OBJECTIVES: To elucidate the molecular mechanism by which villin-like protein VILL (VILL) inhibits proliferation of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells. METHODS: Co-immunoprecipitation (CO-IP) assay, mass spectrometry, Western blotting, immunofluorescence staining, and GST pull-down assay were employed to identify and confirm the protein interacting with VILL that had the highest abundance in NPC cell lines. Transgenic experiments were conducted in both NPC cell lines and nude mice to validate the regulatory role of VILL and its target protein in NPC proliferation. Immunohistochemistry was utilized to assess the correlation of the expression levels of VILL and its target protein in clinical tissue specimens of NPC with the clinical features of the patients. RESULTS: In NPC cell lines (HONE1 EBV and S18), VILL was found to interact most abundantly with the E3 ubiquitin ligase LMO7, and both proteins co-localized in the cytoplasm with direct interactions. Overexpression of LMO7 partially counteracted the inhibitory effect of VILL on NPC cell proliferation. The expression of VILL was significantly downregulated in 136 NPC tissue samples compared to 67 non-cancerous nasopharyngeal tissues (P<0.00001) with close correlation with clinical T stage (P=0.04), N stage (P=0.01), and M stage (P=0.013), whereas LMO7 was highly expressed in all the NPC tissues. CONCLUSIONS VILL overexpression inhibits NPC proliferation probably by suppressing the oncogenic function of LMO7.
Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Humans ; LIM Domain Proteins/metabolism* ; Cell Proliferation ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Animals ; Mice ; Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma ; Mice, Nude ; Transcription Factors/metabolism* ; Carcinoma ; Female ; Microfilament Proteins/genetics* ; Male ; Middle Aged

Stroke, a major cerebrovascular disease, has high morbidity and mortality. Effective methods to reduce the risk and improve the prognosis are lacking. Currently, uric acid (UA) is associated with the pathological mechanism, prognosis, and therapy of stroke. UA plays pro/anti-oxidative and pro-inflammatory roles in vivo. The specific role of UA in stroke, which may have both neuroprotective and damaging effects, remains unclear. There is a U-shaped association between serum uric acid (SUA) levels and ischemic stroke (IS). UA therapy provides neuroprotection during reperfusion therapy for acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Urate-lowering therapy (ULT) plays a protective role in IS with hyperuricemia or gout. SUA levels are associated with the cerebrovascular injury mechanism, risk, and outcomes of hemorrhagic stroke. In this review, we summarize the current research on the role of UA in stroke, providing potential targets for its prediction and treatment.
Humans ; Uric Acid/metabolism* ; Stroke/drug therapy* ; Animals ; Hyperuricemia/drug therapy* ; Ischemic Stroke/blood* ; Biomarkers/blood*

BACKGROUND: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a prevalent type of cancer with a high mortality rate in its late stages. One of the major challenges in OSCC treatment is the resistance to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors. Therefore, it is imperative to elucidate the mechanism underlying drug resistance and develop appropriate precision therapy strategies to enhance clinical efficacy. METHODS: To evaluate the efficacy of the combination of the Ca 2+ /calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CAMK2) inhibitor KN93 and EGFR inhibitors, we performed in vitro and in vivo experiments using two FAT atypical cadherin 1 ( FAT1 )-deficient (SCC9 and SCC25) and two FAT1 wild-type (SCC47 and HN12) OSCC cell lines. We assessed the effects of EGFR inhibitors (afatinib or cetuximab), KN93, or their combination on the malignant phenotype of OSCC in vivo and in vitro . The alterations in protein expression levels of members of the EGFR signaling pathway and SRY-box transcription factor 2 (SOX2) were analyzed. Changes in the yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1) protein were characterized. Moreover, we analyzed mitochondrial dysfunction. Besides, the effects of combination therapy on mitochondrial dynamics were also evaluated. RESULTS: OSCC with FAT1 mutations exhibited resistance to EGFR inhibitors treatment. The combination of KN93 and EGFR inhibitors significantly inhibited the proliferation, survival, and migration of FAT1 -mutated OSCC cells and suppressed tumor growth in vivo . Mechanistically, combination therapy enhanced the therapeutic sensitivity of FAT1 -mutated OSCC cells to EGFR inhibitors by modulating the EGFR pathway and downregulated tumor stemness-related proteins. Furthermore, combination therapy induced reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction and disrupted mitochondrial dynamics, ultimately resulting in tumor suppression. CONCLUSION Combination therapy with EGFR inhibitors and KN93 could be a novel precision therapeutic strategy and a potential clinical solution for EGFR-resistant OSCC patients with FAT1 mutations.
Humans ; ErbB Receptors/metabolism* ; Mouth Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Animals ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm/genetics* ; Cadherins/metabolism* ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/metabolism* ; Mice ; Mutation/genetics* ; Mice, Nude ; Protein Kinase Inhibitors/therapeutic use* ; Cetuximab/pharmacology* ; Afatinib/therapeutic use* ; Cell Proliferation/drug effects* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects*

Objective:To evaluate the effects of different volumes of ropivacaine for iliopsoas muscle plane block on quadriceps strength in patients undergoing hip arthroplasty.Methods:In this prospective study, 75 patients of either sex, aged 40-80 yr, with a body mass index of 18.5-30.0 kg/m 2, of American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status classification Ⅰ-Ⅲ, undergoing elective hip arthroplasty from June to December 2023 at Baoding First Central Hospital, were randomized into 3 groups ( n=25 each) by using a computer-generated randomization sequence: ropivacaine 5 ml group (group Ⅰ), ropivacaine 10 ml group (group Ⅱ), and ropivacaine 15 ml group (group Ⅲ). Before induction of anesthesia, iliopsoas muscle plane block was performed with 0.5% ropivacaine 5, 10 and 15 ml in Ⅰ, Ⅱ and Ⅲ groups, respectively. The lateral femoral cutaneous nerve block was carried out using 0.5% ropivacaine 5 ml in all the three groups. The quadriceps muscle strength and status of quadriceps motor block in the affected limb were assessed on admission to postanesthesia care unit (PACU) and at 2, 4, 6, 24 and 48 h after surgery. The consumption of dezocine, score for patient′s satisfaction with analgesia, and occurrence of complications were recorded. Results:Compared with group Ⅰ, the quadriceps muscle strength scores were significantly decreased on admission to PACU and at 2, 4 and 6 h postoperatively in group Ⅲ, the rate of quadriceps motor block was significantly increased on admission to PACU in group Ⅱ, and the rate of quadriceps motor block was significantly increased on admission to PACU and at 2 and 4 h postoperatively in group Ⅲ ( P<0.05), and the consumption of dezocine was significantly decreased in group Ⅱ and group Ⅲ ( P<0.05). Conclusions:The recommended volume of ropivacaine for iliopsoas plane block is 10 ml in patients undergoing hip arthroplasty.

Objective:To evaluate the effects of different volumes of ropivacaine for iliopsoas muscle plane block on quadriceps strength in patients undergoing hip arthroplasty.Methods:In this prospective study, 75 patients of either sex, aged 40-80 yr, with a body mass index of 18.5-30.0 kg/m 2, of American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status classification Ⅰ-Ⅲ, undergoing elective hip arthroplasty from June to December 2023 at Baoding First Central Hospital, were randomized into 3 groups ( n=25 each) by using a computer-generated randomization sequence: ropivacaine 5 ml group (group Ⅰ), ropivacaine 10 ml group (group Ⅱ), and ropivacaine 15 ml group (group Ⅲ). Before induction of anesthesia, iliopsoas muscle plane block was performed with 0.5% ropivacaine 5, 10 and 15 ml in Ⅰ, Ⅱ and Ⅲ groups, respectively. The lateral femoral cutaneous nerve block was carried out using 0.5% ropivacaine 5 ml in all the three groups. The quadriceps muscle strength and status of quadriceps motor block in the affected limb were assessed on admission to postanesthesia care unit (PACU) and at 2, 4, 6, 24 and 48 h after surgery. The consumption of dezocine, score for patient′s satisfaction with analgesia, and occurrence of complications were recorded. Results:Compared with group Ⅰ, the quadriceps muscle strength scores were significantly decreased on admission to PACU and at 2, 4 and 6 h postoperatively in group Ⅲ, the rate of quadriceps motor block was significantly increased on admission to PACU in group Ⅱ, and the rate of quadriceps motor block was significantly increased on admission to PACU and at 2 and 4 h postoperatively in group Ⅲ ( P<0.05), and the consumption of dezocine was significantly decreased in group Ⅱ and group Ⅲ ( P<0.05). Conclusions:The recommended volume of ropivacaine for iliopsoas plane block is 10 ml in patients undergoing hip arthroplasty.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and prognostic factors of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) in patients with secondary acute myeloid leukemia (sAML) .Methods:In this multicenter, retrospective clinical study, adult patients aged ≥18 years who underwent allo-HSCT for sAML at four centers of the Zhejiang Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Collaborative Group from January 2014 to November 2022 were included, and the efficacy and prognostic factors of allo-HSCT were analyzed.Results:A total of 95 patients were enrolled; 66 (69.5%) had myelodysplastic syndrome-acute myeloid leukemia (MDS-AML) , 4 (4.2%) had MDS/MPN-AML, and 25 (26.3%) had therapy-related AML (tAML) . The 3-year CIR, LFS, and overall survival (OS) rates were 18.6% (95% CI 10.2%-27.0%) , 70.6% (95% CI 60.8%-80.4%) , and 73.3% (95% CI 63.9%-82.7%) , respectively. The 3-year CIRs of the M-AML group (including MDS-AML and MDS/MPN-AML) and the tAML group were 20.0% and 16.4%, respectively ( P=0.430) . The 3-year LFSs were 68.3% and 75.4%, respectively ( P=0.176) . The 3-year OS rates were 69.7% and 75.4%, respectively ( P=0.233) . The 3-year CIRs of the groups with and without TP53 mutations were 60.0% and 13.7%, respectively ( P=0.003) ; the 3-year LFSs were 20.0% and 76.5%, respectively ( P=0.002) ; and the 3-year OS rates were 40.0% and 77.6%, respectively ( P=0.002) . According to European LeukmiaNet 2022 (ELN2022) risk stratification, the 3-year CIRs of patients in the low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups were 8.3%, 17.8%, and 22.6%, respectively ( P=0.639) . The three-year LFSs were 91.7%, 69.5%, and 65.6%, respectively ( P=0.268) . The 3-year OS rates were 91.7%, 71.4%, and 70.1%, respectively ( P=0.314) . Multivariate analysis revealed that advanced disease at allo-HSCT and TP53 mutations were independent risk factors for CIR, LFS, and OS. Conclusion:There was no significant difference in the prognosis of patients who underwent allo-HSCT among the MDS-AML, MDS/MPN-AML, and tAML groups. Advanced disease at transplantation and TP53 mutations were poor prognostic factors. ELN2022 risk stratification had limited value for predicting the prognosis of patients with sAML following allo-HSCT.

Objective:To establish a method of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry(ICP-MS)for the simultaneous determination of 24 elemental impurities in dizocine injection in accordance with the relevant regula-tions of ICH Q3D.Methods:ICP-MS method was adopted to analyze the sample solutions after being diluted and then corrected by spiking indium and bismuth as internal standards,the plasma output power was set at 1 550 W,the sampling depth was set at 5 mm,the maximum load volume was set at 1.038 L·min-1,the cooling gas was set at 14 L·min-1,the auxiliary gas was 0.8 L·min-1,the peristaltic pump speed was 40 r·min-1,the injection system was hydrofluoric acid resistant system,the sampling cone and the pattern of the intercept cone were nickel cone and the sampling mode was manual and repeated 3 times.Results:All 24 elements were linear(all r were more than 0.99),the average recoveries were between 80.46％and 102.95％,the repeatability were less than 10.88％,and the intermediate precision were not more than 6.49％.The results of 24 elemental impurities in 3 different batches of dizocine injection met requirements of ICH Q3D.Conclusion:The ICP-MS method is conven-ient,rapid,sensitive and accurate,and can be used to detect the concentrations of 24 metal elements in dizocine injection,which may provide a basis for more strict quality management of the injection.

Objective:To investigate the associated factors of depressive symptoms among patients with neo-plasms.Methods:Nationwide(excluding Hong Kong,Macao,and Taiwan),30 505 residents were selected by a combination of stratified sampling and quota sampling according to the proportion of the seventh national population census.Patient Health Questionnaire-9(PHQ-9),General Anxiety Disorder-7(GAD-7),self-made questionnaire,and simplified perceived social support scale used to evaluate depressive symptoms,anxiety symptoms,behaviors,and perceived social support among patients with neoplasms.Results:Totally 359(1.2％)patients with self-repor-ted clinically diagnosed neoplasms were included,of which 151(42.1％)patients with malignant neoplasms and 208(57.9％)patients with benign neoplasms.The detection rate of depressive symptoms in patients with neo-plasms was 76.6％.Less than three days of walking for more than 10 minutes per day in the past week(OR=6.63),4-6 days of walking for more than 10 minutes per day in the past week(OR=5.00),the low(OR=4.80)or medium(OR=3.06)overall sleep quality,the lower perceived friend support(OR=4.66),and anxiety symp-toms(OR=1.74)among patients with neoplasms were risk factors for depressive symptoms.Conclusion:Patients with neoplasms generally might be at a high risk of depressive symptoms,especially for those patients with less ex-ercise,poor sleep quality,and low perceived social support.

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.

Objective:To explore the value of Chinese Group on the Study of Severe Hepatitis B-acute-on-chronic live failure (COSSH-ACLF Ⅱ) score combined with serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in predicting the prognosis of hepatitis B virus-associated acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF) patients treated with artificial liver therapy.Methods:A total of 174 HBV-ACLF patients who underwent initial artificial liver therapy admitted to the Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, from March 2023 to April 2024 were enrolled. The model for end-stage liver disease (MELD), MELD combined with serum sodium (MELD-Na), MELD 3.0, and COSSH-ACLF Ⅱ scores were calculated. The 174 patients were divided into a training set and a validation set at a 7∶3 ratio. Based on follow-up survival outcomes, the patients in the training and validation sets were classified into survival and non-survivor groups. Laboratory tests, serum AFP levels, and various model scores were compared between the two groups. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify prognostic factors in HBV-ACLF patients, and a nomogram model was constructed. The predictive value of COSSH-ACLF Ⅱ score combined with serum AFP levels for follow-up deadline (June 14, 2024) prognosis and survival outcomes at 30, 60, and 90 days post-artificial liver therapy in HBV-ACLF patients was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Statistical comparisons were performed using the independent sample t test and Mann-Whitney U test. Results:Among the 174 HBV-ACLF patients, 122 were in the training set (80 survivors, 42 non-survivors) and 52 were in the validation set (17 survivors, 35 non-survivors). In the training set, age, neutrophil count, urea, MELD score, MELD-Na score, MELD 3.0 score, COSSH-ACLF Ⅱ score, and AFP levels in the non-survivor group were significantly higher than those in the survivor group ( t=2.82, Z=-3.27, Z=-2.65, t=2.16, t=2.60, t=2.33, t=4.56 and Z=-4.71, respectively, all P<0.05). In the validation set, albumin, COSSH-ACLF Ⅱ score, and AFP levels in the non-survivor group were significantly higher than those in the survivor group ( Z=-2.20, t=2.78 and Z=-2.55, respectively, all P<0.05). Serum AFP (odds ratio ( OR)=1.005, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.001 to 1.008, P=0.010) and COSSH-ACLF Ⅱ score ( OR=2.140, 95% CI 1.410 to 3.240, P<0.001) were independent risk factors for the prognosis of HBV-ACLF patients. A nomogram predicting the prognosis of HBV-ACLF patients was constructed using serum AFP and the COSSH-ACLF Ⅱ score, with a C-index of 0.816 and a well-fitted calibration curve. In the training set, the areas under the curve (AUC) for COSSH-ACLF Ⅱ score, serum AFP levels, and their combined prediction of prognosis were 0.737, 0.760 and 0.816, respectively, and the AUCs for COSSH-ACLF Ⅱ score combined with serum AFP were 0.805, 0.797 and 0.739, respectively, for predicting the prognosis at 30, 60, and 90 days post-artificial liver therapy. In the validation set, the AUCs for COSSH-ACLF Ⅱ score, serum AFP levels, and their combined prediction of prognosis were 0.701, 0.720 and 0.785, respectively, and the AUCs for COSSH-ACLF Ⅱ score combined with serum AFP were 0.729, 0.684 and 0.624, respectively, for predicting prognosis at 30, 60, and 90 days post-artificial liver therapy. Conclusions:Serum AFP and the COSSH-ACLF Ⅱ score are independent risk factors for the prognosis of HBV-ACLF patients. Patients with poor prognosis may have higher COSSH-ACLF Ⅱ scores and serum AFP levels, and the combination of COSSH-ACLF Ⅱ score with serum AFP levels can improve the accuracy of predicting short-term prognosis in these patients.