Dyspepsia is a syndrome consisting of epigastric pain, burning, fullness, discomfort, early satiety, nausea, vomiting and belching. Functional dyspepsia (FD) is diagnosed if upper gastrointestinal endoscopy does not show structural abnormality explaining these symptoms. 8%-30% and 8%-23% of Asian people suffer from of uninvestigated dyspepsia and FD, respectively. Most patients with uninvestigated dyspepsia are found to have FD. Patients with FD are usually young and there is no predilection to any gender. Overlap of FD with other functional bowel diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome and gastroesophageal reflux disease is common in Asia. Cultural difference in reporting of symptoms of dyspepsia is well-known. Moreover, dietary factors, socio-cultural and psychological issues, gastrointestinal infection including that caused by Helicobacter pylori, frequency of organic diseases such as peptic ulcer and gastric cancer responsible for dyspeptic symptoms in the study population may also influence epidemiology of dyspepsia. There is considerable heterogeneity in the above issues among different Asian countries. More studies on epidemiology of FD are needed in Asia.
Asia ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Burns ; Dyspepsia ; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal ; Eructation ; Gastroesophageal Reflux ; Gastrointestinal Diseases ; Gastroparesis ; Helicobacter pylori ; Humans ; Irritable Bowel Syndrome ; Nausea ; Peptic Ulcer ; Population Characteristics ; Quality of Life ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Vomiting

BACKGROUNDThe contractility of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) may play an important role in the pathogenesis of cirrhosis with portal hypertension. The aim of this study was to research the effects of octreotide, an analogue of somatostatin, on intracellular Ca2+ and on the expression of L-type voltage-operated calcium channels (L-VOCCs) in activated HSCs, and to try to survey the use of octreotide in treatment and prevention of cirrhosis with portal hypertension complications.

METHODSHSC-T6, an activated HSCs line, was plated on small glass coverslips in 35-mm culture dishes at a density of 1 x 10(5)/ml, and incubated in DMEM media for 24 hours. After the cells were loaded with Fluo-3/AM, intracellular Ca2+ was measured by Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy (LSCM). The dynamic changes in activated HSCs of intracellular Ca2+, stimulated by octreotide, endothelin-1, and KCl, respectively, were also determined by LSCM. Each experiment was repeated six times. L-VOCC expression in HSCs was estimated by immunocytochemistry.

RESULTSAfter octreotide stimulation, a significant decrease in the intracellular Ca2+ of activated HSCs was observed. However, octreotide did not inhibit the increases in intracellular Ca2+ after stimulation by KCl and endothelin-1. Moreover, octreotide did not significantly affect L-VOCC expression. These results suggest that neither L-VOCC nor endothelin-1 receptors in activated HSCs are inhibited by octreotide.

CONCLUSIONSOctreotide may decrease portal hypertension and intrahepatic vascular tension by inhibiting activated HSCs contractility through decreases in intracellular Ca2+. The somatostatin receptors in activated HSCs may be inhibited by octreotide.

Calcium ; analysis ; Calcium Channels, L-Type ; analysis ; Cells, Cultured ; Hepatocytes ; chemistry ; cytology ; drug effects ; Microscopy, Confocal ; Octreotide ; pharmacology