We compared the pigment of melanosis coli with the pigment of Dubin-Johnson syndrome, melanin, and lipofuscin. The pigment of melanosis coli appeared similar to lipofuscin in that it stained positively with periodic acid-Schiff, oil red-0 and Victoria blue stains and revealed negative reactions to the immunohistochemical stains for S-100 protein and neuron specific enolase, but had similarity to melanin as shown by the positive reaction to Fontana-Masson stain and negative autofluorescence. The pigment of Dubin-Johnson syndrome showed the same histochemical and immunohistochemical characteristics as that of melanosis coli. The results indicate that the pigments of melanosis coli and Dubin-Johnson syndrome are identical and are variants of lipofuscin.
Case Report ; Colonic Diseases/*metabolism ; Comparative Study ; Histocytochemistry ; Human ; Immunohistochemistry ; Jaundice, Chronic Idiopathic/*metabolism ; Male ; Melanosis/*metabolism ; Middle Age ; Pigments/*metabolism ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

OBJECTIVETo study the induced change of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) level in serum and colon tissue of guinea pig model with melanosis coli and its significance induced by rhubarb (RB).

METHODSOne hundred and twelve guinea pigs of clean grade were randomly divided into four groups: the 16 in the normal group (untreated) and the 3 RB groups (32 in each) treated with low (3 g/kg d), medium (6 g/kg d), and high (12 g/kg d) dose of rhubarb respectively, administered by gastrogavage for 60 successive days. All guinea pigs were sacrificed at the terminal of the experiment and their blood serum and colon tissue were taken for detecting TNF-alpha level and TNF-alpha mRNA expression qualitatively and quantitatively using ELISA and RT-PCR.

RESULTSCompared with the normal group, serum and colonic tissue levels of TNF-alpha and TNF-alpha mRNA expression in the RB groups were higher significantly (P<0.01), while no significant difference was found among the later three groups (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONRB could induce change of TNF-alpha level in serum and colon tissue of guinea pig with melanosis coli.

Animals ; Colonic Diseases ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Female ; Guinea Pigs ; Intestinal Mucosa ; metabolism ; Male ; Melanosis ; metabolism ; Random Allocation ; Rheum ; chemistry ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; metabolism

Adult ; Colonic Diseases, Functional ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Intestinal Mucosa ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy ; beta-Endorphin ; blood ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of food allergy (FA) on the development of visceralgia sensibility and the substance P (SP) expression in colon of developing rats with FA.

METHODThree-week old female Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into two groups (n = 10 in each). The rats in FA group were sensitized with ovalbumin (OVA) 40 µg and Al(OH)3 1 mg suspension solution (0.2 ml) intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection on day 0, only OVA 40 µg solution i.p. on day 2, 4, 7, 9, 11, respectively, and the rats were challenged by gavage with OVA solution 30 mg (2 ml) on day 20, 24, 28, 30. The rats in non-sensitized (NS) group were not challenged except handled in the same ways. The serum OVA-IgE were determined by enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay (ELISA) on day 0, 30. Jejunum segments were used to observe morphological structure, the expression of eosinophils, and the density and the percentage of degranulation of mast cells (MC). The rats were appraised for the pain sensibility of intestinal tract under colorectal distension irritation by the electrophysiological method on external oblique in the 18-24 hr after the last challenge. Colons were used to analyze the expression of SP through immunohistochemical staining and computer image analyzing system.

RESULTThe serum OVA-IgE concentration and the eosinophils, mast cell, the percentage of mast cells degranulation in FA group were more than NS group (P < 0.01). The amplitudes of spike external oblique muscle of abdomen (EOMA, µV) of the FA group under the colorectal distension (CRD) pressures at 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75 mm Hg were (17.74 ± 0.72), (18.63 ± 1.72), (22.55 ± 1.70), (28.63 ± 7.00), (33.97 ± 7.34), (37.26 ± 8.40), and (17.43 ± 1.18), (17.27 ± 1.16), (17.73 ± 1.42), (19.55 ± 3.54), (23.29 ± 5.46), (25.20 ± 4.75) in NS group. With the CRD pressure increased, the amplitudes of spike EOMA increased significantly. There were significant differences between groups under the CRD pressures at 30, 45, 60, 75 mm Hg (F = 47.470, 13.367, 13.317, 15.390, P < 0.01). The expressions of colons SP in FA group and NS group are 247.12 ± 90.83 and 103.90 ± 58.94, respectively (t = 4.183, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSensitization through i.p. pathway and challenge by gavage with OVA in early life could result in FA in young SD rats. FA in early life enabled the amplitudes of spike EOMA and the expression of colons SP increase significantly. It may be related to increase in amount and degranulation of MC and SP abnormal expression in colon, which could lead to the development of visceralgia sensibility.

Animals ; Colonic Diseases, Functional ; metabolism ; Disease Models, Animal ; Electrophysiology ; Female ; Food Hypersensitivity ; complications ; metabolism ; Hyperalgesia ; etiology ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Intestinal Mucosa ; metabolism ; pathology ; Mast Cells ; metabolism ; Ovalbumin ; adverse effects ; Pain Threshold ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Stress, Psychological ; Substance P ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo explore the mechanism of acupuncture on promoting the restoration of interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs).

METHODSThirty SD rats were randomly divided into a blank group, a model group and an acupuncture group, ten rats in each one. The rats in the model group and acupuncture group were treated with colonic anastomosis to establish the model. After successful establishment of the model, the rats in the acupuncture group were treated with acupuncture at bilateral "Zusanli" (ST 36), "Sanyinjiao" (SP 6) and "Taichong" (LR 3) for 15 min, once a day for 10 days. Rats in the model group and blank group were put into the fixator for 15 min at the same time daily. The propulsive rate of small intestine was measured in each group. Colonic tissues were collected to detect c-kit expression by using immunohistochemistry. The nitricoxide (NO) content was measured by nitrate reductase method and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity was measured by method of L-arginine.

RESULTSCompared with the blank group, the propulsive rate of small intestine in the model group was decreased; NO content was increased; iNOS activity was elevated; cNOS activity was declined; total NOS (tNOS) activity was increased and the counting of c-kit positive ICCs was decreased (all P < 0.05). Compared with the model group, the propulsive rate of small intestine in the acupuncture group was increased; NO content was decreased; iNOS activity was reduced; cNOS activity was elevated; NOS activity was decreased and the counting of c-kit positive ICCs was increased (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONAcupuncture can regulate NO content and NOS activity in postoperative restoration environment of ICCs, which may participate in the process of acupuncture promoting the restoration of ICCs.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Anastomosis, Surgical ; Animals ; Colon ; metabolism ; surgery ; Colonic Diseases ; enzymology ; metabolism ; surgery ; therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Interstitial Cells of Cajal ; enzymology ; metabolism ; Male ; Nitric Oxide ; metabolism ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Antigens, CD20 ; metabolism ; CD5 Antigens ; metabolism ; Colonic Neoplasms ; complications ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Cyclin D1 ; metabolism ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Ileal Diseases ; complications ; pathology ; surgery ; Ileocecal Valve ; Intestinal Neoplasms ; complications ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Intestinal Polyps ; complications ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Intussusception ; complications ; pathology ; surgery ; Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; Lymphoma, Mantle-Cell ; complications ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Middle Aged

Overweight and obesity are usually related with high fat and calorie intake, and seriously causative of lifestyle-related diseases such as cardiovascular disorders, arteriosclerosis, and colon cancer. In this study, we propose a novel dietary therapy against overweight and obesity using mixtures of protamine and chitooligosaccharide (COS), which are known to interrupt the lipid metabolism in the body. Protamine is a dietary protein originated from salmon reproductive organ, and COS is an oligosaccharide made from chitin or chitosan by chemical or enzymatic hydrolysis. In the enzyme activity analysis in vitro, protamine and COS strongly suppressed the activity of pancreatic lipase, which is the primary enzyme for the digestion and absorption of lipids in the intestine. In in vivo animal test, the mixtures of protamine and COS significantly reduced the serum levels of triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (T-CHO), and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDLC) and inhibited the accumulation of lipids in liver tissue of Sprague Dawley (SD) rats fed high fat diets. On the other hand, they increased fecal TG and T-CHO contents. From these alterations in lipid metabolism, we verified that protamine and COS mixtures could effectively interrupt the digestion and absorption of dietary lipids in the body by inhibiting pancreatic lipase activity. In addition, protamine and COS mixtures increased the serum level of high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDLC), responsible for removing cholesterol from cells and protecting atherosclerosis, and therefore decreased the potential risks of cardiovascular diseases by lowering values of the atherogenic index (AI) and cardiac risk factor (CRF). Taken together, we suggest protamine and COS mixtures as a prominent dietary therapy for the prevention of overweight, obesity, and further cardiovascular diseases related with hyperlipidemia.
Absorption ; Animals ; Arteriosclerosis ; Atherosclerosis ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Chitin ; Chitosan ; Cholesterol ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Diet, High-Fat ; Dietary Proteins ; Digestion ; Hand ; Hydrolysis ; Hyperlipidemias ; Intestines ; Lipase ; Lipid Metabolism ; Liver ; Obesity ; Overweight ; Rats ; Risk Factors ; Salmon

OBJECTIVETo explore the significance of colonic epithelial cell apoptosis and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) changing in pathogenesis of melanosis coli (MC) in guinea pig and the molecular mechanism of rhubarb (Rhu) in inducing the disease, by means of using different dosages of Rhu to induce the disease.

METHODSOne hundred and forty-four male guinea pigs, clean grade, were randomized according to their body weight into 5 groups, the untreated normal group and the 4 Rhu groups treated, respectively, with different doses of Rhu, 3 g/kg·d for low dose (Rhu-l) group, 6 g/kg·d for moderate dose (Rhu-m) group, 12 g/kg·d for high dose (Rhu-h) group and 24 g/kg·d for super-high dose (Rhu-s) group via gastric infusion. All animals were sacrificed 60 days later, their viscera were taken for observing the pathologic and morphologic changes with HE, melanin and melatonin staining, and the apoptosis of colonic epithelial cells was detected with TUNEL stain and transmission electric microscopy. In addition, the levels of TNF-α in serum and colonic tissue were measured using ELISA and RT-PCR.

RESULTSThe pathological changes of MC could be found by naked eye in all Rhu groups, especially apparent at caecum and proximal end of colon, but did not found in gallbladder, jejunum and ileum. In normal guinea pigs, the colonic membrane was pink in color with no apparent pigment deposition. Membranous color deepened in the Rhu groups depending on the dosage of Rhu used. MC scoring showed the highest scores revealed in the Rhu-s group (6.00±0.00), which was significantly different to those in the Rhu-l (3.86±0.69), Rhu-m (4.43±0.79) and Rhu-h groups (4.88±0.35, all P<0.05). Levels of cell apoptosis in colon and TNF-α in serum in all Rhu groups were higher than those in the normal group (P<0.01), but showed no significant difference among the Rhu groups (P>0.05). Moreover, a positive correlation was found in the degree of induced MC with apoptosis rate and TNF-α level.

CONCLUSIONSRhu (anthraquinone purgatives) had apparent effect on inducing MC; its molecular mechanism is maybe to destroy intestinal mucosal barrier and advance proinflammatory factor TNF-α releasing, which leads to colonic epithelial cells apoptosis, and finally induce the change of MC due to the deposition of brown pigments, i.e. the macrophage phagocytized apoptotic body, on the colonic membrane.

Animals ; Anthraquinones ; adverse effects ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cathartics ; adverse effects ; Colon ; pathology ; ultrastructure ; Colonic Diseases ; blood ; chemically induced ; complications ; pathology ; Epithelial Cells ; drug effects ; pathology ; Gene Expression Regulation ; drug effects ; Guinea Pigs ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Male ; Melanosis ; blood ; chemically induced ; complications ; pathology ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; blood ; genetics