Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0011168 (dysphagia)
 15,644 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Congenital esophageal stenosis (CES) is a rare disorder with narrowed esophageal lumen that presents as dysphagia from childhood and that is often associated with tracheobronchial remnants or webs. The pathogenesis of CES is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the histological and immunohistochemical features of CES. Esophagi from 2 young adults with CES and 3 controls with no motility disorders underwent routine H&E staining, trichrome staining for collagen, and detailed immunocytochemical studies for general neuronal markers (protein gene product 9.5, neuron-specific enolase, and S-100) and neurotransmitters (vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, substance P, and galanin) and nitric oxide synthase by beta-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)-diaphorase and a specific NO synthase antibody. Quantitative experiments compared the numbers of myenteric neurons and amounts of fibers at the circular muscle. CES esophagi showed infiltration of neutrophils in the myenteric plane, without any increase in collagen. NADPH-diaphorase histochemistry showed a significant reduction of myenteric nitrinergic neurons (7 +/- 3.4 vs. 2.7 +/- 1.8 neurons per high-power field) and fibers at the circular muscle. Other peptidergic neurons studied were not significantly reduced in CES. The specific total lack of NO inhibitory innervation may be an important mechanism in the pathogenesis of stenosis and aperistalsis of the esophagus in this disorder.
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PMID:Peptidergic and nitrinergic denervation in congenital esophageal stenosis. 754 Oct

Several neurotransmitters, neuropeptide Y (NPY), vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), galanin, enkephalin, calcitonin-gene related peptide (GGRP), substance P, as well as nitric oxide synthase (NOS), and the noradrenergic marker tyrosine-hydroxylase (TH) were localized by immunocytochemistry in the cervical esophagus of rat. Nerve fibers containing the neuropeptides, NOS, and TH were distributed in the myenteric plexus, around muscle bundles and small blood vessels. Injection of the retrograde tracer True Blue (TB) into the cervical esophagus resulted in the appearance of labeled nerve cell bodies in the superior cervical, the stellate, the nodose, the sphenopalatine, the dorsal root ganglia at levels C2-C7, and in local ganglia close to the thyroid. Most of the TB-labeled nerve cell bodies in the superior cervical ganglia contained NPY. In the stellate ganglion, a few labeled nerve cell bodies contained VIP whereas an additional few cell bodies stored VIP. In local ganglia, the majority of labeled cell bodies contained VIP. In the nodose ganglion and cervical dorsal root ganglia, the majority of the labeled nerve cell bodies stored CGRP. The results indicate that the cervical esophagus has a dense innervation with multiple neurotransmitters emanating from several ganglia. As judged by the pattern of nerve fiber distribution, they may regulate esophageal peristalsis and blood flow, some of them possibly in a cooperative manner.
Dysphagia 1995
PMID:Distribution and origin of the peripheral innervation of rat cervical esophagus. 754 92

Parkinson's disease is a movement disorder resulting from neurodegeneration of the basal ganglia. Parkinson's disease is usually diagnosed at approximately 55-60 years of age and affects approximately 1% of the population over 60 years. Dopaminergic cells located in the substantia nigra and whose terminals extend to the striatum degenerate slowly such that 60% of cells are already lost when clinical motor symptoms first become evident. In addition to the classic triad of Parkinson's disease symptoms, rest tremor, muscular rigidity and bradykinesia, abnormalities in postural reflexes, dementia and depression are important comorbid conditions. Current therapies are aimed primarily at replacing dopamine with the dopamine precursor L-dopa or by the use of direct acting dopamine receptor agonists. Adjunctive treatments with monoamine oxidase inhibitors, catechol-O-methyl transferase inhibitors and amantadine are also used. While providing very effective symptomatic therapy in early stages of the disease, these agents fail to halt disease progression. Thus, while these treatments generally provide excellent results for 2-5 years, quality of life for Parkinson's disease patients becomes increasingly poor 5-10 years after diagnosis. Symptoms that become increasingly problematic with disease progression include inconsistencies in motor control (response fluctuations), gait and balance abnormalities, cognitive loss, hypophonia and dysphagia. Therefore, in order to maintain an acceptable quality of life for patients with Parkinson's disease, therapies that provide not only symptomatic improvement, but also slow or stop disease progression are greatly needed. In this review, we will discuss possible mechanisms of cell death in Parkinson's disease and related potentially disease-modifying therapies. These therapies include dopaminergic cell tranplantation and the use of growth factors. Small molecules that may act as antioxidants, nicotinic receptor agonists, nitric oxide synthase inhibitors, immunophilins, excitatory amino acid-related (iGluR and mGluR agonists and antagonists) drugs and anti-inflammatory drugs will also be discussed.
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PMID:Pharmacological approaches to disease-modifying therapies in Parkinson's disease. 1981 Sep 16

Achalasia cardia is one of the common causes of motor dysphagia. Though the disease was first described more than 300 years ago, exact pathogenesis of this condition still remains enigmatic. Pathophysiologically, achalasia cardia is caused by loss of inhibitory ganglion in the myenteric plexus of the esophagus. In the initial stage, degeneration of inhibitory nerves in the esophagus results in unopposed action of excitatory neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine, resulting in high amplitude non-peristaltic contractions (vigorous achalasia); progressive loss of cholinergic neurons over time results in dilation and low amplitude simultaneous contractions in the esophageal body (classic achalasia). Since the initial description, several studies have attempted to explore initiating agents that may cause the disease, such as viral infection, other environmental factors, autoimmunity, and genetic factors. Though Chagas disease, which mimics achalasia, is caused by an infective agent, available evidence suggests that infection may not be an independent cause of primary achalasia. A genetic basis for achalasia is supported by reports showing occurrence of disease in monozygotic twins, siblings and other first-degree relatives and occurrence in association with other genetic diseases such as Down's syndrome and Parkinson's disease. Polymorphisms in genes encoding for nitric oxide synthase, receptors for vasoactive intestinal peptide, interleukin 23 and the ALADIN gene have been reported. However, studies on larger numbers of patients and controls from different ethnic groups are needed before definite conclusions can be obtained. Currently, the disease is believed to be multi-factorial, with autoimmune mechanisms triggered by infection in a genetically predisposed individual leading to degeneration of inhibitory ganglia in the wall of the esophagus.
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PMID:Pathogenesis of achalasia cardia. 2279 40