How does Gastrafate® Work?
Why Veterinary Gastrafate® Works
Veterinary Gastrafate® works by providing supplementary support to the physiology
of the Gastro-intestinal (GI) tract's mucosal lining. The epithelial lining of
the GI tract uses growth factors to maintain normative mucosal function, and mucosal
growth factors are responsible for maintaining balance between pro-inflammatory
and anti-inflammatory cytokines.
Both pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines are required to maintain
defensive and regenerative/restorative mechanisms respectively within the mucosa
Defensive mechanisms of the mucosa are spear-headed by pro-inflammatory cytokines.
Regenerative /Restorative mechanisms of the mucosa are spearheaded by
anti-inflammatory cytokines.
The balance of these two mechanisms is governed by the actions of relevant growth
factors (e.g. FGF, EGF, TGF).
Veterinary Gastrafate® (as well as other polyanionic saccharides) supports the
actions of mucosal growth factors.
The Physiology of GI Mucosa
The mucosal lining of the GI tract is tasked with both digestive and defensive
functions. The obvious purpose of digestive functions is to process and assimilated
nutrients ingested by the animal. The purpose of defensive functions of the mucosa
is to guard against unwanted events, injury, toxins and micro-organisms (bacterium,
viruses, protozoans). In its effort to guard itself the GI Lining has an array of
• Specialized Mucosal Receptors
• Specialized Mucosal lymphocytes
• Sub Mucosal Immune cells
• Sub Mucosal Neurons
Specialized Mucosal Receptors include those innervated by C-fiber neurons which
include many of the gated ion type receptors that register acidity, pressure, stretch,
pain.
Specialized Mucosal Lymphocytes commonly known as intra epithelial lymphocytes are of
three populations of cells. Sub-Mucosal Immune cells are stimulated (up-regulated to
release cytokines. Sub-Mucosal neurons are stimulated (up-regulated by the release of
pro-inflammatory cytokines from the immune cells and from the IELs. In turn,
up-regulated neurons then stimulate:
• Epithelial cells to secrete fluids
• Sub-mucosal muscularis and the circular muscles to contract while simultaneously
causing the longitudinal muscles to relax
• Stimulate capillary vessels to expand and increase their flow throughput.
Additionally up-regulate neurons release pain substances within the sub-mucosa and into
the blood stream as well as transmitting up-regulate signals outside the GI tract into
dorsal rood ganglia of the spine.
These defensive actions lead to the clinical symptoms of nausea, vomiting colic, ileus
and diarrhea. We call this relationship of mucosal defensive functions and clinical
presentation of symptoms the “functional mucosal syndrome
Veterinary Gastrafate® and the Functional Mucosal Syndrome
As we define it, functional mucosal syndrome are the clinical symptoms and signs of
nausea vomiting diarrhea colic cramping ileus and bloating that arise directly from
the defensive functions of elements within the mucosal lining. FMS is triggered by
signals emanating from the mucosal lining. Acid irritation, erosions ulcerations or
trauma to the mucosal lining will also trigger the functional mucosal syndrome a
Veterinary Gastrafate® supplies direct support to the mucosa and its effort to activate
epithelial growth factors
In his way veterinary Gastrafate® renders support to the activation of mucosal growth
factors.
In this way veterinary Gastrafate® is a unique mucosal protectant that engages the
lining directly to help provide relief of nausea vomiting diarrhea, bloating ileus
cramping, colic as well as aid the accelerated healing of erosions and ulcerations.
