Background and aim: Evidence exists for the pathogenic role of the enteric flora in inflammatory bowel disease. Probiotics contain living microorganisms which exert health effects on the host. We compared the efficacy in maintaining remission of the probiotic preparation Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 and established therapy with mesalazine in patients with ulcerative colitis. Patients and methods: In total, 327 patients were recruited and assigned to a double blind, double dummy trial to receive either the probiotic drug 200 mg once daily (n = 162) or mesalazine 500 mg three times daily (n = 165). The study lasted for 12 months and patients were assessed by clinical and endoscopic activity indices (Rachmilewitz) as well as by histology. The primary aim of the study was to confirm equivalent efficacy of the two drugs in the prevention of relapses. Results: The per protocol analysis revealed relapses in 40/110 (36.4%) patients in the E coli Nissle 1917 group and 38/112 (33.9%) in the mesalazine group (significant equivalence p = 0.003). Subgroup analyses showed no differences between the treatment groups in terms of duration and localisation of disease or pretrial treatment. Safety profile and tolerability were very good for both groups and were not different. Conclusions: The probiotic drug E coli Nissle 1917 shows efficacy and safety in maintaining remission equivalent to the gold standard mesalazine in patients with ulcerative colitis. The effectiveness of probiotic treatment further underlines the pathogenetic significance of the enteric flora.

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The use of sedation in gastrointestinal endoscopy has markedly increased over the last 13 years and the use of electronic monitoring has become standard practice. A significant percentage of Swiss gastroenterologists report that they use propofol, mainly in a hospital setting.

The practice of sedation, including monitoring practice for digestive endoscopy, continues to evolve throughout the world. In many countries, including Switzerland, there is a trend towards increased utilization of sedation during both routine and advanced endoscopic procedures. Sedation improves patient satisfaction with endoscopy and also improves the quality of the examination. In addition, a trend can be observed towards an increasing use of propofol as the preferred sedative drug. Here we review the latest published data from surveys describing sedation and monitoring practice in different countries and compare them with our own data from successive nationwide surveys among Swiss gastroenterologists over a period of 20 years. This development between these socioeconomically very similar Western industrialized countries, however, shows some unique and surprising differences. In Germany and Switzerland, propofol use has become increasingly widespread, in Switzerland even to the extent that during the last few years propofol has overtaken benzodiazepine sedation, with an absolute majority of Swiss gastroenterologists using it without the assistance of an anesthesiologist. In addition, the change in Switzerland reflects a successful generalization of nonanesthesiologist-administered propofol (NAAP) sedation from the hospital setting to private practice.

In six conscious dogs we compared the action of the M1-receptor antagonist telenzepine (20.25-81.0 nmol.kg-1.h-1), the cholecystokinin (CCK) antagonist L-364,718 (0.025-0.1 mg.kg-1.h-1), and combinations of both on the pancreatic secretory response to intraduodenal tryptophan, given against a secretin background before and after truncal vagotomy. Before vagotomy, the higher doses of telenzepine and of L-364,718 significantly (P < 0.05) decreased the protein response to tryptophan by up to 97%. After vagotomy, all doses of L-364,718 abolished the protein response, whereas telenzepine had no further effect. Before and after vagotomy, all combinations abolished the protein response. The plasma CCK-like immunoreactivity basally, during secretin, and in response to tryptophan was not altered by vagotomy, telenzepine, and/or L-364,718. These findings indicate that in dogs 1) potentiation exists between M1 receptors and CCK for stimulation of the pancreatic enzyme response to intraduodenal tryptophan, 2) the cholinergic fibers of the enteropancreatic reflex activated by tryptophan run within the vagus nerves and end at least in part on M1 receptors, 3) CCK acts in part independently of the vagal nerves, and 4) the CCK release by intestinal tryptophan is not influenced by vagotomy, telenzepine, and/or L-364,718.

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We determined the effects of three different doses of pancreatic polypeptide (50, 200, and 800 pmol X kg-1 X h-1) on pancreatic responses to graded doses of intravenous secretin, caerulein, and bethanechol and intraduodenal HCl, L-phenylalanine, and sodium oleate in dogs. The two lowest doses of pancreatic polypeptide (PP), which produced blood levels lower than measured after a meal, significantly inhibited the pancreatic responses to secretin, caerulein, HCl, and L-phenylalanine; the highest dose of PP inhibited the responses to bethanechol and sodium oleate. There was no difference in the degree of inhibition of bicarbonate or protein secretion caused by pancreatic polypeptide. With secretin, caerulein, bethanechol, and sodium oleate, inhibition was most pronounced against lower doses and was surmountable with higher doses of these stimulants. Inhibition of responses to HCl and L-phenylalanine was observed at all doses of these stimulants. Inhibition of the exocrine pancreatic secretory responses to six different stimulants by PP suggests that this hormone may play an important role in regulation of postprandial pancreatic secretion.