1,721,130 research outputs found
The renin–angiotensin system in gastrointestinal functions
No full textIn this chapter, we describe the role played by classical and alternative renin–angiotensin system (RAS) in the physiological regulation of gastrointestinal functions. RAS modulates gut motility and mucosal functions, including secretion, fluid, and nutrient absorption. We focus mainly on the activation of angiotensin II type 1 and 2 receptors located on the smooth muscle and epithelial cells or on the enteric neurons. Few studies indicate that alternative RAS may counteract classical RAS functions. Although data on the enteric RAS system are still scarce, they encourage further investigations in consideration also of a potential involvement in gastrointestinal disorders
The multiple roles of dopamine receptor activation in the modulation of gastrointestinal motility and mucosal function
No full textDopamine (DA) is a catecholamine regulatory molecule with potential role in physiology and physiopathology of the intestinal tract. Various cellular sources of DA have been indicated as enteric neurons, immune cells, intestinal flora and gastrointestinal epithelium. Moreover, DA is produced by nutritional tyrosine. All the five DA receptors, actually described, are present throughout the gut. Current knowledge of DA in this area is reviewed, focusing on gastrointestinal function in health and during inflammation. Research on animal models and humans are reported. A major obstacle to understanding the physiologic and/or pharmacological roles of enteric DA is represented by the multiplicity of receptors involved in the responses together with many signalling pathways related to each receptor subtype. It is mandatory to map precisely the distributions of DA receptors, to determine the relevance of a receptor in a specific location in order to explore novel therapies directed to dopaminergic targets that may be useful in the control of intestinal inflammation
Inhibition of uterine contractility by guanine-based purines in non-pregnant rats
Full text linkGrowing evidence pointed out that guanine-based purines are able to modulate smooth muscle contractile activity of blood
vessels and gastrointestinal tract. Since, so far, possible guanine-based purine modulation of uterine musculature is unknown,
the aim of the present study was to investigate in vitro, using organ bath technique, guanosine and guanine efects on
spontaneous uterine contraction, and uterine contraction induced by K+-depolarization and oxytocin in a non-pregnant rat.
Guanosine, but not guanine, reduced the amplitude of spontaneous contraction of the uterine muscle in a dose-dependent
manner. The inhibitory response was antagonized by S-(4-nitrobenzyl)-6-thioinosine (NBTI), a membrane nucleoside transporter inhibitor, but persisted in the presence of theophylline, a nonselective adenosine receptor antagonist, or propanolol,
β1/β2 adrenoreceptor antagonist or blockers of a nitrergic pathway. In addition, potassium channel blockers did not infuence
guanosine-induced efects. Guanosine was able to inhibit the external calcium (Ca2+) infux-induced contraction, but it did
not afect the contraction induced by high-KCl solution, indicating that guanosine does not interact with L-type voltage-gated
calcium channel. Guanosine prevented/reduced uterine contractions induced by oxytocin, even in the absence of external
calcium. In conclusion, guanosine is able to reduce both spontaneous and oxytocin-induced contractions of rat myometrium,
likely subsequently to its intracellular intake. The blockade of extracellular Ca2+ infux and reduction of Ca2+ release from
the intracellular store are the mechanisms involved in the guanosine-induced tocolytic efect
Motor dysfunction of the gut in Duchenne muscular dystrophy: A review
No full textBackground: Duchenne's muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a severe type of hereditary, neuromuscular disorder caused by a mutation in the dystrophin gene resulting in the absence or production of truncated dystrophin protein. Conventionally, clinical descriptions of the disorder focus principally on striated muscle defects; however, DMD manifestations involving gastrointestinal (GI) smooth muscle have been reported, even if not rigorously studied. Purpose: The objective of the present review is to offer a comprehensive perspective on the existing knowledge concerning GI manifestations in DMD, focusing the attention on evidence in DMD patients and mdx mice. This includes an assessment of symptomatology, etiological pathways, and potential corrective approaches. This paper could provide helpful information about DMD gastrointestinal implications that could serve as a valuable orientation for prospective research endeavors in this field. This manuscript emphasizes the effectiveness of mdx mice, a DMD animal model, in unraveling mechanistic insights and exploring the pathological alterations in the GI tract. The gastrointestinal consequences evident in patients with DMD and the mdx mice models are a significant area of focus for researchers. The exploration of this area in depth could facilitate the development of more efficient therapeutic approaches and improve the well-being of individuals impacted by the condition
Anti-Inflammatory Potential of Brassicaceae-Derived Phytochemicals: In Vitro and In Vivo Evidence for a Putative Role in the Prevention and Treatment of IBD
Full text linkInflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of intestinal disorders, of unknown etiology, characterized by chronic inflammation within the gut. They are gradually becoming critical because of the increasing incidence worldwide and improved diagnosis. Due to the important side effects observed during conventional therapy, natural bioactive components are now under intense investigation for the prevention and treatment of chronic illnesses. The Brassicaceae family comprises vegetables widely consumed all over the world. In recent decades, a growing body of literature has reported that extracts from the Brassicaceae family and their purified constituents have anti-inflammatory properties, which has generated interest from both the scientific community and clinicians. In this review, data from the literature are scrutinized and concisely presented demonstrating that Brassicaceae may have anti-IBD potential. The excellent biological activities of Brassicacea are widely attributable to their ability to regulate the levels of inflammatory and oxidant mediators, as well as their capacity for immunomodulatory regulation, maintenance of intestinal barrier integrity and intestinal flora balance. Possible future applications of bioactive-derived compounds from Brassicaceae for promoting intestinal health should be investigated
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Full text linkWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
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