Low-dose aspirin delays gastric healing after Helicobacter pylori eradication.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) and aspirin are the major causes of gastric injury, and eradication of H. pylori can restore mucosal injury such as gastric ulcer. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of low-dose aspirin on the healing process, determined by endoscopic features, after H. pylori eradication. METHODS: From 2001 to 2008, 12,887 patients underwent endoscopic examination at our hospital. From these, 100 patients with and 100 patients without H. pylori infection were analyzed to identify the endoscopic features characteristic of H. pylori-infected stomach. Based on these characteristic features, we observed the healing process of 89 patients not taking low-dose aspirin and 12 patients taking low-dose aspirin for 6 months, 1 year, and 5 years, which was successful in eradicating H. pylori. RESULTS: Diffuse redness (DR) of the fundic mucosa was the characteristic feature of H. pylori-infected stomach, whereas reddish streaks (RS) on the greater curvature of the antrum was the characteristic finding in non-infected stomach. In the no aspirin group, DR faded by 6 months and new expression of RS was observed 1 year after H. pylori eradication. In contrast, in the aspirin group, both fading of DR and the expression of RS were observed 5 years after eradication. CONCLUSION: Low-dose aspirin delayed the early phase of the healing process in the gastric mucosa after H. pylori eradication.

MafA is a Key Molecule in Glucose and Energy Balance in the Central Nervous System and Peripheral Organs.

MafA is a strong transactivator of insulin in pancreatic ß cells. Elucidating the profile of MafA action in organs other than the pancreas is essential. We established an mRNA interference technique that modifies the level of target mRNAs in mice in vivo. After rapidly injecting MafA-siRNA, the resulting changes in the gene profile were analyzed using a microarray system. Significant suppression of the MafA mRNA levels was observed in the pancreas, liver, adipose tissue, and brain of siRNA-injected mice. As we reported previously, the down-regulation of insulin mRNA and adipocytokines was observed in the pancreas, and MafA siRNA caused alterations in the expressions of genes related to lipid metabolism and cell growth in the liver, and the attenuation of cell differentiation in cultured adipocytes. In addition to the effects on these organs, MafA expression was immunohistochemically detected in the brain in our preliminary data, and the expression level in siRNA-treated mice was significantly suppressed. The expressions of the affected genes were distinct, including growth hormone, vasopressin, hypocretin, and pro-melanin-concentrating hormone, were almost completely down-regulated (to ~1/100). These results suggested that MafA is likely involved in the regulation of hormonal systems related to glucose metabolism, and MafA is likely positioned near the beginning of the cascade or may influence the expressions of the above-mentioned genes in coordination with other factors in brain tissue. Taken together, the findings in this study suggested that MafA functions as a transcription factor with distinct activities in each organ and is cross-linked in several organs.

Toxic hepatitis induced by show-wu-pian, a Chinese herbal preparation.

Herbal preparations are widely available and often regarded by the public as harmless remedies for a variety of medical ailments. However, some of these products or their metabolites can cause adverse effects such as liver damage. In this case report a 53-year-old female taking shou-wu-pian for 8 months presented with acute hepatitis. Histopathological assessment of liver tissue obtained by biopsy was consistent with a toxic reaction. Clinical and biochemical resolution was brought about following cessation of the drug. It is important for clinicians to consider Chinese herbal preparations as a potential cause of abnormal liver function test results.