The prevalence of fatty pancreas in the examined population is approximately 2.7%. Increased age, central obesity and fatty liver disease are independent risk factors for fatty pancreas.
Formononetin is a kind of isoflavone compound and has been reported to possess anti-inflammatory properties. In this present study, we aimed to explore the protective effects of formononetin on dextran sulfate sodium- (DSS-) induced acute colitis. By intraperitoneal injection of formononetin in mice, the disease severity of colitis was attenuated in a dose-dependent manner, mainly manifesting as relieved clinical symptoms of colitis, mitigated colonic epithelial cell injury, and upregulations of colonic tight junction proteins levels (ZO-1, claudin-1, and occludin). Meanwhile, our study found that formononetin significantly prevented acute injury of colonic cells induced by TNF-α in vitro, specifically manifesting as the increased expressions of colonic tight junction proteins (ZO-1, claudin-1, and occludin). In addition, the result showed that formononetin could reduce the NLRP3 pathway protein levels (NLRP3, ASC, IL-1β) in vivo and vitro, and MCC950, the NLRP3 specific inhibitor, could alleviate the DSS-induced mice acute colitis. Furthermore, in the foundation of administrating MCC950 to inhibit activation of NLRP3 inflammasome, we failed to observe the protective effects of formononetin on acute colitis in mice. Collectively, our study for the first time confirmed the protective effects of formononetin on DSS-induced acute colitis via inhibiting the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway activation.
Overexpression of integrin α6 is associated with a migratory and invasive phenotype of ICC, and integrin α6 may be used as molecular target for therapy of ICC.
Background and study aimsCarbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA199) has been identified as a tumor marker for pancreatic cancer but also increases in benign lesions of the digestive system. However, literature associated with the relationship between CA199 and acute pancreatitis (AP) is limited. This study aimed to focus on serum CA199 level measurements in AP patients and the associated clinical significance.Materials and methodsFrom January 2006 to December 2015, 1,609 consecutive patients with AP were admitted to our department and included in the study. The relationships among the etiology of AP, the disease severity, the incidence of pancreatic cancer during hospitalization and CA199 levels were analyzed.ResultsSerum CA199 levels were measured for 693 of 1,609 AP patients. Of those patients, 186 (26.8%) had elevated CA199 levels (> 37 U/ml). Patients with high CA199 levels were older and had predominantly biliary causes in comparison with patients with normal CA199 levels. There were no definite specific correlations between CA199 levels and disease severity in AP. In addition, serum levels of CA199 positively correlated with serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate transaminase, glutamyl transpeptidase, alkaline phosphatase and creatinine levels. After stratification, the incidence of pancreatic cancer increased proportionally to CA199 levels in AP patients.ConclusionsSerum CA199 levels was elevated in patients with AP, especially in patients with biliary pancreatitis. AP patients with significantly increased CA199 levels may have a higher risk for the presence of pancreatic cancer. We recommended routinely monitoring CA199 levels during hospitalization for AP patients.
Background and Aim The incidence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) as a metabolic disease is increasing annually. In the present study, we aimed to explore the influence of NAFLD on the severity of acute pancreatitis (AP). Methods The severity of AP was diagnosed and analyzed according to the 2012 revised Atlanta Classification. Outcome variables, including the severity of AP, organ failure (all types of organ failure), and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), were compared for patients with and without NAFLD. Results Six hundred and fifty-six patients were enrolled in the study and were divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of NAFLD. The non-NAFLD group contained 278 patients and the main etiology in this group was gallstone. The NAFLD group consisted of 378 patients and the main etiology was hyperlipidemia. The incidence of mild AP, moderately severe AP, and severe AP was 77.30%, 18.3%, and 4.3% in the non-NAFLD group and 58.2%, 33.9%, and 7.9% in the NAFLD group, respectively. There were significant differences between the two groups according to the severity of AP (P ≤ 0.001). In addition, the Ranson and BISAP scores as well as the incidence of SIRS and organ failure in the NAFLD group were higher than those in the non-NAFLD group (all P < 0.05). The patients were further divided into non-NAFLD, mild-NAFLD, and moderate-severe NAFLD (M+S-NAFLD) groups. The results showed that the severity of AP increased gradually from the non-NAFLD group to the M+S-NAFLD group. In addition, the incidence rates of SIRS and organ failure showed an upward trend with the aggravation of fatty liver severity. Multivariate logistic analysis showed that patients with NAFLD, especially those with M+S-NAFLD, had higher risks of SIRS and organ failure. Conclusions Compared with non-NAFLD, NAFLD has a clinically relevant impact on the severity of AP and may be an early prognostic parameter for patients with AP.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.