Background: s/Aims: Sarcomatoid hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a rare histological subtype of HCC characterized by extremely poor prognosis; however, its molecular characterization has not been elucidated. Methods: In this study, we conducted an integrated multiomics study of whole-exome sequencing, RNA-seq, spatial transcriptome, and immunohistochemical analyses of 28 paired sarcomatoid tumor components and conventional HCC components from 10 patients with sarcomatoid HCC, in order to identify frequently altered genes, infer the tumor subclonal architectures, track the genomic evolution, and delineate the transcriptional characteristics of sarcomatoid HCCs. Results: Our results showed that the sarcomatoid HCCs had poor prognosis. The sarcomatoid tumor components and the conventional HCC components were derived from common ancestors, mostly accessing similar mutational processes. Clonal phylogenies demonstrated branched tumor evolution during sarcomatoid HCC development and progression. TP53 mutation commonly occurred at tumor initiation, whereas ARID2 mutation often occurred later. Transcriptome analyses revealed the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and hypoxic phenotype in sarcomatoid tumor components, which were confirmed by immunohistochemical staining. Moreover, we identified ARID2 mutations in 70% (7/10) of patients with sarcomatoid HCC but only 1–5% of patients with non-sarcomatoid HCC. Biofunctional investigations revealed that inactivating mutation of ARID2 contributes to HCC growth and metastasis and induces EMT in a hypoxic microenvironment. Conclusions We offer a comprehensive description of the molecular basis for sarcomatoid HCC, and identify genomic alteration (ARID2 mutation) together with the tumor microenvironment (hypoxic microenvironment), that may contribute to the formation of the sarcomatoid tumor component through EMT, leading to sarcomatoid HCC development and progression.

Aim To investigate the high expression of LINC00626 in colorectal cancer,and explore the effects of LINC00626 on the proliferation,apoptosis,and drug sensitivity of colorectal cancer SW480 cells,as well as its underlying mechanisms.Methods Flu-orescence in situ hybridization(FISH)was used to de-tect the expression levels of LINC00626 in 38 colorec-tal cancer tissues and their corresponding adjacent nor-mal tissues.The JASPAR database was utilized to pre-dict co-expressed genes and their possible binding sites.Cell transfection technology was employed to knockdown LINC00626.Western blot and qRT-PCR techniques were used to verify the transfection efficien-cy.CCK-8 assay,cell apoptosis and necrosis staining,and Western blot were used to detect the changes in the proliferation,apoptosis,drug sensitivity,and ap-optotic proteins of SW480 cells,respectively.Results The FISH results indicated that LINC00626 was highly expressed in colorectal cancer tissues(P＜0.05).The expression of LINC00626 was not associat-ed with the age or gender of patients,but was related to the TNM stage and the presence of lymph node me-tastasis($ P＜0.05 $).The results of CCK-8 assay and cell apoptosis and necrosis staining showed that af-ter knockdown of LINC00626,the proliferation ability of SW480 cells decreased,the apoptosis level in-creased,and the drug resistance decreased(P＜0.05).Western blot results showed that with the de-crease in the expression level of LINC00626,the ex-pression of caspase-3 protein decreased,the expression of cleaved caspase-3 protein increased,and the expres-sion of Bcl-2 protein decreased(P＜0.05).Conclu-sions LINC00626 is highly expressed in colorectal cancer and is associated with the TNM stage and the presence of lymph node metastasis.LINC00626 can af-fect the proliferation,apoptosis,and drug sensitivity of SW480 cells and alter the expression of apoptotic pro-teins.

Background and Aims:Sleeve gastrectomy(SG)has become the most widely performed bariatric procedure worldwide,but postoperative gastroesophageal reflux disease(GERD)remains a major concern.This multicenter study aimed to identify independent risk factors associated with GERD after SG to guide preoperative assessment and intraoperative management.Methods:Clinical data of 672 patients who underwent SG between January 2020 and December 2022 in six bariatric centers and completed a 12-month follow-up were retrospectively analyzed.Demographic characteristics,esophagogastric junction(EGJ)integrity graded by the AFS system,operative parameters,and postoperative outcomes were compared between patients with and without GERD.Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify predictors of postoperative GERD.Results:The overall incidence of GERD after SG was 24.7%(166/672).Multivariate analysis revealed that a preoperative BMI>35 kg/m2(OR=1.68,P=0.033),EGJ integrity AFS grade>2(OR=2.90,P=0.006),and preoperative reflux symptoms(OR=2.44,P=0.030)were independent risk factors for GERD.A staple line more than 1 cm from the angle of His(OR=0.45,P<0.001)and a bougie size>36 Fr(OR=0.08,P=0.001)were protective factors.Conclusion:High BMI,impaired EGJ integrity,and preoperative reflux symptoms significantly increase the risk of GERD after SG,whereas adequate preservation of the His angle and appropriate bougie calibration may reduce it.Comprehensive preoperative EGJ assessment and standardized surgical techniques are essential for minimizing postoperative reflux.

Objective To investigate the effects of long non-coding RNA FGD5-AS1 on the proliferation,migration,and invasion of pituitary adenoma(PA)cells,and to analyze its potential mechanism of action.Methods Human PA cell lines HPAs,RC-4BC,HP75,and human astrocyte cell line NHA were cultured in vitro.The expression levels of FGD5-AS1 and miR-15a in the above cell lines were detected by RT-PCR.HP75 cells in the logarithmic growth phase were randomly divided into the silencing group and the negative control group.The silencing group was transfected with shRNA-FGD5-AS1,while the negative control group was transfected with shRNA-NC.The expression levels of FGD5-AS1 and miR-15a in the two groups of cells were detected by RT-PCR.The proliferation,migration and invasion abilities of the two groups of cells were determined by CCK-8 assay,wound healing assay,and Transwell assay.The expression of proteins related to the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in the two groups of cells was detected by Western blot.The targeting relationship between FGD5-AS1 and miR-15a was verified by dual-luciferase reporter gene assay.Results Compared with the NHA cell,the expression level of FGD5-AS1 was significantly increased in the HPAs,RC-4BC,and HP75 cells((P<0.05),whereas the expression level of miR-15a was significantly decreased(P<0.05).Compared with the negative control group,the expression level of FGD5-AS1 was decreased(P<0.05),the expression level of miR-15a was increased(P<0.05),the OD value was decreased(P<0.05),the migration and invasion abilities of cells were reduced(P<0.05),and the expression of Wnt3a and β-catenin proteins was decreased in the silencing group of HP75 cells(P<0.05).FGD5-AS1 could specifically bind to miR-15a,leading to a decrease in cell luciferase activity(P<0.05).Conclusion FGD5-AS1 is overexpressed in PA cells,and silencing FGD5-AS1 can inhibit the proliferation,migration,and invasion of PA cells,and the mechanism is related to its targeted regulation of miR-15a.

Aim To investigate the expression levels of cytoplasmic FMR1-interacting protein-1(CYFIP1)in colorectal cancer and assess the impact of CYFIP1 interaction on the proliferation and apoptosis of colorec-tal cancer cell HT29,along with its potential mecha-nisms.Methods Immunohistochemistry was em-ployed to assess CYFIP1 expression in 32 colorectal cancer tissues and adjacent tissues.Coexpressed genes were identified using the GEPIA2 website to predict potential correlations and binding sites.Following the construction of a siRNA-CYFIP1,alterations in cell proliferation,apoptosis,and levels of apoptosis-related proteins were evaluated through CCK-8 assay,Hoechst 33342/PI double staining assay,and Western blot a-nalysis,respectively.Results The immunohisto-chemical findings revealed a significantly elevated level of CYFIP1 expression in colorectal cancer tissues com-pared to paracancer tissues(P＜0.05).The expres-sion of CYFIP1 did not show any correlation with age and gender,but exhibited associations with TNM stage and lymph node metastasis(P＜0.05).A conserved TP53 binding site was predicted in the 3kbps DNA re-gion upstream of the CYFIP1 gene using GEPIA2,JASPAR databases,and rVista 2.0 promoter prediction software.Following transfection of HT29 cells with siRNA-CYFIP1,the clonogenesis and proliferation of cells significantly decreased(P＜0.05).Additional-ly,the levels of cleaved caspase-3 were elevated,while the expression levels of caspase-3 and Bcl-2 were reduced after transfection with siRNA-CYFIP1(P＜0.05),which might be related to the interaction be-tween CYFIP1 and TP53.Conclusions The upregu-lation of CYFIP1 in colorectal cancer is associated with TNM stage and lymph node metastasis.Upon silen-cing,CYFIP1 demonstrates the ability to suppress pro-liferation in HT29 cells and modulate the expression of apoptotic proteins.

Background: s/Aims: Sarcomatoid hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a rare histological subtype of HCC characterized by extremely poor prognosis; however, its molecular characterization has not been elucidated. Methods: In this study, we conducted an integrated multiomics study of whole-exome sequencing, RNA-seq, spatial transcriptome, and immunohistochemical analyses of 28 paired sarcomatoid tumor components and conventional HCC components from 10 patients with sarcomatoid HCC, in order to identify frequently altered genes, infer the tumor subclonal architectures, track the genomic evolution, and delineate the transcriptional characteristics of sarcomatoid HCCs. Results: Our results showed that the sarcomatoid HCCs had poor prognosis. The sarcomatoid tumor components and the conventional HCC components were derived from common ancestors, mostly accessing similar mutational processes. Clonal phylogenies demonstrated branched tumor evolution during sarcomatoid HCC development and progression. TP53 mutation commonly occurred at tumor initiation, whereas ARID2 mutation often occurred later. Transcriptome analyses revealed the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and hypoxic phenotype in sarcomatoid tumor components, which were confirmed by immunohistochemical staining. Moreover, we identified ARID2 mutations in 70% (7/10) of patients with sarcomatoid HCC but only 1–5% of patients with non-sarcomatoid HCC. Biofunctional investigations revealed that inactivating mutation of ARID2 contributes to HCC growth and metastasis and induces EMT in a hypoxic microenvironment. Conclusions We offer a comprehensive description of the molecular basis for sarcomatoid HCC, and identify genomic alteration (ARID2 mutation) together with the tumor microenvironment (hypoxic microenvironment), that may contribute to the formation of the sarcomatoid tumor component through EMT, leading to sarcomatoid HCC development and progression.

Background: s/Aims: Sarcomatoid hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a rare histological subtype of HCC characterized by extremely poor prognosis; however, its molecular characterization has not been elucidated. Methods: In this study, we conducted an integrated multiomics study of whole-exome sequencing, RNA-seq, spatial transcriptome, and immunohistochemical analyses of 28 paired sarcomatoid tumor components and conventional HCC components from 10 patients with sarcomatoid HCC, in order to identify frequently altered genes, infer the tumor subclonal architectures, track the genomic evolution, and delineate the transcriptional characteristics of sarcomatoid HCCs. Results: Our results showed that the sarcomatoid HCCs had poor prognosis. The sarcomatoid tumor components and the conventional HCC components were derived from common ancestors, mostly accessing similar mutational processes. Clonal phylogenies demonstrated branched tumor evolution during sarcomatoid HCC development and progression. TP53 mutation commonly occurred at tumor initiation, whereas ARID2 mutation often occurred later. Transcriptome analyses revealed the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and hypoxic phenotype in sarcomatoid tumor components, which were confirmed by immunohistochemical staining. Moreover, we identified ARID2 mutations in 70% (7/10) of patients with sarcomatoid HCC but only 1–5% of patients with non-sarcomatoid HCC. Biofunctional investigations revealed that inactivating mutation of ARID2 contributes to HCC growth and metastasis and induces EMT in a hypoxic microenvironment. Conclusions We offer a comprehensive description of the molecular basis for sarcomatoid HCC, and identify genomic alteration (ARID2 mutation) together with the tumor microenvironment (hypoxic microenvironment), that may contribute to the formation of the sarcomatoid tumor component through EMT, leading to sarcomatoid HCC development and progression.

The plants of the genus Caragana Fabr. are desert plants of the Leguminosae family, which are widely used in traditional ethnomedicine, with the effects of nourishing Yin and nourishing blood, dispelling wind and removing dampness, clearing heat and detoxifying toxins. The anti-inflammatory effect of Caragana Fabr. has attracted much attention, the research on the related mechanism has made some progress, but it lacks systematic collation. By summarising the anti-inflammatory effects of the active ingredients of Caragana Fabr., the authors found that they have good anti-inflammatory activities on different inflammatory cell models in vitro, and have good improvement effects on rheumatoid arthritis, colitis, complex nephritis, and acute lung injury and other disease models. The anti-inflammatory effects of the active components of this genus mainly include the reduction of the levels of a variety of pro-inflammatory factors, and the signalling pathways involved mainly include TLR4/NF-κB, TLR4/MAPK, TLR4/NF-κB/IRF3, JAK/STAT-1, ERK/STAT-1 and so on. Therefore, the paper mainly reviews the research progress on the anti-inflammatory effects and mechanisms of the Caragana Fabr. plants and their active components according to disease types, with a view to providing reference for the in-depth study of their anti-inflammatory activities and the development of new products with related functions.

Aim To investigate the high expression of LINC00626 in colorectal cancer,and explore the effects of LINC00626 on the proliferation,apoptosis,and drug sensitivity of colorectal cancer SW480 cells,as well as its underlying mechanisms.Methods Flu-orescence in situ hybridization(FISH)was used to de-tect the expression levels of LINC00626 in 38 colorec-tal cancer tissues and their corresponding adjacent nor-mal tissues.The JASPAR database was utilized to pre-dict co-expressed genes and their possible binding sites.Cell transfection technology was employed to knockdown LINC00626.Western blot and qRT-PCR techniques were used to verify the transfection efficien-cy.CCK-8 assay,cell apoptosis and necrosis staining,and Western blot were used to detect the changes in the proliferation,apoptosis,drug sensitivity,and ap-optotic proteins of SW480 cells,respectively.Results The FISH results indicated that LINC00626 was highly expressed in colorectal cancer tissues(P＜0.05).The expression of LINC00626 was not associat-ed with the age or gender of patients,but was related to the TNM stage and the presence of lymph node me-tastasis($ P＜0.05 $).The results of CCK-8 assay and cell apoptosis and necrosis staining showed that af-ter knockdown of LINC00626,the proliferation ability of SW480 cells decreased,the apoptosis level in-creased,and the drug resistance decreased(P＜0.05).Western blot results showed that with the de-crease in the expression level of LINC00626,the ex-pression of caspase-3 protein decreased,the expression of cleaved caspase-3 protein increased,and the expres-sion of Bcl-2 protein decreased(P＜0.05).Conclu-sions LINC00626 is highly expressed in colorectal cancer and is associated with the TNM stage and the presence of lymph node metastasis.LINC00626 can af-fect the proliferation,apoptosis,and drug sensitivity of SW480 cells and alter the expression of apoptotic pro-teins.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the associations between eight serum per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and regional fat depots, we analyzed the data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2018 cycles. METHODS: Multiple linear regression models were developed to explore the associations between serum PFAS concentrations and six fat compositions along with a fat distribution score created by summing the concentrations of the six fat compositions. The associations between structurally grouped PFASs and fat distribution were assessed, and a prediction model was developed to estimate the ability of PFAS exposure to predict obesity risk. RESULTS: Among females aged 39-59 years, trunk fat mass was positively associated with perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). Higher concentrations of PFOS, perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), perfluorodecanoate (PFDeA), perfluorononanoate (PFNA), and n-perfluorooctanoate (n-PFOA) were linked to greater visceral adipose tissue in this group. In men, exposure to total perfluoroalkane sulfonates (PFSAs) and long-chain PFSAs was associated with reductions in abdominal fat, while higher abdominal fat in women aged 39-59 years was associated with short-chain PFSAs. The prediction model demonstrated high accuracy, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.9925 for predicting obesity risk. CONCLUSION PFAS exposure is associated with regional fat distribution, with varying effects based on age, sex, and PFAS structure. The findings highlight the potential role of PFAS exposure in influencing fat depots and obesity risk, with significant implications for public health. The prediction model provides a highly accurate tool for assessing obesity risk related to PFAS exposure.
Humans ; Fluorocarbons/blood* ; Female ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Male ; Environmental Pollutants/blood* ; Abdominal Fat ; Nutrition Surveys ; Alkanesulfonic Acids/blood* ; Obesity ; Environmental Exposure