The introductory lecture was given by prof. S.J. Konturek with his collaborators and Dr Mitchel L. Schubert (from Viginia University Medical College, Richmond, USA) reviewing the complex mechanisms controlling gastric acid secretion and mucosal integrity with focus on the gastroprotective influence of gut hormonal peptides regulating the food intake. The world-expert in melatonin research, prof. George A. Bubenik from the University of Guelph, Canada discussed his 30 yr research experience with the generation and biological activity of gastrointestinal (GI), hepato-biliary system and pancreatic melatonin. Prof. Peter C. Konturek from Erlangen-Nurnberg University, Germany with his collaborators of Cracow Physiology Department, provided the first evidence that tryptophan (Trp) rich diet enhances, while Trp free-diet delays ulcer healing possibly due to the deficiency of gastric mucosal generation of melatonin from Trp. Together with Prof. Krzysztof Celinski and Maria S³omka from Lublin Medical University, he also demonstrated for the first time in humans that prolong administration of aspirin (ASA) enhances the mucosal formation of melatonin in human gastric mucosa and that this may contribute to the well-known phenomenon of gastric adaptation to ASA. Prof. Brzozowski and his team provided the evidence supporting the role of ASA-triggered lipoxins in the gastric mucosal adaptation to ASA in experimental animals humans, while Dr Slwomir Kwiecien and his co-workers showed that NO-donors such as NO-ASA reduce mucosal lesions in animals exposed to stressful conditions such as water immersion and restraint stress due to the increase of antioxidants and antioxidant enzymes experssion in gastric mucosa. Prof. Esam Dajani and K. Islam from Long Groove, USA discussed extremly important practical issue of the interaction and toxicity of novel COX-2 inhibitors on the cardiovascular and digestive system. Dr Piotr Pierzchalski and his colleagues using isolated gastric carcinoma cells provided an evidence for anti-apoptotic action of PPAR
agonists used along with the -radiation.
Moreover, they showed that the up-regulated HSP70, in response to PPAR
agonists in -irradiated
cultures promotes cell survival.Prof. M. Kapica and her colleagues mostly from Japan universities including prof. Kuwahara showed that obestatin and apelin affect the pancreatic secretion, while orexin A and B stimulate insulin release without affecting exocrine pancreas, suggesting that feed intake-regulating peptides are involved in the control of the exocrine and endocrine pancreas. Prof. Agnieszka Fogel from Lodz Medical University attempted to determine the influence of porto-caval anastomosis (PCA) on plasma levels of gut hormones and histamine showing that in rats, serum concentrations of CCK were higher, leptin concentrations lower, while there were no differences between the groups in insulin level, concluding that the adaptive mechanisms efficiently render PCA rats less sensitive to peripheral and central anorexigenic signals. Orexin A appears to be involved in the counteracting mechanisms preventing body mass loss in PCA rats. Prof. Oksana Zayachkiwska and coworkers from Lviv Medical University tested the hypothesis that an imbalance in nonenzymatic glycation and glycooxidation, enhanced peroxynitrite formation, may play an important role in development of esophageal mucosa lesions during streptozotocin-induced experimental hyperglycemia. Dr L. Nowak et al. attempted to determine the contribution of gastric vagal afferent input to the altered sensations associated with gastrointestinal disorders. They found that gastric vagal afferents activity in rats affect the healing of experimental gastric ulcer.
In clinical portion of the symposium, in addition to the studies by Prof. Celinski et al. on the already mentioned effects of aspirin on gastric melatonin release, the frequency and pathogenesis of non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding has been discussed and standard of their treatment have been proposed by Prof. Celinski and his co-workers from Lublin Medical University. Prof. Cichoz-Lach and associates discussed the most frequent causes of portal hypertension including portal vein thrombosis, storage diseases of the liver, and hepatic cirrhosis. It was concluded that the pathophysiology of portal hypertension could be of great utility in preventing and curing the complications of portal hypertension, such as esophageal varices, hepatic encephalopathy and ascites. Finally, prof. Krystyna Zwirska-Korczala at al. of Silesian Medical University showed changes in basal and postprandial plasma gut hormones affecting appetite such as ghrelin and PYY and insulin.
We wish to greatly thank to all institutions sponsoring the 24th Congress of Polish Society of Physiology, particularly its 4 session entitled Gastroenterology and Liver Physiology and the publication of this supplemental issue of the Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology, particularly to Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Warsaw, the Dean of Faculty of Medicine, Medical College of Jagiellonian University Cracow and Rector and Dean of Lublin Academy of Medicine.
| Guest Editors Prof. Dr S.J. Konturek and Prof. Dr T. Brzozowski |