In recent years， the research method of Mendelian randomization based on genome-wide association studies has been widely used for etiological exploration in the medical field， which can effectively overcome the confounding biases and interference of reverse causalities in traditional observational researches with its unique advantages of the distributive randomness and timing priority of genetic variants. This article reviews the method of Mendelian randomization and its application in liver cancer， in order to provide new ideas for the research on causal association in liver cancer.

Objective To explore the effect of miR-1-3p on the malignant biological behavior of human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cells and the potential mechanisms.Methods The Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO)database was analyzed to screen differentially expressed miRNAs in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC).qRT-PCR was used to detect the expression of miR-1-3p in human ESCC cell lines(KYSE30,KYSE150,KYSE410,KYSE510,and Eca109)and normal esophageal epithelial cell line HET-1A.CCK-8,wound healing,Transwell assays,and flow cytometry were applied to detect the effect of miR-1-3p on the proliferation,migration,invasion,and apoptosis of ESCC cells.Bioinformatics tool was used to predict the target genes of miR-1-3p.A Kaplan-Meier survival curve was drawn to analyze the correlation between STC2 expression and overall survival of patients in the ESCC cohort of the TCGA database.Fluorescence in situ hybridization was performed to verify the subcellular location of miR-1-3p in ESCC cells,and dual-luciferase reporter gene assay was performed to validate the regulation of miR-1-3p on stanniocalcin 2(STC2).RNA immunoprecipitation assays were used to detect the binding of miR-1-3p and STC2.Western blot assay was performed to determine the effect of miR-1-3p on the expression of STC2 and endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway-related proteins,including p-PERK,p-eIF2α,and ATF4.CCK-8,wound healing,Transwell assays,and flow cytometry were applied to detect the effect of STC2 overexpression and knockdown on the proliferation,migration,invasion,and apoptosis of ESCC cells.Results The expression of miR-1-3p was lower in ESCC cell lines than in HET-1A cells(all P<0.05).The transfection of miR-1-3p mimic decreased the proliferation,invasion,and migration of ESCC cells(all P<0.05)and promoted the apoptosis of ESCC cells(all P<0.001).Bioinformatics tool showed that STC2 was a target gene of miR-1-3p.The expression of STC2 in ESCC tissues was higher than that in normal esophageal epithelial tissues in the ESCC cohort of TCGA database and was negatively correlated with prognosis(all P<0.05).miR-1-3p was located in the cytoplasm and can directly bind to STC2 mRNA.The transfection of miR-1-3p mimic downregulated the expression of STC2,p-PERK,p-eIF2α,and ATF4(all P<0.05).The overexpression of STC2 promoted the proliferation,invasion,and migration(all P<0.05)and inhibited the apoptosis of ESCC cells(all P<0.05).Knockdown of STC2 inhibited the proliferation,invasion,and migration(all P<0.05)and promoted the apoptosis of ESCC cells(all P<0.05).Conclusion miR-1-3p inhibits the malignant biological behavior and promotes the apoptosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cells by regulating STC2 possibly by suppressing the endoplasmic reticulum stress.

Renal interstitial fibrosis（RIF） is the main pathological manifestation of chronic kidney disease. Due to the complexity of the mechanism， there is no specific treatment for RIF in clinical practice. The abnormal activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B（Akt） signaling pathway and the activation of downstream target genes are key drivers of RIF induction and progression. Traditional Chinese medicine has the characteristics of precise efficacy and minimal toxic side effects， and the occurrence and development of RIF can be regulated by multiple targets and mutual coordination. This review focuses on the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and summarizes the potential targets and regulatory mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of RIF. It is found that various effective ingredients （such as sinomenine， mangiferin， coumarin derivates from Hydrangea paniculata， etc.） and formulas （such as Fushengong decoction， Qi-Bang-Yi-Shen formula， etc.） of traditional Chinese medicine can inhibit fibroblast proliferation， improve inflammation and oxidative stress， maintain mitochondrial stability， and slow down ferroptosis through this pathway， thereby delaying the occurrence and progression of RIF.

Objective Based on the efficacy of Ranae Oviductus in reinforcing the kidney and replenishing essence,a biological titer assay for Ranae Oviductus was developed using anti-ageing vitality as an indicator,and this was used to evaluate the quality of Ranae Oviductus from different origins and to provide a reference for improving its quality standard.Methods MRC-5 cells were used as the study target and H2O2 was used as the acute senescence model-inducing drug to verify the anti-aging effect of Ranae Oviductus by cell viability and β-galactosidase staining rate.Vc was selected as the reference and CCK-8 method was used as the biological titer assay for Ranae Oviductus.Results In the cell viability assay,compared to the model group,the Ranae Oviductus group was able to up-regulate cell viability,with the best effect at 250.0 μg·mL-1,up-regulating by 20.01％.The percentage of SA-β-gal positive cells was reduced by 17.70％in the cells pretreated with Ranae Oviductus.The results of the biological titer of anti-aging determination showed that the biological titer of anti-aging of Ranae Oviductus from different origins ranged from 218.03 to 1152.04 U·mg-1,with an extreme difference of 934.01 U·mg-1.Conclusion The established biological titer assay for Ranae Oviductus can clearly distinguish the differences in the quality of Ranae Oviductus and provide a certain reference for the quality evaluation and control of Ranae Oviductus.

[摘 要] 目的：探讨PD-1抗体联合化疗对比抗血管生成药物联合化疗在晚期驱动基因阴性肺腺癌一线治疗中的疗效和安全性。方法：收集2018年3月至2021年8月河北医科大学第四医院收治的141例不可手术切除的ⅢB/ⅢC和Ⅳ期驱动基因阴性肺腺癌患者，回顾性分析PD-1抗体联合化疗对比抗血管生成药物联合化疗在一线治疗中的疗效与安全性。主要研究终点为无进展生存期（PFS），次要终点为客观缓解率（ORR）、疾病控制率（DCR）和不良反应。结果：141例患者均纳入生存分析，中位随访时间为13.0个月（95% CI：12.0～14.0）。PD-1抗体联合化疗组（A组）和抗血管生成药物联合化疗组（B组）的ORR分别为33.33%和27.38%，DCR分别为98.25%和89.29%，差异均无统计学意义。A组和B组的中位PFS分别为8.4个月（95% CI: 7.3～9.9）和6.9个月（95% CI: 6.1～7.7），差异无统计学意义。亚组分析结果显示，ⅢB/ⅢC期、肝或脑转移患者中，A组中位PFS较B组均延长（均P<0.01）。A组和B组不良反应发生率分别为26.32%和14.29%，多数为1~2级。结论：PD-1抗体联合化疗对比抗血管生成药物联合化疗一线治疗晚期驱动基因阴性肺腺癌疗效相当，不良反应可耐受，可成为晚期驱动基因阴性肺腺癌标准一线治疗。

OBJECTIVES: Primary tumor treatment through surgical resection and adjuvant therapy has been extensively studied, but there is a lack of effective strategies and drugs for the treatment of tumor metastases. Here, we describe a functional product based on a combination of compounds, which can be used as an adjuvant therapy and has well-known mechanisms for inhibiting cancer metastases, improving anti-cancer treatment, and enhancing immunity and antioxidant capacity. Our designed combination, named MVBL, consists of four inexpensive compounds: L-selenium-methylselenocysteine (MSC), D-‍α‍-tocopheryl succinic acid (VES), β‍-carotene (β‍-Ca), and L-lysine (Lys). METHODS: The effects of MVBL on cell viability, cell cycle, cell apoptosis, cell migration, cell invasion, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and paclitaxel (PTX)-combined treatment were studied in vitro. The inhibition of tumor metastasis, antioxidation, and immune enhancement capacity of MVBL were determined in vivo. RESULTS: MVBL exhibited higher toxicity to tumor cells than to normal cells. It did not significantly affect the cell cycle of cancer cells, but increased their apoptosis. Wound healing, adhesion, and transwell assays showed that MVBL significantly inhibited tumor cell migration, adhesion, and invasion. MVBL sensitized MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells to PTX, indicating that it can be used as an adjuvant to enhance the therapeutic effect of chemotherapy drugs. In mice, experimental data showed that MVBL inhibited tumor metastasis, prolonged their survival time, and enhanced their antioxidant capacity and immune function. CONCLUSIONS This study revealed the roles of MVBL in improving immunity and antioxidation, preventing tumor growth, and inhibiting metastasis in vitro and in vivo. MVBL may be used as an adjuvant drug in cancer therapy for improving the survival and quality of life of cancer patients.
Mice ; Animals ; beta Carotene ; Lysine/pharmacology* ; Antioxidants/pharmacology* ; Quality of Life ; Paclitaxel/pharmacology* ; Apoptosis ; alpha-Tocopherol ; Succinates/pharmacology* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Neoplasms

Nucleic acid detection technique has good sensitivity and specificity and is widely used in in vitro diagnosis, animal and plant commodity quarantine, forensic identification, and other fields. However, it is susceptible to carryover contamination during the operation and leads to false-positive results, which seriously affects the detection accuracy. Therefore, finding an effective solution to prevent and eliminate nucleic acid carryover contamination has become particularly urgent. This study compared several different methods for removing nucleic acid contamination and confirmed that sodium hypochlorite solution and PCRguard reagent could effectively eliminate nucleic acid carryover in the liquid and on surfaces of different materials. Besides, the combination of sodium hypochlorite solution and PCRguard can solve the nucleic acid aerosol contamination. This study proposes solutions for the routine prevention of carryover contamination and removal of aerosol that has occurred in molecular diagnostic laboratories.
Laboratories ; Nucleic Acids ; Pathology, Molecular

Objective:To study the effects of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive antibacterial microneedles (MNs) on the full-thickness skin defect wounds with bacterial colonization in diabetic mice.Methods:Experimental research methods were adopted. The ROS-responsive crosslinker N1-(4-boronobenzyl)-N3-(4-boronophenyl)-N1, N1, N3, N3-tetramethylpropane-1,3-diaminium (TSPBA) was first synthesized, and then the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-TSPBA MNs, PVA-ε-polylysine (ε-PL)-TSPBA MNs, PVA-TSPBA-sodium hyaluronate (SH) MNs, and PVA-ε-PL-TSPBA-SH MNs were prepared by mixing corresponding ingredients, respectively. The PVA-TSPBA MNs were placed in pure phosphate buffer solution (PBS) and PBS containing hydrogen peroxide, respectively. The degradation of MNs immersed for 0 (immediately), 3, 7, and 10 days was observed to indicate their ROS responsiveness. The standard strains of Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) cultured in Luria-Bertani medium containing hydrogen peroxide were divided according to the random number table (the same grouping method below) into blank control group (without any treatment, the same below) and 0 g/L ε-PL group, 1.0 g/L ε-PL group, 5.0 g/L ε-PL group, and 10.0 g/L ε-PL group with which PVA-ε-PL-TSPBA MNs containing the corresponding concentration of ε-PL were co-cultured, respectively. Bacterial growth was observed after 24 h of culture, and the relative survival rate of bacteria was calculated ( n=3). The mouse fibroblast cell line 3T3 cells at logarithmic growth stage (the same growth stage below) were divided into blank control group and 0 g/L ε-PL group, 1.0 g /L ε-PL group, 5.0 g /L ε-PL group, and 10.0 g /L ε-PL group in which cells were cultured in medium with the extract from PVA-ε-PL-TSPBA MNs containing the corresponding concentration of ε-PL, respectively. Cell growth was observed after 24 h of culture by optical microscopy, and the relative survival rate of cells was detected and calculated by cell counting kit 8 (CCK-8) assay to indicate the cytotoxicity ( n=6). Both PVA-TSPBA MNs and PVA-TSPBA-SH MNs were taken, the morphology of the two kinds of MNs was observed by optical microscopy, and the mechanical properties of the two kinds of MNs were tested by microcomputer controlled electronic universal testing machine (denoted as critical force, n=6). Six male BALB/c mice aged 6-8 weeks (the same gender and age below) were divided into PVA-TSPBA group and PVA-TSPBA-SH group, with 3 mice in each group. After pressing the skin on the back of mice vertically with the corresponding MNs for 1 minute, the skin condition was observed at 0, 10, and 20 min after pressing. Another batch of 3T3 cells were divided into blank control group, 0 g/L ε-PL group and simple 5.0 g/L ε-PL group which were cultured with the extract of PVA-ε-PL-TSPBA MNs containing the corresponding concentration of ε-PL, and 5.0 g/L ε-PL+SH group which were cultured with the extract of PVA-ε-PL-TSPBA-SH MNs with 5.0 g/L ε-PL. The CCK-8 assay was performed to detect and calculate the relative survival rate of cells cultured for 24, 48, and 72 h to indicate the cell proliferation activity ( n=6). Eighteen BALB/c mice were induced into diabetic mice model by high-sugar and high-fat diet combined with streptozotocin injection and then divided into sterile dressing group, 0 g/L ε-PL+SH group, and 5.0 g/L ε-PL+SH group, with 6 mice in each group. A full-thickness skin defect wound was made on the back of each mouse, and S. aureus solution was added to make a full-thickness skin defect wound with bacterial colonization model for diabetic mouse. The wounds of mice in 0 g/L ε-PL+SH group and 5.0 g/L ε-PL+SH group were covered with PVA-ε-PL-TSPBA-SH MNs with the corresponding concentration of ε-PL, and the wounds of mice in the 3 groups were all covered with sterile surgical dressings. The wound healing was observed on post injury day (PID) 0, 3, 7, and 12, and the wound healing rate on PID 3, 7, and 12 was calculated. On PID 12, the skin tissue of the wound and the wound margin were stained with hematoxylin and eosin to observe the growth of new epithelium and the infiltration of inflammatory cells. Data were statistically analyzed with one-way analysis of variance, analysis of variance for repeated measurement, Mann-Whitney U test, and Bonferroni test. Results:With the extension of the immersion time, the PVA-TSPBA MNs in PBS containing hydrogen peroxide gradually dissolved and completely degraded after 10 days of immersion. The PVA-TSPBA MNs in pure PBS only swelled but did not dissolve. After 24 h of culture, there was no growth of S. aureus in 5.0 g/L ε-PL group or 10.0 g/L ε-PL group, and there was no growth of E. coli in 10.0 g/L ε-PL group. The relative survival rate of S. aureus was significantly lower in 1.0 g/L ε-PL group, 5.0 g/L ε-PL group, and 10.0 g/L ε-PL group than in blank control group ( P<0.05 or P<0.01). The relative survival rate of E. coli was significantly lower in 5.0 g/L ε-PL group and 10.0 g/L ε-PL group than in blank control group ( P<0.01). After 24 h of culture, the cells in blank control group, 0 g/L ε-PL group, 1.0 g/L ε-PL group, 5.0 g/L ε-PL group, and 10.0 g/L ε-PL group all grew well, and the relative survival rate of cells was similar among the groups ( P>0.05). The needle bodies of PVA-TSPBA MNs and PVA-TSPBA-SH MNs were both quadrangular pyramid-shaped and neatly arranged, and the needle bodies of PVA-TSPBA-SH MNs was more three-dimensional and more angular. The critical force of PVA-TSPBA-SH MNs was significantly higher than that of PVA-TSPBA MNs ( Z=3.317, P<0.01). The MNs in PVA-TSPBA+SH group penetrated the skin of mice at 0 min after pressing, and the pinholes partially disappeared after 10 min and completely disappeared after 20 min, while the MNs in PVA-TSPBA group failed to penetrate the skin of mice. After 24, 48, and 72 h of culture, the proliferation activity of the cells in 5.0 g/L ε-PL+SH group was significantly higher than that of blank control group ( P<0.05 or P<0.01). In sterile dressing group, the wounds of mice healed slowly and exuded more. The wound healing speed of mice in 0 g/L ε-PL+SH group was similar to that of sterile dressing group in the early stage but was faster than that of sterile dressing group in the later stage, with moderate exudation. The wound healing of mice in 5.0 g/L ε-PL+SH group was faster than that in the other two groups, with less exudation. The wound healing rates of mice in 5.0 g/L ε-PL+SH group were (40.6±4.2)%, (64.3±4.1)%, and (95.8±2.4)% on PID 3, 7, and 12, which were significantly higher than (20.4±2.7)%, (38.9±2.2)%, and (59.1±6.2)% in sterile dressing group and (21.6±2.6)%, (44.0±1.7)%, and (82.2±5.3)% in 0 g/L ε-PL+SH group ( P<0.01). The wound healing rates of mice in 0 g/L ε-PL+SH group on PID 7 and 12 were significantly higher than those in sterile dressing group ( P<0.05 or P<0.01). On PID 12, the wounds of mice in 5.0 g/L ε-PL+SH group were almost completely epithelialized with less inflammatory cell infiltration, the wounds of mice in 0 g/L ε-PL+SH group were partially epithelialized with a large number of inflammatory cell infiltration, and no obvious epithelialization but a large number of inflammatory cell infiltration was found in the wounds of mice in sterile dressing group. Conclusions:The composite MNs prepared by TSPBA, PVA, ε-PL, and SH can successfully penetrate mouse skin and slowly respond to ROS in the wound to resolve and release antibacterial substances, inhibit bacterial colonization, and promote the repair of full-thickness skin defect wounds with bacterial colonization in diabetic mice.

Objective: To study the expression of miR-142-5p in lung adenocarcinoma tissues, and to explore its effect on proliferation, invasion, migration and epithelieal-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of H1650 cells and the potential mechanisms. Methods:Atotal of 107 pairs of lung adenocarcinoma tissues and corresponding para-cancerous tissues from patients, who underwent tumor resection and were pathologically confirmed at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University between Jan. 2014 and Jan. 2015, were collected for this study; in addition, human lung adenocarcinoma cell lines (H1650, HCC827, A549, H1975, PC9) and human bronchial epithelial BEAS-2B cells were also used in this study. qPCR was used to detect the expression of miR-142-5p in lung adenocarcinoma tissues and cell lines. The correlation between expression of miR-142-5p and clinical features was analyzed.After transfection with miR-142-5p mimics or miR-negative control (miR-NC) plasmid, the proliferation, invasion and migration of H1650 cells were detected with CCK-8, Transwell invasion assay and Wound healing assay, respectively. The bioinforamtics tool was used to predict the target genes of miR-142-5p, and Luciferase reporter gene assay was performed to validate the regulation of miR-142-5p on target gene. Western blotting (WB) was used to detect the expressions of cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) and EMTrelated protein. Results: Compared to Para-cancerous tissues and BEAS-2B cells, the expression of miR-142-5p was lower in lung adenocarcinoma tissues and cell lines (all P<0.01). Of the 107 cases of lung adenocarcinoma tissues, 61 cases (57.01%) showed decreased miR-142-5 expression, which was correlated with the TNM stage and lymph node metastasis (both P<0.01). Transfection of miR-142-5p mimics significantly up-regulated the expression of miR-142-5p and decreased the proliferation, invasion and migration of H1650 cells (all P<0.05 or P<0.01). Bioinformatics showed that CDK5 was a target gene of miR-142-5p. Luciferase reporter gene assay and WB validated that miR-142-5p could significantly down-regulate CDK5 expression in H1650 cells, up-regulate the expression of E-cadherin and down-regulate the expressions of N-cadherin, Twist and Snail in H1650 cells (all P<0.01). Conclusion: miR-142-5p is low expressed in lung adenocarcinoma tissues and cell lines; it suppresses the EMT process to inhibit, invasion and migration of H1650 cells via down-regulating the expression of CDK5.

[Abstract] Objective: To investigate the effect of long non-coding RNA DiGeorge syndrome critical region gene 5 (DGCR5) on proliferation, invasion and migration of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) TE1 cells and its mechanism. Methods: qPCR was used to detect the expression level of DGCR5 in ESCC cell lines (TE1, Yes-2, KYSE150 and Eca9706). TE1 cells were transfected with siRNA-DGCR5(si-DGCR5) and negative control (si-NC) plasmids, respectively. CCK-8, Wound healing and Transwell assay were used to detect the proliferation, migration and invasion of TE1 cells before and after DGCR5 knockdown. The relationship between DGCR5 expression and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in ESCC tissues was analyzed by GEPIA database. The mRNA and protein expressions of EGFR in ESCC cell line were examined by qPCR and Western blotting (WB). WB was further used to detect the expression of EGFR protein in TE1 cells before and after DGCR5 knockdown. Results: lncRNA DGCR5 was highly expressed in ESCC cell lines (all P<0.01). qPCR confirmed that the expression of DGCR5 in TE1 cells of si-DGCR5 group was significantly lower than that of si-NC group (P<0.01). The proliferation, migration and invasion ability of TE1 cells in si-DGCR5 group were significantly lower than those in si-NC group (all P<0.01). GEPIA database showed that the expression of DGCR5 was positively correlated with EGFR in ESCC tissues (P<0.01). WB showed that the protein level of EGFR in TE1 cells of si-DGCR5 group decreased significantly (P<0.01). Conclusion: lncRNA DGCR5 is highly expressed in ESCC cells, and promotes the proliferation, invasion and migration of TE1 cells possibly by up-regulating EGFR expression.