Metastasis serves as an indicator of malignancy and is a biological characteristic of carcinomas. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a key role in the promotion of tumor invasion and metastasis and in the enhancement of tumor cell aggressiveness. Prostaglandin E synthase 3 (p23) is a cochaperone for heat shock protein 90 (HSP90). Our previous study showed that p23 is an HSP90-independent transcription factor in cancer-associated inflammation. The effect and mechanism of action of p23 on lung cancer metastasis are tested in this study. By utilizing cell models in vitro and mouse tail vein metastasis models in vivo, the results provide solid evidence that p23 is critical for promoting lung cancer metastases by regulating downstream CXCL1 expression. Rather than acting independently, p23 forms a complex with RNA-binding motif protein 14 (RBM14) to facilitate EMT progression in lung cancer. Therefore, our study provides evidence for the potential role of the RBM14-p23-CXCL1-EMT axis in the metastasis of lung cancer.

Elemene is widely recognized as an effective anti-cancer compound and is routinely administered in Chinese clinical settings for the management of several solid tumors, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, its detailed molecular mechanism has not been adequately demonstrated. In this research, it was demonstrated that elemene effectively curtailed NSCLC growth in the patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model. Mechanistically, employing high-throughput screening techniques and subsequent biochemical validations such as microscale thermophoresis (MST), microRNA-145-5p (miR-145-5p) was pinpointed as a critical target through which elemene exerts its anti-tumor effects. Interestingly, elemene serves as a binding stabilizer for miR-145-5p, demonstrating a strong binding affinity (dissociation constant (K _D) = 0.39 ± 0.17 μg/mL) and preventing its degradation both in vitro and in vivo, while not interfering with the synthesis of the primary microRNA transcripts (pri-miRNAs) and precursor miRNAs (pre-miRNAs). The stabilization of miR-145-5p by elemene resulted in an increased level of this miRNA, subsequently suppressing NSCLC progression through the miR-145-5p/mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase 3 (MAP3K3)/nuclear factor kappaB (NF-κB) pathway. Our findings provide a new perspective on revealing the interaction patterns between clinical anti-tumor drugs and miRNAs.

Glioma is the most common primary malignant tumor of the central nervous system in adults. Despite the standard treatment of surgery combined with radiotherapy and chemotherapy, the prognosis for high-grade glioma patients remains poor, highlighting the urgent need to further explore its pathogenesis and develop new therapeutic strategies. This article reviews the research progress in the field of glioma in China in 2024, covering tumorigenesis mechanisms, tumor immune microenvironment composition, advances in imaging techniques and novel imaging agents, improvements in surgical approaches, mechanisms of radio- and chemoresistance, and explorations of new therapeutic modalities. These studies provide a solid theoretical foundation for advancing clinical diagnosis and treatment of gliomas and may offer new opportunities to improve patient outcomes.

Elemene is widely recognized as an effective anti-cancer compound and is routinely administered in Chinese clinical settings for the management of several solid tumors,including non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC).However,its detailed molecular mechanism has not been adequately demonstrated.In this research,it was demonstrated that elemene effectively curtailed NSCLC growth in the patient-derived xenograft(PDX)model.Mechanistically,employing high-throughput screening techniques and subsequent biochemical validations such as microscale thermophoresis(MST),microRNA-145-5p(miR-145-5p)was pinpointed as a critical target through which elemene exerts its anti-tumor effects.Inter-estingly,elemene serves as a binding stabilizer for miR-145-5p,demonstrating a strong binding affinity(dissociation constant(KD)=0.39±0.17 μg/mL)and preventing its degradation both in vitro and in vivo,while not interfering with the synthesis of the primary microRNA transcripts(pri-miRNAs)and precursor miRNAs(pre-miRNAs).The stabilization of miR-145-5p by elemene resulted in an increased level of this miRNA,subsequently suppressing NSCLC progression through the miR-145-5p/mitogen-activated pro-tein kinase kinase kinase 3(MAP3K3)/nuclear factor kappaB(NF-κB)pathway.Our findings provide a new perspective on revealing the interaction patterns between clinical anti-tumor drugs and miRNAs.

OBJECTIVE:To assess the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in treating postmenopausal osteoporosis.METHODS:Clinical randomized controlled trials on acupuncture for postmenopausal osteoporosis were retrieved from databases including CNKI,VIP,WanFang,China Biomedical Literature Service System,Web of Science,PubMed,Embase,and Cochrane Library.The search period was from the inception of the database to July 23,2024.The quality of evidence and risk of bias of the included studies were assessed using the GRADEprofiler and the revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials(RoB 2.0).Meta-analysis was performed using StataSE 15 and TSA 0.9.5,along with heterogeneity analysis,sensitivity analysis,subgroup analysis,publication bias analysis,trim-and-fill analysis,and trial sequential analysis.RESULTS:The study included 19 randomized controlled trials involving a total of 1 464 patients.(1)The meta-analysis revealed that compared with conventional therapies,acupuncture significantly increased the total effective rate(RR=1.25,95％confidence interval[1.19,1.32],P＜0.001),lumbar spine L2-L4 bone mineral density(mean difference=0.08,95％confidence interval[0.05,0.11],P＜0.001),and estrogen levels(standard mean difference=0.55,95％confidence interval[0.30,0.81],P＜0.001).Additionally,acupuncture increased bone mineral density and gonadotropin levels in the femoral neck,greater trochanter,and Ward's triangle,reduced visual analogue scale scores,and improved bone metabolism without significantly increasing the incidence of adverse events.(2)Subgroup analysis of the main outcome indicators showed no significant difference between the treatment and control groups when the body mass index was greater than 23.9 kg/m2 and the total treatment duration was 6 months.All other treatment subgroups were significantly superior to the control group.(3)Publication bias analysis indicated a significant risk of publication bias in the overall efficacy;however,a trim-and-fill analysis showed that this risk did not significantly impact the reliability of the conclusions.Publication bias analysis showed no significant risk of publication bias in the bone mineral density values of lumbar spine L2-L4 and estradiol levels.(4)The sequential analysis of the trial further confirmed that acupuncture significantly increased the overall effective rate,bone mineral density values at the lumbar spine L1-L4,and estradiol levels.CONCLUSION:Acupuncture is an effective and safe treatment for postmenopausal osteoporosis.More rigorously designed and high-quality studies are needed in the future to verify this conclusion.

Objective:To explore the feasibility of applying deep learning image reconstruction (DLIR) in low-radiation dose liver dual-energy CT to further improve image quality, diagnostic confidence of lesion, and accuracy of iodine concentration (IC) measurement.Methods:This prospective cohort study enrolled 60 patients scheduled for enhanced liver CT at the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University from June 2023 to January 2024. The participants were randomly assigned into the standard dose group and low radiation dose group with 30 cases in each using randomized block method. The standard radiation dose group underwent standard-radiation dose 120 kVp scans during the venous phase, while the low radiation dose group underwent low radiation dose scans with a rapid kVp-switching spectral scanning mode at 80 kVp and 140 kVp. The effective radiation dose (ED) was calculated for both groups. The standard radiation dose group was reconstructed using adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction-V (ASIR-V) algorithm 40% (AR40 120 kVp). The low radiation dose group using high-intensity DLIR (DLIR-H) to reconstructed 40 keV and 50 keV virtual monoenergetic images (VMI) (DH-VMI 40 keV, DH-VMI 50 keV). The image quality of the above three groups was objectively evaluated through the measurement of image noise and calculation of contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for the liver and portal vein; and the image quality was subjectively scored for image noise, contrast, lesion conspicuity, and diagnostic confidence. In the low radiation dose group, DLIR-H and ASIR-V40% reconstructed iodine maps were used to measure the liver and portal vein of IC values, standard deviations (SD), and coefficients of variation (CV). One-way analysis of variance or Kruskal-Wallis H test was used to compare the differences of subjective and objective image quality among the three groups, and paired t-test was used to compare the differences in measurement indexes between DLIR-H and ASIR-V40% reconstructed iodine maps. Results:The ED in the low radiation dose group [(2.2±0.5) mSv] was reduced by 56.8% compared to the conventional radiation dose group [(5.4±1.4) mSv]. Objective evaluations demonstrated that DH-VMI 40 keV had higher image noise, CNR, and SNR for liver and portal veins compared to AR40 120 kVp ( P<0.001). DH-VMI 50 keV had lower image noise ( P=0.200), with higher CNR and SNR for the liver and portal vein compared to AR40 120 kVp( P<0.001). In subjective evaluation, there was no statistically significant difference in image noise scores between DH-VMI 40 keV and AR40 120 kVp ( P>0.05), while the image noise score for DH-VMI 50 keV was lower than that of AR40 120 kVp ( P<0.05). Both DH-VMI 40 keV and DH-VMI 50 keV had higher scores for contrast, lesion conspicuity, and diagnostic confidence compared to those of AR40 120 kVp ( P<0.05). In the low radiation dose group, there was no statistically significant difference in IC values for the liver and portal vein between the ASIR-V40% and DLIR-H algorithm reconstructed iodine maps ( P>0.05). The SD and CV of liver and portal vein in the DLIR-H reconstructed iodine maps were lower than those in the ASIR-V40% reconstructed iodine maps ( P<0.001). Conclusions:DLIR can effectively reduce the image noise of low-energy (40, 50 keV) VMI, enhance lesion conspicuity and diagnostic confidence, and improve measurement accuracy without affecting IC values.

Objective To investigate the effects of five-element music on depressive behaviors and intestinal flora in offspring of fear-stress rats during pregnancy.Methods Thirty-six 0.5-day pregnant Wistar rats were divided randomly into a control group,fear-stress group,and five-element music group,and the subsequent litters continued the maternal grouping.Pregnant rats in the fear-stress and five-element music groups were modeled on days 1～19 of gestation using the bystander electric method,while the five-element music group was also exposed to Feather Tune five-element music intervention.The fear behavior and serum glucocorticoid(GC)levels in pregnant rats were assessed on day 20 of pregnancy by open field test and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay,respectively,to evaluate the effectiveness of the model.Depression in 3-week-old offspring was evaluated by open field,tail suspension,and sucrose preference tests.Norepinephrine(NE),dopamine(DA),and 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT)levels in the hippocampus of the offspring were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography.Changes in the intestinal flora of the offspring were analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing.Expression levels of the proximal colonic proteins claudin1,occludin,and ZO1 in the offspring were measured by Western blot assay.Results Pregnant rats in the fear-stress group stayed longer in the area around the open field(P＜0.05),had fewer entries into the central area(P＜0.001),and had higher serum GC levels compared with those in the blank group(P＜0.001).In contrast,five-element music exposure reversed these behavioral changes(P＜0.05)and serum GC levels(P＜0.001)in the fear-stress group.Offspring in the fear-stress group exhibited decreased open-field crossing frequency(P＜0.01),reduced sucrose preference index,and longer immobility time in the tail suspension test(P＜0.05),compared with those in the blank group,together with significantly decreased NE,DA,and 5-HT levels in the hippocampus(P＜0.05).Rats in the fear-stress group showed decreased diversity of the intestinal flora(P＜0.01)and significant alterations in flora structure,including higher abundance of Proteobacteria,Enterobacteriaceae,Enterococcus,and Escherichia(P＜0.05),and lower abundance of Spirochaetes,Spirochaetaceae,Lachnospiraceae,Ruminococcaceae,Treponema,Prevotella,Coprococcus,Allobaculum,Ruminococcus,and Dorea(P＜0.05).The proximal colonic proteins Claudin1,Occludin,and ZO1 were significantly downregulated(P＜0.05).The open-field crossing frequency,sucrose preference index,and duration of tail suspension immobilization were improved in the five-element music group compared with those in the fear-stress group(P＜0.05),while DA and 5-HT levels were significantly restored in the hippocampus(P＜0.05),species diversity of the intestinal flora increased(P＜0.01)and changes in the abundance of the flora were reversed,and the proximal colonic proteins Occludin and ZO1 expression were significantly upregulated(P＜0.05).Conclusions Five-element music intervention during pregnancy can ameliorate fear-stress-induced depression behaviors and intestinal flora disorders in the offspring.

Objective To investigate the effects of five-element music on depressive behaviors and intestinal flora in offspring of fear-stress rats during pregnancy.Methods Thirty-six 0.5-day pregnant Wistar rats were divided randomly into a control group,fear-stress group,and five-element music group,and the subsequent litters continued the maternal grouping.Pregnant rats in the fear-stress and five-element music groups were modeled on days 1～19 of gestation using the bystander electric method,while the five-element music group was also exposed to Feather Tune five-element music intervention.The fear behavior and serum glucocorticoid(GC)levels in pregnant rats were assessed on day 20 of pregnancy by open field test and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay,respectively,to evaluate the effectiveness of the model.Depression in 3-week-old offspring was evaluated by open field,tail suspension,and sucrose preference tests.Norepinephrine(NE),dopamine(DA),and 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT)levels in the hippocampus of the offspring were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography.Changes in the intestinal flora of the offspring were analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing.Expression levels of the proximal colonic proteins claudin1,occludin,and ZO1 in the offspring were measured by Western blot assay.Results Pregnant rats in the fear-stress group stayed longer in the area around the open field(P＜0.05),had fewer entries into the central area(P＜0.001),and had higher serum GC levels compared with those in the blank group(P＜0.001).In contrast,five-element music exposure reversed these behavioral changes(P＜0.05)and serum GC levels(P＜0.001)in the fear-stress group.Offspring in the fear-stress group exhibited decreased open-field crossing frequency(P＜0.01),reduced sucrose preference index,and longer immobility time in the tail suspension test(P＜0.05),compared with those in the blank group,together with significantly decreased NE,DA,and 5-HT levels in the hippocampus(P＜0.05).Rats in the fear-stress group showed decreased diversity of the intestinal flora(P＜0.01)and significant alterations in flora structure,including higher abundance of Proteobacteria,Enterobacteriaceae,Enterococcus,and Escherichia(P＜0.05),and lower abundance of Spirochaetes,Spirochaetaceae,Lachnospiraceae,Ruminococcaceae,Treponema,Prevotella,Coprococcus,Allobaculum,Ruminococcus,and Dorea(P＜0.05).The proximal colonic proteins Claudin1,Occludin,and ZO1 were significantly downregulated(P＜0.05).The open-field crossing frequency,sucrose preference index,and duration of tail suspension immobilization were improved in the five-element music group compared with those in the fear-stress group(P＜0.05),while DA and 5-HT levels were significantly restored in the hippocampus(P＜0.05),species diversity of the intestinal flora increased(P＜0.01)and changes in the abundance of the flora were reversed,and the proximal colonic proteins Occludin and ZO1 expression were significantly upregulated(P＜0.05).Conclusions Five-element music intervention during pregnancy can ameliorate fear-stress-induced depression behaviors and intestinal flora disorders in the offspring.

OBJECTIVE:To assess the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in treating postmenopausal osteoporosis.METHODS:Clinical randomized controlled trials on acupuncture for postmenopausal osteoporosis were retrieved from databases including CNKI,VIP,WanFang,China Biomedical Literature Service System,Web of Science,PubMed,Embase,and Cochrane Library.The search period was from the inception of the database to July 23,2024.The quality of evidence and risk of bias of the included studies were assessed using the GRADEprofiler and the revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials(RoB 2.0).Meta-analysis was performed using StataSE 15 and TSA 0.9.5,along with heterogeneity analysis,sensitivity analysis,subgroup analysis,publication bias analysis,trim-and-fill analysis,and trial sequential analysis.RESULTS:The study included 19 randomized controlled trials involving a total of 1 464 patients.(1)The meta-analysis revealed that compared with conventional therapies,acupuncture significantly increased the total effective rate(RR=1.25,95％confidence interval[1.19,1.32],P＜0.001),lumbar spine L2-L4 bone mineral density(mean difference=0.08,95％confidence interval[0.05,0.11],P＜0.001),and estrogen levels(standard mean difference=0.55,95％confidence interval[0.30,0.81],P＜0.001).Additionally,acupuncture increased bone mineral density and gonadotropin levels in the femoral neck,greater trochanter,and Ward's triangle,reduced visual analogue scale scores,and improved bone metabolism without significantly increasing the incidence of adverse events.(2)Subgroup analysis of the main outcome indicators showed no significant difference between the treatment and control groups when the body mass index was greater than 23.9 kg/m2 and the total treatment duration was 6 months.All other treatment subgroups were significantly superior to the control group.(3)Publication bias analysis indicated a significant risk of publication bias in the overall efficacy;however,a trim-and-fill analysis showed that this risk did not significantly impact the reliability of the conclusions.Publication bias analysis showed no significant risk of publication bias in the bone mineral density values of lumbar spine L2-L4 and estradiol levels.(4)The sequential analysis of the trial further confirmed that acupuncture significantly increased the overall effective rate,bone mineral density values at the lumbar spine L1-L4,and estradiol levels.CONCLUSION:Acupuncture is an effective and safe treatment for postmenopausal osteoporosis.More rigorously designed and high-quality studies are needed in the future to verify this conclusion.