Butyrate Modulates Intestinal Microbiome and Epithelial Function to Attenuate Irinotecan-induced GI Toxicity.

Chemotherapy-induced gastrointestinal toxicity is a significant dose-limiting complication for cancer treatment. Disruption of the gastrointestinal (GI) epithelial barrier function by several chemotherapeutic agents results in development of mucositis and diarrhea. Thus, maintaining barrier integrity may be of therapeutic benefit.

Chemotherapy induced gastrointestinal toxicities.

Chemotherapy-induced gastrointestinal dysfunction is a common occurrence associated with many different classes of chemotherapeutic agents. Gastrointestinal toxicity includes mucositis, diarrhea, and constipation, and can often be a dose-limiting complication, induce cessation of treatment and could be life threatening. The gastrointestinal epithelium is rich in rapidly dividing cells and hence is a prime target for chemotherapeutic drugs.

Morphine Exacerbates Experimental Colitis-Induced Depression of Nesting in Mice.

Opioids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are excellent analgesics, but recent clinical evidence suggests that these drugs might worsen disease severity in Crohn's disease patients, limiting their clinical utility for treating Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). One indicator of change in well-being from conditions such as IBD is behavioral depression and disruption to activities of daily living. Preclinical measures of behavioral depression can provide an indicator of changes in quality of life and subsequent modification by candidate analgesics.