Morphology of the digestive system of the lesser bamboo rat (Cannomys badius).

The lesser bamboo rat is a fossorial rodent within the monotypic genus Cannomys, family Spalacidae and is found in Indochina. The present work provides the first detailed description of the morphology of its digestive system, as examined by gross dissection and histological examination. The oesophagus was lined by a heavily keratinized epithelium and contained mostly striated muscles in the muscularis externa. The stomach was of the unilocular-hemiglandular type with a cornified squamous area at the fundus separated from the glandular area by the limiting ridge. The length ratio of the small intestine to the entire intestine was relatively low compared to that in other rodents. The caecum contained five to seven haustra and numerous lymphoid tissues, but no distinct appendix. Within the long colon, two non-papillated longitudinal folds forming a colonic groove, V-shaped mucosal folds like fishbones and abundant goblet cells were apparent. A five-lobed liver with a gallbladder and a diffuse pancreas were evident. These findings may indicate that the lesser bamboo rat is a caecal fermenter capable of feeding on highly abrasive plant material. Fermentation may take place via a mucus-trap colonic separation mechanism without coprophagy. The digestive system of the lesser bamboo rat is somewhat different from that of spalacid relatives.

D-CryptO: deep learning-based analysis of colon organoid morphology from brightfield images.

Stem cell-derived organoids are a promising tool to model native human tissues as they resemble human organs functionally and structurally compared to traditional monolayer cell-based assays. For instance, colon organoids can spontaneously develop crypt-like structures similar to those found in the native colon. While analyzing the structural development of organoids can be a valuable readout, using traditional image analysis tools makes it challenging because of the heterogeneities and the abstract nature of organoid morphologies. To address this limitation, we developed and validated a deep learning-based image analysis tool, named D-CryptO, for the classification of organoid morphology. D-CryptO can automatically assess the crypt formation and opacity of colorectal organoids from brightfield images to determine the extent of organoid structural maturity. To validate this tool, changes in organoid morphology were analyzed during organoid passaging and short-term forskolin stimulation. To further demonstrate the potential of D-CryptO for drug testing, organoid structures were analyzed following treatments with a panel of chemotherapeutic drugs. With D-CryptO, subtle variations in how colon organoids responded to the different chemotherapeutic drugs were detected, which suggest potentially distinct mechanisms of action. This tool could be expanded to other organoid types, like intestinal organoids, to facilitate 3D tissue morphological analysis.

Colorectal dimensions in the general population: impact of age and gender.

PURPOSE: Constipation is among the most common gastrointestinal disorders, although, there is no generally accepted objective diagnostic criteria thereof. It has been proposed that colorectal dimensions assessed with Computed Tomography (CT) or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) may support the diagnosis, but normative data are lacking. The aim of this study was to describe colorectal dimensions in a sample of the general population and to investigate whether the dimensions were under influence by age and gender. METHODS: The maximum diameters and cross-sectional areas of the ascending colon, descending colon and rectum were determined from 119 CT scans of trauma patients (age groups from 15 to 70 years, 84 men and 35 women). A regression model was applied to explore the impact of age and gender on colorectal dimensions. RESULTS: Overall, great variations were found for all colorectal diameters and cross-sectional areas (median diameter (5% percentiles; 95% percentiles): ascending 46 (26; 63) mm; descending 29 (16; 48) mm; rectum 39 (22; 67) mm. Women had larger rectal cross-sectional areas, reflecting more rectal content, compared to men (p = 0.003). Age did not affect colorectal diameters or cross-sectional areas (all p > 0.10). CONCLUSION: Great variations of colorectal dimensions were found. Larger rectal cross-sectional areas in women could likely reflect the fact that women have increased prevalence of constipation. Future studies should take gender into consideration when evaluating colorectal dimensions.

Over-Expression of Intestinal Alkaline Phosphatase Attenuates Atherosclerosis.

[Figure: see text].

Safety of natural anthraquinone emodin: an assessment in mice.

BACKGROUND: Emodin, a natural anthraquinone, has shown potential as an effective therapeutic agent in the treatment of many diseases including cancer. However, its clinical development is hindered by uncertainties surrounding its potential toxicity. The primary purpose of this study was to uncover any potential toxic properties of emodin in mice at doses that have been shown to have efficacy in our cancer studies. In addition, we sought to assess the time course of emodin clearance when administered both intraperitoneally (I.P.) and orally (P.O.) in order to begin to establish effective dosing intervals. METHODS: We performed a subchronic (12 week) toxicity study using 3 different doses of emodin (~ 20 mg/kg, 40 mg/kg, and 80 mg/kg) infused into the AIN-76A diet of male and female C57BL/6 mice (n = 5/group/sex). Body weight and composition were assessed following the 12-week feeding regime. Tissues were harvested and assessed for gross pathological changes and blood was collected for a complete blood count and evaluation of alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST) and creatinine. For the pharmacokinetic study, emodin was delivered intraperitoneally I.P. or P.O. at 20 mg/kg or 40 mg/kg doses to male and female mice (n = 4/group/sex/time-point) and circulating levels of emodin were determined at 1, 4 and 12 h following administration via liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis. RESULTS: We found that 12 weeks of low (20 mg/kg), medium (40 mg/kg), or high (80 mg/kg) emodin feeding did not cause pathophysiological perturbations in major organs. We also found that glucuronidated emodin peaks at 1 h for both I.P. and P.O. administered emodin and is eliminated by 12 h. Interestingly, female mice appear to metabolize emodin at a faster rate than male mice as evidenced by greater levels of glucuronidated emodin at the 1 h time-point (40 mg/kg for both I.P. and P.O. and 20 mg/kg I.P.) and the 4-h time-point (20 mg/kg I.P.). CONCLUSIONS: In summary, our studies establish that 1) emodin is safe for use in both male and female mice when given at 20, 40, and 80 mg/kg doses for 12 weeks and 2) sex differences should be considered when establishing dosing intervals for emodin treatment.

Exploration of colonic looping patterns in undisturbed cadaveric specimens.

INTRODUCTION: This study examines sex differences in the disposition of the sigmoid and transverse segments of the colon in undisturbed cadaveric abdomens and relates these findings to the anecdotal observation that colonoscopy is more challenging in females through the formation of tortuous bowel loops. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and twenty two undisturbed cadaveric abdomens were inspected. Three distinct configuration grades were separately assigned to the sigmoid and transverse segments of the colon on the basis of the pattern of the bowel loops observed in situ. Pearson's chi-squared test was used to analyze sex differences in bowel loop configuration and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was calculated to identify co-occurrence of configuration grades in the subjects. RESULTS: For the transverse segment, females had higher configuration grades corresponding to longer bowel loops with greater redundancy, compared to males (p = .000047). There was no sex difference in the sigmoid segment grade (p = .21636). Sigmoid and transverse segment grades were highly correlated in the subjects (coefficient = 0.9994). CONCLUSION: Sex differences in the configuration grades of the sigmoid or transverse colonic segments may be a significant contributing factor to increased difficulty of colonoscopy in females.

Innominate Grooves of the Colon: Histological Reappraisal.

BACKGROUND: Innominate grooves (IGs) in the colon are ubiquitous structures limiting anthemic folds. The histology of the crypts in anthemic folds is well known but the histology of IGs has remained unattended. In this study, IG crypts in the normal mucosa and in ulcerative colitis (UC) were analyzed. PATIENTS AND METHODS: IGs displayed a single central-lumen with merging tributary crypts. The number of merging tributary crypts, at both sides and at the bottom of the central lumen, were quantified in 60 IGs: 30 in normal colons and 30 in UC. RESULTS: A total of 152 (median=5) tributary crypts were found merging in the 30 IGs in the normal colon, and 170 (median=5) in the 30 IGs in UC. The difference was non-significant (p=0.08012). CONCLUSION: Chronic inflammation did not influence the frequency of tributary crypts in IGs. The shape and the length varied considerably in the 60 IGs. Given that the chief putative physiological function of IGs is the expansion of the colon when submitted to increased intraluminal pressure, it is not inconceivable that following that demand, IGs act as hinges that permit grooves to level with the rest of the surrounding mucosa.

CT colonography evaluation of the relationship between colon anatomy and diverticula.

OBJECTIVES: In this study, we aimed at investigating the relationship between diverticula and in vivo colonic features such as total colon length (TCL), using CTC. We also evaluated polyps, neoplastic lesions and the correlation among them. METHODS: This retrospective study considered a series of patients who underwent CTC in our Hospital from 2010 to 2018. We evaluated TCL, the length of each colon segments and sigmoid colon diameter using dedicated software. We verified the presence of diverticula, polyps and neoplasm and measured the number of diverticula using a five-point class scale, evaluating the colonic segments involved by the disease and the number of diverticula for each segment. A logistic regression model was used to analyse the relationship between diverticula and the patients' age, sigmoid colonic diameter and the length of each colonic segments. RESULTS: The population finally included 467 patients, 177 males and 290 females (average age of 67 ± 12; range 45-96). The mean TCL was 169 ± 25 cm (range 115-241 cm). Out of the 467, 323 patients (69%) had at least one analyse. The patients with diverticula had a mean TCL significantly shorter than patients without diverticula (164 ± 22 vs 181 ± 27 cm; p = 0.001). Among the different variables, sigmoid colon length, sigmoid colon diameter and patient's age were correlated with diverticula (p < 0.01). Otherwise there is no association among diverticula, polyps and neoplasm. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of colonic diverticula was significantly inversely correlated with TCL.The TCL was not significantly correlated with polyps and cancers. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: The presence of colonic diverticula was significantly inversely correlated with total colon length, and in particular they significantly decreased with increasing colon length; our observation could contribute to the comprehension of diverticula pathogenesis.

Improvement of intestinal stem cells and barrier function via energy restriction in middle-aged C57BL/6 mice.

This study aimed to reveal the impact of energy restriction on the intestine via structural and molecular changes in terms of intestinal stem cell (ISC) function, ISC niche, intestinal epithelial barrier function, and intestinal immune function. Female C57BL/6J mice, aged 12 months, fed a commercial chow were used in this study. The ISC function, ISC niche, intestinal epithelial barrier function, and intestinal immune function were assessed. Energy restriction reversed aging-induced intestinal shortening and made the crypts shallower. The intestinal epithelial cells isolated from the intestine showed a significant increase in the expression levels of stem cell-associated genes in small intestinal epithelial cells as detected by flow cytometry. Despite the increase in the number of stem cells and the expression levels of markers, no increase or decrease was found in the enteroid complexity of the small intestine and colonic enteroid formation in vitro. The colonic mucous layer was measured in mice of the energy restricted (ER)-treated group to investigate the epithelial barrier function in the colon. The results revealed that the barrier was more complete. The fluorescence intensity of tight junction markers claudin-2 and zonula occludens-1 increased and the mRNA expression profiles of monocyte chemotactic protein 1 and interleukin-6 decreased in the colon of mice in the ER-treated group. The beneficial effects of ER on the colon in terms of the integrity of the mucosal barrier and alleviation of inflammation were confirmed, thus highlighting the importance of modulating the intestinal function in developing effective antiaging dietary interventions.

[Better understanding of interfacial planes in colorectal cancer surgery and the value of small vessels on fascia in the identification of interfacial planes].

The introduction of total mesorectal excision and wider use of laparoscopic surgery pushed the field of colorectal surgery into an era of interfasical dissection. The Japanese suggestion of fascial arrangement of the trunk in a multilaminar, symmetrical and parallel way helps in better understanding of fascial relationship and interfascial planes surrounding the colon and the rectum. However, different interpretations of the multilayer retroperitoneal fascial relationship, complexity of fascial structures within the pelvis and dense adhesion between two apposed fasciae at special points make it still challenging for the surgeon to decide on the precise interfascial plane for colorectal mobilization. Small vessels on fasica propria of the rectum and various retroperitoneal fascia, especially ureterohypogastric fascia show distinctive features. The root of small vessels on fascia propria of the rectum helps to identify the anterolateral and posterolateral interfascial plane in the middle and low rectum. The longitudinal trajectory of small vessel on ureterohypogastric fascia and scarcity interfascial vascular communication between mesocolic and retroperitoneal fascia help the surgeon to find and stay in the interfacial plane during colorectal mobilization. More knowledge of fascial and interfascial plane will certainly help achieve better mesocolic mesorectal integrity and reduce the risk of injuries to autonomic nerves. More anatomical, histological and embryological studies are warranted with respect to relationship between small vessels and fasciae.

Functional genomics analysis of human colon organoids identifies key transcription factors.

Organoids are a valuable three-dimensional (3D) model to study the differentiated functions of the human intestinal epithelium. They are a particularly powerful tool to measure epithelial transport processes in health and disease. Though biological assays such as organoid swelling and intraluminal pH measurements are well established, their underlying functional genomics are not well characterized. Here we combine genome-wide analysis of open chromatin by ATAC-Seq with transcriptome mapping by RNA-Seq to define the genomic signature of human intestinal organoids (HIOs). These data provide an important tool for investigating key physiological and biochemical processes in the intestinal epithelium. We next compared the transcriptome and open chromatin profiles of HIOs with equivalent data sets from the Caco2 colorectal carcinoma line, which is an important two-dimensional (2D) model of the intestinal epithelium. Our results define common features of the intestinal epithelium in HIO and Caco2 and further illustrate the cancer-associated program of the cell line. Generation of Caco2 cysts enabled interrogation of the molecular divergence of the 2D and 3D cultures. Overrepresented motif analysis of open chromatin peaks identified caudal type homeobox 2 (CDX2) as a key activating transcription factor in HIO, but not in monolayer cultures of Caco2. However, the CDX2 motif becomes overrepresented in open chromatin from Caco2 cysts, reinforcing the importance of this factor in intestinal epithelial differentiation and function. Intersection of the HIO and Caco2 transcriptomes further showed functional overlap in pathways of ion transport and tight junction integrity, among others. These data contribute to understanding human intestinal organoid biology.

The size of intestines in Vietnamese adults

The length of the small intestine of the Westerner is about 5-9 m long, whereas data on the intestinal length of Vietnamese patients is lacking in the liter-ature. This study aims to determine the size of in-testines in Vietnamese and the difference between fixed cadavers, autopsies and in operative patients. There were 130 subjects examined in this study: intestine from 40 formalin fixed cadavers, 30 autopsies and 60 living patients. The cohort includ-ed 91 males and 39 females, with ages ranging from 18 to 75 years-old and origin from various social levels. Subjects were excluded from this study if there was current or prior GI disease, GI surgery, or any other abdominal surgery. The length of the duodenum was 24.3 ± 1.2 cm in for-malin fixed cadavers and 25.60 ± 1.4 cm in autop-sies. The length of the small intestine was 382.5 ± 45.5 cm in preserved cadavers, 442.3 ± 62.5 cm in autopsies and 556.2 ± 74.4 cm in operative pa-tients. The length of the large intestine was meas-ured to be 132.5 ± 17.6 cm in preserved subjects, 149.3 ± 12.1 cm in autopsies and 156.3 ± 14.5 cm in operative patients. The greatest diameter was the jejunum in autopsies, or 4.1 ± 0.37 cm, and the smallest diameter was the ileum in autopsies, or 2.5 ± 0.30 cm. In Vietnamese, the length of the intestine in surgical patients was the longest; in theformalin-preserved group was the shortest, and in autopsies group was in the average range. The length of the Vietnamese small intestine was short-er than that of the European and American sub-jects. Surgeons need to be aware of variations in intestine length so that resection resulting in small bowel syndrome can be anticipated or avoided

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Interactions of commensal and pathogenic microorganisms with the mucus layer in the colon.

The intestinal mucosal barrier, which is composed of epithelial cells and mucus layers secreted by goblet cells and contains commensal bacteria, constitutes the first line of defense against pathogenic gut microbiota. However, homeostasis between the microbiota and mucus layer is easily disrupted by certain factors, resulting in alteration of the gut microbiota and entry of pathogens to the intestinal mucosal barrier. In this review, we describe the structures and functions of the mucus layer, expound several crucial influencing factors, including diet styles, medications and host genetics, and discuss how pathogenic microorganisms interact with the mucus layer and commensal microbiota, with the understanding that unraveling their complex interactions under homeostatic and dysbiosis conditions in the colon would help reveal some underlying pathogenic mechanisms and thus develop new strategies to prevent pathogenic microbiological colonization.

Spatial relationship between telocytes, interstitial cells of Cajal and the enteric nervous system in the human ileum and colon.

Telocytes (TCs) are recently described interstitial cells, present in almost all human organs. Among many other functions, TCs regulate gastrointestinal motility together with the interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs). TCs and ICCs have close localization in the human myenteric plexus; however, the exact spatial relationship cannot be clearly examined by previously applied double immunofluorescence/confocal microscopy. Data on TCs and submucosal ganglia and their relationship to intestinal nerves are scarce. The aim of the study was to analyse the spatial relationship among these components in the normal human ileum and colon with double CD34/CD117 and CD34/S100 immunohistochemistry and high-resolution light microscopy. TCs were found to almost completely encompass both myenteric and submucosal ganglia in ileum and colon. An incomplete monolayer of ICCs was localized between the TCs and the longitudinal muscle cells in ileum, whereas only scattered ICCs were present on both surfaces of the colonic myenteric ganglia. TC-telopodes were observed within colonic myenteric ganglia. TCs, but no ICCs, were present within and around the interganglionic nerve fascicles, submucosal nerves and mesenterial nerves, but were only observed along small nerves intramuscularly. These anatomic differences probably reflect the various roles of TCs and ICCs in the bowel function.

Demonstration of flat-top beam illumination in widefield multiphoton microscopy.

Multiphoton microscopy provides a suitable technique for imaging biological tissues with submicrometer resolution. Usually a Gaussian beam (GB) is used for illumination, leading to a reduced power efficiency in the multiphoton response and vignetting for a square-shaped imaging area. A flat-top beam (FTB) provides a uniform spatial intensity distribution that equalizes the probability of a multiphoton effect across the imaging area. We employ a customized widefield multiphoton microscope to compare the performance of a square-shaped FTB illumination with that based on using a GB, for both two-photon fluorescence (TPF) and second-harmonic generation (SHG) imaging. The variation in signal-to-noise ratio across TPF images of fluorescent dyes spans ∼5.6 dB for the GB and ∼1.2 dB for the FTB illumination, respectively. For the GB modality, TPF images of mouse colon and Convallaria root, and SHG images of chicken tendon and human breast biopsy tissue showcase ∼20 % area that are not imaged due to either insufficient or lack of illumination. For quantitative analysis that depends on the illuminated area, this effect can potentially lead to inaccuracies. This work emphasizes the applicability of FTB illumination to multiphoton applications.

Energy requirements, length of digestive tract compartments and body mass in six gerbilline rodents of the Negev Desert.

Energy requirements of an animal are size dependent and, in this study, the average daily metabolic rate (ADMR) of six Negev Desert gerbilline rodents, ranging in body mass (mb) from 10g to over 200g, scaled to mb0.57. Although gerbilline rodents are considered 'granivores', these rodents consume substantial amounts of green vegetation and the largest gerbil is a strict herbivore. We predicted that the lengths of the compartments of the digestive tract would scale allometrically to mb0.33 and that ADMR would scale allometrically to the lengths of the compartments to the exponent of 1.73. Using log-transformed data, the length of the colon scaled to mb0.50 (r2adj = 0.74; p= 0.02), of the caecum to mb0.45 (r2adj=0.80; p= 0.01) and of the small intestine to mb0.30 (r2adj=0.59; p < 0.05). Therefore, the exponents for the colon and caecum were higher than predicted and were close to the exponent for ADMR generated for the rodents. The absolute lengths of the colon (r2adj=0.68; p= 0.03; slope = 0.99) and of the caecum (r2adj=0.79; p= 0.01; slope = 1.19) were related significantly to ADMR, but of the small intestine was not (r2adj=0.04; p=0.33; slope = 0.85). The exponents implied that the relationships were isometric and not allometric as predicted and that the rates of increase of the lengths of the intestine compartments were at the same rate as the increase in ADMR. The lengths of the colon and caecum were highly correlated between each other (r2adj=0.98; p< 0.001; slope = 1.12) and explained most of the variation in ADMR. Green vegetation could be a nutritional bottleneck for rodents as it is bulky and, consequently, limits the dietary intake, and fermentation occurs in the caecum and colon, whereas seeds, which are compact and are digested in the small intestine, would limit intake to a much lesser degree. However, when the effect of body mass was eliminated by using residuals of the variables on body mass, only the length of the small intestine was significant (r2adj=0.86; p< 0.005; slope = -1.33) and was related negatively to ADMR. Therefore, when effects of body size were removed, most of the variation in ADMR was explained by the length of the small intestine and implied that the length of the small intestine increased with a decrease in ADMR. A higher energy expenditure was related to a shorter small intestine and, therefore, by implication, a higher concentration of metabolizable energy yield of the diet. We also questioned whether there are differences in the morphology of the digestive tract due to differences in dietary consumption. The digestive tracts of the gerbils were not diverse and could be characterized as structurally homogenous. All the gerbils had a uni-locular, hemi-glandular stomach and the differences in the digestive tract among species did not seem to be of functional importance, but rather were related to the taxon. However, some important morpho-functional characteristics of the digestive tract emerged that apply to the whole group.

[Clinical anatomy study of superior mesenteric vessels and its branches].

Objective: To examine the anatomical relationships of tributaries to superior mesenteric artery and vein in surgical procedures. Methods: A prospectively designed observational trial, registried to Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR 1800014610, was conducted in Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital from July 2016 to Decmeber 2018 to record the relationships of ileocolic artery and vein, right colic artery and vein, middle colic artery and vein, and combinations to assemble Henle's trunk, during the laparoscopic operation of radical right colectomy for right colon malignancies. The length of middle colic artery, length of Henle's trunk, and distance from Henle's trunk to the inferior margin of pancreatic head to duodenum were measured during operation. A total of 100 patients, 52 male and 48 female, with right colon cancer, who underwent radical right colectomy, were enrolled in present study from July 2016 to December 2018, with age of (61.0±12.3) years (range: 31 to 82 years), and body mass index of (23.3±3.5) kg/m(2) (range: 16.0 to 34.2 kg/m(2)). Results: The ileocolic artery and vein presented as rates of 97.0% (97/100, 95%CI: 91.5% to 99.4%, the same below) and 98.0% (98/100, 93.0% to 99.8%), respectively. The ileocolic vein ran ventrally in 51 of 97 patients (52.6%, 42.7% to 62.5%). The right colic artery, which raised from superior mesenteric artery directly, was found in 42 of 100 patients (42.0%, 32.3% to 51.7%); and the right colic vein drained directly into superior mesenteric vein in 19 of 100 patients (19.0%, 11.3% to 26.7%). The presence of middle colic artery and vein were 95.0% (95/100, 90.7% to 99.3%) and 90.0% (90/100, 84.1% to 95.9%) respectively. The average length of middle colic artery, from its origin to bifurcation into right and left branches, was (2.6±1.6) cm (range: 0.1 to 7.2 cm). All the dissected middle colic vein drained into superior mesenteric vein (87.8% (79/90), 81.0% to 94.6%) and Henle's trunk (12.2% (11/90), 5.4% to 19.0%). Henle's trunk was found in 93 of 100 patients (93.0%, 88.0% to 98.0%), with average length of (1.0±0.6) cm (range: 0.1 to 2.4 cm). The distance between Henle's trunk to the inferior margin of pancreatic head was (2.7±0.7) cm (range: 1.3 to 4.5 cm). More than half of the Henle's trunk were composed of 3 tributaries (54.8% (53/93), 40.8% to 61.2%). The most frequently discovered tributaries to form Henle's trunk were right gastroepiploic vein (98.0% (98/100), 93.0% to 99.8%), superior right colic vein (82.0% (82/100), 74.5% to 89.5%), and superior anterior pancreaticoduodenal vein (78.0% (78/100), 69.9% to 86.1%). In present study, the right branch of middle colic vessels was often found to run closely with Henle's trunk, veins drained from small intestine could be found to run over superior mesenteric artery to converge into superior mesenteric vein. There were 2 incidences, injuries to Henle's trunk and middle colic vein, happened during the operation, which were overcomed by bipolar coagulation and dividing the vessels. Conclusions: Ileocolic vessels and middle colic vessels could be used as landmarks for laparoscopic surgery based on their constant anatomical existence. In contrast, the chances are rare for the presence of right colic artery or right colic vein. Nearly half of the Henle's trunk was consisted of right gastroepiploic vein, superior right colic vein and superior anterior pancreaticoduodenal vein. Exceptional cautions should be made for the variations of the Henle's trunk during the operation.

Newly-developed colonoscope (PCF-PQ260L) is useful for patients with difficult colons.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Preforming total colonoscopy (TCS) is sometimes difficult due to adhesions or long colons. The PCF-PQ260L (PQL) was developed to overcome TCS-related difficulties. The aim of this study was to investigate the performance and usefulness of PQL for difficult colon cases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective single center observational cohort study investigating differences in patient characteristics and examination performance between patients examined with PQL, versus standard (SD), scopes. Secondly, we directly compared PQL and SD scopes in patients treated with both types of scope. RESULTS: The PQL was used with 105 patients and SD scopes were used with 1119 patients. Patients in the PQL group were significantly shorter (157cm vs 163cm, p< 0.01) and lighter, compared to the SD group (52 kg vs 58 kg, p< 0.01). There were no significant statistical differences with regard to cecal intubation rate, cecal intubation time, and adenoma detection. Direct comparison of use of PQL and SD scopes on the same patients revealed shorter average cecal intubation time (7 min vs 10 min, p< 0.01), and significantly increased numbers of patients reporting no pain (66 % vs 20 %, p< 0.01) and needing no sedative drugs (48% vs 25 %, p< 0.01) associated with PQL use. CONCLUSION: The examination performance of the PQL scope was similar to the SD scope. The PQL may be a good option for patients who with difficult colons.

Gross intestinal morphometry and allometry in ruminants.

While some descriptions of ruminants' dietary adaptations suggest that the length of the intestinal tract reflects the proportion of grass or browse in the diet, this assumption has been questioned. We collated data on body mass (BM), as well as small intestine, caecum, colon/rectum, large and total intestine length in 68 ruminant species, and, while accounting for the phylogenetic structure of the dataset, evaluated both allometric scaling and the potential influence of diet, digestive physiology or climate proxies on measures of intestine length. Intestinal length generally scaled to BM at an exponent higher than the 0.33 expected due to geometry. Diet or digestive physiology proxies did not have an influence on any intestinal length measures, though some proxies indicating more arid natural habitats were positively correlated with measures of the large intestine. The relative size of a forestomach compartment, the omasum, was negatively correlated with intestine length. The results indicate that intestine length measures provide little indication of feeding type or digestive physiology, but rather indicate adaptations to aridity. Higher-than-geometry scaling of intestinal length may be related to the necessity of maintaining geometric (or metabolic) scaling of intestinal surface area while keeping gut diameter, and hence the diffusion distances, small. The way in which space trade-offs determine the macroanatomy of different organs in the abdominal cavity, such as the omasum and the intestine, deserves further investigation.