BACKGROUND/AIMS: Among irritants causing gastric ulcer, Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) might be pivotal, after which eradication became essential way in either inhibiting ulcerogenesis or preventing ulcer recurrence. Since threonine is essential in either mucus synthesis or cytoprotection, we hypothesized that the dietary threonine from Corynebacterium glutamicum (C. glutamicum) can mitigate the cytotoxicity of H. pylori infection.MATERIALS AND METHODS: RGM-1 cells were challenged with 100 multiplicity of infection H. pylori for 6 hours, during which threonine alone or combination with Corynebacterium sp. was administered and compared for anti-Helicobacter, anti-inflammation, anti-oxidative, and cytoprotective actions.RESULTS: Threonine alone or combination of threonine and C. glutamicum yielded significant bacteriostatic outcomes. The increased expressions of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-8, Cox-2, and iNOS mRNA after H. pylori infection were significantly decreased with either threonine alone or the combination of threonine and C. glutamicum. The elevated expressions of NF-kB, HIF-1a, and c-jun after H. pylori infection were all significantly decreased with the combination of threonine and broth from C. glutamicum (P < 0.05), leading to significant decreases in 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescein-diacetate (P < 0.01). Tracing further host antioxidative response, the attenuated expression of heme oxygenase-1, Nrf2, and dehydrogenase quinone-1 after H. pylori infection was significantly preserved with combination of threonine and C. glutamicum. H. pylori infection led to significant increases in apoptosis accompanied with Bcl-2 decreases and Bax increases, while the combination of threonine and C. glutamicum significantly attenuated apoptosis, in which attenuated EGF, TGF-β, and VEGF were significantly regulated, while β-catenin did not change.CONCLUSIONS: Threonine synthesized from C. glutamicum significantly alleviated the cytotoxicity of H. pylori in gastric epithelial cells.
Apoptosis ; Corynebacterium glutamicum ; Corynebacterium ; Cytoprotection ; Epidermal Growth Factor ; Epithelial Cells ; Helicobacter pylori ; Heme Oxygenase-1 ; Interleukin-8 ; Interleukins ; Irritants ; Mucus ; NF-kappa B ; Oxidative Stress ; Oxidoreductases ; Recurrence ; RNA, Messenger ; Stomach Ulcer ; Thiram ; Threonine ; Ulcer ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A

BACKGROUND: Infection is a frequent complication in patients with chronic liver disease, mainly during the advanced stages. This study was performed to investigate the risk factors for infections in hospitalized patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis. METHODS: We analyzed 108 decompensated hospitalized cirrhotic patients (34 cases with infection and 117 cases without infection) without clinical evidence of infection at the time of admission and during initial 72 hours after admission. RESULTS: Univariate and multivariate analysis revealed that patients who developed an infection were more likely to have a lower serum albumin levels. Gram-negative bacterial strains were detected most frequently, in 13 of the 18 strains isolated. There was no significant difference in etiology of disease, Child-Pugh classification, cirrhotic complications including upper G-I bleeding, hepatocelluar caricnoma, invasive procedure, diabetus mellitus, admission to ICU, duration of admission, survival rate and various parameters related to liver and renal function between patients with infection and without infection. CONCLUSION: The present study indicates that decompensated cirrhotic patient with low serum albumin levels have a higher risk of developing a hospital acquired infection, especially by gram negative bacteria.
Classification ; Cross Infection ; Gram-Negative Bacteria ; Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis* ; Liver Diseases ; Liver* ; Multivariate Analysis ; Risk Factors* ; Serum Albumin ; Survival Rate

PURPOSE: This study was designed to investigate the feasibility and advantages of minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis of periarticular tibial fractures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-one patients with periarticular tibial fractures were treated, including 7 proximal and 14 distal fractures. According to the AO classification, 11 cases were A type. After fracture reduction with the traction or distractor, the pre-contoured narrow LC-DCP was inserted at the distant site to the fracture-site, and the screws were percutaneously fixed. RESULTS: Time to union averaged 15.0 weeks (range 10-24 weeks). There were 2 cases of delayed union (above 6 months), and 2 cases of malunion, one with >5 degrees of varus alignment and one with >10 degrees of external rotation. Two patients with failure had second operations, one to correct angulation and for bone graft due to comminution, and the other for early plate removal due to repeated superficial infection. CONCLUSION: The authors feel confident that this minimally invasive technique for plate osteosynthesis of tibial fractures will prove to be a feasible and worthwhile method of stabilization, which avoids the severe complications associated with conventional open plating.
Classification ; Humans ; Tibia ; Tibial Fractures* ; Traction ; Transplants

BACKGROUND: Lithospermic acid B (LAB), an active component isolated from Salvia miltiorrhizae, has been reported to have renoprotective effects in type 1 and type 2 diabetic animal models. We examined the effects of LAB on the prevention of diabetic nephropathy compared with amlodipine, a calcium channel blocker, and losartan, an angiotensin receptor blocker, in Otsuka Long-Evans-Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats, an animal model of type 2 diabetes. METHODS: LAB (20 mg/kg), amlodipine (10 mg/kg), or losartan (10 mg/kg) was given orally once daily to 10-week-old male OLETF rats for 28 weeks. RESULTS: None of LAB, losartan, and amlodipine exhibited effects on blood glucose levels. Treatment with amlodipine or losartan resulted in similar reductions in blood pressure; however, LAB was less effective in lowering blood pressure. Albuminuria was markedly suppressed by losartan and LAB, but not by amlodipine. LAB treatment decreased levels of renal lipid peroxidation, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), and transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that LAB has beneficial effects on the diabetic nephropathy in OLETF rats by decreasing oxidative stress and inflammation as potent as losartan.
Albuminuria ; Amlodipine ; Angiotensins ; Animals ; Benzofurans ; Blood Glucose ; Blood Pressure ; Calcium Channels ; Chemokine CCL2 ; Depsides ; Diabetic Nephropathies ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Losartan ; Male ; Models, Animal ; Oxidative Stress ; Pyridines ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred OLETF ; Salvia miltiorrhiza ; Thiazoles

Solitary tubulovillous adenoma of the duodenal bulb is a rare tumor, which has not been reported in the Korean literature. Most of duodenal adenoma is located in the second portion of the duodenum. We report an unusual case of tubulovillous adenoma of the duodenal bulb. The lesion was treated by the endoscopic mucosal resection and was histologically diagnosed as tubulovillous adenoma.
Adenoma