Esophageal cancer is a prevalent malignant tumor of the digestive tract in China, and radical surgery remains the cornerstone of its comprehensive treatment. However, multifactorial challenges such as postoperative gastrointestinal tract reconstruction, traumatic stress, and tumor-related metabolic disturbances render esophageal cancer patients highly susceptible to malnutrition. Perioperative nutritional support therapy plays a crucial role in enhancing surgical safety, improving clinical outcomes, and elevating patients' quality of life by regulating metabolic homeostasis, preserving organ function, and optimizing the immune microenvironment. This article reviews the mechanisms underlying malnutrition in esophageal cancer, methods for nutritional status assessment, and precision intervention pathways based on multi-omics evaluations. The aim is to strengthen clinicians' awareness of standardized perioperative nutritional management for esophageal cancer patients and promote its clinical implementation, thereby facilitating postoperative recovery and improving long-term quality of life.

Lung cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related morbidity and mortality worldwide, and its treatment continues to face major challenges such as therapeutic resistance and tumor recurrence. Pyroptosis, a newly characterized form of programmed cell death, induces tumor cell death through gasdermin-mediated membrane pore formation and is accompanied by the release of inflammatory mediators, thereby playing complex roles in lung cancer initiation, progression, and modulation of the tumor microenvironment. Active components and herbal formulas derived from traditional Chinese medicine can modulate pyroptosis-related signaling pathways through multi-target mechanisms, showing potential advantages in inducing lung cancer cell death, inhibiting proliferation and migration, and reversing chemoresistance. This review systematically summarizes relevant studies from domestic and international sources, focusing on the molecular mechanisms of pyroptosis, its roles in lung cancer development and tumor microenvironment remodeling, and the current research progress on traditional Chinese medicine-based interventions targeting pyroptosis, with the aim of providing references for the prevention and treatment of lung cancer using traditional Chinese medicine.

Objective To analyze the distribution characteristics and trends of occupational exposure types of medical radiation workers in Gansu Province, China, and to provide a basis for administrative departments to formulate and adjust radiation protection policies. Methods According to the radiation health information platform, the data of occupational exposure types of radiation workers in Gansu Province from 2014 to 2023 were obtained. The proportions of occupational exposure types in each physical examination year was statistically analyzed. Results From 2014 to 2023, the number of medical radiation workers accounted for more than 70% of the total number of radiation workers. The proportion of X-ray imaging diagnostic radiation workers in the total number of medical radiation workers gradually decreased but remained the highest, exceeding 68% annually. The proportion of interventional radiology workers in the total number of medical radiation workers increased from 13.8% to 25.5%. The proportions of radiation therapy and nuclear medicine workers in the total number of medical radiation workers increased slowly. The numbers of interventional radiology and radiotherapy workers in tertiary hospitals both accounted for more than 70% of the total number of such workers in the province. The proportion of interventional radiology workers increased and then decreased. The proportion of radiotherapy workers increased significantly from 70.5% to 93.0%. The number of nuclear medicine workers in tertiary hospitals accounted for more than 80% of such workers in the province. Conclusion Radiation protection policies and measures should be adjusted according to the changes in the types of occupational exposure. The focus of these policies and measures should differ depending on the level of healthcare institutions, the type of radiological diagnostic and therapeutic services, and the characteristics of various occupational exposure types .

Objective To evaluate the effect of donor gender on short-term survival rate of lung transplant recipients. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the data of 1 066 lung transplant recipients. The log-rank test was used to evaluate the differences in short-term fatality among different donor gender groups and donor-recipient gender combination groups. Multivariate Cox regression, propensity score (PS) regression, and propensity score matching (PSM) were employed to control for confounding factors and further assess the differences in fatality. Subgroup analyses were also performed based on donor gender. Results Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed no statistically significant differences in fatality at 30 days, 1 year, 2 years and 3 years postoperatively between male and female donor groups (all P>0.05). After PS regression and PSM, univariate Cox regression analysis indicated that recipients from female donors had a higher fatality at 2 years postoperatively compared to those from male donors, with hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) of 1.29 (1.01-1.65) and 1.36 (1.03-1.80) respectively. Multivariate Cox regression analysis also revealed no statistically significant differences in fatality at various follow-up time points among different donor-recipient gender combination groups (all P>0.05). Subgroup analyses based on donor sex showed no statistically significant differences in fatality among recipients of different gender within either male or female donor groups (all P>0.05). Conclusions Female donors may reduce the short-term postoperative survival rate of lung transplant recipients, but this negative impact is not sustainable in the long term. At present, there is no evidence to support the inclusion of sex as a factor in lung allocation rules.

Objective To investigate the protective effect and its mechanism of low-dose interleukin-2(IL-2)against hepatocyte injury in Concanavalin A(Con A)-induced autoimmune hepatitis(AIH)mice.Methods Eighteen SPF female C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into normal group,model group and treatment group,each group with 6 mice.Mice in the treatment group were subcutaneously injected with 300 μl 10,000 U IL-2 for 12 d,once a day.2 h after the last dose,Con A(15 mg/kg)was injected through the tail vein in the model group and treatment group.After 8 h of modeling,the histopathological changes in the mouse liver were observed using HE staining,and the serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase(AST),alanine aminotransferase(ALT),tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),and interferon-γ(IFN-γ)were detected using ELISA method;the expression of apoptotic protein caspase 8/9/3 was detected by Western blotting;and the percentages of Treg and Th1 cells were observed by flow cytometry.Results Compared with normal group,the liver index,spleen index,the percentage of necrotic area of liver tissue,the serum levels of ALT,AST,TNF-α and IFN-γ,and the expression of apoptosis protein caspase 8/9/3 significantly increased in the model group(P<0.05 or P<0.01);Compared with model group,the liver index,spleen index,the percentage of necrotic area of liver tissue,the serum levels of ALT,TNF-α and IFN-γ,and the expression of apoptosis protein caspase 8/9/3 significantly decreased in the treatment group(P<0.05 or P<0.01).The flow cytometry results showed that compared with normal group,the percentages of Treg and Th1 cells and Th1/Treg ratio increased in the model group(P<0.05 or P<0.01);Compared with the model group,the percentage of Treg cells further increased(P<0.01),Th1/Treg ratio decreased significantly in the treatment group(P<0.05),but there was no significant difference in the percentage of Th1 cells between two groups(P>0.05).Conclusion Low-dose of IL-2 can effectively improve liver injury in AIH mice,and the mechanism of action may be related to inducible Treg cell activation.

Objective To investigate the effect and mechanism of hypoxia inducible factor-1 α/aquaporin-4(HIF-1α/AQP4)pathway in high altitude cerebral edema(HACE)after blood-brain barrier injury in rats.Methods Adult male SD rats(n=40)were randomly divided into two groups:control group(Ctrl,n=20)and high altitude cerebral edema group(HACE,n=20).The rats in the control group were reared in Xining(altitude 2261 m)for 4 days,and the rats in HACE group were reared in low-pressure simulation chamber(altitude 5000 m)for 4 days.Brain water content was measured by the method of dry and wet weight.The intracranial structure,morphology and signal changes of small animals were observed through T2 weighted image of 7.0 T MRI.The morphological changes of neurons and the apoptosis of nerve cells in the CA1 region of hippocampal tissue were observed by the staining of Nissl and TUNEL.Immunohistochemical staining was performed to observe the extravasation of immunoglobulin G(IgG).The expressions of HIF-1α,AQP4,matrix metalloproteinase-9(MMP-9),claudin-5,occludin and zonula occludens-1(ZO-1)in the tissue of hippocampal were detected by the method of Western blotting and immunofluorescent staining.Results The brain water content increased significantly in the HACE group(P＜0.05).The neurons in CA1 region of hippocampal tissue were atrophic and deformed,the arrangement of neurons was disordered in the HACE group.The number of neurons decreased significantly,the apoptosis of nerve cells increased significantly,and the IgG exudates obviously in the CA1 region of hippocampal tissue in the HACE group.The expressions of HIF-1α,AQP4 and MMP-9 proteins increased significantly,while claudin-5,occludin and ZO-1 proteins decreased significantly in the CA1 region of hippocampal tissue,which detected by the method of Western blotting and immunofluorescent staining(P＜0.05).Conclusion Acute high-altitude hypoxia can induce to blood-brain barrier disruption through the HIF-1α/AQP4 pathway,resulting in high-altitude cerebral edema.

Objective To explore the molecular mechanism by which SOS Ras/Rac guanine nucleotide exchange factor 1-intronic transcript 1(SOS1-IT1)affects enhancer of zeste homolog 2(EZH2)protein expression in endometrial cancer cells Ishikawa and RL95-2.Methods Lentiviral transfection of short hairpin RNA(shRNA)and overexpression plasmid were used in Ishikawa and RL95-2 cell lines to knock down and overexpress SOS1-IT1.The mechanism of EZH2 expression regulation was studied using Real-time PCR,Western blotting,and chromatin immunoprecipitation.Results The expression of SOS1-IT1 and EZH2 genes was positively correlated in endometrial cancer tissues.Knocking down SOS1-IT1 significantly reduces the expression of EZH2,inhibited the proliferation and migration of Ishikawa and RL95-2 cells,and could reduced the acetylation of histone H3 at position 27(H3K27)and the enrichment of CREB binding protein(CBP)in the EZH2 gene promoter region.Overexpression of SOS1-IT1 could increased the expression of EZH2 and enhance the acetylation of H3K27 and the enrichment of CBP.CBP could bind to SOS1-IT1 RNA,and this binding ability was weakened when CBP was knocked down.Conclusion SOS1-IT1 can promote the expression level of EZH2 in endometrial cancer cells Ishikawa and RL95-2 by regulating the acetylation modification level of the EZH2 gene promoter region,thereby affecting the proliferation and migration ability of endometrial cancer cells.

Objective To investigate the neuroprotective effects and mechanisms of abscisic acid(ABA)in 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine(MPTP)-induced Parkinson's disease(PD)mouse models.Methods Eight-week-old C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into three groups,control group(Ctrl),MPTP group,and MPTP+ABA group,12 mice in each group.Except for the control group,mice in the other groups were intraperitoneally injected with MPTP 25 mg/kg daily for 8 consecutive days to establish a subacute PD model.The MPTP+ABA group received intraperitoneal injections of ABA 25 mg/kg daily for 11 consecutive days,starting 3 days prior to MPTP administration.Behavioral tests were performed 24 hours after the last administration.On day 3,the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase(TH)and glial fibrillary acidic protein(GFAP)in the substantia nigra pars compacta(SNc)and striatum(STR)was analyzed by Western blotting,and mRNA levels of inflammatory factors were measured by Real-time PCR.Immunofluorescent staining was used to detect the expression of TH,GFAP,and ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1(Iba1).Results Compared with the control group,MPTP-treated mice exhibited impaired motor function,a reduced number of TH-positive dopaminergic neurons in the SNc,down-regulated TH protein expression in both the SNc and striatum,up-regulated GFAP protein expression,increased numbers of GFAP-and Iba1-positive cells,and elevated levels of pro-inflammatory factors.In contrast,the MPTP+ABA group showed improved motor function,increased TH-positive neurons in the SNc,up-regulated TH protein expression,down-regulated GFAP protein expression,reduced numbers of GFAP-and Iba1-positive cells,and decreased pro-inflammatory factor levels compared to the MPTP group.Conclusion ABA ameliorates motor dysfunction in MPTP-induced PD model mice,reduces degeneration and death of dopaminergic neurons in the SNc,suppresses the proliferation and activation of astrocytes and microglia in the SNc and striatum,and alleviates neuroinflammation.These results suggest that ABA exerts neuroprotective effects in MPTP-induced PD model mice.

In this study, potential quality markers(Q-markers) of Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus for treating bronchial asthma were predicted based on analytic hierarchy process(AHP), entropy weight method(EWM), fingerprint, and network pharmacology. AHPEWM was employed to quantitatively identify the Q-markers of Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus. AHP was used to weight the primary indicators(effectiveness, measurability, and specificity), while EWM was employed to analyze the secondary indicators of each primer indicator. Further, through fingerprint combined with network pharmacology, a ″component-target-pathway″ network was constructed to screen the components of Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus for treating bronchial asthma. It was finally determined that schisandrol A,schisandrin A, and schisandrin B were potential Q-markers of Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus in the treatment of bronchial asthma. This study is the first to comprehensively use AHP-EWM, fingerprint, and network pharmacology to screen the key Q-markers of Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus in the treatment of bronchial asthma. This study provides a scientific basis for improving the quality standard of Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus and lays a foundation for studying its material basis in treating bronchial asthma.
Schisandra/chemistry* ; Asthma/drug therapy* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Network Pharmacology ; Humans ; Entropy ; Lignans/analysis* ; Fruit/chemistry* ; Quality Control ; Cyclooctanes ; Polycyclic Compounds/analysis*

This study aims to explore the mechanism of lung and gut protection by Tanreqing Capsules on the mice infected with influenza virus based on "the lung-gut axis". A total of 110 C57BL/6J mice were randomized into control group, model group, oseltamivir group, and low-and high-dose Tanreqing Capsules groups. Ten mice in each group underwent body weight protection experiments, and the remaining 12 mice underwent experiments for mechanism exploration. Mice were infected with influenza virus A/Puerto Rico/08/1934(PR8) via nasal inhalation for the modeling. The lung tissue was collected on day 3 after gavage, and the lung tissue, colon tissue, and feces were collected on day 7 after gavage for subsequent testing. The results showed that Tanreqing Capsules alleviated the body weight reduction and increased the survival rate caused by PR8 infection. Compared with model group, Tanreqing Capsules can alleviate the lung injury by reducing the lung index, alleviating inflammation and edema in the lung tissue, down-regulating viral gene expression at the late stage of infection, reducing the percentage of neutrophils, and increasing the percentage of T cells. Tanreqing Capsules relieved the gut injury by restoring the colon length, increasing intestinal lumen mucin secretion, alleviating intestinal inflammation, and reducing goblet cell destruction. The gut microbiota analysis showed that Tanreqing Capsules increased species diversity compared with model group. At the phylum level, Tanreqing Capsules significantly increased the abundance of Firmicutes and Actinobacteria, while reducing the abundance of Bacteroidota and Proteobacteria to maintain gut microbiota balance. At the genus level, Tanreqing Capsules significantly increased the abundance of unclassified＿f＿Lachnospiraceae while reducing the abundance of Bacteroides, Eubacterium, and Phocaeicola to maintain gut microbiota balance. In conclusion, Tanreqing Capsules can alleviate mouse lung and gut injury caused by influenza virus infection and restore the balance of gut microbiota. Treating influenza from the lung and gut can provide new ideas for clinical practice.
Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Mice ; Lung/metabolism* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Capsules ; Orthomyxoviridae Infections/virology* ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects* ; Male ; Humans ; Female ; Influenza A virus/physiology* ; Influenza, Human/virology*