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Gastric mucosal injuries include focal and diffused injuries, which do and do not change the cell differentiation pattern. Parietal cells loss is related to the occurrence of gastric mucosal diffused injury, with two phenotypes of spasmolytic polypeptide-expressing metaplasia and neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia, which is the basis of gastric cancer and gastric neuroendocrine tumor respectively. Multiple ion channels and transporters are located and expressed in the parietal cells, which is not only regulate the gastric acid-base homeostasis, but also regulate the growth and development of parietal cells. Therefore, alteration and dysregulation of ion channels and transporters in the parietal cells impairs the morphology and physiological functions of stomach, resulted in gastric diffused mucosal damage. In this review, multiple ion channels and transporters in parietal cells, including K

Acidic mammalian chitinase (CHIA) belongs to the 18-glycosidase family and is expressed in epithelial cells and certain immune cells (such as neutrophils and macrophages) in various organs. Under physiological conditions, as a hydrolase, CHIA can degrade chitin-containing pathogens, participate in Type 2 helper T (Th2)-mediated inflammation, and enhance innate and adaptive immunity to pathogen invasion. Under pathological conditions, such as rhinitis, ocular conjunctivitis, asthma, chronic atrophic gastritis, type 2 diabetes, and pulmonary interstitial fibrosis, CHIA expression is significantly changed. In addition, studies have shown that CHIA has an anti-apoptotic effect, promotes epithelial cell proliferation and maintains organ integrity, and these effects are not related to chitinase degradation. CHIA can also be used as a biomolecular marker in diseases such as chronic atrophic gastritis, dry eye, and acute kidney damage caused by sepsis. Analysis of the authoritative TCGA database shows that CHIA expression in gastric adenocarcinoma, liver cancer, renal clear cell carcinoma and other tumors is significantly downregulated compared with that in normal tissues, but the specific mechanism is unclear. This review is based on all surveys conducted to date and summarizes the expression patterns and functional diversity of CHIA in various organs. Understanding the physiological and pathophysiological relevance of CHIA in multiple organs opens new possibilities for disease treatment.

Purposes To improve the lymph node dissection as well as protect parathyroid gland and recurrent laryngeal nerve, the carbon nanoparticles and intraoperative neuromonitoring were applied in papillary thyroid microcarcinoma surgery. Methods Carbon nanoparticles and intraoperative neuromonitoring were used in the experimental group, whereas the control group were not. Routine pathological examination was performed. Results The lymph nodes dissected was significantly higher in the experimental group, but the metastatic lymph nodes were not. The number of mistakenly dissected parathyroid gland and postoperative hypoparathyroidism were 3 and 13 in the experimental group respectively, significantly less than 10 and 25 in the control group. The incidences of overall, transient and persistent recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy in the experimental group were 5.5%, 5.5% and 0% respectively, whereas in the control group were 8.6%, 6.9% and 1.7%. Conclusions Carbon nanoparticles can improve lymph node dissection in papillary thyroid microcarcinoma surgery, and the combination of carbon nanoparticles with intraoperative neuromonitoring can reduce surgical complications and improve patient quality of life.

Background: We recently identified Slc26a9 as an anion conductance that is upregulated in airway inflammation and prevents bronchial mucus obstruction (Anagnostopoulou et al. JCI 2012). Slc26a9 variants were recently found associated with meconium ileus in cystic fibrosis infants (Sun et al. Nature 2012). Aim: The association with meconium ileus raises the question where Slc26a9 is expressed in the gastrointestinal tract and what is its function. Methods: Acid, HCO3, short circuit current (Isc) measurements were performed in isolated mucosa and acid, HCO3 , and fluid absorptive and secretory rates were measured by single pass perfusion and back titration in anesthetized Slc26a9 KO and WT mice by inhalation of 2.0% isoflurane. Slc26a9 cellular expression was studied by laser dissection and qPCR, and quantitative morphometry was performed in the different segments of the murine gastrointestinal tract. Results: Slc26a9 was found highly expressed in the mucosae of the upper gastrointestinal tract, with abrupt decrease of expression levels to virtually undectable levels beyond the duodenum. As previously reported, Slc26a9 KO mice had completely lost the ability to secrete acid in adulthood. However, Slc26a9 was found highly expressed along the whole gastric gland, even in areas without H+,K+-ATPase expression. Proximal duodenal bicarbonate and fluid secretory rates, which are higher in the proximal than the distal duodenum in WT mice, as well as the ability to stimulate these rates with forskolin, were reduced in the absence of Slc26a9 expression. The gastric antrum, as well as the fundus (after omeprazole treatment to rule out any residual acid secretory capacity) was studied to test whether Slc26a9 transports HCO3 itself. Gastric antrum, while expressing high Slc26a9 levels in WT mice, had lower basal and forskolin-stimulated HCO3 rate as well as lower Isc response in WT than KO mice, arguing against a role of Slc26a9 as a HCO3 transporter. Morphometry revealed strongly elongated fundic as well as antral glands, and slightly elongated proximal duodenal villi as well as crypts. Conclusions: Slc26a9 expression is necessary for normal gastric acid and proximal duodenal bicarbonate secretion, but it is not expressed inmore distal parts of the gastrointestinal mucosa. The increased risk for meconium ileus may be due to loss of digestive function of the stomach and proximal duodenum.