Protective Effect of Qingchang Wenzhong Decoction on Colitis and Colitis-Related Carcinogenesis by Regulating Inflammation and Intestinal Fibrosis

Purpose

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease characterized by mucosal inflammation, which may develop into ulcerative colitis-associated carcinogenesis (UCAC) with disease progression. Qingchang Wenzhong Decoction (QCWZD) is a classic and effective prescription for the clinical treatment of UC. QCWZD has been shown to alleviate intestinal mucosal injury in acute and chronic UC models. This study aimed to explore and then verify the pharmacological mechanisms of QCWZD in UC and UCAC therapy.

Methods

In this study, approaches including microarray analysis, network pharmacology, and biological verification are employed to clarify the mechanism of QCWZD in the treatment of UC and UCAC. TCMSP, Swiss Target Prediction, and Similarity Ensemble Approach were used to investigate the active ingredients and targets of QCWZD. UC and UCAC valid targets were identified by the microarray data in the GEO database (GSE38713 and GSE47908). The core targets were obtained by PPI network and enriched by GO and KEGG. DSS and AOM/DSS mouse models were adopted to verify the above analysis results.

Results

The enrichment analysis showed that the therapeutic targets of QCWZD enriched in blood circulation, cell adhesion molecules, and pathways of inflammation and cancer such as IL-17 signaling pathway and toll-like receptor signaling pathway were involved in the multiple synergies of QCWZD on UC and UCAC treatment. The results of experiments demonstrated that QCWZD can exert its effects on protecting the intestinal mucosal barrier, regulating inflammation and improving intestinal fibrosis in UC and UCAC and the main mechanism of QCWZD in treatment of UC and UCAC may be related to the activation of the IL-17, NF-κB and TLR4 signaling pathways.

Conclusion

Our results indicated that QCWZD treated UC and UCAC via multiple targets and pathways and the IL-17, NF-κB and TLR4 signaling pathways may be highly involved in this process.

Network Pharmacology Analysis of Hewei Jiangni Granule for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease and Experimental Verification of Its Anti-Neurogenic Inflammation Mechanism

Purpose

Proton pump inhibitors, as the first-line drugs for treating gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), are unable to completely relieve patients’ symptoms and patients are prone to recurrence after prolonged drug withdrawal. Thus, it is crucial to find herbal medicines as a complementary and alternative treatment. Hewei Jiangni granule (HWJNG) is a classical Chinese medicinal formula with clinical therapeutic effects on GERD, but its pharmacological mechanism of action remains unclear. This study aimed to explore and then verify the pharmacological mechanisms of HWJNG in GERD therapy.

Methods

A network pharmacology approach was applied to explore and then verify the pharmacological mechanisms of HWJNG in GERD therapy. The active ingredients of HWJNG, as well as therapeutic targets of GERD were acquired from specialized databases. The “herb-ingredient-gene-target” network for HWJNG in GERD treatment was built. The protein–protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed to screen the core coincident targets. Then, gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed. The core targets and signaling pathways associated with the anti-neurogenic inflammatory effect were partially verified via experiments in vivo at molecular level.

Results

In total, 179 chemical ingredients in HWJNG and 298 intersection targets between GERD and HWJNG were selected from databases. A large proportion of core targets and top signaling pathways were involved in neurogenic inflammation. HWJNG significantly alleviated pathological injuries of esophagus and reversed dilated intracellular spaces. Additionally, HWJNG markedly inhibited the excessive release of inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNF-a), as well as regulated stimulation sensors including transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1) and its related neuroinflammatory mediators in GERD mice.

Conclusion

HWJNG is a promising therapeutic strategy for GERD treatment via regulation of multiple targets and pathways, its effects in alleviating neurogenic inflammation are especially acknowledged.

LCN2 as a Potential Diagnostic Biomarker for Ulcerative Colitis-Associated Carcinogenesis Related to Disease Duration

BACKGROUND

Patients with long-duration ulcerative colitis (UC) had a higher risk of developing ulcerative colitis-associated carcinogenesis (UCAC) when compared to those with short-duration UC. This study aimed to discover the biomarker for cancer surveillance related to disease duration.

METHODS

The microarrays were divided into short-duration (<10 years) UC, long-duration (≥10 years) UC, UCAC, and normal groups in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of GEO and the hub genes of the selected weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) were intersected to obtain the overlapping genes. Among these genes, the key gene was identified by using the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis, the cytoHubba of Cytoscape, and the expression levels. Also, immunofluorescence of human colonic mucosa and animal experiment were used to validate the expression trend of the key gene in the progress of UC developing into UCAC.

RESULTS

Lipocalin-2 (LCN2) was more relevant with disease duration of UC and significantly negatively correlated with the risk of UCAC. The expression level of LCN2 in short-duration UC was higher than that of long-duration UC (P < 0.01), long-duration UC was higher than that of UCAC (P = 0.001), and UC and UCAC were all higher than that of the normal (P < 0.001). We then discovered that the expression trend of LCN2 in blood and stool samples was consistent with that in colorectal mucosa.

CONCLUSION

The research indicates that LCN2 could be a novel biomarker to evaluate cancer surveillance related to disease duration of developing UC into UCAC. Compared with that of blood samples, stool detection of LCN2 may have more advantages for diagnosis value of early stage of UCAC as a complement to colonoscopy surveillance.

The effect of strength-endurance training on serum and urine metabolic profiles of female adolescent volleyball athletes

Aim

Limited investigations on metabolic responses to exercise training in female adolescent volleyball athletes exist. The aim of this study was to obtain serum and urine metabolite markers in female adolescent volleyball athletes within 2-week strength-endurance training using a metabolomics approach coupled with biochemical analysis, which would be potential biomarkers for evaluating the physiological state of athletes.

Methods

Twelve female adolescent volleyball athletes were recruited for 2-week strength-endurance training. Differential serum and urine metabolic profiles between the pre- and post-training group were obtained on gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and data subsequently underwent orthogonal partial least-squares analysis (OPLS).

Results

Strength-endurance training exerted a significant influence on the athletes' serum and urine metabolic profiles. The changed metabolites were primarily involved in energy metabolism, lipid metabolism and amino acids metabolism. Results support the hypothesis that female athletes displayed an increased propensity to oxidize lipids as the major energy source. Exposure to strength-endurance training also led to a significant increase in cortisol, but a decrease in testosterone, indicating disordered hormone adjustment. Exercise-induced oxidative stress occurred, as was evidenced by the decrease in reduced glutathione, and increases in blood malondialdehyde and oxidized glutathione. Since the muscle damage markers creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase did not show significant changes, the training might not cause cell membrane damage and the athletes did not cross the adaptive injury level.

Conclusion

By measurement of endogenous metabolites, the metabolomics study has the potential to reveal the global physiological changes in response to exercise training.

Systematic assessment of environmental factors for gastroesophageal reflux disease: An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses

BACKGROUND

Side effects of long-term acid suppression have increased the scholars' interest in nonpharmacologic intervention.

AIMS

We summarized an umbrella review of the association between environmental factors and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and assessed their credibility.

METHODS

We appraised systematic reviews and meta-analyses. For each meta-analysis, we considered the effect size, 95% confidence interval, the heterogeneity, small-study effects, P-value for excess significance and largest study significant, then we graded the evidence according to Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews and the GRADE assessment.

RESULTS

23 publications met the inclusion criteria (13 meta-analyses and 10 systematic reviews), which evaluated 24 environmental factors. Among observational studies, we identified 7 risk factors: overweight/obesity [GERD/erosive esophagitis (EE)/GERD symptom], central adiposity [EE], smoking [GERD], alcohol [GERD/EE/non-erosive reflux disease (NERD)], NSAID [GERD], coffee [EE], Helicobacter pylori eradication [EE], and 1 protective factor: physical activity [GERD], this was based on a suggestive evidence of credibility. Across intervention studies, we identified 1 risk factor-Helicobacter pylori eradication [GERD] and 1 protective factor-breathing exercises [GERD], evidence for both was low grade.

CONCLUSIONS

We found varying levels of evidence for different environmental factors of GERD. None of them was proven to be convincing or highly recommended.

Network Pharmacology Identifies the Mechanisms of Action of Tongxie Anchang Decoction in the Treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Diarrhea Predominant

AIM

This study aims to uncover the pharmacological mechanism of Tongxie Anchang Decoction (TXACD), a new and effective traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription, for treating irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea predominant (IBS-D) using network pharmacology.

METHODS

The active compounds and putative targets of TXACD were retrieved from TCMSP database and published literature; related target genes of IBS-D were retrieved from GeneCards; PPI network of the common target hub gene was constructed by STRING. Furthermore, these hub genes were analyzed using gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 54 active compounds and 639 targets were identified through a database search. The compound-target network was constructed, and the key compounds were screened out according to the degree. By using the PPI and GO and KEGG enrichment analyses, the pharmacological mechanism network of TXACD in the treatment of IBS-D was constructed.

CONCLUSIONS

This study revealed the possible mechanisms by which TXACD treatment alleviated IBS-D involvement in the modulation of multiple targets and multiple pathways, including the immune regulation, inflammatory response, and oxidative stress. These findings provide novel insights into the regulatory role of TXACD in the prevention and treatment of IBS-D and hold promise for herb-based complementary and alternative therapy.

Prognostic value of inflammation-based markers in advanced or metastatic neuroendocrine tumours

Background

The role of systemic inflammation-based markers remains uncertain in advanced or metastatic neuroendocrine tumours (nets).

Methods

Systemic inflammatory factors, such as levels of circulating white blood cells and other blood components, were combined to yield inflammation-based prognostic scores [high-sensitivity inflammation-based Glasgow prognostic score (hsgps), neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio (nlr), platelet:lymphocyte ratio (plr), high-sensitivity inflammation-based prognostic index (hspi), and prognostic nutritional index (pni)], whose individual values as prognostic markers were retrospectively determined. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to examine the association of inflammatory markers with overall survival (os).

Results

The study included 135 patients. Univariate analysis revealed that elevated white blood cell count, elevated neutrophil count, low serum albumin, elevated high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and elevated hspi, hsgps, and nlr scores were significantly associated with worse os. Multivariate analyses demonstrated that, apart from pathology grade and original site of the tumour, elevated hspi (p = 0.004) was an independent prognostic factor for worse os.

Conclusions

In the present study, elevated pretreatment hspi was observed to be an independent predictor of shorter os in patients with inoperable advanced or metastatic net. The hspi might thus provide additional guidance for therapeutic decision-making in such patients.

[Desmocollin-1 significant correlated with the tumorigenesis and prognosis of HNSCC]

Objective:To explore the correlation between the expression of desmocollin1and the tumorigenesis and prognosis of HNSCC.Method:Five datasets of HNSCC from the GEO were analyzed. A tumor tissue microassay was chosen for further test. The expression of DSC1 of TMA was detected by immunohistochemical staining. Result:The expression of DSC1 was significantly increased in HNSCC. Meanwhile, the expression of DSC1 was much higher in poor-differentiated tumor than the welldifferentiated tumor in HNSCC. What's more, the HNSCC patients with lower expression of DSC1 had better outcomes. Conclusion:The results were according with the results of statistical analysis with the bioinformatics data from GEO, indicating that DSC1 significant correlated with the tumorigenesis and prognosis of HNSCC.

Decrease in stereognostic ability of the tongue with age

Rehabilitation of eating and swallowing functions from the viewpoint of quality of life should attempt to restore not only the physical, but also sensory function. As the size and shape of the intra-oral bolus of food provides oral sensory information important for eating and swallowing, we investigated the stereognostic ability of the tongue in 269 young adults (mean age: 24.5 years) and 60 seniors (mean age: 80.5 years); all of whom had no eating or swallowing complaints. Assessment of the stereognostic ability involved identifying 20 differently shaped test pieces placed in the oral cavity. The young adults identified a significantly higher number of differently shaped test pieces than the seniors (mean correct number of responses: 16.5 and 10.1 respectively; P < 0.001). Gender and the presence of palatal covers did not have any significant effect on stereognostic ability. The test pieces were categorized into six groups based on the shape. When the young adults misidentified a piece, they often selected another piece within the same group, almost never selecting a piece from another group. The seniors, however, chose test pieces from different groups. Moreover, to determine whether stereognosis could be improved through training, we conducted training involving four senior subjects in their 80s, who correctly identified 10 or fewer pieces. After the training, the number of correct answers increased significantly (P < 0.05). These findings indicate that seniors show decreased stereognostic ability of the tongue compared with young adults and suggest the possibility of recovering the ability using our training method.

[Changes of NK cell's activity and T lymphocyte subpopulation in peripheral blood of patients with laryngocarcinoma]

OBJECTIVE

By detecting the changes of NK cell's activity and T lymphocyte subpopulation in the peripheral blood of the patients with laryngocarcinoma, the immune function level of the patients could be judged and the prognosis of the patients could be predicted.

METHOD

The NK cell's activity in 47 patients with laryngocarcinoma was tested, and T lymphocyte subpopulation in 35 patients were detected with flow cytometer, and compared with the normal control group of 45 volunteers and the group of 15 patients with polyp of vocal cord.

RESULT

The NK cell's activity in the patients with laryngocarcinoma was lower than both of the normal control group and the polyp of vocal cord patients group, and the more severe was the degree of disease, the lower of the NK cell's activity was. The NK cell's activity in the pharyngocacinoma patients group in the 3-6 days after operation was lower than that in preoperation significantly; in the same time when the NK cell's activity was droping, CD3 and the ratio of CD4/CD8 became lower.

CONCLUSION

By detecting the changes of both NK cell's activity and the T lymphocyte subpopulation in patients with laryngocarcinoma, the immune function level of the patients can be judged objectively, which is of the important clinic significance.

Hydrogen peroxide-induced luminescence and evolution of molecular oxygen in human saliva

Low-level chemiluminescence (CL) appeared on addition of hydrogen peroxide to human saliva and then decayed slowly. Azide (10 microM) inhibited CL by about 50% and deuterium oxide (99.75%) enhanced it about twofold. 1,4-Diazabicyclo[2,2,2]octane (50 mM) and tryptophan (10 mM) were also enhancing, which suggests that singlet oxygen participates in this CL. The optimal pH for CL was around 8.5. Molecular oxygen was produced on addition of hydrogen peroxide to human saliva with a time course similar to that of CL; the optimal pH for oxygen evolution was around 8.0. The levels of SCN- and OSCN- at first decreased and increased, respectively, on addition of hydrogen peroxide and then remained constant as long as the induced CL could be detected. Dithiothreitol (1 mM) and mercaptoethanol (1 mM) completely suppressed CL. Induced CL was observed in saliva dialysed against 10 mM sodium phosphate (pH 7.5). Its intensity was increased by NaSCN, reaching a maximum around 0.1 mM NaSCN in the presence of 0.2 mM hydrogen peroxide. These results suggest that part of the molecular oxygen evolved on addition of hydrogen peroxide to human saliva is in a singlet state and that molecular oxygen is evolved by oxidation of hydrogen peroxide, which may be catalysed by OSCN- bound to salivary peroxidase.