Objective To isolate pathogenic bacteria from the skin of a nude mouse exhibiting squamous skin scurfs, and perform bacterial identification, traceability analysis, and pathogenicity studies to provide a new approach for the diagnosis of pathogens in nude mice with squamous skin scurfs. MethodsSkin swab samples were collected from a nude mouse exhibiting squamous skin scurfs for nucleic acid testing, bacterial isolation and culture, biochemical identification, 16S rDNA gene amplification and sequencing, and whole genome sequencing to construct a phylogenetic tree. Fifteen BALB/c nude mice were randomized into a saline-treated control group, a high-concentration group treated with 1.8×10⁸ CFU/mL of the isolated bacterial suspension, and a low-concentration group treated with 1.8×10⁷ CFU/mL of the isolated bacterial suspension. Pathogenicity was assessed by animal infection experiments and observation of histopathological changes in skin tissue using HE staining. Results The nucleic acid test for Corynebacterium bovis was negative, excluding infection by this organism. The pathogen isolated on mannitol salt agar and blood agar, combined with Gram staining, suggested a Gram-positive Staphylococcus species. The isolated strain was identified by 16S rDNA sequencing and a fully automated microbial identification system as Staphylococcus xylosus. Phylogenetic tree analysis based on whole genome sequencing showed that the strain was most closely related to an isolate from leafy vegetables in South Korea (GenBank GCA_00207825.1). In the high-concentration group, squamous skin scurfs appeared on the head, neck, and back of nude mice on the 17th day post-infection, while in the low concentration group, similar symptoms appeared on the 20th day post-infection and gradually spread to other areas. The scaling symptoms were transient, lasting for 7 days in the high-concentration group and 3 days in the low-concentration group, after which the skin returned to normal. The infection rate was 33.33% in both the high- and low-concentration groups. No significant pathological changes were observed in the skin tissues of infected mice compared to the control group, indicating marked individual differences in the pathogenicity of the strain in nude mice. Conclusion A strain of Staphylococcus xylosus was isolated from the skin of a nude mouse exhibiting squamous skin scurfs. The strain is an opportunistic pathogen that causes transient squamous skin scurfs without significant histopathological changes, and there are individual differences in the sensitivity of nude mice to this strain. These findings can provide valuable data for pathogen identification in immunodeficient or gene knockout mice.

Objective To isolate pathogenic bacteria from the skin of a nude mouse exhibiting squamous skin scurfs, and perform bacterial identification, traceability analysis, and pathogenicity studies to provide a new approach for the diagnosis of pathogens in nude mice with squamous skin scurfs. MethodsSkin swab samples were collected from a nude mouse exhibiting squamous skin scurfs for nucleic acid testing, bacterial isolation and culture, biochemical identification, 16S rDNA gene amplification and sequencing, and whole genome sequencing to construct a phylogenetic tree. Fifteen BALB/c nude mice were randomized into a saline-treated control group, a high-concentration group treated with 1.8×10⁸ CFU/mL of the isolated bacterial suspension, and a low-concentration group treated with 1.8×10⁷ CFU/mL of the isolated bacterial suspension. Pathogenicity was assessed by animal infection experiments and observation of histopathological changes in skin tissue using HE staining. Results The nucleic acid test for Corynebacterium bovis was negative, excluding infection by this organism. The pathogen isolated on mannitol salt agar and blood agar, combined with Gram staining, suggested a Gram-positive Staphylococcus species. The isolated strain was identified by 16S rDNA sequencing and a fully automated microbial identification system as Staphylococcus xylosus. Phylogenetic tree analysis based on whole genome sequencing showed that the strain was most closely related to an isolate from leafy vegetables in South Korea (GenBank GCA_00207825.1). In the high-concentration group, squamous skin scurfs appeared on the head, neck, and back of nude mice on the 17th day post-infection, while in the low concentration group, similar symptoms appeared on the 20th day post-infection and gradually spread to other areas. The scaling symptoms were transient, lasting for 7 days in the high-concentration group and 3 days in the low-concentration group, after which the skin returned to normal. The infection rate was 33.33% in both the high- and low-concentration groups. No significant pathological changes were observed in the skin tissues of infected mice compared to the control group, indicating marked individual differences in the pathogenicity of the strain in nude mice. Conclusion A strain of Staphylococcus xylosus was isolated from the skin of a nude mouse exhibiting squamous skin scurfs. The strain is an opportunistic pathogen that causes transient squamous skin scurfs without significant histopathological changes, and there are individual differences in the sensitivity of nude mice to this strain. These findings can provide valuable data for pathogen identification in immunodeficient or gene knockout mice.

OBJECTIVES: To develop a risk prediction model for the transformation of chronic atrophic gastritis to high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (HGIN) based on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome patterns. METHODS: Clinical data of 201 chronic atrophic gastritis patients who visited the Second People's Hospital Affiliated to Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Dong'erhuan Branch between January 2022 and March 2023 were retrospectively analyzed, including 32 patients with HGIN (HGIN group) and 169 patients with moderate and severe chronic atrophic gastritis (non-HGIN group). The information of demographic characteristics, dietary habits, lifestyle factors, social and psychosocial factors, family history of tumors, medical history and comorbidities, long-term medication, endoscopic findings, histopathological examination results, as well as TCM syndrome types were collected. Potential HGIN risk factors were screened using LASSO regression, and the significant risk factors for establishing an HGIN risk prediction model were identified using logistic regression analysis. The final model was visually presented using a nomogram, and its diagnostic performance was evaluated through receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. RESULTS: Spleen-stomach Qi deficiency was the most common TCM syndrome in both HGIN and non-HGIN groups. LASSO-logistic regression model analysis showed that heavy alcohol consumption (X1), syndrome of static blood in stomach collaterals (X2), low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (X3), high-salt diet (X4), and age (X5) were independent risk factors related to the occurrence of HGIN, and the predictive model was ln［P/(1－P)］=2.159X1+2.230X2+1.664X3+2.070X4+0.122X5- 11.096. The model demonstrated good discriminative ability, calibration, and goodness-of-fit, with area under the curve values of 0.940 and 0.891 in the training and validation sets, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The TCM syndrome of static blood in stomach collaterals shows correlation with the transformation from chronic atrophic gastritis to HGIN. The HGIN prediction model based on TCM syndrome patterns developed in the study demonstrates potential value in clinical application.
Humans ; Gastritis, Atrophic/diagnosis* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Retrospective Studies ; Female ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Stomach Neoplasms/diagnosis* ; Adult ; Risk Factors ; Carcinoma in Situ/diagnosis* ; Aged ; Nomograms ; Chronic Disease ; Logistic Models

OBJECTIVE: To explore the function of LIM and calponin homology domains 1 (LIMCH1) in the development and progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), along with their potential clinical applications. METHODS: By utilizing transcriptome sequencing data from two groups of oral squamous cell carcinoma patients, along with bioinformatics analytical techniques such as Gene Ontology (GO) and gene co-expression networks, we identified genes that might play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of oral squamous cell carcinoma. We employed real-time quantitative PCR and Western blotting to validate the expression patterns of these genes across twelve patient tissue samples. Furthermore, we conducted CCK-8 assays, flow cytometry analyses, and scratch wound healing assays to assess the impact of key genes on the biological behaviors of both the Cal27 oral squamous cell carcinoma cell line and the potentially malignant DOK oral lesion cell line. Additionally, we examined correlations between these key genes and clinical disease parameters in 214 oral squamous cell carcinoma patients using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data; gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) analysis results were also incorporated to enhance our findings from real-time quantitative PCR and Western blotting regarding potential mechanisms underlying the action of these key genes. RESULTS: The integrated analysis of sequencing data and bioinformatics revealed that LIMCH1 exhibited significantly reduced mRNA (P < 0.001) and protein levels (P < 0.01) in the oral squamous cell carcinoma tissues compared with normal control tissues. In the Cal27 cells, the low LIMCH1 level group demonstrated a larger wound healing area within 24 hours than the control group (P < 0.01), enhanced proliferation capacity over 72 hours relative to the control group (P < 0.01), and an increased apoptosis rate within 24 hours compared with the high expression group (P < 0.05). However, no significant differences were observed between the low and high level groups in DOK cells. Furthermore, it was determined that low LIMCH1 level correlated with poor prognosis in the patients (P=0.013) and a higher lymph node metastasis rate (P < 0.05). Investigations into the potential mechanisms of action indicated that LIMCH1 did not influence the onset or progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma via the epithelial-mesenchymal transition pathway. CONCLUSION LIMCH1 level may function as a promising biomarker to aid in the prognostic assessment of oral squamous cell carcinoma; however, its precise mechanistic role requires further investigation.
Humans ; Mouth Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Prognosis ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/metabolism* ; Biomarkers, Tumor/metabolism* ; LIM Domain Proteins/metabolism* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Male ; Female

Objective:To evaluate the incidence of malnutrition in hospitalized patients with liver cirrhosis using the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria, and to identify the risk factors of malnutrition.Methods:A total of 305 inpatients with liver cirrhosis were included from the Department of Gastroenterology of the People's Hospital of Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture between January 1, 2023 to September 30, 2023. The patient characteristics, clinical indicators, complications, unplanned readmission within 90 days and death outcomes were collected. Malnutrition was diagnosed according to the GLIM criteria, the differences in various indicators were compared between the malnutrition group and the well-nourished group, and the influencing factors of malnutrition were analyzed. The relationship between malnutrition and short-term prognosis was also discussed.Results:Among the enrolled patients, 188 (61.6%) were diagnosed with malnutrition per GLIM criteria, of whom 18 were with Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) Grade A liver function, 108 Grade B, and 62 Grade C. Compared with the well-nourished group, the malnutrition group showed prolonged length of hospital stay ( P<0.001), lower body mass index P=0.003), lower levels of red blood cell count, hemoglobin, serum albumin, serum albumin/globulin ratio, and serum calcium ( P<0.001), higher level of aspartate aminotransferase ( P=0.025), and increased levels of C-reactive protein, total bilirubin, international normalized ratio, plasma prothrombin time and model for end-stage liver disease score ( P<0.001). The proportion of patients with ascites, esophageal gastric varices, upper gastrointestinal bleeding, hepatic encephalopathy and unplanned readmission within 90 days were significantly increased ( P<0.001) in malnutrition group, and the mortality within 90 days was also higher ( P=0.042). Logistic regression analysis identified lower body mass index level ( OR=0.910, P=0.038), ascites ( OR=0.065, P<0.001) and upper gastrointestinal bleeding ( OR=0.184, P=0.001) as the influencing factors of malnutrition in liver cirrhosis patients. Conclusions:The prevalent malnutrition in patients with liver cirrhosis may affect the short-term prognosis. Lower body mass index, ascites and upper gastrointestinal bleeding are influencing factors for malnutrition in liver cirrhosis patients. Therefore, patients with liver cirrhosis should be screened for malnutrition to allow timely nutritional intervention measures.

Objective To explore the correlation of CPNE3 expression with long-term prognosis of patients with gastric cancer(GC)and the possible mechanism.Methods We retrospectively collected the data of 104 GC patients undergoing radical surgery in our hospital from February,2013 to October,2017.TCGA database and immunohistochemistry were used to analyze CPNE3 expression level in GC tissues and its effects on tumor progression and long-term prognosis of the patients.GO analysis was performed to predict the biological role of CPNE3 in GC.We also conducted cell experiments with MGC803 cells and observed the effects of CPNE3 knockdown,CPNE3 overexpression and LY294002(a PI3K/AKT inhibitor)treatment on cell apoptosis and cellular expressions of apoptotic proteins using flow cytometry and Western blotting.Results TCGA analysis and immunohistochemistry both showed high expressions of CPNE3 in GC(P<0.05).The patients with high CPNE3 expressions had a reduced 5-year survival(P<0.01),and a high CPNE3 expression,CEA level≥5 μg/L,CA19-9 level≥37 kU/L,T3-T4 stage,and N2-N3 stage were all independent risk factors for a lowered 5-year survival rate after surgery.The sensitivity and specificity of CPNE3 for predicting 5-year mortality was 79.59%and 74.55%,respectively(P<0.05).GO analysis predicted that CPNE3 negatively regulated GC cell apoptosis.In MGC803 cells,CPNE3 knockdown significantly increased cell apoptosis,enhanced Bax and Cleaved Caspase-3 expressions and decreased Bcl-2 expression,while CPNE3 overexpression produced the opposite results(P<0.05).The cellular expressions of p-PI3K and p-AKT were significantly decreased following CPNE3 knockdown and increased following CPNE3 overexpression(P<0.05).Treatment with LY294002 obviously attenuated the inhibitory effect of CPNE3 overexpression on apoptosis of MGC803 cells(P<0.05).Conclusion CPNE3 is highly expressed in GC tissues and affects the long-term prognosis of the patients possibly by inhibiting GC cell apoptosis through activation of PI3K/AKT signaling.

Objective To investigate the effects of kuwanon G(KG)on proliferation,apoptosis,migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells and the molecular mechanisms.Methods The effects of KG on proliferation and growth of gastric cancer cells were assessed with CCK-8 assay and cell clone formation assay,by observing tumor formation on the back of nude mice and using immunohistochemical analysis of Ki-67.The effect of KG on cell apoptosis was analyzed using Annexin V-FITC/PI apoptosis detection kit,Western blotting and TUNEL staining.The effects of KG on cell migration and invasion were detected using Transwell migration and invasion assay and Western blotting for matrix metalloproteinase(MMP).The role of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)/protein kinase B(AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin(mTOR)pathway in KG-mediated regulation of gastric cancer cell proliferation,migration,and invasion was verified by Western blotting and rescue assay.Results KG significantly inhibited proliferation and reduced clone formation ability of gastric cancer cells in a concentration-dependent manner(P<0.05).KG treatment also increased apoptosis,enhanced the expressions of cleaved caspase-3 and Bax,down-regulated Bcl-2,lowered migration and invasion capacities and inhibited the expression of MMP2 and MMP9 in gastric cancer cells(P<0.05).Mechanistic validation showed that KG inhibited the activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway,and IGF-1,an activator of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway,reversed the effects of KG on proliferation,migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells(P<0.05).Conclusion KG inhibits proliferation,migration and invasion and promotes apoptosis of gastric cancer cells at least in part by inhibiting the activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway.

Objective To explore the correlation of CPNE3 expression with long-term prognosis of patients with gastric cancer(GC)and the possible mechanism.Methods We retrospectively collected the data of 104 GC patients undergoing radical surgery in our hospital from February,2013 to October,2017.TCGA database and immunohistochemistry were used to analyze CPNE3 expression level in GC tissues and its effects on tumor progression and long-term prognosis of the patients.GO analysis was performed to predict the biological role of CPNE3 in GC.We also conducted cell experiments with MGC803 cells and observed the effects of CPNE3 knockdown,CPNE3 overexpression and LY294002(a PI3K/AKT inhibitor)treatment on cell apoptosis and cellular expressions of apoptotic proteins using flow cytometry and Western blotting.Results TCGA analysis and immunohistochemistry both showed high expressions of CPNE3 in GC(P<0.05).The patients with high CPNE3 expressions had a reduced 5-year survival(P<0.01),and a high CPNE3 expression,CEA level≥5 μg/L,CA19-9 level≥37 kU/L,T3-T4 stage,and N2-N3 stage were all independent risk factors for a lowered 5-year survival rate after surgery.The sensitivity and specificity of CPNE3 for predicting 5-year mortality was 79.59%and 74.55%,respectively(P<0.05).GO analysis predicted that CPNE3 negatively regulated GC cell apoptosis.In MGC803 cells,CPNE3 knockdown significantly increased cell apoptosis,enhanced Bax and Cleaved Caspase-3 expressions and decreased Bcl-2 expression,while CPNE3 overexpression produced the opposite results(P<0.05).The cellular expressions of p-PI3K and p-AKT were significantly decreased following CPNE3 knockdown and increased following CPNE3 overexpression(P<0.05).Treatment with LY294002 obviously attenuated the inhibitory effect of CPNE3 overexpression on apoptosis of MGC803 cells(P<0.05).Conclusion CPNE3 is highly expressed in GC tissues and affects the long-term prognosis of the patients possibly by inhibiting GC cell apoptosis through activation of PI3K/AKT signaling.

Objective To investigate the effects of kuwanon G(KG)on proliferation,apoptosis,migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells and the molecular mechanisms.Methods The effects of KG on proliferation and growth of gastric cancer cells were assessed with CCK-8 assay and cell clone formation assay,by observing tumor formation on the back of nude mice and using immunohistochemical analysis of Ki-67.The effect of KG on cell apoptosis was analyzed using Annexin V-FITC/PI apoptosis detection kit,Western blotting and TUNEL staining.The effects of KG on cell migration and invasion were detected using Transwell migration and invasion assay and Western blotting for matrix metalloproteinase(MMP).The role of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)/protein kinase B(AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin(mTOR)pathway in KG-mediated regulation of gastric cancer cell proliferation,migration,and invasion was verified by Western blotting and rescue assay.Results KG significantly inhibited proliferation and reduced clone formation ability of gastric cancer cells in a concentration-dependent manner(P<0.05).KG treatment also increased apoptosis,enhanced the expressions of cleaved caspase-3 and Bax,down-regulated Bcl-2,lowered migration and invasion capacities and inhibited the expression of MMP2 and MMP9 in gastric cancer cells(P<0.05).Mechanistic validation showed that KG inhibited the activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway,and IGF-1,an activator of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway,reversed the effects of KG on proliferation,migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells(P<0.05).Conclusion KG inhibits proliferation,migration and invasion and promotes apoptosis of gastric cancer cells at least in part by inhibiting the activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway.