Gavalko Y. Gastric blood flow and its relationship with acid output in the elderly

The dissertation is devoted to study of age-related changes in the microcirculation of the gastric mucosa and its relationship with acid output in elderly people. There were three essentially healthy study groups of people: young (n=17), middle-aged (n=15) and elderly (n=20). The study also included the group of elderly subjects who displayed the histology of atrophic changes in the gastric mucosa (GM, n=20). As has been found, in aging there occurred the decrease of blood flow in the secretory zone of GM, being more pronounced in atrophy. However in other areas of the stomach it remained unchanged. Decrease of acid production in elderly subjects was seen only in the presence of a more marked disturbance of the microcirculation and atrophic changes of GM. The cause of gastric microcirculation reduction was found to be endothelial dysfunction occurring due to decreased local NO-synthase activity and, in the presence of atrophic changes of GM, due to L-arginine deficit. Method for gastric mucosa blood flow assessment in elderly people based on volume blood flow velocity indices and 24-hour intragastric pH-monitoring has been developed. Degree of application - results of this invesigation are applied in education process in chair of therapy and geriatrics NMAPS n.a. Pl. Shupica MHC of Ukraine, chair of physiology O. Bogomolets National medical university MHC of Ukraine, laboratory of patophysiology of Institute of gastroenterology of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine, therapeutic department of State D. F. Chebotarev Institute of Gerontology of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine. The field is medical science, physiology science, gastroenterology science.