Ursodeoxycholic acid(UDCA)is a naturally occurring,low-toxicity,and hydrophilic bile acid(BA)in the human body that is converted by intestinal flora using primary BA.Solute carrier family 7 member 11(SLC7A11)functions to uptake extracellular cystine in exchange for glutamate,and is highly expressed in a variety of human cancers.Retroperitoneal liposarcoma(RLPS)refers to liposarcoma originating from the retroperitoneal area.Lipidomics analysis revealed that UDCA was one of the most significantly down-regulated metabolites in sera of RIPS patients compared with healthy subjects.The augmentation of UDCA concentration(≥25 μg/mL)demonstrated a suppressive effect on the proliferation of liposarcoma cells.[15N2]-cystine and[13Cs]-glutamine isotope tracing revealed that UDCA impairs cystine uptake and glutathione(GSH)synthesis.Mechanistically,UDCA binds to the cystine transporter SLC7A11 to inhibit cystine uptake and impair GSH de novo synthesis,leading to reactive oxygen species(ROS)accumulation and mitochondrial oxidative damage.Furthermore,UDCA can promote the anti-cancer effects of ferroptosis inducers(Erastin,RSL3),the murine double minute 2(MDM2)inhibitors(Nutlin 3a,RG7112),cyclin dependent kinase 4(CDK4)inhibitor(Abemaciclib),and glutaminase inhibitor(CB839).Together,UDCA functions as a cystine exchange factor that binds to SLC7A11 for antitumor activity,and SLC7A11 is not only a new transporter for BA but also a clinically applicable target for UDCA.More importantly,in combination with other antitumor chemotherapy or physiotherapy treatments,UDCA may provide effective and promising treatment strategies for RLPS or other types of tumors in a ROS-dependent manner.

Objective To elucidate the impact of chronic kidney disease(CKD)on the clinical outcomes of patients with left main coronary artery disease(LMCAD)undergoing intravascular ultrasound(IVUS)-guided percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI).Methods This retrospective study enrolled consecutive patients with LMCAD who underwent IVUS-guided PCI at Wuhan Asia Heart Hospital between January 2017 and December 2020.Patients were stratified into CKD and non-CKD groups according to the presence of CKD.Clinical data were systematically retrieved from the electronic health record system.Demographic,clinical,and angiographic characteristics were compared between groups.The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiovascular events(MACE),defined as a composite of all-cause mortality,myocardial infarction,and ischemic stroke.Results A total of 325 LMCAD patients[mean age(62.56±9.86)years;73.54％male]were included,with 31 patients(9.54％)in the CKD group.During a median follow-up of 5 years,CKD patients exhibited significantly older age[(70.13±9.77)years vs.(61.77±9.54)years,P＜0.001],higher prevalence of three-vessel disease(64.52％vs.38.10％;P=0.040)and left main bifurcation lesion(45.16％vs.37.76％,P=0.011),greater IVUS-detected calcification burden(P=0.029),and higher median SYNTAXⅡ scores[(34.10(30.30,39.25)vs.26.75(22.42,31.58),P＜0.001)].The cumulative incidence of MACE was significantly higher in the CKD group compared to the non-CKD group(32.26％vs.9.18％,P＜0.001).Univariate Cox regression analysis and Kaplan-Meier survival curves confirmed a 5.877-fold increased risk of MACE in CKD patients(95％CI 2.765-12.494).After adjusting for age and cardiac function,CKD remained an independent predictor of MACE(HR 3.611,95％CI 1.634-7.978).Conclusions LMCAD patients with concomitant CKD present with advanced age,impaired cardiac function,more extensive coronary disease,and severe calcification.The presence of CKD is associated with a significantly worse long-term prognosis.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness of single-balloon and double-balloon enteroscopy in diagnosing pediatric small bowel diseases and assess the diagnostic efficacy of computed tomography enterography (CTE) for small bowel diseases using enteroscopy as the reference standard. METHODS: Clinical data from 576 children who underwent enteroscopy at Hunan Children's Hospital between January 2017 and December 2023 were retrospectively collected. The children were categorized based on enteroscopy type into the single-balloon enteroscopy (SBE) group (n=457) and double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) group (n=119), and the clinical data were compared between the two groups. The sensitivity and specificity of CTE for diagnosing small bowel diseases were evaluated using enteroscopy results as the standard. RESULTS: Among the 576 children, small bowel lesions were detected by enteroscopy in 274 children (47.6%).There was no significant difference in lesion detection rates or complication rates between the SBE and DBE groups (P>0.05), but the DBE group had deeper insertion, longer procedure time, and higher complete small bowel examination rate (P<0.05). The complication rate during enteroscopy was 4.3% (25/576), with 18 cases (3.1%) of mild complications and 7 cases (1.2%) of severe complications, which improved with symptomatic treatment, surgical, or endoscopic intervention. Among the 412 children who underwent CTE, the sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing small bowel diseases were 44.4% and 71.3%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS SBE and DBE have similar diagnostic efficacy for pediatric small bowel diseases, but DBE is preferred for suspected deep small bowel lesions and comprehensive small bowel examination. Enteroscopy in children demonstrates relatively good overall safety. CTE demonstrates relatively low sensitivity but comparatively high specificity for diagnosing small bowel diseases.
Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Double-Balloon Enteroscopy/statistics & numerical data* ; Single-Balloon Enteroscopy/statistics & numerical data* ; Humans ; Male ; Female ; Child ; Operative Time ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed/statistics & numerical data* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Intestine, Small/surgery* ; Intestinal Diseases/surgery*

OBJECTIVES: To study the effect of prophylactic phenytoin (PHT) or levetiracetam (LEV) on busulfan (BU) blood concentration in children undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. METHODS: Pediatric patients conditioned with BU plus cyclophosphamide and fludarabine at the First People's Hospital of Chenzhou from September 2023 to February 2025 were retrospectively included. Patients were grouped by prophylactic antiepileptic regimen into PHT (n=24) and LEV (n=26). BU blood concentrations at the end of infusion (0 hour) and at 1, 2, and 4 hours post-infusion were compared between groups. RESULTS: At 0 hour post-infusion, BU blood concentrations did not differ significantly between groups (P>0.05). At 1, 2, and 4 hours post-infusion, BU blood concentrations were higher in the LEV group than in the PHT group (P<0.05). The area under the concentration-time curve from 0 to ∞ (AUC_0-∞) was greater in the LEV group (P<0.001), and the attainment rate of AUC_0-∞ was higher in the LEV group than in the PHT group (73% vs 21%, P<0.001). No significant differences were observed between groups in time to hematopoietic engraftment or in the incidence of BU-related adverse drug reactions (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS Compared with PHT, LEV prophylaxis is associated with higher BU blood concentration and a higher AUC_0-∞ attainment rate. There is no observed difference in BU efficacy or safety between PHT and LEV.
Humans ; Levetiracetam/therapeutic use* ; Busulfan/pharmacokinetics* ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Male ; Female ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Phenytoin/pharmacology* ; Infant ; Retrospective Studies ; Anticonvulsants/pharmacology* ; Adolescent

Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is a naturally occurring, low-toxicity, and hydrophilic bile acid (BA) in the human body that is converted by intestinal flora using primary BA. Solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11) functions to uptake extracellular cystine in exchange for glutamate, and is highly expressed in a variety of human cancers. Retroperitoneal liposarcoma (RLPS) refers to liposarcoma originating from the retroperitoneal area. Lipidomics analysis revealed that UDCA was one of the most significantly downregulated metabolites in sera of RLPS patients compared with healthy subjects. The augmentation of UDCA concentration (≥25 μg/mL) demonstrated a suppressive effect on the proliferation of liposarcoma cells. [¹⁵N₂]-cystine and [¹³C₅]-glutamine isotope tracing revealed that UDCA impairs cystine uptake and glutathione (GSH) synthesis. Mechanistically, UDCA binds to the cystine transporter SLC7A11 to inhibit cystine uptake and impair GSH de novo synthesis, leading to reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and mitochondrial oxidative damage. Furthermore, UDCA can promote the anti-cancer effects of ferroptosis inducers (Erastin, RSL3), the murine double minute 2 (MDM2) inhibitors (Nutlin 3a, RG7112), cyclin dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) inhibitor (Abemaciclib), and glutaminase inhibitor (CB839). Together, UDCA functions as a cystine exchange factor that binds to SLC7A11 for antitumor activity, and SLC7A11 is not only a new transporter for BA but also a clinically applicable target for UDCA. More importantly, in combination with other antitumor chemotherapy or physiotherapy treatments, UDCA may provide effective and promising treatment strategies for RLPS or other types of tumors in a ROS-dependent manner.

Purpose To investigate the immunohistochemical HER2 expression in a large group of patients with urothelial carcinoma and to compare the results with the pathologic features and survival rate.Methods A total of 519 urothelial carcinoma specimens were collected from two centers.HER2 expression was measured by EnVision immuno-histochemistry.HER2 expression was compared with clinicopathological parameters,and further analyzed in relation to patient prognosis.Results The median age of the 519 patients was 66 years with a male to female ratio of 1.93∶1.Among them,160 cases were radical specimens,and 359 were transurethral resection specimens.The overall HER2 positivity rate was 61.7％(320/519),of which 148 cases(28.5％)were HER2 1+,238(45.9％)were HER2 2+,and 82(15.8％)were HER2 3+.In addition,51 cases(9.8％)were HER2-negative.HER2-positive ex-pression was associated with age,tumor location,histological grade,histological type,surgical approach,lymphovas-cular invasion,and neural invasion(all P＜0.05),but there was no significant correlation with gender,pT stage,muscular invasion,or lymph node metastasis.Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age≥ 66 years,higher tumor grade,and lymphovascular invasion were risk factors for positive HER2 expression,and high histological grade and lymphovascular invasion were independent risk factors affecting HER2 expression after controlling for confounders.Survival analysis showed no significant difference in recurrence-free survival between patients with HER2-positive and HER2-negative non-muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma(P=0.274).Conclusion High histologic grade,tumor lymphovascular invasion,and neural invasion were associated with positive HER2 expression in patients with urothelial carcinoma,and higher histologic grade and lymphovascular invasion are important factors affect-ing HER2 expression.However,HER2-positive expression may not affect the prognosis of patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder urothelial carcinoma.

Objective To explore the molecular mechanisms by which cytochrome P4502C regulates ferroptosis in hu-man retinal microvascular endothelial cells(hRMECs)under high-glucose conditions.Methods Human retinal microvas-cular endothelial cells(hRMECs)were cultured in vitro and divided into six groups:the NG group(cells cultured in ser-um-free DMEM medium containing 5.5 mmol·L-1 glucose);the NG+fenofibrate group(10 μmol·L-1 fenofibrate added to the NG group);the NG+rifampicin group(10 μmol·L-1 rifampicin added to the NG group);the HG group(cells cul-tured in serum-free DMEM medium containing 25.5 mmol·L-1 glucose);the HG+fenofibrate group(10 μmol·L-1 feno-fibrate added to the HG group);and the HG+rifampicin group(10 μmol·L-1 rifampicin added to the HG group).After 48 hours of culture,subsequent experiments were conducted.Cell viability was assessed using the CCK-8 assay.The levels of malondialdehyde(MDA)and iron content in hRMECs were measured using commercial assay kits.The relative fluores-cence intensity of Liperfluo was quantified by flow cytometry.The mRNA expression levels of glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4),cytochrome P4502C,and acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4(ACSL4)in hRMECs were analyzed using real-time quantitative PCR.The protein expression levels of GPX4,cytochrome P4502C,and ACSL4 in hRMECs were evaluated using Western blot analysis.Results Optimal concentration analysis showed that the 10 μmnol·L-1 fenofibrate group had the highest cell viability compared to the HG group(P＜0.05),while the 10 μmol·L-1 rifampicin group had the lowest cell viability(P＜0.05).Thus,10 μmol·L-1 was selected as the optimal concentration for both fenofibrate and rif-ampicin for subsequent experiments.Cell viability in the NG,NG+fenofibrate,NG+rifampicin,HG,HG+fenofibrate,and HG+rifampicin groups was(100.00±7.85)％,(102.15±9.07)％,(69.97±4.22)％,(61.74±6.13)％,(83.64±7.58)％,and(56.96±5.34)％,respectively.Compared with the NG group,the HG group had significantly lower cell via-bility(P＜0.05).Compared with the HG group,the HG+fenofibrate group had significantly higher cell viability(P＜0.05).Compared with the NG group,the HG group had higher levels of MDA,iron content,and Liperfluo relative fluores-cence intensity(all P＜0.05).Compared with the HG group,the HG+fenofibrate group had lower levels of MDA,iron content,and Liperfluo relative fluorescence intensity(all P＜0.05);the HG+rifampicin group had higher levels of these parameters(all P＜0.05).Compared with the NG group,the HG group had higher mRNA and protein expression levels of cytochrome P4502C and ACSL4,but lower levels of GPX4 mRNA and protein(all P＜0.05).Compared with the HG group,the HG+fenofibrate group had lower mRNA and protein expression levels of cytochrome P4502C and ACSL4,but higher lev-els of GPX4 mRNA and protein(all P＜0.05);the HG+rifampicin group had higher mRNA and protein expression levels of cytochrome P4502C and ACSL4,but lower levels of GPX4 mRNA and protein(all P＜0.05).Conclusion Cytochrome P4502C can promote ferroptosis of hRMECs under high-glucose conditions by regulating the GPX4/ACSL4 signaling axis;in-hibition of cytochrome P4502C expression can exert a protective effect on DR;modulation of the expression levels or bal-ance of the key factors GPX4 and ACSL4 in this pathway may hold promise as a potential strategy to slow the progression of DR.

Aim To investigate the effects of lycopene on myocardial microvascular remodeling and elucidate its underlying mechanisms via the LXR/PI3K/Akt pathway.Methods 50 SD rats were selected to establish a coronary microcirculation disorder model and divided into sham,model and low/mid/high concentration lycopene groups.Left ven-tricular end-diastolic diameter(LVEDD),left ventricular end-systolic diameter(LVESD),left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)and left ventricular fractional shortening(LVFS)in rats were detected using echocardiography,creatine kinase(CK),lactate dehydrogenase(LDH),vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF),platelet-derived growth factor(PDGF)were detected using ELISA,matrix metalloproteinase-9(MMP-9),matrix metalloproteinase-2(MMP-2)and PI3K/Akt pathway related protein expression were detected using Western blot,and liver X receptor α(LXRα)and liver X receptor β(LXRβ)expression were detected using immunohistochemical staining.In vitro,a hypoxia model of myo-cardial microvascular endothelial cells(MCMEC)was established,with groups including control,hypoxia,hypoxia+low/mid/high concentration lycopene,LXR/PI3K/Akt pathway inhibitor group and mitochondrial fission inhibitor group.Cell viability was detected using CCK-8,LXRα and LXRβ were detected using immunofluorescence,superoxide dismutase(SOD),reactive oxygen species(ROS),VEGF and PDGF levels were detected using ELISA,mitochondrial function-re-lated proteins(Drp1,Fis1,LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ,PINK1,Parkin and Opa1)and MMP-9,MMP-2 and PI3K/Akt pathway related proteins were detected using Western blot,and myocardial tissue injury was evaluated using HE staining.Results Compared with the sham group,the model group exhibited severe myocardial injury,with increased levels of LVEDD,LVESD,CK and LDH,decreased LVEF and LVFS,downregulated expression of VEGF,PDGF,MMP-9 and MMP-2,de-creased expression of p-PI3K/PI3K and p-Akt/Akt,and downregulated expression of LXRα and LXRβ.In cells,com-pared with the control group,the hypoxia group showed decreased cell viability,downregulated expression of VEGF,PDGF,MMP-9,and MMP-2,and decreased expression of p-PI3K/PI3K and p-Akt/Akt.Lycopene treatment could ef-fectively reverse the above changes and increase the expression of LXRα and LXRβ.Moreover,lycopene could also re-verse and modulate the characteristic alterations of Drp1,Fis1,LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ,PINK1,Parkin and Opa1 induced by LXR/PI3K/Akt pathway inhibitors or mitochondrial fission inhibitors.Conclusion Lycopene enhances mitochondrial activi-ty,reduces oxidative stress and improves myocardial microvascular remodeling by activating the LXR/PI3K/Akt pathway.

Objective To explore the association between nocturnal blood pressure decline rate and chronic heart failure(CHF).Methods In this study,a total of 711 individuals who underwent 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring were divided into control group(n=433)and CHF group(n=278).The characteristics of the study population and nocturnal blood pressure decline rate were compared between CHF group and control group.Restricted spline analysis was utilized to examine the linear or non-linear association between nocturnal blood pressure decline rate and the prevalence of CHF.The relationship between nocturnal blood pressure decline rate and CHF was further investigated based on multivariable Logistic regression model.Results Nocturnal systolic blood pressure decline rate was significantly different in CHF group and control group[(3.3±7.1)mmHg vs.(5.0+6.7)mmHg,P=0.001].No significant difference in nocturnal diastolic blood pressure was found between the two groups[(5.7±7.6)mmHg vs.(6.8±7.2)mmHg,P=0.061].Restricted spline analysis showed a significant linear association between nocturnal systolic blood pressure decline rate and CHF risk.After adjusting for age,sex,smoking,body mass index,24-hour systolic blood pressure,24-hour diastolic blood pressure,type 2 diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidemia,multivariate Logistic regression analysis revealed that nocturnal systolic blood pressure decline rate was negatively associated with the prevalence of CHF(OR=0.97,95％CI:0.95-0.99;P=0.010).However,no significant association was found between nocturnal diastolic blood pressure decline rate and CHF risk.Conclusion Nocturnal systolic blood pressure decline rate is associated with the prevalence of CHF.Individuals with decreased nocturnal systolic blood pressure decline have a significantly increased risk of CHF.

Background/Aims: Endoscopic radiofrequency ablation (ERFA) is a treatment option for superficial esophageal squamous cell neoplasia (ESCN), with a relatively low risk of stenosis; however, the long-term outcomes remain unclear. We aimed to compare the long-term outcomes of patients with widespread superficial ESCN who underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) or ERFA. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of patients with superficial ESCN who underwent ESD or ERFA between January 2015 and December 2021. The primary outcome measure was recurrence-free survival. Results: Ninety-two and 33 patients with superficial ESCN underwent ESD and ERFA, respectively. The en bloc, R0, and curative resection rates for ESD were 100.0%, 90.2%, and 76.1%, respectively. At 12 months, the complete response rate was comparable between the two groups (94.6% vs 90.9%, p=0.748). During a median follow-up of 66 months, recurrence-free survival was significantly longer in the ESD group than in the ERFA group (p=0.004), while no significant differences in overall survival (p=0.845) and disease-specific survival (p=0.494) were observed.Preoperative diagnosis of intramucosal cancer (adjusted hazard ratio, 5.55; vs high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia) was an independent predictor of recurrence. Significantly fewer patients in the ERFA group experienced stenosis compare to ESD group (15.2% vs 38.0%, p=0.016). Conclusions The risk of recurrence was higher for ERFA than ESD for ESCN but overall survival was not affected. The risk of esophageal stenosis was significantly lower for patients who underwent ERFA.