Irisin inhibits neutrophil extracellular traps formation and protects against acute pancreatitis in mice.

Introduction: Irisin is a newly discovered myokine which links exercise to inflammation and inflammation-related diseases through macrophage regulation. However, the effect of irisin on the activity of inflammation related immune cells (such as neutrophils) has not been clearly described.

Objectives: The objective of our study was to explore the effect of irisin on the neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) formation.

Prediction of the severity of acute pancreatitis using machine learning models.

Background: Acute pancreatitis (AP) is the most common pancreatic disease. Predicting the severity of AP is critical for making preventive decisions. However, the performance of existing scoring systems in predicting AP severity was not satisfactory.

Impact of Fatty Pancreas on Postoperative Pancreatic Fistulae: A Meta-Analysis.

Background: Soft pancreas is widely recognized as an important risk factor for the development of postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF). Although fatty pancreas (FP) has not been formally defined as a cause of pancreatic fistula, existing research has shown that it can increase the incidence of POPF by increasing pancreatic tenderness; therefore, it may be a potential risk factor. This study aimed to discern whether FP was associated with POPF.

Machine learning predictive models for acute pancreatitis: A systematic review.

Introduction: Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a common clinical pancreatic disease. Patients with different severity levels have different clinical outcomes. With the advantages of algorithms, machine learning (ML) has gradually emerged in the field of disease prediction, assisting doctors in decision-making.

Extensively Current Activity of Transposable Elements in Natural Rice Accessions Revealed by Singleton Insertions.

Active transposable elements (TEs) have drawn more attention as they continue to create new insertions and contribute to genetic diversity of the genome. However, only a few have been discovered in rice up to now, and their activities are mostly induced by artificial treatments (e.g.

Diabetes aggravates acute pancreatitis possibly via activation of NLRP3 inflammasome in db/db mice.

Clinical studies have confirmed that patients with diabetes had an elevated risk of acute pancreatitis (AP) and diabetes was associated with increased severity and mortality in patients with AP. However, these studies failed to prove a cause-and-effect relationship between diabetes and AP. In the present study, we for the first time have evaluated the effects of diabetes on AP by adopting a type 2 diabetes animal model db/db mice and investigated the possible underlying mechanisms.

Kainate receptor mediated presynaptic LTP in agranular insular cortex contributes to fear and anxiety in mice.

Anxiety disorders represent serious social problems worldwide. Recent neuroimaging studies have found that elevated activity and altered connectivity of the insular cortex might account for the negative emotional states in highly anxious individuals. However, the exact synaptic mechanisms of specific insular subregions have yet to be studied in detail.

Case report: successful resection of a leiomyoma causing pseudoachalasia at the esophagogastric junction by tunnel endoscopy.

Background: Pseudoachalasia is a rare disorder whose presentation strongly resembles idiopathic achalasia.

Case Presentation: Here, we present a case of a 42-year-old female patient with esophageal leiomyoma who was initially diagnosed with achalasia. On endoscopical investigation, however, it became apparent that she had pseudoachalasia as consequence of a leiomyoma at the esophagogastric junction (EGJ).

[Advance in studies on antitumor and immunomodulatory effects of wogonin].

Wogonin is a kind of natural flavonoid compound. According to findings in the latest studies, wogonin shows a wide range of antitumor effects, with the characteristics of multi-pathway, multi-link and multi-target, such as promoting tumor cell apoptosis through ROS or Ca(2+)-mediated signal paths, enhancing tumor cytotoxicity by TNF-α and TRAIL, blocking tumor cell cycle, inhibiting tumor angiogenesis and resisting cancer synergistically with chemotherapeutic drugs. Moreover, Wogonin could enhance body immune function by enhancing immune cell infiltration, regulating the immune cell phenotype and promoting relevant cytokine secretion.

Intratumor hypoxia promotes immune tolerance by inducing regulatory T cells via TGF-β1 in gastric cancer.

Regulatory T cell (Treg)-mediated immunosuppression represents one of the crucial tumor immune evasion mechanisms and is a main obstacle for successful tumor immunotherapy. Hypoxia, a common feature of solid tumors, has been associated with potentiated immunosuppression, decreased therapeutic response, malignant progression and local invasion. Unfortunately, the link between hypoxia and Treg-mediated immune tolerance in gastric cancer remains poorly understood.

Synchronous vs sequential laparoscopic cholecystectomy for cholecystocholedocholithiasis.

Aim: To compare synchronous laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) combined with endoscopic sphincterotomy (EST) and sequential LC combined with EST for treating cholecystocholedocholithiasis.

Methods: A total of 150 patients were included and retrospectively studied. Among these, 70 were selected for the synchronous operation, in which the scheme was endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography combined with EST during LC.

A high level of integrin α6 expression in human intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma cells is associated with a migratory and invasive phenotype.

Background: The integrin α6 subunit is part of the integrin α6β1 and α6β4 complexes, which are known to mediate the invasion of carcinoma cells. However, the precise role of integrin α6 in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) has not yet been addressed.

Methods: Twenty cases of ICCs and matched nontumor samples were used to analyze integrin α6 expression by immunohistochemistry.

[Effects of natural killer cells stimulated with immobilized MHC class I chain-related antigen A on activities of dendritic cells].

Aim: To observe the effects of NK cells stimulated with immobilized MHC class I chain-related antigen A (iMICA) on activities of dendritic cells (DCs).

Methods: Firstly fresh allogeneic NK cells, or iMICA-stimulated allogeneic NK cells, and autologous NK cells stimulated with IL-2 or IL-2 and iMICA were co-cultured with immature DCs (iDCs) at the ratio of 5:1 for 24 hours. Frequencies of HLA-DR positive or CD86 positive DCs were detected by flow cytometry.

[The effect of up-regulation of MHC class I chain-related antigen A expression by dendritic cells on activity of NK cells].

Aim: To observe whether MHC class I chain-related antigen A (MICA) was expressed on monocytes, immature dendritic cells (iDCs), and mature dendritic cells (mDCs), and to study effect of up-regulation of MICA expression by DCs on biologic activity of NK cells.

Methods: MICA expression on monocytes, iDCs, or mDCs stimulated with LPS, TNF-α, CD40L, IL-15 or IFN-α was detected by flow cytometry. Next CD69 expression, degranuation, and IFN-γ production of NK cells stimulated with MICA-positive mDCs were analyzed.

[Association of MICA gene polymorphism and serum soluble MICA level with colorectal cancer].

Objective: To investigate whether the major histocompatibility complex class I chain-related gene A gene (MICA) polymorphism and serum soluble MICA level were associated with the occurrence and development of colorectal cancer.

Methods: DNA samples from 117 colorectal cancer patients and 113 healthy individuals from Yangzhou in Jiangsu province were genotyped by using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequence-specific primer (SSP) method and PCR based sequencing. In addition, polymorphism at position 129 was also analyzed by PCR-SSP.

[Correlation of Helicobacter pylori infection with the expression of COX-2 and EGFR and VEGF in human gastric carcinoma].

Objective: To investigate the correlation of Helicobactor pylori (Hp) infection with the expression of COX-2, EGFR and VEGF in human gastric carcinoma.

Methods: The expression of COX-2, EGFR and VEGF was detected by immunohistochemistry in samples of 61 gastric cancers and 20 cancer-adjacent tissues. Western blotting was performed in samples of 10 gastric cancers and corresponding cancer-adjacent tissues.

PGE2 up-regulates vascular endothelial growth factor expression in MKN28 gastric cancer cells via epidermal growth factor receptor signaling system.

Aim: 1) To evaluate the effect of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) on the regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in gastric MKN28 cells, and 2) to investigate the role of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signal transduction pathway in any effect exerted by PGE2 on VEGF expression.

Methods: MKN28 cells were incubated with the vehicle (control) or with PGE2 in the presence or absence of AG1478, a selective inhibitor of EGFR tyrosine kinase, or PD098059, a selective inhibitor of the kinase responsible for ERK2 phosphorylation (mitogen-activated protein (MAP)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)). Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis were used to evaluate VEGF mRNA and protein expression.