Micheliolide inhibits gastric cancer growth in vitro and in vivo via blockade of the IL-6/STAT3 pathway.

Upregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-6 is observed in gastric cancer tissue, and high IL-6 serum levels predict a poor prognosis of gastric cancer patients. The IL-6/STAT3 pathway has been confirmed to play essential roles in the process of carcinogenesis, including gastric cancer. Thus, blockade of the IL-6/STAT3 pathway may be a potentially effective therapeutic option for gastric cancer. Micheliolide (MCL), a guaianolide sesquiterpene lactone, possesses anti-inflamma tory properties and can attenuate the IL-6 level. In addition, MCL has been widely reported to possess anti-tumor activity. But the anti-cancer effect of MCL on gastric cancer is unclear. In this study, we detected the effects of MCL on gastric cancer cell proliferation and apoptosis by performing MTT, colony formation, TUNEL and western blot assays, and found that MCL inhibited gastric cancer cell proliferation and promoted apoptosis in vitro. We further investigated the molecular mechanism by which MCL played an efficient role against gastric cancer, and found that the IL-6/STAT3 pathway is involved in the anti-cancer effect of MCL on gastric cancer. In vivo experiments further confirmed this conclusion. Taken together, MCL inhibits gastric cancer growth in vitro and in vivo via blockade of IL-6/STAT3 pathway.

Association between past exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and peptic ulcer: A cross-sectional study in eastern China.

Ambient fine particulate matter (particle diameter < 2.5 µm, or PM2.5) is a major public health concern in China. Exposure to PM2.5 has been associated with a wide range of adverse health outcomes. The current study aimed to estimate the association between exposure to PM2.5 and the risk of peptic ulcer diseases (PUDs). We conducted a hospital-based cross-sectional study of seven major cities in Zhejiang Province, China (combined population > 57 million people), which included a total of 647,092 subjects who underwent gastroscopy examination (86,852 subjects were diagnosed with PUDs) recorded in 13 large hospitals from 2014 to 2018. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to evaluate the relationship between PM2.5 and PUDs, including duodenal ulcers (DUs) and gastric ulcers (GUs). The overall estimated OR (95% CI) associated with every 10-µg/m3 increase in the 1-month average PM2.5 before the detection of PUDs was 1.050 (95% CI: 1.038, 1.063). The association between PM2.5 concentration and the prevalence of PUDs tended to be attenuated but remained significant when considering different exposure periods (OR = 1.030, 95% CI = 1.018-1.043 for the 3-month moving average; OR = 1.020, 95% CI = 1.005-1.037 for the 6-month moving average). Stronger associations were observed for DUs than GUs. The observed positive association of PM2.5 exposure with PUDs remained significant in the two-pollutant models after adjusting for other air pollutants. Our findings could provide scientific evidence for a more general adverse role of air pollution on PUDs.

Centralized isolation of Helicobacter pylori from multiple centers and transport condition influences.

AIM: To evaluate the efficacy of centralized culture and possible influencing factors. METHODS: From January 2010 to July 2012, 66452 patients with suspected Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection from 26 hospitals in Zhejiang and Jiangsu Provinces in China underwent gastrointestinal endoscopy. Gastric mucosal biopsies were taken from the antrum for culture. These biopsies were transported under natural environmental temperature to the central laboratory in Hangzhou city and divided into three groups based on their transport time: 5, 24 and 48 h. The culture results were reported after 72 h and the positive culture rates were analyzed by a χ (2) test. An additional 5736 biopsies from H. pylori-positive patients (5646 rapid urease test-positive and 90 (14)C-urease breath test-positive) were also cultured for quality control in the central laboratory setting. RESULTS: The positive culture rate was 31.66% (21036/66452) for the patient samples and 71.72% (4114/5736) for the H. pylori-positive quality control specimens. In the 5 h transport group, the positive culture rate was 30.99% (3865/12471), and 32.84% (14960/45553) in the 24 h transport group. In contrast, the positive culture rate declined significantly in the 48 h transport group (26.25%; P < 0.001). During transportation, the average natural temperature increased from 4.67 to 29.14 °C, while the positive culture rate declined from 36.67% (1462/3987) to 24.12% (1799/7459). When the temperature exceeded 24 °C, the positive culture rate decreased significantly, especially in the 48 h transport group (23.17%). CONCLUSION: Transportation of specimens within 24 h and below 24 °C is reasonable and acceptable for centralized culture of multicenter H. pylori samples.