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“Background: The present study evaluates the effects of extract of Musa sapientum fruit (MSE) on ulcer index, blood glucose level and gastric mucosal cytokines, TNF-alpha and IL-1 beta and growth factor, TGF-alpha (affected in diabetes and chronic ulcer) in acetic acid (AA)-induced gastric ulcer (GU) in diabetic (DR)

rat.\n\nMethods: MSE (100 mg/kg, oral), omeprazole (OMZ, 2.0 mg/kg, oral), insulin (INS, 4 U/kg, sc) or pentoxyphylline (PTX, 10 mg/kg, oral) were given once daily for 10 days in 14 days post-streptozotocin (60 mg/kg, intraperitoneal)induced diabetic rats while, the normal/diabetic rats received CMC for the same period after induction of GU with AA. Ulcer index was calculated based upon the product of length and width (mm(2)/rat) of ulcers while, TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta and TGF-alpha CA3 in vitro were estimated in the gastric mucosal homogenate from the intact/ulcer region. Phytochemical screening and HPTLC analysis of MSE was done following standard procedures.\n\nResults: An increase in ulcer index, TNF-alpha and IL-1 beta were observed in normal (NR)-AA rat compared to NR-normal saline rat, which were further increased in DR-AA rat while, treatments of DR-AA rat with MSE, OMZ, INS and PTX reversed them, more so with MSE and

PTX. Significant increase in TGF-alpha was found in NR-AA rat which did not increase further check details in DR-AA rat. MSE and PTX tended to increase while, OMZ and INS showed little or no effect on TGF-alpha in AA-DR rat. Phytochemical screening of MSE showed the presence of saponins, flavonoids, glycosides, steroids and alkaloids and HPTLC analysis indicated the presence of eight active

compounds.\n\nConclusion: MSE showed antidiabetic and better ulcer healing effects compared with OMZ (antiulcer) or INS (antidiabetic) in diabetic rat and could be more effective in diabetes with concurrent gastric ulcer.”
“Background: Spiral enteroscopy (SE) has emerged as a new alternative for deep intubation of the small intestine. SE is most often used to evaluate abnormal findings on capsule endoscopy (CE).\n\nObjective: Investigate the ability of SE to reproduce abnormal findings detected on preceding CE.\n\nDesign: Prospective VX-809 concentration study.\n\nSetting: Two academic tertiary care centers.\n\nPatients: Consecutive patients undergoing SE to investigate a clinically significant finding on CE.\n\nMain Outcome Measurement: Ability of SE to identify findings on CE.\n\nResults: Total of 56 anterograde SE procedures were performed. CE findings included arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) (n = 26), masses (n = 8), ulcers (n = 4), polyps (n = 4), abnormal mucosa (n = 6), fresh blood (n = 6), and stricture (n = 1). Majority of the patients had CE findings located in the jejunum (41 of 56 or 73.2%). Mean depth of enteroscope insertion was 224.6 +/- 68.7 cm. SE detected relevant small bowel pathology in 32 of 56 (57.1%) patients. Findings on CE were reproduced in 30 of 56 (53.6%) cases.