Objective To investigate the regulatory role and mechanism of lobetyolin(LBT,a poly-acetylene glycoside isolated from the roots of Codonopsis pilosula)in the proliferation and apop-tosis of brain glioma cells based on the Akt/GSK-3β/Snail signaling pathway.Methods Human brain glioma cell line U-373MG was randomly divided into normal,SC79(Akt activator),LBT,and LBT+SC79 groups.After corresponding interventions,CCK-8 assay,colony formation assay,and flow cytometry were used to detect the proliferation and apoptosis of the cells.Western blot-ting was employed to measure the protein expression levels of the molecules related to prolifera-tion,apoptosis,and Akt/GSK-3β/Snail signaling pathway.After tumor xenograft nude mouse model of U-373MG cells was established,followed by grouping and interventions as above cell experiments,the tumor weight and volume were measured.Immunohistochemical assay and TUNEL assay were performed to detect the proliferation and apoptosis of tumor cells.Western blotting was applied to detect Akt/GSK-3β/Snail signaling pathway related proteins in the nude mouse groups.Results In the LBT+SC79 group,cell viability,number of formed colonies,pro-tein levels of cyclin D1,Bcl-2 and Snail,p-Akt/Akt and p-GSK-3β/GSK-3β,tumor weight and vol-ume,and positive ratios of Ki67,cyclin D1 and Bcl-2 in transplanted tumors were increased(P＜0.05),and cell apoptotic rate[(3.20±1.14)％vs(46.15±1.52)％,P＜0.05],Bax protein level(0.51±0.07 vs 0.89±0.06,P＜0.05),and positive ratios of TUNEL[(51.56±7.13)％vs(74.95±8.61)％,P＜0.05]and Bax[(32.71±5.43)％vs(41.86±4.90),P＜0.05]in transplanted tumors were declined when compared with the LBT group.Conclusion LBT can induce apoptosis and inhibit proliferation of brain glioma cells in vitro and in vivo by blocking activation of the Akt/GSK-3β/Snail signaling pathway.

Objective To investigate the diagnostic value of endoscopic sign of light blue crest(LBC)capsuling papillary lesion(LCPL)for high-risk intestinal metaplasia(IM).Methods A total of 314 patients(352 biopsy specimens)who underwent endoscopic examination and biopsy in Department of Gastroenterology of Army Medical Center of PLA from January 2021 to June 2023 were recruited,and HE and HID-AB staining(the golden standard of high-risk IM)were apllied to detect the histological types and IM types.The samples were subsequently divided into chronic inflammation group,low-risk IM group,high-risk IM group,well-differentiated intestinal-type gastric cancer group,and poorly-differentiated intestinal-type gastric cancer group.The positive rate of LCPL in each group and its diagnostic efficacy were analyzed based on endoscopic images of the biopsy sites.Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the relationship between LCPL sign and high-risk IM,as well as the clinical and pathological features associated with LCPL sign.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was plotted to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of LCPL for high-risk IM,using indicators such as sensitivity,specificity,Youden index and area under the curve(AUC).Results The positive rate of the LCPL sign in high-risk IM group was 75.70%,significantly higher than that of the other groups(all P<0.001).Logistic regression analysis showed that LCPL sign was significantly correlated with high-risk IM(OR=30.286,95%CI:13.528～67.804,P<0.001).When the sign was employed in diagnosing high-risk IM,the sensitivity was 69.84%,the specificity was 93.75%,the Youden's index was 0.636,and the AUC value was 0.818(95%CI:0.773～0.857).Besides sensitivity,all above parameters of LCPL sign showed significantly better diagnostic efficacy than those of traditional LBC sign,which is used as a sign for diagnosing IM(P<0.001).Moreover,recognition of LCPL sign was not easily affected by age(OR=1.130,95%CI:0.709～1.800,P=0.607),lesion site(Angular incisure:OR=2.360,95%CI:0.732～7.613,P=0.151;Autrum:OR=2.257,95%CI:0.756～6.744,P=0.145),and presence of peptic ulcers(OR=1.085,95%CI:0.208～5.652,P=0.923).Significantly,94.12%of positive and 66.94%of negative LCPL signs could be rapidly recognized within 3 s(OR=4.536,95%CI:1.372～14.997,P=0.013).Conclusion LCPL sign shows high efficacy and potential clinical application value for high-risk IM in gastric mucosa of endoscopic diagnosis.

Objective To investigate the regulatory role and mechanism of lobetyolin(LBT,a poly-acetylene glycoside isolated from the roots of Codonopsis pilosula)in the proliferation and apop-tosis of brain glioma cells based on the Akt/GSK-3β/Snail signaling pathway.Methods Human brain glioma cell line U-373MG was randomly divided into normal,SC79(Akt activator),LBT,and LBT+SC79 groups.After corresponding interventions,CCK-8 assay,colony formation assay,and flow cytometry were used to detect the proliferation and apoptosis of the cells.Western blot-ting was employed to measure the protein expression levels of the molecules related to prolifera-tion,apoptosis,and Akt/GSK-3β/Snail signaling pathway.After tumor xenograft nude mouse model of U-373MG cells was established,followed by grouping and interventions as above cell experiments,the tumor weight and volume were measured.Immunohistochemical assay and TUNEL assay were performed to detect the proliferation and apoptosis of tumor cells.Western blotting was applied to detect Akt/GSK-3β/Snail signaling pathway related proteins in the nude mouse groups.Results In the LBT+SC79 group,cell viability,number of formed colonies,pro-tein levels of cyclin D1,Bcl-2 and Snail,p-Akt/Akt and p-GSK-3β/GSK-3β,tumor weight and vol-ume,and positive ratios of Ki67,cyclin D1 and Bcl-2 in transplanted tumors were increased(P＜0.05),and cell apoptotic rate[(3.20±1.14)％vs(46.15±1.52)％,P＜0.05],Bax protein level(0.51±0.07 vs 0.89±0.06,P＜0.05),and positive ratios of TUNEL[(51.56±7.13)％vs(74.95±8.61)％,P＜0.05]and Bax[(32.71±5.43)％vs(41.86±4.90),P＜0.05]in transplanted tumors were declined when compared with the LBT group.Conclusion LBT can induce apoptosis and inhibit proliferation of brain glioma cells in vitro and in vivo by blocking activation of the Akt/GSK-3β/Snail signaling pathway.

Objective:To investigate the effects of phillyrin(PHN)on the proliferation,invasion,and epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)of glioma U251 cells by adjusting the high mobility group protein B1(HMGB1)/receptor of advanced glycation endproduct(RAGE)signaling pathway.Methods:Human glioma U251cells were assigned into the PHN-0 group(treated with 0 μmol/L PHN),the low,medium,and high-dose PHN groups(PHN-50、PHN-100、PHN-200 groups,treated with 50,100,and 200 μmol/L PHN respectively),the PHN+pcDNA-NC group(treated with 200 μmol/L PHN after transfection of pcDNA-NC plasmid),and the PHN+HMGB1 group(treated with 200 μmol/L PHN after transfection of overexpressed HMGB1 plasmid).The proliferation ability of cells in each group was detected by the CCK-8 method and the clone formation assay.The apoptosis level of cells in each group was detected by flow cytometry.The migration and invasion abilities of cells in each group were detected by the Transwell assay.ELISA was used to detect the IL-8 secretion level of cells in each group.Immunofluorescence was used to detect the positive rates of N-cadherin and E-cadherin in cells of each group.WB assay was performed to detect the expression levels of Toll like receptor 4(TLR4),nuclear factor-kappa B(NF-κ B),HMGB1,RAGE,N-cadherin,E-cadherin,cell cycle protein D1(cyclin D1),cyclin dependent kinase 2(CDK2),B-lymphoblastoma-2(Bcl-2),Bcl-2 associated X protein(BAX)proteins in cells of each group.Results:Compared with those in the PHN-0 group,the proliferation activity,the number of clone formation,the numbers of invasion and migration,IL-8 secretion levels,the positive rate and protein expression of N-cadherin,and the expressions of TLR4,NF-κB,HMGB1,RAGE,cyclin D1 and CDK2 protein in the PHN-50,PHN-100,and PHN-200 groups decreased significantly(all P<0.05);and the apoptosis rate,the positivity rate and protein expression of E-cadherin,and the BAX/Bcl-2 ratio increased significantly(all P<0.05).At the same time,overexpression of HMGB1 could reverse the inhibitory effects of PHN on the proliferation,migration,invasion and EMT of U251 cells,as well as its promoting effect on the apoptosis(all P<0.05).Conclusion:PHN inhibits the proliferation,invasion and EMT progression of glioma U251 cells through the HMGB1/RAGE signaling pathway.

Objective To investigate the impact of silymarin(SM)on the malignant growth of glioma cells and the regulatory mechanism on the miR-124-3p/WEE1 axis.Methods Glioma U87 cells were grouped into control,SM low,medium,and high concentration groups,and SM high concentration + miR-124-3p inhibitor group(SM high + miR-124-3p inhibitor group).CCK-8 was used to measure the proli-feration rate of cells;Transwell? assay was applied to assay the migration and invasion of cells;cell cycle progression was detected by flow cytometry;Western blotting was applied to measure the expression of cyclin D1 and apoptosis-related proteins;the levels of miR-124-3p and WEE1 mRNA were determined by qRT-PCR;and a luciferase activity test was applied to verify the targeting relationship between miR-124-3p and WEE1;in addition,the establishment,administration,and analysis of a NOD/SCID mouse model of intracranial trans-planted tumor were conducted.Results Compared with the control group,the cell proliferation,the numbers of migrating and invading cells,the expression of cyclin D1,and the level of WEE1 mRNA in the various SM treatment groups decreased,the number of cells in G0/G1 phase,the expression of cleaved caspase-8,cleaved caspase-9,cleaved caspase-3 and miR-124-3p increased(P＜0.05);furthermore,transfection of miR-124-3p inhibitor reversed the inhibitory effect of SM on the malignant behavior of glioma cells.In vivo experiments with mice showed that the weights and volumes of tumors in the SM treatment group were lower than those in the model group(P＜0.05),and there was no discernible change in the weight of the mice(P＞0.05).Conclusion SM can inhibit the malignant growth of glioma cells by upregulating miR-124-3p and downregulating WEE1.

Objective To investigate the clinical features,laboratory indicators and prognosis of patients with bacterial ascites,and to provide evidence for early clinical diagnosis and treatmen.Methods Clinical data of patients diagnosed with cirrhosis ascites from First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 2019 to January 2022 were retrospectively analyzed.According to diagnostic criteria,they were divided into bacterial ascites group(n=24),spontaneous bacterial peritonitis group(n=20)and control group(n=26).The clinical features,laboratory indicators and prognosis of three groups were compared.Results Cirrhosis ascites caused by hepatitis B accounted for the highest proportion.The white blood cell count,neutrophil percentage,ascites white blood cell and polymorphonuclear leukocyte count of patients in bacterial ascites group were significantly higher than those in control group(P<0.05).Gram-positive bacteria was the main pathogens causing bacterial ascites,among which staphylococcus accounts for the highest proportion.Ten cases of bacterial ascites with symptoms of infection were treated with ascites culture and anti-infection therapy.The 14 patients without symptoms of infection were given different treatment according to the development of the disease,one patient died,and the other patients improved.Conclusion The number of patients with bacterial ascites was large,and the main pathogenic bacteria was Gram-positive coccus.The combination of clinical symptoms and laboratory indicators is beneficial to the early diagnosis of bacterial ascites and the decision of treatment.

Objective To investigate the therapeutic efficacy of dandelion extract on intracerebral hemorrhage(ICH)rats and its effect on nuclear factor erythroid 2 related factor 2(Nrf2)/heme oxygenase-1(HO-1)signaling pathway.Methods Stereotaxic intracranial injection of type Ⅳ col-lagenase was used to establish rat ICH model.Then 48 ICH rats were randomly divided into mod-el group,dandelion extract group,Nrf2 inhibitor(ML385)group and dandelion extract+ML385 group,with 12 rats in each group.Another 12 rats served as sham operation group.After treat-ment,neurological deficits was evaluated and scored for all groups of rats.Blood-brain barrier(BBB)function,neuronal apoptotic rate in the hippocampus,serum levels of COX-2,IL-6 and iNOS,cerebral contents of CAT,GSH-Px,ROS and MAD,and protein levels of Nrf2/HO-1 signal pathway were detected.Results Compared with sham operation group,the neurological deficit score,Evans blue exudation,appptotic rate of hippocampal neurons,serum COX-2,IL-6,iNOS levels,brain tissue reactive oxygen species(ROS)and malondialdehyde level in the model group were significantly increased(P＜0.05),and the expression levels of CAT,GSH-Px,Nrf2 and HO-1 proteins were significantly decreased(P＜0.05).Compared with dandelion extract group,combination of dandelion extract and ML385 significantly increased the neurological deficit score(2.54±0.23 vs 1.43±0.19),Evans blue exudation[(22.15±3.61)ng/mg vs(6.54±1.24)ng/mg],apoptotic rate[(31.97±5.26)％vs(3.51±0.94)％],serum COX-2[(5.82±1.16)ng/ml vs(1.34±0.42)ng/ml],IL-6[(1.47±0.31)ng/ml vs(0.43±0.14)ng/ml]and iNOS levels[(59.91±10.36)U/ml vs(13.94±3.78)U/ml],brain tissue ROS[(4.70±0.45)U/kg vs(1.70± 0.51)U/kg]and MDA levels[(3.72±0.52)nmol/mg vs(1.17±0.34)nmol/mg],and decreased expression levels of CAT[(2.54±0.59)U/mg vs(5.68±1.04)U/mg],GSH-Px[(8.01±0.86)U/mg vs(16.97±3.03)U/mg],Nrf2(0.67±0.13 vs 1.07±0.19)and HO-1(0.55±0.07 vs 0.86± 0.10,P＜0.05).Conclusion Dandelion extract can enhance the antioxidant activity in ICH rats by activating Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway,prevent the progression of inflammation and oxida-tive stress,inhibit neuronal apoptosis in hippocampus,repair blood-brain barrier function,and thus improve nerve function.

Objective:To investigate the value of 18F-FDG PET/CT combined with conventional imaging modalities in the evaluation of the depth of tumor invasion, regional lymph node metastasis, distant organ and lymph node metastasis (TNM staging), and the adjacent structure invasion of rectal cancer. Methods:Fifty-four patients (28 males, 26 females, age (65.8±11.0) years) with pathologically confirmed rectal cancer admitted to the Affiliated Qingdao Central Hospital of Qingdao University between September 2019 and June 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. 18F-FDG PET/CT examination, conventional imaging modalities including high-resolution MRI (HR-MRI), chest CT plain scan, upper abdominal MRI or CT plain scan+ enhanced examination were performed within 2 weeks before or after the rectal cancer being confirmed. The TNM staging and adjacent structural invasions including circumferential resection margin (CRM), extramural vascular invasion (EMVI), anal sphincter complex involvement were evaluated by 18F-FDG PET/CT and conventional imaging modalities separately or in combination, and those results based on imaging were compared with the pathological results or clinical follow-up results. χ2 test was used to compare the differences of diagnostic sensitivity, specificity and accuracy between the 18F-FDG PET/CT or conventional imaging modalities and combined examination. Results:The accuracy for T staging and the sensitivity and accuracy for N staging of the combined examination were 96.30%(52/54), 98.65%(73/74) and 93.91%(185/197), respectively, which were significantly higher than those of 18F-FDG PET/CT (85.19%(46/54), 66.22%(49/74), 81.73%(161/197); χ2 values: 3.97, 26.88, 13.66, all P<0.05). The specificity (91.06%, 112/123) and accuracy of the combined examination for N staging were higher than those of the conventional imaging modalities (77.24%(95/123), 83.76%(165/197); χ2 values: 8.81, 10.23, both P<0.05). The sensitivity and accuracy of the combined examination for M staging were higher than those of the conventional imaging modalities (97.01%(65/67) vs 73.13%(49/67), 95.95%(71/74) vs 68.92%(51/74); χ2 values: 15.05, 18.66, both P<0.001). The sensitivities of the combined examination in evaluating CRM and EMVI were 100%(22/22) and 95.00%(19/20), and the accuracies were 98.15%(53/54) and 96.30%(52/54), all of which were higher than those of 18F-FDG PET/CT (CRM: 54.55%(12/22), 74.07%(40/54); EVMI: 30.00%(6/20), 74.07%(40/54); χ2 values: 12.94, 13.08, 18.03, 10.56, all P<0.01). The accuracy of the combined examination in evaluating EMVI was higher than that of the conventional imaging modalities (85.19%(46/54); χ2=3.97, P=0.046). Conclusion:18F-FDG PET/CT combined with conventional imaging modalities can improve the diagnostic efficacy for TNM staging and assessment of adjacent structural invasion in rectal cancer.

Although olaparib has demonstrated substantial clinical benefits as maintenance therapy in BRCA mutation-carrying women with newly diagnosed advanced ovarian cancer, its effectiveness in patients without BRCA mutations remains poorly investigated. This study aims to provide the first evidence on the efficacy of mono-olaparib maintenance therapy in such context. Using real-world data from 11 high-volume tertiary care centers in China, a retrospective cohort study was conducted to assess the efficacy and safety of olaparib as first-line maintenance therapy in patients with BRCA wild-type ovarian cancer. The primary objective was 1-year progression-free survival rate. Safety was also evaluated. Fifty patients with a median age of 54 years were included, and all of them tested negative for BRCA mutations but positive for homologous recombination deficiency (HRD). The 1-year PFS rate was 75.2% (95% CI, 63.4 to 89.2), and the median PFS was 21.0 months (95% CI, 13.8 to 28.2). All the patients received olaparib at a starting dose of 300 mg twice daily, and none experienced serious adverse events (AEs). Eight (16%) patients had dose adjustment, but none discontinued olaparib treatment due to AEs. We provide the first evidence that mono-olaparib could be a safe and effective maintenance treatment option for patients newly diagnosed with HRD-positive/BRCA wild-type ovarian cancer.
Humans ; Female ; Phthalazines/adverse effects* ; Piperazines/administration & dosage* ; Middle Aged ; Ovarian Neoplasms/genetics* ; Retrospective Studies ; Adult ; Aged ; Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase Inhibitors/administration & dosage* ; China ; Maintenance Chemotherapy ; BRCA2 Protein/genetics* ; Antineoplastic Agents/adverse effects* ; Progression-Free Survival ; BRCA1 Protein/genetics*

OBJECTIVE To investigate the inhibitory effects of silymarin （SM） on glioma in vivo and in vitro and its potential mechanism. METHODS Human glioma cell line U87 cells were randomly divided into control group， SM low- concentration， SM medium-concentration and SM high-concentration groups （50， 100， 200 μg/mL）， protein kinase B （Akt） activator group （SC79 20 μmol/L）， high-concentration of SM combined with Akt activator group （SM 200 μg/mL+SC79 20 μmol/L）. After drug treatment （except for the control group）， optical density （OD） value， clone formation rate， apoptotic rate， the expressions of proliferation/apoptosis-related proteins [proliferating cell nuclear antigen （PCNA）， B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）， Bcl- 2-associated X protein （Bax）， caspase-3]， the phosphorylation levels of Akt/mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK） signaling pathway related proteins [Akt， p38 MAPK， extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 （ERK1/2）] were detected in each group. The xenograft tumor model in nude mice was established by injecting U87 cells subcutaneously via the right armpit， and then divided into control group， SM low-dose， SM medium-dose and SM high-dose groups （25， 50， 100 mg/kg）， Akt activator group （SC79 40 mg/kg）， high-dose of SM combined with Akt activator group （SM 100 mg/kg+SC79 40 mg/kg）， with 5 mice in each group. After drug intervention （except for the control group of nude mice）， the tumor mass was weighed and the tumor volume was calculated. RESULTS Compared with control group， the OD values， clone formation rates， protein expressions of PCNA and Bcl- 2， phosphorylation levels of Akt， p38 MAPK and ERK1/2 in SM groups， tumor mass and volume in nude mice of SM groups were all decreased significantly， while the apoptosis rates， protein expressions of Bax and caspase-3 were increased significantly， in a dose-dependent manner （P＜0.05）；the trend of changes in the above indicators in the Akt activator group was opposite （P＜ 0.05）， and Akt activator could significantly attenuate the inhibitory effect of high-concentration/high-dose SM on glioma in vivo and in vitro （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS SM may promote the apoptosis of U87 cells， and inhibit its proliferation， clone formation and tumor growth in xenograft nude mice by inhibiting Akt/MAPK signaling pathway.