OBJECTIVE To observe the regulation effect of chidamide on energy metabolism in HCT-8 and HT-29 cells. METHODS HCT-8 and HT-29 cells were treated with chidamide 5,10 and 20 μmol · L-1. Morphological changes of these cells were observed under an ordinary optical microscope. Cell proliferation was detected by MTT. ATP production was determined by CellTiter-Glo? assay kit. Metabolic changes were tested by glycolytic stress kit. The mRNA level of lactate dehydrogenase A (LDH-A)was analyzed by real-time quantitative PCR,whereas the protein level of LDH-A was analyzed by Western blotting. RESULTS Compared with control group,cell morphology of HCT-8 and HT-29 cells in chidamide treated group was irregular,accompanied by deformation,shrinkage and cell debris, and the inhibitory rate of proliferation increased(P<0.05). There was no significant difference in ATP total content between chidamide 5 and 10 μmol · L-1 16 h treatment groups,but in chidamide 20 μmol · L-1 treatment group it was decreased(P<0.05). Chidamide 20μmol · L-1 had no effect on oxygen consumption rate, but glycolysis ATP generation rate was reduced by 30.7% and 37.9%(P<0.05),respectively. Chidamide 20μmol · L-1 had no effect on LDH-A mRNA level,but it decreased the protein level of LDH-A(P<0.01). CONCLUSION Chidamide can abate the respiratory metabolic ability of HCT-8 and HT-29 cells. The mechanism may be related to the down-regulation of LDH-A.

Objective:To understand the epidemiological characteristics of mpox epidemic in Guangzhou and provide scientific evidence for the prevention and control of the disease.Methods:Based on the mpox surveillance system in Guangzhou, suspected mpox cases with fever and rash were reported by local hospitals at all levels to centers for disease control and prevention in Guangzhou for sampling, investigation and diagnosis. Descriptive epidemiological analysis was conducted on the clinical characteristics and treatment of the mpox cases and positive detection rate reported in Guangzhou as of 24:00 on June 23. Whole genome sequencing of the virus isolates was performed using Illumina Miniseq high-throughput sequencing platform.Results:The first mpox case in Guangzhou was reported on June 10 in 2023. As of 24:00 on June 23, a total of 25 confirmed mpox cases were reported. All the mpox cases were men with a M( Q1, Q3) of 32 (26, 36) years, the majority of the cases were MSM (96.0%). The main clinical features were rash (100.0%, 25/25), lymphadenectasis (100.0%, 25/25) and fever (52.0%, 13/25). Rash usually occurred near the genitals (88.0%, 22/25). The close contacts, mainly family members (40.4%, 23/57), showed no similar symptoms, such as fever or rash. The positive rate of mpox virus in household environment samples was 30.5%. The analyses on 3 complete gene sequences of mpox virus indicated that the strains belonged to West African type Ⅱb clade, B.1.3 lineage. Conclusions:Hidden transmission of mpox virus had occurred in MSM in Guangzhou. However, the size of affected population is relatively limited, and the possibility of wide spread of the virus is low.

Objective:To study the efficacy of endoscopic papillary balloon dilatation (EPBD) in the treatment of non-dilated small choledocholithiasis.Methods:Clinical data of 142 patients with non-dilated small choledocholithiasis admitted to Zhanjiang Central People's Hospital from April 2021 to March 2023 were retrospectively analyzed, including 63 males and 79 females, aged (55.1±15.4) years old. Patients were divided into the EPBD group ( n=63) and endoscopic sphincterotomy (EST) group ( n=79). Blood amylase, liver enzymology, liver metabolism, and blood routine were monitored before and 48 hours after treatment. The occurrences of intraoperative bleeding, perforation, post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP), and cholangitis were compared between the groups. Patients were followed up and screened for stone recurrence by outpatient review 3 to 12 months from discharge. Results:Compared to preoperative data, the white blood cell count, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, total bili-rubin, and direct bilirubin decreased 48 hours after treatment (all P<0.05). The operation time in EPBD group was slightly longer than that in EST group [(43.1±5.9) min vs. (38.5±4.5) min, P=0.064] without statistical significance. There were no case of perforation in both groups. The incidences of intraopera-tive bleeding [3.17%(2/63) vs. 6.33%(5/79)], PEP [17.46%(11/63) vs. 10.53%(8/79)], and postoperative cholangitis [4.76%(3/63) vs. 1.27%(1/79)] were comparable between the groups (all P>0.05). Conclusion:EPBD could be feasible for non-dilated small choledocholithiasis, which does not increase the operation time and incidence of adverse events compared to EST.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths and the fifth most common cancer worldwide. Clinically therapeutic options for HCC are very limited, and the overall survival rate of patients is very low. Therefore, early diagnosis and treatment of HCC have important impact on overall survival of patients. At present, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is one of the most widely used serological markers for HCC. Many evidences have shown that as a specific onco-protein, AFP has great research value in the occurrence, development, diagnosis and treatment of HCC. Here, we briefly introduce the molecular mechanism of AFP in the regulation of HCC occurrence and development, and its role in tumor escape from immune surveillance. We focus on the application of AFP as an important HCC target or carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA) in HCC clinical diagnosis and treatment.
Biomarkers, Tumor/genetics* ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/therapy* ; Early Detection of Cancer ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms/therapy* ; alpha-Fetoproteins