American journal of physiology. Regulatory, integrative and comparative physiology
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Am. J. Physiol. Regul. Integr. Comp. Physiol. · Jul 2012
Randomized Controlled TrialEffects and possible mechanisms of acupuncture at ST36 on upper and lower abdominal symptoms induced by rectal distension in healthy volunteers.
Background acupuncture (AP) has been shown to have a therapeutic potential for gastrointestinal motility disorders. The aims of this study were to investigate the effects and possible mechanisms of acupuncture on postprandial upper and lower abdominal symptoms induced by rectal distension (RD). Twenty healthy volunteers were involved in a two-session study (AP and sham-AP, AP and no-AP, or sham-AP and no-AP). ⋯ Finally, in the experiment with eight volunteers, neither sham-AP nor no-AP showed any effects on RD-induced impairment in gastric slow waves, abdominal symptoms, or vagal activity (P > 0.05). The conclusions are RD induces upper or lower abdominal symptoms and impairs gastric slow waves in healthy volunteers. AP at ST36 is able to improve upper and lower abdominal symptoms and impaired gastric slow waves induced by RD, possibly mediated via the vagal pathway.
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Am. J. Physiol. Regul. Integr. Comp. Physiol. · Jul 2012
Tryptophan metabolism activation by indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase in adipose tissue of obese women: an attempt to maintain immune homeostasis and vascular tone.
Human obesity is characterized by chronic low-grade inflammation in white adipose tissue and is often associated with hypertension. The potential induction of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase-1 (IDO1), the rate-limiting enzyme in tryptophan/kynurenine degradation pathway, by proinflammatory cytokines, could be associated with these disorders but has remained unexplored in obesity. Using immunohistochemistry, we detected IDO1 expression in white adipose tissue of obese patients, and we focused on its contribution in the regulation of vascular tone and on its immunoregulatory effects. ⋯ The Th17/Treg balance is decreased in subcutaneous fat and correlates with IDO1 activation. In contrast, in the omental compartment, despite IDO1 activation, the Th17/Treg balance control is impaired. Taken together, our results suggest that IDO1 activation represents a local compensatory mechanism to limit obesity-induced inflammation and hypertension.