Digestive Segments Research Articles

Isolated and fistulized primary appendicular tuberculosis: when a great pretender disguises herself

Tuberculosis in all its forms remains a public health problem in Morocco, despite the efforts of the state in terms of prevention and treatment. Recently, there has been an increase in the number of extra-pulmonary forms of TB. Isolated appendicular localization is very rare, especially since intestinal localization is only ranked 6th among extra-pulmonary localizations. We report the case of a 39 year old female patient admitted for right iliac fossa (RIF) pain evolving for two months, the clinical examination on admission objective a digestive fluid outlet through a fistulous orifice at the level of the RIF; the abdominal CT scan found a plastron with the presence of a fistulous path between a digestive segment and the wall, the surgical exploration found a fistula between the body of the appendix and the wall, an appendectomy was done and the anatomopathological examination confirmed the tuberculosis origin. Our work sheds light on an often-misunderstood form of a well-known pathology.

Clinical aspects of acute mesenteric ischaemia

Acute mesenteric ischaemia (AMI) is a serious disease with mortality between 50 and 80 %. Oxidative stress plays a major role in the pathophysiology of AMI. AMI should be considered for any acute abdominal pain that requires analgesia with morphine and for which no other obvious aetiology is found. CT is the main diagnostic procedure to confirm the diagnosis of AMI. There is no specific diagnostic biomarker for AMI that can be used in routine practice. AMI is an urgent diagnostic and therapeutic situation. Treatment of AMI includes a protocol combining digestive rest, curative anticoagulant, antiplatelet, antibiotic therapy, arterial revascularisation to salvage viable bowel and resection of necrotic digestive segments. The strategy of revascularisation depends on the mechanism of arterial occlusion, the morphological appearance of the lesions and the indications for exploratory laparotomy. Endovascular and open surgical techniques can be combined and complemented. Open surgical revascularisation is indicated in case of failure or impossibility of endovascular revascularisation and in case of need for laparotomy. Early diagnosis and timely surgical intervention are the cornerstones of modern treatment to reduce the high mortality of AMI. The emergence of endovascular approaches and modern imaging techniques is developing and providing new treatment options. A multidisciplinary approach based on early diagnosis and treatment is necessary.

Immunoexpression of Spexin in Selected Segments of the Bovine (Bos taurus taurus) Gastrointestinal Tract.

In the expansive domain of neuropeptide investigation, spexin (SPX) has emerged as a captivating subject, exerting a significant impact on diverse physiological processes. Initially identified in mice, SPX's distribution transcends various organs, suggesting its potential regulatory roles. Despite extensive research in smaller species, a notable gap exists in our comprehension of SPX in larger mammals, particularly ruminants. Our study meticulously explores the immunolocalization of SPX within the gastrointestinal organs of bovines, with a specific focus on the abomasum, jejunum, and colon. Tissue samples from Holstein-Friesian cattle underwent careful processing, and gene mRNA expression levels, particularly GALR2 and SPX, were assessed. Intriguingly, our findings revealed that GALR2 expression was highest in the jejunum, signifying a potentially critical role in this digestive segment. Immunohistochemistry further unveiled distinct patterns of SPX immunoreactivity in each examined region-abomasum, jejunum, and colon-highlighting nuanced, region-specific responses. Notably, the abomasum and jejunum predominantly exhibited positive immunoreactivity in the submucosal plexus, while the colon, in contrast, demonstrated a higher degree of immunoreactivity in myenteric plexus neurons. Our investigation, grounded in the hypothesis of ubiquitous SPX distribution in ruminants, delves deeper into the intricate role of SPX within the enteric nervous system. This study meticulously explores the spatial distribution of SPX within the myenteric and submucosal plexuses, integral components of the enteric nervous system. These findings significantly enhance our understanding of SPX's potential roles in gastrointestinal regulation in bovines, providing a unique perspective on larger mammals and enriching our comprehension of this intriguing neuropeptide's significance in various physiological processes.

SNAPIG: a model to study nutrient digestion and absorption kinetics in growing pigs based on diet and ingredient properties

Current feed formulation and evaluation practices rely on static values for the nutritional value of feed ingredients and assume additivity. Hereby, the complex interplay among nutrients in the diet and the highly dynamic digestive processes are ignored. Nutrient digestion kinetics and diet × animal interactions should be acknowledged to improve future predictions of the nutritional value of complex diets. Therefore, an in silico nutrient-based mechanistic digestion model for growing pigs was developed: “SNAPIG” (Simulating Nutrient digestion and Absorption kinetics in PIGs). Aiming to predict the rate and extent of nutrient absorption from diets varying in ingredient composition and physicochemical properties, the model represents digestion kinetics of ingested protein, starch, fat, and non-starch polysaccharides, through passage, hydrolysis, absorption, and endogenous secretions of nutrients along the stomach, proximal small intestine, distal small intestine, and caecum + colon. Input variables are nutrient intake and the physicochemical properties (i.e. solubility, and rate and extent of degradability). Data on the rate and extent of starch and protein hydrolysis of different ingredients per digestive segment were derived from in vitro assays. Passage of digesta from the stomach was modelled as a function of feed intake level, dietary nutrient solubility and diet viscosity. Model evaluation included testing against independent data from in vivo studies on nutrient appearance in (portal) blood of growing pigs. When simulating diets varying in physicochemical properties and nutrient source, SNAPIG can explain variation in glucose absorption kinetics (postprandial time of peak, TOP: 20–100 min observed vs 25–98 min predicted), and predict variation in the extent of ileal protein and fat digestion (root mean square prediction errors (RMSPE) = 12 and 16%, disturbance error = 12 and 86%, and concordance correlation coefficient = 0.34 and 0.27). For amino acid absorption, the observed variation in postprandial TOP (61 ± 11 min) was poorly predicted despite accurate mean predictions (58 ± 34 min). Recalibrating protein digestion and amino acid absorption kinetics require data on net-portal nutrient appearance, combined with observations on digestion kinetics, in pigs fed diets varying in ingredient composition. Currently, SNAPIG can be used to forecast the time and extent of nutrient digestion and absorption when simulating diets varying in ingredient and nutrient composition. It enhances our quantitative understanding of nutrient digestion kinetics and identifies knowledge gaps in this field of research. Already useful as research tool, SNAPIG can be coupled with a postabsorptive metabolism model to predict the effects of dietary and feeding-strategies on the pig’s growth response.

Evidence that the Bowman-Birk inhibitor from Pisum sativum affects intestinal proteolytic activities in chickens

Chicken diet essentially relies on soybean as the major source of proteins but there are increasing efforts to identify other protein-rich feedstuffs. Of these, some pea cultivars constitute interesting sources of proteins, although some of them contain antinutritional factors that may compromise the digestibility of their protein content. Consequently, chickens exhibit low performance, while undigested compounds rejected in feces have a negative environmental impact. In this article, we analyzed the intestinal content of chickens fed a pea diet (Pisum sativum) to decipher the mechanisms that could explain such a low digestibility. Using gelatin zymography, we observed that the contents of chicken fed the pea diet exhibit altered proteolytic activities compared with intestinal contents from chickens fed a rapeseed, corn, or soybean diet. This pea-specific profile parallels the presence of a 34 kDa protein band that resists proteolysis during the digestion process. Using mass spectrometry analysis, we demonstrated that this band contains the pea-derived Bowman-Birk protease inhibitor (BBI) and 3 chicken proteases, the well-known chymotrypsinogen 2-like (CTRB2) and trypsin II-P39 (PRSS2), and the yet uncharacterized trypsin I-P38 (PRSS3). All 3 proteases are assumed to be protease targets of BBI. Molecular modeling of the interaction of pea BBI with PRSS2 and PRSS3 trypsins reveals that electrostatic features of PRSS3 may favor the formation of a BBI-PRSS3 complex at physiological pH. We hypothesize that PRSS3 is specifically expressed and secreted in the intestinal lumen to form a complex with BBI, thereby limiting its inhibitory effects on PRSS2 and chymotrypsinogen 2-like proteases. These data clearly demonstrate that in chickens, feedstuff containing active pea BBI affects intestinal proteolytic activities. Further studies on the effects of BBI on the expression of PRSS3 by digestive segments will be useful to better appreciate the impact of pea on intestine physiology and function. From these results, we suggest that PRSS3 protease may represent an interesting biomarker of digestive disorders in chickens, similar to human PRSS3 that has been associated with gut pathologies.

Residual abnormalities on CTE predict adverse outcomes in Crohn's disease with endoscopic healing

BackgroundResidual abnormalities on computed tomography enterography (CTE) in Crohn's disease (CD) with endoscopic healing (EH) may have prognostic implications and affect therapeutic strategy. MethodsCD patients with EH who underwent CTE between March 2015 and June 2022 were enrolled. CTE findings of the terminal ileum and the most severe segment of colon at the time of EH were assessed respectively for each patient. Cox regression analysis and Kaplan-Meier curves were used to evaluate the association between residual abnormalities and adverse outcomes. ResultsA total of 140 patients (217 digestive segments) were included. Mesenteric edema (hazard ratio [HR] = 3.61, 95% CI = 1.81–7.20, P<0.001), fibrofatty proliferation (HR = 3.40, 95% CI = 1.97–5.85, P<0.001) and active small bowel inflammation (HR = 2.74, 95% CI = 1.59–4.71, P<0.001) were risk factors for clinical relapse. Furthermore, we built a scoring system using the three parameters. Radiologic score ≥ 1 was the best threshold to predict clinical relapse (HR = 4.56, 95% CI = 2.54–8.19, P<0.001) and it was validated in different outcomes. ConclusionThe scoring system based on three residual abnormalities on CTE can predict adverse outcomes in CD patients with EH.

Inflammation à éosinophiles du tube digestif

Eosinophilic inflammation of the digestive tract is an inflammatory disease characterized by extensive infiltration of eosinophils into the gastrointestinal tract. It can be either a primary disorder of the digestive tract or be secondary to another cause of tissue eosinophilia. Primary disorders include eosinophilic esophagitis (OE) and eosinophilic gastroenteritis (GEEo). These are 2 rare pathologies considered to be diseases related to a Th2-mediated food allergy. The role of the pathologist is twofold: (1) he must make the diagnosis of tissue esosinophilia and propose the various causes, knowing that a secondary cause is the most frequently observed; (2) identify the abnormal number of polymorphonuclear eosinophils, which implies knowing the normal distribution of eosinophils in the different digestive segments. To carry the diagnosis of EO, the threshold of polymorphonuclear eosinophils must be≥15/fields×400. There is no predefined threshold concerning the other segments of the digestive tract to carry the diagnosis of GEEO. In addition, to make the diagnosis of primary digestive tissue eosinophilia, the patient must be symptomatic with histological evidence of eosinophilia and have ruled out all secondary causes. The main differential diagnosis of OE is gastroesophageal reflux disease. The differential diagnoses of GEEo are multiple, including primarily drugs and parasitic infections.

Nematode predatory ability of the fungus Duddingtonia flagrans affected by in vitro sequential exposure to ovine gastrointestinal tract

Duddingtonia flagrans is a nematophagous fungus employed as a biocontrol agent of gastrointestinal nematodes in ruminants. After oral ingestion and passage through the digestive tract of animals, this microorganism captures the nematodes in the feces. The drastic conditions of ruminant digestive tract could affect fungi chlamydospores and therefore biocontrol activity. The aim of this study was to evaluate in vitro the effect of four ruminant digestive segments on the concentration and nematode predatory ability of a Colombian native strain of D. flagrans. The sequential four-step methodology proposed evaluated conditions of the oral cavity, rumen, abomasum, and small intestine such as pH (2, 6, 8), enzymes (pepsin, pancreatin), temperature (39 °C), and anaerobiosis comparing short (7 h) and long (51 h) exposure times. The results showed that the nematode predatory ability of the fungi is affected by sequential exposure to gastrointestinal segments and this effect depends on the exposure time to those conditions. After short exposure (7 h) through the four ruminant digestive segments, the fungi had a nematode predatory ability of 62%, in contrast, after long exposure (51 h) the nematode predatory ability was lost (0%). Moreover, the number of broken chlamydospores was higher in the long-exposure assay.

Comparative Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals the Functionally Segmented Intestine in Tunicate Ascidian.

The vertebrate intestinal system consists of separate segments that remarkably differ in morphology and function. However, the origin of intestinal segmentation remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the segmentation of the intestine in a tunicate ascidian species, Ciona savignyi, by performing RNA sequencing. The gene expression profiles showed that the whole intestine was separated into three segments. Digestion, ion transport and signal transduction, and immune-related pathway genes were enriched in the proximal, middle, and distal parts of the intestine, respectively, implying that digestion, absorption, and immune function appear to be regional specializations in the ascidian intestine. We further performed a multi-species comparison analysis and found that the Ciona intestine showed a similar gene expression pattern to vertebrates, indicating tunicates and vertebrates might share the conserved intestinal functions. Intriguingly, vertebrate pancreatic homologous genes were expressed in the digestive segment of the Ciona intestine, suggesting that the proximal intestine might play the part of pancreatic functions in C. savignyi. Our results demonstrate that the tunicate intestine can be functionally separated into three distinct segments, which are comparable to the corresponding regions of the vertebrate intestinal system, offering insights into the functional evolution of the digestive system in chordates.

Performance of PILLCAMSB3 Video-Capsule Endoscopy in the Diagnosis of the Non-Small Bowel Hemorrhagic Lesions Undetected by Upper and Lower Digestive Endoscopy

Introduction: Videocapsule endoscopy (VCE) is a minimally invasive approach to visualize the mucosal surface of the gastrointestinal tract. It was initially used in the evaluation of small-bowel lesions, however many studies showed that it has a potential role in evaluating other digestive segments as the stomach and large bowel. Our study aim to assess the diagnostic performance of VCE after a non-conclusive upper and lower digestive endoscopy and to highlight the comfort and the diagnostic efficiency of this tool. Materials and Methods: In this monocentric and descriptive study, we include all patients who underwent a Pillcam SB3 VCE (59 patients), from July 2018 to Semptember 2022, after a normal gastroscopy and ileocoloscopy. All the patients received a preparation by PEG (2l the day before ingestion of the capsule) with clear broth the day before the examination, and a 10 days off oral iron if previously prescribed. Results: 59 patients were included and 15 VCE (25%) allowed the diagnosis of non-small haemorrhagic lesions, unnoticed by usual endoscopy. The main indication for VCE was an unxplained digestive bleeding (73%) with an average hemoglobin level of 5,4g/dL. The mean age was 59 years (23-90 years) with a femal predominance (sex-ratio:0,6). 40% of the patients had a chronic renal failure, 13% had a portal hypertension, 13% had a history of heart disease, 6% had a Rendu-Osler disease. 13% of patients were on antiplatelet agent, 6% on anticoagulants therapy and 6% on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The mean time between the onset of symptoms and the VCE was 26,3months. The lesions noticed by VCE were: angiodysplasia (80%), with different localizations: gastric (46%), duodenal (21%), cecal (21%), bulbar (12%) and Forrest III gastric ulcerations (20%). The diagnostic yield of VCE in non-small bowel hemorrhagic lesions was 25%. Conclusion: The VCE represents the most patient-friendly alternative method of examination. It is a first-line approach in the evaluation of small-bowel lesions, but it can also detect upper and lower digestive lesions. However, we believe that the slightest doubt concerning the quality of the first upper and lower digestive endoscopies in patients with digestive bleeding and/or anemia should lead to the repetition of the conventional endoscopies before performing VCE.

The History of Esophageal Surgery in Romania.

I would begin this history with a brief but eloquent statement made by professor Teodor Horvat, PhD (one, if not the most important, of the "rescuers" of modern thoracic surgery in our country) in the successful preface of the "Treaty of Pathology and Esophageal Surgery" (Romanian Academy Publishing House, Bucharest, 2017): "The esophagus passes through our territory the thorax!" It is an undeniable truth, but so is the extremely small number of thoracic surgeons with expertise in esophageal surgery. Unfortunately, they are very scarce. They are thoracic surgeons who have specialized in thoracic surgery starting from general surgery. But we should not think that in general surgery the number of esophageal daredevils is much higher. They can be counted on the fingers of the members of an esophageal surgical team, to which we can add the anesthesiologist's fingers too! But why this situation? You may be wondering. It is so because esophageal surgery is a very difficult one, it has a pathology with many peculiarities, it requires a series of complex procedures (it does not have simple ones), both for resection and the reconstruction of the esophagus. And besides all that, the esophagus is an organ which, although not the longest, is still the only digestive segment that passes through three regions: the cervical, thoracic, and the abdominal one.

Gastro-Intestinal Bleeding in COVID-19 Patients - Is There Any Causal Relation?

The novel Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 has put an enormous pressure on health systems around the world. The large number of severe cases that had symptoms seemingly unrelated to the respiratory system, continues to create confusion. The digestive tract is not spared either. The most commonly reported digestive symptoms are nausea, vomiting, anorexia, diarrhea and, less frequently but with significant impact, gastrointestinal bleeding. The elderly population is the one more likely to develop severe anemia clinically expressed by hematemesis, melena or hematochezia. From our experience and as we concluded from literature, men confirmed with COVID-19 have a higher risk of developing digestive haemorrhage. The upper gastro-intestinal tract, defined as the digestive segment above the Treitz angle, is more often affected. The gastro-duodenal ulcers are the main cause found in COVID-19 patients with digestive bleeding. In addition, the patients with SARS-COV2 infection and gastro-intestinal bleeding most commonly associate with other comorbidities such as hypertension and diabetes.

Late-Onset Ileal Duplication Complicated by Occlusive Syndrome

Gastrointestinal duplications are rare congenital malformations that can involve all digestive segments, from the mouth to the anus. These duplications can be cystic or tubular, communicating or not with the adjacent digestive tract segment. The diagnosis is increasingly suspected antenatally. In other cases, the clinical symptoms are often aspecific, depending on the anatomical region concerned and the possible occurrence of revealing complications. Imaging, and in particular ultrasound, allows the diagnosis to be evoked and to look for associated anomalies, which condition the prognosis and management. The diagnosis of certainty is most often confirmed only after excision and anatomical anatomopathological examination. Surgery is required and must be complete at best, to avoid any risk of complication or risk of complication or malignant degeneration. We report the observation of an infant who presented with a late-onset cystic ileal duplication complicated by an occlusive syndrome.

Transcriptional analysis reveals specific niche factors and response to environmental stresses of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 in bovine digestive contents

BackgroundEnterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) are responsible for severe diseases in humans, and the ruminant digestive tract is considered as their main reservoir. Their excretion in bovine feces leads to the contamination of foods and the environment. Thus, providing knowledge of processes used by EHEC to survive and/or develop all along the bovine gut represents a major step for strategies implementation.ResultsWe compared the transcriptome of the reference EHEC strain EDL933 incubated in vitro in triplicate samples in sterile bovine rumen, small intestine and rectum contents with that of the strain grown in an artificial medium using RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq), focusing on genes involved in stress response, adhesion systems including the LEE, iron uptake, motility and chemotaxis. We also compared expression of these genes in one digestive content relative to the others. In addition, we quantified short chain fatty acids and metal ions present in the three digestive contents. RNA-seq data first highlighted response of EHEC EDL933 to unfavorable physiochemical conditions encountered during its transit through the bovine gut lumen. Seventy-eight genes involved in stress responses including drug export, oxidative stress and acid resistance/pH adaptation were over-expressed in all the digestive contents compared with artificial medium. However, differences in stress fitness gene expression were observed depending on the digestive segment, suggesting that these differences were due to distinct physiochemical conditions in the bovine digestive contents. EHEC activated genes encoding three toxin/antitoxin systems in rumen content and many gene clusters involved in motility and chemotaxis in rectum contents. Genes involved in iron uptake and utilization were mostly down-regulated in all digestive contents compared with artificial medium, but feo genes were over-expressed in rumen and small intestine compared with rectum. The five LEE operons were more expressed in rectum than in rumen content, and LEE1 was also more expressed in rectum than in small intestine content.ConclusionOur results highlight various strategies that EHEC may implement to survive in the gastrointestinal environment of cattle. These data could also help defining new targets to limit EHEC O157:H7 carriage and shedding by cattle.

Relationship between Dietary Fiber Fermentation and Volatile Fatty Acids' Concentration in Growing Pigs.

Simple SummaryThe study suggests differences in fermentable capacity of fibrous feed ingredients are associated with fiber composition in pig. Results demonstrate that the fiber digestibility of oat bran, sugar beet pulp and soybean hulls is greater than for corn bran, wheat bran and rice bran in the pig intestine. Furthermore, results indicate that volatile fatty acids’ concentration (VFA) is positively correlated primarily with insoluble dietary fiber (IDF) fermentation, and the digestibility of IDF is the best single variable to predict fecal VFA concentrations. The contribution of this study is to provide instructions on how to implement fiber-rich ingredients effectively in the feed formulation for swine.This study was conducted to determine whether differences in fiber fermentation in fiber-rich feed ingredients exist and to assess relationship between fiber fermentation and concentration of volatile fatty acids (VFA) in pig. Castrated males (barrows) were allotted randomly to six diets formulated with different amounts of wheat bran (WB), corn bran (CB), sugar beet pulp (SBP), oat bran (OB), soybean hulls (SH) or rice bran (RB). The apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of soluble dietary fiber (SDF) for OB and SH diets was greater (P < 0.05) than for the other diets. The fermentation of total dietary fiber (TDF) and insoluble dietary fiber (IDF) in the hindgut were greater (P < 0.05) for SBP and SH diets than for WB, CB, OB and RB diets. The apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) values of all fiber components in SBP, SH and OB diets were greater (P < 0.05) than for WB, CB and RB diets. The concentration of VFA in feces was positively correlated with the ATTD of IDF and cellulose, and ATTD of IDF is the best factor for predicting fecal VFA concentration. Overall, dietary fiber source affected fermentable characteristics of fiber components in the different digestive segments of pig intestine.

Evaluation and Management of Post-caustic Stenosis

After caustic ingestion, patients may be either asymptomatic or may exhibit a variety of initial signs and symptoms, depending on the digestive segment predominantly affected. The DROOL system is a noninvasive scoring method used for the evaluation of esophageal lesions and has a good correlation with the development of esophageal stenosis. Management of these patients depends on several factors, including the presence of the symptomatology, in addition to the nature of the caustic substance. Upper endoscopy is indicated in the first 48 hours or after the first two weeks, when it is recommended to start endoscopic dilation sessions. If endoscopic treatment is inefficient, surgical treatment is required.

Evaluation and Management of Post-caustic Stenosis

After caustic ingestion, patients may be either asymptomatic or may exhibit a variety of initial signs and symptoms, depending on the digestive segment predominantly affected. The DROOL system is a noninvasive scoring method used for the evaluation of esophageal lesions and has a good correlation with the development of esophageal stenosis. Management of these patients depends on several factors, including the presence of the symptomatology, in addition to the nature of the caustic substance. Upper endoscopy is indicated in the first 48 hours or after the first two weeks, when it is recommended to start endoscopic dilation sessions. If endoscopic treatment is inefficient, surgical treatment is required. Keywords: caustic ingestion, esophageal stenosis, esophageal bypass

Dietary composition and yeast/microalgae combination supplementation modulate the microbial ecosystem in the caecum, colon and faeces of horses.

Starchy diets can induce hindgut dysbiosis in horses. The present study evaluated the impact of a yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and microalgae (Aurantiochytrium limacinum) supplementation on caecal, colonic and faecal microbial ecosystem and on blood inflammatory parameters of horses fed high-fibre or high-starch diets. Six fistulated geldings in a 2 × 2 Latin-square design were alternatively supplemented and received during each period 100 % hay (4 weeks) followed by a 56/44 hay/barley diet (3 weeks). Caecal, colonic and faecal samples were collected 4 h after the morning meal three times per diet, at 5-d intervals, to measure bacterial composition and microbial end products. Blood was simultaneously collected for measuring inflammatory markers. The starchy diet clearly modified the microbial ecosystem in the three digestive segments, with an increase of the amylolytic function and a decrease of the fibrolytic one. However, no effect of the diet was observed on the blood parameters. When horses were supplemented, no significant change was found in lipopolysaccharides, PG-E2, serum amyloid A concentrations and complete blood count neither in cellulose-utilising, starch-utilising and lactate-utilising bacteria concentrations nor in the volatile fatty acids and lactate concentrations and pH. Under supplementation, relative abundance of Family XIII Clostridiales increased in caecum and faeces irrespective of diet and relative abundance of Veillonellaceae was higher during the hay/barley diet in colon and faeces. Most variations of faecal bacterial taxa under supplementation were not observed in the hindgut. However, all variations suggested that supplementation could increase fibrolytic function whatever the diet and limit dysbiosis when the horses' diet changed from high fibre to high starch.

Digestion dynamics in broilers fed rapeseed meal

Rapeseed proteins are described to be poorly digestible in chickens. To further identify some molecular locks that may limit their use in poultry nutrition, we conducted a proteomic study on the various chicken digestive contents and proposed an integrative view of the proteins recruited in the crop, proventriculus/gizzard, duodenum, jejunum, and ileum for digestion of rapeseed by-products. Twenty-seven distinct rapeseed proteins were identified in the hydrosoluble fraction of the feed prior ingestion. The number of rapeseed proteins identified in digestive contents decreases throughout the digestion process while some are progressively solubilized in the most distal digestive segment, likely due to a combined effect of pH and activity of specific hydrolytic enzymes. Fifteen chicken proteins were identified in the hydrosoluble proventriculus/gizzard content, including chymotrypsin-like elastase and pepsin. Interestingly, on the 69 distinct proteins identified in duodenum, only 9 were proteolytic enzymes, whereas the others were associated with homeostasis, and carbohydrate, lipid, vitamin and hormone metabolisms. In contrast, chicken proteins identified in jejunal and ileal contents were mostly proteases and peptidases. The present work highlights the relevance of using integrative proteomics applied to the entire digestive tract to better appreciate the protein profile and functions of each digestive segment.

Comparison of 3-Tesla to 1.5-Tesla Magnetic Resonance Enterography to assess multifocal and multicentric bowel endometriosis: Results in routine practice

Study objectiveTo compare 1.5-Tesla (1.5 T) to 3-Tesla (3 T) Magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) in assessing multifocal (multiple lesions affecting the same segment) and multicentric (multiple lesions affecting several digestive segments) bowel endometriosis in patients with suspected-colorectal endometriosis, in routine practice. Study designWe conducted a retrospective, comparative study in Tenon University Hospital, Paris, France. We included patients scheduled for colorectal resection from April 2014 to February 2018. All patients underwent 1.5 T or 3 T MRE before surgery and endometriosis lesions were confirmed by surgery. The diagnostic performance of 1.5 T and 3 T MRE was evaluated by sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV), accuracy, positive and negative likelihood ratios (LR) and area under the curve of receiver operating curves (AUC ROC). ResultsNinety-eight patients were included. Fifty-two (53%) patients presented unifocal lesions, 31 (32%) multifocal lesions, and 23 (24%) multicentric lesions. In assessment of multifocal lesions, the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative LRs were 0.57 (12/21), 0.89 (23/26), 4.95 and 0.58 for 1.5 T MRE, and 0.10 (1/10), 0.95 (39/41), 2.05 and 0.95 for 3 T MRE. For the diagnosis of multicentric lesions, 1.5 T MRE showed sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative LRs of 0.46 (5 of 11), 0.92 (33 of 36), 5.45 and 0.60 respectively and 3 T MRE showed sensitivity, specificity, and negative LRs of 0.33 (4/12), 1.00 (39/39), and 0.67, respectively. 1.5 T MRE was more accurate than 3 T MRE for diagnosing multifocal lesions (p = 0.02), but there was no difference for multicentric lesion assessment (p = 0.66). ConclusionIn routine conditions, 3 T MRE and 1.5 T MRE are of similar low performance for diagnosing multifocal and multicentric bowel endometriosis.