Med1 inhibits ferroptosis and alleviates liver injury in acute liver failure via Nrf2 activation.

Background: Extensive hepatocyte mortality and the absence of specific medical therapy significantly contribute to the unfavorable prognosis of acute liver failure (ALF). Ferroptosis is a crucial form of cell death involved in ALF. In this study, we aimed to determine the impact of Mediator complex subunit 1 (Med1) on ferroptosis and its potential hepatoprotective effects in ALF.

Mesenchymal stem cell-regulated miRNA-mRNA landscape in acute-on-chronic liver failure.

Background: Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is a major challenge in the field of hepatology. While mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy can improve the prognosis of patients with ACLF, the molecular mechanisms through which MSCs attenuate ACLF remain poorly understood. We performed global miRNA and mRNA expression profiling via next-generation sequencing of liver tissues from MSC-treated ACLF mice to identify important signaling pathways and major factors implicated in ACLF alleviation by MSCs.

Mesenchymal Stem Cells Promote Polarization of M2 Macrophages in Mice with Acute-On-Chronic Liver Failure via Mertk/JAK1/STAT6 Signaling.

Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is a severe disease with a high mortality. Macrophage-related inflammation plays a crucial role in ACLF development. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) treatment was demonstrated to be beneficial in ACLF in our previous study; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown.

Clinicopathological features, treatment modalities, and prognosis of esophageal neuroendocrine carcinoma: A single-center retrospective study.

Objectives: Esophageal neuroendocrine carcinoma (ENEC) is a rare cancer that is highly malignant and related to a poor prognosis. In this retrospective study we aimed to elucidate the clinical characteristics, diagnosis and management of patients with ENEC and to evaluate the potential prognostic factors.

Methods: Altogether 82 patients diagnosed with ENEC between January 2009 and December 2020 at the Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center were retrospectively enrolled.

Survival prediction for patients with malignant biliary obstruction caused by pancreatic cancer undergoing biliary drainage: the COMBO-PaS model.

Background: Patients with pancreatic cancer-caused biliary obstruction (PC-BO) have poor prognosis, but we lack of tools to predict survival for clinical decision-making. This study aims to establish a model for survival prediction among patients with PC-BO.

Methods: A total of 172 patients with PC-BO treated with percutaneous biliary drainage were randomly divided into a training group (n = 120) and a validation group (n = 52).

Non-small-cell lung cancer with epidermal growth factor receptor L861Q-L833F compound mutation benefits from both afatinib and osimertinib: A case report.

Background: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have been adopted as the standard of care for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients harboring sensitizing mutations. Besides the two common mutations exon 19 deletion and L858R, which together comprise approximately 85% of mutations in NSCLC, rare mutations also exist, including point mutations, deletions, and insertions spanning exons 18-25. However, the responsiveness of uncommon mutations to EGFR TKIs remains elusive and attracts increasing interest.

A novel mitochondrial micropeptide MPM enhances mitochondrial respiratory activity and promotes myogenic differentiation.

Micropeptides belong to a class of newly identified small molecules with <100 amino acids in length, and their functions remain largely unknown. Here, we identified a novel muscle-enriched micropeptide that was localized to mitochondria (named MPM, micropeptide in mitochondria) and upregulated during in vitro differentiation of C2C12 myoblasts and in vivo early postnatal skeletal muscle development, and muscle regeneration after cardiotoxin (CTX) damage. Downregulation of MPM was observed in the muscular tissues of tibial muscular dystrophy and Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients.

Genome‑scale analysis to identify potential prognostic microRNA biomarkers for predicting overall survival in patients with colon adenocarcinoma.

The aim of the present study was to identify potential prognostic microRNA (miRNA) biomarkers for colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) prognostic prediction using the dataset of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). The genome‑wide miRNA sequencing dataset and corresponding COAD clinical information were downloaded from TCGA. Prognosis‑related miRNA screening was performed by genome‑wide multivariable Cox regression analysis and used for prognostic signature construction.

Prognostic and predictive value of serum carcinoembryonic antigen levels in advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients with epidermal growth factor receptor sensitive mutations and receiving tyrosine kinase inhibitors.

Background: Despite the widespread use of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in advanced or recurrent non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), no biomarkers for predicting the efficacy of EGFR-TKIs in patients with EGFR-sensitive mutations have yet been identified. The purpose of our study was to explore the effect of baseline serum tumor markers in stage IIIB/IV NSCLC patients treated with EGFR-TKIs.

Methods: One hundred and seventy-seven patients with stage IIIB/IV NSCLC who harbored EGFR-sensitive mutations and were treated with EGFR-TKIs were retrospectively reviewed.

Significance of glucocorticoid receptor expression in patients with non-small cell lung cancer treated with pemetrexed-based chemotherapy.

Background: Pemetrexed is the preferred chemotherapy agent in the management of non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (non-sq-NSCLC), but lacks biomarkers predicting its efficacy. Dexamethasone, one of the premedications of pemetrexed, may downregulate p53 through the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). The purpose of our study was to explore the effect of GR in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and its role in predicting pemetrexed efficacy.

Age-related alterations of neuronal excitability and voltage-dependent Ca current in a spontaneous mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common age-dependent neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by a progressive dysfunction of central neurons, and senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8), a spontaneous AD mouse model, appears to be an excellent model to investigate the process of AD. Previous studies have indicated that neuronal excitability is impaired in transgenic AD mice. In this study, the cognition of SAMP8 mice was tested using the passive avoidance task and Morris water maze; whole-cell current-clamp recordings were used to evaluate the neuronal excitability, including the resting membrane potential, the number of action potentials, and after-hyperpolarization; and the voltage-dependent Ca current in hippocampal slices was measured using whole-cell voltage-clamp recordings.

PA-MSHA in combination with EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor: A new strategy to overcome the drug resistance of non-small cell lung cancer cells.

The inhibition of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling by Gefitinib provides a promising treatment strategy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); however, drug resistance to Gefitinib and other tyrosine kinase inhibitors presents a major issue. Using NSCLC cell lines with differential EGFR status, we examined the potency of PA-MSHA (Pseudomonas aeruginosa-mannose-sensitive hemagglutinin) in combination with Gefitinib on proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, EGFR signaling and tumor growth. PC-9, A549, and NCI-H1975 cells were treated with PA-MSHA, Gefetinib, or PA-MSHA plus Gefetinib at different concentrations and times.

p38 MAPK Participates in the Mediation of GLT-1 Up-regulation During the Induction of Brain Ischemic Tolerance by Cerebral Ischemic Preconditioning.

Our previous study has proved that the up-regulation of glial glutamate transporter 1 (GLT-1) played an important role in the acquisition of brain ischemic tolerance after cerebral ischemic preconditioning (CIP) in rats. However, little is known about the mechanism involved in the up-regulation of GLT-1 in the process. The present study investigates whether p38 MAPK, ERK1/2, and/or JNK participates in the up-regulation of GLT-1 during the induction of brain ischemic tolerance by CIP.

Intermittent high dose proton pump inhibitor enhances the antitumor effects of chemotherapy in metastatic breast cancer.

Background: Acidity is a hallmark of malignant tumor, representing a very efficient mechanism of chemoresistance. Proton pump inhibitors (PPI) at high dosage have been shown to sensitize chemoresistant human tumor cells and tumors to cytotoxic molecules. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate the efficacy of PPI in improving the clinical outcome of docetaxel + cisplatin regimen in patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC).

SAMHD1 is down regulated in lung cancer by methylation and inhibits tumor cell proliferation.

The function of dNTP hydrolase SAMHD1 as a viral restriction factor to inhibit the replication of several viruses in human immune cells was well established. However, its regulation and function in lung cancer have been elusive. Here, we report that SAMHD1 is down regulated both on protein and mRNA levels in lung adenocarcinoma compared to adjacent normal tissue.

Persistence and dissipation of chlorpyrifos in Brassica chinensis, lettuce, celery, asparagus lettuce, eggplant, and pepper in a greenhouse.

The residue behavior of chlorpyrifos, which is one of the extensively used insecticides all around the world, in six vegetable crops was assessed under greenhouse conditions. Each of the vegetables was subjected to a foliar treatment with chlorpyrifos. Two analytical methods were developed using gas chromatography equipped with a micro-ECD detector (LOQ = 0.

Vinorelbine and capecitabine in anthracycline- and/or taxane-pretreated metastatic breast cancer: sequential or combinational?

Purpose: The difference between combinational and pre-planned sequential therapies using regimens that include non-anthracycline and taxane in the first-line setting remains unclear. The purpose of this study is to explore the interaction between vinorelbine (N) and capecitabine (X) in breast cancer cells and to compare the simultaneous or sequential administration of the two drugs in patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) as first-line treatment.

Methods: First, we explored the effects of vinorelbine on thymidine phosphorylase (TP) and thymidylate synthase (TS) expression in breast cancer cells.

A single institution, retrospective study of treatment experience in primary mediastinal germ cell tumors: elucidating the significance of systemic chemotherapy.

Background: Primary malignant germ cell tumors (GCTs) of mediastinum are rare neoplasms. We introduce our institutional experience in managing patients with primary malignant GCTs of the mediastinum, focusing on the analysis of therapeutic modalities.

Methods: A retrospective review was done in 39 consecutive patients with mediastinal malignant GCTs treated in our institution between 1991 and 2007.

miR-196a2 C allele is a low-penetrant risk factor for cancer development.

Published data on the association between miR-196a2 T/C polymorphism and cancer susceptibility are inconclusive. To derive a more precise estimation of the relationship, a meta-analysis was performed. A total of 21 studies including 10,441 cases and 12,353 controls were involved in this meta-analysis.

Lack of association between methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene A1298C polymorphism and breast cancer susceptibility.

Published data on the association between methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene (MTHFR) A1298C polymorphism and breast cancer risk are inconclusive. To derive a more precise estimation of the relationship, a meta-analysis was performed. Medline, PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science were searched.

The p21 Ser31Arg polymorphism and breast cancer risk: a meta-analysis involving 51,236 subjects.

Published data on the association between p21 Ser31Arg polymorphism and breast cancer risk are inconclusive. To derive a more precise estimation of the relationship, a meta-analysis was performed. Crude ORs with 95% CIs were used to assess the strength of association between the p21 Ser31Arg polymorphism and breast cancer risk.

NAT2 polymorphisms combining with smoking associated with breast cancer susceptibility: a meta-analysis.

To derive a more precise estimation of the relationship between the slow or rapid acetylation resulting from N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) polymorphisms and breast cancer risk, a meta-analysis was performed. PubMed, Medline, Embase, and Web of Science were searched. Crude odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess strength of association.