E3 ubiquitin ligase Smurf1 promotes cardiomyocyte pyroptosis by mediating ubiquitin-dependent degradation of TRIB2 in a rat model of heart failure.

Objective: Heart failure (HF) causes structural and functional changes in the heart, with the pyroptosis-mediated inflammatory response as the core link in HF pathogenesis. E3 ubiquitin ligases participate in cardiovascular disease progression. Here, we explored the underlying molecular mechanisms of E3 ubiquitin ligase Smurf1 in governing HF.

Comparison of a Series of Ga-Labeled DOTA-LLP2A Conjugates for Positron Emission Tomography Imaging of Very Late Antigen-4 in Melanoma.

Melanoma, with its steadily rising global incidence, is characterized by high invasiveness, leading to poor prognosis in advanced stages. There remains an unmet clinical need for the development of radiolabeled PET imaging probes for the early diagnosis of melanoma. Integrin VLA-4, a key factor in melanoma metastasis, presents a promising protein target to address the specificity shortcomings of existing probes in melanoma imaging.

Phillygenin Inhibits PI3K-Akt-mTOR Signalling Pathway to Prevent bleomycin-Induced Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis in Mice.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a lethal lung disease characterised by irreversible lung structure and function. Phillygenin (PHI) is a lignan extracted from Forsythiae fructus with the activities of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. This study aimed to explore the protective effect of PHI on IPF.

NGF-releasing Prussian blue nanoparticles for nerve injury repair of lumbar disc herniation.

Introduction: Compression of the nerve root by a lumbar disc herniation can cause radiating pain in the lower limbs, and the nerve root decompression treatment may leave some patients with motor dysfunction and reduced sensory function. Studies have shown that nerve growth factor (NGF) can promote nerve growth and repair, but high doses, long duration, and immune response have become bottlenecks of its clinical application.

Methods: To overcome this obstacle, we developed Prussian blue (PBs) nanoparticles with the bio-delivery function and antioxidant effects of nanoenzymes.

Learnable color space conversion and fusion for stain normalization in pathology images.

Variations in hue and contrast are common in H&E-stained pathology images due to differences in slide preparation across various institutions. Such stain variations, while not affecting pathologists much in diagnosing the biopsy, pose significant challenges for computer-assisted diagnostic systems, leading to potential underdiagnosis or misdiagnosis, especially when stain differentiation introduces substantial heterogeneity across datasets from different sources. Traditional stain normalization methods, aimed at mitigating these issues, often require labor-intensive selection of appropriate templates, limiting their practicality and automation.

Inhibition of HIF-1α ameliorates pulmonary fibrosis by suppressing M2 macrophage polarization through PRMT1/STAT6 signals.

Objective: Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a chronic, progressive, and irreversible lung interstitial disease of unknown etiology with a fatal outcome. M2 macrophages have been recognized to play a significant role in PF pathogenesis. The role of protein hypoxia-inducible factor 1-α (HIF-1α) in M2 macrophage polarization in PF is largely unknown.

Bioinformatics based exploration of the anti-NAFLD mechanism of Wang's empirical formula via TLR4/NF-κB/COX2 pathway.

Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has developed as a leading public wellness challenge as a result of changes in dietary patterns. Unfortunately, there is still a lack of effective pharmacotherapy methods for NAFLD. Wang's empirical formula (WSF) has demonstrated considerable clinical efficacy in treating metabolic disorders for years.

A New Perspective for Improving COPD: Ginsenoside Rg3 Links SIRT1 to Inhibit Mitochondrial Autophagy.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a prevalent yet manageable respiratory condition. However, treatments presently used normally have side effects and cannot cure COPD, making it urgent to explore effective medications. The ginsenoside Rg3 (Rg3) has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor properties and can improve COPD.

Pathomics-based machine learning models for predicting pathological complete response and prognosis in locally advanced rectal cancer patients post-neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy: insights from two independent institutional studies.

Background: Accurate prediction of pathological complete response (pCR) and disease-free survival (DFS) in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT) is essential for formulating effective treatment plans. This study aimed to construct and validate the machine learning (ML) models to predict pCR and DFS using pathomics.

Method: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 294 patients who received NCRT from two independent institutions.

IRG1/Itaconate inhibits hepatic stellate cells ferroptosis and attenuates TAA-induced liver fibrosis by regulating SLC39A14 expression.

This study aimed to elucidate the protective roles of Immune Response Gene-1 (IRG1) and exogenous itaconate in murine models of hepatic fibrosis and to delineate the underlying mechanistic pathways using both wild-type and IRG1-deficient (IRG1) mice. Primary murine stellate cells (mHSC) and bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM) were isolated and cocultured. Hepatocellular fibrosis was induced in vitro using Transforming Growth Factor-beta (TGF-β) to evaluate the protective efficacy of IRG1/itaconate.

Network pharmacology-based strategy to reveal Acacetin against lipopolysaccharide-induced lung injury.

Background: Acacetin, a flavonoid isolated from Agastache rugosa, exhibits diverse biological activities, such as anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. Its role in treating Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) remains incompletely illuminated.

Objective: To explore the potential molecular mechanisms of Acacetin in alleviating ALI.

Defining a highly conserved B cell epitope in the receptor binding motif of SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein.

SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines induce robust and persistent germinal centre (GC) B cell responses in humans. It remains unclear how the continuous evolution of the virus impacts the breadth of the induced GC B cell response. Using ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration, we examined draining lymph nodes of nine healthy adults following bivalent booster immunization.

Myristica fragrans water extract modulates multiple biological processes to pre-protect anhydrous ethanol-induced gastric ulcers via Akt/JNK/Nrf2 pathway activation.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Myristica fragrans (Nutmeg) is a commonly used Chinese herbal medicine and edible spice. According to Pharmacopoeia of People's Republic of China, it has the effects of warming the middle and promoting qi, astringent intestines, and antidiarrheal. In the record of Compendium of Materia Medica, it is the myristica fragrans water extract (MFWE) that is utilized for therapeutic purposes of gastrointestinal disorders frequently.

Targeted thermosensitive liposomes loaded with gold nanoparticles and temozolomide hexadecanoate for the synergistic photothermal-chemotherapy treatment of glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly aggressive malignant brain tumour which presents a significant challenge due to the limited effectiveness of current surgical and chemotherapeutic approaches. In this study, we have developed TMZ16e and gold nanoparticles coencapsulated thermosensitive liposomes modified with anti-EphA3 (anti-EphA3-TMZ16e-GNPs-TSL) delivered via the intranasal route to achieve photothermal chemotherapy (PCT) for improving the therapeutic effects of GBM. The prepared anti-EphA3-TMZ16e-GNPs-TSL were spherical with a particle size of 173.

Paroxetine alleviates ulcerative colitis in mice via restoring intestinal microbiota homeostasis and metabolism.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease and psychological factors may be one of its pathogeneses. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor drug such as paroxetine with an effective anti-depression ability may be a new option for UC treatment. To evaluate the therapeutic effect of paroxetine on the exacerbation of UC symptoms caused by depression, a dual model of C57BL/6 mice was established using dextran sulphate sodium and chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS).

CHD1L Inhibitor OTI-611 Synergizes with Chemotherapy to Enhance Antitumor Efficacy and Prolong Survival in Colorectal Cancer Mouse Models.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most prevalent and deadly forms of cancer. It is universally treated with a combination of the DNA damaging chemotherapy drugs irinotecan, 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU), and oxaliplatin. is a novel oncogene that plays critical roles in chromatin remodeling and DNA damage repair, as well as the regulation of malignant gene expression.

[Electroacupuncture inhibits inflammatory response through hexokinase 2 - mediated Warburg effect in rats with acute lung injury].

Objectives: To observe whether electroacupuncture (EA) can inhibit the inflammatory response via down-regulating hexokinase 2 (HK2) mediated Warburg effect in rats with acute lung injury (ALI).

Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control, model and EA groups, with 12 rats in each group. The ALI model was established by injection of lipopolysaccharides (LPS, 5 mg/mL, 1 mL/kg) into the tail vein.

[Effect of electroacupuncture on blood-brain barrier and central inflammatory response in obese rats].

Objectives: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on central nervous inflammatory response in obese rats, so as to explore its mechanisms underlying improvement of obesity.

Methods: Male SD rats were randomly allocated to normal control, model, EA and sham-EA groups (=15/group). Rats of the normal group were fed with normal diet, and the obesity model was established by feeding the rats with high-fat diet for 8 weeks.

Honokiol ameliorates silica-induced lung fibrosis by inhibiting macrophage pyroptosis via modulating cGAS/STING signaling.

Silicosis is a life-threatening occupational disease because of inhaling silica dust, leading to chronic inflammation, pyroptosis, and fibrosis. Unfortunately, it is still lacking effective pharmacological intervention currently. Honokiol (HKL), a natural extract with biological activity from Magnolia bark, is known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory biological effects.

Single-cell RNA-seq reveals as a prognostic biomarker in low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma.

Background: Low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma (LG-ESS) is a rare uterine malignancy characterized by its complex tumor microenvironment (TME) and high recurrence rates, posing challenges to accurate prognosis and effective treatment. Identifying prognostic biomarkers is essential for improving patient stratification and guiding therapeutic strategies.

Methods: Using single-cell transcriptome analysis combined with H&E and multiplex immunofluorescence staining, we identified a subpopulation of tumor cells in LG-ESS and further validated the association of this subpopulation and its characteristic genes with LG-ESS prognosis by molecular characterization and bulk transcriptome data.

Cell Sheets Formation Enhances Therapeutic Effects of Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells on Spinal Cord Injury.

Background: In recent years, the utilization of stem cell therapy and cell sheet technology has emerged as a promising approach for addressing spinal cord injury (SCI). However, the most appropriate cell type and mechanism of action remain unclear at this time. This study sought to develop an SCI rat model and evaluate the therapeutic effects of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell (hUC-MSC) sheets in this model.

Green tea polyphenols alleviate di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate-induced testicular injury in mice via lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA axis.

Background: Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a commonly used plasticizer known for its toxic effects on the male reproductive system. Green tea polyphenols (GTPs), recognized for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, have demonstrated protective effects on various organs, but the mechanisms by which GTPs mitigate DEHP-induced testicular damage remain unclear.

Methods: Healthy male C57BL/6 J mice were divided into five groups: Control, DEHP, DEHP + GTP treatment, GTP, and Oil groups.

Schisandrin B Inhibits LPS-Induced Endometritis Through Attenuating Ferroptosis via AMPK/PGC1α/Nrf2 Signalling Pathway.

Endometritis is one of the common reproductive diseases in human and animal. In recent years, a number of studies have found that Schisandra B (Sch B), as a natural Chinese medicine extract, has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and other biological activities. Based on the above, in this study, mice were used to conduct an in vivo experiment to investigate the effect and mechanism of Sch B on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced endometritis.

Preservation solution protects isolated hair micrografts by inhibiting apoptosis of hair bulb.

Aims: To investigate the effectiveness of histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate (HTK) solution compared to Ringer's (RS) solution for preserving isolated hair follicles (HFs), focusing on structural integrity, cell viability, apoptosis prevention, and identifying the mechanisms of cell death during the preservation period.

Materials And Methods: Isolated human HFs were preserved in HTK or RS solution for periods ranging from 2 to 12 h. Morphological changes were assessed using H&E staining and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).