5-Aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) compounds occasionally exacerbate diarrhoea in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. This is thought to be due to a secretory mechanism in most cases. A patient with presumed intolerance to sulphasalazine and 5-ASA preparations who developed endoscopic and histological evidence of disease relapse after a rectal challenge with mesalazine is reported.

A case of collagenous colitis in a young female with a rapid response to sulphasalazine both symptomatically and histologically is reported. This is only the third such response to be reported. In most published accounts, collagenous colitis fails to respond to treatment and runs a very prolonged course.

Recently, oenological prejudices were challenged by the use of a points scoring system (from 50 to 100) to evaluate wine in a book now widely regarded as one of the most authoritative. On this scale, a 1981 Chateau Citran described as 'emaciated' scored 65, a 1983 Chateau Kirwan scored 85, and a 1982 Petrus 100. If the same approach were used for drugs used in ulcerative colitis to quantify an ...

Expression of the alpha-subunit of the amiloride-sensitive sodium channel (alphaENaC) is regulated by a number of factors in the lung, including oxygen partial pressure (PO2). As transcriptional activation is a mechanism for raising cellular mRNA levels, we investigated the effect of physiological changes in PO2 on the activity of the redox-sensitive transcription factor nuclear factor kappaB (...

When Asacol commands 65% of the UK market, can so many British gastroenterologists be wrong? Possibly. The market leader in France is Pentasa (72%) and is Salofalk in Germany (57%). In Canada it is Asacol (46%). Nevertheless, a Cochrane review of 11 trials involving 1598 patients showed that sulphasalazine was more effective than other 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) drugs for maintaining remissi...