Functional interplay of melatonin in the bile duct and gastrointestinal tract to mitigate disease development: An overview

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 118-140
Author(s):  
Palash K. Pal ◽  
Aindrila Chattopadhyay ◽  
Debasish Bandyopadhyay

Prevalence of bile duct and gastrointestinal (GI) tract associated diseases is increasing globally. Commonly, the bile duct epithelial cell (cholangiocytes) malfunction and its uncontrolled proliferation often cause liver fibrosis and tumorigenesis, particularly the cholangiocarcinoma. Specifically, GI tract is constantly under diverse endogenous and exogenous stressors which interrupt GI physiological functions and promote inflammation, tissue damage, ulceration, gastrointestinal bleeding, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), irritable bowel disease (IBD) and gastritis. On the other hand, melatonin exhibits important functions in both cholangiocyte and GI tract. The abundance of melatonin generated in the GI tract and its widely distributed receptors facilitate its protective effects in GI tissues. In the most of the cases, the disease progression in GI tract, particularly in bile duct, is associated with endogenous melatonergic system suppression. Therefore, to increase the endogenous melatonin production appears a suitable strategy to retard the disease development in these tissues. Melatonin administration or, exposure to prolonged darkness not only reverse the detrimental biochemical alterations, but also inhibit cholangiocyte proliferation as well as ulceration in the GI tract. Thus, use of melatonin as a natural therapeutic agent is beneficial and exhibits advantages over other contemporary drugs in prevention and treatment of bile duct and gastrointestinal tract associated diseases.

Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 774
Author(s):  
Hung-Ming Chang ◽  
Hsing-Chun Lin ◽  
Hsin-Lin Cheng ◽  
Chih-Kai Liao ◽  
To-Jung Tseng ◽  
...  

Early-life sleep deprivation (ESD) is a serious condition with severe cognitive sequelae. Considering hippocampus plays an essential role in cognitive regulation, the present study aims to determine whether melatonin, a neuroendocrine beard with significant anti-oxidative activity, would greatly depress the hippocampal oxidative stress, improves the molecular machinery, and consequently exerts the neuro-protective effects following ESD. Male weanling Wistar rats (postnatal day 21) were subjected to ESD for three weeks. During this period, the animals were administered normal saline or melatonin (10 mg/kg) via intraperitoneal injection between 09:00 and 09:30 daily. After three cycles of ESD, the animals were kept under normal sleep/wake cycle until they reached adulthood and were sacrificed. The results indicated that ESD causes long-term effects, such as impairment of ionic distribution, interruption of the expressions of neurotransmitters and receptors, decreases in the levels of several antioxidant enzymes, and impairment of several signaling pathways, which contribute to neuronal death in hippocampal regions. Melatonin administration during ESD prevented these effects. Quantitative evaluation of cells also revealed a higher number of neurons in the melatonin-treated animals when compared with the saline-treated animals. As the hippocampus is critical to cognitive activity, preserving or even improving the hippocampal molecular machinery by melatonin during ESD not only helps us to better understand the underlying mechanisms of ESD-induced neuronal dysfunction, but also the therapeutic use of melatonin to counteract ESD-induced neuronal deficiency.


Coatings ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 435
Author(s):  
Reham Z. Hamza ◽  
Mohammad S. Al-Harbi ◽  
Munirah A. Al-Hazaa

Aging is a neurological disease that is afforded by incidence of oxidative stress. Chitosan has received global interests due to its wide medical uses. Quercetin (Q) is a bioflavonoid and widely distributed in vegetables and fruits. Resveratrol is considered as a potent antioxidant and is a component of a wide range of foods. The using of either chitosan nanopartciles (CH-NPs), querectin (Q), and resveratrol (RV) to reduce the oxidative stress and biochemical alterations on brain and testicular tissues induced by D-galactose (DG) (100 mg/Kg) were the aim of the present study. This study investigated the probable protective effects of CH-NPs in two doses (140,280 mg/Kg), Q (20 mg/Kg) and RV (20 mg/Kg), against DG induced aging and neurological alterations. Brain antioxidant capacity as malonaldehyde (MDA), catalase (CAT), and glutathione reductase (GRx), as well as histopathological damages of the brain and testicular tissues were measured. The DG treated group had significantly elevated the oxidative stress markers by 96% and 91.4% in brain and testicular tissues respectively and lower significantly the antioxidant enzyme activities of both brain and testicular tissues than those of the control group by 86.95%, 69.27%, 83.07%, and 69.43%. Groups of DG that treated with a combination of CH-NPs in two doses, Q and RV, the levels of oxidative stress marker declined significantly by 68.70%, 76.64% in brain tissues and by 74.07% and 76.61% in testicular tissues, and the enzymatic antioxidants increased significantly by 75.55%, 79.24%, 62.32%, and 61.97% as compared to the DG group. The present results indicate that CH-NPs, Q, and RV have protective effects against DG-induced brain and testis tissue damage at the biochemical and histopathological levels. Mechanisms of this protective effect of used compounds against neurological and testicular toxicity may be due to the enhanced brain and testis antioxidant capacities.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
André Jefremow ◽  
Markus F. Neurath

<b><i>Background:</i></b> About 1 year ago a novel virus – SARS-CoV-2 – began to spread around the world. It can lead to the disease COVID-19, which has caused more than 1 million deaths already. <b><i>Summary:</i></b> While it was first recognized as a disease leading to pneumonia and lung failure, we know by now that COVID-19 is more complex. COVID-19 is a systemic hyperinflammatory disease affecting not only the lungs, but also many other organs. Especially the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is often involved in COVID-19. <b><i>Key Messages:</i></b> This review provides an overview of the different affected organs of the GI tract and offers information on how gastroenterologists should take care of their patients with different GI disorders.


Author(s):  
Jaewon J. Lee ◽  
Scott Kopetz ◽  
Eduardo Vilar ◽  
John Paul Shen ◽  
Ken Chen ◽  
...  

COVID-19, the disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has rapidly spread throughout the world and was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization, thus leading to a rapid surge in the efforts to understand the mechanisms of transmission, methods of prevention, and potential therapies. While COVID-19 frequently manifests as a respiratory infection,1 there is evidence for infection of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract1–4 with documented viral RNA shedding in the stool of infected patients.2,4 In this study, we aimed to investigate the expression of ACE2 and TMPRSS2, which are required for SARS-CoV-2 entry into mammalian cells,5 from single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) datasets of five different parts of the GI tract: esophagus, stomach, pancreas, small intestine, and colon/rectum.


2021 ◽  
Vol 75 ◽  
pp. 183-190
Author(s):  
Miłosz Jastrzębski ◽  
Adam Przybyłkowski

The gastrointestinal (GI) tract contains the highest concentration of biogenic amines in the human body. Neurons located in the GI tract, modulated by biogenic amines and various peptide and non-peptide transmitters, are called Enteric Nervous System (ENS). That explains why many medications used in neurology and psychiatry present side effects from the gut. Serotonin (5-hyroxytrypatamine, 5-HT), 95% of which is synthesized in the gut, is the most important amine (beside epinephrine and norepinephrine) colon functionality but another substances such as histamine, dopamine and melatonin are also potent in modulating intestine’s actions. Over 30 receptors for 5-HT were described in the human body, and 5-HT3, 5-HT4 and 5-HT7 are known to have the highest influence on motility and are a potent target for the drugs for treatment GI disorders, such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD). Histamine is a key biogenic amine for pathogenesis of allergy also in the colon. Alteration in histaminergic system is found in patients with diarrhea and allergic enteropathy. Dopamine affects functions of the large intestine but its modulating actions are more presented in the upper part of GI tract. Melatonin is best known for regulating circadian circle, but may also be a potent anti-inflammatory agent within the gut. Despite many years of research, it seems that more studies are needed to fully understand human colon neurochemistry.


2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-32
Author(s):  
Adewuyi Hassan Abdulsalam ◽  
◽  
Muhammad L. Hadiza ◽  
Onukogu Stella Chiamaka ◽  
Ibrahim Jonathan ◽  
...  

Background: Leptadenia hastata (L. Hastata) is a plant used for various diseases in Nigeria. This study evaluated the protective effects of L. hastate on the haematological and biochemical alterations in adrenaline-induced hypertensive rats. Methods: Twenty-five rats were divided equally into five groups (A-E). Groups A-D were given 0.5 mg/kg adrenaline, groups A and B were treated with 100 and 200 mg/kg the extract of L. Hastata, respectively, while groups C and D were treated with 5 mg/kg amlodipine (standard control) and normal saline (untreated control), respectively. Group E were given distilled water (normal controls). The adrenaline was injected intraperitoneally while the extract was given orally once daily for seven days. Results: Treatment with 100 and 200 mg/kg of the extract significantly reduced the elevated serum albumin, ALP, ALT, AST, chloride, sodium and creatinine, cholesterol and LDL concentrations compared with the untreated hypertensive rats. The bicarbonate level, WBC and RBC counts, mean cell hemoglobin and packed cell value were higher in rats treated with the extract compared with the untreated hypertensive rats. The mean cell value, HDL, triglyceride, urea, potassium, total and direct bilirubin concentrations in experimental groups were not significantly different from those in the controls (P<0.05). Conclusion: Our results suggest that treatment of the hypertensive rats with the extract of L. Hastata protects against renal, hepatic and cardiac damages, thus it could be considered as a natural anti-hypertensive agent. Further studies are required to identify the bioactive constituents and the mechanism(s) of action.


Author(s):  
T. V. Zhestkova

Aim. Assessment of the quality of life and physical activity level in students with and without symptoms of functional dyspepsia (FD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) according to questionnaire “7×7” (7 symptoms per 7 days).Materials and methods. Symptoms of FD and IBS were surveyed using the “7×7” questionnaire. Level of physical activity was evaluated according to the short IPAQ, and quality of life — to WAM questionnaires.Results. The study surveyed 92 students aged 20.7 ± 0.2 years (56 men and 36 women). We report borderline manifestations of functional disorders of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) in 51.1 %, and FD and/or IBS symptoms of mild to moderate severity in 23.9 % of respondents. Symptoms of FD and/or IBS were equally common in men and women. Severity of FD and/or IBS symptoms was rated 4 [[3; 7] in men and 4 [[4; 11] in women (p = 0.25). Physical activity of 57.6 % in students corresponded to a moderate level. Healthy students were more likely to exhibit higher physical activity than individuals with FD and/or IBS symptoms, 56.5 and 31.9 %, respectively (p = 0.04). The level of wellbeing and severity of FD and/or IBS symptoms correlated negatively (r = –0.28, p = 0.01). Wellbeing and mood correlated directly with physical activity, r = 0.33, p = 0.001 and r = 0.27, respectively (p = 0.01).Conclusions. 1. Symptoms of FD and/or IBS occur widely among students and equally in men and women. Functional disorders of the gastrointestinal tract of mild to moderate severity occur in 23.9 % of students, with borderline symptoms registered with every second individual. 2. Healthy students significantly more often exhibited higher physical activity compared to individuals with FD and/or IBS symptoms of varying severity in the ratios of 56.5 and 31.9 % (p = 0.04). 3. Severity of FD and/or IBS in students negatively correlates with the wellbeing component of quality of life (r = –0.28, p = 0.01).


2008 ◽  
Vol 74 (16) ◽  
pp. 5254-5258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen T. Cartman ◽  
Roberto M. La Ragione ◽  
Martin J. Woodward

ABSTRACT A number of poultry probiotics contain bacterial spores. In this study, orally administered spores of Bacillus subtilis germinated in the gastrointestinal (GI) tracts of chicks. Furthermore, 20 h after spores were administered, vegetative cells outnumbered spores throughout the GI tract. This demonstrates that spore-based probiotics may function in this host through metabolically active mechanisms.


2010 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 425-431 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salim A. Bastaki ◽  
Nawal Osman ◽  
Jose Kochiyil ◽  
Mohamed Shafiullah ◽  
Rengasamy Padmanabhan ◽  
...  

Our objective was to study the toxicokinetics of aflatoxin (AF) in pregnant mice. Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) was administered intraperitoneally (IP) to groups of pregnant mice in single doses of 20 mg/kg on gestation day (GD) 13 and orally at the same gestational age. Controls received (IP and oral) a proportionate volume of solvent only. Maternal blood was collected at 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, and 150 minutes posttreatment. Their AFB1 contents were determined. Aflatoxin B1 concentrations following maternal exposure to AFB1 were highly correlated with time after exposure. The serum concentrations were predictable and the highest serum levels were seen immediately at 15 minutes in mice given AFs IP and at 30 minutes in those given it orally. The absorption was 5.0 μg/min and elimination was 3.0 μg/min. The toxicokinetics of AFB1 have been delineated. Aflatoxins are easily and rapidly absorbed both from the gastrointestinal tract (GI) tract and through the peritoneum.


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