Obesity is a significant risk factor for cancer and is associated with breast cancer metastasis. Nevertheless, the mechanism by which alterations in systemic metabolism affect tumor microenvironment (TME) and consequently influence tumor metastasis remains inadequately understood. Herein, we found that perturbations in circulating metabolites induced by obesity promote metastasis-like phenotypes in breast cancer. Oleoylcarnitine (OLCarn) concentrations were elevated in the serum of obese mice and humans. Administration of exogenous OLCarn induces metastasis-like characteristics in breast cancer cells. Mechanistically, OLCarn directly interacts with the Arg176 site of adenylate cyclase 10 (ADCY10), leading to the activation of ADCY10 and enhancement of cAMP production. Mutations at Arg176 prevent OLCarn from binding to ADCY10, disrupting the ADCY10-mediated activation of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) signaling pathway. This activation promotes transcription factor 4 (TCF4)-dependent kinesin family member C1 (KIFC1) transcription, thereby driving breast cancer metastasis. Conversely, the neutralization of both ADCY10 and KIFC1 through knockdown or pharmacological inhibition abrogates the oncogenic effects mediated by OLCarn. Hence, obesity-induced systemic environmental changes lead to the aberrant accumulation of OLCarn within the TME, making it a potential therapeutic target and biomarker for breast cancer.

Ovarian cancer poses a significant threat to women's health, necessitating effective therapeutic strategies. Emd-D, an emodin derivative, demonstrates enhanced pharmaceutical properties and bioavailability. In this study, Cell Counting Kit 8 (CCK8) assays and Ki-67 staining revealed dose-dependent inhibition of cell proliferation by Emd-D. Migration and invasion experiments confirmed its inhibitory effects on OVHM cells, while flow cytometry analysis demonstrated Emd-D-induced apoptosis. Mechanistic investigations elucidated that Emd-D functions as an inhibitor by directly binding to the glycolysis-related enzyme PFKFB4. This was corroborated by alterations in intracellular lactate and pyruvate levels, as well as glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) and hexokinase 2 (HK2) expression. PFKFB4 overexpression experiments further supported the dependence of Emd-D on PFKFB4-mediated glycolysis and SRC3/mTORC1 pathway-associated apoptosis. In vivo experiments exhibited reduced xenograft tumor sizes upon Emd-D treatment, accompanied by suppressed glycolysis and increased expression of Bax/Bcl-2 apoptotic proteins within the tumors. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate Emd-D's potential as an anti-ovarian cancer agent through inhibition of the PFKFB4-dependent glycolysis pathway and induction of apoptosis. These results provide a foundation for further exploration of Emd-D as a promising drug candidate for ovarian cancer treatment.
Female ; Humans ; Ovarian Neoplasms/physiopathology* ; Phosphofructokinase-2/genetics* ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Glycolysis/drug effects* ; Animals ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Mice ; Cell Proliferation/drug effects* ; Emodin/administration & dosage* ; Mice, Nude ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Hexokinase/metabolism* ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Objective:To explore the psychological experience and demand of parents of children with delayed recovery after congenital heart disease surgery.Methods:This study adopted phenomenological research methods from qualitative research. Using the purposive sampling method, parents of postoperative delayed recovery children with congenital heart disease who met the inclusion criteria were selected as the research objects from October to November 2019 at Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the parents of the children, and the data were analyzed by Colaizzi 7-step analysis method.Results:Finally, 13 parents of children with delayed recovery after congenital heart disease surgery were included. According to the interview results, four themes were extracted, which were negative psychological experience of parents of children with delayed recovery, positive psychological experience and expectation change of parents, heavy economic burden of parents and diversified needs of parents.Conclusions:During the delayed recovery period, psychological experience of parents is complex and their needs are diverse. The nursing staff should identify and pay attention to the causes of the negative psychological experience of the parents of the children, timely channel their negative emotions and strengthen the positive psychological experience in many aspects. They can assist parents to seek social help to reduce physical and mental pressure and meet the diverse needs of parents by providing high-quality nursing services and multi-channel information support.

Objective To investigate the effect of acacetin on oxidative stress injury in diabetic cataract(DC)rats and its regulation of sirtuin 1(Sirt1)/adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase(AMPK)/nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2(Nrf2)signaling pathway.Methods Sixty SD rats were randomly divided into the control group,model group,low-dose acacetin group,high-dose acacetin group,and acacetin+Sirt1 inhibitor(EX527)group.DC rat models were constructed except for the control group.Rats in the low-dose and high-dose acacetin groups were injected with 10 mg·kg-1 and 20 mg·kg-1 acacetin subcutaneously through the neck,twice a day,respectively.Rats in the acacetin+EX527 group were injected with 20 mg·kg-1 acacetin subcutaneously through the neck,twice a day;additionally,3.5 mg·kg-1 EX527 was administered subcutaneously through the osmotic micro-pump for 4 weeks.The same amount of nor-mal saline was pumped into rats in the rest groups for 4 weeks.After administration,blood pressure and fasting blood glu-cose(FBG)were measured.The lens opacity was observed under the slit lamp irradiation,and the histopathological chan-ges in the lens were observed after hematoxylin-eosin staining.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed to de-termine the serum levels of malondialdehyde(MDA),superoxide dismutase(SOD),glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px),in-terleukin(IL)-6,and IL-1 β.Western blot was applied to detect the expression levels of Sirt1,phosphorylated AMPK(p-AMPK),AMPK,and Nrf2 proteins.Results Compared with the control group,the lens epithelial cells(LECs)of rats in the model group showed patchy and striped shapes,and migration and aggregation occurred;the systolic blood pres-sure(SBP),FBG,lens opacity score,and the levels of MDA,IL-6 and IL-1 β increased,while the expression levels of SOD,GSH-Px,Sirt1,p-AMPK/AMPK,and Nrf2 proteins decreased(all P＜0.05).Compared with the model group,the migration and aggregation of LECs improved in the low-dose and high-dose acacetin groups,the SBP,FBG,lens opacity score,and the levels of MDA,IL-6 and IL-1 β decreased,while the expression levels of SOD,GSH-Px,Sirt1,p-AMPK/AMPK,and Nrf2 proteins increased(all P＜0.05).Compared with the high-dose acacetin group,the morphological chan-ges and aggregation of LECs in the acacetin+EX527 group were more significant,the SBP,FBG,lens opacity score,and the levels of MDA,IL-6 and IL-1 β increased,while the expression levels of SOD,GSH-Px,Sirt1,p-AMPK/AMPK,and Nrf2 proteins decreased(all P＜0.05).Conclusion Acacetin may protect DC rats from oxidative stress injury by activating the Sirt1/AMPK/Nrf2 pathway.

Objective To investigate the effect of total flavone of Cydonia oblonga on oxidative damage of human lens epithelial cells induced by high glucose and its mechanism.Methods A cell injury model was established by inducing human lens epithelial cells with high glucose.Human lens epithelial cells were cultured in the medium containing 30 mmol·L-1 glucose for 24 h,which was recorded as the high glucose group.Cells in the control group were cultured in a medium con-tainning 5.5 mmol·L-1 glucose for 24 h.Human lens epithelial cells were inoculated into 96-well plates with 5 × 103 cells per well,and treated with mediums containing 10 mmol·L-1,20 mmol·L-1,and 40 mmol·L-1 total flavone of Cydonia ob-longa combined with 30 mmol·L-1 glucose for 24 h.They were recorded as high glucose+low total flavone of Cydonia oblonga group,high glucose+medium total flavone of Cydonia oblonga group,and high glucose+high total flavone of Cydonia oblonga group.Human lens epithelial cells were transfected with anti-miR-NC and anti-miR-370 with Lipo-fectamine2000 transfection reagent,and treated with 30 mmol·L-1 glucose for 24 h,which were recorded as high glucose+anti-miR-NC group and high glucose+anti-miR-370 group.Human lens epithelial cells were transfected with miR-NC and miR-370 mimics,and treated with medium containing 30 mmol·L-1 glucose and 40 mmol·L-1 total flavone of Cydonia oblonga for 24 h,which were labeled as high glucose+total flavone of Cydonia oblonga+miR-NC group and high glucose+total flavone of Cydonia oblonga+miR-370 group.The activities of superoxide dismutase(SOD)and cata-lase(CAT),and the content of malondialdehyde(MDA)were measured by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay;flow cy-tometry was applied to detect apoptosis rate;quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was applied to detect the expression level of miR-370;Western blot was applied to detect the expression of apoptosis-related proteins.Results Compared with the control group,the activities of SOD and CAT decreased and the content of MDA increased in the human lens epithelial cells of the high glucose group,and the differences were statistically significant(all P＜0.05);compared with the high glucose group,the activities of SOD and CAT significantly increased and the content of MDA signifi-cantly decreased in the high glucose+low total flavone of Cydonia oblonga group,the high glucose+medium total fla-vone of Cydonia oblonga group and the high glucose+high total flavone of Cydonia oblonga group(all P＜0.05).Com-pared with the control group,apoptosis rate,and protein expressions of Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 of human lens epithelial cells in the high glucose group significantly increased(all P＜0.05);compared with the high glucose group,the apoptosis rate,Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 protein expressions of human lens epithelial cells in the high glucose+low total flavone of Cydonia oblonga group,high glucose+medium total flavone of Cydonia oblonga group,and high glucose+high total fla-vone of Cydonia oblonga group significantly decreased(all P＜0.05).The expression levels of miR-370 in human lens epi-thelial cells were 1.00±0.00,4.04±0.36,3.22±0.24,2.42±0.23 and 1.62±0.14 in the control group,high glucose group,high glucose+low total flavone of Cydonia oblonga group,high glucose+medium total flavone of Cydonia oblon-ga group,and high glucose+high total flavone of Cydonia oblonga group,respectively.There was a statistically different significance among the five groups(F=256.138,P＜0.05).Compared with the high glucose+anti-miR-NC group,the ex-pression of miR-370 significantly decreased,the activities of SOD and CAT significantly increased,and the content of MDA significantly decreased in human lens epithelial cells of the high glucose+anti-miR-370 group(all P＜0.001).Compared with the high glucose+anti-miR-NC group,apoptosis rate,and protein expressions of Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 of the hu-man lens epithelial cells in the high glucose+anti-miR-370 group significantly decreased(all P＜0.001).Compared with the high glucose+total flavone of Cydonia oblonga+miR-NC group,the activities of SOD and CAT significantly de-creased,and the content of MDA,apoptosis rate,and protein expressions of Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 significantly in-creased in the human lens epithelial cells of high glucose+total flavone of Cydonia oblonga+miR-370 group(all P＜0.001).Conclusion The expression of miR-370 increases in high glucose-induced human lens epithelial cells.Total fla-vone of Cydonia oblonga can inhibit the oxidative stress and apoptosis of high glucose-induced human lens epithelial cells,and the mechanism may be related to the decreased expression of miR-370.

AIM:To investigate the protective effect of total flavonoids from Patrina villosa Juss(PJF)on the lung in an experimental rat model of acute lung injury(ALI),and to elucidate the potential mechanism.METHODS:The ALI rat model was established by instilling 5 mg/kg of lipopolysaccharide(LPS)into the airway.Sixty male SD rats were randomly divided into 4 groups:control,LPS,LPS+low-dose PJF(receiving 100 mg/kg PJF one hour before ALI modeling)and LPS+high-dose PJF(receiving 300 mg/kg PJF one hour before ALI modeling).Each group consisted of 15 animals.Lung tissues and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF)were collected from all groups 24 h after modeling.For as-sessment of lung tissue morphology,HE staining was performed.The wet/dry weight ratio of the lung tissue was deter-mined using the wet/dry weighing method.Evans blue staining was conducted to assess epithelial barrier permeability in lung tissues.ELISA was used to detect the levels of inflammatory factors tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),interleukin-1β(IL-1β)and IL-6 in the BALF,as well as oxidative stress markers including superoxide dismutase(SOD),myeloperoxi-dase(MPO)and glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px)activity,and malondialdehyde(MDA)content in the lung tissue.The expression levels of C/EBP homologous protein(CHOP),glucose-regulated protein 78(GRP78)and X-box binding pro-tein 1(XBP1)in the lung tissue were analyzed by Western blotting.RESULTS:Compared with control group,the rats in LPS group exhibited a blurred alveolar structure with a significant infiltration of inflammatory cells.The ALI score and the wet/dry weight ratio of the lung tissue were increased(P<0.05).Concurrently,the levels of IL-6,IL-1β and TNF-α in the BALF,along with MDA content and MPO activity in the lung tissue,were elevated(P<0.05).Additionally,the pro-tein levels of CHOP,GRP78 and XBP1 were up-regulated in the lung tissue(P<0.05),while the SOD and GSH-Px activi-ty was significantly decreased(P<0.05).Compared with LPS group,PJF intervention exerted beneficial effects on the lung tissue morphology with reduced ALI score and lower lung wet/dry weight ratio(P<0.05).Moreover,the levels of IL-6,IL-1β and TNF-α in BALF,as well as MDA content,MPO activity and the protein levels of CHOP,GRP78 and XBP1 in the lung tissue were all significantly decreased(P<0.05),while the SOD and GSH-Px activity was significantly in-creased(P<0.05).The efficacy in high-dose group exceeded that in low-dose group.CONCLUSION:The PJF have pro-tective effect on the lungs of rats with ALI,and its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of inflammation,oxidative stress and endoplasmic reticulum stress.

Objective To explore the diagnostic value of MRI quantitative enhancement parameters in breast cancer and their rela-tionships with human epidermal growth factor receptor-2(HER-2)and angiopoietin-2(Ang-2).Methods A total of 80 patients with breast cancer were selected as the study objects.The MRI quantitative enhancement parameters[rate constant(Kep),extravascular extracellular space volume fraction(Ve),volume transfer constant(Ktrans)]of all patients with different clinical staging and lymph node metastasis were compared,respectively.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to analyze the diagnostic value of MRI quantitative enhancement parameters on the expression of HER-2 and Ang-2.Results Kep and Ktrans in stage Ⅱ group were significantly lower than those in stage Ⅲ and Ⅳ groups(F=6.322,F=6.676;P＜0.05).Kep and Ktrans in lymph node metas-tasis group were significantly higher than those in lymph node non-metastasis group(t=4.265,t=4.557;P＜0.05).Kep and Ktrans in HER-2 positive group were significantly higher than those in HER-2 negative group(t=3.988,t=4.616;P＜0.05).ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve(AUC)of the combination of Kep and Ktrans for the diagnosis of HER-2 expression in breast cancer patients was 0.887,with specificity of 0.811 and sensitivity of 0.889,respectively.Kep and Ktrans in Ang-2 positive group were signifi-cantly higher than those in Ang-2 negative group(t=2.534,t=3.189;P＜0.05).ROC curve analysis showed that the AUC of the com-bination of Kep and Ktrans for the diagnosis of Ang-2 expression in breast cancer patients was 0.767,with specificity of 0.867 and sensitivity of 0.569,respectively.Conclusion MRI quantitative enhancement parameters can improve the diagnostic value of breast cancer and the expression of HER-2 and Ang-2,which are beneficial to guide the selections of clinical therapeutic regimens.

Objective:To study the current status of longitudinal extrauterine growth restriction (EUGR) in extremely preterm infants (EPIs) and to develop a prediction model based on clinical data from multiple NICUs.Methods:From January 2017 to December 2018, EPIs admitted to 32 NICUs in North China were retrospectively studied. Their general conditions, nutritional support, complications during hospitalization and weight changes were reviewed. Weight loss between birth and discharge > 1SD was defined as longitudinal EUGR. The EPIs were assigned into longitudinal EUGR group and non-EUGR group and their nutritional support and weight changes were compared. The EPIs were randomly assigned into the training dataset and the validation dataset with a ratio of 7∶3. Univariate Cox regression analysis and multiple regression analysis were used in the training dataset to select the independent predictive factors. The best-fitting Nomogram model predicting longitudinal EUGR was established based on Akaike Information Criterion. The model was evaluated for discrimination efficacy, calibration and clinical decision curve analysis.Results:A total of 436 EPIs were included in this study, with a mean gestational age of (26.9±0.9) weeks and a birth weight of (989±171) g. The incidence of longitudinal EUGR was 82.3%(359/436). Seven variables (birth weight Z-score, weight loss, weight growth velocity, the proportion of breast milk ≥75% within 3 d before discharge, invasive mechanical ventilation ≥7 d, maternal antenatal corticosteroids use and bronchopulmonary dysplasia) were selected to establish the prediction model. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the training dataset and the validation dataset were 0.870 (95% CI 0.820-0.920) and 0.879 (95% CI 0.815-0.942), suggesting good discrimination efficacy. The calibration curve indicated a good fit of the model ( P>0.05). The decision curve analysis showed positive net benefits at all thresholds. Conclusions:Currently, EPIs have a high incidence of longitudinal EUGR. The prediction model is helpful for early identification and intervention for EPIs with higher risks of longitudinal EUGR. It is necessary to expand the sample size and conduct prospective studies to optimize and validate the prediction model in the future.

【Objective】 To analyze the basic characteristics of whole blood donors from blood stations before and after the outbreak of COVID-19. 【Methods】 After excluding invalid data, data related to the basic characteristics of whole blood donors collected from 26 blood stations in China during 2018 to 2021 were statistically analyzed, including the trend of total whole blood donors, the number of repeated blood donors, the frequency of blood donation, the average age of donors and the recruitment of first-time blood donors. 【Results】 Affected by the epidemic, 8 out of 14 indicators were with large variations, accounting for 57%. The overall growth rate of total whole blood donors during the epidemic was higher than before the epidemic (P<0.05).The number of repeated blood donors has shown an increased trend, with a higher number during the epidemic than before (P<0.05). The frequency of blood donation was lower during the epidemic than before(P<0.05).Average ages of blood donors and female blood donors fluctuated widely during the epidemic, both higher than those before the epidemic(P<0.05).The donation rate of first-time blood donors <25 years old and ≥25 years old varied widely and irregularly during the epidemic (both P<0.05). The percentage of first-time blood donors fluctuated irregularly during the epidemic, with overall percentage lower than that before the epidemic(P<0.05). 【Conclusion】 Whole blood donors from 26 blood stations increased after the outbreak of COVID-19, and some indicators in certain areas showed significant fluctuations during the epidemic.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is one of the common neurodevelopmental disorders in children. Its etiology and pathogenesis are poorly understood. Previous studies have suggested potential changes in the complement and coagulation pathways in individuals with ASD. In this study, using multiple reactions monitoring proteomic technology, 16 of the 33 proteins involved in this pathway were identified as differentially-expressed proteins in plasma between children with ASD and controls. Among them, CFHR3, C4BPB, C4BPA, CFH, C9, SERPIND1, C8A, F9, and F11 were found to be altered in the plasma of children with ASD for the first time. SERPIND1 expression was positively correlated with the CARS score. Using the machine learning method, we obtained a panel composed of 12 differentially-expressed proteins with diagnostic potential for ASD. We also reviewed the proteins changed in this pathway in the brain and blood of patients with ASD. The complement and coagulation pathways may be activated in the peripheral blood of children with ASD and play a key role in the pathogenesis of ASD.
Child ; Humans ; Autism Spectrum Disorder/metabolism* ; Proteomics ; Brain/metabolism*