Malignant proliferating liver cancer cells possess the ability to detect and respond to various body signals, thereby facilitating tumor growth, invasion, and metastasis. One crucial mechanism through which hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells interpret these signals is crosstalk. Within liver cancer tissues, cancer cells engage in communication with hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), and immune cells. This interaction plays a pivotal role in regulating the proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of HCC cells. Crosstalk occurs in multiple ways, each characterized by distinct functions. Its molecular mechanisms primarily involve regulating immune cell functions through the expression of specific receptors, such as CD24 and CD47, modulating cell functions by secreting cytokines like transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), and mediating cell growth and proliferation by activating pathways such as Wnt/β-catenin and Hedgehog. A comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms and interactions within crosstalk is essential for unraveling the pathogenesis of HCC. It also opens up new avenues for the development of innovative therapeutic strategies. This article reviews the relationship between crosstalk and the progression of HCC, offering insights and inspiration for future research.
Humans ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/metabolism* ; Liver Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Hepatic Stellate Cells/physiology* ; Disease Progression ; Signal Transduction/physiology* ; Transforming Growth Factor beta/metabolism* ; Cell Proliferation ; Hedgehog Proteins/metabolism* ; Tumor-Associated Macrophages ; Platelet-Derived Growth Factor/metabolism* ; Cell Communication/physiology*

Neuropsychiatric disorders arise from complex interactions between genetic and environmental factors. DNA methylation, a reversible and environmentally responsive epigenetic regulatory mechanism, serves as a crucial bridge linking environmental exposure, gene expression regulation, and neurobehavioral outcomes. During long-duration deep-space missions, astronauts face multiple stressors-including microgravity, cosmic radiation, circadian rhythm disruption, and social isolation, which can induce alterations in DNA methylation and increase the risk of neuropsychiatric disorders. Genome-wide DNA methylation research can be divided into 3 major methodological stages: Study design, sample preparation and detection, and data analysis, each of which can be applied to astronaut neuropsychiatric health monitoring. Systematic comparison of the Illumina MethylationEPIC array and whole-genome bisulfite sequencing reveals their complementary strengths in terms of genomic coverage, resolution, cost, and application scenarios: the array method is cost-effective and suitable for large-scale population studies and longitudinal monitoring, whereas sequencing provides higher resolution and coverage and is more suitable for constructing detailed methylation maps and characterizing individual variation. Furthermore, emerging technologies such as single-cell methylation sequencing, nanopore long-read sequencing, and machine-learning-based multi-omics integration are expected to greatly enhance the precision and interpretability of epigenetic studies. These methodological advances provide key support for establishing DNA-methylation-based monitoring systems for neuropsychiatric risk in astronauts and lay an epigenetic foundation for safeguarding neuropsychiatric health during future long-term deep-space missions.
DNA Methylation ; Humans ; Space Flight ; Mental Disorders/genetics* ; Epigenesis, Genetic ; Astronauts/psychology* ; Weightlessness/adverse effects* ; Epigenomics

Sigma-1 receptor (σ ₁R) has become a focus point of drug discovery for central nervous system (CNS) diseases. A series of novel 1-phenylethan-1-one O-(2-aminoethyl) oxime derivatives were synthesized. In vitro biological evaluation led to the identification of 1a, 14a, 15d and 16d as the most high-affinity (K _i < 4 nmol/L) and selective σ ₁R agonists. Among these, 15d, the most metabolically stable derivative exhibited high selectivity for σ ₁R in relation to σ ₂R and 52 other human targets. In addition to low CYP450 inhibition and induction, 15d also exhibited high brain permeability and excellent oral bioavailability. Importantly, 15d demonstrated effective antipsychotic potency, particularly for alleviating negative symptoms and improving cognitive impairment in experimental animal models, both of which are major challenges for schizophrenia treatment. Moreover, 15d produced no significant extrapyramidal symptoms, exhibiting superior pharmacological profiles in relation to current antipsychotic drugs. Mechanistically, 15d inhibited GSK3β and enhanced prefrontal BDNF expression and excitatory synaptic transmission in pyramidal neurons. Collectively, these in vivo proof-of-concept findings provide substantial experimental evidence to demonstrate that modulating σ ₁R represents a potential new therapeutic approach for schizophrenia. The novel chemical entity along with its favorable drug-like and pharmacological profile of 15d renders it a promising candidate for treating schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE: The relationship between fish consumption and stroke is inconsistent, and it is uncertain whether this association varies across predicted stroke risks. METHODS: A cohort study comprising 95,800 participants from the Prediction for Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk in China project was conducted. A standardized questionnaire was used to collect data on fish consumption. Participants were stratified into low- and moderate-to-high-risk categories based on their 10-year stroke risk prediction scores. Hazard ratios ( HRs) and 95% confidence intervals ( CIs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazard models and additive interaction by relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI), attributable proportion (AP), and synergy index (SI). RESULTS: During 703,869 person-years of follow-up, 2,773 incident stroke events were identified. Higher fish consumption was associated with a lower risk of stroke, particularly among moderate-to-high-risk individuals ( HR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.47-0.60) than among low-risk individuals ( HR = 0.64, 95% CI: 0.49-0.85). A significant additive interaction between fish consumption and predicted stroke risk was observed (RERI = 4.08, 95% CI: 2.80-5.36; SI = 1.64, 95% CI: 1.42-1.89; AP = 0.36, 95% CI: 0.28-0.43). CONCLUSION Higher fish consumption was associated with a lower risk of stroke, and this beneficial association was more pronounced in individuals with moderate-to-high stroke risk.
Humans ; China/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Stroke/etiology* ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Incidence ; Aged ; Animals ; Fishes ; Risk Factors ; Diet ; Seafood ; Adult ; Cohort Studies

Objective To investigate the effect of percutaneous endoscopic transforaminal discectomy(PETD)on L5-S1 lumbar disc herniation(LDH)and the influence of iliac crest height on the clinical efficacy.Methods A total of 86 patients treated with PETD for LDH(L5-S1 segment)from February 2019 to February 2018 were selected and grouped according to the relationship between the highest point of the iliac crest and the position of the L4-5 pedicle.Forty-eighty patients with the highest point of the iliac crest located below the upper edge of the L5 pedicle were included in group A;thirty-three patients with the highest point of the iliac crest located between the lower edge of the L4 pedicle and the upper edge of the L5 pedicle were included in group B,and five patients with the highest point of the iliac crest located above the lower edge of the L4 pedicle were included in group C.The operation indexes of the three groups were compared.The visual analogue score(VAS)and Oswestry Disability index(ODI)before and after surgery[preoperative(T0),1 week after surgery(T1),1 month,6 months and 12 months after surgery(T2,T3,T4)]were compared among the three groups.Results There was no difference in operation time and blood loss among the three groups(P>0.05).At T0,there was no difference in VAS score and ODI among the three groups(P>0.05).At T1-T4,when VAS score and ODI of the three groups were lower than that at T0,VAS in group A and B was lower than that in group C(P<0.05),but there was no difference between group A and B(P>0.05).Conclusion PETD has significantly clinical efficacy in the treatment of L5-S1 LDH,and whether the iliac crest height is higher than the level of the lower edge of the L4 pedicle will affect its clinical efficacy.

Objective:To explore the clinical value of a trinity strategy for the treatment of multiple orthopedic trauma.Methods:A retrospective case series study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 1 267 patients with multiple orthopedic trauma admitted to Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine and the First Affiliated Hospital of Navy Medical University from June 2013 to May 2023, including 862 males and 405 females, aged 18-93 years [(55.2±19.8)years]. Associated injuries included hemorrhagic shock in 632 patients, traumatic wet lung in 274, cranial injuries in 135, abdominal and pelvic bleeding in 116, pneumothorax in 89, urinary injury in 13, and vesical rupture in 8. All the patients were treated with the trinity strategy and the treatment process was divided into the phases of first aid, remodeling, and rehabilitation. The first aid phase focused on stabilizing symptoms and saving lives; the remodeling phase centered on restoring the anatomical structure and alignment; the rehabilitation phase aimed for functional recovery through the integration of both Western and traditional Chinese medicine. The all-cause mortality within 30 days after surgery and fracture healing time were calculated; the excellent and good rates of Constant-Murley shoulder score, Mayo elbow score, Gartland-Werley wrist score, Harris hip score, Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) knee score and the American Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot score at the last follow-up and the overall excellent and good rate of all joint function scores were measured. The short form health survey (SF-36) scores were collected preoperatively and at 6 months postoperatively, including 8 aspects such as physical functioning, physical role, bodily pain, general health, vitality, social functioning, emotional role, and mental health. The incidence of postoperative complications was recorded.Results:All the patients were followed up for 6-18 months [(10.2±4.2)months]. The mortality rate during the acute phase (within 30 days after surgery) was 2.37% with 12 deaths due to hemorrhagic shock, 10 due to traumatic brain injury, 6 due to multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS), and 2 due to pulmonary infection. The average fracture healing time averaged 3.8-18 months [(11.5±4.2)months], with 89.49% of the patients having bone union within 12 months after surgery, 8.93% having bone union within 18 months after surgery, and 1.58% undergoing reoperation. For the patients with internal fixation failure and nonunion, the average healing time was extended to (10.2±2.2)months and (13.7±3.3)months respectively. At the last follow-up, the excellent and good rates of Constant-Murley shoulder score, Mayo elbow score, Gartland-Werley wrist score, Harris hip score, HSS knee score, and AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score were 83.93%, 90.24%, 94.12%, 85.57%, 88.46%, and 92.31% respectively, with an overall excellent and good rate of 89.11%. At 6 months after surgery, the SF-36 scores of all the patients in the eight dimensions,including the physical functioning, physical role, bodily pain, general health, vitality, social functioning, emotional role, and mental health were (74.4±8.6)points, (44.7±14.4)points, (77.4±10.9)points, (68.4±18.2)points, (72.5±16.0)points, (76.8±8.7)points, (49.9±17.6)points, and (72.8±17.9)points, significantly improved compared with those before operation [(63.4±12.7)points, (30.9±17.4)points, (56.4±18.0)points, (55.4±24.7)points, (53.5±21.0)points, (55.8±24.3)points, (36.9±24.0)points, (58.8±21.6)points] ( P<0.01). Complications of different degrees occurred in 214 patients (16.89%), including lung infections in 118 patients (9.31%), lower extremity deep vein thrombosis in 50(3.95%), pressure injuries in 26(2.05%), internal fixation failure in 12(0.95%), and nonunion in 8(0.63%). Conclusions:The trinity strategy provides whole-process management, personalized treatment, and overall rehabilitation for multiple orthopedic trauma. It can decrease mortality, shorten fracture healing time, improve joint function and quality of life, and reduce the incidence of complications.

Ceria nanoparticles(CeO2 NPs)have become popular materials in biomedical and industrial fields due to theirpotential applications in anti-oxidation,cancer therapy,photocatalytic degradation of pollutants,sensors,etc.Many methods,including gas phase,solid phase,liquid phase,and the newly proposed green synthesis method,have been reported for the synthesis of CeO2 NPs.Due to the wide application of CeO2 NPs,concerns about their adverse impacts on human health have been raised.This review covers recent studies on the biomedical applications of CeO2 NPs,including their use in the treatment of various diseases(e.g.,Alzheimer's disease,ischemic stroke,retinal damage,chronic inflammation,and cancer).CeO2 NP toxicity is discussed in terms of the different systems of the human body(e.g.,cytotoxicity,genotoxicity,respiratory toxicity,neurotoxicity,and hepatotoxicity).This comprehensive review covers both fundamental discoveries and exploratory progress in CeO2 NP research that may lead to practical developments in the future.

Objective:To design a new jaw-lifting auxiliary tool and explore its effect in painless bronchoscopy.Methods:From January to December 2023, convenience sampling was used to select 160 patients who underwent painless bronchoscopy at the Endoscopy Center of the First Hospital of Jiaxing as subjects. The subjects were divided into an experimental group ( n=80) and a control group ( n=80) using a random number table method. During painless bronchoscopy, the experimental group used a new jaw-lifting auxiliary tool to open the airway, while the control group used traditional manual methods to open the airway. Two groups were compared patient oxygen saturation at different time points, and bronchoscopy passage time through the glottis. Results:The number of cases in which blood oxygen saturation <95% occurred at different time points in the experimental group was lower than that in the control group (all P<0.05). The time for bronchoscopy to pass through the glottis in the experimental group was shorter than that in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant [ (2.86±0.69) s vs. (3.20±0.96) s, P<0.05] . Conclusions:Using a new jaw-lifting auxiliary tool during painless bronchoscopy can reduce the decreased oxygen saturation in patients and shorten the time for bronchoscopy to pass through the glottis. It can be further promoted and applied in clinical practice.

Objective To observe the correlations of chest CT quantitative parameters in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(AECOPD)with blood eosinophil(EOS)level.Methods Chest CT data of 162 AECOPD patients with elevated eosinophils were retrospectively analyzed.The patients were divided into low EOS group(n=105)and high EOS group(n=57)according to the absolute counting of blood EOS.The quantitative CT parameters,including the number of whole lung bronchi and the volume of blood vessels,low-attenuation area percentage(LAA％)of whole lung,of left/right lung and each lobe of lung,as well as the luminal diameter(LD),wall thickness(WT),wall area(WA)and WA percentage of total bronchial cross-section(WA％)of grade 3 to 8 bronchi were compared between groups.Spearman correlations were performed to analyze the correlations of quantitative CT parameters with blood EOS level.Results LAA％of the whole lung,of the left/right lung and each lobe of lung,as well as of the upper lobe of right lung LDgrade4,middle lobe of right lung WTgrade5,upper lobe of right lung WAgrade4,middle lobe of right lung WAgrade5 and lower lobe of left lung WAgrade3 in low EOS group were all higher than those in high EOS group(all P＜0.05).Except for the upper lobe of right lung LDgrade4,the above quantitative CT indexes being significant different between groups were all weakly and negatively correlated with blood EOS level(r=-0.335 to-0.164,all P＜0.05).Conclusion Chest CT quantitative parameters of AECOPD patients were correlated with blood EOS level,among which LAA％,a part of WT and WA were all weakly negatively correlated with blood EOS level.

Objective: This cross-sectional investigation aimed to determine the incidence, clinical characteristics, prognosis, and related risk factors of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain in mainland China. Methods: Data of patients with SARS-CoV-2 from December 28, 2022, to February 21, 2023, were collected through online and offline questionnaires from 45 tertiary hospitals and one center for disease control and prevention in mainland China. The questionnaire included demographic information, previous health history, smoking and alcohol drinking, SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, olfactory and gustatory function before and after infection, other symptoms after infection, as well as the duration and improvement of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction. The self-reported olfactory and gustatory functions of patients were evaluated using the Olfactory VAS scale and Gustatory VAS scale. Results: A total of 35 566 valid questionnaires were obtained, revealing a high incidence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain (67.75%). Females(χ2=367.013, P<0.001) and young people(χ2=120.210, P<0.001) were more likely to develop these dysfunctions. Gender(OR=1.564, 95%CI: 1.487-1.645), SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status (OR=1.334, 95%CI: 1.164-1.530), oral health status (OR=0.881, 95%CI: 0.839-0.926), smoking history (OR=1.152, 95%CI=1.080-1.229), and drinking history (OR=0.854, 95%CI: 0.785-0.928) were correlated with the occurrence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to SARS-CoV-2(above P<0.001). 44.62% (4 391/9 840) of the patients who had not recovered their sense of smell and taste also suffered from nasal congestion, runny nose, and 32.62% (3 210/9 840) suffered from dry mouth and sore throat. The improvement of olfactory and taste functions was correlated with the persistence of accompanying symptoms(χ2=10.873, P=0.001). The average score of olfactory and taste VAS scale was 8.41 and 8.51 respectively before SARS-CoV-2 infection, but decreased to3.69 and 4.29 respectively after SARS-CoV-2 infection, and recovered to 5.83and 6.55 respectively at the time of the survey. The median duration of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions was 15 days and 12 days, respectively, with 0.5% (121/24 096) of patients experiencing these dysfunctions for more than 28 days. The overall self-reported improvement rate of smell and taste dysfunctions was 59.16% (14 256/24 096). Gender(OR=0.893, 95%CI: 0.839-0.951), SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status (OR=1.334, 95%CI: 1.164-1.530), history of head and facial trauma(OR=1.180, 95%CI: 1.036-1.344, P=0.013), nose (OR=1.104, 95%CI: 1.042-1.171, P=0.001) and oral (OR=1.162, 95%CI: 1.096-1.233) health status, smoking history(OR=0.765, 95%CI: 0.709-0.825), and the persistence of accompanying symptoms (OR=0.359, 95%CI: 0.332-0.388) were correlated with the recovery of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to SARS-CoV-2 (above P<0.001 except for the indicated values). Conclusion: The incidence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain is high in mainland China, with females and young people more likely to develop these dysfunctions. Active and effective intervention measures may be required for cases that persist for a long time. The recovery of olfactory and taste functions is influenced by several factors, including gender, SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status, history of head and facial trauma, nasal and oral health status, smoking history, and persistence of accompanying symptoms.
Female ; Humans ; Adolescent ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Smell ; COVID-19/complications* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; COVID-19 Vaccines ; Incidence ; Olfaction Disorders/etiology* ; Taste Disorders/etiology* ; Prognosis