Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0021843 (bowel obstruction)
 9,927 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF) can stimulate growth of gastrointestinal epithelial cells in vitro; however, the physiological role of HGF/SF in the digestive tract is poorly understood. To elucidate this in vivo function, mice were analyzed in which an HGF/SF transgene was overexpressed throughout the digestive tract. Nearly a third of all HGF/SF transgenic mice in this study (28 of 87) died by 6 months of age as a result of sporadic intestinal obstruction of unknown etiology. Enteric ganglia were not overtly affected, indicating that the pathogenesis of this intestinal lesion was different from that operating in Hirschsprung's disease. Transgenic mice also exhibited a rectal inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with a high incidence of anorectal prolapse. Expression of interleukin-2 was decreased in the transgenic colon, indicating that HGF/SF may influence regulation of the local intestinal immune system within the colon. These results suggest that HGF/SF plays an important role in the development of gastrointestinal paresis and chronic intestinal inflammation. HGF/SF transgenic mice may represent a useful model for the study of molecular mechanisms associated with a subset of IBD and intestinal pseudo-obstruction. Moreover, our data identify previously unappreciated side effects that may be encountered when using HGF/SF as a therapeutic agent.
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PMID:Ulcerative proctitis, rectal prolapse, and intestinal pseudo-obstruction in transgenic mice overexpressing hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor. 1131 Aug 23

The regulatory role between ischemia related factors and antimicrobial peptides in congenital intra-abdominal adhesions has not yet been defined. The aim of this research was to investigate the appearance and relative distribution of VEGF, HBD-2, and HGF in congenital intra-abdominal adhesions compared with relatively healthy tissue controls. The study group material was obtained from 48 patients who underwent abdominal surgery due to partial or complete bowel obstruction. VEGF, HBD-2, and HGF were detected using immunohistochemistry methods and their relative distribution was evaluated by means of the semiquantitative counting method. The results were analyzed using nonparametric statistic methods. A moderate number of VEGF positive endotheliocytes were detected, but there was no statistically significant difference between the groups. In the experimental group, a moderate to high number of VEGF positive macrophages was observed. In control group tissues, such macrophages were seen in significantly lower number (U = 61.0, p = 0.001). The increase of VEGF positive cells indicates support of angiogenesis due to the hypoxic conditions in case of adhesion disease. The number of HBD-2 marked fibroblasts and macrophages was moderate to high, but only few positive endotheliocytes were observed. Persisting appearance of HBD-2 positive structures might be a result of the inflammatory process. Most specimens showed occasional HGF positive macrophages and fibroblasts and there was no statistically significant difference between the groups. The relatively weak appearance of HGF suggests that the lack of this factor promotes the formation of fibrotic changes in case of intra-abdominal adhesions.
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PMID:The Distribution of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF), Human Beta-Defensin-2 (HBD-2), and Hepatocyte Growth Factor (HGF) in Intra-Abdominal Adhesions in Children under One Year of Age. 3069 72