BACKGROUND:With the improvement of diet and living standards,acidic diet and orthodontic treatment have become the main causes of enamel surface demineralization.As the first step of dental caries,enamel demineralization should be actively intervened.Mechanical grinding has great damage and does not conform to the concept of minimally invasive medicine.Biomimetic remineralization is the best way to deal with enamel demineralization at present. OBJECTIVE:To summarize the mechanism,application and research progress of biomimetic remineralization of early enamel demineralization,and provide ideas for further overcoming the hot issues of biomimetic remineralization. METHODS:English keywords"enamel demineralization,biomimetic remineralization,amelogenin,amorphous calcium phosphate"were used to search PubMed.Chinese keywords"enamel demineralization,biomimetic remineralization,amelogenin"were used to search CNKI.Through screening,72 articles were finally obtained for review. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)At present,there are drug treatments for enamel demineralization,such as fluoride preparations,laser treatment,resin penetration,remineralization treatment and other treatment methods.Biomimetic remineralization is the most ideal repair method for early enamel demineralization.(2)In the narrow sense,enamel remineralization refers to the mineral re-deposition inside the enamel after early enamel demineralization.In the broad sense,enamel remineralization includes the mineralization deposition on the surface and inside of enamel.(3)Clinical biomimetic remineralization reagents are mainly composed of amelogenin,non amelogenin,amelogenin peptide,casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate complex,etc.The advantages of protein and peptide materials are that they conform to the physiological mechanism and can generate high-strength remineralized materials by inducing orientation.The disadvantages are that the manufacturing process is relatively complex and the cost is high.The remineralization effect of amorphous calcium phosphate complex is good,but it needs to be combined with other materials to play a role.Other calcium phosphate materials are easy to carry and beautiful,but they are easy to cause the formation of dental calculus.(4)Future research should focus on the following aspects:increasing experimental data and clinical results,and clarifying the indications of various methods;explore more biomimetic remineralization methods and find suitable alternative materials;find a reasonable way to combine materials,so that their advantages and disadvantages complement each other.The portability of clinical application can be strengthened to increase the frequency of daily use,so that short-term experimental conclusions can be supported by long-term clinical data.

Pristimerin, which is one of the compounds present in Celastraceae and Hippocrateaceae, has antitumor effects. However, its mechanism of action in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the efficacy and mechanism of pristimerin on ESCC in vitro and in vivo. The inhibitory effect of pristimerin on cell growth was assessed using trypan blue exclusion and colony formation assays. Cell apoptosis was evaluated by flow cytometry. Gene and protein expressions were analyzed through quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), Western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) was employed to identify significantly differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Cell transfection and RNA interference assays were utilized to examine the role of key proteins in pristimerin?s effect. Xenograft models were established to evaluate the antitumor efficiency of pristimerin in vivo. Pristimerin inhibited cell growth and induced apoptosis in ESCC cells. Upregulation of Noxa was crucial for pristimerin-induced apoptosis. Pristimerin activated the Forkhead box O3a (FoxO3a) signaling pathway and triggered FoxO3a recruitment to the Noxa promoter, leading to Noxa transcription. Blocking FoxO3a reversed pristimerin-induced Noxa upregulation and cell apoptosis. Pristimerin treatment suppressed xenograft tumors in nude mice, but these effects were largely negated in Noxa-KO tumors. Furthermore, the chemosensitization effects of pristimerin in vitro and in vivo were mediated by Noxa. This study demonstrates that pristimerin exerts an antitumor effect on ESCC by inducing AKT/FoxO3a-mediated Noxa upregulation. These findings suggest that pristimerin may serve as a potent anticancer agent for ESCC treatment.
Forkhead Box Protein O3/genetics* ; Humans ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma/physiopathology* ; Esophageal Neoplasms/physiopathology* ; Pentacyclic Triterpenes ; Animals ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/genetics* ; Mice ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Mice, Nude ; Cell Proliferation/drug effects* ; Triterpenes/pharmacology* ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Male ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic/drug effects*

Microalgae possess high photosynthetic efficiency, robust adaptability, and substantial biomass, serving as excellent biological resources for large-scale cultivation. Malic enzyme (ME), a ubiquitous metabolic enzyme in living organisms, catalyzes the decarboxylation of malate to produce pyruvate, CO₂, and NAD(P)H, playing a role in multiple metabolic pathways including energy metabolism, photosynthesis, respiration, and biosynthesis. In this study, we identified the Scenedesmus quadricauda malic enzyme gene (SqME) and its biological functions, aiming to provide excellent target genes for the genetic improvement of higher plants. Based on the RNA-seq data from S. quadricauda under the biofilm cultivation mode with high CO₂ and light energy transfer efficiency and small water use, a highly expressed gene (SqME) functionally annotated as ME was cloned. The physicochemical properties of the SqME-encoded protein were systematically analyzed by bioinformatics tools. The subcellular localization of SqME was determined via transient transformation in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves. The biological functions of SqME were identified via genetic transformation in Nicotiana tabacum, and the potential of SqME in the genetic improvement of higher plants was evaluated. The ORF of SqME was 1 770 bp, encoding 590 amino acid residues, and the encoded protein was located in chloroplasts. SqME was a NADP-ME, with the typical structural characteristics of ME. The ME activity in the transgenic N. tabacum plant was 1.8 folds of that in the wild-type control. Heterologous expression of SqME increased the content of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and total chlorophyll by 20.9%, 26.9%, and 25.2%, respectively, compared with the control. The transgenic tobacco leaves showed an increase of 54.0% in the fluorescence parameter NPQ and a decrease of 30.1% in Fo compared with the control. Moreover, the biomass, total lipids, and soluble sugars in the transgenic tobacco leaves enhanced by 20.5%, 25.7%, and 9.5%, respectively. On the contrary, the starch and protein content in the transgenic tobacco leaves decreased by 22.4% and 12.2%, respectively. Collectively, the SqME-encoded protein exhibited a strong enzymatic activity. Heterologous expressing of SqME could significantly enhance photosynthetic protection, photosynthesis, and biomass accumulation in the host. Additionally, SqME can facilitate carbon metabolism remodeling in the host, driving more carbon flux towards lipid synthesis. Therefore, SqME can be applied in the genetic improvement of higher plants for enhancing photosynthetic carbon fixation and lipid accumulation. These findings provide scientific references for mining of functional genes from S. quadricauda and application of these genes in the genetic engineering of higher plants.
Nicotiana/genetics* ; Photosynthesis/physiology* ; Malate Dehydrogenase/biosynthesis* ; Plant Leaves/genetics* ; Scenedesmus/enzymology* ; Carbon Cycle/genetics* ; Lipid Metabolism/genetics* ; Plants, Genetically Modified/metabolism*

Objective To investigate the correlation between MEX3A and differentiation characteristics of gastric cancer and intestinal metaplasia,and its combination with caudal-related homeobox transcription factor 2(CDX2)and mucin 2(MUC2)and mucin 5AC(MUC5AC)to determine the role of carcinogenic intestinal metaplasia.Methods From January 2010 to December 2014,a total of 410 cases of gastric cancer and paracarcinoma paraffin-embedded tissue samples were selected from the Central Hospital Affiliated to Shenyang Medical College and the Second Hospital Affiliated to Shenyang Medical College.According to pathological diagnosis,they were divided into control group(mild superficial gastritis,79 cases),intestinal metaplasia group(149 cases)and gastric cancer group(182 cases).The expressions of MEX3A,CDX2,MUC2 and MUC5AC were detected by immunohistochemistry.Results MEX3A was highly expressed in gastric cancer group and intestinal metaplasia group,especially diffuse gastric cancer,poorly differentiated gastric cancer and type Ⅲ intestinal metaplasia(P<0.05).CDX2 and MUC2 were highly expressed in gastric cancer group and intestinal metaplasia group,especially intestinal type gastric cancer,highly and moderately differentiated gastric cancer,type Ⅰ and type Ⅱ intestinal metaplasia(P<0.05).The expression of MUC5AC was high in control group and low in gastric cancer group and intestinal metaplasia group,especially in intestinal type gastric cancer,type Ⅰ and type Ⅲ intestinal metaplasia(P<0.05).Gastric cancer and intestinal metaplasia differentiation were negatively correlated with MEX3A and MUC5AC expression,but positively correlated with CDX2 and MUC2 expression(P<0.05).MEX3A was negatively correlated with the expression of CDX2 and MUC2,and positively correlated with the expression of MUC5AC in gastric cancer(P<0.05).MEX3A was negatively correlated with the expression of CDX2 and MUC2 in intestinal metaplasia(P<0.05),while CDX2 was positively correlated with the expression of MUC2(P<0.05).Conclusion MEX3A is negatively correlated with gastric cancer and intestinal metaplasia differentiation.Gastric cancer is characterized by high MEX3A expression and low CDX2 and MUC2 expression.

Gualou Niubangtang is a classic formula for eliminating swelling and dispersing lumps， commonly used in the clinical treatment of breast diseases in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）. This paper employed bibliometric methods to collect and organize 12 pieces of data from ancient texts related to Gualou Niubangtang， ultimately screening 10 valid references from 10 ancient Chinese medical books. Information regarding the prescription origin， main indications， formulation principles， drug composition， dosages， preparation methods， and decoction techniques was systematically verified. The results indicate that Gualou Niubangtang originates from the Orthodox Manual of External Medicine （Wai Ke Zheng Zong） by Chen Shigong in the Ming Dynasty. The formula consists of 12 Chinese medicines， including Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium， Arctii Fructus， Gardeniae Fructus， Lonicerae Japonicae Flos， Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma， Trichosanthis Semen， Scutellariae Radix， Trichosanthis Radix， Forsythiae Fructus， Gleditsiae Spina， Bupleuri Radix， and Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium Viridm. In terms of drug origins， the dominant radical for Trichosanthis Semen and Trichosanthis Radix is Trichosanthes kirilowii， and the historical dominant radical for Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma is Glycyrrhiza uralensis. The nine medicines， Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium， Arctii Fructus， Gardeniae Fructus， Lonicerae Japonicae Flos， Scutellariae Radix， Forsythiae Fructus， Gleditsiae Spina， Bupleuri Radix， and Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium Viridm， are consistent with the 2020 edition of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. The preparation methods involve frying Arctii Fructus， removing the heart from Forsythiae Fructus， while the remaining 10 medicines are used raw. The efficacy includes clearing heat， removing toxins， reducing swelling， and dispersing lumps. Clinically， it is used to treat conditions such as breast carbuncles， breast gangrene， and knot-like swellings and pain. The dosage， converted to modern standards， includes 3.73 g of Trichosanthis Semen， 3.73 g of Trichosanthis Radix， 3.73 g of Arctii Fructus， 3.73 g of Scutellariae Radix， 3.73 g of Gardeniae Fructus， 3.73 g of Forsythiae Fructus， 3.73 g of Gleditsiae Spina， 3.73 g of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos， 3.73 g of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma， 3.73 g of Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium， 1.85 g of Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium Viridm， and 1.85 g of Bupleuri Radix. The preparation is in the form of a decoction， with the 12 medicines added to 400 mL of water and decocted until 160 mL. The liquid is then mixed with 200 mL of yellow wine and taken before meals three times a day. Through the excavation and organization of ancient literature regarding Gualou Niubangtang， key information has been identified to provide a scientific basis for its clinical application and further development.

Objective:To study the clinical characteristics and risk factors of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in one of the premature twins.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted on twin premature infants who were admitted to the Department of Neonatology at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2017 to December 2022 and only one got NEC. The twins were divided into NEC group and control group, the clinical data were collected and analyzed by SPSS 26.0 statistical software.Results:This study enrolled 109 pairs of premature twins, 109 cases in the NEC group, and 109 cases in the control group. Univariate analysis showed that birth weight, pre NEC white blood cell count were lower in NEC group than those in the control group, while the proportion of smaller than gestational age (SGA), donor of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, feeding intolerance, incomplete enteral feeding, start feeding time >48 h, red blood cell transfusion 72 h before NEC onset and the neutrophils ratio were higher in the NEC group than that of the control group, the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). Multivariate logistic analysis showed that low birth weight ( OR=1.558, 95% CI1.197-2.142), SGA ( OR=1.721, 95% CI 1.217-2.536), feeding intolerance ( OR=3.798, 95% CI 1.347-10.706), and incomplete enteral feeding ( OR=4.319, 95% CI 1.673-11.149) were independent risk factors for NEC ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Low birth weight, small for gestational age, feeding intolerance, and incomplete enteral feeding are independent risk factors for NEC in one of the premature twins.

ObjectiveBy starting with the combination of Os Draconis， Bupleuri Radix， and Ostreae Concha， the role of mineral medicine Os Draconis in the combination of the Bupleuri Radix-containing tri-herbal medicines was preliminarily explored from the perspective of supramolecular system formation. Method① The appearance and Tyndall phenomenon of single decoction of Os Draconis， Bupleuri Radix， and Ostreae Concha， as well as co-decoction of Bupleuri Radix-Os Draconis， Bupleuri Radix-Os Draconis-Ostreae Concha， and Bupleuri Radix-Ostreae Concha were observed， and the average particle size， dispersion coefficient， and Zeta potential of suspension particles in each decoction were determined. The micromorphology of supramolecular structures was observed by scanning electron microscope （SEM）. ② The pH of different compatibility systems， liquid viscosity coefficient， liquid surface tension， freeze-dried powder yield rate， and other physical properties were determined， and the interaction of different compatibility systems was detected by infrared absorption spectroscopy （FTIR） and UV-visible spectrophotometry （UV-Vis）. ③ The composition and content difference of different compatible systems were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography （HPLC） and ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry （UPLC-Q-TOF-MS）. ResultCompared with the single decoction， the co-decoction had more obvious turbidity and Tyndall phenomenon. The particles in the co-decoction suspension were smaller and more evenly distributed， and the Zeta potential was reduced， indicating a more stable system. Under SEM， Bupleuri Radix was irregularly lamellar， and Bupleuri Radix-Os Draconis and Bupleuri Radix-Os Draconis-Ostreae Concha were mainly spherical nanoparticles. Bupleuri Radix-Ostreae Concha was irregularly lamellar， with a small number of spherical nanoparticles. The pH of the single decoction of Bupleuri Radix and co-decoction increased， and the viscosity coefficient increased. The liquid surface tension decreased. The freeze-dried powder yield rate of the Bupleuri Radix-Os Draconis co-decoction was the highest， followed by Bupleuri Radix-Ostreae Concha decoction and Bupleuri Radix-Os Draconis-Ostreae Concha decoction， and the yield rate of Bupleuri Radix single decoction was the lowest. The main change of FTIR was the stretching vibration of -OH， and the co-decoction moved to the low-frequency direction obviously. UV-Vis showed that the maximum absorption occurred at 295.8 nm for all groups， and the absorption intensity was different （Bupleuri Radix-Os Draconis>Bupleuri Radix-Os Draconis-Ostreae Concha>Bupleuri Radix-Ostreae Concha>Bupleuri Radix）. The components of Bupleuri Radix were used as the indexes， and the content of methanol extract determined by HPLC was higher than that of water extract， and the components of Bupleuri Radix single decoction were mainly saikosaponin a （SSa） and saikosaponin c （SSc）， which were slightly higher after co-decoction compatibility. UPLC-Q-TOF-MS could identify 37 compounds in both single decoction and co-decoction. ConclusionThe combination of Bupleuri Radix， Os Draconis， and Ostreae Concha can form a smaller， more uniform， and stable nano-sized supramolecular system， which is conducive to the dissolution of the main components of Bupleuri Radix， and the Os Draconis contributes the most in this process.

Objective To explore the feasibility of quantitative EEG parameters for prognostic prediction of patients with severe aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage(SaSAH)90 d after the onset of the disease.Methods Patients with SaSAH admitted to the Neurosurgical Intensive Care Unit(NSICU)of Henan Provincial People's Hospital from September 2022 to September 2023 were prospectively consecutively enrolled,and baseline data were collected,including age,gender,medical history(hypertension,diabetes mellitus,coronary artery disease,and stroke),history of smoking,history of drinking,location of aneurysm(anterior circulation,posterior circulation),surgical modality(craniotomy,interventional surgery,hybrid surgery),Hunt-Hess classification,Glasgow coma scale(GCS)score,acute physiology and chronic health status scoring system Ⅱ(APACHE Ⅱ)score,subarachnoid hemorrhage early brain edema score(SEBES),first randomized blood glucose level after admission to NSICU,lactate level,and duration of NSICU stay.Quantitative EEG monitoring was performed in all patients within 48 h after admission to the NSICU,and amplitude-integrated electroencephalogram(aEEG)upper and lower boundaries,95％spectral edge frequency(SEF95),α change,(δ+θ)to(α+β)power ratio(DTABR),brain symmetry index(BSI),and spectral entropy were collected.Based on modified Rankin scale(mRS)scores 90 d after onset,patients were categorized into good prognosis(mRS score 2 points)and poor prognosis(mRS score 3-6 points)groups.Spearman rank correlation was used to analyze the correlation between quantitative EEG parameters and mRS scores in SaSAH patients.Multifactorial Logistic regression analysis was used to screen for correlates of poor prognosis,and receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were plotted to evaluate the efficacy of each index in predicting patients'poor prognosis.Results(1)A total of 72 patients with SaSAH were included,with 47 in the poor prognosis group and 25 in the good prognosis group,and the poor prognosis rate at 90 d after the onset was 65.3％.There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of gender,age,hypertension,diabetes mellitus,coronary artery disease,history of stroke,history of smoking,history of drinking,location of aneurysm,surgical modality,lactate level,and length of hospitalization in the NSICU(all P＞0.05);the differences between the Hunt-Hess grading,SEBES,and random blood glucose were statistically significant upon comparison(all P＜0.05).Compared with the good prognosis group,the changes of aEEG upper and lower boundary,SEF95,α change and spectral entropy were lower in the poor prognosis group,but DTABR and BSI were higher(all P＜0.05).(2)Spearman rank correlation analysis showed that the upper border of aEEG(r=-0.41,P＜0.01),lower border of aEEG(r=-0.54,P＜0.01),SEF95(r=-0.46,P＜0.01),α change(r=-0.53,P＜0.01)and spectral entropy(r=-0.39,P＜0.01)were negatively correlated with the mRS scores of SaSAH patients,and DTABR(r=0.52,P＜0.01)and BSI(r=0.33,P＜0.01)were positively correlated with poor prognosis of SaSAH patients.(3)The results of multifactorial Logistic regression analysis showed that Hunt-Hess grading(level Ⅳ vs.Ⅲ:OR,1.203,95％CI 1.005-1.441,P=0.044;level V vs.Ⅲ:OR,1.661,95％CI 1.109-2.487,P=0.014),SEBES(OR,1.647,95％CI 1.050-2.586;P=0.030),aEEG lower border(OR,0.687,95％CI 0.496-0.953l;P=0.024),SEF95(OR,0.436,95％CI0.202-0.937;P=0.034),α change(OR,0.368,95％CI0.189-0.717;P=0.003),DTABR(OR,1.324,95％CI 1.064-1.649;P=0.012),and BSI(OR,1.513,95％CI 1.026-2.231;P=0.036)were influencing factors of poor prognosis in SaSAH patients.ROC curve analysis showed that all of the above seven indicators had a certain predictive value for poor prognosis in SaSAH patients,among which the area under the curve of DTABR was the highest as 0.862(95％CI 0.761-0.932),with sensitivity 85.11％and specificity 80.00％.Conclusion Quantitative EEG parameters aEEG lower border,SEF95,α change,DTABR,and BSI may have certain predictive value for the short-term prognosis of SaSAH patients,which needs to be further confirmed in future multi-center large-sample studies.

Objective:To construct a prognostic predictive model for patients with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (msTBI) based on regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rScO 2) and transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) monitoring parameters and validate its effectiveness. Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 161 patients with msTBI who were treated at Henan Provincial People′s Hospital from January 2021 to December 2022, including 104 males and 57 females, aged 19-76 years [(53.1±12.8)years]. Glasgow coma scale (GCS) score was 3-12 points [(7.0±1.9)points]. Both rScO 2 and TCD monitoring were performed. Based on the results of prognostic evaluation of patients with the modified Rankin scale (mRS) score at 90 days after discharge, the patients were divided into good prognosis group (mRS score≤3 points, n=88) and poor prognosis group (mRS score of 4-6 points, n=73). The following data of the two groups were collected: the general data, clinical data, rScO 2 monitoring parameters and TCD monitoring parameters. Univariate analysis was employed to compare the differences in the relevant prognostic indicators. Multivariate Logistic stepwise regression analysis was conducted to determine the predictors of poor prognostic outcomes in msTBI patients and regression equations were constructed. A nomogram predictive model based on regression equations was drawn with R language. The discriminability of the model was evaluated by drawing the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, to calculate the area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, and Jordan index of the model, and measuring the consistency index (C index). Hosmer-Lemeshow (H-L) goodness of fit test was conducted to evaluate the fit of the model, and the calibration curve was used to evaluate the calibration degree of the model. Decision curve analysis (DCA) was employed to evaluate the clinical benefit and applicability of the model. Results:There were significant differences between the two groups in the clinical data (cerebral hernia formation, GCS on admission, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) score on admission, Rotterdam CT score on admission, oxygenation index on admission, mean arterial pressure on admission), rScO 2 monitoring parameters (mean rScO 2, maximum rScO 2, rScO 2 variability), TCD monitoring parameters [peak systolic blood flow velocity (Vs), average blood flow velocity (Vm), pulse index (PI)] ( P<0.05 or 0.01). The results of multivariate Logistic stepwise regression analysis showed that cerebral hernia formation ( OR=9.28, 95% CI 3.40, 25.33, P<0.01), Rotterdam CT score on admission ( OR=1.92, 95% CI 1.32, 2.78, P<0.01), rScO 2 variability ( OR=4.66, 95% CI 1.74, 12.43, P<0.01), Vs ( OR=0.66, 95% CI 0.61, 0.75, P<0.01) and PI ( OR=20.07, 95% CI 4.17, 16.50, P<0.01) were predictive factors for poor prognosis in patients with msTBI. The regression equation was constructed with the forementioned 5 variables: Logit [ P/(1- P)]=2.23×"brain hernia formation"+0.65×"Rotterdam CT score on admission"+1.54×"rScO 2 variability"-0.42×"Vs"+3.00×"PI"-6.75. The AUC of prognostic predictive model of msTBI patients was 0.90 (95% CI 0.85, 0.95), with the sensitivity and specificity of 86.3% and 78.4%, Youden index of 0.65 and C index of 0.90. H-L goodness of fit test showed that the calibration degree of the predictive model was accurate ( χ2 =12.58, P>0.05). The average absolute error of the calibration curve was 0.025, showing that the calibration of the model was good. DCA results showed that this model had higher net return rate than the reference model within the probability range of risk threshold (20%-100%), with good clinical application value in evaluating the risk of poor prognosis of msTBI patients. Conclusion:The model constructed based on the combination of rScO 2 and TCD monitoring parameters (rScO 2 variability, Vs and PI) with multiple clinical indicators (cerebral hernia formation and Rotterdam CT score on admission) has good predictive performance for the prognosis of msTBI.

Objective To investigate the expression of Nanog and its regulatory relationship with MMP-2/MMP-9 proteins in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC).Methods We detected Nanog and MMP-2/MMP-9 protein expressions in 127 ESCC tissues and 82 adjacent normal tissues using immunohistochemistry and explored their correlations with the clinicopathological parameters and prognosis of the patients.GEO database was utilized to analyze the pathways enriched with the stemness-related molecules including Nanog,and TIMER online tool was used to analyze the correlations among TβR1,MMP-2,and MMP-9 in esophageal cancer.Results Nanog and MMP-2/MMP-9 proteins were significantly upregulated in ESCC tissues and positively intercorrelated.Their expression levels were closely correlated with infiltration depth and lymph node metastasis of ESCC but not with age,gender,or tumor differentiation.The patients with high expressions of Nanog and MMP-2/MMP-9 had significantly shorter survival time.Bioinformatics analysis showed enrichment of stemness-associated molecules in the TGF-β signaling pathway,and the expressions of MMP-2/MMP-9 and TβR1 were positively correlated.In cultured ESCC cells,Nanog knockdown significantly decreased the expression of TβR1,p-Smad2/3,MMP-2,and MMP-9 and strongly inhibited cell migration.Conclusion The high expressions of Nanog,MMP-2,and MMP-9,which are positively correlated,are closely related with invasion depth,lymph node metastasis,and prognosis of ESCC.Nanog regulates the expressions of MMP-2/MMP-9 proteins through the TGF-β signaling pathway,and its high expression promotes migration of ESCC cells.