Explore the vast range of titles available.

Background This study aimed to investigate whether probiotics can ameliorate the H. pylori -induced Wnt/β-catenin-related COX-2 carcinogenesis signaling pathway by regulating the expression of microRNAs (miRNAs). Methods An H. pylori isolate and GES-1 cells were used to establish a COX-2-associated carcinogenesis axis. Western blot analysis was conducted to investigate Wnt/β-catenin and COX-2 signaling. Next-generation sequencing and DIANA Tools identified significant differences in miRNA expressions. The probiotics Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium lactis were used to study anti-carcinogenesis effects in GES-1 and miRNA-transfected GES-1 cells. The H. pylori -infected patients with intestinal metaplasia (IM) were randomly allocated into probiotic treatment or not after successful eradication, the IM regression was assessed by the 2nd esophagogastroduodenoscopy one year after treatment. Results Pretreatment with probiotics significantly reduced H. pylori -induced nuclear β-catenin phosphorylation and COX-2 levels in GES-1 cells. Among 9 significantly altered miRNAs, miR-185 was the only miRNA targeting the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. H. pylori increased miR-185 expression and upregulated COX-2 carcinogenesis through the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, but not the JAK2/STAT3 pathway. B. lactis ameliorated H. pylori -induced miR-185 expression and nuclear β-catenin/COX-2 signaling in a dose-dependent manner. In the 6-month probiotic-treated patients had a significantly higher IM regression rate than controls (intention-to-treat: 37.5 vs 11.5%, OR: 4.60, 95% CI: 1.134–18.65, p  = 0.025; per-protocol: 46.2 vs 17.6%, OR: 4.00, 95% CI: 0.923–17.33, p  = 0.055). Patients without IM regression had significantly higher miR-185 levels in follow-up biopsies ( p  < 0.01). Conclusions Pretreatment with B. lactis ameliorated the H. pylori -induced COX-2 carcinogenesis pathway by reducing miR-185 expression, which targets Wnt/β-catenin signaling. (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05544396).

Aims/Introduction Helicobacter pylori infection is associated with insulin resistance and glycemia in non‐diabetes. However, the relationship between H. pylori infection and glycemia in diabetes remains inconclusive. Therefore, we explored the effect of H. pylori infection status and its eradication on glycemic control and antidiabetic therapy in type 2 diabetes patients. Materials and Methods A total of 549 diabetes patients were recruited for sequential two‐step approach (immunoglobulin G [IgG] serology followed by 13C‐urea breath test [UBT]) to discriminate “active” (IgG+ and UBT+) from “non‐active” (UBT− or IgG−) H. pylori infection, and “past” (IgG+ but UBT−) from “never/remote” (IgG−) infection. The differences in hemoglobin A1c (A1C) and antidiabetic regimens between groups were compared. In the “active” infection group, the differences in A1C changes between participants with and without 10‐day eradication therapy were compared after 3 months. Results Despite no between‐group difference in A1C, the “active” infection group (n = 208) had significantly more prescriptions of oral antidiabetic drug classes (2.1 ± 1.1 vs 1.8 ± 1.1, P = 0.004) and higher percentages of sulfonylurea use (67.3% vs 50.4%, P < 0.001) than the “non‐active” infection group (n = 341). There were no differences in A1C and oral antidiabetic drug classes between “past” (n = 111) and “never/remote” infection groups (n = 230). Compared with the non‐eradication group (n = 99), the eradication group (n = 98) had significant within‐group (−0.17 ± 0.80%, P = 0.036) and between‐group (−0.23 ± 0.10%, P = 0.024) improvements in A1C. Conclusions Diabetes patients with active H. pylori infection need higher glycemic treatment intensity to achieve comparable glycemia. Furthermore, H. pylori eradication decreases A1C, and thus improves glycemic control. Diabetic patients with asymptomatic active Helicobacter pylori infection have higher intensity of glycemic treatment, which is potentially reducible after eradication therapy.

Background Patients with Rockall scores ≥6 have an increased risk of long-term peptic ulcer rebleeding. This study was aimed toward investigating whether an extended course of oral esomeprazole up to 1 year decreased ulcer rebleeding in such patients. Methods We prospectively enrolled 120 patients with peptic ulcer bleeding and Rockall scores ≥6. After an initial 16-week oral proton pump inhibitor (PPI) treatment, patients were randomized to receive a 36-week course of oral twice-daily esomeprazole 20 mg (Group D, n  = 60) or once-daily (Group S, n  = 60). Thereafter, they were divided into the PPI-on-demand ( n  = 32) and PPI-discontinued ( n  = 77) subgroups. Our previous cohort with Rockall scores ≥6 served as the controls (Group C, n  = 135); they received only an initial 8- to 16-week oral PPI. The primary and secondary outcomes were peptic ulcer rebleeding during the first year and the second year-and-thereafter, respectively. Results For the primary outcome, groups D and S comprised a higher proportion of rebleeding-free than Group C ( P  = 0.008 and 0.03, log-rank test). The competing-risks regression analysis confirmed that extended PPI use and American Society of Anesthesiologists classification were independent factors contributing to the primary outcome. For the secondary outcome, PPI-on-demand had a borderline higher proportion of rebleeding-free than Group C ( P  = 0.07, log-rank test); however, only the Rockall score was the independent factor. Conclusions An extended 36-week course of oral esomeprazole 20 mg, twice- or once-daily for patients with Rockall scores ≥6 reduced ulcer rebleeding during the first year, but the effect needed to be further validated when PPIs were shifted to on-demand or discontinued thereafter (NCT02456012, 28/05/2015).

BackgroundThe Forrest classification is widely applied to guide endoscopic hemostasis for peptic ulcer bleeding. Accordingly, practice guidelines suggest medical treatment only for ulcer with a Forrest IIc lesion because it has low rebleeding risk even without endoscopic therapy, ranging from 0 to 13%. However, the risk ranges widely and it is unclear who is at risk of rebleeding with such a lesion. This study assessed whether the Rockall score, which evaluates patients holistically, could indicate the risk of recurrent bleeding among patients with a Forrest IIc lesion at the second-look endoscopy.MethodsPatients who had peptic ulcer bleeding with Ia-IIb lesions received endoscopic hemostasis at the primary endoscopy, and they were enrolled if their Ia-IIb lesions had been fading to IIc at the second-look endoscopy after 48- to 72-h intravenous proton pump inhibitor (PPI) infusion. Primary outcomes were rebleeding during the 4th–14th day and 4th–28th day after the first bleeding episode.ResultsThe prospective cohort study enrolled 140 patients, who were divided into a Rockall scores ≥ 6 group or a Rockall scores < 6 group. The rebleeding rates in the Rockall scores ≥ 6 group and the Rockall scores < 6 group during the 4th–14th day and the 4th–28th day were 13/70 (18.6%) versus 2/70 (2.9%), p = 0.003 and 17/70 (24.3%) versus 3/70 (4.3%), p = 0.001, respectively, based on an intention-to-treat analysis and 5/62 (8.1%) versus 0/68 (0%), p = 0.023 and 6/59 (10.2%) versus 0/67 (0%), p = 0.009, respectively, based on a per-protocol analysis. The Kaplan–Meier curves showed that the Rockall scores ≥ 6 group had a significantly lower cumulative rebleeding-free proportion than the Rockall scores < 6 group (p = 0.01).ConclusionsCombined Rockall scores ≥ 6 on arrival with a Forrest IIc lesion at the second-look endoscopy can identify patients at risk of recurrent peptic ulcer bleeding following initial endoscopic and intravenous PPI treatment.Trial registration Trial registration identifier: NCT01591083

The active and passive regulation of stomatal response to environmental stimulation has been well studied in angiosperms but rarely in ferns. Active stomatal control of Marsilea crenata, an amphibious fern, in response to CO_2 concentration and exogenous application of abscisic acid was reported in a previous study. The objectives of the current study were to investigate whether M. crenata has stomatal blue light (BL) response and to evaluate the sensitivity of the response. Leaf stomatal conductance (g_s) of the fern grown under two light regimes and the apertures of stomata on isolated epidermal strips irradiated with photosynthetically saturated red light (RL) or with RL plus BL were measured. Stomatal response of two angiosperms and two other ferns (Adiantum capillus-veneris and Nephrolepis auriculata) were also measured. Application of 50 μmol m^(-2) s^(-1) BL caused a significant increase in g_s of M. crenata and Sambucus chinensis (an angiosperm) leaves irradiated with photosynthetically saturated RL of 900 μmol m^(-2) s^(-1), indicating the presence of stomatal BL-specific response. The response was not detected in the two other ferns. In comparison to sole RL irradiated epidermal strips, a 43 % increment of the ratio of stomatal width/length was measured in M. crenata epidermal strips irradiated with RL plus BL. M. crenata grown under shading lost the stomatal BL-specific response. In conclusion, this is the first report of the presence of stomatal BL-specific response in a fern of Polypodiopsida. However, growth conditions have strong effects on the sensitivity of the specific response of the fern.

Angiosperms have active stomatal control in response to rising CO2 and plant regulator abscisic acid (ABA). Whether ferns have similar response is controversial. To evaluate its stomatal response, we measured leaf photosynthetic gas exchange of Marsilea crenata (an amphibious fern), grown under full light and shaded condition, in response to variations in CO2 concentration ([CO2]) and exogenous application of ABA. The results showed that stomatal conductance (gs) of M. crenata significantly decreased while photosaturated photosynthetic rate (Amax) increased as [CO2] increased from 0 to 600 ppm, resulting in increments in water use efficiency (WUE). The reduction in gs when [CO2] was elevated from 400 to 800 ppm was more in leaves of full light-grown than those of shade-grown plants, however, the increment in Amax was similar. Leaves of M. crenata gradually closed stomata after 30 minutes of application of exogenous ABA, resulting in a 52.1 % reduction in gs and a 40 % in Amax, hence a 25 % increase of WUE. A more than two-fold increment of ABA contents was also measured in the leaves after the ABA application. This study showed that stomata of M. crenata do respond to the increase of ambient [CO2] from 0 to 600 ppm and to the ABA application, and the response to the elevated ambient [CO2] is affected by growth conditions.

Background Both H. pylori infection and diabetes increase the risk of gastric cancer. This study investigated whether patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and H. pylori infection had more severe corpus gastric inflammation and higher prevalence of precancerous lesions than non-diabetic controls. Methods A total of 797 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were screened for H. pylori , of whom 264 had H. pylori infection. Of these patients, 129 received esophagogastroduodenoscopy to obtain topographic gastric specimens for gastric histology according to the modified Updated Sydney System, corpus-predominant gastritis index (CGI), Operative Link on Gastritis Assessment, and Operative Link on Gastric Intestinal Metaplasia Assessment. Non-diabetic dyspeptic patients who had H. pylori infection confirmed by esophagogastroduodenoscopy were enrolled as controls. Results The male as well as total T2DM patients had higher acute/chronic inflammatory and lymphoid follicle scores in the corpus than non-diabetic controls ( p  < 0.05). In contrast, the female T2DM patients had higher chronic inflammatory scores in the antrum than the controls ( p  < 0.05). In T2DM patients, the males had significantly higher rates of CGI than the females ( p  < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that male patients (odds ratio: 2.28, 95% confidence interval: 1.11–4.69, p  = 0.025) and non-insulin users (odds ratio: 0.33, 95% confidence interval: 0.15–0.74, p  = 0.007) were independent factors for the presence of CGI in the H. pylori -infected patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Conclusions Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and H. pylori infection had more severe corpus gastric inflammation than non-diabetic controls. Moreover, male gender and non-insulin users of T2DM patients were predisposed to have corpus-predominant gastritis after H. pylori infection. Trial registration ClinicalTrial: NCT02466919 , retrospectively registered may 17, 2015.

Cogon grass (Imperata cylindrica (L.) Beauv. var. major (Nees) Hubb.) is one of the top-ten weeds worldwide. It is also a C_4 medicinal plant. In particular, an ecotype from Chuwei (CW) mangrove forest was found to be salt tolerant. Comparative proteomic analysis using two-dimensional (2D)-difference in gel electrophoresis coupled with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was carried out to identify responsive leaf proteins in the CW ecotype and salt-intolerant Sarlun (SL) population following three days of 150 mM sodium chloride salt stress treatment. We identified five photosynthesis proteins including Rubisco small subunit, uncharacterized protein LOC100194054, Cyt b6-f, oxygen-evolving enhancer 2, and photosystem I reaction center subunit IV which were significantly up- or down-regulated by salt stress in CW ecotype but not SL population. Gene ontology enrichment analysis showed that photosynthesis was over-represented. The mass spectrometry proteomics data were deposited to the ProteomeXchange Consortium via the PRIDE partner repository with the dataset identifier PXD008482. Taken together, our proteomic study identified differentially accumulated proteins which provide additional evidence of ecophysiological variation in two natural variants of I. cylindrica.

Background Patients with high Rockall scores have increased risk of ulcer rebleeding after 3-day esomeprazole infusions. Objective To investigate whether double oral esomeprazole given after a 3-day esomeprazole infusion decreases ulcer rebleeding for patients with high Rockall scores. Design We prospectively enrolled 293 patients with peptic ulcer bleeding who had achieved endoscopic haemostasis. After a 3-day esomeprazole infusion, patients with Rockall scores ≥6 were randomised into the oral double-dose group (n=93) or the oral standard-dose group (n=94) to receive 11 days of oral esomeprazole 40 mg twice daily or once daily, respectively. The patients with Rockall scores <6 served as controls (n=89); they received 11 days of oral esomeprazole 40 mg once daily. Thereafter, all patients received oral esomeprazole 40 mg once daily for two more weeks until the end of the 28-day study period. The primary end point was peptic ulcer rebleeding. Results Among patients with Rockall scores ≥6, the oral double-dose group had a higher cumulative rebleeding-free proportion than the oral standard-dose group (p=0.02, log-rank test). The proportion of patients free from recurrent bleeding during the 4th–28th day in the oral double-dose group remained lower than that of the group with Rockall scores <6 (p=0.03, log-rank test). Among patients with Rockall scores ≥6, the rebleeding rate was lower in the oral double-dose group than in the oral standard-dose group (4th–28th day: 10.8% vs 28.7%, p=0.002). Conclusions Double oral esomeprazole at 40 mg twice daily after esomeprazole infusion reduced recurrent peptic ulcer bleeding in high-risk patients with Rockall scores ≥6. Trial registration number NCT01591083.

Marsilea quadrifolia, an amphibious fern, has the ability to develop heterophyllous, aerial and submerged leaves. In contrast to submerged leaves, aerial leaves have trichomes on both surfaces. To examine if the presence of trichomes can reflect excess light and hence reduce the risk of being damaged by excess light, we compared the optical properties and chlorophyll a fluorescence, in particular the maximum PSII photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm), of M. quadrifolia leaves with trichomes (intact) and those having trichomes removed (de-trichomed). Photosynthetic gas exchange measurements were also conducted to quantify transpirational water loss and instantaneous water use efficiency (WUE) of M. quadrifolia intact and de-trichomed leaves. The results showed that removal of trichomes neither affected the optical properties in the visible part of the solar spectrum nor the midday depression of Fv/Fm values of leaflets. In contrast, significantly increased in transpiration rates and decreased rates in WUE were found in de-trichomed leaflets in comparison to intact ones. These results imply that the presence of trichomes is of more importance in reducing water loss than in reflecting light and protecting M. quadrifolia against the potentially damaging effect of photoinhibition in aerial environments.