Functional bowel disease

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a disorder of the gastrointestinal tract that interferes with the normal functions of the colon. At various points in the past, IBS has been referred to as mucous colitis, spastic colon, irritable colon, or nervous stomach. IBS is generally described as afunctional disorder rather than a disease per se. A functional disorder involves symptoms that cannot be attributed to a specific injury, infection, or other physical problem. A functional disorder occurs because of altered physiologic processes rather than structural or biochemical defects and may be subject to nervous system influence. IBS is associated with frequent fluctuation in symptoms, loss of productivity, and decreased quality of life. Although IBS has been referred to as functional bowel disease, true functional bowel disease may be more indicative of widespread gastrointestinal involvement including (but not limited to) the colon. 

Functional bowel disease A condition characterized by gastrointestinal symptoms in the absence of a demonstrated pathologic condition. 

They are colloidal bulk forming agents which swell by absorbing water. They modify the consistency and frequency of stools. They are used for functional bowel disease associated with diarrhoea. They are safe substances but their effect occurs slowly. 

Cholestyramine can be used to prevent bile salt induced colonic secretion in patients who have undergone limited ileocolic resections. Anticholinergic agents (dicyclomine hydrochloride, etc. see Chapter 7) are used to reduce abdominal cramps, pain, and rectal urgency. As with the antidiarrheal agents, they are contraindicated in severe disease or when obstruction is suspected. Care should be taken to dijferentiate exacerbation ofIBDfrom symptoms that may be related to coexistent functional bowel disease (see Chapter 37). 

KC706 stabilizes the inactive conformation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase p38a, a protein kinase involved in inflammatory reactions and cardiovascular functions. KC706 therefore holds the potential to treat conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease and cardiovascular disease. This compound is currently being tested in phase II clinical trials with patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. 

Rice bran fiber has fructo-oligosaccharides - a pre-biotic that helps friendly bacteria to proliferate in the gastrointestinal environment and improves intestinal and colon health (Tomlin and Read, 1988). Recent studies in humans (Kahlon and Chow, 1997) have revealed that rice bran fiber not only normalizes bowel function, but also helps in conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and Crohn s disease, and lowers the lipid levels. Rice bran fiber has been shown to significantly reduce renal stones (Jahnen et al., 1992). It is a good source of fiber in weight loss programs and therapeutic fiber diets for diabetics and heart patients. Fiber diets prevent cancer of the colon and large bowel, control obesity and improve bowel function. 

Mulder, T.P.J., Verspaget, H.W., Janssens, A.R., de Bruin, P.A.F., Pena, A.S. and Earners, C.B.H.W. (1991). Decrease in two intestinal copper/zinc containing proteins with antioxidant function in inflammatory bowel disease. Gut 32, 1146-1150. 

Superior mesenteric artery syndrome Enteric infections Inflammatory bowel diseases Pancreatitis Appendicitis Cholecystitis Biliary colic Gastroparesis Postvagotomy syndrome Intestinal pseudo-obstruction Functional dyspepsia Gastroesophageal reflux Peptic ulcer disease Hepatitis Peritonitis Gastric malignancy Liver failure... 

Functional bowel problems (e.g., Hirschsprung s disease, neuronal intestinal dysplasia, pseudo-obstruction, proteinlosing enteropathy, microvillous inclusion disease)... 

Sulfasalazine Antimicrobial anti-inflammatory ulcerative colitis/inflammatory bowel diseases Suppresses NK cells impaired lymphocyte function... 

As a consequence of their immunosuppressive activity, Tregs may function as a cellular therapeutic agent that ameliorates allergies and autoimmune diseases. This has been proven in several disease models including asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis and CHS reactions. Others and we have studied the effects of in vivo applied Tregs as a possible therapeutical means to curb... 

Keywords Colon cancer functional dyspepsia functional gastrointestinal disorders gastroesophageal reflux disease Helicobacter pylori infection inflammatory bowel disease irritable bowel syndrome liver transplantation pharmacogenetics. 

In terms of mineral content, potato is best known as an important source of dietary potassium, which plays a fundamental role in acid-base regulation and fluid balance and is required for optimal functioning of the heart, kidneys, muscles, nerves, and digestive systems. Health benefits of sufficient potassium intake include reduced risk of hypokalemia, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, stroke, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), kidney stones, and asthma. A high intake of potassium and low intake of sodium have been hypothesized to reduce the risk of stroke (Larsson et al., 2008 Swain et al., 2008). However, most American women 31-50 years old consume no more than half of the recommended amoimt of potassium and men s intake is only moderately higher (lOM, 2004). 

Spiller R Recent advances in understanding the role of serotonin in gastrointestinal motility in functional bowel disorders Alterations in 5-HT signaling and metabolism in human disease. Neurogastroenterol Motil 2007 19(Suppl 2) 25. 

Inflammation is associated with various diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, myocarditis, arteriosclerosis, bowel diseases, multiple sclerosis, asthma, and many others. While several inflammatory markers are commonly expressed during any inflammatory disorder, some are symptom specific. Therefore, the gene array data will be particularly helpful in indicating the appropriate disease model for subsequent preclinical and clinical tests. Only functional, active extracts with potentially safe and novel modes of actions may then be subjected to labor-intensive large-scale extraction, fractionation, characterization, and isolation of novel bioactive components. We believe that the strategy as described schematically in Figure 4.1 will allow efficient use of plant extracts and other natural resources toward identification of novel drug leads for human health care. 

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