Journal of gastroenterology and hepatology
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J. Gastroenterol. Hepatol. · Feb 2010
ReviewBugs and irritable bowel syndrome: The good, the bad and the ugly.
Recently, there has been strong interest in the therapeutic potential of probiotics for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). At the same time, there is a rapidly growing body of evidence to support an etiological role for gastrointestinal infection and the associated immune activation in the development of post-infectious IBS. ⋯ Thus, it appears that the gastrointestinal microbial flora may exert beneficial effects for symptoms of IBS under some circumstances, while in other situations gut microbes could give rise to symptoms of IBS. How do we make sense of the apparently diverse roles that 'bugs' may play in IBS? To address this question, we have conducted an in-depth review, attempting where possible to draw lessons from Asian studies.
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J. Gastroenterol. Hepatol. · Nov 2009
Randomized Controlled TrialEffects of terlipressin on systemic, hepatic and renal hemodynamics in patients with cirrhosis.
Terlipressin has been shown to be effective in the management of hepatorenal syndrome. However, how terlipressin exerts its effect on the renal artery is unknown. The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of terlipressin on systemic, hepatic and renal hemodynamics in cirrhosis. ⋯ Terlipressin decreases hepatic and renal arterial resistance in patients with cirrhosis.
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J. Gastroenterol. Hepatol. · Oct 2009
Roles of adipose restriction and metabolic factors in progression of steatosis to steatohepatitis in obese, diabetic mice.
We previously reported that steatohepatitis develops in obese, hypercholesterolemic, diabetic foz/foz mice fed a high-fat (HF) diet for 12 months. We now report earlier onset of steatohepatitis in relation to metabolic abnormalities, and clarify the roles of dietary fat and bodily lipid partitioning on steatosis severity, liver injury and inflammatory recruitment in this novel non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) model. ⋯ In mice genetically predisposed to obesity and diabetes, HF feeding leads to restriction of adipose tissue for accommodation of excess energy, causing lipid partitioning into liver, and transformation of simple steatosis to fibrosing steatohepatitis. The way in which HF feeding 'saturates' adipose stores, decreases serum adiponectin and causes hepatic inflammation in steatohepatitis may provide clues to pathogenesis of NASH in metabolic syndrome.
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J. Gastroenterol. Hepatol. · Oct 2009
Comparative StudyRIFLE classification as predictive factor of mortality in patients with cirrhosis admitted to intensive care unit.
To evaluate the association of the Risk, Injury, Failure, Loss and End-stage renal failure (RIFLE) score on mortality in patients with decompensated cirrhosis admitted to intensive care unit (ICU). ⋯ RIFLE score was significantly associated with mortality, confirming the importance of renal failure in this large cohort of patients with cirrhosis admitted to ICU, but it is less useful than other scores.