Anthocyanins from black soybean inhibit Helicobacter pylori-induced inflammation in human gastric epithelial AGS cells.

Infection with Helicobacter pylori leads to gastritis, peptic ulcers and gastric cancer. Moreover, when the gastric mucosa is exposed to H. pylori, gastric mucosal inflammatory cytokine interleukin-8 (Il-8) and reactive oxygen species increase. Anthocyanins have anti-oxidative, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the effect of anthocyanins in H. pylori-infected cells is not yet clear. In this study, therefore, the effect of anthocyanins on H. pylori-infected human gastric epithelial cells was examined. AGS cells were pretreated with anthocyanins for 24 hrs followed by H. pylori 26695 infection for up to 24 hrs. Cell viability and ROS production were examined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide and 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate assay, respectively. Western blot analyses and RT-PCR were performed to assess gene and protein expression, respectively. IL-8 secretion in AGS cells was measured by ELISA. It was found that anthocyanins decrease H. pylori-induced ROS enhancement. Anthocyanins also inhibited phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases, translocation of nuclear factor-kappa B and Iκßα degradation. Furthermore anthocyanins inhibited H. pylori-induced inducible nitric oxide synthases and cyclooxygenase-2 mRNA expression and inhibited IL-8 production by 45.8%. Based on the above findings, anthocyanins might have an anti-inflammatory effect in H. pylori-infected gastric epithelial cells.

Role of vasospasm in acute coronary syndrome: insights from ergonovine stress echocardiography.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that ergonovine stress echocardiography (ESE) may be a valuable noninvasive tool for the diagnosis of vasospasm after the confirmation of no significant fixed stenosis. METHODS AND RESULTS: From May 1999 to January 2002, 52 patients who presented with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and had normal or near-normal coronary angiograms were enrolled. A 50 microg bolus of ergonovine was given intravenously at 5-min intervals, until a positive result was observed or a total dose of 350 microg was given. After the ergonovine injection, positive results were found in 25 (48%) of 52 patients: 5 (26%) of 19 with unstable angina, 10 (53%) of 19 non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (MI) and 10 (71%) of 14 patients with ST elevation MI. Using univariate analysis, the elevation of troponin concentration, clinical diagnosis of MI, and ST segment elevation on initial electrocardiographic were significantly associated with positive stress test results. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the limitation that coronary spasm was not confirmed angiographically with ergonovine provocation, ESE may be a useful technique for the noninvasive diagnosis of vasospasm.