OBJECTIVETo explore the relationship between the genesis of Pi-Wei damp-heat syndrome (PDS) and the Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection in patients with chronic gastritis (CG) by observing the levels of nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) mRNA and heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) expressions.

METHODSGastric mucous membrane tissues collected through gastroscopy from gastric antrum of 51 CG patients, 36 of PDS type (CG-PDS) and 15 of Pi-qi deficiency syndrome (CG-non-PDS) type, and 8 healthy persons (as control) were examined to diagnose the inflammation level with HE stain and to detect the existence of HP infection by rapid urease test and methylthioninium chloride stain. The mRNA expressions of NF-kappaB and HSP70 in the tissues were determined quantitatively with FQ-PCR as well.

RESULTSPatients of CG-PDS showed higher level of HSP70 mRNA expression than in the control; and level of NF-kappaB mRNA expression was higher than that in the control and CG-non-PDS (all P<0.05); but both expressions were insignificantly different in CG-PDS patients with positive or negative HP infection (P>0.05). Positive correlation of the two expressions was shown in CG-PDS with negative HP infection.

CONCLUSIONNF-kappaB and HSP70 may partially embody, in some extent, the power of vital qi and evil qi in the organism; the over-expressed NF-kappaB and HSP70 may indicate the severe fighting between evil qi and vital qi, and both would be influenced to a certain degree in the fighting process.

Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Gastric Mucosa ; metabolism ; Gastritis ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; microbiology ; HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Helicobacter Infections ; metabolism ; Helicobacter pylori ; Humans ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; NF-kappa B ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics

It has been proved in recent studies that the chronic gastric disease (CGD) of Pi-Wei damp-heat syndrome type (CGD-PWDH) is closely related with heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB). HSP70 can protect the auto-stability of cells and elevate the immune function in organism against tumor or multiple exogenous pathogens. Increasing of NF-kappaB expression presents in case of Helicobacter pylori (Hp) stimulation, it could induce inflammatory reaction, while inflammation factors could act inversely to enhance the expression of NF-kappaB, thus to cause and expand the damage of gastric mucosa. In addition, HSP shows blocking effect on the activation and expression of NF-kappaB. So, the author considered that in patients of Hp associated CGD-PEDH, HSP 70 exhibits the effect as that of "vital energy" and NF-kappaB play a role as the "evil qi" in Chinese medicine, the expressions of the two may embody the vital-evil combating manner of Pi-Wei damp-heat syndrome.
Gastrointestinal Diseases ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins ; metabolism ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; NF-kappa B ; metabolism

To analysis the relative expression of PTEN(phosphatase and tensin homology deleted on chromosome ten) in rectal cancer cell lines and the effects of resveratrol on cell proliferation and apoptosis of rectal cancer cells in vitro. Western blot was used to assess the protein expression of PTEN in rectal cancer cell lines and non-malignant colon epithelial cell line. After treating human rectal cancer cell line SW480 with different concentrations of resveratrol, the cellular proliferation was detected by cell counting Kit-8(CCK-8) assay. The apoptotic rate was analyzed by flow cytometry. The protein expressions of Caspase-3, PTEN, p53 and phosphorylase AKT(p-AKT) were detected by Western blot. shRNA(short hairpin RNA) was built to down-regulate PTEN expression in SW480 cells, and detect whether the own-regulated PTEN expression impact resveratrol's effect in growth inhibition and apoptosis induction of in vitro rectal cancer cells. Our results demonstrated that the relative level of PTEN was markedly decreased in Caco-2 and SW480, with statistically significant differences(P<0.001). Resveratrol inhibited the proliferation of rectal cancer cells markedly, and triggered apoptosis of SW480 cells. The protein expressions of Caspase-3, PTEN and p53 were all increased after being treated with resveratrol, while the expression of p-AKT was decreased after the treatment. The expression of endogenous PTEN was significantly decreased in shRNA PTEN-infected SW480 cells. Meanwhile, shRNA PTEN could obviously reduce SW480 cells' anti-proliferative and apoptotic effects. The experimental results suggested that resveratrol can be used as an anti-proliferative and apoptosis induction agent in rectal cancer through up-regulation of PTEN.