Lafutidine versus Lansoprazole in Combination with Clarithromycin and Amoxicillin for One versus Two Weeks for Helicobacter pylori Eradication in Korea

Background and Aims: Lafutidine is a novel H₂‐receptor antagonist with gastroprotective activity that includes enhancement of gastric mucosal blood flow. The aim of the present study was to test the efficacy of 7‐ or 14‐day lafutidine–clarithromycin–amoxicillin therapy versus a lansoprazole‐based regimen for Helicobacter pylori eradication. Methods: Four hundred and sixty‐three patients with H. pylori‐infected peptic ulcer disease were randomized to one of four regimens: (1) lafutidine (20 mg b.i.d.), clarithromycin (500 mg b.i.d.) and amoxicillin (1000 mg b.i.d.) for 7 days (the 7LFT group) or (2) for 14 days (the 14LFT group); (3) lansoprazole (30 mg b.i.d.), clarithromycin (500 mg b.i.d.), and amoxicillin (1000 mg b.i.d.) for 7 days (the 7LPZ group); or (4) for 14 days (the 14LPZ group). The eradication rates, drug compliance, and adverse effects among the four regimens were compared. Results: The eradication rates by the intention‐to‐treat and per‐protocol analyses in the 7LFT and 7LPZ groups were 76.5% and 81.6%, and 76.9% and 82.0% (p = .94 and .95), respectively. The eradication rates by intention‐to‐treat and per‐protocol analyses in the 14LFT and 14LPZ groups were 78.2% and 82.2%, and 80.4% and 85.9% (p = .70 and .49), respectively. The treatment duration for 7 days or 14 days did not affect the eradication rates. In addition, the adverse effect rates and discontinuation rates were similar among the four groups. Furthermore, the ulcer cure rate and symptom response rate were similar in the lafutidine and lansoprazole groups. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that lafutidine–clarithromycin–amoxicillin therapy was a safe and effective as lansoprazole‐based triple therapy for the eradication rate of H. pylori, and could be considered as an additional treatment option.     

Exosomes Derived from Mesenchymal Stem Cells Suppress Angiogenesis by Down-Regulating VEGF Expression in Breast Cancer Cells

Exosomes are small membrane vesicles released by a variety of cell types. Exosomes contain genetic materials, such as mRNAs and microRNAs (miRNAs), implying that they may play a pivotal role in cell-to-cell communication. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which potentially differentiate into multiple cell types, can migrate to the tumor sites and have been reported to exert complex effects on tumor progression. To elucidate the role of MSCs within the tumor microenvironment, previous studies have suggested various mechanisms such as immune modulation and secreted factors of MSCs. However, the paracrine effects of MSC-derived exosomes on the tumor microenvironment remain to be explored. The hypothesis of this study was that MSC-derived exosomes might reprogram tumor behavior by transferring their molecular contents. To test this hypothesis, exosomes from MSCs were isolated and characterized. MSC-derived exosomes exhibited different protein and RNA profiles compared with their donor cells and these vesicles could be internalized by breast cancer cells. The results demonstrated that MSC-derived exosomes significantly down-regulated the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in tumor cells, which lead to inhibition of angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo. Additionally, miR-16, a miRNA known to target VEGF, was enriched in MSC-derived exosomes and it was partially responsible for the anti-angiogenic effect of MSC-derived exosomes. The collective results suggest that MSC-derived exosomes may serve as a significant mediator of cell-to-cell communication within the tumor microenvironment and suppress angiogenesis by transferring anti-angiogenic molecules.     

Selective Gαi subunits as novel direct activators of transient receptor potential canonical (TRPC)4 and TRPC5 channels

The ubiquitous transient receptor potential canonical (TRPC) channels function as non-selective, Ca(2+)-permeable channels and mediate numerous cellular functions. It is commonly assumed that TRPC channels are activated by stimulation of Gα(q)-PLC-coupled receptors. However, whether the Gα(q)-PLC pathway is the main regulator of TRPC4/5 channels and how other Gα proteins may regulate these channels are poorly understood. We previously reported that TRPC4/TRPC5 can be activated by Gα(i). In the current work, we found that Gα(i) subunits, rather than Gα(q), are the primary and direct activators of TRPC4 and TRPC5. We report a novel molecular mechanism in which TRPC4 is activated by several Gα(i) subunits, most prominently by Gα(i2), and TRPC5 is activated primarily by Gα(i3). Activation of Gα(i) by the muscarinic M2 receptors or expression of the constitutively active Gα(i) mutants equally and fully activates the channels. Moreover, both TRPC4 and TRPC5 are activated by direct interaction of their conserved C-terminal SESTD (SEC14-like and spectrin-type domains) with the Gα(i) subunits. Two amino acids (lysine 715 and arginine 716) of the TRPC4 C terminus were identified by structural modeling as mediating the interaction with Gα(i2). These findings indicate an essential role of Gα(i) proteins as novel activators for TRPC4/5 and reveal the molecular mechanism by which G-proteins activate the channels.     

Doxorubicin induces the persistent activation of intracellular transglutaminase 2 that protects from cell death

The activation of transglutaminase 2 (TG2), an enzyme that catalyzes post-translational modifications of proteins, has been implicated in apoptosis, cell adhesion and inflammatory responses. We previously reported that intracellular TG2 is activated under oxidative stress conditions, such as ultraviolet irradiation, ischemia-reperfusion, and hypoxia. In this study, we examined the effect of genotoxic stress on the intracellular activity of TG2 using doxorubicin which generates reactive oxygen species that lead to double-strand breakage of DNA. We demonstrated that doxorubicin elicits the persistent activation of TG2. Doxorubicin-induced TG2 activity was suppressed by treatment with caffeine at the early phase, N-acetylcysteine at the mid-phase, and EGTA at the late phase. However, treatment with a blocking antibody against TGFβ or toll-like receptor 2 showed no effect on TG2 activity, indicating that at least three different signaling pathways may be involved in the process of TG2 activation. In addition, using MEF cells defective for TG2 and cells overexpressing an activesite mutant of TG2, we revealed that doxorubicin-induced cell death is inversely correlated with TG2 activity. Our findings indicate that the persistent activation of TG2 by doxorubicin contributes to cell survival, suggesting that the mechanism-based inhibition of TG2 may be a novel strategy to prevent drug-resistance in doxorubicin treatment.     

Genetic Identification of Spirometra decipiens Plerocercoids in Terrestrial Snakes from Korea and China

Human sparganosis is a zoonotic disease caused by infection with larval forms (procercoid/plerocercoid) of Spirometra spp. The purpose of this study was to identify Spirometra spp. of infected snakes using a multiplex PCR assay and phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequence data from the spargana of terrestrial snakes obtained from Korea and China. A total of 283 snakes were obtained that included 4 species of Colubridae comprising Rhabdophis tigrinus tigrinus (n=150), Dinodon rufozonatum rufozonatum (n=64), Elaphe davidi (n=2), and Elaphe schrenkii (n=7), and 1 species of Viperidae, Agkistrodon saxatilis (n=60). The snakes were collected from the provinces of Chungbuk, Chungnam, and Gyeongbuk in Korea (n=161), and from China (n=122). The overall infection rate with spargana was 83% (235/283). The highest was recorded for D. rufozonatum rufozonatum (100%), followed by A. saxatilis (85%) and R. tigrinus tigrinus (80%), with a negative result for E. davidi (0%) and E. schrenkii (0%). The sequence identities between the spargana from snakes (n=50) and Spirometra erinaceieuropaei ({"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"KJ599680","term_id":"646228164","term_text":"KJ599680"}}KJ599680) or S. decipiens ({"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"KJ599679","term_id":"646228151","term_text":"KJ599679"}}KJ599679) control specimens were 90.8% and 99.2%, respectively. Pairwise genetic distances between spargana (n=50) and S. decipiens ranged from 0.0080 to 0.0107, while those between spargana and S. erinaceieuropaei ranged from 0.1070 to 0.1096. In this study, all of the 904 spargana analyzed were identified as S. decipiens either by a multiplex PCR assay (n=854) or mitochondrial cox1 sequence analysis (n=50).     

Infection Status of Hospitalized Diarrheal Patients with Gastrointestinal Protozoa, Bacteria, and Viruses in the Republic of Korea

To understand protozoan, viral, and bacterial infections in diarrheal patients, we analyzed positivity and mixed-infection status with 3 protozoans, 4 viruses, and 10 bacteria in hospitalized diarrheal patients during 2004-2006 in the Republic of Korea. A total of 76,652 stool samples were collected from 96 hospitals across the nation. The positivity for protozoa, viruses, and bacteria was 129, 1,759, and 1,797 per 10,000 persons, respectively. Especially, Cryptosporidium parvum was highly mixed-infected with rotavirus among pediatric diarrheal patients (29.5 per 100 C. parvum positive cases), and Entamoeba histolytica was mixed-infected with Clostridium perfringens (10.3 per 100 E. histolytica positive cases) in protozoan-diarrheal patients. Those infected with rotavirus and C. perfringens constituted relatively high proportions among mixed infection cases from January to April. The positivity for rotavirus among viral infection for those aged ≤ 5 years was significantly higher, while C. perfringens among bacterial infection was higher for ≥ 50 years. The information for association of viral and bacterial infections with enteropathogenic protozoa in diarrheal patients may contribute to improvement of care for diarrhea as well as development of control strategies for diarrheal diseases in Korea.     

Insulin-sensitizing activities of tanshinones,diterpene compounds of the root of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge

In this study, the effects of the extract and four tanshinone compounds from the dried root of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Labiatae) on the tyrosine phosphorylation of the insulin receptor (IR) β-subunit and the downstream signaling were examined in Chinese-hamster ovary cells expressing human insulin receptors (CHO/IR cells) as well as in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. In addition the translocation of the glucose transporter 4 was investigated in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Total extract of Danshen (1–10 μg/ml) and the four tanshinones (10 μM) did not show any activity, but the total extract and the tanshinone I, IIA and 15, 16-dihydrotanshinone I except cryptotanshinone enhanced the activity of insulin (1 nM) on the tyrosine phosphorylation of the IR as well as the activation of the downstream kinases Akt, ERK1/2, and GSK3β. In the adipocytes the same IR-downstream signaling and the translocation of glucose transporter 4 were demonstrated by the three tanshinones in the presence of insulin. These insulin-sensitizing activities of tanshinones may be useful for developing a new class of specific IR activators as anti-diabetic agents.     

Laccase‐catalysed polymeric dye synthesis from plant‐derived phenols for potential application in hair dyeing: Enzymatic colourations driven by homo‐ or hetero‐polymer synthesis

Laccase efficiently catalyses polymerization of phenolic compounds. However, knowledge on applications of polymers synthesized in this manner remains scarce. Here, the potential of laccase-catalysed polymerization of natural phenols to form products useful in hair dyeing was investigated. All 15 tested phenols yielded coloured products after laccase treatment and colour diversity was attained by using mixtures of two phenolic monomers. After exploring colour differentiation pattern of 120 different reactions with statistical regression analysis, three monomer combinations, namely gallic acid and syringic acid, catechin and catechol, and ferulic acid and syringic acid, giving rise to brown, black, and red materials, respectively, were further characterized because such colours are commercially important for grey hair dyeing. Selected polymers could strongly absorb visible light and their hydrodynamic sizes ranged from 100 to 400 nm. Analyses of enzyme kinetic constants, liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) coupled with collision-induced dissociation MS/MS indicate that both monomers in reactions involving catechin and catechol, and ferulic acid and syringic acid, are coloured by heteropolymer synthesis, but the gallic acid/syringic acid combination is based on homopolymer mixture formation. Comparison of colour parameters from these three reactions with those of corresponding artificial homopolymer mixtures also supported the idea that laccase may catalyse either hetero- or homo-polymer synthesis. We finally used selected materials to dye grey hair. Each material coloured hair appropriately and the dyeing showed excellent resistance to conventional shampooing. Our study indicates that laccase-catalysed polymerization of natural phenols is applicable to the development of new cosmetic pigments.