Associations between vascular endothelial growth factor polymorphisms and response to 5-FU-based pharmaceutical therapy in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: A meta-analysis.

Background And Aims: Vascular endothelial growth factor () gene polymorphisms are associated with the response to pharmaceutical therapy in many cancers. This study aimed to investigate the effects of gene polymorphisms in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients receiving pharmaceutical therapy.

Methods: This literature-based meta-analysis was performed with keywords related to gene polymorphisms and clinical response in esophageal squamous carcinoma patients receiving pharmaceutical therapy (including 5-FU, cisplatin, oxaliplatin, and calcium folinate).

Embedded 3D printing of engineered lung cancer model for assisting fine-needle aspiration biopsy.

Lung cancer is a serious global health issue that requires the development of patient-specific, lung cancer model for surgical planning to train interventionalists and improve the accuracy of biopsies. Although the emergence of three-dimensional (3D) printing provides a promising solution to create customized models with complicated architectures, current 3D printing methods cannot accurately duplicate anatomical-level lung constructs with tumor(s) which are applicable for hands-on training and procedure planning. To address this issue, an embedded printing strategy is proposed to create respiratory bronchioles, blood vessels, and tumors in a photocurable yield-stress matrix bath.

A critical role for CaMKII in behavioral timescale synaptic plasticity in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons.

Behavioral timescale synaptic plasticity (BTSP) is a type of non-Hebbian synaptic plasticity reported to underlie place field formation. Despite this important function, the molecular mechanisms underlying BTSP are poorly understood. The α-calcium-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (αCaMKII) is activated by synaptic transmission-mediated calcium influx, and its subsequent phosphorylation is central to synaptic plasticity.

Dopamine D2 receptors regulate the action potential threshold by modulating T-type calcium channels in stellate cells of the medial entorhinal cortex.

Key Points: Activation of axonal dopamine D2 receptors (D2Rs) increases action potential (AP) threshold, and thus decreases neuronal excitability in layer II stellate cells of medial entorhinal cortex. Endogenous dopamine release increases the AP threshold of stellate cells by activating D2Rs. Activation of D2Rs shifts the activation curve of T-type Ca channels in a positive direction in a protein kinase A-dependent manner.

Chromodomain Y-like Protein-Mediated Histone Crotonylation Regulates Stress-Induced Depressive Behaviors.

Background: Major depressive disorder is a prevalent and life-threatening illness in modern society. The susceptibility to major depressive disorder is profoundly influenced by environmental factors, such as stressful lifestyle or traumatic events, which could impose maladaptive transcriptional program through epigenetic regulation. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain elusive.

Electrophysiological Mechanism of Peripheral Hormones and Nutrients Regulating Energy Homeostasis.

In organism, energy homeostasis is a biological process that involves the coordinated homeostatic regulation of energy intake (food intake) and energy expenditure. The human brain, particularly the hypothalamic proopiomelanocortin (POMC)- and agouti-related protein/neuropeptide Y (AgRP/NPY)-expressing neurons in the arcuate nucleus, plays an essential role in regulating energy homeostasis. The regulation process is mainly dependent upon peripheral hormones such as leptin and insulin, as well as nutrients such as glucose, amino acids, and fatty acids.

ERG3 potassium channel-mediated suppression of neuronal intrinsic excitability and prevention of seizure generation in mice.

Key Points: ERG3 channels have a high expression level in the central nervous system. Knockdown of ERG3 channels enhances neuronal intrinsic excitability (caused by decreased fast afterhyperpolarization, shortened delay time to the generation of an action potential and enhanced summation of somatic excitatory postsynaptic potentials) in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons and dentate gyrus granule cells. The expression of ERG3 protein is reduced in human and mouse hippocampal epileptogenic foci.