Retracted: Effects of Different Ratio of n-6/n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on the PI3K/Akt Pathway in Rats With Reflux Esophagitis.

This publication has been retracted by the Editor due to non-original content and deficiencies in the conduct of the study. Reference: Jia-Yuan Zhuang, Zhi-Yao Chen, Tao Zhang, Du-Peng Tang, Xiao-Yin Jiang, Ze-Hao Zhuang. Effects of Different Ratio of n-6/n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on the PI3K/Akt Pathway in Rats with Reflux Esophagitis. Med Sci Monit, 2017; 23: 542-547. DOI: 10.12659/MSM.898131.

Simvastatin, but not pravastatin, inhibits the proliferation of esophageal adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma cells: a cell-molecular study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Long-term statin therapy has been shown to protect against several cancers, including esophageal cancer (EC). While the mechanisms underlying this effect are not clear. We investigated the effect of hydrophobic simvastatin and hydrophilic pravastatin on the proliferation of EC cells and sought to explore the underlying mechanisms. METHODS: Esophageal adenocarcinoma OE-19 cells and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma Eca-109 cells were treated with different concentrations of simvastatin or pravastatin for 24 h and 48 h. Cell proliferation was assessed by Cell Counting Kit-8 assay. Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were measured by thiobarbituric acid (TBA) assay. mRNA and protein expression of COX-2 were determined by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot, respectively; The expression of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) was measured by ELISA. RESULTS: Simvastatin, but not pravastatin, significantly inhibited the proliferation of OE-19 and Eca-109 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner, accompanying with the increasing of the MDA level. Moreover, simvastatin suppressed the expression of COX-2 and PGE2 in both OE-19 and Eca-109 cells in a dose-dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS: Lipophilic simvastatin, but not hydrophilic pravastatin, had significant inhibitory effects on the proliferation of Eca-109 and OE-19 cells. The reduction of COX-2 and PGE2 by simvastatin suggested that the inhibitory effect of simvastatin on the proliferation of EC cells may be independent of its lipid-lowering effect. Simvastatin may be a promising agent for the prevention and treatment of EC.

Effects of Different Ratio of n-6/n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on the PI3K/Akt Pathway in Rats with Reflux Esophagitis.

BACKGROUND We designed this study to investigate the influence of different ratios of n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid in the diet of reflux esophagitis (RE) rats' and the effect on the PI3K/Akt pathway. MATERIAL AND METHODS RE rats were randomly divided into a sham group and modeling groups of different concentrations of n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA): 12:1 group, 10:1 group, 5:1 group, and 1:1 group. RT-PCR and Western-blot were used to detect the expression of PI3K, Akt, p-Akt, NF-κBp50, and NF-κBp65 proteins in esophageal tissue. RESULTS In the n-6/n-3 PUFAs groups the expression of PI3K, Akt, p-Akt, nf-κbp50, and NF-κBp65 mRNA decreased with the decrease in n-6/n-3 ratios in the diet. The lowest expression of each indicator occurred in the 1:1 n-6/n-3 group compared with other n-6/n-3 groups, the difference was statistically significant (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS The inhibition of n-3 PUFAs in the development of esophageal inflammation in rats with RE was attributed to the function of PI3K/Akt-NF-κB signaling pathway.

The effect of n-3/n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids on acute reflux esophagitis in rats.

BACKGROUND: Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) play various roles in inflammation. However, the effect of PUFAs in the development of reflux esophagitis (RE) is unclear. This study is to investigate the potential effect of n-3/n-6 PUFAs on acute RE in rats along with the underlying protective mechanisms. METHODS: Forty Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups (n = 10 in each group). RE model was established by pyloric clip and section ligation. Fish oil- and soybean oil-based fatty emulsion (n-3 and n-6 groups), or normal saline (control and sham operation groups) was injected intraperitoneally 2 h prior to surgery and 24 h postoperatively (2 mL/kg, respectively). The expressions of interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-8, IL-6 and myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 (MyD88) in esophageal tissues were evaluated by Western blot and immunohistochemistry after 72 h. The malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) expression in the esophageal tissues were determined to assess the oxidative stress. RESULTS: The mildest macroscopic/microscopic esophagitis was found in the n-3 group (P < 0.05). The expression of IL-1ß, IL-8, IL-6 and MyD88 were increased in all RE groups, while the lowest and highest expression were found in n-3 and n-6 group, respectively (P < 0.05). The MDA levels were increased in all groups (P < 0.05), in an ascending trend from n-3, n-6 groups to control group. The lowest and highest SOD levels were found in the control and n-3 group, respectively (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: n-3 PUFAs may reduce acute RE in rats, which may be due to inhibition of the MyD88-NF-kB pathway and limit oxidative damage.

Decreased n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid ratio reduces chronic reflux esophagitis in rats.

AIM: To investigate the effect of dietary ratio of n-6/n-3 PUFAs on chronic reflux esophagitis (RE) and lipid peroxidation. METHOD: Rat RE model were established and then fed on a diet contained different n-6/n-3 PUFA ratios (1:1.5, 5:1, 10:1) or received pure n-6 PUFA diet for 14 days. Esophageal pathological changes were evaluated using macroscopic examination and hematoxyline-eosin staining. IL-1ß, IL-8, and TNFα mRNA and protein levels of were determined using RT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively. Malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels were determined using ELISA. RESULTS: The severity of esophagitis was lowest in the PUFA(1:1.5) group (P<0.05). IL-1ß, IL-8, and TNFα mRNA and protein and MDA levels were significantly increased in model groups with the increasing n-6/n-3 PUFA ratios. SOD levels were significantly decreased in all RE PUFA groups (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Esophageal injury and lipid peroxidation appeared to be ameliorated by increased n-3 PUFAs intake.

Association of Endoscopic Esophageal Variceal Ligation with Duodenal Ulcer.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of duodenal ulcer (DU), as well as other clinical characteristics occurring after endoscopic variceal ligation (EVL) of the esophagus. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China, from April 2012 to April 2013. METHODOLOGY: A total of 47 patients with esophageal varices (EVr) who had also undergone EVL and gastroscopic follow-up within 3 months of the procedure was retrospectively analyzed. The status of Helicobacter pylori(Hp) infection, Child-Pugh classification, and the grades of portal hypertensive gastropathy (PHG) were collected. Sixty EVr patients without EVL treatment, but with clinical data available, served as the control group. RESULTS: The frequency of DU in the EVL group (29.8%, 14/47) was higher than the control group (6.7%, 4/60) (p=0.02). Hp infection rate in EVLgroup was 19.15% (9/47), while in control group was 21.67% (13/60) (p=0.813). Hp positive rate (12.5%, 1/8) in patients exhibited new DUs after EVL was comparable to the patients without DU in the EVL group (12.1%, 4/33) (p=1.00). Patients with DU after EVL received 18.79 &plusmn;8.48 of ligating bands, while in those who did not exhibit DUs received 13.85 &plusmn;6.47 (z = -2.042, p = 0.041). Logistic regression analysis showed that the occurrence of DU was not associated with age, gender, Child-Pugh classification, or the grade of PHG (p &gt; 0.05). CONCLUSION: Esophageal EVL is associated with a higher frequency of developing DU, which is related to a larger number of applied bands but is not correlated with Hp infection status or other variables.

The 5-HT4 receptor agonist mosapride attenuates inflammation of reflux esophagitis.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Chronic inflammatory processes and gastric contents related esophageal mucosal injury are two major characteristics of reflux esophagitis RE). This study was aimed to establish a rat model fitting RE major characteristics and to investigate the effects of mosapride, one of the 5-hydroxy tryptamine (5-HT)4 receptor agonists, on mucosal inflammation in RE. METHODOLOGY: Rat RE model was established by pyloric clip and section ligation-induced chronic acid reflux esophagitis. Animal body weight and survival was monitored. Animals were treated with 0.1 mg/kg/d, 0.5 mg/kg/d, or 2.5 mg/kg/d mosapride by gavage. Gastric emptying was examined. After two weeks, pathological changes of the esophagus were determined and endothelin-1 (ED-1) expression in esophageal tissues was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: No significant differences were observed in the gastric emptying of RE rats after different doses of mosapride treatment (P > 0.05). Gross examination and pathological evaluation revealed that either 0.5 mg/kg/d or 2.5 mg/kg/d mosapride treatment attenuated the mucosal inflammation of RE, but a lower mosapride dose (0.1 mg/kg/d) had limited esophagoprotective effects (P > 0.05). Mosapride treatment greatly decreased the number of ED-1 positive monocytes in the esophagus compared with sham-operated controls (P < 0.05). 5-HT4 receptor and acetylcholine (Ach) receptor antagonists effectively reversed the protective effects of mosapride (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrated that mosapride attenuated the mucosal inflammation of RE, suggesting that mosapride might provide esophagoprotective effects in addition to its well-known prokinetic actions.