The American journal of gastroenterology
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Am. J. Gastroenterol. · Aug 2009
Comparative StudyOutcomes of intra-abdominal fungal vs. bacterial infections in severe acute pancreatitis.
Intra-abdominal infection in severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) has significant morbidity and mortality; however, reports conflict on the outcome of patients with intra-abdominal fungal infection (IFI). We aimed to compare the morbidity and mortality of IFI compared with intra-abdominal bacterial infection (IBI) and no intra-abdominal infection (NII) in patients with SAP. ⋯ Patients with SAP and IFI suffered greater in-hospital morbidity than did patients with IBI alone. Concomitant fungal infection, however, did not increase the in-hospital mortality rate.
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Am. J. Gastroenterol. · Aug 2009
Voltage-gated potassium channels in IB4-positive colonic sensory neurons mediate visceral hypersensitivity in the rat.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is associated with a state of chronic visceral hypersensitivity, but the underlying molecular mechanisms of visceral hyperalgesia remain elusive. This study was designed to examine changes in the excitability and alterations of voltage-gated K+ currents in subpopulations of colonic dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons in a rat model of IBS-like visceral hypersensitivity. ⋯ A new model for chronic visceral hypersensitivity following a diluted AA stimulus in the neonatal period is described. The hypersensitivity may be associated with mast cell hyperplasia in the colon and increased excitability of IB4-positive colonic neurons as a result of suppression of I(A) density and a shift in the inactivation curves of I(A) and I(K) in a hyperpolarizing direction in these cells. This study identifies for the first time a specific molecular mechanism in subpopulations of colonic DRG neurons that underlies chronic visceral hypersensitivity.