Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
2
pubmed:dateCreated
1999-3-16
pubmed:abstractText
Excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages may be associated with gastrointestinal symptoms, including dyspepsia and diarrhoea. It is not clear whether or not chronic alcohol ingestion damages the mucosa of the small intestine. We investigated the effect of chronic alcohol abuse on the duodenal mucosa, and particularly on its extracellular matrix (ECM) network. Duodenal biopsy specimens were obtained during upper gastrointestinal endoscopy from 50 chronic alcoholics without cirrhosis and 10 healthy subjects. Morphological studies were performed by routine histology, immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. Morphometry of duodenal tissues was performed with a computerized image analyser. No significant duodenal epithelial changes were found in alcoholics, despite an evident reduction in the enterocyte turnover. Myofibroblast-like cells were significantly increased in the villus stroma of alcoholics in comparison to controls. These cells stained positively for desmin, alpha-smooth muscle actin and for several ECM components. In alcohol abusers the thickness of the mucosal basement membrane was greater and the staining for collagen I and III was enhanced both in the basement membrane and in the villus stroma. A higher expression of tenascin was also seen at the base of villi of alcoholics. Chronic alcohol abuse may induce fibrosis of duodenal villi which is associated with a transformation of villus juxta-parenchymal cells into active subepithelial myofibroblast-like cells able to produce different ECM components.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Feb
pubmed:issn
0945-6317
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
434
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
127-35
pubmed:dateRevised
2006-11-15
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
1999
pubmed:articleTitle
Ethanol-induced alterations of matrix network in the duodenal mucosa of chronic alcohol abusers.
pubmed:affiliation
Alcohol Research Centre, Department of Clinical Pathophysiology, University of Florence, Italy. a.casini@dfc.unifi.it
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't