Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oklahoma. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 148-162).

Aim To determine that carbon dioxide (CO2), instead of air, insufflated during colonoscopy reduces pain experienced by patients post colonoscopy. Method A randomised, double blinded, controlled trial with 205 consecutive consented patients referred for elective colonoscopy was undertaken at MidCentral Health Gastroenterology Department between July 2008 and January 2009. Patients were randomised to colonic insufflation with either air or CO2. A comparison of reported pain was undertaken using a 0 -10 point numeric rating scale at several time periods; intra procedure, 10, 30, and 60 minutes post procedure. Results The results were analysed using the SPSS programme. CO2 insufflation was used in 108 patients and air in 97 patients. Pain scores 10 minutes after were 0.43 ± 1.20 for CO2 and 1.61 ± 2.40 for air (P < .0001). 30 minutes after the procedure 90% of patients in the CO2 group reported no pain, compared to 61% of the air group. CO2 significantly reduced the amount of discomfort post colonoscopy at 10, 30 and 60 minutes. Conclusion Those receiving CO2 during colonoscopy experienced less post colonoscopy pain than those who received air insufflation. Carbon dioxide should be considered as the insufflating gas during colonoscopy.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 83-100).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2007. / Title from first page of PDF file (viewed on June 26, 2009). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.) -- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, 2003. / Vita. Bibliography: 180-208.

Cette étude a pour objectif d'évaluer la relation entre la structure (au niveau physique et / ou moléculaire) de son de blé et de la couche à aleurone et leurs effets santé. En gardant la composition du son et de l'aleurone constante, leur structures ont été modifiés par des traitements mécaniques et / ou enzymatiques de façon à casser leur structure matricielle complexe et d'augmenter la bioaccessibilité des leurs fibres alimentaires et composés phénoliques. La capacité antioxydante des ces fractions a été évaluée par une méthode standard in vitro et par un modèle de digestion gastrique in vitro. La déstructuration physique du son et aleurone par le broyage a augmenté leur surface spécifique conduisant à une plus grande exposition du groupement acide férulique (AF) qui a augmenté leur capacité antioxydante. Le traitement enzymatique réalisée sur aleurone a modifié son organisation moléculaire, qui a largement libéré l'AF des arabinoxylanes (AX). Cette destructuration a apporté une amélioration plus importante sur la capacité antioxydante de l'aleurone que celle mené par le broyage. Comme l'aleurone est riche en AX fermentescibles, les effets de sa structure plus accessible et avec une plus grande dépolymérisation ont été évaluées en utilisant un modèle in vitro en mimant le côlon humain. La déstructuration physique de l'aleurone par le broyage n'a pas amélioré leur pouvoir fermentescible, c'est à dire que le métabolisme de composés phénoliques et de la formation des chaînes courtes d'acides gras ont été comparable à ceux obtenus pour l'aleurone natif. Néanmoins, la dégradation enzymatique de l'aleurone en apportant une plus grande quantité des AX soluble et de l'AF biodisponible a augmenté le métabolisme de l'AF dans le colon dans des métabolites avec propriétés anti-inflammatoires. Une étude in vivo avec des souris sur un régime riche en graisses a été fait pour évaluer le potentiel de l'aleurone physiquement et moléculaire déstructuré pour neutraliser les désordres métaboliques tels que l'obésité, le stress oxydatif et l'inflammation. La déstructuration physique de l'aleurone n'a pas eu d'effet positif sur les désordres métaboliques. La fraction d'aleurone qui a présenté la plus grande quantité d'AX soluble et de l'AF biodisponible a bien réduit l'obésité (gain de poids, l'adiposité et la sécrétion de leptine) et la résistance à l'insuline chez la souris. Par contre, aucune différence significative n'a été observée dans le stress oxydatif et l'inflammation des souris nourries avec des régimes enrichis en aleurone. En conclusion, nous avons démontré que les effets santé de l'aleurone sont clairement liées à l'intégrité de sa structure. Ses effets santé ont été accrues par une modification de sa structure principalement au niveau moléculaire en dégradant ses parois cellulaire pour augmenter la bioaccessibilité et la biodisponibilité des composés nutritionnellement intéressants, tels que l'AX et l'FA. / The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the structure (at physical and/or molecular level) of wheat bran and aleurone and their health effects. Keeping the composition of bran and aleurone constant, their structure was modified by mechanical and/or enzymatic treatments in order to disrupt their complex matrix structure and increase the bioaccessibility of their dietary fibre and phenolic compounds. The antioxidant capacity of the bran and aleurone fractions was evaluated by a standard in vitro test and by an in vitro gastric digestion model. The grinding disrupted the physical structure of bran and aleurone increasing their specific surface leading to a greater exposition of ferulic acid moiety (FA) which increased their antioxidant capacity. Enzymatic treatment performed on aleurone acted on its molecular organisation releasing its FA from arabinoxylans (AX). This destructuration improved the antioxidant capacity of aleurone even more than the one allowed by grinding. As aleurone is rich in highly fermentable AX, the effects of its better accessibility and depolymerisation were evaluated using an in vitro model mimicking the human colon. The physical destructuration of aleurone by grinding did not improve its fermentability, i.e. the colonic metabolism of phenolic compounds and the formation of short-chain fatty acids were similar compared to the native aleurone. Nevertheless, the enzymatic degradation of aleurone produced higher amount of soluble AX and bioavailable FA improving the metabolism of colonic FA in metabolites with anti-inflammatory properties. An in vivo mouse study with a high-fat diet was used to evaluate the potential of physically and molecularly destructured aleurone to counteract the metabolic disorders, such as obesity, oxidative stress and inflammation. The physical destructuration of aleurone did not have any positive effect on the metabolic disorders. The aleurone fraction, which presented the highest level of soluble AX and bioavailable FA, reduced the obesity (body weight gain, adiposity, and leptin secretion) and insulin resistance in mice. But no significant differences were observed in the oxidative stress and inflammation status of mice fed with any of the aleurone-based diets. In conclusion, we demonstrated that the aleurone health effects were clearly linked to the integrity of its structure. Its health effects have been increased by modification of its structure mainly at molecular level by degrading its cell wall to increase the bioaccessibility and bioavailability of nutritionally interesting compounds, such as AX and FA.

Les plantes médicinales Diplotaxis harra et Diplotaxis simplex occupent une place importante dans la pharmacopée traditionnelle grâce à leurs compositions variées en métabolites secondaires tels que les flavonoïdes. Ces derniers jouent un rôle important dans plusieurs activités biologiques, notamment anti-inflammatoires et anti-cancéreuses. Dans ce contexte, et à la recherche de molécules bioactives dans D. harra et D. simplex, nous avons mis au point un nouveau modèle d'étude in vitro des cellules souches à l'origine des pathologies inflammatoires et cancéreuses coliques où leur survie dépend de l'activation de la Glycogène Synthase Kinase 3beta (GSK3beta) en aval du récepteur de protéases inflammatoires PAR2. Ce modèle a permis la purification bioguidée de glucoflavonoïdes à partir d'un extrait méthanolique des fleurs de D. harra capables d'inhiber GSK3beta via la voie PKC. Ainsi, l'Isorhamnétine-3,7-di-O-glucoside s'est révélé cytotoxique vis à vis des cellules inflammatoires ou cancéreuses coliques tout en épargnant les cellules normales. D'autre part, en raison de l'intérêt grandissant porté aux fractions volatiles en thérapeutique, nous avons étudié les compositions chimiques et les activités antioxydantes des fractions volatiles des feuilles et des fleurs de D. simplex. En se basant sur la technique chromatographique en phase gazeuse couplée à la spectrométrie de masse (GC-MS), nous avons montré que les deux fractions volatiles contiennent des quantités importantes de composés soufrés/azotés, parmi lesquels le 5-methylthiopentanenitrile et le 1-isothiocyanatobutane pourraient être impliqués dans l'effet antioxydant des fleurs de D. simplex. En conclusion, nos travaux ont permis de révéler l'axe PAR2/GSK3beta comme une nouvelle voie de survie des cellules souches coliques et l'intérêt thérapeutique des glucoflavonoïdes et des fractions volatiles de l'espèce Diplotaxis. / The medicinal plants Diplotaxis harra and Diplotaxis simplex occupy an important place in traditional medicine due to their varied compositions in secondary metabolites such as flavonoids. Flavonoids play an important role in many biological activities, including inflammation and cancer. In this context and in search of bioactive molecules in D. harra and D. simplex, we have developed a new study model, in vitro, where colonic stem cells causing inflammatory diseases and colorectal cancer survive through the activation of Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3beta (GSK3beta) downstream of inflammatory proteases PAR2 receptor. This model allowed the bio-guided purification of glucoflavonoids from a methanol extract of D. harra flowers able to inhibit GSK3beta via a PKC-dependent pathway. Thus, isorhamnetin-3,7-di-O-glucoside was found to be cytotoxic against inflammatory or colon cancer cells while sparing normal cells. On the other hand, due to the growing interest in therapeutic volatile fractions, we studied the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of volatile fractions of leaves and flowers of D. simplex. Based on the gas chromatography mass spectrometry technique (GC-MS), we have shown that both volatile fractions contain significant amounts of sulfur/nitrogen compounds, including 5-methylthiopentanenitrile and 1-isothiocyanatobutane, which might be involved in the antioxidant effect of flowers from D. simplex. In conclusion, our work revealed the axis PAR2/GSK3beta as a new survival pathway for colon stem cells and the therapeutic value of glucoflavonoids and volatile fractions of Diplotaxis species.

No description available.

Immunohistological (IHC) stained images occupy a fundamental role in the pathologist¿s diagnosis and monitoring of cancer development. The manual process of monitoring such images is a subjective, time consuming process that typically relies on the visual ability and experience level of the pathologist. A novel and comprehensive system for the automated quantification of antibody inside stained cell nuclei in immunohistochemistry images is proposed and demonstrated in this research. The system is based on a cellular level approach, where each nucleus is individually analyzed to observe the effects of protein antibodies inside the nuclei. The system provides three main quantitative descriptions of stained nuclei. The first quantitative measurement automatically generates the total number of cell nuclei in an image. The second measure classifies the positive and negative stained nuclei based on the nuclei colour, morphological and textural features. Such features are extracted directly from each nucleus to provide discriminative characteristics of different stained nuclei. The output generated from the first and second quantitative measures are used collectively to calculate the percentage of positive nuclei (PS). The third measure proposes a novel automated method for determining the staining intensity level of positive nuclei or what is known as the intensity score (IS). The minor intensity features are observed and used to classify low, intermediate and high stained positive nuclei. Statistical methods were applied throughout the research to validate the system results against the ground truth pathology data. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach and provide high accuracy when compared to the ground truth pathology data.

No / Tea catechin epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and other polyphenols, such as theaflavins (TFs), are increasingly proving useful as chemopreventives in a number of human cancers. They can also affect normal cells. The polyphenols in tea are known to have antioxidant properties that can quench free radical species, and pro-oxidant activities that appear to be responsible for the induction of apoptosis in tumor cells. The bioavailability of these natural compounds is an important factor that determines their efficacy. Nanoparticle (NP)-mediated delivery techniques of EGCG and TFs have been found to improve their bioavailability to a level that could benefit their effectiveness as chemopreventives. AIM: The present study was conducted to compare the effects of TFs and EGCG, when used in the bulk form and in the polymer (poly[lactic-co-glycolic acid])-based NP form, in oxaliplatin- and satraplatin-treated lymphocytes as surrogate cells from colorectal cancer patients and healthy volunteers. NPs were examined for their size distribution, surface morphology, entrapment efficiency and release profile. Lymphocytes were treated in the Comet assay with oxaliplatin and satraplatin, washed and treated with bulk or NP forms of tea phenols, washed and then treated with hydrogen peroxide to determine single-strand breaks after crosslinking. The results of DNA damage measurements by the Comet assay revealed opposite trends in bulk and NP forms of TFs, as well as EGCG. Both the compounds in the bulk form produced statistically significant concentration-dependent reductions in DNA damage in oxaliplatin- or satraplatin-treated lymphocytes. In contrast, when used in the NP form both TFs and EGCG, although initially causing a reduction, produced a concentration-dependent statistically significant increase in DNA damage in the lymphocytes. These observations support the notion that TFs and EGCG act as both antioxidants and pro-oxidants, depending on the form in which they are administered under the conditions of investigation.