1.Integrated molecular characterization of sarcomatoid hepatocellular carcinoma
Rong-Qi SUN ; Yu-Hang YE ; Ye XU ; Bo WANG ; Si-Yuan PAN ; Ning LI ; Long CHEN ; Jing-Yue PAN ; Zhi-Qiang HU ; Jia FAN ; Zheng-Jun ZHOU ; Jian ZHOU ; Cheng-Li SONG ; Shao-Lai ZHOU
Clinical and Molecular Hepatology 2025;31(2):426-444
Background:
s/Aims: Sarcomatoid hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a rare histological subtype of HCC characterized by extremely poor prognosis; however, its molecular characterization has not been elucidated.
Methods:
In this study, we conducted an integrated multiomics study of whole-exome sequencing, RNA-seq, spatial transcriptome, and immunohistochemical analyses of 28 paired sarcomatoid tumor components and conventional HCC components from 10 patients with sarcomatoid HCC, in order to identify frequently altered genes, infer the tumor subclonal architectures, track the genomic evolution, and delineate the transcriptional characteristics of sarcomatoid HCCs.
Results:
Our results showed that the sarcomatoid HCCs had poor prognosis. The sarcomatoid tumor components and the conventional HCC components were derived from common ancestors, mostly accessing similar mutational processes. Clonal phylogenies demonstrated branched tumor evolution during sarcomatoid HCC development and progression. TP53 mutation commonly occurred at tumor initiation, whereas ARID2 mutation often occurred later. Transcriptome analyses revealed the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and hypoxic phenotype in sarcomatoid tumor components, which were confirmed by immunohistochemical staining. Moreover, we identified ARID2 mutations in 70% (7/10) of patients with sarcomatoid HCC but only 1–5% of patients with non-sarcomatoid HCC. Biofunctional investigations revealed that inactivating mutation of ARID2 contributes to HCC growth and metastasis and induces EMT in a hypoxic microenvironment.
Conclusions
We offer a comprehensive description of the molecular basis for sarcomatoid HCC, and identify genomic alteration (ARID2 mutation) together with the tumor microenvironment (hypoxic microenvironment), that may contribute to the formation of the sarcomatoid tumor component through EMT, leading to sarcomatoid HCC development and progression.
2.Five new triterpenoid saponins from the kernels of Momordica cochinchinensis
Ru DING ; Jia-qi WANG ; Yi-yang LUO ; Yong-long HAN ; Xiao-bo LI ; Meng-yue WANG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica 2025;60(2):442-448
Five saponins were isolated from the kernels of
3.Quality inspection of ultrasound soft tissue cutting hemostatic equipment
Jing HUANG ; Qi-di SUN ; Ao-wen DUAN ; Li XU ; Heng-yu LONG ; Hai-jiang ZHU ; He-hua ZHANG
Chinese Medical Equipment Journal 2025;46(10):49-53
Objective To carry out quality inspection of the ultrasound soft tissue cutting hemostatic equipment to ensure its safety and effectiveness.Methods Five brands of ultrasound soft tissue cutting hemostatic equipment were selected and noted as test equipment A,test equipment B,test equipment C,test equipment D and test equipment E,which underwent quality inspection in terms of tip main amplitude,tip lateral amplitude,tip vibration frequency,excitation frequency,static electrical power and contact current based on YY/T 0644-2008 Ultrasonics-surgical systems—Measurement and declaration of the basic output characteristics,YY/T 1750-2020 Ultrasonic surgical equipmetn for soft tissue excision and hemostasia and GB 9706.1-2020 Medical electrical equipment—Part 1:General requirements for basic safety and essential performance.Results The test data of the five brands in terms of tip main amplitude,tip lateral amplitude,tip vibration frequency,excitation frequency,static electrical power and contact current met the technical requirements of YY/T 0644-2008,YY/T 1750-2020,GB 9706.1-2020.Conclusion The quality inspection of the ultrasound soft tissue cutting hemostatic equipment contributes to enhancing the accuracy and stability of the equipment and decreasing the risk during its clinical application.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2025,46(10):49-53]
4.Integrated molecular characterization of sarcomatoid hepatocellular carcinoma
Rong-Qi SUN ; Yu-Hang YE ; Ye XU ; Bo WANG ; Si-Yuan PAN ; Ning LI ; Long CHEN ; Jing-Yue PAN ; Zhi-Qiang HU ; Jia FAN ; Zheng-Jun ZHOU ; Jian ZHOU ; Cheng-Li SONG ; Shao-Lai ZHOU
Clinical and Molecular Hepatology 2025;31(2):426-444
Background:
s/Aims: Sarcomatoid hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a rare histological subtype of HCC characterized by extremely poor prognosis; however, its molecular characterization has not been elucidated.
Methods:
In this study, we conducted an integrated multiomics study of whole-exome sequencing, RNA-seq, spatial transcriptome, and immunohistochemical analyses of 28 paired sarcomatoid tumor components and conventional HCC components from 10 patients with sarcomatoid HCC, in order to identify frequently altered genes, infer the tumor subclonal architectures, track the genomic evolution, and delineate the transcriptional characteristics of sarcomatoid HCCs.
Results:
Our results showed that the sarcomatoid HCCs had poor prognosis. The sarcomatoid tumor components and the conventional HCC components were derived from common ancestors, mostly accessing similar mutational processes. Clonal phylogenies demonstrated branched tumor evolution during sarcomatoid HCC development and progression. TP53 mutation commonly occurred at tumor initiation, whereas ARID2 mutation often occurred later. Transcriptome analyses revealed the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and hypoxic phenotype in sarcomatoid tumor components, which were confirmed by immunohistochemical staining. Moreover, we identified ARID2 mutations in 70% (7/10) of patients with sarcomatoid HCC but only 1–5% of patients with non-sarcomatoid HCC. Biofunctional investigations revealed that inactivating mutation of ARID2 contributes to HCC growth and metastasis and induces EMT in a hypoxic microenvironment.
Conclusions
We offer a comprehensive description of the molecular basis for sarcomatoid HCC, and identify genomic alteration (ARID2 mutation) together with the tumor microenvironment (hypoxic microenvironment), that may contribute to the formation of the sarcomatoid tumor component through EMT, leading to sarcomatoid HCC development and progression.
5.Effect of HER2 on bladder cancer by regulating PI3K-Akt signaling pathway via YWHAE and its mechanism
Long YANG ; Jing CUI ; Fan WANG ; Dan LI ; Qi ZHANG ; Yanlei LI
International Journal of Biomedical Engineering 2025;48(4):365-376
Objective:To investigate the effect of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) on bladder cancer by regulating phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-protein kinase B (Akt) signaling pathway via tyrosine 3-monooxygenase/tryptophan 5-monooxygenase activation protein epsilon peptide (YWHAE) and to examine its mechanism.Methods:The gene expression profiling interactive analysis (GEPIA) database was used to analyze HER2 expression in 408 bladder cancer tissues and 19 adjacent normal tissues. HER2 expression was then compared between 215 tumor protein 53 ( TP53) mutant and 193 TP53 non-mutant bladder cancer tissues. Tissue samples were obtained from patients who underwent surgical resection for bladder cancer in Tianjin Medical University General Hospital between June 2010 and March 2015. Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting were performed to validate HER2 and p53 protein expression, as well as analyze their correlation. Bladder cancer T24 cells were transfected with short hairpin RNA targeting HER2 (shHER2) control (shCon) or shHER2, designated as shCon and shHER2 groups. Bladder cancer UMUC3 cells were transfected with overexpression control (oeCon), HER2 overexpression (oeHER2), oeYWHAE, or short hairpin RNA targeting murine double minute 2 (MDM2) (shMDM2), and were designated as the oeCon, oeHER2, oeYWHAE and shMDM2 groups, respectively. UMUC3 cells were then treated with either 0.1% dimethyl sulfoxide or 100 mmol/L dihydrotestosterone and designated as the solvent control and dihydrotestosterone groups, respectively. Additionally, oeCon and oeYWHAE UMUC3 cells were treated with the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 (25 μmol/L), designated as the LY294002 and LY294002+oeYWHAE groups. On this basis, shHER2 was transfected into the oeCon and oeYWHAE groups, which were then designated as the shHER2-2 and shHER2-2+oeYWHAE groups. The relative expression levels of HER2, YWHAE mRNA, and HER2, p53, YWHAE, MDM2, phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt), and Akt proteins were determined using quantitative reverse transcription PCR and Western blotting. Cell Counting Kit-8, Transwell, and wound-healing assays were performed to evaluate the impact of HER2 on the proliferation, invasion, and migration of bladder cancer cells. Mass spectrometry and co-immunoprecipitation assays were performed to confirm the interaction between YWHAE and HER2, and immunofluorescence was used to detect p53 expression. BALB/c nude mice were subcutaneously injected with 5×10 6 UMUC3 cells in the scapular region. According to the random number table method, they were divided into negative the control group and the transfection group, with 3 mice in each group, and transfected with oeCon and oeHER2, respectively. Tumor volume and weight were measured and calculated, and HER2 and p53 protein expression in bladder cancer tissues was validated by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. Independent sample t test or Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the two groups. One-way analysis of variance or Kruskal-Wallis test was used for comparison of multiple groups. Results:GEPIA database analysis demonstrated significantly higher levels of HER2 expression in bladder cancer tissues and in TP53 mutant bladder cancers compared with adjacent normal tissues (both P<0.01). HER2 expression was inversely correlated with p53 expression ( r=?0.6). Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting confirmed that p53 expression level in the bladder cancer tissues (5.32±0.11) was higher than that in the adjacent normal tissues (2.00±0.01), while HER2 expression level in the bladder cancer tissues (1.13±0.02) was lower than that in the adjacent normal tissues (6.20±0.06) (both P<0.01). HER2 mRNA and protein expression, absorbance at 450 nm wavelength ( A450) values, and cell invasion number and cell migration distance in the shHER2 group were all lower than those in the shCon group [0.25±0.01 vs 1.00±0.05, 1.00± 0.01 vs 3.26±0.09, 1.36±0.04 vs 1.65±0.06, (107.00±5.51) vs (202.70±11.61) cells, and (298.70±6.94) vs (454.30±7.84) μm] ( P<0.05, 0.01). HER2 mRNA and protein expression, absorbance ( A450) values, and cell invasion number and cell migration distance in the oeHER2 group were all higher than those in the oeCon group [0.78±0.02 vs 0.46±0.01, 2.05±0.02 vs 1.00±0.00, 1.23±0.06 vs 0.78±0.03, (136.30±5.24) vs (59.00±5.51) cells, and (153.70±7.27) vs (66.33±33.84) μm] ( P<0.05, 0.01). HER2 protein expression level in the dihydrotestosterone group was higher than that in the solvent control (1.83±0.19 vs 1.00±0.00), while p53 protein expression level in the dihydrotestosterone group was lower than that in the solvent control group (1.10±0.10 vs 1.53±0.15) (both P<0.01). The differentially expressed protein between the dihydrotestosterone group and solvent control group was YWHAE. The expression levels of YWHAE mRNA and protein in the dihydrotestosterone group (1.10±0.12 and 3.05±0.03) were higher than those in the solvent control group (0.30±0.12 and 1.00±0.00) (both P<0.01). YWHAE protein expression level in the oeHER2 group was higher than that in the oeCon group (1.37±0.08 vs 1.00±0.00) ( P<0.01) and YWHAE expression level in the bladder cancer tissues was higher than that in the adjacent normal tissues ( P<0.01). YWHAE expression positively correlated with HER2 expression ( r=0.4). Co-immunoprecipitation confirmed direct binding between HER2 and YWHAE. Overexpression of YWHAE significantly reduced p53 expression. The relative expression level of MDM2 protein in the oeYWHAE group (2.73±0.09) was lower than that in the oeCon group (3.43±0.12) ( P<0.01). The relative expression level of MDM2 protein in the shMDM2 group (1.00±0.00) was lower than that in the oeYWHAE group, and the relative expression level of p53 protein (2.00±0.00) was higher than that in the oeYWHAE group (1.07±0.07) (both P<0.01). The relative expression levels of YWHAE and p-Akt protein in the oeYWHAE group (1.23±0.09, 3.00±0.06) were higher than those in the oeCon group (1.00±0.00, 1.13±0.03) ( P<0.05, 0.01). The relative expression level of p-Akt protein in LY294002 group (2.20±0.06) was lower than that in the oeCon group (3.30±0.10), and the relative expression level of p53 protein (2.10±0.06) was higher than that in the oeCon group (1.00±0.00) (both P<0.01). The relative expression level of p-Akt protein in LY294002+oeYWHAE group (2.00±0.06) was lower than that in the oeYWHAE group (3.53±0.14), and the relative expression level of p53 protein (2.10±0.06) was higher than that in the oeYWHAE group (1.00±0.06) (both P<0.01). The relative expression levels levels of YWHAE, p-Akt and MDM2 protein in the shHER2-2 group (1.60±0.15, 1.70±0.06, 0.80±0.06) were lower than those in the oeCon group (2.30±0.06, 2.30±0.06, 1.13±0.09), and the relative expression level of p53 protein (1.83±0.12) was higher than that in the oeCon group (1.00±0.00) ( P<0.05, 0.01). The relative expression level of YWHAE protein in the shHER2-2+oeYWHAE group (2.00±0.06) was lower than that in the oeCon group ( P<0.01), and the relative expression levels of MDM2 and p53 protein (2.63±0.15, 1.13±0.03) were higher than those in the oeCon group ( P<0.05, 0.01). The tumor volume, tumor weight, and relative expression levels of HER2, YWHAE, p-Akt, and MDM2 proteins on day 28 in the transfection group [(5 133.0±185.6) mm 3, (0.65±0.12) g, 2.23±0.02, 4.00±0.12, 3.33±0.06 and 2.24±0.02] were higher than those in the negative control group [(2 633.0±88.2) mm 3, (0.33±0.07) g, 0.98±0.02, 1.27±0.03, 1.29±0.02 and 1.46±0.06] (all P<0.01). The relative expression level of p53 protein (1.21±0.04) was lower than that in the negative control group (3.29±0.04) ( P<0.01). Conclusions:HER2 may promote the malignant progression of bladder cancer by regulating the PI3K-Akt pathway via YWHAE, thereby facilitating MDM2 nuclear translocation and p53 degradation. This ultimately enhances the proliferative, migratory, and invasive capacities of bladder cancer cells.
6.Research progress on the molecular mechanisms of PANoptosis and its role in some diseases
Yu-Qi SONG ; Wen-Ming YANG ; Tao-Hua WEI ; Yu-Long YANG ; Zi-Long LI
Medical Journal of Chinese People's Liberation Army 2025;50(2):221-231
Cellular death in the body can occur through different processes,including apoptosis,pyroptosis and necrotic apoptosis,etc.PANoptosis is a newly discovered form of inflammatory cell death in recent years.It can be triggered by various stimulating factors and integrates multiple components that can induce cell death to assemble into various types of macromolecular complexes-PANoptosome,which then mediates cell death.Given the impact of PANoptosis on the entire disease spectrum,promoting or inhibiting its occurrence process may prevent the development of various diseases.The review summarizes the research progress on the occurrence mechanism of PANoptosis and its role in some diseases,and explores the crosstalk among multiple programmed cell death pathways,aiming to provide new ideas for the treatment of related diseases.
7.The constituent elements, experiences, and popularization significance of the palliative care model of integrated elderly care and medical services
Zehuan HUANG ; Mengdong XIN ; Lidan QI ; Long ZHAO ; Minyu WANG ; Lu QIN ; Zhenhua LU ; Zhao LI ; Yue HE ; Xi ZENG
Chinese Medical Ethics 2025;38(7):914-923
Under the trend of increasing aging, integrated elderly care and medical services is an important measure to optimize the supply of elderly care services and promote the good death of the elderly. Using the cooperative production theory and the classical grounded theory, a qualitative analysis was conducted on 38 cases of elderly palliative care and 25 cases of hospital-based palliative care under the integrated elderly care and medical services model from a hospital in Nanning City using Nvivo 20.0 software. This paper found that the integrated elderly care and medical services mode emphasized the deep integration of medical and elderly care services by integrating resources and improving service efficiency, to achieve the basic experience of comprehensive health care for the elderly. The promotion of these experiences has a positive significance for building a multi-agent cooperative production system, strengthening personnel training, perfecting the performance distribution mechanism, and further promoting the development of the national palliative care pilot.
8.PES1 Repression Triggers Ribosomal Biogenesis Impairment and Cellular Senescence Through p53 Pathway Activation
Chang-Jian ZHANG ; Yu-Fang LI ; Feng-Yun WU ; Rui JIN ; Chang NIU ; Qi-Nong YE ; Long CHENG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(7):1853-1865
ObjectiveThe nucleolar protein PES1 (Pescadillo homolog 1) plays critical roles in ribosome biogenesis and cell cycle regulation, yet its involvement in cellular senescence remains poorly understood. This study aimed to comprehensively investigate the functional consequences of PES1 suppression in cellular senescence and elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying its regulatory role. MethodsInitially, we assessed PES1 expression patterns in two distinct senescence models: replicative senescent mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) and doxorubicin-induced senescent human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells. Subsequently, PES1 expression was specifically downregulated using siRNA-mediated knockdown in these cell lines as well as additional relevant cell types. Cellular proliferation and senescence were assessed by EdU incorporation and SA-β-gal staining assays, respectively. The expression of senescence-associated proteins (p53, p21, and Rb) and SASP factors (IL-6, IL-1β, and IL-8) were analyzed by Western blot or qPCR. Furthermore, Northern blot and immunofluorescence were employed to evaluate pre-rRNA processing and nucleolar morphology. ResultsPES1 expression was significantly downregulated in senescent MEFs and HepG2 cells. PES1 knockdown resulted in decreased EdU-positive cells and increased SA‑β‑gal-positive cells, indicating proliferation inhibition and senescence induction. Mechanistically, PES1 suppression activated the p53-p21 pathway without affecting Rb expression, while upregulating IL-6, IL-1β, and IL-8 production. Notably, PES1 depletion impaired pre-rRNA maturation and induced nucleolar stress, as evidenced by aberrant nucleolar morphology. ConclusionOur findings demonstrate that PES1 deficiency triggers nucleolar stress and promotes p53-dependent (but Rb-independent) cellular senescence, highlighting its crucial role in maintaining nucleolar homeostasis and regulating senescence-associated pathways.
10.Coral calcium hydride promotes peripheral mitochondrial division and reduces AT-II cells damage in ARDS via activation of the Trx2/Myo19/Drp1 pathway.
Qian LI ; Yang ANG ; Qing-Qing ZHOU ; Min SHI ; Wei CHEN ; Yujie WANG ; Pan YU ; Bing WAN ; Wanyou YU ; Liping JIANG ; Yadan SHI ; Zhao LIN ; Shaozheng SONG ; Manlin DUAN ; Yun LONG ; Qi WANG ; Wentao LIU ; Hongguang BAO
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2025;15(3):101039-101039
Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a common respiratory emergency, but current clinical treatment remains at the level of symptomatic support and there is a lack of effective targeted treatment measures. Our previous study confirmed that inhalation of hydrogen gas can reduce the acute lung injury of ARDS, but the application of hydrogen has flammable and explosive safety concerns. Drinking hydrogen-rich liquid or inhaling hydrogen gas has been shown to play an important role in scavenging reactive oxygen species and maintaining mitochondrial quality control balance, thus improving ARDS in patients and animal models. Coral calcium hydrogenation (CCH) is a new solid molecular hydrogen carrier prepared from coral calcium (CC). Whether and how CCH affects acute lung injury in ARDS remains unstudied. In this study, we observed the therapeutic effect of CCH on lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced acute lung injury in ARDS mice. The survival rate of mice treated with CCH and hydrogen inhalation was found to be comparable, demonstrating a significant improvement compared to the untreated ARDS model group. CCH treatment significantly reduced pulmonary hemorrhage and edema, and improved pulmonary function and local microcirculation in ARDS mice. CCH promoted mitochondrial peripheral division in the early course of ARDS by activating mitochondrial thioredoxin 2 (Trx2), improved lung mitochondrial dysfunction induced by LPS, and reduced oxidative stress damage. The results indicate that CCH is a highly efficient hydrogen-rich agent that can attenuate acute lung injury of ARDS by improving the mitochondrial function through Trx2 activation.

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