OBJECTIVES: To explore the therapeutic mechanism of compound Centella asiatica formula (CCA) for alleviating Schistosoma japonicum (Sj)-induced liver fibrosis in mice. METHODS: The active components and targets of CCA were identified using the TCMSP database with cross-analysis of Sj-related liver fibrosis targets. A "drug-component-target-pathway-disease" network was constructed using Cytoscape 3.9.1. Functional enrichment analysis (GO/KEGG) was performed using DAVID. Molecular docking study was carried out to validate interactions between the core targets and the key compounds. For experimental validation of the results, 36 mice were divided into control group, Sj-infected model group, and CCA-treated groups. In the latter two groups, liver fibrosis was induced via abdominal infection with Sj cercariae for 8 weeks, followed by 8 weeks of daily treatment with CCA decoction or saline. Hepatic pathology of the mice was assessedwith HE and Masson staining, and hepatic expressions of collagen-I and collagen-III were detected using immunohistochemistry; serum IL-6 and TNF-α levels were determined with ELISA. Hepatic expressions of TLR4 and MyD88 proteins were analyzed with Western blotting. RESULTS: We identified a total of 107 bioactive CCA components and 791 targets, including 37 intersection targets linked to Sj-induced fibrosis. The core targets included TNF, TP53, JUN, MMP9, and CXCL8, involving the IL-17 signaling, lipid metabolism, TLR4/MyD88 axis, and cancer pathways. Molecular docking study confirmed strong binding affinity between quercetin (a primary CCA component) and TNF/TP53/JUN/MMP9. In Sj-infected mouse models, CCA treatment significantly attenuated hepatic inflammatory cell infiltration, reduced collagen-I and collagen-III deposition, improved tissue architecture, reduced serum IL-6 and TNF-α levels, and downregulated TLR4 and MyD88 expressions in the liver. CONCLUSIONS CCA mitigates Sj-induced liver fibrosis by targeting TNF, TP53, JUN, and MMP9 to modulate the TLR4/MyD88 pathway, thereby suppressing pro-inflammatory cytokine release, inhibiting hepatic stellate cell activation, reducing collagen deposition, and preventing granuloma formation in the liver.
Animals ; Toll-Like Receptor 4/metabolism* ; Mice ; Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88/metabolism* ; Schistosoma japonicum ; Liver Cirrhosis/parasitology* ; Schistosomiasis japonica ; Signal Transduction ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Inflammation ; Centella/chemistry* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism*

Objective:To investigate the clinicopathological and molecular genetic characteristics of well-differentiated/dedifferentiated liposarcoma (WDLPS/DDLPS) with myxoid-like morphology, and to distinguish them from myxofibrosarcoma (MFS) with similar morphology.Methods:Twenty-nine cases of myxoid-like liposarcoma and 5 cases of MFS were collected from Henan Provincial People′s Hospital, Zhengzhou, China and the First Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China from January 2015 to March 2023. Relevant markers were detected using immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). The literature was also reviewed.Results:There were 24 males and 10 females, with ages ranging from 41 to 73 years. The tumor sites included retroperitoneum ( n=17), abdomen ( n=9), lower limbs ( n=5), scrotum ( n=1), upper limb ( n=1) and axilla ( n=1). WDLPS was commonly seen as lipomatoid type (12 cases), while the dedifferentiated components of DDLPS included low-grade (13 cases) and high-grade (2 cases) morphology, with low-high grade myxofibrosarcoma, dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, and low-grade fibrosarcoma structures. Twenty-nine liposarcomas had various proportions of myxoid-like morphology, while 16 showed various degrees of tumor necrosis. The myxoid-like component showed myxoid pleomorphic liposarcoma (MLPS)-like morphology, lobulated growth, characteristic slender, ramified capillary network,"chicken claw-like"morphology, mucus-rich stroma and lung edema-like morphology. Tumor cells were spindle and oval, with many variable vacuolar lipoblasts. MDM2 gene amplification was detected using FISH and present in all tested cases (29/29). DDIT3 break-apart mutation was not detected, but its cluster amplification was present (24/29). Among the MFS cases, one showed cluster amplification (1/5), but no cases showed break-apart or amplification of MDM2 gene. Conclusions:WDLPS/DDLPS with myxoid-like morphology is most commonly seen in the retroperitoneum and abdominal cavity and mostly harbors DDIT3 break-apart probe amplification, while this amplification is not specific to liposarcoma. For core biopsy specimens or very rare tumors in the limbs, when histology has mucinous stroma and MLPS-like morphology, misdiagnosis of MLPS or other non-lipomatous neoplasms with myxoid morphology should be avoided.

"Global cancer statistics 2022" based on the latest GLOBCAN data from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) was recently released, providing a systematic analysis of the incidence and mortality of 36 types of cancer across 185 countries worldwide. The international burden of cancer is expected to continue to increase over the next 30 years, posing a severe public health and social challenge for many countries, including China. This article offers a key point interpretation of the "Global cancer statistics 2022", focusing on the evolution of cancer epidemiology and future development trends. The aim is to broaden the international perspective on cancer prevention and treatment, with the hope of providing reference and guidance for cancer prevention and treatment efforts in our country.

Objective To construct and validate the risk prediction model for the occurrence of caesarean scar pregnancy(CSP)in women with re-pregnancy after cesarean section.Methods A total of 663 women with re-pregnancy after cesarean section in Urumqi Maternal and Child Health Hospital from 2018 to 2022 were collected,and randomly divided the training set(n=460)and the test set(n=203)according to 7∶3,the cases of the training set were divided into the CSP group(n=239)and the non-CSP group(n=221),and the risk factors for the occurrence of CSP were evaluated by univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analysis.Based on the a-bove results,a nomogram model was constructed,validated and evaluated in the test set and the training set,respectively.The predictive efficacy of the model was evaluated by area under the curve(AUC)of receiver operating characteristic(ROC)and the Hosmer-Leme-show test,and the clinical application value of the model was evaluated by clinical decision curve analysis(DCA).Results The results of multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that the number of cesarean section＞1,posterior uterine position,the number of mis-carriages＞1,CSD,the history of miscarriage between the current pregnancy and the previous cesarean section were the risk factors for the occurrence of CSP(P＜0.05),and the timing of cesarean section was the protective factor for the occurrence of CSP in the course of labor(P＜0.05).Based on the above results,the nomogram prediction model was constructed,the AUC of the model in the training set was 0.813(95％CI:0.773-0.852),and the AUC of the model in the test set was 0.817(95％CI:0.755-0.878).Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test for the training set and the test set model was well fitted(x2=7.647,P=0.469;x=6.162,P=0.629).The calibration curve showed that the model had good consistency in predicting the occurrence of CSP in re-pregnancy after cesarean section,and the DCA curve showed that the model had high clinical efficacy in both the training set and the test set.Conclusion The prediction model constructed in this study can effectively predict the occurrence of CSP,which can provide references for early identification and pre-ventive treatment for high-risk populations.

The maintenance of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) is a complex process involving numerous cell-extrinsic and -intrinsic regulators. The first member of the cyclin-dependent kinase family of inhibitors to be identified, p21, has been reported to perform a wide range of critical biological functions, including cell cycle regulation, transcription, differentiation, and so on. Given the previous inconsistent results regarding the functions of p21 in HSCs in a p21-knockout mouse model, we employed p21-tdTomato (tdT) mice to further elucidate its role in HSCs during homeostasis. The results showed that p21-tdT+ HSCs exhibited increased self-renewal capacity compared to p21-tdT- HSCs. Zbtb18, a transcriptional repressor, was upregulated in p21-tdT+ HSCs, and its knockdown significantly impaired the reconstitution capability of HSCs. Furthermore, p21 interacted with ZBTB18 to co-repress the expression of cKit in HSCs and thus regulated the self-renewal of HSCs. Our data provide novel insights into the physiological role and mechanisms of p21 in HSCs during homeostasis independent of its conventional role as a cell cycle inhibitor.
Animals ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells/cytology* ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21/genetics* ; Mice ; Cell Self Renewal ; Repressor Proteins/genetics* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice, Knockout ; Humans ; Gene Expression Regulation

In response to the problem that the traditional lower limb rehabilitation scale assessment method is time-consuming and difficult to use in exoskeleton rehabilitation training, this paper proposes a quantitative assessment method for lower limb walking ability based on lower limb exoskeleton robot training with multimodal synergistic information fusion. The method significantly improves the efficiency and reliability of the rehabilitation assessment process by introducing quantitative synergistic indicators fusing electrophysiological and kinematic level information. First, electromyographic and kinematic data of the lower extremity were collected from subjects trained to walk wearing an exoskeleton. Then, based on muscle synergy theory, a synergistic quantification algorithm was used to construct synergistic index features of electromyography and kinematics. Finally, the electrophysiological and kinematic level information was fused to build a modal feature fusion model and output the lower limb motor function score. The experimental results showed that the correlation coefficients of the constructed synergistic features of electromyography and kinematics with the clinical scale were 0.799 and 0.825, respectively. The results of the fused synergistic features in the K-nearest neighbor (KNN) model yielded higher correlation coefficients ( r = 0.921, P < 0.01). This method can modify the rehabilitation training mode of the exoskeleton robot according to the assessment results, which provides a basis for the synchronized assessment-training mode of "human in the loop" and provides a potential method for remote rehabilitation training and assessment of the lower extremity.
Humans ; Exoskeleton Device ; Reproducibility of Results ; Walking/physiology* ; Lower Extremity ; Algorithms ; Stroke Rehabilitation/methods*

Objective:To investigate the influencing factors for celiac lymph node metastasis in thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (TE-SCC), construct a prediction model of celiac lymph node metastasis in TE-SCC, and stratify the probability of celiac lymph node metastasis.Methods:The retrospective case-control study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 443 patients with TE-SCC who underwent thoracoscopic and laparoscopic esophagectomy with systematic lymph node dissection in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University between March 2015 and April 2019 were collected. There were 259 males and 184 females, aged from 41 to 81 years, with a median age of 64 years. The nomogram prediction model was constructed based on the results of multivariate analysis of influencing factors for celiac lymph node metastasis in TE-SCC, of which calibration curve and decision curve were drawed. The predictive performance was evaluated using the concordance index. The score for celiac lymph node metastasis in TE-SCC predicted by nomogram model was used for further recursive partitioning analysis, and patients were stratified into risk subgroups using the decision-making tree model. Observation indicators: (1) celiac lymph node metastasis in TE-SCC; (2) analysis of influencing factors for celiac lymph node metastasis in TE-SCC; (3) construction of nomogram prediction model of celiac lymph node metastasis in TE-SCC; (4) construction of decision-making tree model of celiac lymph node metastasis in TE-SCC and risk subgroup analysis of celiac lymph node metastasis probability. Measurement data with skewed distribution were represented as M (range). Count data were represented as absolute numbers and percentages, and comparison between groups was analyzed using the chi-square test. Comparison of ordinal data between groups was analyzed using the nonparametric rank sum test. Multivariate analysis was performed using the Logistic regression model. Based on Logistic regression model multivariate analysis, a new nomogram model was constructed using the RStudio 3.4 software. Results:(1) Celiac lymph node metastasis in TE-SCC: celiac lymph node metastasis was found in 89 of the 443 patients, with a celiac lymph node metastasis rate of 20.09%(89/443). (2) Analysis of influencing factors for celiac lymph node metastasis in TE-SCC. Results of univariate analysis showed that tumor location, tumor length, tumor differentiation degree, pathological T staging, nerve invasion, vessel invasion, and thoracic lymph node metastasis were related factors for celiac lymph node metastasis in TE-SCC ( χ2=12.177, Z=-2.754, -4.218, -4.254, χ2=3.908, 33.025, 30.387, P<0.05). Results of multivariate analysis showed that tumor location, vessel invasion, and thoracic lymph node metastasis were independent influencing factors for celiac lymph node metastasis in TE-SCC ( odds ratio=2.165, 3.442, 2.876, 95% confidence interval: 1.380-3.396, 1.787-6.633, 1.631-5.071, P<0.05). (3) Construction of nomogram prediction model of celiac lymph node metastasis in TE-SCC: based on the factors screened by multivariate analysis, including tumor location, vessel invasion, and thoracic lymph node metastasis, the nomogram prediction model of celiac lymph node metastasis in TE-SCC was established, with the concordance index of 0.846. The calibration curve showed a high consistency between the celiac lymph node metastasis probability estimated by the prediction model and the actual rate of celiac lymph node metastasis. The decision curve showed that the nomogram prediction model of celiac lymph node metastasis in TE-SCC had a good prediction value when the probability threshold was 0.001-0.819.(4) Construction of decision-making tree model of celiac lymph node metastasis in TE-SCC and risk subgroup analysis of celiac lymph node metastasis probability: patients were stratified into six risk subgroups using the decision-making tree model based on the celiac lymph node metastasis probability. The group A included patients with no vessel invasion+negative thoracic lymph node, group B included patients with no vessel invasion+the number of positive thoracic lymph nodes of 1-3, group C included patients with no vessel invasion+the number of positive thoracic lymph nodes of ≥4, group D included patients with vessel invasion+the number of positive thoracic lymph nodes of 0-2+upper or middle thoracic esophageal carcinoma, group E included patients with vessel invasion+the number of positive thoracic lymph nodes of 0-2+lower thoracic esophageal carcinoma, group F included patients with vessel invasion+the number of positive thoracic lymph nodes of ≥3. The group A was low-risk group with the celiac lymph node metastasis probability of 11%, group B and D were intermediate low-risk groups with the celiac lymph node metastasis probability of 27% and 21%, group C and E were the intermediate high-risk groups with the celiac lymph node metastasis probability of 56% and 55%, and group F was high-risk group with the celiac lymph node metastasis probability of 80%. Conclusions:The tumor location, vessel invasion, and thoracic lymph node metastasis are independent influencing factors for celiac lymph node metastasis in TE-SCC. Vessel invasion has the dominant influence on celiac lymph node metastasis, followed by the number of positive thoracic lymph nodes, and then the tumor location. Patients can be stratified into six risk subgroups based on the nomogram prediction model and decision-making tree model of celiac lymph node metastasis in TE-SCC.

BACKGROUND: Improving and maintaining the health of mothers and newborns is indisputably a global priority, especially during a pandemic. This study intends to examine the factors associated with cesarean section (CS) during lockdown time. METHODS: A total of 678 women who just gave birth within 7 days were enrolled from maternal and children hospitals in nine cities of China from April to May 2020. The delivery modes and potential influencing factors were investigated. The subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis were used to examine the association of CS and risk factors among populations with different characteristics and to control for possible confounding, respectively. RESULTS: The overall rate of cesarean delivery was 37.3%. In multi-variant model, maternal age > 30 years (OR, 95% CI = 1.71, 1.21-2.41), higher pre-gestational BMI (OR, 95% CI = 1.16, 1.10-1.23), living in regions with confirmed COVID-19 cases > 500 (OR, 95% CI = 2.45, 1.74-3.45), and excess gestational weight gain (OR, 95% CI = 1.73, 1.17-2.55) were associated with cesarean delivery. These trends of associations were not changes in sensitivity analysis and subgroup analysis. Cesarean delivery occurred more in women who got more nutrition instruction during the pandemic period in the univariant model; however, this association showed insignificance in the multiple-variant analysis. CONCLUSION A high cesarean delivery rate was found in uninfected women who experienced lockdown in their third trimester. During the COVID-19 pandemic, more medical support should be provided in severely affected regions to ensure and promote health in pregnancy.

Objective:To investigate the effects of metastasis associated gene 1 (MTA1) expression on the proliferation and apoptosis of human esophageal cancer Eca109 cells.Methods:MTA1 siRNA was transfected into human esophageal cancer Eca109 cells, and the control group and blank group were set up. The expression of MTA1 in Eca109 cells with different treatment was detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR (RT-PCR) and western blot. The proliferation of Eca109 cells was detected by 3-(4, 5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2, 5-diphenyl-2H tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The cloning formation ability of Eca109 cells was detected by plate cloning assay. The apoptosis of Eca109 cells were detected by flow cytometry. The expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and apoptosis-related proteins, including cleaved caspase-3 and total caspase-3 protein in Eca109 cells were detected by western blot.Results:After 48 hours of transfection, RT-PCR result showed that the relative expression levels of MTA1 mRNA in Eca109 cells in the blank group, control group, and siRNA group were 1.00±0.10, 0.98±0.09 and 0.21±0.03, respectively. The expression of MTA1 mRNA in siRNA group was significantly inhibited ( P<0.05), while no significant difference of MTA1 mRNA expression between the blank group and the control group has been found ( P>0.05). Western blot results were consistent with those of RT-PCR. MTT array results showed that, compared with the blank group and transfection group, the absorbance values of Eca109 cells in siRNA group were dramatically reduced at 48, 72, and 96 h (all P<0.05). There were no significant differences of absorbance values between the blank group and the control group at 48, 72, and 96 h (all P>0.05). The results of the plate colony formation test showed that the number of colony formation in the blank group and control group were 58.64±6.86 and 60.02±7.04, respectively, significantly higher than 18.10±3.16 in siRNA group ( P<0.05), while there was no significant difference between the blank group and control group ( P>0.05). Flow cytometry results showed that the apoptosis rates in the blank group and control group were (2.13±0.54)% and (2.27±0.61)%, respectively, significantly lower than (32.61±5.28)% in siRNA group ( P<0.05), while there was no significant difference between blank group and control group ( P>0.05). Western blot results showed that the expression of PCNA protein was down-regulated while cleaved caspase-3 protein expression was upregulated in siRNA group, compared to the control group and blank group ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Inhibition of MTA1 expression can inhibit the proliferation of Eca109 cells and induce apoptosis. This process may be related to the down-regulation of PCNA protein expression and activation of caspase-3 protein expression.

Objective:To investigate the effects of metastasis associated gene 1 (MTA1) expression on the proliferation and apoptosis of human esophageal cancer Eca109 cells.Methods:MTA1 siRNA was transfected into human esophageal cancer Eca109 cells, and the control group and blank group were set up. The expression of MTA1 in Eca109 cells with different treatment was detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR (RT-PCR) and western blot. The proliferation of Eca109 cells was detected by 3-(4, 5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2, 5-diphenyl-2H tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The cloning formation ability of Eca109 cells was detected by plate cloning assay. The apoptosis of Eca109 cells were detected by flow cytometry. The expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and apoptosis-related proteins, including cleaved caspase-3 and total caspase-3 protein in Eca109 cells were detected by western blot.Results:After 48 hours of transfection, RT-PCR result showed that the relative expression levels of MTA1 mRNA in Eca109 cells in the blank group, control group, and siRNA group were 1.00±0.10, 0.98±0.09 and 0.21±0.03, respectively. The expression of MTA1 mRNA in siRNA group was significantly inhibited ( P<0.05), while no significant difference of MTA1 mRNA expression between the blank group and the control group has been found ( P>0.05). Western blot results were consistent with those of RT-PCR. MTT array results showed that, compared with the blank group and transfection group, the absorbance values of Eca109 cells in siRNA group were dramatically reduced at 48, 72, and 96 h (all P<0.05). There were no significant differences of absorbance values between the blank group and the control group at 48, 72, and 96 h (all P>0.05). The results of the plate colony formation test showed that the number of colony formation in the blank group and control group were 58.64±6.86 and 60.02±7.04, respectively, significantly higher than 18.10±3.16 in siRNA group ( P<0.05), while there was no significant difference between the blank group and control group ( P>0.05). Flow cytometry results showed that the apoptosis rates in the blank group and control group were (2.13±0.54)% and (2.27±0.61)%, respectively, significantly lower than (32.61±5.28)% in siRNA group ( P<0.05), while there was no significant difference between blank group and control group ( P>0.05). Western blot results showed that the expression of PCNA protein was down-regulated while cleaved caspase-3 protein expression was upregulated in siRNA group, compared to the control group and blank group ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Inhibition of MTA1 expression can inhibit the proliferation of Eca109 cells and induce apoptosis. This process may be related to the down-regulation of PCNA protein expression and activation of caspase-3 protein expression.