This study was aimed at preliminarily investigating the molecular biological functions of the PPE65 protein from Myco-bacterium tuberculosis,and providing foundational data for tuberculosis prevention and control.The basic biological properties of the PPE65 gene-encoded protein were predicted with bioinformatics tools.Sequence information for the Mycobacterium tuberculosis Rv3621c gene and PPE65 protein was retrieved from the NCBI database.The Rv3621c gene was amplified through PCR with the H37Rv genome as a template,then cloned into the pET22b(+)expression vector.The recombinant pET22b(+)-PPE65 plasmid was transformed into Escherichia coli BL21(DE3)competent cells for IPTG-induced expression.Solubility analysis,purification,and identification of the recombinant PPE65 protein were performed.BEAS-2B cells were treated with various concentrations of PPE65 protein for 24 h,and cell proliferation was assessed with CCK-8 assays.PPE65 was found to be composed of 413 amino acids and to have a molecular formula of C????H????N???O???S??,a relative molecular mass of 40 679.88,a theoretical isoelectric point of 4.60,an ali-phatic index of 81.94,and an average hydrophilicity value of 0.319,thus indicating a stable hydrophobic protein lacking signal pep-tides or transmembrane domains.Secondary structure analysis revealed 53.03%α-helix(Hh),2.66%β-sheet(Ee),and 44.31%ran-dom coil(Cc).Bioinformatics predictions identified 38 B-cell epitopes and 22 CTL/Th-cell epitopes.The full-length PPE65 gene(1 308 bp)was confirmed through double restriction enzyme digestion and sequencing,thereby validating the correct construction of the pET22b(+)-PPE65 recombinant plasmid.SDS-PAGE analysis demonstrated that the recombinant protein was found in inclusion bodies,and a single band at 43.7 kDa was observed after purification.Western blotting revealed specific binding to mouse-derived His monoclonal antibodies,thereby confirming successful expression of the PPE65 protein.BEAS-2B cells treated with a PPE65 protein concentration gradient(2.5-20 μg/mL)exhibited a dose-dependent increase in cell number.Compared with those in the PBS control group,TGF-β relative expression levels were significantly higher in all treatment groups(t2.5=4.893,P<0.001,t5.0=4.640,P<0.05,t10=7.535,P<0.05,t20=16.44,P<0.000 1).This study elucidated the structural characteristics of the PPE65 protein,successfully obtained the recombinant protein through prokaryotic expression and purification,and demonstrated its ability to promote BEAS-2B cell proliferation.The underlying mechanism might involve suppression of TGF-β/S mad signaling pathway activation.These findings provide a theoretical basis for understanding the role and regulatory mechanisms of PPE65 during M.tuberculosis infection.

This paper reported a case of simultaneous twin pregnancy and successful delivery in each horn of uterus didelphys. The patient had a history of adverse pregnancies and was diagnosed with a uterus didelphys with double cervix through hysteroscopy, although the uterine cavity morphology was normal. This pregnancy was conceived naturally, with the last menstrual period on December 21, 2023. The patient underwent regular prenatal check-ups at Xi'an People's Hospital (Xi'an Fourth Hospital). Early pregnancy ultrasound confirmed simultaneous twin pregnancy in each horn of uterus didelphys. Multiple ultrasounds showed no fetal growth restriction or other abnormalities. At 37 weeks of gestation, the patient experienced chest tightness and shortness of breath due to polyhydramnios, and one fetus was in the cephalic position while the other was in the breech position, posing a high risk for vaginal delivery. Therefore, an elective cesarean section was performed at 37 weeks and one day of gestation, delivering a male infant weighing 3 260 g and a female infant weighing 2 400 g. The 1-,5-, and 10-minute Apgar scores were all 10 points, with favorable maternal and neonatal outcomes.

Alpha-fetoprotein-producing carcinoma(AFPC)is a rare and highly aggressive tumor that may arise in various organs,including the gastrointestinal tract,pancreas,ovary,lung,gallbladder,uterus,and urological system.To date,most clinical studies have focused on gastric AFPC,which was characterized by deep invasion and high rate of lymph node and liver metastasis.In contrast,only a few studies have investigated colorectal AFPC,and these findings suggested that colorectal AFPC exhibits distinct clinicopathological features compared with conventional colorectal carci-noma.This review summarized the clinicopathological characteristics and recent research progress of colorectal AFPC,with the aim of improving the recognition and understanding of this entity among clinicians or pathologists.

This study was aimed at preliminarily investigating the molecular biological functions of the PPE65 protein from Myco-bacterium tuberculosis,and providing foundational data for tuberculosis prevention and control.The basic biological properties of the PPE65 gene-encoded protein were predicted with bioinformatics tools.Sequence information for the Mycobacterium tuberculosis Rv3621c gene and PPE65 protein was retrieved from the NCBI database.The Rv3621c gene was amplified through PCR with the H37Rv genome as a template,then cloned into the pET22b(+)expression vector.The recombinant pET22b(+)-PPE65 plasmid was transformed into Escherichia coli BL21(DE3)competent cells for IPTG-induced expression.Solubility analysis,purification,and identification of the recombinant PPE65 protein were performed.BEAS-2B cells were treated with various concentrations of PPE65 protein for 24 h,and cell proliferation was assessed with CCK-8 assays.PPE65 was found to be composed of 413 amino acids and to have a molecular formula of C????H????N???O???S??,a relative molecular mass of 40 679.88,a theoretical isoelectric point of 4.60,an ali-phatic index of 81.94,and an average hydrophilicity value of 0.319,thus indicating a stable hydrophobic protein lacking signal pep-tides or transmembrane domains.Secondary structure analysis revealed 53.03%α-helix(Hh),2.66%β-sheet(Ee),and 44.31%ran-dom coil(Cc).Bioinformatics predictions identified 38 B-cell epitopes and 22 CTL/Th-cell epitopes.The full-length PPE65 gene(1 308 bp)was confirmed through double restriction enzyme digestion and sequencing,thereby validating the correct construction of the pET22b(+)-PPE65 recombinant plasmid.SDS-PAGE analysis demonstrated that the recombinant protein was found in inclusion bodies,and a single band at 43.7 kDa was observed after purification.Western blotting revealed specific binding to mouse-derived His monoclonal antibodies,thereby confirming successful expression of the PPE65 protein.BEAS-2B cells treated with a PPE65 protein concentration gradient(2.5-20 μg/mL)exhibited a dose-dependent increase in cell number.Compared with those in the PBS control group,TGF-β relative expression levels were significantly higher in all treatment groups(t2.5=4.893,P<0.001,t5.0=4.640,P<0.05,t10=7.535,P<0.05,t20=16.44,P<0.000 1).This study elucidated the structural characteristics of the PPE65 protein,successfully obtained the recombinant protein through prokaryotic expression and purification,and demonstrated its ability to promote BEAS-2B cell proliferation.The underlying mechanism might involve suppression of TGF-β/S mad signaling pathway activation.These findings provide a theoretical basis for understanding the role and regulatory mechanisms of PPE65 during M.tuberculosis infection.

Alpha-fetoprotein-producing carcinoma(AFPC)is a rare and highly aggressive tumor that may arise in various organs,including the gastrointestinal tract,pancreas,ovary,lung,gallbladder,uterus,and urological system.To date,most clinical studies have focused on gastric AFPC,which was characterized by deep invasion and high rate of lymph node and liver metastasis.In contrast,only a few studies have investigated colorectal AFPC,and these findings suggested that colorectal AFPC exhibits distinct clinicopathological features compared with conventional colorectal carci-noma.This review summarized the clinicopathological characteristics and recent research progress of colorectal AFPC,with the aim of improving the recognition and understanding of this entity among clinicians or pathologists.

Objective:To investigate the longitudinal patterns and influencing factors of platelet counts among healthy adults in Sichuan Province from 2010 to 2021, and to inform the establishment of region-specific reference intervals for platelet counts.Methods:This study is a retrospective study. A total of 7 808 healthy adults who underwent annual physical examinations at West China Hospital, Sichuan University, between January 2010 and December 2021 were included. All participants were permanent Chengdu residents and completed consecutive complete blood count tests. Group-based trajectory modeling (GBTM) was used to identify distinct trajectories of platelet count over the ten-year period. One-way analyses were then conducted to compare baseline demographic characteristics (sex and age) among the different trajectory groups.Results:Among 7 808 participants, 4 589 (58.8%) were male and 3 219 (41.2%) were female. Four platelet count trajectories were identified by GBTM: steadily increasing group [27.4% (2 139/7 808)], early increase-plateau group [44.1% (3 445/7 808)], early decrease-subsequent increase group [5.4% (422/7 808)], and steadily decreasing group [23.1% (1 802/7 808)], with an average growth rate of 3.3%, 1.6%, 0.7%, and -0.6%, respectively. There were statistically significant differences in both sex and age distributions among the four trajectory groups. Sex-distribution differed significantly across the four trajectory groups ( χ2=73.3, P<0.001). The male proportions in the four trajectory groups were 59.6% (1 275/2 139), 62.8% (2 165/3 445), 48.1% (203/422), and 52.5% (946/1 802), respectively. The baseline ages were 45 (36, 55), 43 (35, 53), 50 (40, 60), and 47 (39, 58) years, respectively (H=121.0, P<0.001). Conclusions:Healthy adults in Sichuan Province exhibit four longitudinal trajectories of platelet counts: steadily increasing, early increase-plateau, early decrease-subsequent increase, and steadily decreasing. The two trajectories characterized by rising platelet counts (steadily increasing group and early increase-plateau group) exhibited higher male predominance and lower median ages, whereas the early decrease-subsequent increase group and the steadily decreasing group exhibited lower male proportions and higher median ages. Therefore, while establishing reference intervals and developing health management strategies for platelet counts, it is essential to account for the sex, age characteristics and the population′s dynamic changes.

Perineural invasion (PNI) by tumor cells is a key phenotype of highly-invasive oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Since Schwann cells (SCs) and fibroblasts maintain the physiological homeostasis of the peripheral nervous system, and we have focused on cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) for decades, it's imperative to elucidate the impact of CAFs on SCs in PNI⁺ OSCCs. We describe a disease progression-driven shift of PNI^- towards PNI⁺ during the progression of early-stage OSCC (31%, n = 125) to late-stage OSCC (53%, n = 97), characterized by abundant CAFs and nerve demyelination. CAFs inhibited SC proliferation/migration and reduced neurotrophic factors and myelin in vitro, and this involved up-regulated ER stress and decreased MAPK signals. Moreover, CAFs also aggravated the paralysis of the hind limb and PNI in vivo. Unexpectedly, leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) was exclusively expressed on CAFs and up-regulated in metastatic OSCC. The LIF inhibitor EC330 restored CAF-induced SC inactivation. Thus, OSCC-derived CAFs inactivate SCs to aggravate nerve injury and PNI development.
Schwann Cells/metabolism* ; Mouth Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Humans ; Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts/metabolism* ; Animals ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/metabolism* ; Neoplasm Invasiveness/pathology* ; Male ; Female ; Mice ; Cell Movement/physiology* ; Cell Proliferation/physiology* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Leukemia Inhibitory Factor/metabolism* ; Middle Aged

Objective To investigate the effects of circular RNA APLP2(circAPLP2)on the proliferation,migra-tion,and invasion of human colorectal cancer(CRC)cell lines by regulating microRNA-455-3p(miR-455-3p)/Stathmin1(STMN1)axis.Methods RT-qPCR was used to detect the expression of circAPLP2,miR-455-3p and STMN1 in CRC and normal colorectal cell lines and the optimal cell line was screened.Proliferation,migra-tion and invasion were detected by MTT assay,scratch assay and Transwell assay,respectively.The relationship between circAPLP2 and miR-455-3p,between miR-455-3p and STMN1 was confirmed by dual Lucifer's reporter gene assay.Results CircAPLP2 and STMN1 were highly expressed in CRC cells,miR-455-3p showed a low ex-pression.Knocking down circAPLP2 resulted in a decrease in rate of survival and of scratch healing rate and in-vasion of SW620 cells,An up regulation of miR-455-3p expression,a down regulation of STMN1,cyclin D1,N-cadherin protein expression and an up regulation of E-cadherin protein expression were also found(P<0.05).Inhibition of miR-455-3p expression reversed inhibitory effect of knocking down circAPLP2 on SW620 cell prolif-eration,migration,and invasion,up-regulated the STMN1,cyclin D1 and N-cadherin protein expression,and down-regulation of E-cadherin protein expression(P<0.05).Dual luciferase reporter gene assay showed that circAPLP2 targeted at negative regulation of miR-455-3p expression,while miR-455-3p targeted at negative reg-ulation of STMN1 expression.Nude mouse transplantation experiment found that knocking down circAPLP2 affect-ed the growth of transplanted tumors,while miR-455-3p expression was up-regulated and STMN1 expression was down-regulated(P<0.05).Conclusions CircAPLP2 inhibits the proliferation,migration and invasion of colorectal cancer cell lines by regulating the miR-455-3p/STMN1 axis.

Mitochondrial dysfunction is a critical factor in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The mitochondrial contact site and cristae organizing system (MICOS) plays a pivotal role in shaping the inner mitochondrial membrane, forming cristae junctions and establishing interaction sites between the inner and outer mitochondrial membranes and thereby serving as a cornerstone of mitochondrial structure and function. In the past decade, MICOS abnormalities have been extensively linked to AD pathogenesis. In particular, dysregulated expression of MICOS subunits and mutations in MICOS-related genes have been identified in AD, often in association with hallmark pathological features such as amyloid-β plaque accumulation, neurofibrillary tangle formation, and neuronal apoptosis. Furthermore, MICOS subunits interact with several etiologically relevant proteins, significantly influencing AD progression. The intricate crosstalk between these proteins and MICOS subunits underscores the relevance of MICOS dysfunction in AD. Therapeutic strategies targeting MICOS subunits or their interacting proteins may offer novel approaches for AD treatment. In the present review, we introduce current understanding of MICOS structures and functions, highlight MICOS pathogenesis in AD, and summarize the available MICOS-targeting drugs potentially useful for AD.

Acute liver failure (ALF) is a life-threatening condition associated with macrophage-mediated inflammatory responses. Effective therapies and drugs are still lacking to date. Here, we reveal that a derivative of xanthohumol, CAM12203, alleviates lipopolysaccharide (LPS) + d-galactosamine (D-GalN)-induced ALF through limiting macrophage-mediated inflammation, with the most significant impact on interleukin-1β (IL-1β) transcription. Through biotin labeling-mediated pull-down and LC-MS/MS analysis, diacylglycerol kinase ζ (DGKζ), a lipid-metabolizing kinase, is identified as the direct target of CAM12203. Mechanistically, DGKζ is induced in macrophages upon inflammatory stimuli and is upregulated observed on clinical liver failure samples. Its product phosphatidic acid (PA) boosts phospholipase C (PLC)-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP₃)-Ca²⁺ signaling and subsequent janus kinase 2 (JAK2)-signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) cascade, ultimately promoting IL-1β production and liver failure. DGKζ knockdown/ablation or inhibition significantly impairs the DGKζ-STAT3-IL-1β pathway along with ALF progression. Finally, CAM12203 is confirmed to be a new DGKζ inhibitor and acts against inflammation in a DGKζ-reliant manner. Taken together, CAM12203 inhibits IL-1β transcription in macrophages by binding to DGKζ and blocking the DGKζ-STAT3 axis, thereby exerting an ameliorative effect on ALF. These results not only highlight CAM12203 as a promising lead compound for ALF treatment, but also define DGKζ as a novel therapeutic target.