In 2023， multiple international societies proposed the concept of metabolic-dysfunction and alcohol-associated liver disease （MetALD） to characterize patients with steatotic liver disease who exhibit metabolic dysfunction and consume alcohol at a moderate level. In recent years， the evidence system in this field has been constantly developed and improved. This article reviews the latest research advances in MetALD from the aspects of background， definition， epidemiological characteristics， natural history， clinical phenotype， diagnostic and assessment methods， and treatment regimens， as well as the directions for future investigation.

Background/Aims: Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a primary malignant neoplasm with an extremely poor prognosis. While combined chemoradiotherapy has been demonstrated to delay CCA progression to a certain extent, the absence of specific molecular biomarkers or targets significantly hinders the diagnosis and treatment of CCA. Methods: Through cross-analysis of proteomics and ADMA modificationomics, we identified DDX1 overexpressed in CCA with elevated R602-ADMA modifications. HPLC-MS/MS identified PRMT1 as the methyltransferase and USP10 as the deubiquitinating enzyme for DDX1. Immunofluorescence and nuclear-cytoplasmic partitioning experiments confirmed DDX1’s nuclear localization. GO and KEGG analyses clarify the biological functions of DDX1 in response to hypoxia. RNA-seq transcriptomics analyzed key pathways influenced by DDX1. A hydrodynamic in situ CCA mouse model was established to validate the chemopreventive effects of the PRMT1-specific inhibitor GSK715 on CCA development. Results: DDX1 promotes CCA progression both in vivo and in vitro and can be inhibited by GSK715. Mechanistically, PRMT1 mediates ADMA modification at position R602 of DDX1. This modification promotes DDX1 nuclear localization by recruiting USP10 to deubiquitinate DDX1, while simultaneously inhibiting PRMT1 degradation. DDX1 promotes the transcription of PRMT1 and USP10 by binding to the mRNA 3’UTR region, establishing a positive feedback regulatory pathway. This mechanism promotes the occurrence and development of CCA and can serve as a target for the inhibitor GSK715 to suppress CCA progression. Conclusions Our study identified DDX1-R602-ADMA modification as a novel ADMA modification in CCA. It further confirmed its pivotal role in CCA progression. Targeting the USP10-PRMT1-DDX1 axis may represent a significant therapeutic approach for CCA.

Constipation,a common functional gastrointestinal disorder,not only severely impairs patients'quality of life but is also highly comorbid with psychiatric conditions such as anxiety and depression.Emerging evidence indicates that gut microbiota dysbiosis is a critical link connecting these two disease states.On one hand,dysbiosis exacerbates constipation by affecting host metabolism and intestinal function;on the other,it plays a central role in the pathophysiology of mood disorders.This complex interaction is primarily mediated through the"microbiota-gut-brain axis."Therefore,elucidating the intrinsic relationship among anxiety,depression,gut microbiota,and constipation has become a frontier of interdisciplinary research.

Objective To investigate the effect and mechanism of action of epigallocatechin-3-gallate(EGCG)in the treatment of experimental metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis(MASH),and to provide a basis for clinical development and application.Methods A total of 32 experimental C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into normal diet group(Con group with 8 mice)and model group with 24 mice.The mice in the model group were given a high-trans fatty acid high-carbohydrate(HFHC)diet for 24 weeks to establish a model of MASH,and at the end of week 24,the mice in the model group were further divided into HFHC group,EGCG treatment group(100 mg·kg-1·d-1),and obeticholic acid treatment group(10 mg·kg-1·d-1),with 8 mice in each group.After 6 weeks of treatment,samples were collected to observe the general conditions of mice;the content of triglycerides(TG)and hydroxyproline in liver tissue and the serum levels of alanine aminotransferase(ALT)and aspartate aminotransferase(AST)were measured;HE staining,oil red O staining,and picrosirius red staining were used to observe liver histopathological changes.In the in vitro experiment,L02 cells were induced with free fatty acid(FFA)to establish a model of lipid deposition,and the cells were divided into Con group,FFA group,and EGCG group.The content of TG in cells was measured,as well as the results of oil red O staining and the relative mRNA expression levels of TNF-α,CCL2,and CXCL10.The transcriptomics technique was used to identify differentially expressed genes between the Con group,the HFHC group,and the EGCG group and perform the GSEA analysis,and pathways with a P-adjust value of<0.05 that were associated with MASH were further classified into metabolism-related pathways and inflammation-related pathways.The specific signaling pathways in each category were ranked based on the degree of enrichment,and key genes in the top three pathways were verified by PCR in vivo.Key genes in the NOD-like receptor signaling pathway were verified by Western blotting.A one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data with homogeneity of variance between multiple groups,and the least significant difference t-test was used for further comparison between two groups.Results Compared with the HFHC group,the EGCG group had significant reductions in the content of TG in liver tissue(P<0.05)and the serum levels of ALT and AST(P<0.05).Oil red O staining showed significant alleviation of hepatocyte fatty degeneration in the EGCG group,HE staining showed that EGCG effectively alleviated inflammation,and picrosirius red staining showed a significant reduction in the number of fibrous tissue after EGCG treatment.There was a significant reduction in the content of hydroxyproline in liver tissue after EGCG intervention(P<0.01).Cell experiments showed that compared with the FFA group,the EGCG group had a significant reduction in the content of TG,and oil red O staining showed the disappearance of lipid droplets in the EGCG group compared with the FFA group,with significant reductions in the relative mRNA expression levels of the inflammatory factors TNF-α,CCL2,and CXCL10(all P<0.01).The transcriptomics analysis identified 230 differentially expressed genes between the HFHC group and the EGCG group,among which there were 108 upregulated genes and 122 downregulated genes.EGCG significantly reduced the levels of the key proteins TLR4,NLRP3,and IL-1β in the NOD-like receptor signaling pathway in liver tissue(all P<0.05).Conclusion EGCG can significantly alleviate lipid deposition,inflammation,and fibrosis in the mouse model of MASH and improve lipid deposition and inflammatory injury in L02 cells,possibly by regulating the NOD-like receptor signaling pathway.

Objective To investigate the effect and mechanism of action of epigallocatechin-3-gallate(EGCG)in the treatment of experimental metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis(MASH),and to provide a basis for clinical development and application.Methods A total of 32 experimental C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into normal diet group(Con group with 8 mice)and model group with 24 mice.The mice in the model group were given a high-trans fatty acid high-carbohydrate(HFHC)diet for 24 weeks to establish a model of MASH,and at the end of week 24,the mice in the model group were further divided into HFHC group,EGCG treatment group(100 mg·kg-1·d-1),and obeticholic acid treatment group(10 mg·kg-1·d-1),with 8 mice in each group.After 6 weeks of treatment,samples were collected to observe the general conditions of mice;the content of triglycerides(TG)and hydroxyproline in liver tissue and the serum levels of alanine aminotransferase(ALT)and aspartate aminotransferase(AST)were measured;HE staining,oil red O staining,and picrosirius red staining were used to observe liver histopathological changes.In the in vitro experiment,L02 cells were induced with free fatty acid(FFA)to establish a model of lipid deposition,and the cells were divided into Con group,FFA group,and EGCG group.The content of TG in cells was measured,as well as the results of oil red O staining and the relative mRNA expression levels of TNF-α,CCL2,and CXCL10.The transcriptomics technique was used to identify differentially expressed genes between the Con group,the HFHC group,and the EGCG group and perform the GSEA analysis,and pathways with a P-adjust value of<0.05 that were associated with MASH were further classified into metabolism-related pathways and inflammation-related pathways.The specific signaling pathways in each category were ranked based on the degree of enrichment,and key genes in the top three pathways were verified by PCR in vivo.Key genes in the NOD-like receptor signaling pathway were verified by Western blotting.A one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data with homogeneity of variance between multiple groups,and the least significant difference t-test was used for further comparison between two groups.Results Compared with the HFHC group,the EGCG group had significant reductions in the content of TG in liver tissue(P<0.05)and the serum levels of ALT and AST(P<0.05).Oil red O staining showed significant alleviation of hepatocyte fatty degeneration in the EGCG group,HE staining showed that EGCG effectively alleviated inflammation,and picrosirius red staining showed a significant reduction in the number of fibrous tissue after EGCG treatment.There was a significant reduction in the content of hydroxyproline in liver tissue after EGCG intervention(P<0.01).Cell experiments showed that compared with the FFA group,the EGCG group had a significant reduction in the content of TG,and oil red O staining showed the disappearance of lipid droplets in the EGCG group compared with the FFA group,with significant reductions in the relative mRNA expression levels of the inflammatory factors TNF-α,CCL2,and CXCL10(all P<0.01).The transcriptomics analysis identified 230 differentially expressed genes between the HFHC group and the EGCG group,among which there were 108 upregulated genes and 122 downregulated genes.EGCG significantly reduced the levels of the key proteins TLR4,NLRP3,and IL-1β in the NOD-like receptor signaling pathway in liver tissue(all P<0.05).Conclusion EGCG can significantly alleviate lipid deposition,inflammation,and fibrosis in the mouse model of MASH and improve lipid deposition and inflammatory injury in L02 cells,possibly by regulating the NOD-like receptor signaling pathway.

Constipation,a common functional gastrointestinal disorder,not only severely impairs patients'quality of life but is also highly comorbid with psychiatric conditions such as anxiety and depression.Emerging evidence indicates that gut microbiota dysbiosis is a critical link connecting these two disease states.On one hand,dysbiosis exacerbates constipation by affecting host metabolism and intestinal function;on the other,it plays a central role in the pathophysiology of mood disorders.This complex interaction is primarily mediated through the"microbiota-gut-brain axis."Therefore,elucidating the intrinsic relationship among anxiety,depression,gut microbiota,and constipation has become a frontier of interdisciplinary research.

Objective To investigate the effect of NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3(NLRP3)knockdown on a mouse model of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis(NASH)induced by high-fat high-carbohydrate(HFHC)diet.Methods A total of 44 mice were randomly divided into normal diet group(CON group)with 20 mice and HFHC group with 24 mice.At the end of week 14 of modeling,4 mice were randomly selected from the HFHC group for the pre-experiment of adeno-associated virus(AAV)by tail vein injection,and NLRP3 knockdown was verified after 4 weeks.After NLRP3 knockdown was verified at the end of week 18,the remaining 40 mice were given a single tail vein injection of AAV,and then they were divided into CON+NLRP3 knockdown negative control group(CON+NLRP3-NC group),CON+NLRP3 knockdown group(CON+NLRP3-KD group),HFHC+NLRP3-NC group,and HFHC+NLRP3-KD group,with 10 mice in each group.At the end of week 24,the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome was observed;related indicators were measured,including body weight,liver weight,liver index,and glucose metabolism(fasting blood glucose,fasting insulin,and Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance[HOMA-IR]index);the indicators of liver lipid content(liver triglyceride[TG]and oil red O staining),liver inflammation(serum alanine aminotransferase[ALT]activity,HE staining,and inflammation-related genes),and liver fibrosis(Sirius Red staining and fibrosis-related genes)were measured.A one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison of continuous data between multiple groups,and the least significant difference t-test was used for further comparison between two groups.Results Compared with the CON+NLRP3-NC group based on the results of Western Blot,the HFHC+NLRP3-NC group had significant increases in the protein expression levels of NLRP3,pro-Caspase1,Caspase1,ASC,and IL-1β,while the HFHC+NLRP3-KD group had significant reductions in these levels(all P<0.05).The HFHC+NLRP3-NC group showed varying degrees of increase in body weight,liver weight,liver index,and glucose metabolism indicators,while the HFHC+NLRP3-KD group showed significant improvements in these indicators(all P<0.05).As for hepatic fat deposition,compared with the CON+NLRP3-NC group,the HFHC+NLRP3-NC group had a significant increase in liver TG,with a large number of red lipid droplets shown by oil red O staining,and the HFHC+NLRP3-KD group had significant reductions in liver TG and the number of lipid droplets in the liver(all P<0.01).In terms of liver inflammation,compared with the CON+NLRP3-NC group,the HFHC+NLRP3-NC group had significant increases in serum ALT,NAFLD activity score,and inflammation-related genes,while the HFHC+NLRP3-KD group had significant reductions in these indicators(all P<0.01).As for liver fibrosis,compared with the CON+NLRP3-NC group,the HFHC+NLRP3-NC group had significant increases in collagen fiber area and fibrosis-related genes,and the HFHC+NLRP3-KD group had significant reductions in fibrosis-related genes(all P<0.05)and a tendency of reduction in collagen fiber area(P>0.05).Conclusion NLRP3 knockdown can significantly improve hepatic fat deposition and inflammation in a mouse model of HFHC-induced NASH.

Objective To investigate the levels of plasma bile acids(BA)in patients with primary liver cancer(PLC)or metastatic liver cancer(MLC)and their correlation with clinical indicators,as well as the value of plasma BAs combined with alpha-fetoprotein(AFP)in the diagnosis of PLC.Methods This study was conducted among 75 patients with PLC and 79 patients with MLC who attended Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from August 2020 to September 2021 and had a confirmed diagnosis based on histopathological and imaging findings.Peripheral blood samples were collected from all patients,and serum and plasma were separated.Colorimetry and chromatography were used to measure biochemical parameters;electrochemiluminescence immunoassay was used to measure the levels of tumor markers;liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was used to measure the content of BA.The t-test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data,and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data;the Spearman's coefficient was used for correlation analysis;the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to evaluate clinical diagnostic efficacy.Results The PLC group had significantly lower levels of total cholesterol,triglyceride,low-density lipoprotein cholesterol,and apolipoprotein B than the MLC group(U=1 598,1 255,909,and 889,all P＜0.05).Compared with the MLC group,the PLC group had a significantly higher level of AFP and a significantly lower level of carcinoembryonic antigen(U=1 873 and 926,both P＜0.05).Compared with the MLC group,the PLC group had significantly higher levels of TBA,CA,CDCA,UDCA,TCA,TCDCA,GCA,GCDCA,TUDCA,and GUDCA and a significantly lower level of DCA(all P＜0.05).In the total population,the levels of TBA,CDCA,GCA,GCDCA,GUDCA,TCA,TCDCA,and TUDCA were significantly positively correlated with the level of AFP(all P＜0.05).In the patients with PLC,the levels of GCA,TCA,TCDCA,and TUDCA were significantly positively correlated with the level of AFP(all P＜0.05).Combined measurement of AFP+TCA+GCA+TCDCA had an area under the ROC curve of 0.822(95%confidence interval:0.746-0.898,P＜0.000 1),suggesting that it had the highest diagnostic efficacy.Conclusion There are significant differences in the levels of plasma BA between the patients with PLC and those with MLC,and the differentially expressed BAs are closely associated with liver function impairment and the increase in AFP.BAs combined with AFP has a better clinical value in the diagnosis of PLC.

Botulinum toxin A (BTX-A) is a powerful neurotoxin produced by Clostridium botulinum, which can relieve muscle spasm or limit gland secretion by inhibiting the release of acetylcholine at the neuromuscular/glandular junction. In addition, BTX-A can also play a role in the sensory feedback loop, which can ease pain. Currently, dentists are paying more attention to the cosmetic applications of BTX-A in the oral and maxillofacial region, while their understanding of BTX-A′s non-cosmetic applications is still insufficient. Although the specific molecular mechanism of BTX-A in oral diseases has not been fully clarified, with the development of evidence-based medicine, more and more clinical evidence has began to support the effectiveness of BTX-A in the therapeutic applications of oral diseases. This article will briefly review the main molecular mechanisms of BTX-A, the latest clinical research progress of BTX-A at home and abroad in the treatment of oral diseases, clinical contraindications and adverse reactions of BTX-A, providing a new idea for the treatment of oral diseases.

Objective Evaluation of Chinese-thyroid imaging reporting and data system(C-TIRADS)combined with contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS)for the assessment of category 4 nodules in the setting of Hashimoto's thyroiditis.Methods Retrospective analysis of 120 C-TIRADS category 4 thyroid nodules from 79 patients with confirmed Hashimoto's thyroiditis who attended the Yiyang Central Hospital from June to December 2022.Thyroid nodules exhibiting one or more benign or malignant features that were suspicious on CEUS were treated as downgraded or upgraded one level.Using the final surgical pathology results as the gold standard,working characteristic(ROC)curves of subjects based on C-TIRADS grading before and after CEUS adjustment were plotted to compare diagnostic efficacy.Results The sensitivity,specificity,and accuracy of the CEUS-adjusted C-TIRADS were 93.0％,87.8％and 90.8％,respectively(P<0.05).The area under the ROC curve was 0.811 and 0.904,respectively(P<0.05).Conclusion C-TIRADS combined with CEUS has better diagnostic efficacy in evaluating category 4 nodules in Hashimoto's thyroiditis.