Promising role of D-amino acids in irritable bowel syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is an important health care concern. Alterations in the microbiota of the gut-brain axis may be linked to the pathophysiology of IBS. Some dietary intake could contribute to produce various metabolites including D-amino acids by the fermentation by the gut microbiota. D-amino acids are the enantiomeric counterparts of L-amino acids, in general, which could play key roles in cellular physiological processes against various oxidative stresses. Therefore, the presence of D-amino acids has been shown to be linked to the protection of several organs in the body. In particular, the gut microbiota could play significant roles in the stability of emotion via the action of D-amino acids. Here, we would like to shed light on the roles of D-amino acids, which could be used for the treatment of IBS.     

Factors Associated with Hepatitis B Surface Antigen Kinetics and Responses in Pegylated Interferon Alpha-2a Monotherapy for Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B

Objective Pegylated-interferon monotherapy is the standard treatment for patients with chronic hepatitis B; however, the factors associated with its therapeutic effects remain unclear. Methods Patients with chronic hepatitis B were treated with pegylated interferon α-2a for 48 weeks. We evaluated the kinetics of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) during treatment and follow-up periods and the factors associated with an HBsAg response (defined as a change in HBsAg of ≥-1 log IU/mL from baseline). Results The study population comprised 50 patients. The median baseline levels of hepatitis B virus DNA and HBsAg were 5.00 and 3.40 log IU/mL. The median values of HBsAg reduction from baseline were -0.44 (n=48), -0.41 (n=40), and -0.68 (n=11) log IU/mL at the end of treatment and at 48 and 144 weeks post-treatment, respectively. The rates of HBsAg response were 24.0% and 22.5% at the end of treatment and at 48 weeks post-treatment, respectively. A multivariate analysis identified HBsAg <3.00 log IU/mL as an independent baseline factor contributing to the HBsAg response at the end of treatment and 48 weeks post-treatment (p=1.07×10^-2 and 4.42×10^-2, respectively). There were significant differences in the reduction of the HBsAg levels at 12 weeks of treatment and in the incidence of serum ALT increase during treatment between patients with and without an HBsAg response. Conclusion These findings suggest that the baseline HBsAg level, HBsAg kinetics at 12 weeks of treatment, and ALT increase during treatment are important factors contributing to the HBsAg response in pegylated interferon α-2a monotherapy for patients with chronic hepatitis B.     

ATP6L promotes metastasis of colorectal cancer by inducing epithelial‐mesenchymal transition

ATP6L, the C subunit of the V‐ATPase V0 domain, is involved in regulating the acidic tumor micro‐environment and may promote tumor progression. However, the expression and functional role of ATP6L in tumors have not yet been well explored. In this study, we found that ATP6L protein overexpression was related to colorectal cancer histological differentiation (P < 0.001), presence of metastasis (P < 0.001) and recurrence (P = 0.02). ATP6L expression in the liver metastatic foci was higher than in the primary foci (P = 0.04). ATP6L expression was notably concomitant with epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) immunohistochemical features, such as reduced expression of the epithelial marker E‐cadherin (P = 0.021) and increased expression of the mesenchymal marker vimentin (P = 0.004). Results of in vitro and in vivo experiments showed that ATP6L expression could alter cell morphology, regulate EMT‐associated protein expression, and enhance migration and invasion. The effect of ATP6L on metastasis was further demonstrated in a tail vein injection mice model. In addition, the mouse xenograft model showed that ATP6L‐overexpressing HCT116 cells grew into larger tumor masses, showed less necrosis and formed more micro‐vessels than the control cells. Taken together, our results suggest that ATP6L promotes metastasis of colorectal cancer by inducing EMT and angiogenesis, and is a potential target for tumor therapy.     

参芪降糖颗粒联合二甲双胍对2型糖尿病患者降糖效果的分析

目的：探析2型糖尿病患者采取参芪降糖颗粒联合二甲双胍进行治疗的降糖效果。方法：选取2016年1月至2019年10月马鞍山市中心医院收治的2型糖尿病患者66例作为研究对象，按照随机数字表法分为对照组与观察组，每组33例，对照组通过二甲双胍进行治疗，观察组通过二甲双胍联合参芪降糖颗粒进行治疗，比较2组患者治疗总有效率、血糖参数、不良反应发生率等指标。结果：对照组、观察组的治疗总有效分别为75.76%、93.94%，与对照组比较，观察组的治疗总有效率明显较高（P<0.05）；观察组的空腹血糖、餐后2 h血糖等血糖参数在治疗后明显低于对照组患者（P<0.05）；对照组、观察组的治疗不良反应发生率分别为21.21%、3.03%，观察组治疗不良反应发生率明显低于对照组（P<0.05）。结论：2型糖尿病患者采取参芪降糖颗粒联合二甲双胍进行治疗能够获得较为理想的效果，可明显改善血糖指标，安全性较高，对改善患者的治疗预后有着促进的作用。