gastrins and Ascites

The significance of changes in plasma somatostatin level at patients with vascularly decompensated liver cirrhosis was investigated. The plasma level of somatostatin, glucagon, gastrin and blood glucose concentration were determined under basal condition and after testmeal in patients with vasculary decompensated cirrhosis, in cirrhotic-patients without ascites formation and in control subjects. The basaline levels and the postprandial increases of plasma somatostatin concentrations were significantly lower in cirrhotic patients with ascites, compared to the other two groups. The glucagon concentrations--both the basaline and the postprandial--were significantly higher in the cirrhotic patients-groups, compared to the controls. The gastrin and blood glucose levels were not different in the three groups. The decrease in plasma somatostatin concentration present in cirrhosis associated with ascites represents a secondary phenomena, and suggest that endogen somatostatin plays a role in maintaining body fluid homeostasis.

Topics: Adult; Ascites; Blood Glucose; Gastrins; Glucagon; Humans; Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic; Male; Middle Aged; Somatostatin

The therapeutic effect of antibodies raised by the immunogen Gastrimmune was compared with both a CCKB/gastrin receptor antagonist, CI-988, and 5-Fluorouracil/leucovorin in a gastric cancer model. The human gastric ascites cell line, MGLVA1asc, produced and secreted progastrin and glycine-extended gastrin as determined by radioimmunoassay and immunocytochemistry. Cells were also stained with an antiserum directed against the human CCKB/gastrin receptor. MGLVAI asc cells were injected i.p. into SCID mice. Antibodies raised by Gastrimmune immunization of rabbits (affinity for G17 of 0.15 nM and GlyG17 of 0.47 nM) were passively infused i.p. and significantly enhanced survival by up to 5 days (p=0.0024 from vehicle controls). The enhancement in survival was not significantly different from that achieved by treatment with 5-Fluorouracil and leucovorin. A CCKB/gastrin receptor antagonist, CI-988, did not affect survival with cells injected at 7.5 x 10(5) cells/mouse but significantly increased the survival of mice injected with a lower cell innoculum of 5 x 10(5) cells/mouse from 30 to 35 days (p=0.0186). At this lower innoculum antibodies raised by Gastrimmune induced complete survival in 2 animals with the remaining dead by day 36 (p=0.0022). Thus, both endocrine and autocrine pathways mediated by precursor and mature gastrin molecules may be jointly operational in the gastric cancer scenario and may be important targets for therapeutic agents.

Topics: Animals; Antibodies, Monoclonal; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Ascites; Cancer Vaccines; Diphtheria Toxoid; Fluorouracil; Gastrins; Humans; Leucovorin; Mice; Mice, SCID; Severe Combined Immunodeficiency; Stomach Neoplasms; Tumor Cells, Cultured

The purpose of this study is to determine whether lower esophageal sphincter (LES) incompetency is a common occurrence in patients with liver cirrhosis and contributes to the development of variceal bleeding. Resting LES pressure (17.8 +/- 1.1 mm Hg) in 35 patients with cirrhosis was similar to that of our control population (17.3 +/- 2.0 mm Hg). No differences were found among patients with ascites, variceal hemorrhage, or with different degrees of hepatic decompensation. In both patients and control subjects the LES responded with a significant pressure increase to gastric alkalinization. Symptoms and radiological evidence of gastroesophageal reflux were extremely uncommon in patients with liver cirrhosis. Based on these data it is unlikely that acid-pepsin regurgitation is a significant factor in the development of variceal hemorrhage.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Ascites; Esophageal and Gastric Varices; Esophagitis, Peptic; Esophagogastric Junction; Gastric Acidity Determination; Gastrins; Gastroesophageal Reflux; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage; Humans; Liver Cirrhosis; Liver Function Tests; Manometry; Middle Aged; Muscle Contraction

Topics: Animals; Ascites; Bile; Biliary Tract Diseases; Digestive System Physiological Phenomena; Esophageal and Gastric Varices; Gastric Juice; Gastrins; Gastrointestinal Diseases; Hepatic Encephalopathy; Humans; Hypercholesterolemia; Hypertension, Portal; Liver; Liver Cirrhosis; Liver Regeneration; Liver Transplantation; Pancreas; Preservation, Biological; Radioimmunoassay; Rats