Aspects of gastrointestinal motility in relation to the development of digestive function in neonates

Abstract Gastrointestinal motility is responsible for mixing and transport of digesta and elimination of undigested residues. The basis for the motility is the electrical activity of the gastrointestinal smooth muscle, which has a recurring pattern. In the small intestine of mature animals, this pattern is associated with periodic fluctuations of mesenteric blood flow, and gastric, pancreatic and biliary secretion, and with intestinal absorption. In general, feeding disrupts the cyclic pattern in the stomach and small intestine, replacing it with a continuous post-feeding pattern, and the duration of the post-feeding pattern is dependent on animal species, composition of the diet and feeding regime. The perinatal and weaning periods manifest drastic changes in digestive function and, thus, in gastrointestinal motility. Due to difficulties in performing studies in perinatal and neonatal animals, only few data on the development of gastrointestinal motility, and its synchronisation with other digestive functions, are available. Whereas some studies in the literature indicate that the development of gastrointestinal motility follows the maturation of the regulatory mechanisms, recent data also suggest that changes in gastrointestinal motility around birth and weaning reflect changes in nutrient supply. This paper deals with some aspects of gastrointestinal motility, primarily in the gastric antrum and small intestine, of neonatal animals. Certainly, changes in gastrointestinal motility in early life could be of paramount importance for proper digestive function and this research area requires further attention

Hyaluronate and total hyaluronate-binding capacity of proteins under experimental chronic hepatitis C and treatment with alpha-ketoglutarate

The increase of hyaluronic acid concentration in the blood serum of rats during modelling of chronic hepatitis C is presented. The research of changes in the absolute and relative hyaluronate-binding activity of cytosolic proteins in the rats’ cerebellum and hippocampus under normal condition, experimental chronic hepatitis C and with the alfa-ketoglutarate treatment was carried out

The protective and therapeutic effect of exclusive and combined treatment with alpha-ketoglutarate sodium salt and ipriflavone on bone loss in orchidectomized rats

Objective: This study investigated the effect of alpha-ketoglutarate sodium salt (AKG) and ipriflavone (IP) treatment on the mineralization of the tibia in male rats during the development and after the establishment of osteopenia. Design: One hundred and twenty eight male rats were randomly selected and submitted to either sham-operation (SHO) or orchidectomy (ORX), after which each group were then randomly divided between the two experiments. In Experiment-1, treatment with AKG or/and IP started after a 7-day recovery period, whereas in Experiment-2, the experimental protocol proceeded after a 60-day period of osteopenia establishment. AKG was then administered as an experimental drinking, at a concentration of 1.0 mol/l. As a control, a placebo solution was administered. IP at 50 mg/kg b.w., and physiological saline–PhS (as a control for IP) were applied daily via gavage. Measurements: After 60 days of experimental treatment, in both experiments, the rats were sacrificed, their body weight recorded, while blood serum (Osteocalcin, CTX) and isolated tibia (weight, length, pQCT, DXA, 3-point bending test) were stored for further analysis. Results and conclusions: Our results show that during the development of osteopenia, AKG and IP when applied exclusively, counteracts osteopenia development, whereas their usage after the establishment of osteopenia, significantly limits the development of bone disorders. Furthermore, combined treatment of AKG and IP exceeded the effects of their sole usage. In addition, during the development of osteopenia, AKG and IP not only inhibited bone resorption, but markedly stimulated the formation of bone tissue. Finally, after the development of osteopenia, combined treatment with AKG and IP protected the bone tissue against orchidectomy-induced bone loss