The human small intestine is an essential organ that helps us absorb nutrients and vitamins from food. It is an average of 6 meters long and is covered wit

The human small intestine is an essential organ that helps us absorb nutrients and vitamins from food. It is an average of 6 meters long and is covered wit

The human small intestine is an essential organ that helps us absorb nutrients and vitamins from food. It is an average of 6 meters long and is covered wit

Sand colic in horses occurs when sand accumulates in the large colon. Occurring around the world, sand colic is often treated by a veterinarian, but preventative measures are available, including adding psyllium to the horse's feed. A bulk-forming laxative that absorbs water, psyllium can pass through the digestive system without being completely dissolved. Magnesium sulphate, […]

The post Move Along: Psyllium And Epsom Salt Clear Sand From Equine Intestines appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Jonathan M. Whittamore

Oxalate is a common constituent of kidney stones but the mechanism of its transport across epithelia are not well understood. With prior research on the role of the intestine focused on mammals this study considered oxalate handling by teleost fish. Given the osmotic challenge of seawater (SW), teleosts have limited scope for urinary oxalate excretion relative to freshwater (FW). The marine teleost intestine was hypothesized as the principal route for oxalate elimination thus demanding epithelial secretion. To test this, intestinal ¹⁴C-oxalate flux was compared between FW- and SW-acclimated sailfin molly (Poecilia latipinna). In SW, oxalate was secreted at remarkable rates (367.90±22.95 pmol cm^–2 h^–1) which were similar following FW transfer (387.59±27.82 pmol cm^–2 h^–1), implying no regulation by salinity. Nevertheless, this ability to secrete oxalate 15-19 times higher than mammalian small intestine supports this proposal of the teleost gut as a previously unrecognized excretory pathway.