Seronegative spondyloarthropathy-associated inflammatory bowel disease

Seronegative spondyloarthropathy(SpA)usually starts in the third decade of life with negative rheumatoid factor,human leukocyte antigen-B27 genetic marker and clinical features of spinal and peripheral arthritis,dactylitis,enthesitis and extra-articular manifestations(EAMs).Cases can be classified as ankylosing spondylitis,psoriatic arthritis,reactive arthritis,enteropathic arthritis,or juvenileonset spondyloarthritis.Joint and gut inflammation is intricately linked in SpA and inflammatory bowel disease(IBD),with shared genetic and immunopathogenic mechanisms.IBD is a common EAM in SpA patients,while extraintestinal manifestations in IBD patients mostly affect the joints.Although individual protocols are available for the management of each disease,the standard therapeutic guidelines of SpA-associated IBD patients remain to be established.Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are recommended as initial therapy of peripheral and axial SpA,whereas their use is controversial in IBD due to associated disease flares.Conventional disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs are beneficial for peripheral arthritis but ineffective for axial SpA or IBD therapy.Anti-tumor necrosis factor monoclonal antibodies are effective medications with indicated use in SpA and IBD,and a drug of choice for treating SpA-associated IBD.Janus kinase inhibitors,approved for treating SpA and ulcerative colitis,are promising therapeutics in SpA coexistent with ulcerative colitis.A tight collaboration between gastroenterologists and rheumatologists with mutual referral from early accurate diagnosis to appropriately prompt therapy is required in this complex clinical scenario.

Role of antidiabetic agents in type 2 diabetes patients with chronic kidney disease

Insulin resistance is a condition in which the target tissues have a decreased response to insulin signaling,resulting in glucose uptake defect,and an increased blood sugar level.Pancreatic beta cells thus enhance insulin production to compensate.This situation may cause further beta cell dysfunction and failure,which can lead diabetes mellitus(DM).Insulin resistance is thus an important cause of the development of type 2 DM.Insulin resistance has also been found to have a strong relationship with cardiovascular disease and is common in chronic kidney disease(CKD)patients.The mechanisms of insulin resistance in CKD are complex and multifactorial.They include physical inactivity,inflammation and oxidative stress,metabolic acidosis,vitamin D deficiency,adipose tissue dysfun-ction,uremic toxins,and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system activation.Currently,available anti-diabetic agents,such as biguanides,sulfonylureas,thiazolidinediones,alfa-glucosidase inhibitors,glucagon-like peptide-1-based agents,and sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors,have different effects on insulin resistance.In this short review,we describe the potential mechanisms of insulin resistance in CKD patients.We also review the interaction of currently available anti-diabetic medications with insulin resistance.

Long-term quality-of-care score for predicting the occurrence of acute myocardial infarction in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

BACKGROUND Cardiovascular disease(CVD)is the leading cause of death globally,and diabetes mellitus(DM)is a well-established risk factor.Among the risk factors for CVD,DM is a major modifiable factor.In the fatal CVD outcomes,acute myocardial infarction(AMI)is the most common cause of death.AIM To develop a long-term quality-of-care score for predicting the occurrence of AMI among patients with type 2 DM on the basis of the hypothesis that good quality of care can reduce the risk of AMI in patients with DM.METHODS Using Taiwan’s Longitudinal Cohort of Diabetes Patients Database and the medical charts of a medical center,we identified incident patients diagnosed with type 2 DM from 1999 to 2003 and followed them until 2011.We constructed a summary quality-of-care score(with values ranging from 0 to 8)with process indicators(frequencies of HbA1c and lipid profile testing and urine,foot and retinal examinations),intermediate outcome indicators(low-density lipoprotein,blood pressure and HbA1c),and co-morbidity of hypertension.The associations between the score and the incidence of AMI were evaluated using Cox regression models.RESULTS A total of 7351 patients who had sufficient information to calculate the score were enrolled.In comparison with participants who had scores≤1,those with scores between 2 and 4 had a lower risk of developing AMI[adjusted hazard ratio(AHR)=0.71;95% confidence interval(95%CI):0.55-0.90],and those with scores≥5 had an even lower risk(AHR=0.37;95%CI:0.21-0.66).CONCLUSION Good quality of care can reduce the risk of AMI in patients with type 2 DM.The quality-of-care score developed in this study had a significant association with the risk of AMI and thus can be applied to guiding the care for these patients.

Quantum Oblivious Transfer with Reusable Bell State

In cryptography,oblivious transfer(OT)is an important multiparty cryptographic primitive and protocol,that is suitable for many upperlayer applications,such as secure computation,remote coin-flipping,electrical contract signing and exchanging secrets simultaneously.However,some nogo theorems have been established,indicating that one-out-of-two quantum oblivious transfer(QOT)protocols with unconditional security are impossible.Fortunately,some one-out-of-two QOT protocols using the concept of Crepeau’s reduction have been demonstrated not to conform to Lo’s no-go theorem,but these protocols require more quantum resources to generate classical keys using all-or-nothing QOT to construct one-out-of-two QOT.This paper proposes a novel and efficient one-out-of-two QOT which uses quantum resources directly instead of wasting unnecessary resources to generate classical keys.The proposed protocol is not covered by Lo’s no-go theorem,and it is able to check the sender’s loyalty and avoid the attack from the receiver.Moreover,the entangled state of the proposed protocol is reusable,so it can provide more services for the participants when necessary.Compared with otherQOT protocols,the proposed protocol is more secure,efficient,and flexible,which not only can prevent external and internal attacks,but also reduce the required resources and resource distribution time.

Entrapment neuropathy of common peroneal nerve by fabella:A case report

BACKGROUND Neuropathy of the common peroneal nerve caused by compression by a fabella is an extremely rare form of compression neuropathy.Involving both the superficial and deep peroneal nerves,it usually manifests as either impaired sensation from the lower lateral leg to the top of the foot or drop foot,or as a combination of both.CASE SUMMARY We report the case of a 58-year-old Asian female who presented with inversion of the right foot during the stance phase of gait without sensory complaints related to the lower leg.Electrodiagnostic testing revealed the neuropathy of the common peroneal nerve at the level of the knee,exclusively affecting the muscular branch of the superficial peroneal nerve.A neuromuscular ultrasound disclosed swelling of the right common peroneal nerve just before it crossed over a large fabella as well as atrophy and fatty infiltration of the right peroneus longus and peroneus brevis muscles.Surgical excision of the fabella and neurolysis were performed.Subsequently,the strength of the right foot evertors improved,but the unsteady gait with occasional falls persisted for nine months after the surgery.Therefore,another procedure was performed to transfer the split posterior tibialis tendon to the peroneus brevis in order to correct the gait.CONCLUSION This is the first case of neuropathy of the common peroneal nerve caused by compression by a fabella affecting exclusively the muscular branch of the superficial peroneal nerve.Clinicians should be aware of this unusual peripheral neuropathy while evaluating and treating patients with gait disturbance.

Reduced risk of dementia in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus using Chinese herbal medicine:A nested case-control study

BACKGROUND Dementia is a prevalent condition in type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)patients.While Chinese herbal medicine(CHM)is often employed as complementary therapy for glycemic control,its effect in controlling likelihood of dementia has not yet been fully elucidated.AIM To compare the risk of dementia between T2DM patients with and without CHM treatment.METHODS We undertook a nested case-control study and obtained data on patients 20-70 years of age who received medical care for T2DM between 2001 and 2010 from the National Health Insurance Research database in Taiwan.Cases,defined as those with dementia that occurred at least one year after the diagnosis of T2DM,were randomly matched to controls without dementia from the study cohort at a 1:1 ratio.We applied conditional logistic regression to explore the associations between CHM treatment and dementia.RESULTS A total of 11699 dementia cases were matched to 11699 non-dementia controls.We found that adding CHM to conventional care was related to a lower risk of dementia[adjusted odds ratio(OR)=0.51],and high-intensity CHM treatment was associated with an adjusted OR of 0.22.CONCLUSION This study shows that the cumulative CHM exposure was inversely associated with dementia risk in an exposureresponse manner,implying that CHM treatment may be embraced as a disease management approach for diabetic patients to prevent dementia.

A Method to Improve the Accuracy of Personal Information Detection

It is necessary to confirm the personal data factors and the rules of verification before conducting personal data detection. So that the detection method can be written in the subsequent implementation of the automatic detection tool. This paper will conduct experiments on common personal data factor rules, including domestic personal identity numbers and credit card numbers with checksums. We use ChatGPT to test the accuracy of identifying personal information like ID card identification numbers or credit card numbers. And then use personal data correlation to reduce the time for personal data identification. Although the number of personal information factors found has decreased, it has had a better effect on the actual manual personal data identification. The result shows that it saves about 45% of the calculation time, and the execution efficiency of the accuracy is also improved with the original method by about 22%, which is about 2.2 times higher than the general method. Therefore, the method proposed in this paper can accurately and effectively find out the leftover personal information in the enterprise. .

Spatiotemporal Analysis of Meteorological Drought Using Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) in Gabiley Region, Somaliland

Drought is a common natural disaster worldwide, with varying durations, severity levels, and spatial extents. This study aimed to model the spatiotemporal variation of meteorological drought events in the Gabiley region of Somaliland. The study utilized primary data collected from the meteorological station in Gabiley and CHIRPS (Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Station) data to develop the standardized precipitation index (SPI) at a 3-month timescale. The results of the study revealed that the study area was characterized by drought and received inadequate precipitation, resulting in catastrophic droughts that negatively impacted the socioeconomic situation of the community. Mild-to-severe meteorological drought events occurred every two to three years, with the most severe droughts occurring in 1998, 2002, 2009, 2015, and 2017. Specifically, the year 2015 experienced the most severe meteorological drought in the region during the studied period. The predominant type of drought was a mild year in the study area. The SPI was found to potentially identify meteorological drought, making it a useful tool for policymakers as they develop drought adaptation and mitigation policies. This study provides valuable information that can benefit local authorities and policymakers in creating drought mitigation and adaptation strategies in the Gabiley region.

miR-106b promotes cancer progression in hepatitis B virusassociated hepatocellular carcinoma

AIM: To investigate the effect of mi R-106 b on tumor progression in hepatitis B virus(HBV)-associated hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).METHODS: A total of 120 patients who underwent liver resection for HCC at National Cheng Kung University Hospital were enrolled in the present study. Micro RNA(mi RNA) array was first used to screen the mi RNA expression profiles in HCC patients. The clinical records were retrospectively analyzed, and correlations with the mi RNA expression profiles were evaluated. The m RNA expression levels of the mi R-106b-25 cluster(mi R-106 b, mi R-93 and mi R-25), and MCM7 in tumor and non-tumor samples were quantitated using quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(q-RT-PCR) analysis, and correlations in the levels of mi R-106 b, mi R-93 and mi R-25 expression were calculated. Kaplan-Meier overall and diseasefree survival rates of HBV-associated HCC patients were analyzed using the log-rank test based on mi R-106 b expression. The comparison of the mi R-106 b expression levels in patients with different clinical outcomes was analyzed using Mann-Whitney U tests. Furthermore, a hepatitis B virus X protein(HBx) expression plasmid was transfected into Huh7 and Hep 3B cells. The expression levels of the mi R-106b-25 cluster and MCM7 in HBx-expressing Huh7 and Hep 3B cells were detected using q-RT-PCR. RESULTS: mi RNA array screening showed that mi R-106 b and its cluster, mi R-93 and mi R-25 were upregulated in HCC patients(P < 0.01). The value of mi R-106 b expression in HBV-associated HCC patients was significantly higher than that in HCV-(P < 0.05) or non-B/non-C-(P < 0.001) associated HCC patients. The expression of the mi R-106b-25 cluster was significantly higher in tumor tissue(P < 0.001) and associated with the host gene, MCM7, in clinical specimens from HBVassociated HCC patients. Furthermore, the expression levels of mi R-106 b, mi R-93 and mi R-25 were positively correlated in HBV-associated HCC tissues(mi R-106 vs mi R-93, r = 0.75; mi R-93 vs mi R-25, r = 0.69; mi R-106 b vs mi R-25, r = 0.33). The overall and diseasefree survival curves showed that high-mi R-106 b expression was correlated with the poor prognosis of HBV-associated HCC. HCC differentiation was significantly correlated with mi R-106 b expression(P < 0.05). Lower mi R-106 b expression levels resulted in the well differentiation of HCC. Moreover, the expression of the mi R106b-25 cluster and MCM7 was up-regulated in Huh7 and Hep 3B cells after transfection with the HBx expression plasmid.CONCLUSION: The data obtained in the present study suggests that HBx enhances mi R-106 b transcription to promote tumor progression in HBV-associated HCC.

Clinical utility of hepatitis B surface antigen kinetics in treatment-na?ve chronic hepatitis B patients during longterm entecavir therapy

AIM To investigate the utility of hepatitis B surface antigen(HBsAg) kinetics in chronic hepatitis B patients during long-term entecavir treatment.METHODS This retrospective study included treatment-na?ve chronic hepatitis B patients who received at least 2 years of consecutive entecavir treatment. Patients were followed up at three to six month intervals with liver biochemistry, hepatitis B virus DNA, and abdominal sonography. In hepatitis B e antigen(HBeAg)-positive patients, HBeAg levels were assessed every three to six month until results became negative. Serum HBsAg levels were determined at the baseline, oneyear and five-year time points. Liver cirrhosis was diagnosed through liver biopsy, imaging examinations, or clinical findings of portal hypertension. Hepatocellular carcinoma was diagnosed by histological examination or dynamic image studies.RESULTS A total of 211 patients were enrolled. The median treatment time was 5.24(2.00-9.62) years. Multivariate analysis showed that lower baseline HBsAg levels were associated with an earlier virological response, earlier hepatitis B e antigen(HBeAg) seroconversion, and earlier biochemical response in HBeAg-positive patients(cut-off value: 4 log IU/mL) and an earlier virological response in HBeAg-negative non-cirrhotic patients(cut-off value: 2.4 log IU/mL). Although HBsAg levels decreased slowly during long-term entecavir treatment, higher HBsAg decrease rates were found in the first year for HBeAg-positive non-cirrhotic patients, and patients with higher baseline HBsAg levels. More favorable clinical outcomes were not observed by a rapid HBsAg decline per se, but depended on lower baseline HBsAg levels.CONCLUSION Baseline HBsAg can be used to predict treatment responses. HBsAg levels and decrease rates should be considered together according to disease status while interpreting HBsAg changes.

Numerical simulation of solidification morphologies of Cu-0.6Cr casting alloy using modified cellular automaton model

The purpose of this study is to predict the morphologies in the solidification process for Cu-0.6Cr(mass fraction,%)alloy by vacuum continuous casting(VCC)and verify its accuracy by the observed experimental results.In numerical simulation aspect, finite difference(FD)method and modified cellular automaton(MCA)model were used to simulate the macro-temperature field, micro-concentration field,nucleation and grain growth of Cu-0.6Cr alloy using real data from actual casting operations.From the observed casting experiment,the preliminary grain morphologies are the directional columnar grains by the VCC process.The solidification morphologies by MCAFD model are in agreement with the result of actual casting experiment well.

Opiate-induced constipation related to activation of small intestine opioid μ2-receptors

AIM:To investigate the role of opioid μ-receptor subtype in opiate-induced constipation (OIC).METHODS:The effect of loperamide on intestinal transit was investigated in mice.Ileum strips were isolated from 12-wk-old male BALB/c mice for identification of isometric tension.The ileum strips were precontracted with 1 μmol/L acetylcholine (ACh).Then,decrease in muscle tone (relaxation) was characterized after cumulative administration of 0.1-10 μmol/L loperamide into the organ bath,for a concentration-dependent study.Specific blockers or antagonists were used for pretreatment to compare the changes in loperamide-induced relaxation.RESULTS:In addition to the delay in intestinal transit,loperamide produced a marked relaxation in isolated ileum precontracted with ACh,in a dose-dependent manner.This relaxation was abolished by cyprodime,a selective opioid μ-receptor antagonist,but not modified by naloxonazine at a dose sufficient to block opioid μ-1 receptors.Also,treatment with opioid μ-1 receptor agonist failed to modify the muscle tone.Moreover,the relaxation by loperamide was attenuated by glibenclamide at a dose sufficient to block ATP-sensitive K + (K ATP) channels,and by protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor,but was enhanced by an inhibitor of phosphodiesterase for cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP).CONCLUSION:Loperamide induces intestinal relaxation by activation of opioid μ-2 receptors via the cAMPPKA pathway to open K ATP channels,relates to OIC.

Autophagy and microRNA in hepatitis B virus-relatedhepatocellular carcinoma

Approximately 350 million people worldwide are chronically infected by hepatitis B virus(HBV).HBV causes severe liver diseases including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).In about 25%of affected patients,HBV infection proceeds to HCC.Therefore,the mechanisms by which HBV affects the host cell to promote viral replication and its pathogenesis have been the subject of intensive research efforts.Emerging evidence indicates that both autophagy and micro RNAs(mi RNAs)are involved in HBV replication and HBV-related hepatocarcinogenesis.In this review,we summarize how HBV induces autophagy,the role of autophagy in HBV infection,and HBV-related tumorigenesis.We further discuss the emerging roles of mi RNAs in HBV infection and how HBV affects mi RNAs biogenesis.The accumulating knowledge pertaining to autophagy and mi RNAs in HBV replication and its pathogenesis may lead to the development of novel strategies against HBV infection and HBV-related HCC tumorigenesis.

Reduction of the ages at diagnosis and operation of biliary atresia in Taiwan: A 15-year population-based cohort study

AIM: To describe the ages at diagnosis and operation of biliary atresia(BA) and its incidence over a 15-year period in Taiwan.METHODS: This was a population-based cohort study. BA cases were identified from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database based on the International Classification of Diseases,Ninth Revision(ICD-9) code of BA 751.61 plus Kasai operation(ICD-9 procedure code 51.37) or liver transplantation(LT,ICD-9 procedure code 50.5). The patients' characteristics including sex,age at diagnosis,age at receiving Kasai operation and age at receiving LT were compared among three birth cohorts:(1) 1997 to 2001;(2) 2002 to 2006; and(3) 2007 to 2011.RESULTS: There were a total of 540 BA cases(275 females) with an incidence of 1.62 per 10000 live births. No seasonality of BA was noted. The mean ages at diagnosis of three cohorts were 57.9,55.6 and 52.6 d.A linear regression model demonstrated a decreasing trend of the mean age at diagnosis(1.27 d per year). The proportion of BA cases that received the Kasai operation within 60 d of age increased from 76% to 81%. A total of 189(35%) BA patients underwent LT. The mean age at LT was reduced from 3-year-old to 1-year-old. The rates of LT were 25.6% and 32.3% in patients who received the Kasai operation within 60 d or after 60 d of age,respectively. All patients who did not undergo a Kasai operation eventually required LT.CONCLUSION: The ages at diagnosis and operation in BA cases have decreased over time. Kasai operation performed at younger age reduces the need for LT. The incidence of BA in Taiwan fluctuates,but without certain trend.

Depletion of CD4^+CD25^+ regulatory T cells can promote local immunity to suppress tumor growth in benzo[a]pyrene-induced forestomach carcinoma

AIM: To elucidate the distribution of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) in different lymphoid tissues and its local enhancement on tumor growth before and after depletion of CD4+CD25+ Tregs. METHODS: Female ICR mice were gavaged with benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) to induce forestomach carcinoma. CD4+CD25+ Tregs were intraperitoneally depleted with monoclonal antibody PC61. These mice were divided into BaP-only, BaP + IgG, BaP + PC61, and control groups. The forestomach of mice was dissected for histological analysis, and tunnel test was performed for apoptosis of tumor cells. CD4+CD25+ Tregs were sorted from different lymphoid tissues and expression of Foxp3, IL-10, and chemokine receptors was analyzed by flow cytometry, semi-quantitative and real-time polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The mice gavaged with only BaP showed increased forestomach papilloma and carcinoma at wk 16 and 32. The proportion of CD4+CD25+ Tregs was significantly higher in peri-stomach regionallymph nodes than in other lymphoid tissues. These CD4+CD25+ Tregs in regional lymph nodes expressed higher levels of Foxp3 and IL-10, enriched in the CD62L-subset, and CCR1 and CCR5 chemokine receptors. In mice gavaged with BaP + PC61, the number of tumor nodules and tumor volume decreased significantly with massive infiltrating cells and apoptosis of tumor cells. In the draining regional lymph nodes, the number of CD4+CD25+ Tregs also decreased significantly. CONCLUSION: Inducible and activated CD4+CD25+ Tregs in the draining regional lymph nodes suppress host local immunity during tumor growth. Depletion of CD4+CD25+ Tregs can promote host local immunity to suppress tumor growth.

Toll-like receptor 4 plays an anti-HBV role in a murine model of acute hepatitis B virus expression

AIM: Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) has been shown to be important for bacterial infection, especially to lipopolysaccharide signaling. Its possible role in HBV infection is studied in the present study.MATERIALS AND METHODS: pHBV3.6 plasmid,containing full-length HBV genome was used in the murine model of acute HBV expression by hydrodynamics in vito transfection. TLR4 normal or mutant mouse strain was compared to investigate the possible role of TLR4 in acute HBV expression.RESULTS: After pHBV3.6 injection, the infiltrating leukocytes expressed TLR4 were observed nearby the HBsAg-expressing hepatocytes. The HBV antigenemia as well as the replication and transcription were higher in TLR4-mutant C3H/HeJ mice than in normal C3H/HeN mice. The HBV-specific immune responses were impaired in the liver or spleen of the C3H/HeJ mice.Their inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression on the hepatic infiltrating cells was also impaired. When adoptively transferring splenocy,tes from C3H/HeN mice to C3H/HeJ mice, the HBV replication was inhibited to the level as that of C3H/HeN.CONCLUSION: These results suggest that TLR4 plays an anti-HBV role in vivo through the induction of iNOS expression and HBV-specific immune responses after HBV expression.

Effect of lysozyme chloride on betel quid chewing aggravated gastric oxidative stress and hemorrhagic ulcer in diabetic rats

AIM: To evaluate the protective effect of lysozyme chloride on betel quid chewing (BQC) aggravated gastric oxidative stress and hemorrhagic ulcer in rats with diabetes mellitus (DM).METHODS: Male Wistar rats were challenged intravenously with streptozotocin (65 mg/kg) to induce DM. Rats were fed with regular pellet food or BQC-containing diets. After 90 d, rats were deprived of food for 24 h. Rat stomachs were irrigated for 3 h with normal saline or simulated gastric juice. Rats were killed and gastric specimens were harvested.RESULTS: An enhancement of various gastric ulcerogenic parameters, including acid back-diffusion, mucosal lipid peroxide generation, as well as decreased glutathione levels and mucus content, were observed in DM rats. After feeding DM rats with BQC, an exacerbation of these ulcerogenic parameters was achieved. Gastric juice caused a further aggravation of these ulcerogenic parameters. Daily intragastric lysozyme chloride dose-dependently inhibited exacerbation of various ulcerogenic parameters in those BQC-fed DM rats.CONCLUSION: (1) Gastric juice could aggravate both DM and BQC-fed DM rat hemorrhagic ulcer; (2) BQC exacerbated gastric hemorrhagic ulcer in DM rats via enhancing oxidative stress and reducing defensive factors; (3) lysozyme chloride effectively protected BQC aggravated gastric damage in DM rats.

Removal of citrate and hypophosphite binary components using Fenton,photo-Fenton and electro-Fenton processes

Both citrate and hypophosphite in aqueous solution were degraded by advanced oxidation processes （Fe^2＋/H2O2, UV/Fe^2＋/H2O2, and electrolysis/Fe^2＋/H2O2） in this study. Comparison of these techniques in oxidation efficiency was undertaken. It was found that Fenton process could not completely degrade citrate in the presence of hypophosphite since it caused a series inhibition. Therefore, UV light （photo-Fenton） or electron current （electro-Fenton） was applied to improve the degradation efficiency of the Fenton process. Results showed that both photo-Fenton and electro-Fenton processes could overcome the inhibition of hypophosphite, especially the electro-Fenton.

Gonadotrophin-releasing hormone-Ⅰ and -Ⅱ stimulate steroidogenesis in prepubertal murine Leydig cells in vitro

Aim： To study the effect and mechanism of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone （GnRH） on murine Leydig cell steroidogenesis. Methods： Purified murine Leydig cells were treated with GnRH-Ⅰ and -Ⅱ agonists, and testosterone production and steroidogenic enzyme expressions were determined. Results： GnRH-Ⅰ and -Ⅱ agonists significantly stimulated murine Leydig cell steroidogenesis 60%-80% in a dose- and time-dependent manner （P 〈 0.05）. The mRNA expressions of steroidogenic acute regulatory （STAR） protein, P450scc, 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase （HSD）, but not 17β-hydroxylase or 17β-HSD, were significantly stimulated by both GnRH agonists with a 1.5- to 3-fold increase （P 〈 0.05）. However, only 3β-HSD protein expression was induced by both GnRH agonists, with a 1.6- to 2-fold increase （P 〈 0.05）. Conclusion： GnRH directly stimulated murine Leydig cell steroidogenesis by activating 3β-HSD enzyme expression.

Eradication of Helicobacter pylori increases childhood growth and serum acylated ghrelin levels

AIM: To determine whether Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)infected children have reduced body weight (BW) and height (BH) growth, and if H. pylori eradication may restore growth while improving serum acylated ghrelin. METHODS: This longitudinal cohort study with oneyear follow-up enrolled 1222 children aged 4 to 12 years old into an observation cohort (18 with and 318 without H. pylori ) and intervention cohort (75 with and 811 without). The 7-d triple therapy was used for eradication in the intervention cohort. The net increases of BW and BH as well serum acylated ghrelin after oneyear follow-up were compared between successful eradicated H. pylori-infected children and controls. RESULTS: In the observation cohort, the H. pylori - infected children had lower z score of BW (-1.11 ± 0.47 vs 0.35 ± 0.69, P = 0.01) and body mass index (BMI) (0.06 ± 0.45 vs 0.44 ± 0.73, P = 0.02) at enrollment and lower net BW gain after one-year follow-up (3.3 ± 2.1 kg vs 4.5 ± 2.4 kg, P = 0.04) than the non-infected controls. In the intervention cohort, the H. pylori - infected children had lower z score of BMI (0.25 ± 1.09 vs 0.68 ± 0.87, P = 0.009) and serum acylated ghrelin levels (41.8 ± 35.6 pg/mL vs 83.6 ± 24.2 pg/mL, P < 0.001) than the non-infected controls. In addition to restoring decreased serum ghrelin levels (87.7 ± 38.0 pg/mL vs 44.2 ± 39.0 pg/mL, P < 0.001), the H. pylori - infected children with successful eradication had higher net gains (P < 0.05) and increase of z scores (P < 0.05) of both BW and BH as compared with non-infected controls after one-year follow-up. CONCLUSION:H. pylori-infected children are associated with low serum acylated ghrelin and growth retardation. Successful eradication of H. pylori restores ghrelin levels and increases growth in children.