Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are the primary fibrogenic cells in the liver, and their activation plays a crucial role in the development and progression of hepatic fibrosis. Here, we report that retinoid X receptor-alpha (RXRα), a unique member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, is a key modulator of HSC activation and liver fibrosis. RXRα exerts its effects by modulating calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase β (CaMKKβ)-mediated activation of AMP-activated protein kinase-alpha (AMPKα). In addition, we demonstrate that K-80003, which binds RXRα by a unique mechanism, effectively suppresses HSC activation, proliferation, and migration, thereby inhibiting liver fibrosis in the CCl₄ and amylin liver NASH (AMLN) diet animal models. The effect is mediated by AMPKα activation, promoting mitophagy in HSCs. Mechanistically, K-80003 activates AMPKα by inducing RXRα to form condensates with CaMKKβ and AMPKα via a two-phase process. The formation of RXRα condensates is driven by its N-terminal intrinsic disorder region and requires phosphorylation by CaMKKβ. Our results reveal a crucial role of RXRα in liver fibrosis regulation through modulating mitochondrial activities in HSCs. Furthermore, they suggest that K-80003 and related RXRα modulators hold promise as therapeutic agents for fibrosis-related diseases.

The polymerase 1 and transcript release factor (PTRF)-cytoplasmic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) phospholipid remodeling pathway facilitates tumor proliferation in glioma. Nevertheless, blockade of this pathway leads to the excessive activation of oncogenic receptors on the plasma membrane and subsequent drug resistance. Here, CD26/dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) was identified through screening of CRISPR/Cas9 libraries. Suppressing PTRF-cPLA2 signaling resulted in the activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway through phosphatidylcholine and lysophosphatidylcholine remodeling, which ultimately increased DPP4 transcription. In turn, DPP4 interacted with EGFR and prevented its ubiquitination. Linagliptin, a DPP4 inhibitor, facilitated the degradation of EGFR by blocking its interaction with DPP4. When combined with the cPLA2 inhibitor AACOCF3, it exhibited synergistic effects and led to a decrease in energy metabolism in glioblastoma cells. Subsequent in vivo investigations provided further evidence of a synergistic impact of linagliptin by augmenting the sensitivity of AACOCF3 and strengthening the efficacy of temozolomide. DPP4 serves as a novel target and establishes a constructive feedback loop with EGFR. Linagliptin is a potent inhibitor that promotes EGFR degradation by blocking the DPP4-EGFR interaction. This study presents innovative approaches for treating glioma by combining linagliptin with AACOCF3 and temozolomide.

The prefrontal cortex and hippocampus may support sequential working memory beyond episodic memory and spatial navigation. This stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) study investigated how the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) interacts with the hippocampus in the online processing of sequential information. Twenty patients with epilepsy (eight women, age 27.6 ± 8.2 years) completed a line ordering task with SEEG recordings over the DLPFC and the hippocampus. Participants showed longer thinking times and more recall errors when asked to arrange random lines clockwise (random trials) than to maintain ordered lines (ordered trials) before recalling the orientation of a particular line. First, the ordering-related increase in thinking time and recall error was associated with a transient theta power increase in the hippocampus and a sustained theta power increase in the DLPFC (3-10 Hz). In particular, the hippocampal theta power increase correlated with the memory precision of line orientation. Second, theta phase coherences between the DLPFC and hippocampus were enhanced for ordering, especially for more precisely memorized lines. Third, the theta band DLPFC → hippocampus influence was selectively enhanced for ordering, especially for more precisely memorized lines. This study suggests that theta oscillations may support DLPFC-hippocampal interactions in the online processing of sequential information.
Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Young Adult ; Epilepsy ; Hippocampus ; Memory, Short-Term ; Mental Recall ; Prefrontal Cortex ; Theta Rhythm ; Male

Objective To investigate the expression of serum Hsa_circ_0003928 in patients with diabetic foot ulcer(DFU)and its relationship with the severity and prognosis of disease.Methods 113 DFU patients were selected as the study subjects.According to the severity of infection,19 cases were classified into level 1(no infection),40 cases at level 2(mild infection),20 cases at level 3(moderate infection),and 34 cases at level 4(severe infection).According to the prognosis of DFU patients,they were divided into good prognosis group(GP,n=63)and poor prognosis group(PP,n=50).The baseline data and levels of IL-6,C-RP and Hsa_circ_0003928 were compared among the four groups.Logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors of poor prognosis in patients with DFU.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to analyze the value ofHsa_circ_0003928,C-RP and IL-6 in predicting the poor prognosis in DFU patients.Results The DFU duration,infection grade 3～4,serum creatinine,uric acid,BUN,C-RP,IL-6 and Hsa_circ_0003928 levels in PP group were significantly higher than those in GP group(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).Grade 3～4 DFU patients had higher Hsa_circ_0003928 expression than grade 1～2(P＜0.01).Logistic regression analysis showed that long duration of DFU,infection grade 3～4,higher levels of BUN,C-RP,IL-6 and Hsa_circ_0003928 were risk factors for poor prognosis in DFU patients.ROC curve showed that Hsa_circ_0003928 had the greatest AUC(0.882,95％CI 0.819～0.942)in predicting poor prognosis in DFU patients,with sensitivity 87.5％and specificity 85.6％,respectively.Conclusion Elevated Hsa_circ_0003928 is associated with DFU severity and poor prognosis,which has certain predictive value for the prognosis of DFU patients.

Objective To compare the cost-utility of tislelizumab and sorafenib in the first-line treatment of advanced unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma,and to provide a reference for the selection of treatment regimens from the perspective of pharmacoeconomics.Methods A partitioned survival model was used to simulate the survival status of patients using tislelizumab or sorafenib within 10 years,and the cost and health output were calculated respectively to obtain the incremental cost-utility ratio(ICUR).The 3 times China's per capita gross domestic product(GDP)in 2022 was taken as the threshold for willingness to pay(WTP).Results During the simulation period,the ICER of tislelizumab versus sorafenib was 280 691.4 yuan/quality-adjusted life year(QALY),which was significantly higher than that of the sorafenib group,which had obvious economic performance.Univariate sensitivity analysis showed that the incidence of grade 3 or above adverse reactions in the tislelizumab group,the cost of tislelizumab,and the incidence of grade 3 or higher adverse reactions in the sorafenib group were important factors affecting ICUR.Probabilistic sensitivity analysis showed that tislelizumab had a significant cost-utility advantage when WTP was 3 times GDP,with an economic probability of 81.4％,and the results were robust.Conclusion For the first-line treatment of advanced unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma,tislelizumab has a significant cost-utility advantage over sorafenib.

Objective To analyze the current situation of unplanned reoperation in cardiac surgery and to discuss the management measures of unplanned reoperation.Methods The information of patients undergoing cardiac surgery in a class A tertiary comprehensive hospital during 2018-2022 was collected to analyze the incidence of unplanned reoperation,major ca uses,disease types,surgica l moda lities and Complications.Results A tota l of 3902 patients underwent surgery,of whom 73(1.87%)underwent unplanned reoperation.The main cause of unplanned reoperation was bleeding(50%).The disease types with the highest unplanned reoperation composition ratio were coronary heart disease(38.4%),and the disease types with the highest incidence were dilated cardiomyopathy(11.1%).The average hospitalization cost,the average length of hospitalization,mortality rate and medical dispute rate of patients who had unplanned reoperation were significantly higher than those who did not have unplanned reoperation,the difference was statistically significant(P=0.001).Conclusion The hospital should strengthen the perioperative management of cardiac surgery,focus on supervising disease types and surgical modalities with high incidence of unplanned reoperation,and strictly implement the system of operation classification and the system of reporting unplanned reoperation to ensure the quality of patient surgery.

An increasing number of studies suggested that the tumor microenvironment exerts a substantial influence on the pathophysiology of pancreatic cancer. As a crucial component of the tumor microenvironment,the tumor stroma plays a pivotal role in the occurrence,development,and chemotherapy resistance of pancreatic cancer. By serving as a proxy for the interaction between tumor cells and the microenvironment,the tumor stroma ratio(TSR) has emerged as a focal point of investigation in recent years. At present,numerous studies show that a low TSR is a protective factor for the prognosis of resectable pancreatic cancer. Additionally, patients with a low TSR are more suitable for the gemcitabine and albumin-bound paclitaxel chemotherapy regimen. But these researches are not conclusive, and there is still a gap between guiding precision treatment. Further research and exploration are required. Integration of artificial intelligence deep learning models into traditional pathological and imaging assessments facilitates precise evaluation of the TSR. It can also enable stratification and precision treatment of pancreatic cancer patients based on this index.

An increasing number of studies suggested that the tumor microenvironment exerts a substantial influence on the pathophysiology of pancreatic cancer. As a crucial component of the tumor microenvironment,the tumor stroma plays a pivotal role in the occurrence,development,and chemotherapy resistance of pancreatic cancer. By serving as a proxy for the interaction between tumor cells and the microenvironment,the tumor stroma ratio(TSR) has emerged as a focal point of investigation in recent years. At present,numerous studies show that a low TSR is a protective factor for the prognosis of resectable pancreatic cancer. Additionally, patients with a low TSR are more suitable for the gemcitabine and albumin-bound paclitaxel chemotherapy regimen. But these researches are not conclusive, and there is still a gap between guiding precision treatment. Further research and exploration are required. Integration of artificial intelligence deep learning models into traditional pathological and imaging assessments facilitates precise evaluation of the TSR. It can also enable stratification and precision treatment of pancreatic cancer patients based on this index.