Gut Health Flashcards
what is the overall roles of the GI tract? (3)
the process of digestion is mediated by what three broad substances?
- *GI tract roles**
- intake of food - nutrients
- absorption of water
- removal of waste
- *digestion mediated by:**
- enzymes
- stomach acid
- bile salts
which enzymes are released in the:
a) mouth? (1)
b) stomach? (1)
c) pancreas? (3)
what are major components of gastric juices?(5)
enzymes released in the:
a) mouth: amylase
b) stomach: pepsin
c) pancreas: trysin, amylase and lipases
gastric juices components
- HCl
- salts
- pepsin
- mucous
- water
which type of cells are bile salts secreted from?
where is most water absorped in GI tract?
bile salts - produced by hepatocytes
most water: small intestine (8L) & large intestine (0.5L)
what is the role of the the gut-brain axis of the enteric nervous system? (6)
gut-brain axis of the enteric nervous system:
communication of gut and brain is via the enteric nervous system. controls:
- motility of gut (persitalsis, churning in stomach)
- uptake nutrients
- hormone and enzyme release
- **apetite regulation
- vasuclar flow**
- immune cell activity
intrinsic innervation (communication within the gut) anatomy:
- *what are the 4 layers of the gut wall?**
- *what are their functions?**
gut wall layers & roles
-
mucosa: epithelial cells - contain and secrete hormones. highly innervated with neurons
above the mucosa: -
longitudinal muscle & circular muscle: both important for srretch: peristalsis & expelling of faecal matte
- myenteric plexi: primarily focused on contraction and relaxtion of peri
- submucosal plexi: involved in regulating absorbtion and secretion of nutrients
what determines the connectivity between different neural networks on the intrinsic enteric nervous system?
what happens if connectivity isnt so good?
connectivity between different types of neurons determined by: interneurons
if dont connect, can get for example constipation
- *extrinisc innervation of the GI tract:**
- which nerve controls communication between gut and CNS?
- after enetering the brain stem, where does & synapse?
extrinsic innervation - vagus nerve mediates communication gut and CNS
- has central terminals that enter brain stem and synapse to neurons of nucleus tractus solitarus
where is the largest microbial colony found in GI?
why not the small intestine?
what is gut microbiota linked to ? (3)
is hman gut microbiota similar? - what influenced by?
- largest microbial colony: colon
- not in small intestine bc: difficult env. for growth
- linked with: obesity, inflammation and neurodegeneration
human gut microbiota:|
- influenced by diet
- can be quite different between each people
link between gut and brain:
what two things have been shown to be altered in brain as a result of altered gut microbiota?
link between gut & brain:
(connected via vagus nerve) changing gut microbiome can change
- activity of macrophages / microglia
within brain
- development and plasticity in brain (leads to ageing)
faecal microbiota transfer:
a) aim?
b) who are donors?
c) results in? (2)
d) approved for treatment of what infection?
- *faecal microbiota transfer:**
a) aim: increase microbial diveristy
b) who are donors: healthy relative, super donors
c) results in: obesity phenotype reversed - due to transfer of facees rfom fit healthy to obese
d) approved for: treatment of C. difficile infection
Clostridium difficile:
a) associated / caused by what?
b) results in what symptoms? (2)
c) treatment? (3)
Clostridium difficile:
a) associated / caused by: broad spectrum antiobiotic usage - opportunistic overgrowth
b) results in: watery diarrhoea & abdominal pain
c) treatment: stop antibiotic use, vancomycin, fecal microbiota transfer
what are the roles of prebiotics?
which bacteria do they stimulate? (2)
what type of foods are they?
what are the roles of probiotics?
what type of foods are they found in?
roles of _pre_biotics: promote growth and survival of bacteria
stimulate: Bifidibacterium & Lactobacillus
wtype of foods: non-digestible food ingredients (e.g high fibre rich foods)
what are the roles of probiotics: live cultures found in diary products or fermented foods
what type of foods are they: diary / pickled veg
- *gastrooesphageal reflux disease (GERD):**
- caused by?
- associated with? (3)
- what can chronic condition lead to? (3)
- treatments?
gastrooesphageal reflux disease (GERD):
- caused by:
a) movement of stomach contents from fundus -> distal oesophagus after lower oesophagus sphincter is relaxed
b) then get increased frequency of transient relaxations of lower oesph. sphincter
- associated with:
- **weight gain
- gastroparesis
- stress**
- chronic condtion leads to:
a) ulcer formation
b) inflammation
- treatment: antacids and alginates - like gaviscon
gastroparesis:
- caused by?
- symptoms?
- which disease is it associated with?
- what can it lead to?
- caused by: delayed gastric emptying
- inability to remove stomach content causes: nausea, vomiting, feeling of fullness, pain and bloating
- associated with diabetes: diabetic gastroparesis
- subsquently can lead to malnutrition (bc people dont eat) and changes in blood sugar
- *ulcerative colitis**
- restricted to which region?
- active disease symptoms?
- lead to?
- diagnosis?
- *ulcerative colitis**
- restricted to: colon
- active disease symptoms:
a) bloody diarrhoea
b) abdominal pain
c) fatigue
d) fever
e) weight loss
- leads to:
a) perforation of colon
b) severe bleeding
c) dehydration
d) systematic inflammation
e) colon cancer
diagnosis:
a) fecal calprotectin
b) colonscopy
ulcerative colitis
- treatments?
