OBJECTIVE: Paridis Rhizoma (Chonglou in Chinese), a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, has been shown have strong anti-tumor effects. Paris saponin VII (PSVII), an active constituent isolated from Paridis Rhizoma, was demonstrated to significantly suppress the proliferation of BxPC-3 cells in our previous study. Here, we aimed to elucidate the anti-pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) effect of PSVII and the underlying mechanism. METHODS: Cell viability was determined by CCK-8, colony formation, and cell migration assays. Cell apoptosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production were measured by flow cytometry with annexin V/propidine iodide (Annexin V/PI) and 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA), respectively. Pyroptosis was evaluated by morphological features, Hoechst 33342/PI staining assay, and release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). JC-1 fluorescent dye was employed to measure mitochondrial membrane potential. Western blotting and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) were used to determine the levels of proteins or mRNAs. The effect in vivo was assessed by a xenograft tumor model. RESULTS: PSVII inhibited the viability of PDAC cells (BxPC-3, PANC-1, and Capan-2 cells) and induced gasdermin E (GSDME) cleavage, as well as the simultaneous cleavage of Caspase-3 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP). Knockdown of GSDME shifted PSVII-induced pyroptosis to apoptosis. Additionally, the effect of PSVII was significantly attenuated by Z-Asp(OMe)-Glu(OMe)-Val-Asp(OMe)-fluoromethylketone (Z-DEVD-FMK), on the induction of GSDME-dependent pyroptosis. PSVII also elevated intracellular ROS accumulation and stimulated Bax and Caspase-3/GSDME to conduct pyroptosis in PDAC cells. The ROS scavenger N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) suppressed the release of LDH and inhibited Caspase-9, Caspase-3, and GSDME cleavage in PDAC cells, ultimately reversing PSVII-induced pyroptosis. Furthermore, in a xenograft tumor model, PSVII markedly suppressed the growth of PDAC tumors and induced pyroptosis. CONCLUSION These results demonstrated that PSVII exerts therapeutic effects through Caspase-3/GSDME-dependent pyroptosis and may constitute a novel strategy for preventing chemotherapeutic resistance in patients with PDAC in the future.

Objective To explore the application of plasma 7 microRNA (miR7) testing in the differential diagnosis of very early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods This study is a multicenter real-world study. Patients with single hepatic lesion (maximum diameter≤2 cm) who underwent plasma miR7 testing at Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Anhui Provincial Hospital, and Peking University People’s Hospital between January 2019 and December 2024 were retrospectively enrolled. Patients were divided into very early-stage HCC group and non-HCC group, and the clinical pathological characteristics of the two groups were compared. The value of plasma miR7 levels, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), and des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin (DCP) in the differential diagnosis of very early-stage HCC was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and area under the curve (AUC). In patients with both negative AFP and DCP (AFP＜20 ng/mL, DCP＜40 mAU/mL), the diagnostic value of plasma miR7 for very early-stage HCC was analyzed. Results A total of 64 528 patients from 4 hospitals underwent miR7 testing, and 1 682 were finally included, of which 1 073 were diagnosed with very early-stage HCC and 609 were diagnosed with non-HCC. The positive rate of miR7 in HCC patients was significantly higher than that in non-HCC patients (67.9% vs 24.3%, P＜0.001). ROC curves showed that the AUCs for miR7, AFP, and DCP in distinguishing HCC patients from the non-HCC individuals were 0.718, 0.682, and 0.642, respectively. The sensitivities were 67.85%, 43.71%, and 44.45%, and the specificities were 75.70%, 92.78%, and 83.91%, respectively. The pairwise comparison of AUCs showed that the diagnostic efficacy of plasma miR7 detection was significantly better than that of AFP or DCP (P＜0.05). Although its specificity was slightly lower than AFP and DCP, the sensitivity was significantly higher. Among patients negative for both AFP and DCP, miR7 maintained an AUC of 0.728 for diagnosing very early-stage HCC, with 67.82% sensitivity and 77.73% specificity. Conclusions Plasma miR7 testing is a potential molecular marker with high sensitivity and specificity for the differential diagnosis of small hepatic nodules. In patients with very early-stage HCC lacking effective molecular markers (negative for both AFP and DCP), miR7 can serve as a novel and effective molecular marker to assist diagnosis.

Objective To explore the effect of phloretin on the proliferation,apoptosis,and tumorigenicity of ovarian cancer cells by regu-lating the Rac1/Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway.Methods The ovarian cancer cell line SKOV3 and the human normal ovarian epithelial cell line IOSE-80 were divided into the following groups:control,low-dose phloretin,medium-dose phloretin,high-dose phloretin,PM A,and high-dose phloretin+PMA.Morphological changes were observed under a microscope.Cell viability and apoptosis were assessed using the CCK-8 assay,colony formation assay,and flow cytometry.Western blotting was performed to detect the expression of proteins related to the Rac1/Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway.Tumor-bearing nude mice were established,tumor weights were measured,and the expres-sion levels of Rae1 and Akt in tumor tissues were analyzed.Results Compared with the control group,SKOV3 cells treated with low-,medium-,and high-dose phloretin showed reduced survival rate,colony formation,and expression of p-NF-κB p65/NF-κB p65,p-Akt/Akt,and Rac 1 in a dose-dependent manner.However,PM A reversed the inhibitory effects of high-dose phloretin on the malignant progression of ovarian cancer.In vivo experiments demonstrated that phloretin significantly inhibited tumor growth and reduced Akt and Rae1 expres-sion in tumor tissues(P＜0.05).Conclusion Phloretin suppresses the malignant progression of ovarian cancer by inhibiting the Rae1/Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Objective:To investigate the change trend of hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma and efficacy of fluorescent laparoscopic hepatectomy in a single center from 2014?2023.Methods:The propensity score matching and retrospective cohort study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 17 232 patients of hepatocellular carcinoma who were admitted to Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University from January 2014 to December 2023 were collected. There were 14 404 males and 2 828 females, aged 58(range, 11?94)years. Observation indicators: (1) change trend of hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma and application of fluorescent laparoscopy in 2014?2023; (2) propensity score matching between patients undergoing fluorescent and conventional laparoscopic hepatectomy; (3) intraoperative and postoperative conditions of patients in the fluorescent laparoscopy group and the conventional laparoscopy group after propensity score matching. Comparison of measurement data with skewed distribution between groups was conducted using the Mann-Whitney U test. Comparison of count data between groups was conducted using the chi-square test. Comparison of ordinal data between groups was conducted using the nonparametic rank sum test. Propensity score matching was performed using the 1∶3 nearest neighbor matching method, with the caliper value of 0.01. Results:(1) Change trend of hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma and application of fluorescent laparoscopy in 2014-2023. Among 17 232 patients of hepatocellular carcinoma, 4 074 cases underwent laparoscopic surgery, and 13 158 cases underwent open surgery or conversion from laparoscopic to open surgery. From 2014 to 2023, the proportions of laparos-copic surgery in hepatectomy were 8.993%(117/1 301), 6.804%(99/1 455), 9.379%(145/1 546), 17.511%(287/1 639), 23.828%(427/1 792), 24.572%(459/1 868), 29.662%(544/1 834), 31.568%(584/1 850), 38.080%(599/1 573), and 34.246%(813/2 374), respectively. The proportions of Grade Ⅲ surgery in laparoscopic hepatectomy were 11.966%(14/117), 7.071%(7/99), 12.414%(18/145), 21.254%(61/287), 28.337%(121/427), 27.887%(128/459), 34.375%(187/544), 34.644%(214/584), 35.726%(214/599), and 42.681%(347/813), respectively. From 2016 to 2023, the proportions of the application of fluorescent laparoscopy in laparoscopic hepatectomy were 2.069%(3/145), 5.923%(17/287), 8.431%(36/427), 10.022%(46/459), 17.647%(96/544), 24.829%(145/584), 9.182%(55/599), and 12.915%(105/813), respectively. (2) Propensity score matching between patients undergoing fluorescent and conventional laparoscopic hepatectomy. Among the 4 074 patients who underwent laparoscopic liver resection, 503 cases using fluorescent laparoscopy were assigned to the fluorescent laparoscopy group, 3 571 cases using conventional laparoscopy were assigned to the conventional laparoscopy group. A total of 1 794 patients were successfully matched, with 483 cases in the fluorescent laparoscopy group and 1 311 cases in the conventional laparoscopy group. After propensity score matching, the confounding biases of the maximum tumor diameter and the year of surgery were eliminated, and the two groups were comparable. (3) Intraoperative and postoperative conditions of patients in the fluorescent laparoscopy group and the conventional laparoscopy group after propensity score matching. After propensity score matching, there was no perioperative death in either the fluorescent laparoscopy group or the conventional laparoscopy group.The operation time of patients in the fluorescent laparoscopy group was 240(150,328)minutes, the portal triad clamping time was 30(15,45)minutes, the volume of intraoperative blood loss was 50(30,100)mL, the number of patients with complication 72, respectively. For patients in the conventional laparoscopy group, the above indicators were 180(131,240)minutes, 23(15,30)minutes, 55(50,100)mL, and 248, respectively. There were significant differences in the above indicators between the two groups ( Z=?7.593, ?7.372, ?4.941, χ2=3.873, P<0.05). Conclusion:The proportion and difficulty level of laparoscopic hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma in Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University have shown an upward trend during 2014?2023. Compared with conventional laparoscopy, patients undergoing fluorescent laparoscopic hepatectomy have longer operation time and portal triad clamping time, but less intraoperative blood loss and lower iproportion of complications.

Objective To elucidate the role of let-7 in the pathogenesis of oral squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC)and its underlying molecular mechanism.Methods The expression of let-7 in human oral keratinocyte(HOK),OSCC tissues,and OSCC cells(CAL-27,SCC-25,and SCC-9)was detected by quantitative real-time PCR.Colony formation,scratch,Transwell,and flow cytometry assays were used to examine the effects of let-7 on the proliferation,migration,invasion,and apoptosis of SCC-25 cells.Western blotting was used to detect the expression of Wnt and β-catenin proteins.The correlation between let-7 expression and the clinicopathological cha-racteristics and prognosis of OSCC patients was analyzed.Results let-7 was downregulated in OSCC tissues and cells.let-7 over-expression effectively inhibited the proliferation,migration,and invasion of SCC-25 cells while promoting apoptosis by suppressing acti-vation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.let-7 expression was closely associated with tumor stage,lymph node metastasis,and patient survival status.Patients with low let-7 expression exhibited lower overall survival rate.Conclusion let-7 targets and regulates the Wnt/β-catenin pathway,thereby inhibiting proliferation,migration,and invasion of OSCC cells while promoting apoptosis.

Objective To elucidate the role of let-7 in the pathogenesis of oral squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC)and its underlying molecular mechanism.Methods The expression of let-7 in human oral keratinocyte(HOK),OSCC tissues,and OSCC cells(CAL-27,SCC-25,and SCC-9)was detected by quantitative real-time PCR.Colony formation,scratch,Transwell,and flow cytometry assays were used to examine the effects of let-7 on the proliferation,migration,invasion,and apoptosis of SCC-25 cells.Western blotting was used to detect the expression of Wnt and β-catenin proteins.The correlation between let-7 expression and the clinicopathological cha-racteristics and prognosis of OSCC patients was analyzed.Results let-7 was downregulated in OSCC tissues and cells.let-7 over-expression effectively inhibited the proliferation,migration,and invasion of SCC-25 cells while promoting apoptosis by suppressing acti-vation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.let-7 expression was closely associated with tumor stage,lymph node metastasis,and patient survival status.Patients with low let-7 expression exhibited lower overall survival rate.Conclusion let-7 targets and regulates the Wnt/β-catenin pathway,thereby inhibiting proliferation,migration,and invasion of OSCC cells while promoting apoptosis.

Objective:To investigate the change trend of hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma and efficacy of fluorescent laparoscopic hepatectomy in a single center from 2014?2023.Methods:The propensity score matching and retrospective cohort study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 17 232 patients of hepatocellular carcinoma who were admitted to Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University from January 2014 to December 2023 were collected. There were 14 404 males and 2 828 females, aged 58(range, 11?94)years. Observation indicators: (1) change trend of hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma and application of fluorescent laparoscopy in 2014?2023; (2) propensity score matching between patients undergoing fluorescent and conventional laparoscopic hepatectomy; (3) intraoperative and postoperative conditions of patients in the fluorescent laparoscopy group and the conventional laparoscopy group after propensity score matching. Comparison of measurement data with skewed distribution between groups was conducted using the Mann-Whitney U test. Comparison of count data between groups was conducted using the chi-square test. Comparison of ordinal data between groups was conducted using the nonparametic rank sum test. Propensity score matching was performed using the 1∶3 nearest neighbor matching method, with the caliper value of 0.01. Results:(1) Change trend of hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma and application of fluorescent laparoscopy in 2014-2023. Among 17 232 patients of hepatocellular carcinoma, 4 074 cases underwent laparoscopic surgery, and 13 158 cases underwent open surgery or conversion from laparoscopic to open surgery. From 2014 to 2023, the proportions of laparos-copic surgery in hepatectomy were 8.993%(117/1 301), 6.804%(99/1 455), 9.379%(145/1 546), 17.511%(287/1 639), 23.828%(427/1 792), 24.572%(459/1 868), 29.662%(544/1 834), 31.568%(584/1 850), 38.080%(599/1 573), and 34.246%(813/2 374), respectively. The proportions of Grade Ⅲ surgery in laparoscopic hepatectomy were 11.966%(14/117), 7.071%(7/99), 12.414%(18/145), 21.254%(61/287), 28.337%(121/427), 27.887%(128/459), 34.375%(187/544), 34.644%(214/584), 35.726%(214/599), and 42.681%(347/813), respectively. From 2016 to 2023, the proportions of the application of fluorescent laparoscopy in laparoscopic hepatectomy were 2.069%(3/145), 5.923%(17/287), 8.431%(36/427), 10.022%(46/459), 17.647%(96/544), 24.829%(145/584), 9.182%(55/599), and 12.915%(105/813), respectively. (2) Propensity score matching between patients undergoing fluorescent and conventional laparoscopic hepatectomy. Among the 4 074 patients who underwent laparoscopic liver resection, 503 cases using fluorescent laparoscopy were assigned to the fluorescent laparoscopy group, 3 571 cases using conventional laparoscopy were assigned to the conventional laparoscopy group. A total of 1 794 patients were successfully matched, with 483 cases in the fluorescent laparoscopy group and 1 311 cases in the conventional laparoscopy group. After propensity score matching, the confounding biases of the maximum tumor diameter and the year of surgery were eliminated, and the two groups were comparable. (3) Intraoperative and postoperative conditions of patients in the fluorescent laparoscopy group and the conventional laparoscopy group after propensity score matching. After propensity score matching, there was no perioperative death in either the fluorescent laparoscopy group or the conventional laparoscopy group.The operation time of patients in the fluorescent laparoscopy group was 240(150,328)minutes, the portal triad clamping time was 30(15,45)minutes, the volume of intraoperative blood loss was 50(30,100)mL, the number of patients with complication 72, respectively. For patients in the conventional laparoscopy group, the above indicators were 180(131,240)minutes, 23(15,30)minutes, 55(50,100)mL, and 248, respectively. There were significant differences in the above indicators between the two groups ( Z=?7.593, ?7.372, ?4.941, χ2=3.873, P<0.05). Conclusion:The proportion and difficulty level of laparoscopic hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma in Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University have shown an upward trend during 2014?2023. Compared with conventional laparoscopy, patients undergoing fluorescent laparoscopic hepatectomy have longer operation time and portal triad clamping time, but less intraoperative blood loss and lower iproportion of complications.

Objective To explore the effect of phloretin on the proliferation,apoptosis,and tumorigenicity of ovarian cancer cells by regu-lating the Rac1/Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway.Methods The ovarian cancer cell line SKOV3 and the human normal ovarian epithelial cell line IOSE-80 were divided into the following groups:control,low-dose phloretin,medium-dose phloretin,high-dose phloretin,PM A,and high-dose phloretin+PMA.Morphological changes were observed under a microscope.Cell viability and apoptosis were assessed using the CCK-8 assay,colony formation assay,and flow cytometry.Western blotting was performed to detect the expression of proteins related to the Rac1/Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway.Tumor-bearing nude mice were established,tumor weights were measured,and the expres-sion levels of Rae1 and Akt in tumor tissues were analyzed.Results Compared with the control group,SKOV3 cells treated with low-,medium-,and high-dose phloretin showed reduced survival rate,colony formation,and expression of p-NF-κB p65/NF-κB p65,p-Akt/Akt,and Rac 1 in a dose-dependent manner.However,PM A reversed the inhibitory effects of high-dose phloretin on the malignant progression of ovarian cancer.In vivo experiments demonstrated that phloretin significantly inhibited tumor growth and reduced Akt and Rae1 expres-sion in tumor tissues(P＜0.05).Conclusion Phloretin suppresses the malignant progression of ovarian cancer by inhibiting the Rae1/Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Objective To retrieve, evaluate and integrate evidences for the prevention of urinary sepsis in patients with nephrostomy tube indwelling. Methods Relevant literatures were searched according to the "6S" evidence-based pyramid model, and the retrieval time was from the establishment of the database to August 2023. Two team members independently evaluated the quality of various literatures. The data extraction was performed for the literatures meeting the criteria, and the evidences were graded. Results A total of 11 articles were finally included, including 1 evidence summary, 4 guidelines, 2 systematic reviews, and 4 expert consensuses. Eighteen evidences for the prevention of urosepsis in patients with nephrostomy tubes were summarized, including five topics: evaluation of indwelling time, selection of nephrostomy tubes, indwelling duration, prevention and nursing of complications and extubation timing. Conclusion This study summarizes evidences for the prevention of urosepsis in patients with nephrostomy tubes, which can provide clinicians with evidence-based nursing basis and reference for scientific nursing of nephrostomy tubes.

Chemical cleaning and disinfection are crucial steps for eliminating infection in root canal treatment.However,irrigant selection or irrigation procedures are far from clear.The vapor lock effect in the apical region has yet to be solved,impeding irrigation efficacy and resulting in residual infections and compromised treatment outcomes.Additionally,ambiguous clinical indications for root canal medication and non-standardized dressing protocols must be clarified.Inappropriate intracanal medication may present side effects and jeopardize the therapeutic outcomes.Indeed,clinicians have been aware of these concerns for years.Based on the current evidence of studies,this article reviews the properties of various irrigants and intracanal medicaments and elucidates their effectiveness and interactions.The evolution of different kinetic irrigation methods,their effects,limitations,the paradigm shift,current indications,and effective operational procedures regarding intracanal medication are also discussed.This expert consensus aims to establish the clinical operation guidelines for root canal irrigation and a position statement on intracanal medication,thus facilitating a better understanding of infection control,standardizing clinical practice,and ultimately improving the success of endodontic therapy.