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Wogonoside (Wg), a natural flavonoid, has anticancer effects against several human cancers. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the antitumor effects and underlying mechanisms of Wg on gastric cancer (GC) cell lines. We report that Wg treatment inhibited cell viability and induced apoptosis in human GC cell lines AGS and SGC‐7901, and also retarded GC tumor growth in xenograft mice in vivo. We also found that the Wg exerted its antitumor effects against GC cells via induction of reaction oxygen species accumulation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and endoplasmic reticulum stress. Furthermore, C/EBP homologous protein knockdown inhibited apoptosis and increased the viability of Wg‐treated GC cells. Our findings may facilitate the development of novel therapeutic agents for the treatment of GC.

Background: With a large number of patients with COVID-19 being cured and discharged in China, we aimed to further clarify the clinical characteristics and therapeutic methods of COVID-19 patients by analyzing discharged patients. Methods: In this retrospective, single-centre study, we collected all discharged patients with COVID-19 in Jingzhou First People's Hospital, Hubei province from Jan 23 to Mar 2, 2020. Cases were confirmed by chest CT and were analyzed for epidemiological, demographic, clinical, laboratory findings, radiological features and treatment measures. Results: Of the 83 discharged patients with COVID-19, including 21 clinical diagnosis cases. Common type 59 cases (71.1%), severe type 3 cases (3.6%), clinical common type 20 cases (24.1%), clinical severe type 1 case (1.2%), 65 cases (78.3%) had a history of exposure to the Huanan . The average age of the patients was 46.8 years (SD 14.3y), including 41 men and 42 women. Twenty-six (31.3%) patients had chronic diseases. Eight (10%) patients had drinking history and 7 Patients (8%) had smoking history. The mean incubation period to be 7.3 days (SD 4.4d), ranging from 2 to 22 days. Patients had clinical manifestations of fever (52 [63%] patients), cough (34 [41%] patients), muscle ache or fatigue (17 [20%] patients),chest tightness (5 [6%] patients), sore throat (4 [5%] patients), chest pain (1 [1%] patients), diarrhoea (2 [2%] patients), and nausea and vomiting (1 [1%] patient),asymptomatic (2 [2%] patients), 4 (4.8%) patients developed acute respiratory distress syndrome. According to imaging examination, 83 (100%) patients showed pneumonia. Pharmacotherapy included antibiotic treatment, antiviral treatment,Chinese traditional medicine treatment, reduce phlegm therapy, oxygen therapy, glucocorticoids and Intravenous immunoglobulin therapy. The average days when chest CT showed that inflammation area began to absorb and decrease, common type with 9.1 days (SD 4.8d), Clinical common type with 6.7 days (SD 3.4d). COVID-19 was detected in 62 (75%) patients by real-time RT-PCR. Of 59 common patients, the mean interval time between the initial positive to the first negative RT-PCR results was 11.6 days (SD 5.8d), two or more serial negative RT-PCR results was 13.6 days (SD 5.8d). The average days hospitalized of the common type patients was 23.5 days (SD 5.0d), the clinical common type was 13.7 days (SD 4.5d). Conclusions: The COVID-19 causes widespread respiratory problems. The COVID-19 is highly infectious but has a low lethality. Early identification, isolation and timely treatment becomes essential against COVID-19. The dynamic conversion of RT-PCR results (positive to negative) and chest CT (increase to decrease) could be used as reference indexes in evaluating prognosis of patients. Funding Statement: No funding involved this study. Declaration of Interests: No conflict of interest to declare. Ethics Approval Statement: This study was approved by Jingzhou First People's Hospital Ethics Committee and written informed consent was obtained from patients involved before enrolment when data were collected retrospectively.

The abnormal expression of atypical protein kinase C-iota (aPKC-iota) subtype and E-cadherin play important roles in tumor occurrence and progression. This study was designed to investigate the correlation of expression of aPKC-iota and E-cadherin with the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of cholangiocarcinoma, and to analyze the molecular mechanisms of invasion and metastasis of the tumor.EnVision immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of aPKC-iota and E-cadherin in 9 specimens of benign bile duct tissues, 35 specimens of cholangiocarcinoma and 6 specimens of metastatic cholangiocarcinoma. The relationship of the expression with clinicopathological characteristics, invasion and prognosis of cholangiocarcinoma was analyzed. A multivariate regression analysis was made of these data by the Cox proportional hazard model.The positive expression level of aPKC-iota in cholangiocarcinoma was remarkably higher than that in benign bile duct tissues (68.6% vs. 11.1%, P=0.006), but the expression level of E-cadherin was lower in cholangiocarcinoma than in benign bile duct tissues (37.1% vs. 88.9%, P=0.016). Correlation analysis revealed that the expression of aPKC-iota was positively related to tumor differentiation and invasion, whereas that of E-cadherin was entirely the contrary. Moreover, there was a negative relationship between the expression of aPKC-iota and that of E-cadherin (r=-0.287, P0.05). Univariate analysis showed that the overall survival rate of the group with a higher expression of aPKC-iota in cholangiocarcinoma was remarkably lower than that of the group with a lower expression (P0.01); multivariate analysis revealed that the expressions of aPKC-iota and E-cadherin are important prognostic factors for cholangiocarcinoma (P0.05).The expressions of aPKC-iota and E-cadherin may reflect the differentiation and invasive potential of cholangiocarcinoma. aPKC-iota and E-cadherin may be independent prognostic factors and, when used in combination with clinicopathological characteristics, may increase the accuracy in predicting the prognosis of patients with cholangiocarcinoma. As a polar regulative associated protein, aPKC-iota may play an important role in the invasion and metastasis of cholangiocarcinoma.

Studies showed that the abnormal expression of atypical protein kinase C iota subtype (aPKC-iota) and E-cadherin plays an important role in tumor genesis and progression. This study was to investigate the expression of aPKC-iota and E-cadherin in cholangiocarcinoma, and analyze molecular mechanisms of the invasion and metastasis of cholangiocarcinoma.The expression of aPKC-iota and E-cadherin in 9 specimens of benign bile duct tissues and 35 specimens of cholangiocarcinoma was detected by EnVision immunohistochemistry, and their correlations to the clinicopathologic characteristics and invasion of cholangiocarcinoma were analyzed.The positive rate of aPKC-iota was significantly higher in cholangiocarcinoma than in benign bile duct tissues (68.6% vs. 11.1%, P = 0.006), while the positive rate of E-cadherin was significantly lower in cholangiocarcinoma than in benign bile duct tissues (37.1% vs. 88.9%, P = 0.016). aPKC-iota expression was negatively correlated to E-cadherin expression (r = -0.287, P0.05). aPKC-iota expression was positively and E-cadherin expression was negatively correlated to the differentiation and invasion of cholangiocarcinoma (P0.05).The expression of aPKC-iota and E-cadherin may reflect the differentiation and invasive potential of cholangiocarcinoma. As a polar regulation-associated protein, aPKC-iota may play a role in the invasion and metastasis of cholangiocarcinoma.

A 67-year-old man from Jingzhou was admitted to the First Hospital Affiliated to Yangtze University in July 2013 with sudden onset of abdominal pain with dizziness for 12 h. The patient had sign of peritoneal irritation. Ultrasonography of the abdomen and pelvis showed hepatic fibrosis due to schistosomiasis. Computed tomography showed free gas in the peritoneal cavity. Plain abdominal radiography showed bilateral subdiaphragmatic accumulation of gas, perforation of the viscus, and radio-opacity in the left renal area. The patient underwent emergency exploratory laparotomy. At laparotomy, a moderate amount of muddy yellow pus was found in the intra-abdominal cavity. At the junction of the jejunum and ileum, about 250 cm from Treitz's ligament, there was an about 10-cm length of inflamed small bowel with perforation (3 mm in diameter) along the mesenteric border at the middle of the lesion. The patient underwent resection of the affected intestinal segment, along with end-to-end intestinal anastomosis. Histopathological examination revealed mucosal necrosis and hemorrhage with a large number of infiltrating eosinophils and neutrophils, and acute submucosal inflammation with a large number of infiltrating eosinophils and neutrophils associated with Schistosoma japonicum (S. japonicum) eggs. No intravascular adult parasite was found. Postoperatively, the patient was treated with praziquantel (30 mg/kg daily) for 4 d. The patient progressed well. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of small bowel perforation associated with eggs of S. japonicum.