Objective To investigate the expression of NADPH oxidase Nox-4 induced by stress in gastric mucosa and its role in inflammation.Methods Twenty male SPF Kunming mice were randomly divided into chronic restraint stress group(stress group) and control group.Stress mice were restrained in selfmade restraint device for 2 hours each day.The rest of the time,the mice in the two groups had free access to food and water normally,experiment lasted 14 days.The histopathological changes of gastric mucosa were assessed by HE staining under light microscope.The expression of Nox-4 in gastric mucosa of mice was carried out by immunohistochemical method.The relative expression levels of Nox-4,antioxidant protein (Mn-SOD,GSH,Catalase) and inflammatory factors(IL-8,IL-1β,TNF-α) in gastric mucosa were detected by real-time quantitative RT-PCR and ELISA.Results Basal cell proliferation,neutrophil,eosinophil and plasma cell infiltration and inflammatory changes were observed in the lamina propria and glandular epithelium of stress mice,while no obvious abnormalities were found in control mice.The expression of Nox-4 in stress group was deeper and more abundant than that in control group,mainly expressed in lamina propria and glandular epithelium.The mRNA expression levels of Nox-4 in gastric mucosa of stress group was(2.42±0.51) times higher than that of control group,and blood concentration of stress group was(2.23±0.67) times higher than that of control group(t=-46.32,P＜0.001).The RT-PCR of antioxidant proteins in gastric mucosa showed that the transcription levels of Mn SOD,GSH and Catalase in stress group were significantly lower than that of control group (Mn-SOD:0.59± 0.10,GSH:0.58± 0.11,Catalase:0.57± 0.09),and there were significant differences between the two groups(t=13.57,11.67,15.01,P＜0.01).RT-PCR results showed that the transcription levels of IL-8,IL-1β,TNF-α in stress group were significantly higher than those in control group (IL-8:1.47±0.34,IL-1β:1.48 ± 0.42,TNF-α:1.51 ± 0.37),and there were significant differences in two groups(t=-18.45,-19.14,-20.85,P＜0.01).ELISA results showed that the serum levels of inflammatory factors in stress group were significantly higher than those in control group(2.25±0.37,3.59±0.45,3.41±0.34),and the differences were statistically significant(t=-47.11,-79.36,-96.32,P＜0.01).Pearson correlation analysis showed that there was a positive correlation between serum concentration of Nox-4 and inflammatory factors(IL-8,IL-1β,TNF-αt) in stress group(r=0.97,0.99,0.98,P＜0.01).Spearman rank correlation analysis showed that the grade of gastric mucosal inflammation was positively correted with serum levels of Nox-4 and inflammatory factors (IL-8,IL-1β,TNF-α) (r =0.96,0.92,0.91,0.94,all P＜ 0.01)Conclusion Stress may lead to gastric mucosal lesion by overexpression of proinflammatory factors through destroying the balance of oxidation/antioxidant system in gastric mucosa.

Objective To investigate the expression of malondialdehyde ( MDA) in esophageal mu-cosa of different types of gastroesophageal reflux disease ( GERD) patients and its role in the esophageal in-flammation. Methods According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 42 patients hospitalized in the the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region People's Hospital from December 2017 to October 2018 were selected as the research group. 8 healthy subjects completed physical examination were set up as healthy control group. GERD completed GERDQ score, 24 h pH monitoring, and taken 3 cm on the dentate line of the esophagus as a specimen. The study group was divided into non-erosive reflux disease (NERD) group (17 cases) and Ero-sive reflux disease [erosive esophagitis (RE)] group (25 cases). Then hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, immunohistochemistry, real-time polymerase chain reaction ( qPCR ) , enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) methods were used to detect inflammation, oxidative stress (MDA), antioxidant enzyme [manga-nese superoxide dismutase (Mn SOD), glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT)], and proinflammatory cyto-kines [monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), interlukin-8 (IL-8), tumor necrosis factorα(TNF-α)]. Results There was no significant difference in body mass index ( BMI ) between the three groups ( P >0. 05). 24 h pH monitoring of esophagus showed that the indexes of weak acid reflux (40. 05). In RE group , the infiltration of immune cells (neutrophils, eosinophils), nipple lengthening, edema and other inflammatory changes were found in the esophageal mucosa, and the inflammation score reached the peak, which was signif-icantly higher than that in NERD group, with statistical significant difference (P<0. 001). The positive ex-pression of MDA in the two groups ( NERD, RE) was higher than that in the control group, and the MDA ex-pression in the RE group was almost covered with the full layer esophagus. The serum MDA concentration in the NERD and RE groups was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0. 001). Compared with the NERD group, the serum MDA in the RE group reached the peak (P<0. 01). The relative expression of mRNA ( Mn SOD, GSH and CAT) in NERD group and RE group was significantly decreased, and there was a significant difference between the three groups (P<0. 001). Compared with the NERD group, the mRNA expression level of Mn SOD and CAT in RE group was significantly decreased (P<0. 01). The relative ex-pression of mRNA (MCP-1, IL-8, TNF- α) increased significantly in the two groups (NERD, RE), and there was a statistically significant difference between the three groups ( P <0. 001 ) . Compared with the NERD group, the expression of its inflammatory factors in the RE group significantly increased (P<0. 01). Conclusions The expression level of MDA in different types of GERD is significantly higher, which may be closely related to esophageal inflammation induced by acid reflux.

Objective To investigate stress induced Nox-4 expression and to explore its role in adipose inflammation. Methods Twenty male Kunming mice were randomly divided into two groups ( n=10 each) , chronic restraint stress group and control group. Stress mice were restrained in self-made restraint device for 2 hours per day for 14 days. HE staining, immunohistochemistry, RT-PCR, and ELISA were used to analyze the expression of Nox-4, CD11b, antioxidant protein ( Mn SOD, GSH-Px, Catalase), adipocytokines ( adiponectin, MCP-1, IL-6, TNF-a). Results White adipose tissue (WAT) of stress mice inguinal fat pad significantly shrank compared to control group. HE staining showed that there were a large number of mononuclear cells, neutrophils, eosinophils, and cell infiltration reactions and inflammatory changes in WAT of stress mice. The stress significantly increased CD11b-positive cells and the expression of mF4/80, CD68. The concentration of serum FFA in stress group increased significantly, nearly twice of the control group ( P<0.01) . Nox-4 positive staining cells in stress WAT were deeper and more abundant. The level of Nox-4 in stress WAT was significantly higher than that of control group(P<0.01). The levels of antioxidant proteins such as Mn-SOD, GSH-Px, and catalase in stress WAT were significantly lower than those of control group (P<0.01). The expression levels of adiponectin in stress WAT were significantly reduced as compared to control group ( P<0.01) . The levels of MCP-1, IL-6 and TNF-α in stress WAT were significantly higher than those in control group (P<0.01). Conclusion Stress may lead to imbalance of adipose oxidation/antioxidant system and abnormal expression of adipocytokines, which may result in adipose inflammation.

Objective:To investigate the chronic restraint stress induced expressions of acid sensitive receptors and its role in the esophageal inflammation and oxidative stress.Methods:Twenty male specific pathogen free (SPF) Kunming mice were randomly divided into two groups: stress group and control group (each group, n=10). Stress mice were restrained in self-made restraint device for 2 hours per day and lasted for total 14 days. The histopathological changes of esophageal mucosa were observed by hematoxylin eosin (HE) staining under light microscope. The expression of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (Nox-4) was detected by immunohistochemistry, real time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The mRNA expressions of acid sensitive receptors were detected by qRT-PCR. Results:HE staining showed that stress mice had obvious infiltrations of neutrophils and eosinophils, and also showed inflammatory change in esophgus, while no significant abnormality was found in the esophagus of control mice. The inflammotory scores in stress group were significantly higher than that in control group ( P<0.001). Immunohistochemistry showed that Nox-4 was mainly expressed in the lamina propria, mucosa and submucosa of esophagus. The mRNA expression levels of Nox-4 in stress group was (2.67±0.62) times higher than control group, with statistically significant difference ( P<0.001). In addition, the plasma concentration of Nox-4 in stress group was significantly higher than that of control group [(0.42±0.01)ng/ml vs (2.13±0.35)ng/ml, P<0.001]. The transcription levels of acid sensitive receptors in stressed mice, such as transient receptor potential vanilloid-1 (TRPV-1), TRPV-4, acid-sensing ion channel-1 (ASIC-1), ASIC-2 and ASIC-3 were significantly higher than those in the control group, with statistically significant difference ( P<0.001). Pearson correlation analysis showed that there was a positive correlation between Nox-4 mRNA expression and TRPV-1, TRPV-4, ASIC-1, ASIC-2, ASIC-3 mRNA expression in stress group ( r=0.97, 0.94, 0.98, 0.95 and 0.99, P<0.01). Conclusions:Stress may increases the expression of acid sensitive receptors and result in an esophageal inflammation and oxidative stress, which may contribute to the formation of esophageal hypersensitivity.