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Biomedical subjects

A Gangl

Publications and source records attributed to A Gangl.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Improvement of hepatic encephalopathy treated with flumazenil.

The effects of the benzodiazepine antagonist flumazenil were studied in 20 episodes of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) in 17 patients with acute (n = 9) or chronic (n = 8) liver failure who had not responded to conventional therapy. Patients with a history of benzodiazepine intake were excluded. Changes in HE stage, in Glasgow coma scale, and in somatosensory evoked potentials were measured. In 12 of 20 episodes HE stage improved. The response to treatment occurred rapidly (within 3-60 min). In 8 of these 12 episodes HE worsened 0.5-4 h after treatment. In 5 of the 8 episodes that did not respond to flumazenil patients had clinical evidence of brain oedema. Flumazenil may be valuable in the treatment of HE in acute and chronic liver failure.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1988

Acidic colonic microclimate--possible reason for false negative hydrogen breath tests.

About 5% of normal subjects fail to produce increased hydrogen breath concentration after ingestion of the non-digestible carbohydrate lactulose (low hydrogen producers). The existence of low hydrogen producers limits the diagnostic use of hydrogen (H2) breath tests. We studied the effects of lactulose and of magnesium sulphate (MgSO4) pretreatment on stool-pH and on hydrogen exhalation after oral loading with lactulose or lactose in 17 hydrogen producers and 12 low hydrogen producers. In seven hydrogen producers acidification of stool pH by lactulose pretreatment (20 g tid) decreased hydrogen exhalation and three of seven (43%) became low hydrogen producers. In contrast, after pretreatment of eight low hydrogen producers with magnesium sulphate (5 g twice daily) all eight produced hydrogen after a lactulose load. Similarly four lactose intolerant low hydrogen producers had abnormal lactose hydrogen breath tests after MgSO4 pretreatment. MgSO4 pretreatment neither resulted in false positive lactose hydrogen breath tests in five lactose tolerant hydrogen producers, nor increased the hydrogen exhalation in five additional hydrogen producing controls after ingestion of lactulose. The results of these studies confirm that hydrogen production from lactulose decreases when the colonic pH is lower (lactulose pretreatment), and increases when colonic pH is higher (MgSO4 pretreatment). In low hydrogen producers the lacking increase of H2 exhalation after ingestion of non-digestible carbohydrates can be overcome by MgSO4 pretreatment, thus increasing the sensitivity of the test by avoiding false negative hydrogen breath tests in low hydrogen producers with disaccharide malabsorption or maldigestion. The underlying mechanism of this remarkable effect of MgSO4 pretreatment warrants further investigation.

Breath Tests↗
PubMed1988

The efficacy of antimicrobial treatment in Campylobacter pylori-associated gastritis and duodenal ulcer.

The efficacy of various antimicrobial and anti-ulcer agents on the elimination of Campylobacter pylori in duodenal ulcer patients was investigated. Ranitidine, cimetidine, pirenzepine, aluminium phosphate gel as well as combinations of H2-receptor antagonists or pirenzepine + penicillin V, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, phenyl-mercuryborate or rifampicin had no influence on C. pylori in vivo. Short term elimination of C. pylori was achieved in 3/15 patients treated with ranitidine + bacampicillin and in 1/5 treated with cimetidine + metronidazole. This elimination was accompanied by a significant reduction of polymorphonuclear infiltration of the antral mucosa. Development of bacterial resistance was observed in patients with additional quinolones, metronidazole and rifampicin but not in patients treated with betalactam antibiotics.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1988

[Changes in stomach and duodenal mucosa caused by acetylsalicylic acid therapy].

The ulcerogenic effect of acetylsalicylic acid on the gastric and duodenal mucosa is well known. In a retrospective survey we analysed 1203 gastroscopic investigations from 1980 to 1986. Of these patients 47 were under therapy with acetylsalicylic acid for at least 4 weeks and 39 of them (82.9%) showed pathologic changes of the gastric and duodenal mucosa. The residual 1156 patients received no therapy; among these only 426 patients (36.8%) showed pathologic changes of the gastric and duodenal mucosa. The significant difference in the incidence of peptic lesions of the gastroduodenal mucosa between the two patient groups confirms the existence of an ulcerogenic side effect of acetylsalicylic acid.

Aspirin↗
PubMed1987

[Campylobacter pylori, gastritis and peptic ulcer].

In the course of routine gastroduodenoscopic examination of 218 patients bioptic mucosal specimens were examined bacteriologically for the presence of Campylobacter (C.) pylori. The organism was isolated from 52 out of 53 patients (98%) with duodenal ulcer, 7 out of 9 with gastric ulcer (78%), 24 out of 31 with mucosal erosions (77%), 10 out of 10 with duodenitis (100%), 16 out of 16 with chronic active gastritis (100%) and from 40 out of 73 patients (55%) with inactive chronic gastritis. By contrast, all specimens from 26 patients with endoscopically and histologically normal mucosa were negative for this bacterium. The rate of elimination of C. pylori from mucosal specimens was investigated as a first step towards studying the influence of antibiotic therapy upon healing of gastric and duodenal ulcers. For this purpose 30 patients with duodenal ulcers were treated either with ranitidine alone (15) or together with bacampicillin (15), which was shown to be highly active in studies with ampicillin in vitro. After 4 weeks the organism was still found in specimens from all patients treated with ranitidine alone, but also in 12 out of 15 patients given combined therapy. This result demonstrates that systemic antimicrobial chemotherapy with bacampicillin is insufficient to eradicate C. pylori from the stomach and the duodenum.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Surface phenotypes of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with gastrointestinal carcinoma.

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 40 patients with gastrointestinal carcinoma (GIC), 13 patients with primary carcinoma in other localizations(non-GIC), and from 57 apparently healthy donors were isolated by Ficoll-Paque gradient centrifugation. The separated cells were stained with several monoclonal antibodies and subjected to analysis on a fluorescence-activated cell sorter. A decreased percentage of PBMC expressing T cell antigens was noted amongst GIC patients, and was mainly due to a reduction of the Leu 2a subset, thus, leading to an increase in the Leu 3a/Leu 2a ratio from 1.4 to 2.1 Non-GIC patients had decreased numbers of both T helper and suppressor cells. Amongst PBMC from GIC and non-GIC patients a statistically increased percentage of cells expressed LeuM 2 (P less than 0.001), LeuM 3 (P less than 0.001), OKM 1 (P less than 0.005), VEP 9 (P less than 0.001), and HLA-DR (P less than 0.001) antigens compared to healthy controls. The percentage of cells bearing these monocyte/macrophage antigens correlated well with the number of cells having monocyte morphology, stained for non-specific esterase, phagocytosed latex particles, and expressed Fc IgG receptor. Our results demonstrate clearly that tumor-bearing patients have an increased relative number of monocytes. The data suggest that cells of the macrophage lineage may be involved in defense mechanisms and changes of the immune system evoked by various tumors.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

[Clinical aspects and course of Crohn disease].

The influence of clinically observable criteria on the course of disease was investigated in 150 patients, 72 men and 78 women, with morbus Crohn who could be followed for an average period of 6.6 years (8-348 months). In 29 patients (19%), the small intestine only was involved, in 31 patients (21%) the colon, and in 90 patients (60%) both the small intestine and colon. During the observation period 71 patients (47%) developed fistulae and 55 (37%) extra-intestinal manifestations. The patients were admitted to hospital on a total of 466 occasions (3.1 times per patient), and 199 operations (1.3 times per patient) were carried out. There were significantly more extra-intestinal manifestations in the colon cases (P less than 0.01) and of admissions and operations in the small intestine-colon cases (P less than 0.001), whereas patients with isolated involvement of the small intestine underwent significantly fewer operations (P less than 0.001). In addition, significant positive correlations existed between the appearance of fever and fistulae (P less than 0.001) and between the number of operations within the first 2 years and the number of subsequent operations (P less than 0.001).

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Intestinal metabolism of plasma free fatty acids in streptozotocin diabetic rats.

Moderate insulin deficiency was reported to be accompanied by an increased production of intestinal very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) triglyceride in the rat. Because plasma free fatty acids (FFA) are incorporated into triglyceride by intestinal mucosa of rats and humans and plasma FFA are increased in insulin-deficient diabetes mellitus, we investigated several aspects of the intestinal metabolism of plasma FFA in diabetic rats. All experiments were performed on the third day following the i.v. injection of streptozotocin (45 mg/kg body weight) or buffer alone. A (14 C)palmitic acid-rat serum complex was rapidly injected intravenously and its initial uptake by small bowel mucosa, the intracellular incorporation into lipids and water soluble metabolites and the specific radioactivity of triglycerides of mucosal homogenates was determined. No significant differences could be found between diabetic and control rats at 2 and 5 min after 14C-palmitate i.v., suggesting that neither the influx of plasma free fatty acids into intestinal mucosal cells nor their initial intracellular metabolic pathways are significantly altered in moderately diabetic rats. A pronounced decrease in intestinal mucosal triglyceride at 10 min after 14C-palmitate i.v. might be interpreted as indirect evidence for an enhanced triglyceride efflux from intestinal mucosa into mesenteric lymph in diabetic rats.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

[Differential diagnosis of cholestasis by non-invasive methods--comparison of cholecysto-cholangiography, ultrasonics and hepatobiliary sequential scintigraphy].

The value of the three non-invasive morphological methods--cholangiography, sonography, and cholescintigraphy--in the differential diagnosis of "surgical" and "non-surgical" cholestasis was assessed prospectively in 28 patients. The main disadvantage of cholangiography was the large number of patients (11 out of 28) in whom the biliary tract could not be visualized. Correct diagnosis was achieved by sonography in 25 out of 28 and by cholescintigraphy in 23 out of 28 patients.

Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic↗
PubMed1983

Effect of colchicine on rat small intestinal absorptive cells. I Formation of basolateral microvillus borders.

Treatment of rats with colchicine (0.5 mg/100 g of body weight) for more than 3 hr causes formation of microvillus borders along lateral and basal surfaces of absorptive cells in the small intestine. Morphologically, these strongly resemble the apical brush border inclusive of the terminal-web region. Formation of basolateral microvilli is restricted to mature absorptive cells. At 6 hr after administration of colchicine, 3.47% (+/- 1.94%) of the basolateral cell surfaces exhibit "implantation" of microvillus borders. The results show that colchicine induces formation of surface differentiations at lateral and basal surface regions that are restricted to the apical cell surface in controls. Redistribution of constituents of the plasma membrane from apical to basolateral membrane portions, as well as rearrangement in the organization of microfilaments can be considered to underlie formation of basolateral microvillus borders. From the antimicrotubular effect of colchicine it may be deduced that microtubules exert a regulative function in the formation of surface differentiations on absorptive cells of the small intestine and in the maintenance of the polarity of the cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Effect of colchicine on rat small intestinal absorptive cells. II. Distribution of label after incorporation of [3H]fucose into plasma membrane glycoproteins.

By means of radioautography the influence was tested of various periods (5, 15, 30, 40 min, 2 hr) of pretreatment with colchicine, administered intraperitoneally to rats at a dosage of 0.5 mg/100 g of body weight, on the intracellular pathway of [3H]fucose in absorptive cells of the small intestine. Administration of colchicine for 30 min and longer time intervals causes delay in the insertion of [3H]fucose into the oligosaccharide chains of glycoconjugates in the Golgi apparatus, and results in redistribution of the label apparent over the different portions of the plasma membrane. In controls, at 2 and 4 hr after administration of [3H]fucose the apical plasma membrane is strongly labeled; 53.7 +/- 3.2% of the silver grains are recorded over apical regions of the plasma membrane that contrast to basolateral portions comprising 25.4 +/- 3.2% of the label. Colchicine causes equalization of the reaction of apical and basolateral regions of the plasma membrane: the number of silver grains attributable to the apical plasma membrane is reduced; following treatment with colchicine, apical portions of the plasma membrane comprise 31.6 +/- 1.8% of the silver grains, 38.6 +/- 3.8% are attributable to basolateral membrane regions. The colchicine-induced equalization of the density of label of apical and basolateral regions of the plasma membrane, in addition to the occurrence of basolateral microvillus borders (demonstrated in the companion paper), suggests microtubules to be important in the maintenance of the polar organization of small intestinal absorptive cells.

Animals↗