Oleanolic acid regulates the Treg/Th17 imbalance in gastric cancer by targeting IL-6 with miR-98-5p.

BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer (GC) was a type of malignant tumor with a very high fatality rate. Oleanolic acid (OA) was a class of pentacyclic triterpenes which was proved to have anti-cancer activity. While the specific molecular mechanism of OA's role in inhibiting GC was not fully understood. This study aimed to explore how OA played an anti-cancer role in GC. METHODS: Expression of miR-98-5p was examined using qPCR, and expression levels of Treg/Th17-related factors were evaluated using qPCR and western blot. Flow cytometry was conducted to assess the proportion of Treg cells and Th17 cells. Besides, dual luciferase reporter assay was performed to verify that IL-6 was a target of miR-98-5p. RESULTS: Downregulation of miR-98-5p and upregulation of Treg/Th17-related factors were observed in GC tissues. What's more, the Treg/Th17 imbalance was found in PBMCs of GC patients. Overexpression of miR-98-5p promoted balance of Treg/Th17 cells via directly targeting IL-6 to downregulate expression of IL-6. Finally, OA could promote balance of Treg/Th17 cells by upregulating expression of miR-98-5p. DISCUSSION: All our results proved that OA could promote balance of Treg/Th17 cells in GC by targeting IL-6 with miR-98-5p, indicating a potential drug for treatment of GC.

Epigastric pain syndrome: What can traditional Chinese medicine do? A randomized controlled trial of Biling Weitong Granules.

BACKGROUND: Recent research suggests that although prokinetic agents, acid suppressors, and radical treatment for Helicobacter pylori infection may be effective in patients with functional dyspepsia (FD), a large proportion of patients still fail to respond to these treatments or may suffer from severe adverse reactions. Many traditional Chinese medicinal herbs can regulate the status of the entire body and have special advantages in the treatment of functional diseases. The present study was designed to verify the efficacy of Biling Weitong Granules (BLWTG), a traditional Chinese medicinal herbal compound formula, in alleviating epigastric pain syndrome (EPS) in FD patients, in an attempt to provide an effective prescription for the clinical treatment of this disease. AIM: To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of BLWTG in treating EPS in patients with FD. METHODS: In this multicenter, stratified, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group clinical trial, eligible patients were randomized into the BLWTG and placebo groups who were treated for 6 wk. Efficacy indicators including the severity and frequency of EPS and the time to pain resolution and safety indicators including adverse events were observed and compared. RESULTS: The baseline demographic data and clinical characteristics, such as epigastric pain symptoms, pain intensity, and frequency of attacks, were matched between the two groups before randomization. After 6 wk of treatment and after the center effect was eliminated, the epigastric pain was significantly improved in 28.33% and 85.59% of the patients in the placebo and BLWTG groups, respectively (P < 0.05). At 6 wk, the resolution rate of epigastric pain was 15% and 69.49% in the placebo and BLWTG groups, respectively (P < 0.05). The differences of total FD clinical score between these two groups were significant (P < 0.05) at 2, 4, and 6 wk (P < 0.05). The scores of each item and the total score in the Functional Digestive Disorders Quality of Life Questionnaire showed significant differences between the two groups at 6 wk after both the center and interaction effects were eliminated (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse events between the two groups, and no serious adverse event was noted during the observation. CONCLUSION: Compared with placebo, BLWTG markedly improved EPS in FD patients without causing serious adverse reactions.

[Clinical and pathological study of weiyan serial recipes in the treatment of gastric precancerous lesions].

OBJECTIVE: To study the therapeutic effect of Weiyan serial recipes (WYSR) in treatment of chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) accompanied with intestinal metaplasia (IM) and/or dysplasia (Dys) and to explore its molecular mechanisms for reversing the gastric precancerous lesions. METHODS: One hundred and fifty patients with confirmed diagnosis of CAG accompanied with IM and/or mild Dys were randomly assigned to the treatment group (120 cases) and the control group (30 cases). Patients in the treatment group were respectively treated with WYSR I-IV according to Chinese medicine syndrome typing as incoordination of Gan and Wei syndrome (32 cases), deficiency of Pi and Wei syndrome (35 cases), insufficient Wei-yin syndrome (28 cases), and stasis stagnation in Wei-channel syndrome (25 cases). Patients in the control group orally took Weifuchun Pill. The therapeutic course for all was 3 months, and totally 2 courses. The clinical effects, changes under the gastroscope, the pathological changes, and expressions of gastric mucosal hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha(HIF-1alpha), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) protein were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. RESULTS: The total effective rate of the treatment group was 86.7% and the total effective rate of the gastroscopic changes was 78.3%, which was higher than those of the control group (56.7% and 40.0%), showing significant difference (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). The total effective rate of clinical symptoms and that of the pathological changes were higher in the treatment group than in the control group with statistical significance shown (P < 0.05). There was no statistical difference in the expressions of HIF-1alpha and VEGF protein of the control group between before and after treatment (P > 0.05). Compared with before treatment, the post-treatment expressions of HIF-1alpha and VEGF protein both obviously decreased in the treatment group (P < 0.01), and were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: WYSR showed better effects on treating gastric precancerous lesions. It could significantly improve the atrophy, IM, and Dys, and promote the reversal of gastric precancerous lesions. Its mechanisms might possibly be correlated with inhibiting the over-expressions of HIF-1alpha and VEGF protein.