The microcirculation of the gastrointestinal tract is under the control of both myogenic and metabolic regulatory systems. The myogenic mechanism contributes to basal vascular tone and the regulation of transmural pressure, while the metabolic mechanism is responsible for maintaining an appropriate balance between O2 demand and O2 delivery. In the postprandial state, hydrolytic products of food digestion elicit a hyperemia, which serves to meet the increased O2 demand of nutrient assimilation. Metabolically linked factors (e.g., tissue pO2, adenosine) are primarily responsible for this functional hyperemia. The fenestrated capillaries of the gastrointestinal mucosa are relatively permeable to small hydrolytic products of food digestion (e.g., glucose), yet restrict the transcapillary movement of larger molecules (e.g., albumin). This allows for the absorption of hydrolytic products of food digestion without compromising the oncotic pressure gradient governing transcapillary fluid movement and edema formation. The gastrointestinal microcirculation is also an important component of the mucosal defense system whose function is to prevent (and rapidly repair) inadvertent epithelial injury by potentially noxious constituents of chyme. Two pathological conditions in which the gastrointestinal circulation plays an important role are ischemia/reperfusion and chronic portal hypertension. Ischemia/reperfusion results in mucosal edema and disruption of the epithelium due, in part, to an inflammatory response (e.g., increase in capillary permeability to macromolecules and neutrophil infiltration). Chronic portal hypertension results in an increase in gastrointestinal blood flow due to an imbalance in vasodilator and vasoconstrictor influences on the microcirculation. Table of Contents: Introduction / Anatomy / Regulation of Vascular Tone and Oxygenation / Extrinsic Vasoregulation: Neural and Humoral / Postprandial Hyperemia / Transcapillary Solute Exchange / Transcapillary Fluid Exchange / Interaction of Capillary and Interstitial Forces / Gastrointestinal Circulation and Mucosal Defense / Gastrointestinal Circulation and Mucosal Pathology I: Ischemia/Reperfusion / Gastrointestinal Circulation and Mucosal Pathology II: Chronic Portal Hypertension / Summary and Conclusions / References / Author Biography

Get the BIG PICTURE of Medical Physiology -- and focus on what you really need to know to ace the course and board exams! 4-Star Doody's Review! "This excellent, no-frills approach to physiology concepts is designed to help medical students and other health professions students review the basic concepts associated with physiology for the medical profession. The information is concise, accurate and timely." If you don't have unlimited study time Medical Physiology: The Big Picture is exactly what you need! With an emphasis on what you “need to know” versus “what's nice to know,” and enhanced with 450 full-color illustrations, it offers a focused, streamlined overview of medical physiology. You'll find a succinct, user-friendly presentation designed to make even the most complex concepts understandable in a short amount of time. With just the right balance of information to give you the edge at exam time, this unique combination text and atlas features: A “Big Picture” perspective on precisely what you must know to ace your course work and board exams Coverage of all the essential areas of Physiology, including General, Neurophysiology, Blood, Cardiovascular, Pulmonary, Renal and Acid Base, Gastrointestinal, and Reproductive 450 labeled and explained full-color illustrations 190 board exam-style questions and answers -- including a complete practice test at the end of the book Special icon highlights important clinical information

The Role of the Gastrointestinal Tract in Nutrient Delivery contains the proceedings of the third annual Bristol-Myers Symposium on Nutrition Research, held on December 1-2, 1983 in Washington, D.C. Contributors focus on the knowledge and research findings concerning the role of the gastrointestinal tract in nutrient delivery. This text is organized into 15 chapters and addresses topics such as gastrointestinal motility; hormonal regulation of growth and function; the mechanisms of digestion and absorption; and the diverse effects of intestinal contents on nutrient absorption and antigenic response. The discussion begins with an overview of the gastrointestinal tract, with emphasis on factors that affect the growth of gastrointestinal mucosa and the implications for nutrition. This book then turns to kinetic and biochemical parameters related to the development of several diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. The reader is also introduced to the basic aspects of organization of the systems in which peptides act as regulators of digestion; the role of endogenous prostaglandins in the gastrointestinal tract; and gastric secretion. A chapter on the age-related functions of digestive tract organs concludes the book. This book will be of value to physicians and scientists as well as students and researchers who have an interest in the crucial role of the gastrointestinal tract in converting food into the nutrients the body uses to sustain its functions.

On July 9-10, 2014, the Institute of Medicine's Food Forum hosted a public workshop to explore emerging and rapidly developing research on relationships among the brain, the digestive system, and eating behavior. Drawing on expertise from the fields of nutrition and food science, animal and human physiology and behavior, and psychology and psychiatry as well as related fields, the purpose of the workshop was to (1) review current knowledge on the relationship between the brain and eating behavior, explore the interaction between the brain and the digestive system, and consider what is known about the brain's role in eating patterns and consumer choice; (2) evaluate current methods used to determine the impact of food on brain activity and eating behavior; and (3) identify gaps in knowledge and articulate a theoretical framework for future research. Relationships among the Brain, the Digestive System, and Eating Behavior summarizes the presentations and discussion of the workshop.

Now in paperback, the second edition of the Oxford Textbook of Critical Care is a comprehensive multi-disciplinary text covering all aspects of adult intensive care management. Uniquely this text takes a problem-orientated approach providing a key resource for daily clinical issues in the intensive care unit. The text is organized into short topics allowing readers to rapidly access authoritative information on specific clinical problems. Each topic refers to basic physiological principles and provides up-to-date treatment advice supported by references to the most vital literature. Where international differences exist in clinical practice, authors cover alternative views. Key messages summarise each topic in order to aid quick review and decision making. Edited and written by an international group of recognized experts from many disciplines, the second edition of the Oxford Textbook of Critical Careprovides an up-to-date reference that is relevant for intensive care units and emergency departments globally. This volume is the definitive text for all health care providers, including physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, and other allied health professionals who take care of critically ill patients.

This book reviews the microbiology of the human gastrointestinal tract and how its composition and activities may affect host welfare. Drawing on the expertise of internationally recognised authors, a comprehensive account of gut microbiology is given. In particular, the nature of the microbiota, the fermentation process, gut flora modulation through diet (probiotics, prebiotics), molecular approaches for studying the bacteria, health outcomes associated with colonic microbial function and consumer aspects are all detailed. It is now believed that gut function, and colonic bacteria specifically, can play an important role in human nutrition and health. Whilst it has long been realised that the gastrointestinal microbiota can affect host well-being, the full extent of this interaction is only now emerging. This book gives a balanced review of current knowledge on how gut flora can be optimised for improved health and on some of the more important target outcomes. Its contents will therefore be of topical relevance to scientists and students involved in microbiology, gastroenterology, nutrition and the food industry.