Work sessions Flashcards
What five things should be the focus of an assessment of readiness to lose weight?
- How they’re feeling about losing weight (previous attempts, motivation etc)
- How life would be different if they did (expectations)
- Advantages and disadvantages of weight loss
- Barriers to weight loss (eg binge eating)
- Support mechanisms
Which two things are used to calculate daily energy expenditure?
- Basal metabolic rate
2. Physical activity ratios
What is gastric acid secretion stimulated by?
Acetylcholine and gastrin binding to receptors on parietal cells. They also indirectly stimulate it by stimulating the release of histamine from ECL cells.
What is gastric acid inhibited by?
- Somatostatin
- Prostaglandin binds to a receptor on the parietal cell and activates an inhibitory G protein that inhibits adenylate cyclase so decreases gastric acid production.
A peptic ulcer is a break in epithelial cells that penetrates to the _____________ (which layer?) in the _________ or ___________
Muscluaris mucosa, stomach, duodenum
What are the symptoms of a peptic ulcer?
- burning/gnawing pain in upper left abdomen, maybe after eating, worse at night.
- indigestion, heart burn
- loss of appetite, weight loss
- vomiting
- melina
What are peptic ulcer symptoms relieved by?
Eating and antacid tablets
What are three potential complications of a peptic ulcer?
- Perforation
- Internal bleeding
- Scar tissue (makes digestion difficult)
What are two main causes of peptic ulceration?
- Helicobacter pylori
2. NSAIDS
Is H. Pylori gram negative or positive?
Gram negative
Which cells does H. Pylori adhere to?
Gastric mucosal cells
Which enzyme does H. Pylori express? What does this do? Why is this beneficial for H. Pylori?
Urease, catalyses the conversion of urea into water and ammonia. Ammonia is alkaline so neutralises stomach acid, aiding H. Pylori’s survival
Which toxins do some strains of H. Pylori express? What do they do?
CagA (induces apoptosis) and VacA (increases cell permeability and prevents normal immune responses.)
Both associated with higher levels of inflammation
Other than peptic ulcers, what upper GI disorders are associated with H. Pylori?
Non ulcer dyspepsia Stomach cancer (CagA)
How is H. Pylori diagnosed?
- Breath test
- Stool antigen test
- Blood test for antibodies
- Biopsy (usually if endoscopy being done anyway)
Which patients with dyspepsia might undergo an endoscopy?
- > 55yo with dyspepsia
2. Red flags for cancer (weight loss, melaena, anorexia, dysphagia, haematemesis)
How is H. Pylori treated?
PPI + 2 antibiotics (amoxycillin + clarithromycin/metronidazole)
What is the name of the proton pump that PPIs act on?
H+/K+ ATPase
What is the role of the enzyme COX?
Converts arachadonic acid into e.g. prostaglandin, prostacyclins, thromboxane.
What is the role of prostaglandins?
Promote inflammation, vasodilation and smooth muscle contraction. A paracrine hormone.
How do NSAIDs work?
Inhibit COX
What are the two isoenzyme forms of COX?
COX 1 (expressed all the time in a range of tissues including gastric mucosa) and COX 2 (in monocytes and macrophages in response to inflammation)
Why might aspirin use encourage secretion of excess gastric acid?
It inhibits COX which inhibits gastric acid via prostaglandins. So gastric acid secretion not inhibited.
Which isoenzyme of COX needs to be inhibited for NSAIDs to have their desired effect?
COX 2 - so want a drug specific to this.
What is a concern about COX 2 inhibitors?
They may increase risk of coronary heart disease
What is a further problem with taking aspirin if you already have a peptic ulcer?
Aspirin is an antithrombolytic so the ulcer is more likely to bleed.
How to H2 antagonists (another anti-ulcer drug) work? What are some names of these drugs?
Bind to histamine 2 receptors so histimine can’t bind- less stomach acid produced.
e.g. Ranitidine and Famotidine (available OTC)
Why can breathlessness be a symptom of a bleeding peptic ulcer?
Losing blood so become anaemic.
What can be done during an endoscopy to treat an ulcer?
inject adrenaline, thermocoagluation, seaking perforated ulcer
Describe the absorption of water, sodium, glucose, amino acids and chloride ions into the blood from the small intestine.
- Sodium rapidly exported from the cell by sodium pumps into the intercellular space so cell sodium concentration is low.
- Sodium is absorbed from the gut lumen down its concentration gradient by several mechanisms but in particular co-transport with glucose and amino acids, and by anti-port exchange with proteins.
- Cl- enters by anti-port exchange with bicarbonate ions.
- Water diffuses into the cell from the gut lumen due to osmotic gradient created by sodium. Mostly transcellular, some through tight junctions.
- Water and sodium diffuse into the blood.
Describe the lifecycle of an enterocyte
Begins life in the Crypts of Lieberkuhn as a secreting cell. It migrates up the walls of the crypt and ends life as an absorbative cell on the villi.
True or false water is only ever absorbed from the gut, never secreted into it.
False, water is secreted into the gut to disperse chyme, maximise contact with the epithelium and allow efficient enzymatic digestion to occur.
Which two processes establish an osmotic gradient that pulls water into the lumen of the intestine?
- Influx of food resulting in an increase in luminal osmotic pressure .
- Crypt cells serete electrolytes. e.g. CFTR (aka cyclic-AMP dependent chloride channel) which transports chloride ions out of the cell.
As digestion of foodstuffs proceeds, does the osmotic pressure of the gut lumen increase or decrease?
Increases (so more water flows in)
What are CFTR channels activated by?
Elevated levels of cAMP in the cell.
What are the four most common mechanisms causing diahoerra?
- Osmotic (macro-molecules aren’t broken down and absorbed so remain in the gut and draw fluid in)
- Secretory (lots of secretion of ions and therefore water to the lumen e.g. C. diff, cholera)
- Motility (abnormal motile function of gut)
- Infection and inflammation (damage to mucosal cells so fluid released)
What might cause osmotic diarrhoea?
Enzyme deficiency e.g. lactose intolerance.
Why might patients with glucose-galactose intolerance have flatulence and bloating?
The food is undigested so remains in the gut and is fermented which produces gas.
Other than enzyme deficiency, what is a cause of glucose-galactos intolerance?
Mutation in the SGLT1 gene (sodium/glucose transporter) so glucose absorption impaired.
What sort of diarrhoea results from lactose intolerance?
Osmotic
Why might lactose intolerance lead to malabsorption of other nutrients?
Causes diarrhoea so the passage of food through the gut is too rapid for much to be absorbed.
CFTR predominantly transports Cl- but what else can it transport?
Bicarbonate ions
What is meconium ileus?
Inability of a baby to pass meconium (first faeces)- occurs in cystic fibrosis because the meconium is too thick and sticky
How does cystic fibrosis affect digestion?
Pancreatic fluid and HCO3- secretion is reduced, leading to blockage of pancreatic ducts with mucus and limited delivery of pancreatic enzymes to the duodenum. This causes inadequate digestion leading to steatorrhea, diarrhoea and wasting.
What condition is meconium ileus indicative of?
Cystic fibrosis
Why does steatorrhea occur in cystic fibrosis?
Lack of pancreatic enzymes so fat not broken down so it is still present in stools.
Is cholera a gram negative or gram positive bacteria?
Gram negative