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The nonessential amino acid glycine has been shown to be anti-inflammatory in several animal injury models. Recent studies demonstrated that dietary glycine protected both the lung and liver against lethal doses of endotoxin in rat or other animals and improved graft survival after liver transplantation. The influence of dietary glycine on oxidant-induced or cholestatic liver injury was not known.

A study by researchers in Japan concludes that Double Balloon EndoscopyT (DBE) was very useful in the diagnosis of obscure gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding and had a therapeutic impact on the majority of patients. The study appears in the October issue of GIE: Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, the monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE).

It is believed that the generation of an exaggerated intestinal immune response to otherwise innocuous stimuli along with generation of oxygen free radicals plays a key role in the pathophysiology of UC. However, no disease-specific treatment for UC has yet emerged.

ETT assessment is used to diagnose diseases, such as gastroesophageal reflux, dysphagia, esophagitis, and achalasia. These studies are commonly performed in conjunction with scintigraphic and manometric techniques, despite the use of ionizing radiation and catheters, for each of these additional techniques, respectively. Recently, several types of assessments were performed using the biomagnetic technique, including the assessment of gastric emptying time.

Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. (NASDAQ:SLXP) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted marketing approval for APRISOT (mesalamine) extended-release capsules 0.375 g. APRISO is a locally-acting aminosalicylate indicated for the maintenance of remission of ulcerative colitis (UC) in adults. APRISO is the first and only mesalamine product approved by the FDA for once-a-day dosing for the maintenance of remission of ulcerative colitis.

We have previously shown that E2 and P4 have clear and distinct effects on inflammatory response and gastric epithelial changes during early H. pylori infection. Recently, Ohtani et al., have shown a protective role of E2 administration in H. pylori-infected InGas mice. Other studies have demonstrated that E2 and P4 have anti-ulcerative effects in murine gastric mucosa. ER and PR have been reported in human, mouse and rat stomachs.

Biohit is extending its range of diagnostic tests for gastrointestinal diseases with ColonView Hb and Hb/Hp quick tests, which are intended to aid early diagnosis and prevention of colorectal cancer. ColonView testing can be used for simple and cost-effective identification of patients with fecal occult blood, which is a well-known marker for colorectal cancer and pre-cancerous large adenomas.

SAN FRANCISCO (MedPage Today) -- Acetaminophen given to children at recommended doses causes virtually no risk of liver toxicity, data from a large retrospective study suggested.

SAN FRANCISCO (MedPage Today) -- Children with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are more than 13 times as likely to die over a 20-year period or need a transplant as kids in the general population, a researcher said here.

SAN FRANCISCO (MedPage Today) -- Dying liver-transplant candidates with a poor risk for long-term survival should not be moved ahead on the waiting list of those with better prospects, a surgeon proposed here.