Colonic epithelial ion transport is not affected in patients with diverticulosis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Colonic diverticular disease is a bothersome condition with an unresolved pathogenesis. It is unknown whether a neuroepithelial dysfunction is present. The aim of the study was two-fold; (1) to investigate colonic epithelial ion transport in patients with diverticulosis and (2) to adapt a miniaturized Modified Ussing Air-Suction (MUAS) chamber for colonic endoscopic biopsies.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Biopsies were obtained from the sigmoid part of the colon. 86 patients were included. All patients were referred for colonoscopy on suspicion of neoplasia and they were without pathological findings at colonoscopy (controls) except for diverticulosis in 22 (D-patients). Biopsies were mounted in MUAS chambers with an exposed area of 5 mm². Electrical responses to various stimulators and inhibitors of ion transport were investigated together with histological examination. The MUAS chamber was easy to use and reproducible data were obtained.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Median basal short circuit current (SCC) was 43.8 μA·cm^-2(0.8 – 199) for controls and 59.3 μA·cm^-2(3.0 – 177.2) for D-patients. Slope conductance was 77.0 mS·cm^-2(18.6 – 204.0) equal to 13 Ω·cm²for controls and 96.6 mS·cm^-2(8.4 – 191.4) equal to 10.3 Ω·cm²for D-patients. Stimulation with serotonin, theophylline, forskolin and carbachol induced increases in SCC in a range of 4.9 – 18.6 μA·cm^-2, while inhibition with indomethacin, bumetanide, ouabain and amiloride decreased SCC in a range of 6.5 – 27.4 μA·cm^-2, and all with no significant differences between controls and D-patients. Histological examinations showed intact epithelium and lamina propria before and after mounting for both types of patients.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We conclude that epithelial ion transport is not significantly altered in patients with diverticulosis and that the MUAS chamber can be adapted for studies of human colonic endoscopic biopsies.</p

Analysis of Ancient DNA for Human Sex Determination

The reconstruction of the history of the Etruscan population is one of the most interesting topics in the context of Mediterranean basin settlement. From an anthropological and archaeological perspective, knowledge of the sex ratio is fundamental. The current methods for sex determination are based on morphometric analysis of some significant bones and are for many reasons inadequate in several situations. We present an alternative sex determination technique. which relies on the amplification via PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) of sexual chromosomes from specific fragments (Y-repeat and X-Y amelogenin homologous gene) of the DNA extracted from tiny part of bone. The application of this method to 29 Etruscan (sixth to third centuries B.C. ) bone sample let us determine the sex of 12 individuals. The a posteriori comparison with previous work done on the same specimens using classical morphometric analysis provide a strong support to the usefulness and reliability of DNA-based sex determinatio

Estrazione ed amplificazione del DNA da resti ossei etruschi: applicazione alla determinazione del sesso

Sex Determination of Etruscan bones carried out by means of ancient DNA analysi

Derivatized cyclodextrins for normal-phase liquid chromatographic separation of enantiomers

Several different derivatized β-cyclodextrins were synthesized and used as chiral stationary phases in normal-phase liquid chromatography. The multiply substituted derivatives were made with acetic anhydride, (R)-and (S)-1-(1-naphthyl) ethyl isocyanate, 2, 6-dimethylphenyl isocyanate, and p-toluoyl chloride. The first successful cyclodextrln-based, normal-phase separation of enantiomers was accomplished on these derivative phases. In contrast to chiral separations on the native β-cyclodextrin stationary phase, the enantiomeric separation mechanism on these new phases is not thought to be dependent on inclusion complexation. The similarities and differences between the derivatized cyclodextrin stationary phases and the cellulosic stationary phases are discussed. © 1990, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved