Docosahexaenoic acid suppresses arachidonic acid-induced proliferation of LS-174T human colon carcinoma cells

AIM： To investigate the impact of arachidonic acid （AA） and docosahexaenoic acid （DHA） and their combination on colon cancer cell growth. METHODS： The LS-174T colon cancer cell line was used to study the role of the prostaglandin precursor AA and the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid DHA on cell growth. Cell viability was assessed in XTT assays. For analysis of cell cycle and cell death, flow cytometry and DAPI staining were applied. Expression of cyclooxygenase-2 （COX-2）, p21 and bcl-2 in ceils incubated with AA or DHA was examined by real-time RT-PCR. Prostaglandin E2 （PGE2） generation in the presence of AA and DHA was measured using a PGE2- ELISA. RESULTS： AA increased cell growth, whereas DHA reduced viability of LS 174T cells in a time- and dosedependent manner. Furthermore, DHA down- regulated mRNA of bcl-2 and up-regulated p21. Interestingly, DHA was able to suppress AA-induced cell proliferation and significantly lowered AA-derived PGE2 formation. DHA also down-regulated COX-2 expression. In addition to the effect on PGE2 formation, DHA directly reduced PGE2-induced cell proliferation in a dosedependent manner. CONCLUSION： These results suggest that DHA can inhibit the pro-proliferative effect of abundant AA or PGE2.

Impact of pain on health-related quality of life in patients with inflammatory bowel disease

AIM: To evaluate intensity, localization and cofactors of pain in Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis patients in connection with health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and disease activity. METHODS: We reviewed and analyzed the responses of 334 patients to a specifically designed questionnairebased on the short inflammatory bowel disease questionnaire (SIBDQ) and the German pain questionnaire. Pain intensity, HRQOL, Crohn’s disease activity index (CDAI) and colitis activity index (CAI) were correlated and verified on a visual analog scale (VAS). RESULTS: 87.9% of patients reported pain. Females and males reported comparable pain intensities and HRQOL. Surgery reduced pain in both genders (P = 0.023), whereas HRQOL only improved in females. Interestingly, patients on analgesics reported more pain (P = 0.003) and lower HRQOL (P = 0.039) than patients not on analgesics. A significant correlation was found in UC patients between pain intensity and HRQOL (P = 0.023) and CAI (P = 0.027), and in CD patients between HRQOL and CDAI (P = 0.0001), but not between pain intensity and CDAI (P = 0.35). No correlation was found between patients with low CDAI scores and pain intensity. CONCLUSION: Most IBD patients suffer from pain and have decreased HRQOL. Our study reinforces the need for effective individualized pain therapy in IBD patients.

Development of ulcerative colitis in a patient with multiple sclerosis following treatment with interferonβ 1a

To alert clinicians to a potential novel adverse drug effect of interferonβ la, we herein report a patient with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis who developed ulcerative colitis following treatment with interferonβ la. Ulcerative colitis persisted despite discontinuation of interferonβ la treatment and switching the patient to glatiramer acetate. Tacrolimus （FK506）, 6-mercaptopurine, and prednisolone were required to induce remission. Both ulcerative colitis and multiple sclerosis were eventually well controlled using this regimen. Our report underscores that caution should be exercised when prescribing immunostimulatory agents in patients with inflammatory bowel disease （IBD） and challenges current efforts to stimulate innate immunity as a novel therapeutic concept for IBD.

What’s new in inflammatory bowel disease in 2008?

Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease represent the two major forms of inflammatory bowel disease. In this highlight topic series of articles we cover the latest developments in genetics and epidemiology, intestinal physiology, mucosal immunology, mechanisms of epithelial cell injury and restitution, current medical therapy, modern surgical management, important extra- intestinal complications such as primary sclerosing cholangitis, cholangiocellular carcinoma and autoimmune hepatitis as well as endoscopic and molecular screening, detection and prevention of small bowel and colorectal cancer.