Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Histopathological features of the proper gastric glands in FVB/N -background mice 
carrying constitutively -active aryl -hydrocarbon receptor  
 
Version: 0 Date: 01 Sep 2017  
 
Reviewer: RONG JUN GUO  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
Please include all comments for the authors in this box rather than uploading your report as an 
attachment. Please only upload as attachments annotated versions of manuscripts, graphs, 
supporting materials or oth er aspects of your report which cannot be included in a text format.  
Please overwrite this text when adding your comments to the authors.  
This is a good study and the manuscript is basically well written.   I think basically the study 
showed that 1) consi tutively active ary -hydrocarbon receptor in FVB/N mice induced alteration 
in the stomach mimicking gastritis cystic profunda; 2) decreased parietal and chief cells and 3) 
elongated surface and foveolar glands.   
I am concerned about the interpretation for intestinal metaplasia.   The author utilized PAS -
Alcian blue stain.   On H.&E. and PAS alcian blue stain,   the most objective evidence of 
intestinal metaplasia is the presence of goblet cells, which I could not see on the provided 
pictures.    The alcian blue stain on wild -type gastric mucosa was overall lighter to my eyes than 
on transgenic mice.    To make the data more compelling.   I would suggest to provide one or 
both of the following lines of evidence 1) e lectric microscopic observation of intestinal 
microvilli and/or 2) immunohistochemical stain for CDX2 protein on the wild type and 
transgenic mice.  
In addition, there are a couple of spelling/grammar errors: in the last paragragh of the abstract, 
the "gas tritis" is misspelled as "gastrtiritis".  In line 48, there is a grammar error.   In line 139, the 
"reagents" is misspelled as "regents"  
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Does the work inc lude the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manuscript or would you recommend an  
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects require further  
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
I recommend addi tional statistical review  
 
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Needs some language corrections before being published  
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
 
1. Have  you in the past five years received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an  
organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publication of this  
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation that may in any way gain or lose  
financially from the publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents relating to the content of the  
manuscript?  
 
4. Have you received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds  or has applied for patents relating to the content of the manuscript?  
 
5. Do you have any other financial competing interests?  
 
6. Do you have any non -financial com peting interests in relation to this paper?  
 
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I declare that I have no competing interests' 
below.  If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
I declare that I have no competing interests  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the jou rnal. I understand that my name will be included  
on my report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepted for publication, my named report  
including any attachments I upload will be posted on the website along with the authors'  
responses. I agree for  my report to be made available under an Open Access Creative Commons  
CC-BY license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ). I understand that any comments  
which I do not wish to be included in my named report can be included as confidential comments  
to the editors, which will not be published.  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal  
Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Histopathological features of the proper gastric glands in FVB/N -background mice 
carrying constitutively -active aryl -hydrocarbon receptor  
 
Version: 0 Date: 01 Sep 2017  
 
Reviewer: RONG JUN GUO  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
Please include all comments for the authors in this box rather than uploading your report as an 
attachment. Please only upload as attachments annotated versions of manuscripts, graphs, 
supporting materials or oth er aspects of your report which cannot be included in a text format.  
Please overwrite this text when adding your comments to the authors.  
This is a good study and the manuscript is basically well written.   I think basically the study 
showed that 1) consi tutively active ary -hydrocarbon receptor in FVB/N mice induced alteration 
in the stomach mimicking gastritis cystic profunda; 2) decreased parietal and chief cells and 3) 
elongated surface and foveolar glands.   
I am concerned about the interpretation for intestinal metaplasia.   The author utilized PAS -
Alcian blue stain.   On H.&E. and PAS alcian blue stain,   the most objective evidence of 
intestinal metaplasia is the presence of goblet cells, which I could not see on the provided 
pictures.    The alcian blue stain on wild -type gastric mucosa was overall lighter to my eyes than 
on transgenic mice.    To make the data more compelling.   I would suggest to provide one or 
both of the following lines of evidence 1) e lectric microscopic observation of intestinal 
microvilli and/or 2) immunohistochemical stain for CDX2 protein on the wild type and 
transgenic mice.  
In addition, there are a couple of spelling/grammar errors: in the last paragragh of the abstract, 
the "gas tritis" is misspelled as "gastrtiritis".  In line 48, there is a grammar error.   In line 139, the 
"reagents" is misspelled as "regents"  
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Does the work inc lude the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manuscript or would you recommend an  
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects require further  
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
I recommend addi tional statistical review  
 
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Needs some language corrections before being published  
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
 
1. Have  you in the past five years received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an  
organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publication of this  
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation that may in any way gain or lose  
financially from the publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents relating to the content of the  
manuscript?  
 
4. Have you received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds  or has applied for patents relating to the content of the manuscript?  
 
5. Do you have any other financial competing interests?  
 
6. Do you have any non -financial com peting interests in relation to this paper?  
 
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I declare that I have no competing interests' 
below.  If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
I declare that I have no competing interests  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the jou rnal. I understand that my name will be included  
on my report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepted for publication, my named report  
including any attachments I upload will be posted on the website along with the authors'  
responses. I agree for  my report to be made available under an Open Access Creative Commons  
CC-BY license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ). I understand that any comments  
which I do not wish to be included in my named report can be included as confidential comments  
to the editors, which will not be published.  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal  
Please review this paper.
user
Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Histopathological features of the proper gastric glands in FVB/N -background mice 
carrying constitutively -active aryl -hydrocarbon receptor  
 
Version: 0 Date: 01 Sep 2017  
 
Reviewer: RONG JUN GUO  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
Please include all comments for the authors in this box rather than uploading your report as an 
attachment. Please only upload as attachments annotated versions of manuscripts, graphs, 
supporting materials or oth er aspects of your report which cannot be included in a text format.  
Please overwrite this text when adding your comments to the authors.  
This is a good study and the manuscript is basically well written.   I think basically the study 
showed that 1) consi tutively active ary -hydrocarbon receptor in FVB/N mice induced alteration 
in the stomach mimicking gastritis cystic profunda; 2) decreased parietal and chief cells and 3) 
elongated surface and foveolar glands.   
I am concerned about the interpretation for intestinal metaplasia.   The author utilized PAS -
Alcian blue stain.   On H.&E. and PAS alcian blue stain,   the most objective evidence of 
intestinal metaplasia is the presence of goblet cells, which I could not see on the provided 
pictures.    The alcian blue stain on wild -type gastric mucosa was overall lighter to my eyes than 
on transgenic mice.    To make the data more compelling.   I would suggest to provide one or 
both of the following lines of evidence 1) e lectric microscopic observation of intestinal 
microvilli and/or 2) immunohistochemical stain for CDX2 protein on the wild type and 
transgenic mice.  
In addition, there are a couple of spelling/grammar errors: in the last paragragh of the abstract, 
the "gas tritis" is misspelled as "gastrtiritis".  In line 48, there is a grammar error.   In line 139, the 
"reagents" is misspelled as "regents"  
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Does the work inc lude the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manuscript or would you recommend an  
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects require further  
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
I recommend addi tional statistical review  
 
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Needs some language corrections before being published  
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
 
1. Have  you in the past five years received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an  
organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publication of this  
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation that may in any way gain or lose  
financially from the publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents relating to the content of the  
manuscript?  
 
4. Have you received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds  or has applied for patents relating to the content of the manuscript?  
 
5. Do you have any other financial competing interests?  
 
6. Do you have any non -financial com peting interests in relation to this paper?  
 
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I declare that I have no competing interests' 
below.  If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
I declare that I have no competing interests  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the jou rnal. I understand that my name will be included  
on my report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepted for publication, my named report  
including any attachments I upload will be posted on the website along with the authors'  
responses. I agree for  my report to be made available under an Open Access Creative Commons  
CC-BY license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ). I understand that any comments  
which I do not wish to be included in my named report can be included as confidential comments  
to the editors, which will not be published.  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal  
assistant