The effects of intravenously administered chlorophyll-A on naturally occurring serum protease inhibitors in rabbits

Sequestration of ubiquitous dietary derived pigments enables mitochondrial light sensing

Animals alter their physiological states in response to their environment. We show that the introduction of a chlorophyll metabolite, a light-absorbing pigment widely consumed in human diets, to Caenorhabditis elegans results in animals whose fat mass can be modulated by exposure to light, despite the worm consuming the same amount of food. In the presence of the chlorophyll metabolite, exposing the worms to light increased adenosine triphosphate, reduced oxidative damage, and increased median life spans, without an effect on animal reproduction. Mice fed a dietary metabolite of chlorophyll and exposed to light, over several months, showed reductions in systemic inflammation as measured by plasma α-macroglobulin. We propose that dietary chlorophyll metabolites can enable mitochondria to use light as an environmental cue, by absorbing light and transferring the energy to mitochondrial coenzyme Q.

Antacids for duodenal ulcer: current role

Recent years have witnessed significant progress in antacid therapy of duodenal ulcer disease, consisting in the demonstration that the doses required for ulcer healing are much smaller and less frequent that those regarded as necessary or optimal in the past. Antacids at these dosages proved to be as effective as H2-blockers both in terms of healing capacity and in relieving ulcer symptoms and are associated with negligible gastrointestinal side-effects. In addition, there has been a renewed interest in the tablet formulation, which now appears more acceptable to the patient. All these characteristics make antacids competitive with other anti-ulcer agents, especially in terms of the cost/benefit ratio.

Fundamentals in the prophylaxis of septic surgical complications

An operation in which the colonic/rectal wall is opened represents a destruction of a complicated balance between the patient and his intestinal micro-flora, giving way for infective micro-organisms to become established. The surgeon should try to minimize the number of organisms reaching the operation field and reduce their possibilities of establishment. Some strategical and tactical guide-lines for achieving these goals are given.

Treatment of reflux oesophagitis with a carbenoxolone/antacid/alginate preparation. A double-blind controlled trial

Twenty-nine patients were treated with a carbenoxolone/antacid/alginate preparation (Pyrogastrone) and 30 with antacid/alginate alone four times each day for 8 weeks, in a double-blind study, to ascertain the value of carbenoxolone in the treatment of patients with endoscopically confirmed reflux oesophagitis. Symptom review every 2 weeks and endoscopic findings every 4 weeks were converted to a 6-point grading system to facilitate statistical comparison, using a stochastic model for predicting the rate of change in grades during treatment. Carbenoxolone-treated patients showed an 82% improvement in symptom grades over 8 weeks and improved 50% faster (P less than 0.01) than did control patients, who showed a 63% improvement. Endoscopic improvement was not significantly different in the first 4 weeks, although healing was better maintained in carbenoxolone-treated patients during the second 4 weeks (P less than 0.05). At the low doses used (5 X 20 mg daily) no significant side effects of carbenoxolone were encountered. Pyrogastrone should be considered as a therapeutic alternative in patients who fail to respond to routine management with antacids.