Disease of the Small Intestine

Recent information on the small intestine is summarized. Concerning digestion and absorption, -glycosidase inhibitor, which slows the absorption of carbohydrate, has become commercially available as a diabetic drug, and a number of transporters, such as peptide transporter (PepT1) that is involved in the efficient absorption of nitrogen source as well as drug absorption, have been discovered. In addition, a group of growth factors that are involved in the formation and regeneration of the small intestine have been found, and the importance of intraepithelial lymphocytes and glutamine has become known. In addition, the possibility that cells derived from the bone marrow might behave as a part of the epithelium of the digestive tract has been reported and has gained interest. Concerning intestinal motility, progress has been made in the analysis of interstitial cells of Cajal and various neurotransmitters. C-kit-positive stromal tumors were thoroughly investigated. The concept of GIST has been established and imatinib therapy for GIST has already begun. Although there is room for improvement in enteroscopy, is useful in the diagnosis of small intestinal diseases. The advancement of technology including virtual endoscopy is expected. In the area of surgery, the spread of laparoscopic surgeries as a minimally invasive approach has been