Influence of sodium deoxycholate on morphology, net fluid transport and motility in the small intestine of the rat

Intestinal fluid secretion and motility were induced by luminal perfusion of rat small intestine with sodium deoxycholate, a dihydroxy bile salt for 1-3 h. Changes in intestinal morphology were studied simultaneously with the changes in fluid transport and motility. The results suggest that the bile salt causes epithelial lesions which may lead to a reduced fluid absorption in the villi, thereby explaining part of the total change in net fluid transport caused by the bile salt. Pyrilamine and indomethacin did not influence the bile salt-induced secretion. Based on earlier studies, it is proposed that the major part of the bile salt-evoked secretion is mediated via activation of intramural nervous reflex(es), which also stimulate the intestinal smooth muscle cells.     

The Effects of “Immunosympathectomy” on Blood Pressure and Vascular “Reactivity” in Normal and Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

Newborn litters of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive control rats (NCR) were identically treated with sympathetic nerve growth factor antiserum (Wellcome) which markedly interferes with adrenergic cardiovascular control (Zaimis 1967). Blood pressure, measured intermittently during 8 months, was in treated SHR (SHR_is) about 25 % higher than in NCR_is, their respective pressures being about 40 % and 25 % lower than those of sham-treated SHR and NCR.–The hindquarters of one SHR_is, or NCR_is, were then perfused at constant flow in parallel with those of ordinary NCR. Starting from maximal vasodilatation, resistance increases were induced by graded noradrenaline (NA) infusions, from “threshold” to maximal pressor responses. Compared to NCR_is, SHR_is showed an increased resistance at maximal dilatation, an increased slope of the NA dose-response curve and an increased maximal pressor response, while their NA “thresholds” did not differ significantly. Thus, the structurally determined hemodynamic differences between ordinary SHR and NCR (Folkow et al. 1970 b) characterize also SHR_is and NCR_is, though to a reduced extent. Even when comparing SHR_is with ordinary- NCR, which exhibited similar “resting” pressures, these differences partly remain, suggesting that the SHR resistance vessels might, for genetic reasons, be more prone to adapt structurally to pressure loads than those of NCR.     

Trisomy 7 in nonneoplastic kidney tissue cultured with and without epidermal growth factor.

A 7-month-old infant with Klinefelter's syndrome was diagnosed as having acute monoblastic leukemia (AMoL). Chromosome studies of bone marrow at diagnosis showed the karyotype 46,XXY,-Y,t(10;11)(p13;q14). This is the first report of M5A leukemia associated with Klinefelter's syndrome.     

Effects of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide on blood flow, motility and fluid transport in the gastrointestinal tract of the cat.

The effect of close intraarterial infusions of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) on gastric motility, intestinal fluid transport and colonic motility were studied in the cat. Regional blood flow was also followed in all experiments. In the stomach VIP produced a gastric relaxation and a blood flow increase. The motility response was similar to that observed when eliciting the vago-vagal reflex relaxation by distending the esophagus. In the small intestine a hyperemia and a decrease of net water uptake was observed. When infusing small amounts of VIP a decrease of net water uptake was seen without any change of intestinal blood flow. Large amounts of VIP produced a transient secretory state in the small intestine. In the colon a hyperemia was seen immediately upon starting the infusion of the drug. After 2-3 min of infusion a contraction of the colon was apparent. The administration of atropine to the animal did not significantly affect any of the responses produced by VIP. The results are discussed in relation to VIP as a possible neurotransmitter in the gastrointestinal tract.     

Effect of metabolic cage housing on immunoglobulin A and corticosterone excretion in faeces and urine of young male rats

Six 8-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats were studied for 9 days divided into three periods of 3 days each: before transferral to metabolism cages, during metabolic cage housing and after return to their home cages. Faeces were collected daily when the animals were housed in their home cages and every 6 h when the animals were housed in metabolic cages during which time urine was also collected every 6 h. The rate of weight gain was slightly reduced during the 3 days in metabolic cages and the animals produced significantly larger amounts of faeces when housed in metabolic cages than when housed in their home cages. The total faecal excretion of corticosterone (nanograms excreted per hour per kilogram body weight) and immunoglobulin A (IgA) (milligrams excreted per hour per kg body weight) quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) exhibited a clear diurnal rhythm in the metabolic cage. Urinary excretions of corticosterone and IgA also followed a clear diurnal cycle. The mean daily amounts of corticosterone excreted were not significantly affected by cage change and by housing in metabolic cages. However, the excretion of faecal IgA was significantly reduced during the 3 days after the period in metabolic cages. Taken together the results indicate that metabolic cage housing is mildly stressful for young adult male rats.     

Mucosal FOXP3-expressing CD4+ CD25high regulatory T cells in Helicobacter pylori-infected patients

Helicobacter pylori chronically colonizes the stomach and duodenum and causes peptic ulcers or gastric adenocarcinoma in 10 to 20% of infected individuals. We hypothesize that the inability of patients to clear H. pylori infections is a consequence of active suppression of the immune response. Here we show that H. pylori-infected individuals have increased frequencies of CD4(+) CD25(high) T cells in both the stomach and duodenal mucosa compared to uninfected controls. These cells have the phenotype of regulatory T cells, as they express FOXP3, a key gene for the development and function of regulatory T cells, as well as high levels of the cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) protein. In contrast, mucosal CD4(+) CD25(low) and CD4(+) CD25(-) cells express little FOXP3 mRNA and low levels of the CTLA-4 protein. Mucosal CD4(+) CD25(high) T cells are present in individuals with asymptomatic H. pylori infections as well as in duodenal ulcer patients. The frequencies of CD4(+) CD25(high) cells are also increased in the stomachs of H. pylori-infected patients with gastric adenocarcinoma, particularly in cancer-affected tissues. These findings suggest that regulatory T cells may suppress mucosal immune responses and thereby contribute to the persistence of H. pylori infections.     

Effects of cholera toxin on villous tissue osmolality and fluid and electrolyte transport in the small intestine of the cat

The effects of cholera toxin on tissue osmolality and on net transport rates of water, sodium, chloride and potassium as well as on unidirectional fluxes of water and sodium were studied in vivo. In all experiments the toxin caused a net secretion of water, sodium, chloride and potassium. The unidirectional sodium transport from tissue to lumen was increased while the flux in the opposite direction was reduced 180 min after cholera toxin instillation. Cholera toxin produced only a small reduction in the villous tissue hyperosmolality, created by the intestinal countercurrent exchanger. This reduction was far too small to explain the observed net secretion of fluid and solutes induced by the cholera toxin. Other mechanisms underlying the cholera secretion are discussed.     

Induction of cytosolic and microsomal epoxide hydrolases and proliferation of peroxisomes and mitochondria in mouse liver after dietary exposure to p-chlorophenoxyacetic acid, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid

The effects of dietary exposure to 0.125% (w/w) p-chlorophenoxyacetic acid, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid or 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid on the content of peroxisomes and levels of certain xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes in mouse liver have been investigated. In agreement with the literature on rat liver 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid were found to cause extensive proliferation of peroxisomes (as judged by the total levels of "mitochondrial" protein, carnitine acetyltransferase, cyanide-insensitive palmitoyl-CoA oxidation and catalase) in mouse liver. On the other hand, exposure to p-chlorophenoxyacetic acid did not significantly affect any of these parameters. As with certain other peroxisome proliferators, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid increased total cytochrome oxidase activity as well. In addition, dietary exposure to 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and to 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid resulted in increases in the activities of cytosolic and microsomal epoxide hydrolases in mouse liver and generally less pronounced increases in the total cytosolic glutathione transferase activity and microsomal content of cytochrome P-450. In the case of cytochrome P-450, this process can be said to be a true induction (i.e. the amount of enzyme protein is increased), because the assay procedure for cytochrome P-450 measures holoenzyme amount. Immunoquantitation demonstrated that this was also the case for the changes in cytosolic epoxide hydrolase. The dramatic differences in proliferation of peroxisomes and induction of xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes seen here with compounds differing relatively little in structure may indicate that a receptor mechanism of some kind is involved.     

Characterization of the induction of cytosolic and microsomal epoxide hydrolases by 2-ethylhexanoic acid in mouse liver

When mice were exposed to 1% 2-ethylhexanoic acid in the diet, cytosolic and microsomal epoxide hydrolase (EC 3.3.2.3) activities were increased maximally (2-2.5- and 0.5-1-fold, respectively) after 3 days. Immunochemical quantitation of these enzymes indicated that the process involved was a true induction in both cases. Maximal levels of peroxisome proliferation (as indicated by carnitine acetyltransferase activity) were obtained after 7 days of exposure. All three of these activities returned to control levels within 4 days after termination of the treatment. The liver somatic index was slightly increased after 4 days of administration of 1% 2-ethylhexanoic acid, but the protein contents of the "mitochondrial," microsomal, and cytosolic fractions were unaffected. The activity of peroxisomal palmitoyl-CoA beta-oxidation was increased 2-fold, whereas peroxisomal catalase activity was unaffected. Exposure to 2-ethylhexanoic acid also increased cytochrome oxidase activity, suggesting an effect on mitochondria. Other parameters of detoxication--i.e. total microsomal cytochrome P-450 content, cytosolic glutathione transferase activity toward 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene, and the "cytosolic" epoxide hydrolase activity localized in the "mitochondrial" fraction--were not affected by 4 days of treatment with 1% 2-ethylhexanoic acid.