OBJECTIVETo study the effects of tongjiang granule (TJG) on reflux esophagitis (RE) in rats.

METHODSTwo rat models of RE were established respectively by cardioplasty + pyloric ligation + Roux-en-Y gastro-jejunum anastomosis and by placed a fixed steel ring into the gastric cardia, and the model rats were treated with various dosages of TJG or cisapride by gastric perfusion.

RESULTSRat models were established successfully by both methods. The score of pathological changes of esophagus mucosa in the model rats, made by either method, after high-dosage TJG treatment was lower than that in the model rats (P < 0.05), but equal to that in the cisapride treated model rats. High and moderate dosages of TJG were shown by transmission electron microscope to have effects of alleviating heckle cells and inflammatory reaction. They could reduce the level of gastric acid, more significant in high and moderate dosage groups (P < 0.05), while cisapride couldn't.

CONCLUSIONTJG is effective in treating experimental RE in rats to a certain extent.

Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Esophagitis, Peptic ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Esophagus ; drug effects ; pathology ; Female ; Male ; Phytotherapy ; Powders ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo study the functional role of transforming growth factor beta1(TGFbeta1) in the regulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the effect of TGFbeta1-ASODN blockage of EMT in esophagus squamous cell carcinoma.

METHODSEsophageal squamous cell carcinoma cell line EC9706 was transfected with chemically synthesized TGFbeta1-ASODN. RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry were used to detect the protein and mRNA expressions of TGF-beta1, E-cadherin and vimentin before and after the transfection. Morphological changes were documented and scarification test was used to detect the migration potential of EC9706 before and after the transfection.

RESULTSAfter TGFbeta1-ASODN transfection, mRNA (0.25 +/- 0.07) and protein (35.07% +/- 1.42%) expressions of TGFbeta1 in EC9706 were significantly lower than those before transfection (mRNA: 0.43 +/- 0.09; protein: 43.57% +/- 1.77%, chi(2) = 13.847 and chi(2) = 84.120, P < 0.05). The mRNA (0.38 +/- 0.09) and protein (17.13% +/- 1.45%) expressions of E-cadherin were significantly higher than those before transfection (0.22 +/- 0.06; 12.53% +/- 1.31%, chi(2) = 0.160 and chi(2) = 40.008, P < 0.05) and the mRNA (0.73 +/- 0.07) and protein (14.15% +/- 1.46%) expressions of vimentin were significantly lower than those (0.89 +/- 0.09; 17.97% +/- 1.42%) before transfection (chi(2) = 0.160 and chi(2) = 21.103, P < 0.05). Scarification test showed that after transfection, the mobility of EC9706 was significantly inhibited and its migration length (0.45 +/- 0.05) was significantly shorter than that before the transfection (0.81 +/- 0.11, chi(2) = 16.854, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSTGFbeta1 may contribute to EMT in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. TGFbeta1-ASODN leads to an over-expression of E-cadherin and a down-regulation of vimentin, along with the morphological alterations and migration inhibition, indicating that a blockage of TGFbeta1 suppresses EMT in esophagus squamous cell carcinoma.

Cadherins ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; pathology ; Cell Dedifferentiation ; genetics ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Down-Regulation ; drug effects ; Epithelial Cells ; drug effects ; pathology ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; pathology ; Esophagus ; pathology ; Humans ; Mesoderm ; drug effects ; pathology ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects ; genetics ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; pharmacology ; Vimentin ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of Modified Zhuye Shigao Decoction (MZSD) and its components on preventing radiation esophagitis of rats.

METHODSOne hundred Wistar rats were randomly divided into 5 groups, including the control group, radiation model group, MZSD group, Zhuye Shigao Decoction (ZSD) group, and added ingredients group, 20 rats in each group. The model of radiation esophagitis of rat was established by once local radiation of 40 Gy (330 Mu/min) with a high energy linear accelerator. The administration of Chinese medicine was continued for 14 days from 7 days before radiation application in the three treatment groups. On the 7th and 14th day, the serum was isolated and the levels of inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), interleukin 1β (IL-1β) and IL-8 were tested. The pathological slices of esophagus were obtained, and the pathological changes were observed. During the whole process, weight and food intake were recorded each day.

RESULTSOn the 7th day after radiation, the esophagus of rats in the MZSD group was almost intact, and the pathological injury score was significantly lower than that of the radiation model group, ZSD group and added ingredients group (P<0.01). Compared with the control group, the body weight and food intake of rats in the radiation model group were significantly decreased, and the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-8 were significantly increased (P<0.05 or P<0.01), while the MZSD group showed a significant increase in body weight and food intake, and a significant decrease in the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-8 compared with the radiation model group, ZSD group and added ingredients group (P <0.05 or P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONMZSD prevents the development of radiation esophagitis probably by inhibiting the generation and release of the inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-8.

Animals ; Body Weight ; drug effects ; Cytokines ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Esophagitis ; drug therapy ; pathology ; prevention & control ; Esophagus ; drug effects ; pathology ; Feeding Behavior ; drug effects ; Inflammation Mediators ; metabolism ; Male ; Neutrophil Infiltration ; drug effects ; Radiation Injuries ; drug therapy ; pathology ; prevention & control ; Rats, Wistar ; Time Factors

OBJECTIVETo screen and optimize the extraction of Dingxiangjiangqi granules.

METHODThe extraction route was screened by using pharmacodynamic experiment and the extraction conditions were optimized by orthogonal design and taking extract yield, content of naringin and tetrahydropalmatine as indexes.

RESULTThe pharmacodynamic result showed that aqueous extract had the best effect to cure the esophagitis of rats and the optimized extraction technique was adding 12 times water, extracting 0. 5 hour for 3 times.

CONCLUSIONThe optimum extraction was simple, reasonable, stable and useful for further development.

Animals ; Berberine Alkaloids ; analysis ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Esophagitis, Peptic ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Esophagus ; drug effects ; pathology ; Flavanones ; analysis ; Male ; Phytotherapy ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Syzygium ; chemistry ; Technology, Pharmaceutical ; methods

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study was performed to compare the mucosal findings after esophagogastroduodenoscopy in two groups before and after the use of alendronate only and following administration of the enteric-coated alendronate (5 mg) and calcitriol (0.5 microg) combined drug (Maxmarvil, Yuyu Co.). METHODS: The study population consisted of 33 postmenopausal healthy female volunteers, aged 50 to 70 years (mean age, 58 +/- 5) without gastrointestinal symptoms and with normal baseline endoscopic findings. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy was performed at baseline and was repeated 2 weeks later after daily intake of Maxmarvil (n = 17 subjects) or alendronate only (n = 16 subjects). Mucosal injury scores were reported by an endoscopist after 2 weeks of treatment with each medication schedule. RESULTS: Esophageal mucosal injuries developed in two of 16 subjects in the alendronate only group and 0 of 17 in the Maxmarvil group. Gastric mucosal injuries developed in eight subjects in the alendronate group and four subjects in the Maxmarvil group; this difference was statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The mucosal damage scores for the alendronate group (total score 24) were significantly higher than those for the Maxmarvil group (total score 9) in the esophagus and stomach. Therefore, this study suggested that enteric-coated Maxmarvil is less harmful to gastrointestinal mucosa than alendronate, and may improve the tolerability of osteoporosis medication in clinical practice.
Administration, Oral ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Alendronate/administration & dosage/*adverse effects ; Bone Density Conservation Agents/administration & dosage/*adverse effects ; Calcitriol/administration & dosage/*adverse effects ; Drug Combinations ; *Endoscopy, Digestive System ; Esophagus/*drug effects/pathology ; Female ; Gastric Mucosa/*drug effects/pathology ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; *Postmenopause ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Republic of Korea ; Sex Factors ; Tablets, Enteric-Coated ; Time Factors ; Treatment Outcome ; Vitamins/administration & dosage/*adverse effects

OBJECTIVEStudy on the promoter effects of sodium butyrate in high or low dosages on carcinogenesis process, based on the immortalization of human fetal esophageal epithelium induced by human papillomavirus (HPV) 18E(6)E(7) genes.

METHODSThe immortalized esophageal epithelium SHEE was treated with high concentration of the sodium butyrate (80 mmol/L) and then with low concentration (5 mmol/L) for 8 weeks respectively. The cells were cultured continuously without sodium butyrate for 14 weeks. The morphology, proliferation and apoptosis of the cells were studied by phase contrast microscopy, immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry. The dead and the viable cells were assayed by fluorescent microscopy with Hoechst 33342 and Propidium iodide staining. Tumorigenesis of the cells was assessed by soft agar colony formation and by transplantation of cells into nude mice and SCID mice.

RESULTSWhen cells were exposed to high concentration of sodium butyrate, cell death was increased leaving few live cells. When cells were cultured in the medium with low concentration of sodium butyrate, the first proliferative stage appeared. Removal of the butyrate caused the cell to enter a crisis stage with a long doubling time resembling senescent cells. After the crisis stage, the cells progressed to the second proliferation stage with continuous replication and atypical hyperplasia. At the end of the second proliferative stage, carcinogenesis of the cells appeared with large colonies in soft-agar and tumor formation in transplanted SCID mice and nude mice.

CONCLUSIONSThe malignant change of the immortalized epithelium by the effects of sodium butyrate is the consequence of a two-stage mortality mechanism: cells death by butyrate cytotoxicity and cell crisis by abrogation of sodium butyrate. These data reveal that in high dosage, sodium butyrate induces cell death and in low dosage, it induces cell proliferation, which emphasizes the importance of butyrate as a promotor of carcinogenesis.

Animals ; Butyrates ; toxicity ; Carcinogens ; toxicity ; Cell Death ; drug effects ; Cell Division ; drug effects ; Cell Line, Transformed ; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic ; chemically induced ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; etiology ; Esophagus ; pathology ; Humans ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Papillomaviridae ; pathogenicity

BACKGROUNDStudy on the promotive effects of N-nitrosopiperidine on carcinogenesis process was performed, based on the immortalization of human fetal esophageal epithelium induced by human papillomavirus (HPV) 18E6E7 genes.

METHODSThe immortalized esophageal epithelium SHEE was induced by HPV18E6E7. The cells at 17th passages were cultured in 50 ml flasks. The N-nitrosopiperidine (NPIP) 0, 2, 4, 8 mmol/L added to the cultured medium of SHEE cells for 3 weeks. The morphology, proliferation and apoptosis of the cells were studied by phase contrast microscopy and flow cytometry. Modal number of chromosomes was analyzed by standard method. Tumorigenicity of the cells was assessed by soft agar colony formation and by transplantation of cells into nude mice. Expression of HPV was detected by Western blot.

RESULTSWhen cells were exposed to high concentration (8 mmol/L) of NPIP, cell death was increased, leaving a few live cells. In normal cultural medium instead of NPIP proliferative status of the cells restored after 4 weeks and the cells progressed to the proliferation stage with continuous replication and atypical hyperplasia. At the end of the 8th week, the cells appeared with large colonies in soft-agar and tumor formation in transplanted nude mice. When the cells were cultured in 2, 4 mmol/L NPIP the doubling passage was delayed and without tumor formation in transplanted nude mice. Modal number of chromosomes was 61-65, in 8 mmol/L NPIP group and control group, 56-61. Expression of HPV18 appeared in experimental and control groups.

CONCLUSIONNPIP promotes malignant change of the immortalized esophageal epithelial cells induced by HPV18E6E7. HPV18E6E7 synergy with NPIP will accelerate malignant transformation in esophageal epithelium.

Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Cell Cycle ; drug effects ; Cell Line ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic ; drug effects ; Cell Transformation, Viral ; drug effects ; DNA-Binding Proteins ; metabolism ; Epithelial Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; virology ; Esophagus ; cytology ; Flow Cytometry ; Human papillomavirus 18 ; physiology ; Humans ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Nude ; Neoplasms, Experimental ; metabolism ; pathology ; Nitrosamines ; toxicity ; Oncogene Proteins, Viral ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo study the mechanism of Tongjiang granule on treating GERD.

METHODThe rats in the model group received steel wire ring-cardiamyopexy. A steel wire ring was fixed firmly on cardia. The rats in the control group underwent the cardia-plasty plus pylori ligation plus stomach-empty intestine Roux-en-Y anastomosis. The rats were divided into six groups after operations at random, which were fed up respectively with Tongjiang granule of different dosage and perpulsid. No treatment groups were taken as control.

RESULTThe experiment showed that Tongjiang granule could lighten or cure RE in the pathology, decrease the hydrochloric acid in gastric juice, in the meantime, increase the motilin in the animal blood. This study indicated that the effect of Tongjiang granule group from experimental research was better than that of the control group (perpulsid).

CONCLUSIONThe effects of Tongjiang granule on treating GERD can be achieved by decreasing the hydrochloric acid in gastric juice, increasing the motilin in blood and promoting the gastric impetus in the animal experiment.

Animals ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Esophagitis, Peptic ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Esophagus ; pathology ; Female ; Gastric Acid ; metabolism ; Gastric Emptying ; drug effects ; Hydrochloric Acid ; metabolism ; Male ; Motilin ; blood ; Phytotherapy ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of aluminum phosphate gel and Kangfuxin on esophageal pathology and expressions of interleukin-8 (IL-8) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in rats with reflux esophagitis and explore the possible mechanisms.

METHODSSixty SD rats were randomized into aluminum phosphate gel group (n=10), Kangfuxin group (n=10), aluminum phosphate gel+Kangfuxin group (n=10), model group (n=20), and control group (n=10). Except for those in the control group, all the rats were subjected to infusion of diluted lysolecithin with hydrochloric acid in the esophagus for 14 days. Ten rats in the model group and those in the control group were sacrificed to examine the pathological changes and contents of IL-8 and PGE2 in the esophagus using optical and electron microscopes and radioimmunoassay. The next day the rest rats were given corresponding treatments (saline in model group) administered into the esophagus on a daily basis for 14 days, after which esophageal pathologies and IL-8 and PGE2 contents were examined.

RESULTSThe model rats showed obvious esophageal pathologies including inflammatory cell infiltration, vacuolar degeneration of the epithelial cells, esophageal erosion and even ulceration, with severe detachment of the epithelial cells. The rats in all the intervention groups showed lessened esophageal pathologies and lowered esophageal IL-8 and PGE2 contents compared with those in the model group. Esophageal mucosal injury index and IL-8 and PGE2 contents were all significantly lower in rats receiving combined treatment with aluminum phosphate and Kangfuxin than in those receiving either of the treatments (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSBoth Kangfuxin and aluminum phosphate gel are effective in the treatment for reflux esophagitis induced by lysolecithin and hydrochloric acid, and their therapeutic effects are achieved possibly by reducing IL-8 and PGE2 levels in the esophagus.

Aluminum Compounds ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Dinoprostone ; metabolism ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Esophagitis, Peptic ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Esophagus ; drug effects ; pathology ; Gels ; Interleukin-8 ; metabolism ; Phosphates ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a chronic, immune/antigen-mediated esophageal disease, with eosinophilic infiltration limited to the esophagus. A minority of EoE patients respond well to proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy alone, and that condition is labelled PPI-responsive esophageal eosinophilia (PPI-REE). The prevalence of PPI-REE among EoE cases is unknown. We aimed to identify clinical manifestations of PPI-REE, and the proportion of PPI-REE among all EoE cases. METHODS: We reviewed pathology of the 4,075 patients who underwent esophageal biopsy at an institution from March 2003 to July 2015. EoE was diagnosed based on esophageal symptoms and eosinophilic infiltration limited to the esophagus, with ≥15 eosinophils per high-power field. We collected endoscopic and pathologic findings, and clinical features for these patients. RESULTS: Thirteen (0.3%) patients were diagnosed with EoE. Clinical manifestations were dysphagia (30.8%), foreign body sensation (23.1%), regurgitation (23.1%), cough (15.4%), heartburn (15.4%), nausea (7.7%), dyspepsia (7.7%). The endoscopic findings noted were polypoid lesion (23.1%), whitish plaque or exudate (23.1%), linear furrow (7.7%), concentric ring (7.7%), nodularity (7.7%), erosion (7.7%), and normal (30.8%). Of these patients, five had a favorable course with PPI as monotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of EoE among all patients undergoing endoscopic biopsy was 0.3%. Of those, PPI-REE comprised 38%. Most of the endoscopic findings were atypical or normal when compared to the typical findings in EoE. In conclusion, patients who present with symptoms related to esophageal dysfunction need esophageal biopsy, regardless of the endoscopic findings. Moreover, patients diagnosed with EoE need to be treated first with PPI alone.
Adult ; Aged ; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal ; Eosinophilic Esophagitis/*diagnosis/etiology ; Esophagus/pathology ; Female ; Gastroesophageal Reflux/drug therapy ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Proton Pump Inhibitors/*adverse effects/therapeutic use ; Retrospective Studies