Intestinal Adhesion Research Articles

Colorectal reconstructions following Hartmann’s procedure: challenges and solutions

The availability of a stoma after Hartmann’s procedure significantly limits the patient’s ability to work and worsens the quality of his/her life, as it partially isolates him/her from society. Performing plastic colon surgeries is challenging due to the active formation of intestinal adhesions and low rectal stump. At present many different devices, equipment, operating methods, and techniques have been proposed for reconstructive surgery on the colon. However, the issues of access to the surgical area, providing constant visual control, both at the stage of isolation for the short stump of the rectum in the narrow pelvis and in formation process of low colorectal anastomosis, are not covered in the scientific publications.

Silencing LncRNA-DANCR attenuates inflammation and DSS-induced endothelial injury through miR-125b-5p

BackgroundLncRNA-DANCR is involved in inflammation and acts as a major contributor to colon cancer. The effects and mechanism of LncRNA-DANCR were first investigated in a DSS-induced colitis model in vivo and vitro. Material and methodsSprague-Dawley rats were given DSS to induce the colitis model. TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 levels and expression of intestinal adhesion proteins ZO-1 and MUC2 in colon tissues and DSS-induced NCM460 cells were measured using corresponding kits. A hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining assay was performed to evaluate colon tissue pathology conditions. Protein expression levels in DSS-induced NCM460 cells were evaluated by Western blotting, and cell apoptosis was detected using a TUNEL assay. Gene levels in DSS-induced NCM460 cells were evaluated by PCR. The StarBase online tool was used to predict the LncRNA-DANCR target. The LncRNA-DANCR target was verified using a luciferase reporter assay. ResultsLncRNA-DANCR was up-regulated in DSS-induced groups of rats. TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 expression was significantly increased in DSS-induced groups of rats and cells. Zo-1 and MUC2 expression levels were decreased in DSS-induced groups of rats. Silencing LncRNA-DANCR reduced inflammation, cell apoptosis and up-regulated ZO-1, MUC2 and Claudin-1 in DSS-induced cells. MiR-125b-5p was the downstream LncRNA-DANCR target. All LncRNA-DANCR effects in the colitis model were reversed by the miR-125b-5p inhibitor. ConclusionLncRNA-DANCR/miR-125b-5p, which may act as a regulatory axis in inflammation, apoptosis and barrier function dysregulation, can provide an essential reference for the development of new drugs in colitis treatment.

Puerarin improves the bone micro-environment to inhibit OVX-induced osteoporosis via modulating SCFAs released by the gut microbiota and repairing intestinal mucosal integrity

ScopeHalf of women over the age of 50 will experience a fracture related osteoporosis in their lifetime. The common treatment is estrogen replacement therapy, which can cause many side effects. Puerarin as a phytoestrogen has been proven to improve postmenopausal osteoporosis. However, the mechanisms of anti-osteoporosis remain unclear due to its low bioavailability. The aim of this study is to investigate whether the anti-osteoporosis effects of puerarin are related to modulations in the gut microbiota and focus on the mechanism of gut / bone axis. MethodsWe established ovariectomized (OVX) rats as osteoporosis model. The femur was analyzed by microcomputed tomography (μ-CT) and we measured serum biochemical indices and inflammatory factors. 16S rRNA sequencing was employed to evaluate the gut microbiota composition in the fecal samples. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) was analyzed by GC. The expression of intestinal inflammatory factors and adhesion proteins was confirmed by western blotting and qPCR. ResultsPuerarin increased the BMD and improved the intestinal mucosal integrity to reduce the systemic inflammation. The disorder of gut microbiota was improved and its metabolites SCFAs were elevated. Metabolic pathways such as amino acid metabolism, LPS biosynthesis and butyrate metabolism were enriched. ConclusionPuerarin treatment modulated the gut microbiota disorder to elicit the anti-osteoporosis effects in OVX rats, by improving the bone micro-environment via regulating the SCFAs levels and repairing the intestinal mucosal integrity.

Primary abdominal cocoon with cryptorchidism: a case report

BackgroundWe report a rare case of primary abdominal cocoon with bilateral cryptorchidism.Case presentationThe patient had a history of laparoscopic surgery for bilateral cryptorchidism 6 years earlier. He was admitted to the hospital again due to intestinal obstruction. Surgery was performed on the patient after the failure of conservative treatment. The patient was diagnosed with primary abdominal cocoon. Instead of the greater omentum, many cocoon-like tissues surrounding the bowel were seen during operation. Abdominal surgery can increase the risk of intestinal adhesion, which is one of the main causes of intestinal obstruction, especially in patients with abdominal cocoon. We hypothesize that the surgery 6 years earlier to address transabdominal bilateral cryptorchidism accelerated the patient’s intestinal obstruction.ConclusionThis case implies that it is important for urologists to evaluate whether their patients exhibit abdominal cocoon before cryptorchidism surgery, to choose better surgical methods and reduce the risks of poor prognosis.

Prevention of intestinal adhesion and regeneration of abdominal wall tissue with meshes containing an electrostatically spun acellular dermal matrix (ADM)/silk fibroin (SF) fiber composite polypropylene mesh

The repair of abdominal wall defects often requires the use of polypropylene (PP) as the main material. After a PP mesh is implanted in the body, contact with the intestine can cause adhesions between the intestine and the mesh, leading to serious complications such as intestinal fistula. In this study, we used electrostatic spinning technology to coat one side of PP meshes with an electrostatically spun isolating layer of acellular dermal matrix (ADM)/silk fibroin (SF) hybrid material. These meshes were used to repair abdominal wall defects in model rats and were compared with polycaprolactone (PCL) composite polypropylene meshes and PP meshes. The results showed that the adhesion score and area of ADM/SF-PP meshes were smaller than those of PCL-PP and PP meshes. Immunohistochemical assessment revealed that the ADM/SF meshes could effectively reduce the inflammatory response at the contact surface between the meshes and abdominal organs. The tissues regenerated on the abdominal side were rich in new blood vessels. Furthermore, the ADM/SF meshes could effectively reduce the expression levels of the inflammation-related factors IL-6 and TNF-α. The expression levels of tissue regeneration-related factors, such as VEGF and PAX-7, were also higher after ADM/SF-PP mesh-mediated repair than after PCL-PP mesh and PP mesh repair. Thus, ADM/SF-PP meshes can effectively reduce the inflammatory response at the contact surface between the meshes and abdominal organs and quickly promote regeneration of abdominal surface tissue to prevent and reduce abdominal adhesion and support restoration of the abdominal wall.

Verification of clinical applicability of the non-special perioperative administration for enhanced recovery after surgery of gastric cancer patients: a Chinese single-center observational report

Objective: To verify clinical applicability of the non-special perioperative administration for enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) proposed by Japanese scholars in Chinese gastric cancer patients. Methods: The main measures of the non-special perioperative administration for ERAS are as follows: (1) discussion of multiple disciplinary team before surgery; (2) rehabilitation education for patients; (3) no routine bowel preparation before surgery; (4) placement of nasogastric tube for decompression routinely before operation and removal as early as 24 hours after surgery; (5) appropriate rehydration; (6) antibiotic prophylaxis before surgery; (7) place abdominal drainage tubes when necessary; (8) epidural patient-controlled analgesia and oral medication for postoperative pain management; (9) start low-molecular-weight heparin injection 48h after surgery and ambulation every day to prevent deep vein thrombosis; (10) postoperative dietary management and supplement with parenteral nutrition intermittently; (11) remove Foley catheter about 24 hours after surgery. A retrospective cohort study was performed, including 203 patients undergoing radical gastrectomy at Department of Gastroenterology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital from January 2017 to December 2018. Inclusion criteria were patients who were ≤75 years old without distant metastasis by preoperative examination, were diagnosed as gastric adenocarcinoma by postoperative histopathology and had complete clinicopathological and follow-up data. Patients with history of other malignancies and gastrectomy, extensive implantation of the abdominal cavity or malignant ascites by intraoperative exploration, death within 1 month after surgery, and residual gastric cancer were excluded. The perioperative management methods were chosen by patients. There were 123 patients who followed non-special perioperative administration for ERAS (non-special preparation group) and 80 patients who underwent traditional perioperative management (traditional method group). The primary outcomes (postoperative hospital stay, time to the first flatus, time to the first fluid diet, time to the first ambulatory activity, morbidity of postoperative complication, mortality, and readmission rate) and secondary outcomes (operative time, intraoperative blood loss and postoperative pain score) were compared between the two groups. Results: Compared to the traditional method group, the non-special preparation group had shorter time to the first flatus [(3.6±1.1) days vs. (4.8±1.4) days, t=3.134, P=0.003], shorter time to the first liquid diet [(2.6±0.9) days vs. (5.5±1.6) days, t=15.105, P<0.001], shorter time to the first ambulatory activity [(1.9±0.5) days vs. (4.1±1.1) days, t=8.543, P<0.001] and shorter postoperative hospital stay [(9.6±2.3) days vs. (12.9±2.3) days, t=5.020, P<0.001]. Besides, incidences of pancreatic leakage [6.5% (8/123) vs. 16.3% (13/80), χ(2)=4.964, P=0.026], lymphatic leakage [1.6% (2/123) vs. 13.8% (11/80), χ(2)=11.887, P=0.001], peritoneal effusion [2.4% (3/123) vs. 10.0% (8/80), χ(2)=4.032, P=0.045], and gastroparesis [0.8% (1/123) vs. 7.5% (6/80), χ(2)=4.657, P=0.031] in the non-special preparation group were significantly lower. The overall morbidity of postoperative complications and incidences of pulmonary infection and intestinal adhesion were not significantly different between the two groups (all P>0.05). As for the secondary outcomes, compared to the traditional method group, the non-special preparation group had less intraoperative blood loss [(80.4±24.4) ml vs. (100.5±19.4) ml, t=3.134, P=0.003] and lower postoperative pain score [postoperative day 1: (4.4±0.3) vs. (5.3±0.8), t=2.504, P=0.037],while the difference in operative time was not significant (P>0.05). Conclusion: The non-special perioperative administration for ERAS proposed by Japanese scholars is effective and safe, which has certain clinical applicability and value for Chinese patients with gastric cancer.

Abstract 6201: Live biotherapeutic MRx0518 as a modulator of immune responses in intestinal tissue and breast tumor microenvironment

Abstract Introduction: The human gut microbiota plays a role in modulating both intestinal and systemic immunity. Its importance in regulating anti-tumorigenic responses is now being explored, supported by evidence that the functional profile of the gut microbiome influences response to cancer immunotherapy. We previously demonstrated that the gut microbiome-derived Live Biotherapeutic Enterococcus gallinarum, MRx0518, had strong immunostimulatory properties in vitro, and was a TLR5 and NF-κB activator. We further investigated whether this bacterial strain displayed anti-tumor efficacy in a murine mammary carcinoma model. Experimental procedure: The EMT-6 syngeneic mammary carcinoma tumor model was used to investigate the anti-tumor activity of MRx0518. Female BALB/c mice were engrafted subcutaneously at day 0 with tumor cells, and tumor volumes and body weights were measured twice a week until termination. Animals were orally dosed daily with MRx0518 from D-14 until the end of experiments. Faeces, blood and tissues (ileum, colon, tumor) were collected at study start, midpoint and/or end. NanoString technology was used to study gene expression and the associated pathways modulated, and to evaluate the relative abundance of specific immune cell populations in the tumor, ileum and colon. The plasma and tumour cytokine/chemokine profiles were evaluated using a fluorescent bead-based (Luminex) immunoassay kit. 16S rRNA-based metagenomic analysis was performed on stool samples. Results: MRx0518 monotherapy induces a reduction in EMT-6 murine tumor burden. MRx0518 therapeutic activity was associated with upregulation of genes involved in immune cell adhesion and migration, such as Cd38 and Clec14a, and increased Tlr5 expression in the tumor. At the intestinal level, lymphoid compartment and cell adhesion pathways were upregulated, in particular Spp1, Cd19, Ms4a1 and Sell genes. Immune cell populations including NK, T cells and cytotoxic cells were increased by MRx0518 treatment in both intestinal tissue and the tumor microenvironment. Conclusion: Our preclinical studies demonstrate that the ability of oral MRx0518 to reduce tumor growth in the EMT-6 syngeneic model of breast cancer is mainly related to changes in innate (increase in NK cells, upregulation of tumour TLR5 expression) and adaptive (increase of ratio CD8+ T cells/FoxP3+ regulatory T cells) immune responses locally in the gut but also in the distal tumour microenvironment. In this context, MRx0518 monotherapy and combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors is a promising therapeutic approach for enhancing antitumor immune responses. Citation Format: Jean-Francois Mirjolet, Sylvie Maubant, Sophie Bourdot, Loîc Morgand, Aurélie Couturier-Maillard, Delphine Lauté-Caly, Emma Hennessy, Lorenzo Pavarini, Maria Christofi, Tamas Sukei, Elisabeth Logan, Marsilio Adriani, Imke Mulder. Live biotherapeutic MRx0518 as a modulator of immune responses in intestinal tissue and breast tumor microenvironment [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 6201.

Short bowel syndrome against the background of adhesive disease of the abdominal cavity

Short bowel syndrome is a pathological symptom complex that occurs after removal (resection) of the small intestine (more than 25% of its length), or when there is a signifi cant violation of its function. The most common cause of short bowel syndrome is adhesions of the small intestine that occur after surgical interventions on the abdominal organs. A description of the clinical observation of short bowel syndrome with severe manifestations of enteric insufficiency in a 41-year old patient is given. The patient was admitted to the surgical Department of FGBUZ Central clinical of the hospital Russian Academy of Sciences with com-plaints of General weakness, pain, spastic nature in the abdomen without clear localization, pain in the area of operational wound (for 4 months had 4 surgery for adhesive intestinal obstruction), abdominal distention, thirst, dry mouth, semiliquid chair 3–4 times a day, weight loss for the last 7 months before the hospitalization at 22 kg, the body mass index was 17.3 kg/m2. After the last surgical intervention, ileostomy of the ascending colon was applied using the Brooke method in connection with adhesive small bowel obstruction. The functioning segment of the jejunum was anastomosed with the ascending colon and was 22 cm long. At admission, the state of moderate severity, moderately emaciated, dehydrated. Liquid stool up to 6 times a day, without pathological impurities. MSCT of abdominal organs from 03.05.2018 with contrast: in meso — and hypogastria (mainly on the left), expanded loops of the small intestine (up to a maximum of 37–38 mm) fi lled with liquid content were visualized, the contrast preparation in the above described loops of the small intestine was not visualized. Additionally, non-expanded loops of the small intestine were visualized in the hypogastria and did not contain contrast. Non-functional loops of the small intestine in the meso — and hypogastrium. Liver, biliary system, pancreas, spleen — without features. On the background of complex therapy, the stabilization of clinical and laboratory indicators was achieved, which allowed to plan surgical treatment-laparotomy, closure of ileostomy, imposition of small intestine anastomosis in the large intestine. A laparotomy was performed with the right pararectal access. Continuous viscero-visceral and of viscero-peritoneal splices were found in the abdominal cavity. With technical difficulties caused by fi brous-calcifi ed splices, it was possible to separate the ascending colon and the part of the jejunum that goes to the anterior abdominal wall to the site of the bred jejunostomy. The intersection of the jejunum stoma was performed in close contact with the anterior abdominal wall. A double-row “end-to-side” anastomosis was formed with the middle third of the ascending colon. When performing laparotomy with left pararectal access under conditions of a pronounced adhesive process, it was possible to isolate a section of the sigmoid colon and a loop of the small intestine that was previously disabled (during the previous operation). Ileosigmoidostomy formed a double row “side to side”. The preserved portion of the small intestine was 85 cm. In the postoperative period, there were signs of endogenous intoxication. Against the background of intestinal paresis and severe intoxication, there was an increase in the markers of infl amemation and pancytopenia. Complex therapy with parenteral mixtures, prebiotics and antimicrobial drugs stopped the symptoms of intoxication, the activity of infl ammation, and improved laboratory parameters, which allowed us to gradually switch to oral food intake. Semi-formed stool 1–2 times a day. She was discharged on the 10th day after the operation for outpatient treatment under the supervision of a surgeon and gastroenterologist. One-year rehabilitation period with a positive effect, which indicates the uniqueness of this clinical observation.

Adhesive subacute small bowel obstruction presenting with gross rectal bleeding

Abstract The pathogenesis of massive lower gastrointestinal bleed (LGIB) due to angio-dysplasia and ulceration is rare and not well understood. We discuss an unusual presentation of a child with painless massive LGIB arising from chronic intestinal adhesions causing subacute small bowel obstruction and angio-dysplastic ulceration but without any clinical or radiological evidence of bowel obstruction.

Identification and characterisation of enteroaggregative Escherichia coli subtypes associated with human disease

Enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC) are a major cause of diarrhoea worldwide. Due to their heterogeneity and carriage in healthy individuals, identification of diagnostic virulence markers for pathogenic strains has been difficult. In this study, we have determined phenotypic and genotypic differences between EAEC strains of sequence types (STs) epidemiologically associated with asymptomatic carriage (ST31) and diarrhoeal disease (ST40). ST40 strains demonstrated significantly enhanced intestinal adherence, biofilm formation, and pro-inflammatory interleukin-8 secretion compared with ST31 isolates. This was independent of whether strains were derived from diarrhoea patients or healthy controls. Whole genome sequencing revealed differences in putative virulence genes encoding aggregative adherence fimbriae, E. coli common pilus, flagellin and EAEC heat-stable enterotoxin 1. Our results indicate that ST40 strains have a higher intrinsic potential of human pathogenesis due to a specific combination of virulence-related factors which promote host cell colonization and inflammation. These findings may contribute to the development of genotypic and/or phenotypic markers for EAEC strains of high virulence.

Colonization factor CS30 from enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli binds to sulfatide in human and porcine small intestine

ABSTRACT The ability to adhere via colonization factors to specific receptors located on the intestinal mucosa is a key virulence factor in enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) pathogenesis. Here, the potential glycosphingolipid receptors of the novel human ETEC colonization factor CS30 were examined by binding of CS30-expressing bacteria to glycosphingolipids on thin-layer chromatograms. We thereby found a highly specific binding of CS30-expressing bacteria to a fast-migrating acid glycosphingolipid of human and porcine small intestine, while no binding was obtained with a mutant ETEC strain unable to express CS30 fimbriae. The CS30 binding glycosphingolipid from human small intestine was isolated and characterized by mass spectrometry as sulfatide (SO3-3Galβ1Cer). Comparative binding studies using sulfatides with different ceramide compositions gave a preferential binding of CS30 to sulfatide with d18:1-h24:0 ceramide. This ceramide species of sulfatide was also isolated from human small intestine and characterized by mass spectrometry and antibody binding. These studies implicate sulfatide as candidate receptor for mediating attachment of CS30-fimbriated ETEC to human and porcine small intestinal cells. Our findings may be a basis for designing receptor saccharide analogues for inhibition of the intestinal adhesion of CS30-expressing E. coli.

The importance of the S-layer on the adhesion and aggregation ability of Lactic acid bacteria.

S-layer proteins in Lactic acid bacteria are not the only cell surface structures used for aggregation, but also plays significant role for intestinal tissue adhesion along with some other functional elements. In addition, it was determined that the properties of S-layer proteins differs not only between species but also the strains which belong to same species. In this work, presence and some functions of S-layer in lactic acid bacteria were determined, its effect on resistance to gastrointestinal enzymes, aggregation and adhesion ability were investigated as well. For this purpose S-layers of microorganisms were removed by 5M LiCl treatment and size of the proteins were determined by SDS-PAGE analysis. The removal of S-layer proteins caused a change in the resistance of microorganisms to GIS enzymes. After the S-layer removal, two strains considerably lost their resistance to GIS enzymes. The strains mostly lost their aggregation ability in the absence of S-layer. The results showed that S-layer proteins are not the only structures involved in aggregation processes but, is a major mediator in Lactobacilli. Removal of S-layer had no effect on adhesion ability of W. cibaria DA28, the effect on L. casei DA4, L. coryniformis DA263 and L. plantarum DA140 was moderate, but the effect was high on L. plantarum DA100. The study showed that S-layer proteins play limited protection against GIS enzymes. In addition, absence of S-layer adversely affected aggregation and adhesion ability of strains.

Ventral hernia repair by totally extraperitoneal approach (VTEP): technique description and feasibility study.

The repair of ventral hernias by intra-peritoneal patch (IPOM) involves a risk of pain due to stapling as well as intestinal adhesions. Extraperitoneal placement of the patch without fixation can prevent these drawbacks. Techniques of endoscopic preperitoneal repair were previously described by others. The aim of this article is to describe our technique and to evaluate the feasibility and short-term results. The totally endoscopic technique consists of dividing the median aponeurotic structures, while preserving the proper linea alba, to create a unique retro-muscular space, in which the patch is deployed without any fixation. Hundred twelve consecutive patients were operated on for ventral hernias (82 umbilical, 20 epigastric, 10 combined). Perioperative data including duration of operation, technical problems, conversions and complications, as well as postoperative pain, time to resume daily activities and time off work were prospectively assessed. 98 (87.5%) patients were operated in ambulatory surgery, and 14 (12.5%) in overnight stay. The mean sizes of the hernia and the patch were 9 (1-50) cm2 and 225 (50-500) cm2, respectively. The mean operation duration was 75 (30-270) min. The peritoneum was opened in 43 (38.4%) cases and closed by suture in 41 instances. There were 5 (4.5%) conversions to IPOM and 4 (3.6%) complications (1 seroma, 1 urine retention, 1 transitory ileus, and 1 intestinal obstruction) which were reoperated. The mean VAS value of postoperative pain was 2.45 (0-8), pain was scored 0 by 17 (15%) patients. The mean times to resume daily activity and work were 4 (1-15) days and 11.5 (1-30) days, respectively. Our results suggest that VTEP is safely feasible by surgeons skilled in laparoscopy, and might contribute to minimize pain, though this must be established by comparative studies.

Differential Regulation of Intestinal Epithelial Intercellular Adhesion and Barrier Function by Desmosomal Cadherins

Desmosomal cadherins mediate intercellular adhesion and provide mechanical strength to tissues. Intestinal epithelial cells express desmosomal cadherins Desmoglein‐2 (DSG‐2) and Desmocollin‐2 (DSC‐2). To explore the relative contribution of these cadherins in mediating intercellular adhesion of intestinal epithelial cells, we generated inducible intestinal‐epithelia specific (Villin‐CreERT2) Dsg‐2 and Dsc‐2 knockdown mice (Dsg‐2ERΔIEC; Dsc‐2ERΔIEC). While intestinal mucosal architecture was maintained in Dsg‐2ERΔIEC and Dsc‐2ERΔIEC mice, ultrastructural changes in desmosomal plaques and widened intercellular spaces were observed in these mice compared to littermate floxed control mice. Functional analysis revealed increased paracellular permeability to FITC dextran supporting compromised epithelial barrier function. Interestingly, Dsc‐2ERΔIEC mice showed reduction in desmosome length while Dsg‐2ERΔIEC animals exhibited a higher FITC dextran permeability, suggesting differential dominant roles of DSG‐2 in controlling intestinal epithelial barrier function and of DSC‐2 in regulating intercellular adhesion. Additionally, knockdown of these cadherins in‐vitro in epithelial cells resulted in decreased cell‐cell adhesion and compromised barrier function. Analysis of desmosome mechanical strain using DSG‐2 and DSC‐2 tension sensors revealed that loss of DSC‐2 increased intermediate filaments tension while the loss of DSG‐2 did not show any change in cytokeratin tension. These findings provide new insight on the relative contribution of DSG‐2 and DSC‐2 in controlling intestinal epithelial intercellular adhesion and barrier function.Support or Funding InformationExperiments that lead to this poster were supported by NIH RO1 DK059888, DK055679 to AN. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

The application of biomacromolecules to improve oral absorption by enhanced intestinal permeability: A mini-review

Oral administration has been widely regarded as the most convenient, quick and safe approach compared to other routes of drug delivery. However, oral absorption of drugs is often limited due to rigorous environments and complex obstacles in gastrointestinal tract. Having received considerable attention, biomacromolecules have been applied for oral drug delivery to improve the bioavailability, which could be attributed to its stability and unique bioactivities, including intestinal adhesion, opening of epithelial tight junctions, inhibiting cell efflux and regulating relative protein expression. Specifically, enhancing intestinal permeability has been regarded as a promising strategy for improving bioavailability of oral drug delivery. In this review, a series of biomacromolecules and the related mechanisms of increasing intestinal permeability for enhanced oral bioavailability are comprehensively classified and elucidated. In addition, recent advances in biomacromolecules based oral delivery and related future directions are mentioned and predicted in this review article.

Idiopathic urinary bladder rupture in two mares

Urinary bladder rupture is rarely reported in adult horses and is usually associated with parturition, history of traumaor urethral obstruction. This paper reports two cases in mares free of these predisposing factors, diagnosed throughclinical manifestations, abdominal ultrasound and abdominocentesis, corrected by cystorrhaphy through laparotomy.While recovery was satisfactory in one case, the other case had complications in celiorraphy such as development ofincisional hernia, small colon eventration and intestinal adherences, opting by the euthanasia of the animal. These reportsare important because of the rarity with which they occur in adult mares. The different prognoses may be related to theseverity of each case, according to the location and extension of the wound, which directly or indirectly influence thetechnique and recovery of the animals.

Platelet-rich fibrin prevents postoperative intestinal adhesion.

Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) was prepared from the blood of BALB/C inbred mice to explore potential effects on postoperative intestinal adhesion. A murine model of intestinal adhesion characterized by abdominal wall defect/and cecum damage was established by scraping caecum serosa and cutting peritoneum and muscles in the abdominal wall. The wound was covered with PRF (group A), sodium hyaluronate (group B), or left alone (blank control; group C). All animals were monitored for 28 days. The incidence of adhesion was 35.0, 66.7, and 73.7% in groups A, B, and C, respectively. The incidence of adhesion in group A was significantly lower than that in group C (p < .05). Histopathologically, severity of fibrosis and the number of fibroblasts or inflammatory cells in group A were lower than those in groups B and C (p < .05), whereas the number of mesothelial cells was higher (p = .001). Furthermore, the severity of fibrosis and number of fibroblasts or inflammatory cells were lower in low grade than those in high grade of adhesion (p < .05), whereas the number of mesothelial cells was higher (p < .05). Collectively, PRF applied to abdominal surgery may reduce the incidence of intestinal adhesion by promoting proliferation of mesothelial cells whereas inhibiting proliferation of fibroblasts and infiltration of inflammatory cells.

Set up of an in vitro model to study early host-parasite interactions between newly excysted juveniles of Fasciola hepatica and host intestinal cells using a quantitative proteomics approach

Fasciola hepatica is the causative agent of fasciolosis, a parasitic zoonosis of global distribution causing significant economic losses in animal production and a human public health problem in low-income countries. Hosts are infected by ingestion of aquatic plants carrying metacercariae. Once ingested, the juvenile parasites excyst in the small intestine and, after crossing it, they follow a complex migratory route that lead the parasites to their definitive location in the bile ducts. Despite being a critical event in the progression of the infection, the available data on the cross-talk relationships between the parasite and the host at an early stage of the infection are scarce. The objective of the present work is to characterize the proteomic changes occurring in both the parasite and the host, through the development of a novel in vitro model, to shed light on the molecular pathways of communication between the newly excysted juveniles (NEJ) from F. hepatica and the host’s intestinal epithelium. For this, in vitro excystation of F. hepatica metacercariae was carried out and NEJ were obtained. Additionally, optimal conditions of growth and expansion of mouse primary small intestinal epithelial cells (MPSIEC) in culture were fine-tuned. Tegumentary and somatic parasite antigens (NEJ-Teg and NEJ-Som), as well as host cell protein lysate (MPSIEC-Lys) were obtained before and after 24 h co-culture of NEJ with MPSIEC. We used an isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ)-based strategy to detect 191 and 62 up-regulated, and 112 and 57 down-regulated proteins in the NEJ-Teg and NEJ-Som extracts, respectively. Similarly, 87 up-regulated and 73 down-regulated proteins in the MPSIEC-Lys extract were identified. Taking into account the biological processes in which these proteins were involved, interesting mechanisms related to parasite development, invasion and evasion, as well as manipulation of the host intestinal epithelial cell adhesion, immunity and apoptosis pathways, among others, could be inferred, taking place at the host-parasite interface. The further understanding of these processes could constitute promising therapeutic targets in the future against fasciolosis.

Proteomic study of Enterococcus durans LAB18S growing on prebiotic oligosaccharides

This study evaluates the influence of prebiotic carbohydrates, namely fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and galactooligosaccharides (GOS), on the protein expression of Enterococcus durans LAB18S. The strain was cultivated in 10 g L−1 FOS, GOS or glucose (control) and cellular proteins were extracted for mass spectrometry analysis. A total of 771 proteins were identified and 135 E. durans proteins were validated by the Scaffold algorithm. The proteins were functionally categorized according to Gene Ontology terms. Both FOS and GOS were used as carbon source by E. durans LAB18S, upregulating the production of proteins that may be associated with intestinal mucosa adhesion, carbohydrate and nitrogen metabolism, and stress response. Cells grown with GOS showed an increased expression of the cell division protein divIVA, EF-Tu and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase that have been associated with epithelial cell adhesion. The use of FOS stimulated the production of proteins related to amino acid metabolism and energy conversion, and ClpX protein, which plays an important role in protein turnover. The results of this study indicate that FOS and GOS can be metabolized by E. durans and stimulate the microorganism to produce proteins related to some desirable characteristics for a probiotic strain.

Absorbable suture can be effectively and safely used to close the mesenteric defect in a gastric bypass Sprague-Dawley rat model

BackgroundTo observe if closing the mesenteric defect with absorbable sutures creates a safe adhesion compared to non-absorbable suture after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.MethodsRats were randomly assigned to 5 experimental groups according to the different suture materials used in closing the mesenteric defects (Peterson’s space) after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Group A (control group), Group B (non-absorbable suture, Prolene suture), Group C (biological glue), Group D (non-absorbable suture, polyester suture) and Group E (absorbable suture). All rats were followed up for 8 weeks postoperatively and underwent laparotomy to observe the degree of adhesion and closure of the mesenteric defect.ResultsNo significant difference was found in the decrease in food intake and body weight among all groups. No internal hernia (IH) occurred in any group. The mesenteric defects of Group A remained completely visible without any closure or adhesion. Multiple gaps were found between the Prolene suture and the mesentery along the suture line in Group B. The mesenteric defects of Group C were complete closed with multiple adhesions of the small intestine and the greater omentum. The mesenteric defects in both Group D and Group E closed completely. The average adhesion scores in Group A and Group B were 0 and 0.33 ± 0.52 respectively. The average adhesion score in group C (3.83 ± 0.41) was higher than the other groups (p<0.05). The average adhesion scores in Group D and E were similar (3.17 ± 0.41 and 3.00 ± 0.00 respectively).ConclusionAbsorbable suture created a safe adhesion score between the mesentery which was not inferior to non-absorbable sutures.