerobic luminal bacteria and Lactobacillus species in the development of colitis in interleukin (IL)-10 gene-deficient mice., Methods: Intestine from 2-16-week-old mice was scored histologically and cultured for bacteria. Lactobacillus sp. repopulation of the colonic lumen was achieved via daily rectal delivery of Lactobacillus reuteri or oral lactulose therapy., Results: At 2 weeks of age, IL-10 gene-deficient mice showed no colonic injury but did display abnormal colonic bacterial colonization with increased colonic mucosal aerobic adherent and translocated bacteria in conjunction with reduced Lactobacillus sp. levels. In association with the abnormal colonic bacterial colonization, colitis developed by 4 weeks of age. Restoring Lactobacillus sp. to normal levels reduced levels of colonic mucosal adherent and translocated bacteria and attenuated the development of the colitis., Conclusions: In the neonatal period, IL-10 gene-deficient mice have decreased levels of colonic Lactobacillus sp. and an increase in colonic mucosal adherent and translocated bacteria. Normalizing Lactobacillus sp. levels reduced colonic mucosal adherent and translocated bacteria and prevented colitis.

Objective: To investigate the relationships between degradation of bone and activated blood polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL) and mononuclear leukocytes (ML) as well as their soluble products in vitro., Materials and Methods: A neonatal mouse calvarial bone model was used to assess the activity of degradation (by measuring the amount of 45Ca release) by normal human blood leukocytes, separated PMNL and ML following 24-hour incubation. The effects of conditioned culture medium obtained from Staphylococcus aureus-stimulated ML on PMNL-mediated calvarial bone loss were also studied., Results: It was demonstrated that isolated human PMNL rapidly degraded bone in a dose and time dependent manner. The PMNL-mediated bone degradation was enhanced by conditioned medium obtained from Staphylococcus aureus-stimulated ML., Conclusion: These findings implicate PMNL as major contributors to early bone loss in infectious diseases such as acute haematogenous osteomyelitis.