muramidase and Digestive-System-Diseases

The equine Paneth cell response to a shift in the microbial balance of the intestinal tract was studied by inducing an acute episode of alimentary laminitis in 6 mature ponies. The normal bacterial population of the gut was modified by administration of a carbohydrate-rich ration. During acute laminitis a dramatic degranulation of the Paneth cells occurred in the intestinal glands throughout the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. Bacteriocidal lysozyme, which was immunohistochemically identified as a component of the Paneth cell secretory granule, was evident in the glandular lumina and in degranulated Paneth cells. These results indicate that lysozyme is secreted by the equine Paneth cell in an apparent attempt to regulate the changing microbial population induced by carbohydrate overload of the gut. From these observations, it is suggested that the Paneth cell plays a role in the mucosal defense system of the equine intestinal tract.

Topics: Animals; Cell Degranulation; Cytoplasmic Granules; Digestive System Diseases; Foot Diseases; Hoof and Claw; Horse Diseases; Horses; Intestinal Mucosa; Intestine, Small; Muramidase

From the clinical and experimental studies, the following results were obtained. The serum lysozyme activity decreased postoperatively and returned to the preoperative level 2 weeks later. Postoperative changes of the activity reflected the state of surgical stress inflicted on the subjects, namely, the changes were parallel to the degree of the stress and their postoperative courses. The postoperative elevation of lysozyme activity in anastomosed colonic tissues or abdominal walls, in which the activity was not determined preoperatively was supposed to be a reasonable phenomenon and closely related to tissue regeneration or protection from bacterial infection. The mechanism of this local elevation should be due to migration from the peripheral blood and movement of the lysozyme-producing or -secreting cells to the wounds. The phagocytic activity of peritoneal macrophage hyperfunctioned postoperatively. This might suggest lysozyme synthesis or secretion by peritoneal macrophage and participate in the protective action of the subjects. The postoperative serum lysozyme activity was maintained at the normal level by preoperative peroral administration of egg-white lysozyme preparation, therefore, the administration was thought to be very effective to the acceleration of protective action of the subjects on whom the surgical stress was imposed.

Topics: Aged; Animals; Digestive System Diseases; Digestive System Surgical Procedures; Humans; Macrophages; Male; Middle Aged; Muramidase; Postoperative Complications; Postoperative Period; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Stress, Physiological