A multicenter prospective study of the treatment and outcome of patients with gastroduodenal peptic ulcer bleeding in Japan.

Gastroduodenal peptic ulcers are the main cause of nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB). We believe that recent advances in endoscopic techniques and devices for diagnosing upper gastrointestinal tract tumors have advanced hemostasis for UGIB. However, few prospective multicenter studies have examined how these changes affect the prognosis.

Aberrant expression of selenoproteins in the progression of colorectal cancer.

Since damage to DNA and other cellular molecules by reactive oxygen species ranks high as a major culprit in the onset and development of colorectal cancer, the aim of the present study is to clarify the role of antioxidant seleonoproteins including glutathione peroxidase (GPx), thioredoxin reductase (TXR) and selenoprotein P (SePP), and the effect of oxidative stress on the progression of colorectal cancer. Expression of 14 oxidative stress-related molecules in both tumorous and non-tumorous tissues in 41 patients was examined by immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis. Expression levels of proteins modified by 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4-HNE), malonyldialdehyde (MDA) and 4-hydroxy-2-hexenal (4-HHE), and the positive rate of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) in tumorous tissues were much higher than those in non-tumorous tissues.

Naked gene therapy of hepatocyte growth factor for dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis in mice.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is progressive and relapsing disease. To explore the therapeutic effects of naked gene therapy of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) on UC, the SRalpha promoter driving HGF gene was intrarectally administered to the mice in which colitis was induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS). Expression of the transgene was seen in surface epithelium, lamina propria, and muscularis mucosae.

Therapeutic effect of adenoviral-mediated hepatocyte growth factor gene administration on TNBS-induced colitis in mice.

Inflammatory bowel disease is incurable and relapsing disease. In order to clarify the effect of HGF gene therapy for inflammatory bowel disease, the adenoviral-mediated HGF gene was intrarectally administered into TNBS-colitis-induced Balb/c mice. Adenoviral-mediated gene delivery targetted its expression mainly to intestinal epithelial cells.

Expression of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine in chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma.

Reactive oxygen species may be involved in the progression of chronic liver disease and the occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). To clarify whether clinicopathological findings in liver diseases are related to oxidative DNA damage, hepatic expression of the 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) was examined in 75 liver disease patients, which included 32 chronic hepatitis (CH), 13 liver cirrhosis (LC) and 30 HCC patients. The CH patients had higher 8-OHdG-positive hepatocytes than LC (P < 0.

Effects of Sho-Saiko-to on hepatocarcinogenesis and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine formation.

Oxidative stress plays an important role in hepatocarcinogenesis. Although Sho-saiko-to (TJ-9), a Japanese herbal medicine which has been recently administered to patients with chronic liver disease in Japan, prevents hepatocarcinogenesis, the mechanism by which TJ-9 protects against cancer development is not fully understood. 8-Hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), a DNA adduct by reactive oxygen species, is known as a parameter of genetic risk for hepatocarcinogenesis.