Animal Models of Barrett's Esophagus and Esophageal Adenocarcinoma–Past,Present, and Future

Esophageal adenocarcinoma is the fastest rising cancer in the United States. It develops from long‐standing gastroesophageal reflux disease which affects >20% of the general population. It carries a very poor prognosis with 5‐year survival <20%. The disease is known to sequentially progress from reflux esophagitis to a metaplastic precursor, Barrett''s esophagus and then onto dysplasia and esophageal adenocarcinoma. However, only few patients with reflux develop Barrett''s esophagus and only a minority of these turn malignant. The reason for this heterogeneity in clinical progression is unknown. To improve patient management, molecular changes which facilitate disease progression must be identified. Animal models can provide a comprehensive functional and anatomic platform for such a study. Rats and mice have been the most widely studied but disease homology with humans has been questioned. No animal model naturally simulates the inflammation to adenocarcinoma progression as in humans, with all models requiring surgical bypass or destruction of existing antireflux mechanisms. Valuable properties of individual models could be utilized to holistically evaluate disease progression. In this review paper, we critically examined the current animal models of Barrett''s esophagus, their differences and homologies with human disease and how they have shaped our current understanding of Barrett''s carcinogenesis.     

向楠治疗亚急性甲状腺炎经验

向楠教授系湖北中医药大学二级教授、主任医师、博士生导师,湖北中医名师、首届湖北省中青年知名中医、武汉中青年中医名医,培养学术继承人及硕士、博士等50余名,从事中医临床、教学、科研工作30余载,擅长应用中医药防治内分泌及代谢性疾病。余有幸跟师学习,受益颇深,现将其治疗亚急性甲状腺炎的经验总结于下,与同道共享。     

鼓膜穿刺加压灌注治疗分泌性中耳炎的临床疗效

目的探讨鼓膜穿刺加压灌注疗法治疗分泌性中耳炎的临床疗效。方法选择确诊为分泌性中耳炎患者88例为研究对象,所有患者采用中耳鼓膜穿刺鼓室灌注加压治疗。比较不同性质分泌物患者的临床疗效及治疗前后患者鼓室导抗图变化。结果胶冻状患者治疗时间最长,浆液性患者治疗时间最短,三组治疗时间比较差异有统计学意义(P<0.01)。浆液性总有效率94.0%,黏液性总有效率86.8%,胶冻状总有效率75.0%,三组比较有显著差异(P<0.05)。治疗前鼓室导图主要是B型,治疗后主要是A型,治疗前后比较差异有统计学意义(P<0.01)。结论鼓膜穿刺加压灌注治疗分泌性中耳炎具有较好的临床疗效。     

Antimicrobial activity of selected synbiotics targeted for the elderly against pathogenic Escherichia coli strains

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of two synbiotic combinations, Lactobacillus fermentum with short-chain fructooligosaccharides (FOS-LF) and Bifidobacterium longum with isomaltooligosaccharides (IMO-BL), against enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 and enteropathogenic E. coli O86. Antimicrobial activity was determined (1) by co-culturing the synbiotics and pathogens in batch cultures, and (2) with the three-stage continuous culture system (gut model), inoculated with faecal slurry from an elderly donor. In the co-culture experiments, IMO-BL was significantly inhibitory to both E. coli strains, while FOS-LF was slightly inhibitory or not inhibitory. Factors other than acid production appeared to play a role in the inhibition. In the gut models, both synbiotics effectively inhibited E. coli O157 in the first vessel, but not in vessels 2 and 3. E. coli O86 was not significantly inhibited.