Gastrointestinal Symptoms | SilverScorpio.Com

First transgenic mouse created to mimic Parkinson’s earliest symptoms

Washington, May 4 (ANI): Researchers have created the first transgenic mouse to display the earliest signs of Parkinson’s disease using the genetic mutation that is characteristic of human forms of the disease.

The mouse model, which expresses the same mutant proteins as human Parkinson’s patients, also displays early signs of constipation and other gastrointestinal problems that are a common harbinger of the disease in humans.

Thus, researchers at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) have said that these animals could serve as a means of investigating therapies for reversing the neurological dysfunction of the disease at its earliest stages.

For a long time, researchers have suspected that the neurological component of Parkinson’s, which causes tremors and stiffness among other symptoms, is actually a late-stage effect of a larger, systemic problem, says Dr. Robert L. Nussbaum, senior author on the paper.

“This new model validates that theory by mimicking what we know to be the genetic pathway leading to Parkinson’s, while also displaying the earliest symptoms that occur in humans. This will give us an important tool in identifying an early intervention for this devastating disease,” said Nussbaum.

The UCSF mouse model is the first to display the full gastrointestinal symptoms as well, and is consistent with the progression of the disease in humans.

The study has been published in the latest issue of the journal, ‘Human Molecular Genetics’. (ANI)

Shift workers at increased irritable bowel syndrome risk

Washington, Mar 19 (ANI): Shift workers face a significantly increased risk of developing Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and abdominal pain compared to those working a standard day-time schedule, says a new study.

The study has been published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

“We know that people participating in shift work often complain of gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain, constipation and diarrhea,” says Sandra Hoogerwerf, M.D., assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School. “These are the same symptoms of IBS.”

IBS is the most common functional bowel disorder and is difficult to identify because it is diagnosed by clinical symptoms rather than tests, says Hoogerwerf, lead author of the study. IBS symptoms include recurrent episodes of abdominal pain or cramping in connection with altered bowel habits.

Hoogerwerf and her colleagues evaluated nurses classified into three groups—214 working permanent day shifts, 110 working permanent night shifts and 75 working rotating shifts between day and night—based on self-reported abdominal symptoms and sleep quality. More than 85 percent were women.

“Our findings suggest that nurses participating in shift work, particularly those who participate in rotating shift work, have a higher prevalence of IBS and abdominal pain. This association is independent of sleep quality,” the authors write.

“We know the colon has its own biological clock and that”s what increases the likelihood of having a bowel movement in the first six hours of the day,” Hoogerwerf says.

“Shift work can cause chronic disruption of that biological rhythm, resulting in that clock to constantly be thrown off and needing to adjust, creating symptoms of diarrhea, boating, constipation and abdominal pain and discomfort.”

The researchers say their study suggests that sleep disturbances do not completely explain the existence of IBS or abdominal pain associated with shift work.

“The question now for further research is if IBS and abdominal pain is an underlying manifestation of a circadian rhythm disorder,” Hoogerwerf says. (ANI)

First transgenic mouse created to mimic Parkinson’s earliest symptoms

Shift workers at increased irritable bowel syndrome risk

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