Objective:To explore the risk factors of microvascular invasion (MVI) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and to predict MVI preoperatively, non-invasively and accurately.Methods:A total of 150 HCC patients (183 HCC lesions) were retrospectively collected in the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi′an Jiaotong University from January 2016 to June 2022.The clinical data and hematological data, gray-scale ultrasonography (US), contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS), enhanced magnetic resonance imaging with gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (EOB-MRI) and pathological data of these patients were recorded. According to the pathological diagnosis of MVI, the lesions were divided into MVI (+ ) group and MVI (-) group. The indicators between the two groups were compared. All 183 lesions were put into the training set, and the prediction model with nomogram was constructed according to the risk factors of MVI selected by multivariate Logistic regression. The internal verification was carried out by ten-fold cross-validation method.Results:There were significant statistical differences in the following parameters between MVI (+ ) group ( n=109) and MVI (-) group ( n=74) (all P<0.05). These were cirrhosis, serological parameters (alpha-fetoprotein, albumin, total bilirubin), qualitative indexes of US (size, boundary, internal echo), qualitative indexes of CEUS (hyper/iso/hypovascularity of lesions in arterial phase, portal phase, and delayed phase compared with hepatic parenchyma), and quantitative indexes of EOB-MRI [post enhancement rate (post ratio) and gadolinium disodium rate (EOB ratio)] calculated mainly in terms of lesions and surrounding liver parenchyma in hepatobiliary phase and unenhanced T1 images). Finally, cirrhosis of patients, the size, boundary, internal echo of lesions in US; arterial phase (AP), portal phase (PP), post-vascular phase (PVP) features in CEUS; the EOB rate and post rate of EOB-MRI entered the prediction model of MVI. The training set exhibited good calibration and net gain rate. The areas under the ROC curve for the training set and the validation set were 0.981 and 0.961, respectively, while the diagnostic accuracy were 92.9% and 85.8%, respectively. Conclusions:The model constructed mainly by multimodality imaging methods can achieve favorable predictive performance for MVI, which provides valuable ideas for noninvasively predicting the incidence of MVI and optimizing the MVI-related treatment of MVI in HCC patients.

Objective:To explore the regulatory effects of long non-coding RNA H19(LncRNA H19)on the osteogenic differentia-tion of MC3T3-E1 cells under the stimulation of advanced glycation end products(AGEs).Methods:MC3T3-E1 cells were cultured under the stimulation of 10 μg/mL AGEs.The cells were observed by alkaline phosphatase(ALP)staining after 7 d and alizarin red staining after 21 d culture respectively.Cell transfection technology was used to overexpress LncRNA H19 in the cells,RT-qPCR was used to detect the mRNA expression levels of ALP,Runx-2,OCN,SP7 before and after transfection of LncRNA H19.Western blotting was used to detect the protein expression of Runx-2 and[3-catenin in the cells.Results:Under the stimulation of AGEs,the ALP stai-ning color of MC3T3-E1 cells became lighter,the formation of calcified nodules was reduced,the mRNA expression levels of ALP,Runx-2,OCN,SP7 and LncRNA H19 were decreased(P＜0.05),and the protein expression level of Runx-2 was decreased.After transfection of LncRNA H19(lv-H19),the mRNA expression of LncRNA H19 was significantly up-regulated(P＜0.05),the mRNA expression of ALP,Runx-2,OCN and SP7 genes was increased(P＜0.05),ALP staining was deeper,and the expression of β-catenin was increased.Conclusion:Under the stimulation of AGEs,LncRNA H19 may affect the osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells by activating the expression of WNT/[3-catenin.

ObjectiveTo explore the role of cucurbitacin B （CuB） in inducing ferroptosis in 4T1 cells and its mechanism. MethodsThe effects of CuB（0.2， 0.4， 0.8 μmol·L^-1）on the proliferation ability of 4T1 cells in vitro were detected using the methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium （MTT） assay. The clonogenic ability of 4T1 cells was detected by the plate cloning assay， and the levels of lactate dehydrogenase （LDH） in 4T1 cells were detected by the use of a kit. The mitochondrial membrane potential and reactive oxygen species （ROS） levels in 4T1 cells were detected by flow cytometry， and the mitochondrial ultrastructure of 4T1 cells was observed by transmission electron microscopy. The western blot was used to detect the expression of ferroptosis-related protein p53 in 4T1 cells， solute carrier family 7 member 11 （SCL7A11）， glutathione peroxidase 4 （GPX4）， long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase 4 （ACSL4）， transferrin receptor protein 1 （TFR1）， and ferritin heavy chain 1 （FTH1）. ResultsCompared with that in the blank group， the survival rate of 4T1 cells in CuB groups was significantly decreased （P<0.05）， and the number of cell clones in CuB groups was significantly reduced （P<0.01）. In addition， compared with that in the blank group， the leakage of LDH in cells in CuB groups was significantly increased （P<0.01）， and the mitochondrial membrane potential of cells in CuB groups decreased significantly （P<0.01）. Cellular ROS levels were significantly elevated in CuB groups （P<0.01）. The mitochondria of cells in CuB groups were obviously wrinkled， and the mitochondrial cristae were reduced or even disappeared. Compared with that in the blank group， the protein expression of p53， ACSL4， and TFR1 were significantly up-regulated in CuB groups （P<0.05）， and that of SLC7A11， GPX4， and FTH1 were significantly down-regulated （P<0.05）. ConclusionCuB may inhibit SLC7A11 and GPX4 expression by up-regulating the expression of p53， which in turn regulates the p53/SLC7A11/GPX4 signaling pathway axis and accelerates the generation of lipid peroxidation substrate by up-regulating the expression of ACSL4. It up-regulates TFR1 expression to promote cellular uptake of Fe³⁺ and down-regulates the expression of FTH1 to reduce the ability of iron storage， resulting in an elevated free Fe²⁺ level. It catalyzes the Fenton reaction， generates excess ROS， imbalances the antioxidant system and iron metabolism， and then induces ferroptosis in 4T1 cells.

ObjectiveTo explore the role of cucurbitacin B （CuB） in inducing ferroptosis in 4T1 cells and its mechanism. MethodsThe effects of CuB（0.2， 0.4， 0.8 μmol·L^-1）on the proliferation ability of 4T1 cells in vitro were detected using the methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium （MTT） assay. The clonogenic ability of 4T1 cells was detected by the plate cloning assay， and the levels of lactate dehydrogenase （LDH） in 4T1 cells were detected by the use of a kit. The mitochondrial membrane potential and reactive oxygen species （ROS） levels in 4T1 cells were detected by flow cytometry， and the mitochondrial ultrastructure of 4T1 cells was observed by transmission electron microscopy. The western blot was used to detect the expression of ferroptosis-related protein p53 in 4T1 cells， solute carrier family 7 member 11 （SCL7A11）， glutathione peroxidase 4 （GPX4）， long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase 4 （ACSL4）， transferrin receptor protein 1 （TFR1）， and ferritin heavy chain 1 （FTH1）. ResultsCompared with that in the blank group， the survival rate of 4T1 cells in CuB groups was significantly decreased （P<0.05）， and the number of cell clones in CuB groups was significantly reduced （P<0.01）. In addition， compared with that in the blank group， the leakage of LDH in cells in CuB groups was significantly increased （P<0.01）， and the mitochondrial membrane potential of cells in CuB groups decreased significantly （P<0.01）. Cellular ROS levels were significantly elevated in CuB groups （P<0.01）. The mitochondria of cells in CuB groups were obviously wrinkled， and the mitochondrial cristae were reduced or even disappeared. Compared with that in the blank group， the protein expression of p53， ACSL4， and TFR1 were significantly up-regulated in CuB groups （P<0.05）， and that of SLC7A11， GPX4， and FTH1 were significantly down-regulated （P<0.05）. ConclusionCuB may inhibit SLC7A11 and GPX4 expression by up-regulating the expression of p53， which in turn regulates the p53/SLC7A11/GPX4 signaling pathway axis and accelerates the generation of lipid peroxidation substrate by up-regulating the expression of ACSL4. It up-regulates TFR1 expression to promote cellular uptake of Fe³⁺ and down-regulates the expression of FTH1 to reduce the ability of iron storage， resulting in an elevated free Fe²⁺ level. It catalyzes the Fenton reaction， generates excess ROS， imbalances the antioxidant system and iron metabolism， and then induces ferroptosis in 4T1 cells.

ObjectiveTo investigate the induction of ferroptosis by polyphyllin Ⅱ （PPⅡ） in hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells and its underlying mechanism. MethodThe effect of PPⅡ （0， 1.5， 3.0， 4.5， 6.0， 9.0， 18.0 mg·L^-1） on the in vitro proliferation of HepG2 cells was assessed using the methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium （MTT） assay. Colony formation ability of HepG2 cells was evaluated through a colony formation assay. Cell migration ability was assessed via a scratch assay. Lactate dehydrogenase （LDH） content in HepG2 cells was measured using a kit. Reactive oxygen species （ROS） levels in HepG2 cells were observed using a fluorescence inverted microscope. Malondialdehyde （MDA）， glutathione （GSH）， and free Fe²⁺ content in HepG2 cells were detected using respective kits. The mitochondrial ultrastructure in HepG2 cells was observed by transmission electron microscopy. The expression of ferroptosis-related proteins p53， solute carrier family 7 member 11 （SLC7A11）， glutathione peroxidase 4 （GPX4）， long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase 4 （ACSL4）， and transferrin receptor 1 （TFR1） in HepG2 cells was detected using Western blot. ResultCompared with the control group， the PPⅡ treatment groups showed significantly decreased survival rate of HepG2 cells in a dose-dependent manner （P<0.01）， significantly reduced number of cell colonies （P<0.01）， significantly shortened scratch healing distance， inverse correlation of the migration distance with drug concentration （P<0.01）， significantly increased LDH leakage in cells （P<0.01）， significantly enhanced relative fluorescence intensity of intracellular ROS， and significantly increased accumulation of lipid peroxide MDA （P<0.01）， decreased intracellular GSH content with increasing drug concentration （P<0.01）， and significantly enhanced fluorescence intensity of FeRhoNox-1 in cells （P<0.01）. Moreover， cells exhibited vacuolation， and mitochondria showed significant shrinkage with reduced or even disappeared cristae. Compared with the results in the control group， the expression of p53， ACSL4， and TFR1 proteins significantly increased， while the expression of SLC7A11 and GPX4 proteins significantly decreased in the PPⅡ treatment groups （P<0.05）. ConclusionIn summary， PPⅡ induces ferroptosis in HepG2 cells by regulating the p53/SLC7A11/GPX4 signaling axis， promoting ACSL4 expression and Fe³⁺ uptake， leading to an imbalance in the antioxidant system.

Ferroptosis， a new form of programmed cell death different from apoptosis， necrosis， and autophagy， is closely associated with a variety of physiological and pathological processes. Iron-mediated accumulation of reactive oxygen species is the main inducement of ferroptosis， the mechanism of which is related to intracellular lipid metabolism， iron metabolism， and antioxidant defense pathways. Multiple signaling axes and regulators jointly regulate the occurrence and disruption of ferroptosis. Studies have demonstrated that ferroptosis regulates the growth and proliferation of tumor cells. Inducing ferroptosis in tumor cells can control the growth， metastasis， and multi-drug resistance of tumors. Therefore， the effect and mechanism of ferroptosis on tumor cells have become a hot topic in anti-cancer research. As the research advances， a variety of ferroptosis inducers has been used in the clinical chemotherapy for cancers and demonstrate significant efficacy. Accordingly， the development of ferroptosis-inducing anticancer drugs has become a new research direction for tumor treatment. Some active ingredients such as lycorine， oleanolic acid， dihydroartemisinin， pseudolaric acid B， and ophiopogonin B of Chinese medicines can induce ferroptosis in tumor cells via lipid metabolism， iron metabolism， system X_c^-， and GPX4/GSH to regulate the development of tumors， demonstrating a promising prospect in clinical treatment. Based on the theory of the mechanism of ferroptosis， this paper reviews the research progress in ferroptosis induced by active ingredients of Chinese medicines in tumor cells and describes the metabolic regulatory network of ferroptosis from signaling pathways and regulatory factors， providing new strategies for applying active ingredients of Chinese medicines in the treatment of tumors.

Paridis Rhizoma possesses the functions of clearing heat and detoxifying， alleviating swelling and relieving pain， cooling the liver and calming the convulsion. Saponins are the main active components of Paridis Rhizoma. Studies have shown that total saponins in Paridis Rhizoma have obvious inhibitory effect on solid tumors such as breast cancer， lung cancer， gastric cancer， and liver cancer and non-solid tumors such as leukemia. The saponins may exert the anti-tumor effects by inhibiting the proliferation， migration， and invasion of tumor cells， regulating cell cycle， inducing apoptotic and non-apoptotic death pathways， and regulating metabolism and tumor microenvironment. Furthermore， total saponins in Paridis Rhizoma showed anti-inflammatory， antioxidant， antimicrobial， hemostatic， and uterus-contracting activities. At the same time， they may induce apoptosis of normal cells， inflammation and oxidative stress， and metabolic disorders. In recent years， the reports of liver injury， reproductive injury， gastrointestinal injury， hemolysis， and other adverse reactions caused by total saponins in Paridis Rhizoma have been increasing. Pharmacokinetic studies have shown that there are significant differences in the metabolism of total saponins in Paridis Rhizoma administrated in different ways. Injection has a fast clearance rate， while oral administration may have hepatoenteric circulation. Meanwhile， due to the low solubility and activation of P-glycoprotein （P-gp） molecular pump， the prototype absorption， intestinal permeability， and recovery rate of total saponins in Paridis Rhizoma are poor， which affects the bioavailability. The bioavailability can be improved to some extent by preparing new dosage forms or new drug delivery systems with advanced technology. This paper reviews the pharmacological effect， pharmacokinetics， and adverse reactions of Rhizoma Paridis total saponins by searching the China National Knowledge Infrastructure （CNKI）， VIP， and Web of Science with ''Rhizoma Paridis total saponins'' as the keywords， hoping to provide references for the research， development， and clinical application of such components.