title: Effects of Weipixiao (胃痞消) on Wnt pathway-associated proteins in gastric mucosal epithelial cells from rats with gastric precancerous lesions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the effects of Weipixiao (胃痞消, WPX) on Wnt pathway-associated proteins in gastric mucosal epithelial cells from rats with gastric precancerous lesions (GPL).
  
  
  METHODS
  Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into control, model, vitacoenzyme (0.2 g·kg(-1)·day(-1)), WPX high-dose (H-WPX, 15 g·kg(-1)·day(-1)), WPX medium-dose (M-WPX, 7.5 g·kg(-1)·day(-1)) and WPX low-dose (L-WPX, 3.75 g·kg(-1)·day(-1)) groups. After successfully establishing the GPL model, the rats were consecutively administered WPX or vitacoenzyme by gastrogavage for 10 weeks. Differential expression of Leucine-rich repeat-containing G-proteincoupled receptor 5 (Lgr5), matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7), Wnt1, Wnt3a, and β-catenin in gastric mucosal epithelial cells in all groups were immunohistochemically detected, and the images were taken and analyzed semiquantitatively by image pro plus 6.0 software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Gastric epithelium in the model group showed significantly higher expression levels of Lgr5, MMP-7, Wnt1, Wnt3a and β-catenin than those of the control group(P<0.01). Interestingly, we also observed Lgr5+ cells, which generally located at the base of the gastric glandular unit, migrated to the luminal side of gastric epithelium with GPL. The expression levels of Lgr5, MMP-7, Wnt1, and β-catenin were all down-regulated in the L-WPX group as compared with those of both model and vitacoenzyme groups (P<0.05). A similar, but nonsignificant down-regulation in expression level of Wnt3a was noted in all WPX groups (P>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggested that the therapeutic mechanisms of WPX in treating GPL might be related with its inhibitory effects on the expressions of Lgr5, MMP-7, Wnt1, β-catenin and the aberrant activation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway.
authors: The First Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China.
authors: Jin-hao
authors: JH
authors: Zeng
authors: The First Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China. gzphf@126.com.
authors: Hua-feng
authors: HF
authors: Pan
authors: The First Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China.
authors: You-zhang
authors: YZ
authors: Liu
authors: Department of Pharmacology, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China.
authors: Hai-bo
authors: HB
authors: Xu
authors: Guangdong Provincial Institute of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510095, China.
authors: Zi-ming
authors: ZM
authors: Zhao
authors: The First Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China.
authors: Hai-wen
authors: HW
authors: Li
authors: The First Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China.
authors: Jin-ling
authors: JL
authors: Ren
authors: The First Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China.
authors: Long-hui
authors: LH
authors: Chen
authors: The First Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China.
authors: Xia
authors: X
authors: Hu
authors: The First Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China.
authors: Yan
authors: Y
authors: Yan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000473:pathology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D020783:Matrix Metalloproteinase 7 / Q000378:metabolism; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000378:metabolism; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D060449:Wnt Signaling Pathway / Q000187:drug effects*; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C576179:Lgr5 protein, rat; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D051176:beta Catenin; C000613162:weipixiao; D020783:Matrix Metalloproteinase 7
keywords: Chinese medicine; Lgr5; Weipixiao; Wnt/ß-catenin pathway; Wnt1; Wnt3a; gastric precancerous lesions; matrix metalloproteinase-7; ß-catenin