Intestinal Fibroblast/Myofibroblast TRP Channels in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterized by the repeated cycles of inflammation and healing of the gut, which ultimately progress into intestinal fibrosis. Colonic fibroblast/myofibroblast’s functions such as transformation, proliferation, invasion, migration, stress fiber formation, collagen synthesis, and cytokine/chemokine secretion are well estimated. However, the detailed mechanism can rarely be found so far. Thus, we focused on transient receptor potential (TRP) protein super family activated by various physical/chemical stimulations based on the above-described recognitions and also conducted the following examinations for the potential roles in Ca2+ signal transduction in fibroblast/myofibroblasts cells, which play an important role in intestinal inflammation and tissue remodeling. This chapter not only facilitates the understanding about the new role of intestinal fibroblast/myofibroblasts TRP channel for regulating inflammation, fibrotic processes but also suggests a novel molecular target of IBD treatment in future

Association of serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) and diabetes with triglycerides-to-HDL cholesterol ratio in Japanese subjects: The Nagasaki Study

Background: Although we reported in a previous study that diabetes with a high serum triglycerides to high-density lipoproteincholesterol (TG-HDL) ratio constitutes a risk for atherosclerosis, associations in terms of TG-HDL ratio between diabetes and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), which is also known as an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis, have not yet been clarified. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that a positive association between GGT and diabetes may be confined to high TG-HDL. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 2,302 Japanese subjects who were undergoing a general health check in 2014. All subjects were divided into TG-HDL level tertiles and serum GGT and diabetes status were investigated. Results: Of 207 diabetes patients identified in this study, 94 had high TG-HDL, 63 intermediate TG-HDL, and 50 low TG-HDL. Independent of classical cardiovascular risk factors, serum GGT showed a positive association with diabetes in patients with high TG-HDL, but not in patients with intermediate and low TG-HDL diabetes. The multivariable adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% coincidence intervals (95%CI) of diabetes for 1 standard deviation (SD) increment of GGT were 1.64 (95%CI: 1.16-2.31) for high TG-HDL, 1.46 (95%CI: 0.95-2.26) for intermediate TG-HDL, and 1.04 (95%CI: 0.60-1.79) for low TG-HDL diabetes. Conclusion: Serum GGT is positively associated with diabetes in patients with high TG-HDL but not with intermediate or low TG-HDL diabetes. This finding may prove to be an efficient tool for estimating atherosclerotic risk in diabetes patients

Endoscopy in the Diagnosis of Small Intestine Diseases

XV, 283 p. 339 illus., 245 illus. in color.onlin

Diagnostic value of endoscopic and endoscopic ultrasound characteristics of duodenal submucosal tumour-like heterotopic gastric mucosa

OBJECTIVE: Recent studies have reported that duodenal heterotopic gastric mucosa (HGM) has been observed in 8.9% of patients who undergo esophagogastroduodenoscopy. However, there are few reports concerning the endoscopic and endoscopic ultrasound characteristics of submucosal tumour-like HGM in the duodenum

SERUM GASTRIN AND MOTILIN IN TREATED AND UNTREATED HYPERTHYROIDISM

To study the gastrointestinal hormones in hyperthyroidism and the interrelations with the thyroid hormones, the preprandial serum gastrin and motilin were measured by radioimmunoassay in 104 patients before and after the treatments. The following results were obtained: 1) Serum gastrin concentration in hyperthyroidism was significantly higher than that of the control, and when the patients reached euthyroidism or hypothyroidism after the treatments, the gastrin concentrations in the serum decreased to the normal level. There was a positive correlation between the thyroid hormones and the serum gastrin. 2) Serum motilin concentration in hyperthyroidism was slightly lower than that of the control. As the patients reached the euthyroid or hypothyroid state after the treatments, an increasing tendency of motilin was observed, though the change was not significant. There was a slightly negative correlation in gastrin versus motilin and also in T4 versus motilin