Approaches to common conditions of the gastrointestinal tract in pet hamsters

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 20-26
Author(s):  
Vicki Baldrey
Keyword(s):  
Nutritional Support ◽  
Gastrointestinal Disease ◽  
Parasitic Infection ◽  
Positive Contrast ◽  
Abdominal Ultrasound ◽  
Gastrointestinal Diseases ◽  
Indications For Surgery ◽  
Pet Trade ◽  
Free Environment ◽  
The Uk

Hamsters are popular pets in the UK. The Syrian or Golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) is the best known species in the pet trade, with a variety of dwarf species also encountered. Gastrointestinal disease occurs frequently, and diarrhoea is a common presenting complaint. This is most often associated with bacterial or parasitic infection, but can also be related to neoplasia or the use of certain antibiotics. Initial stabilisation of the hamster with diarrhoea should include provision of a warm stress-free environment, fluid therapy, nutritional support with an appropriate critical care diet and analgesia. Following a full history and clinical examination, further diagnostic steps include faecal parasitology and microbiology, routine biochemistry and haematology, radiography with or without positive contrast, and abdominal ultrasound. Indications for surgery include evidence of intestinal obstruction or prolapsed intussusception. This article gives an overview of the most common gastrointestinal diseases encountered in hamster species and provides a guide of how to logically approach the investigation and treatment of these cases, achievable in general practice.

Protozoal infection: Gut organisms

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pavithra Natarajan ◽  
Nick Beeching
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Features ◽  
Large Bowel ◽  
Giardia Lamblia ◽  
Gastrointestinal Disease ◽  
Parasitic Infection ◽  
Migrant Populations ◽  
Protozoal Infection ◽  
Sex With Men ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Eukaryotic Organisms

Protozoa are single-celled (unicellular) eukaryotic organisms. There are many protozoa causing parasitic infection in humans. This chapter will concentrate on the three that most commonly causes gastrointestinal disease worldwide and have the biggest impact in the UK: Giardia lamblia, Cryptosporidium spp., and Entamoeba histolytica. These three infections are of great significance worldwide, but are less common in Western settings. In the UK, they tend to be seen in more commonly in travellers returning from endemic countries, migrant populations, men who have sex with men, and the immunocompromised. The clinical features of all three infections vary from asymptomatic small- or large-bowel carriage with passage of cysts to infect others, to more serious manifestations.

scholarly journals Mealtime Environment and Control of Food Intake in Healthy Children and in Children with Gastrointestinal Diseases

Children ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 77
Author(s):  
Katerina Sdravou ◽  
Elpida Emmanouilidou-Fotoulaki ◽  
Athanasia Printza ◽  
Elias Andreoulakis ◽  
Athanasios Evangeliou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Intake ◽  
Gastrointestinal Disease ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Gastrointestinal Diseases ◽  
Healthy Children ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Frequent Use ◽  
Child Autonomy ◽  
And Control ◽  
Mealtime Environment

Parental feeding practices and mealtime routine significantly influence a child’s eating behavior. The aim of this study was to investigate the mealtime environment in healthy children and children with gastrointestinal diseases. We conducted a cross-sectional case–control study among 787 healthy, typically developing children and 141 children with gastrointestinal diseases, aged two to seven years. Parents were asked to provide data on demographics and describe their mealtime environment by answering to 24 closed-ended questions. It was found that the majority of the children had the same number of meals every day and at the same hour. Parents of both groups exerted considerable control on the child’s food intake by deciding both when and what their child eats. Almost one third of the parents also decided how much their child eats. The two groups differed significantly in nine of the 24 questions. The study showed that both groups provided structured and consistent mealtime environments. However, a significant proportion of children did not control how much they eat which might impede their ability to self-regulate eating. The presence of a gastrointestinal disease was found to be associated with reduced child autonomy, hampered hunger cues and frequent use of distractions during meals.

scholarly journals Manipulating the Microbiome: An Alternative Treatment for Bile Acid Diarrhoea

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 335-353
Author(s):  
Evette B. M. Hillman ◽  
Sjoerd Rijpkema ◽  
Danielle Carson ◽  
Ramesh P. Arasaradnam ◽  
Elizabeth M. H. Wellington ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bile Acid ◽  
Bile Acids ◽  
Gastrointestinal Disease ◽  
Acid Synthesis ◽  
Bile Acid Synthesis ◽  
Bile Acid Metabolism ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
Irritable Bowel ◽  
The Uk

Bile acid diarrhoea (BAD) is a widespread gastrointestinal disease that is often misdiagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome and is estimated to affect 1% of the United Kingdom (UK) population alone. BAD is associated with excessive bile acid synthesis secondary to a gastrointestinal or idiopathic disorder (also known as primary BAD). Current licensed treatment in the UK has undesirable effects and has been the same since BAD was first discovered in the 1960s. Bacteria are essential in transforming primary bile acids into secondary bile acids. The profile of an individual’s bile acid pool is central in bile acid homeostasis as bile acids regulate their own synthesis. Therefore, microbiome dysbiosis incurred through changes in diet, stress levels and the introduction of antibiotics may contribute to or be the cause of primary BAD. This literature review focuses on primary BAD, providing an overview of bile acid metabolism, the role of the human gut microbiome in BAD and the potential options for therapeutic intervention in primary BAD through manipulation of the microbiome.

scholarly journals Modeling Gastrointestinal Diseases Using Organoids to Understand Healing and Regenerative Processes

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 1331
Author(s):  
Alexane Ollivier ◽  
Maxime M. Mahe ◽  
Géraldine Guasch
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Gastrointestinal Disease ◽  
3D Culture ◽  
Gastrointestinal Diseases ◽  
Continuous Series ◽  
Regenerative Therapy ◽  
Disease Mechanisms ◽  
Epithelial Wound Healing ◽  
Potential Applications

The gastrointestinal tract is a continuous series of organs from the mouth to the esophagus, stomach, intestine and anus that allows digestion to occur. These organs are frequently associated with chronic stress and injury during life, subjecting these tissues to frequent regeneration and to the risk of developing disease-associated cancers. The possibility of generating human 3D culture systems, named organoids, that resemble histologically and functionally specific organs, has opened up potential applications in the analysis of the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in epithelial wound healing and regenerative therapy. Here, we review how during normal development homeostasis takes place, and the role of the microenvironmental niche cells in the intestinal stem cell crypt as an example. Then, we introduce the notion of a perturbed niche during disease conditions affecting the esophageal–stomach junction and the colon, and describe the potential applications of organoid models in the analysis of human gastrointestinal disease mechanisms. Finally, we highlight the perspectives of organoid-based regenerative therapy to improve the repair of the epithelial barrier.

Serum cobalamin concentrations and small intestinal ultrasound changes in 75 cats with clinical signs of gastrointestinal disease: a retrospective study

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria C Jugan ◽  
John R August
Keyword(s):  
Small Intestine ◽  
Gastrointestinal Disease ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Small Animal ◽  
Abdominal Ultrasound ◽  
Wall Layer ◽  
Normal Serum ◽  
Definitive Diagnosis ◽  
Albumin Concentration ◽  
Small Intestinal

Objectives The aim of the study was to evaluate ultrasonographic changes in the small intestine of cats with clinical signs of gastrointestinal disease and low or low–normal serum cobalamin concentrations. Methods Records for client-owned cats presenting to the small animal hospital with signs of gastrointestinal disease and in which serum cobalamin concentrations were measured from 2000–2013 were reviewed. Inclusion criteria were cobalamin concentrations <500 ng/l, abdominal ultrasound within 1 month of cobalamin testing and definitive diagnosis. Results Of 751 serum cobalamin measurements, hypocobalaminemia or low–normal cobalamin was identified in 270 cats, abdominal ultrasound was performed in 207 of those cats and a diagnosis was available for 75 of them. Small intestinal ultrasound changes were detected in 49/75 (65%) cats. Abnormalities included thickening, loss of wall layer definition, echogenicity alterations and discrete masses. Serum cobalamin concentrations <500 ng/l were observed with diagnoses of inflammatory disease, neoplasia, infectious disease and normal histopathology. Cobalamin concentration was significantly lower in cats with lymphoma or inflammatory bowel disease compared with other gastrointestinal neoplasia ( P = 0.031). No difference was found between cobalamin concentration and the presence of ultrasound abnormalities, specific ultrasound changes or albumin concentration. Conclusions and relevance One-third of symptomatic cats with hypocobalaminemia or low–normal cobalamin concentrations may have an ultrasonographically normal small intestine. For the majority of cats in this study, histopathologic abnormalities were observed in the small intestine, regardless of ultrasound changes. These findings suggest gastrointestinal disease should not be excluded based on low–normal cobalamin concentrations, even with a concurrent normal ultrasound examination. Additional studies are needed in cats with low–normal serum cobalamin concentrations, as a definitive diagnosis was not pursued consistently in those cats. However, data from this study suggest that careful monitoring, histopathologic evaluation and future cobalamin supplementation may be warranted.

scholarly journals ЕТІОЛОГІЧНА СТРУКТУРА ГОСТРИХ ШЛУНКОВО–КИШКОВИХ ЗАХВОРЮВАНЬ ТЕЛЯТ

2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (3(71)) ◽  
pp. 148-151
Author(s):  
A. Berezovskyi ◽  
T. Fotyna ◽  
L. Ulko ◽  
A. Nechyporenko ◽  
E. Tytov
Keyword(s):  
Biological Material ◽  
Gastrointestinal Disease ◽  
Gastrointestinal Diseases ◽  
Important Place ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Leading Role ◽  
Highly Active ◽  
Opportunistic Bacteria ◽  
Antibiotic Drugs ◽  
Low Efficiency

The results of tests of samples of biological material from the calves with acute gastrointestinal diseases presents in the article. It was found that the occurrence and development of acute gastrointestinal diseases the leading role played by opportunistic bacteria association: S. aureus, S. saprophiticus, S. agalactiae, S. faecalis, S. pyogenes, E. coli, E. cloacae, C. jejuni, P. vulgaris, P. mirabilis, P. aeruginosa and K. Pneumoniae. Of the 632 examinations we studied 2,786 samples of biological material. Analysis of the results on our diagnostic work shows that acute gastrointestinal disease in calves caused by microbial associations. At acute gastrointestinal disease isolated pathogen E. coli – 21.0%. Coccoid microorganisms group also had significant representation. Thus, a biomaterial of 15.5% was allocated S. faecalis, at 11.6% was allocated pathogen S. aureus. Although to a lesser extent, but large office in the species spectrum of microorganisms by acute gastrointestinal diseases of calves occupied S. agalactiae – 4.8%, S. saprophiticus – 4.6%, S. pyogenes – 3.7%. Among the important place occupied microorganisms culture P. vulgaris – 8.5% of the total allocation of the samples. The average discharge frequency was characteristic for Campylobacter jejuni – 6.5% of cases.In analyzing the sensitivity of microorganisms isolated from calves with acute gastro–intestinal diseases to different groups of antibiotic drugs found that E. coli has a low sensitivity to antibiotics almost all studied groups. The largest number of selected crops susceptible to cephalosporins – 74.8%. Most of the isolated cultures weaklysensitive or insensitive to antibiotics studied by us. These data are an indication of the spread of antibiotic–resistant strains of microorganisms among newborn calves in the farms of Sumy and Chernihiv regions, which explains the low efficiency of antibiotic therapy. Highly active towards crop S. aureus, S. saprophiticus, S. agalactiae, S. faecalis, S. pyogenes, E. coli, E. cloacae, C. jejuni, P. vulgaris, P. mirabilis, P. aeruginosa, and K. pneumoniae were drug «Ceftioklin» and combined antibacterial agents. 

Comparison ofV. parahaemolyticusisolated from seafoods and cases of gastrointestinal disease in the UK

2008 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 283-293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sariqa Wagley ◽  
Kegakilwe Koofhethile ◽  
James B Wing ◽  
Rachel Rangdale
Keyword(s):  
Gastrointestinal Disease ◽  
The Uk

scholarly journals Intestinal organoids for modelling intestinal development and disease

2018 ◽  
Vol 373 (1750) ◽  
pp. 20170217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn L. Fair ◽  
Jennifer Colquhoun ◽  
Nicholas R. F. Hannan
Keyword(s):  
Gastrointestinal Disease ◽  
Gastrointestinal Diseases ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Intestinal Development ◽  
Culture Techniques ◽  
Intestinal Organoids ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Human Specific

Gastrointestinal diseases are becoming increasingly prevalent in developed countries. Immortalized cells and animal models have delivered important but limited insight into the mechanisms that initiate and propagate these diseases. Human-specific models of intestinal development and disease are desperately needed that can recapitulate structure and function of the gut in vitro . Advances in pluripotent stem cells and primary tissue culture techniques have made it possible to culture intestinal epithelial cells in three dimensions that self-assemble to form ‘intestinal organoids'. These organoids allow for new, human-specific models that can be used to gain insight into gastrointestinal disease and potentially deliver new therapies to treat them. Here we review current in vitro models of intestinal development and disease, considering where improvements could be made and potential future applications in the fields of developmental modelling, drug/toxicity testing and therapeutic uses. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Designer human tissue: coming to a lab near you'.

New coronavirus infection COVID-19: how do we feed the sick?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
И.Н. Пасечник ◽  
А.А. Щучко ◽  
В.В. Сазонов ◽  
Т.Б. Иванова
Keyword(s):  
Nutritional Status ◽  
European Society ◽  
Nutritional Support ◽  
Clinical Nutrition ◽  
Comprehensive Treatment ◽  
Rehabilitation Programs ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Coronavirus Infection ◽  
The Uk

Повышение качества оказания помощи больным новой коронавирусной инфекцией COVID-19 возможно только на основе мультидисциплинарного подхода. Оценка пищевого статуса и при необходимости его коррекция являются важной составляющей комплексных программ лечения и реабилитации таких больных. Значительное число пациентов с COVID-19 составляют люди пожилого и старческого возраста, у которых уже есть признаки нутритивной недостаточности. Нарушения питания и сопутствующая им саркопения – факторы риска неблагоприятного течения COVID-19. Прогрессирование саркопении при COVID-19 объясняют возникновением вирусного миозита, миопатией, спровоцированной цитокинами, и иммобилизацией. Уменьшение мышечной массы ассоциировано с плохим прогнозом заболевания и снижением качества жизни. Коррекция нарушений пищевого статуса больных COVID-19 должна проводиться на всех этапах лечения. Важность проблемы нутритивной поддержки отражена во множестве публикаций, посвященных лечению больных COVID-19. Необходимо заметить, что Европейское общество клинического питания и метаболизма (European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism, ESPEN) в кратчайшие сроки выпустило рекомендации по нутритивной поддержке больных новой коронавирусной инфекцией, что лишний раз подчеркивает актуальность проблемы. Это стало логичным продолжением рекомендаций по коррекции пищевого статуса больных, находящихся на лечении в отделении реанимации и интенсивной терапии. Аналогичные клинические рекомендации были разработаны в Великобритании, Бразилии и целом ряде других стран. Использование препаратов для перорального дополнительного питания в большинстве случаев позволяет обеспечить потребности пациентов в необходимых нутриентах, уменьшить выраженность саркопении и повысить эффективность реабилитационных мероприятий. Improving the quality of care for patients with the new coronavirus infection COVID-19 is possible only on the basis of a multidisciplinary approach. Evaluation of nutritional status and, if necessary, its correction are an important component of comprehensive treatment and rehabilitation programs for such patients. A significant number of patients with COVID-19 are elderly and senile people who already have signs of nutritional deficiency. Eating disorders and accompanying sarcopenia are risk factors for the adverse course of COVID-19. The progression of sarcopenia in COVID-19 is explained by the occurrence of viral myositis, myopathy provoked by cytokines, and immobilization. Decreased muscle mass is associated with poor disease prognosis and reduced quality of life. Correction of nutritional disorders in patients with COVID-19 should be carried out at all stages of treatment. The importance of the problem of nutritional support is reflected in many publications devoted to the treatment of patients with COVID-19. It should be noted that the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) promptly issued recommendations on nutritional support for patients with new coronavirus infection, which once again emphasizes the urgency of the problem. This was a logical continuation of the recommendations for correcting the nutritional status of patients undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit. Similar clinical guidelines have been developed in the UK, Brazil and a number of other countries. The use of drugs for oral supplementary nutrition in most cases allows to meet the needs of patients for the necessary nutrients, to reduce the severity of sarcopenia and to increase the effectiveness of rehabilitation measures.

Malaria

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angelina Jayakumar ◽  
Zahir Osman Eltahir Babiker
Keyword(s):  
Southeast Asia ◽  
Red Blood Cells ◽  
Blood Cells ◽  
Parasitic Infection ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Anopheline Mosquito ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Human Infections

Malaria is a tropical parasitic infection of the red blood cells caused by the protozoal species Plasmodium falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale, P. malariae, and P. knowlesi. It is transmitted through the bite of the female Anopheles mosquito. The average incubation period is twelve to fourteen days. Congenital and blood-borne transmissions can also occur. P. falciparum and P. vivax account for most human infections but almost all deaths are caused by P. falciparum, with children under five years of age bearing the brunt of morbidity and mortality in endemic countries. P. falciparum is dominant in sub-Saharan Africa whereas P. vivax predominates in Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific. P. ovalae and P. malaria are less common and are mainly found in sub-Saharan Africa. P. knowlesi primarily causes malaria in macaques and is geographically restricted to southeast Asia. While taking a blood meal, the female anopheline mosquito injects motile sporozoites into the bloodstream. Within half an hour, the sporozoites invade the hepatocytes and start dividing to form tissue schizonts. In P. vivax and P. ovale, some of the sporozoites that reach the liver develop into hypnozoites and stay dormant within the hepatocytes for months to years after the original infection. The schizonts eventually rupture releasing daughter merozoites into the bloodstream. The merozoites develop within the red blood cells into ring forms, trophozoites, and eventually mature schizont. This part of the life cycle takes twenty-four hours for P. knowlesi; forty-eight hours for P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale; and seventy-two hours for P. malariae. In P. vivax and P. ovale, some of the sporozoites that reach the liver develop into hypnozoites and stay dormant within the hepatocytes for months to years after the original infection. The hallmark of malaria pathogenesis is parasite sequestration in major organs leading to cytoadherence, endothelial injury, coagulopathy, vascular leakage, pro-inflammatory cytokine production, and tissue inflammation. Malaria is the most frequently imported tropical disease in the UK with an annual case load of around 2000. P. falciparum is the predominant imported species, and failure to take chemoprophylaxis is the commonest risk factor.

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