Food intolerances and the small intestine

The article presents an analysis of the literature on food intolerance (FS) associated with the presence in the diet of fermentable oligodimosaccharides and polyols FODMAP (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols), histamine and food additives. The relationship between FS and insufficient activity of enzymes of the small intestine mucosa, in particular, in patients with irritable bowel syndrome, is discussed. FS often noted in them forces them to strictly adhere to the elimination diet and significantly impair the quality of life due to dissatisfaction with the results of treatment. Analysis of the literature has confirmed in many patients with irritable bowel syndrome an etiotropic relationship with poor food tolerance and dictates the need for randomized studies to further study the pathogenetic mechanisms of increasing food tolerance under the influence of cytoprotective therapy.

New Prospects of Cytoprotection in the Treatment and Prevention of Gastric and Intestinal Diseases (Resolution of an Expert Council and Literature Review)

Aim. To generalize up-to-date information on the possibilities of cytoprotection in the treatment and prevention of gastric and intestinal diseases, as well as to present the materials of an Expert Council meeting held on February 8, 2020 in Moscow under the support of the Alium company.

General provisions. The conducted Expert Council meeting was aimed at discussing the importance of improving the cytoprotective properties of the gastric and intestinal mucous membrane in the treatment of its lesions. It was shown that Rebamipide exhibits positive effects on various parts of the protective barrier of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), primarily due to its stimulating action on the production of prostaglandins playing a key role in maintaining the cytoprotective properties of the gastrointestinal mucosa. The possibilities of applying Rebamipide for the treatment and prevention of erosive and ulcerative gastrointestinal lesions caused by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDs) and antithrombotic drugs were demonstrated. In the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease, Rebamipide is recommended for patients refractory to therapy with proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and for those with non-acid reflux. The efficacy of Rebamipide in the treatment of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, as well as functional dyspepsia and chronic gastritis, was confirmed.

Conclusions. Rebamipid is a highly effective drug positively affecting various cytoprotection links, thus being suitable for the treatment and prevention of erosive and ulcerative lesions of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as gastroenterological diseases of various etiologies.

Conflict of interest: The Expert Council meeting was supported by the Alium company.

Microbes and Cancer: Friends or Faux?

Cancer is one of the most aggressive and deadly diseases in the world, representing the second leading cause of death. It is a multifactorial disease, in which genetic alterations play a key role, but several environmental factors also contribute to its development and progression. Infections induced by certain viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites constitute risk factors for cancer, being chronic infection associated to the development of certain types of cancer. On the other hand, susceptibility to infectious diseases is higher in cancer patients. The state of the host immune system plays a crucial role in the susceptibility to both infection and cancer. Importantly, immunosuppressive cancer treatments increase the risk of infection, by decreasing the host defenses. Furthermore, alterations in the host microbiota is also a key factor in the susceptibility to develop cancer. More recently, the identification of a tumor microbiota, in which bacteria establish a symbiotic relationship with cancer cells, opened a new area of research. There is evidence demonstrating that the interaction between bacteria and cancer cells can modulate the anticancer drug response and toxicity. The present review focuses on the interaction between microbes and cancer, specifically aiming to: (1) review the main infectious agents associated with development of cancer and the role of microbiota in cancer susceptibility; (2) highlight the higher vulnerability of cancer patients to acquire infectious diseases; (3) document the relationship between cancer cells and tissue microbiota; (4) describe the role of intratumoral bacteria in the response and toxicity to cancer therapy.

Rebamipide increases the disaccharidases activity in patients with enteropathy with impaired membrane digestion. Pilot study

AIM

To evaluate the effectiveness of enteroprotector Rebamipide in the treatment of enteropathy with impaired membrane digestion (EIMD).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We examined 102 patients aged 18 to 50 years (41 men and 61 women) with clinical signs of irritable bowel syndrome (n=65), functional diarrhea (n=33), and functional constipation (n=4) according to Rome IV criteria (2016). The activities of glucoamylase (GA), maltase, sucrase and lactase were determined by Dahlquist-Trinder method in duodenal biopsies obtained during esophagogastroduodenoscopy. The control group consisted of 20 healthy people aged 23-47. They showed following average enzyme activity: lactase - 42±13 ng glucose on 1 mg of tissue per minute, GA - 509±176, maltase - 1735±446, sucrase - 136±35 ng glucose on 1 mg of tissue per minute. These numbers were taken as the norm.

RESULTS

The activity of the disaccharidases was reduced in 89.2% out of 102 patients, and they were diagnosed with EIMD. Thirteen patients with EIMD were recommended to maintain the FODMAP diet and take enteroprotector Rebamipide 100 mg 3 times a day for 12 weeks. After 3 months 11 patients reported decreased or no flatulence, abdominal pain, stool disorder; 2 patients reported no change. The activity of GA increased to an average of 149±82 (by 78%, p=0.016), maltase - to 864±472 (by 131%, p=0.0019), sucrase - 63±35 (by 95%, p=0.0041) and lactase - 10±8 ng glucose on 1 mg of tissue per minute. The activity of lactase did not change.

CONCLUSION

We discovered a previously unknown phenomenon of the disaccharidases activity increase in duodenal mucosa and improved carbohydrates tolerance in the patients with EIMD taking Rebamipide in the dose 300 mg/day for 12 weeks.