Gastric emptying of two radiolabelled antacids
Article Abstract:
In duodenal ulcer, there is an imbalance between the destructive effects of gastric acid and the protective effects of the intestinal mucosa. One common treatment strategy is to suppress either the secretion or destructive potential of gastric acid. One way to do this is to administer antacids, which presumably neutralize the gastric acid before it can do any damage. Recent studies have shown that antacid doses too low to completely neutralize the excess gastric acidity are therapeutic; the reason for this remains unclear. Aluminum contained in the antacid preparations may stimulate protective mechanisms in the gastrointestinal mucosa. The effectiveness of antacids is dependent upon a number of independent factors, including their chemical composition, time of ingestion, the secretory capacity of the stomach, and the rate at which nutrients and non-nutrients (such as the antacid) are emptied from the stomach. To evaluate the rate of gastric emptying of two antacids (magaldrate and Maalox), the two compounds were radioactively labelled (a process which did not affect the stability or effectiveness of the original compound), and administered to 15 healthy volunteers after ingestion of a standardized normal meal. The rate of gastric emptying of the two compounds was measured by monitoring the disappearance of radioactive label from the stomach. The two antacids were administered in random order with a one-week separation between experiments. Maalox was found to empty much faster from the stomach (the percentage remaining in the stomach at 15 and 30 minutes was far less) than magaldrate. Theoretically, the more slowly emptied magaldrate should provide greater neutralizing and protective effects. It is not known whether this is, in fact, the case. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: Gut
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0017-5749
Year: 1991
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Whole-abdominal irradiation for the management of gastrointestinal and abdominal manifestations of agnogenic myeloid metaplasia
Article Abstract:
Agnogenic myeloid metaplasia is a proliferative disorder of bone marrow cells. The cause is not known (that is, agnogenic). Signs of fibrosis are generally evident in the bone marrow, and there are deposits of bone marrow cells producing blood cells outside the actual bone marrow. Bone marrow tissue may be found in the peritoneal lining of the abdomen in as many as 15 percent of cases; these cells may stimulate the accumulation of ascites fluid, causing abdominal enlargement, pain, and weight loss. The authors report the successful use of radiation therapy to treat a woman with agnogenic myeloid metaplasia. The patient was 56 years when her condition was first diagnosed; at that time her symptoms of anemia an spleen enlargement were treated with folic acid. Ten years later, however, the patient began to develop increased girth, malaise, and weight loss. Numerous nodules were found on the peritoneal surface; these nodules were confirmed to be megakaryocytes, a form of bone marrow cell. The patient was treated with radiation to the abdomen. Although a total dose of 1,000 cGy had been prescribed, side effects limited the dose to 800 cGy. (A Gy, or Gray, is a dose of radiation equivalent to one joule of energy absorbed per kilogram of tissue. It is equal to 100 rads.) In contrast with some previous reports, a rapid recovery was not observed in this case. However, the patient improved slowly. Within five months following treatment, the ascites fluid that distended the patient's abdomen, the malaise, and the abdominal discomfort had resolved. The patient has regained most of her lost weight and is currently free of symptoms 15 months after radiation treatment. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: Cancer
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0008-543X
Year: 1991
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