Confounded association between proton pump inhibitor use and risk of biliary tract cancer: Result from three cohorts

Recent epidemiological studies suggested that proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use was associated with an increased risk of biliary tract cancer (BTC), however, confounders were not adequately controlled. Our study aimed to evaluate PPI use and subsequent risk of BTC and its subtypes in three well-established cohorts. We conducted a pooled analysis of the subjects free of cancers in UK Biobank (n = 463 643), Nurses' Health Study (NHS, n = 80 235) and NHS II (n = 95 869). Propensity score weighted Cox models were used to estimate marginal HRs of PPIs use on BTC risk, accounting for potential confounders. We documented 284 BTC cases in UK Biobank (median follow-up: 7.6 years), and 91 cases in NHS and NHS II cohorts (median follow-up: 15.8 years). In UK biobank, PPI users had a 96% higher risk of BTC compared to nonusers in crude model (HR 1.96, 95% CI 1.44-2.66), but the effect was attenuated to null after adjusting for potential confounders (HR 0.95, 95% CI 0.60-1.49). PPI use was not associated with risk of BTC in the pooled analysis of three cohorts (HR 0.93, 95% CI 0.60-1.43). We also observed no associations between PPI use with risk of intrahepatic (HR 1.00, 95% CI 0.49-2.04), extrahepatic bile duct (HR 1.09, 95% CI 0.52-2.27) and gallbladder cancers (HR 0.66, 95% CI 0.26-1.66) in UK Biobank. In summary, regular use of PPIs was not associated with the risk of BTC and its subtypes.     

Knockdown of DEAD-box 51 inhibits tumor growth of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma via the PI3K/AKT pathway

BACKGROUND Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC)is one of the most prevalent malignancies that seriously threaten people’s health worldwide.DEAD-box helicase 51(DDX51)is a member of the DEAD-box(DDX)RNA helicase family,and drives or inhibits tumor progression in multiple cancer types.AIM To determine whether DDX51 affects the biological behavior of ESCC.METHODS The expression of DDX51 in ESCC tumor tissues and adjacent normal tissues was detected by Immunohistochemistry(IHC)analyses and quantitative PCR(qPCR).We knocked down DDX51 in ESCC cell lines by using a small interfering RNA(siRNA)transfection.The proliferation,apoptosis,and mobility of DDX51 siRNAtransfected cells were detected.The effect of DDX51 on the phosphoinositide 3-kinase(PI3K)/AKT pathway was investigated by western blot analysis.A mouse xenograft model was established to investigate the effects of DDX51 knockdown on ESCC tumor growth.RESULTS DDX51 exhibited high expression in ESCC tissues compared with normal tissues and represented a poor prognosis in patients with ESCC.Knockdown of DDX51 induced inhibition of ESCC cell proliferation and promoted apoptosis.Moreover,DDX51 siRNA-expressing cells also exhibited lower migration and invasion rates.Investigations into the underlying mechanisms suggested that DDX51 knock down induced inactivation of the PI3K/AKT pathway,including decreased phosphorylation levels of phosphate and tensin homolog,PI3K,AKT,and mammalian target of rapamycin.Rescue experiments demonstrated that the AKT activator insulin-like growth factor 1 could reverse the inhibitory effects of DDX51 on ESCC malignant development.Finally,we injected DDX51 siRNA-transfected TE-1 cells into an animal model,which resulted in slower tumor growth.CONCLUSION Our study suggests for the first time that DDX51 promotes cancer cell proliferation by regulating the PI3K/AKT pathway;thus,DDX51 might be a therapeutic target for ESCC.     

补肾活血方对血管性痴呆大鼠海马神经细胞自噬的影响＊

目的 探究补肾活血方对血管性痴呆（Vascular Dementia， VD）大鼠模型自噬的影响。方法 52周龄SD雄性大鼠50只，随机分为假手术组（Sham组）、模型组（VD组）、模型+补肾活血方组（BSHX组）、模型+雷帕霉素组（Rap组）和模型+3-甲基腺嘌呤组（3-MA组），每组10只大鼠。除Sham组外其余各组采用两血管阻断法（2-VO）建立VD模型。BSHX组中药灌胃治疗28天；自噬干预组于造模前30 min侧脑室给药。运用Morris水迷宫测试各组大鼠的学习记忆能力；通过尼氏染色和透射电子显微镜（Transmission electron microscope，TEM）观察大鼠海马区病理形态及自噬变化；采用蛋白免疫印迹（Western blot）法和反转录实时荧光定量PCR（RT-qPCR）检测大鼠海马Beclin-1、P62以及微管相关蛋白1轻链3（LC3）蛋白及mRNA表达情况。结果 与VD组比较，BSHX组大鼠学习记忆能力显著提升（P<0.05），镜下观察BSHX组和3-MA组的细胞形态及数量均有改善，自噬小体鲜见，Beclin-1以及LC3蛋白和mRNA表达水平显著降低（P<0.05），P62蛋白和mRNA表达水平明显升高（P<0.05）结论 补肾活血方可以降低VD大鼠海马区Beclin-1和LC3蛋白及mRNA的表达，提高P62的表达，通过抑制自噬的发生，减轻对神经细胞的损伤，改善学习记忆能力。     

基于规律成簇的间隔短回文重复序列及其相关蛋白技术检测乙型肝炎病毒共价闭合环状DNA方法的建立

目的建立一种基于规律成簇的间隔短回文重复序列及其相关蛋白(CRISPR/Cas13a)的乙型肝炎病毒(HBV)共价闭合环状DNA(HBV cccDNA)检测方法。方法提取2017年6月至2020年10月于首都医科大学附属北京佑安医院就诊的4例乙型肝炎患者肝脏总DNA后,使用HindⅢ内切酶和质粒安全性ATP依赖DNA酶(PSAD)分别进行酶切;根据松弛环状DNA(rcDNA)和cccDNA的结构差异,设计特异性扩增HBV cccDNA的引物,对酶切后的产物进行滚环扩增(RCA)和PCR扩增;并筛选crRNA,建立基于CRISPR/Cas13a技术的HBV cccDNA检测新方法。结果利用α-1-抗胰蛋白酶(A1AT)和HBV表面抗原(HBsAg)引物对双重酶切后的产物进行扩增,验证产物中HBV基因组的存在;利用HBV cccDNA和HBV rcDNA引物对PSDA酶切后的产物扩增,验证了产物中只存在HBV cccDNA;利用RCA后的阳性样本作为模板梯度稀释,然后进行PCR扩增转录后使用CRISPR/Cas13a检测,计算出检测下限为10拷贝/μl。结论本研究建立了RCA-PCR-CRISPR-Cas13a的新型检测方法,可对HBV cccDNA进行高灵敏度和高特异性检测,为乙型肝炎患者抗病毒治疗评估、治疗终点的确定以及调整治疗方案提供了有效的监测手段。     

浅论中医学对胰腺实体解剖的认知过程

中医学古籍中罕有关于“胰腺”的明确记载，缺乏直观、系统的理论论述。本文试图通过对各个时期具有代表性的医学典籍所记载内容的分析，结合现代解剖学相关理论，梳理中医学对胰腺实体解剖的认识过程。通过分析，笔者认为中医学对胰腺实体解剖的认识具有阶段性：①先秦两汉时期，存在胰腺实体解剖，但并非认为胰腺是脏器；②唐宋时期，胰腺实体解剖更加清晰，在医学上胰腺附属于脾，并非为独立的脏器；③明清时期，胰腺实体解剖明确，部分医家以独立脏器论之，出现“脾”、“胰”之争。中医学理论缺少对胰腺的单独论述，目前学界的主流观点多为“胰属脾”，线性归属以脾笼统代之略显单薄，不利于理论的丰富与发展。笔者认为胰腺藏象应独立于脾单独讨论，现代解剖学对胰腺命名同一，形态结构清楚，位置描述明确，可直接补充进中医学胰腺藏象（藏）理论中，为完善胰腺藏象理论搭建解剖学基础。