A Nutrient-Deficient Microenvironment Facilitates Ferroptosis Resistance via the FAM60A-PPAR Axis in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.

Ferroptosis, a nonapoptotic form of cell death, is an emerging potential therapeutic target for various diseases, including cancer. However, the role of ferroptosis in pancreatic cancer remains poorly understood. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by a poor prognosis and chemotherapy resistance, attributed to its high Kirsten rats arcomaviral oncogene homolog mutation rate and severe nutritional deficits resulting from a dense stroma.

Impact of Repeated Infantile Exposure to Surgery and Anesthesia on Gut Microbiota and Anxiety Behaviors at Age 6-9.

(1) Background: Preclinical as well as population studies have connected general anesthesia and surgery with a higher risk of abnormal cognitive development, including emotional development. Gut microbiota dysbiosis in neonatal rodents during the perioperative period has been reported, however, the relevance of this to human children who undergo multiple anesthesia for surgeries is unknown. Given the emerging role of altered gut microbes in propagating anxiety and depression, we sought to study whether repeated infantile exposures to surgery and anesthesia affect gut microbiota and anxiety behaviors later in life.

Ectopic scrotum and penoscrotal transposition: Case report and literature review.

Background: Ectopic scrotum (ES) is an extremely rare congenital scrotal malformation. Ectopic scrotum with VATER/VACTERL [vertebral defects (V), anal atresia or anorectal malformations (A), cardiac defects (C), tracheoesophageal fistula with or without esophageal atresia (TE), cardiac defects, renal malformations (R), and limb defects (L)] association is even rarer. There are no uniform guidelines for diagnosis and treatment.

Effect of Hypertonic Saline Solution Combined with Furosemide on Acute Heart Failure: A Meta-Analysis.

Background: The efficacy of hypertonic saline solution (HSS) combined with furosemide in treating acute heart failure is controversial. This meta-analysis explores the efficacy of HSS combined with furosemide for the treatment of acute heart failure.

Methods: Literature were searched from databases, including PubMed, Web of Knowledge, Embase, Central, CMKI, Wanfang, and VIP.

METTL1 promotes neuroblastoma development through mG tRNA modification and selective oncogenic gene translation.

Background: Neuroblastoma (NBL) is the most common extra-cranial solid tumour in childhood, with prognosis ranging from spontaneous remission to high risk for rapid and fatal progression. Despite existing therapy approaches, the 5-year event-free survival (EFS) for patients with advanced NBL remains below 30%, emphasizing urgent necessary for novel therapeutic strategies. Studies have shown that epigenetic disorders play an essential role in the pathogenesis of NBL.

46,XY disorders of sex development: the use of NGS for prevalent variants.

46,XY disorders of sex development (DSD) present with diverse phenotypes and complicated genetic causes. Precise genetic diagnosis contributes to accurate management, and targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) and whole-exome sequencing are powerful tools for investigating DSD. However, the prevalent variants resulting in 46,XY DSD remain unclear, especially those associated with mild forms, such as isolated hypospadias, inguinal cryptorchidism, and micropenis.

Application of the Mathieu combined tunnel technique for repairing glans dehiscence after failed hypospadias repair.

Repairing glans dehiscence after failed hypospadias repair is challenging for pediatric surgeons. Here, we introduced and evaluated a newly modified Mathieu technique, Mathieu combined tunnel (MCT), which involves multiple custom-designed flaps for the shortage of flap source material after repeated operations; we also constructed a tunnel to avoid the glans incision that may carry new risks of dehiscence. This retrospective study included 26 patients who were consecutively admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University (Guangzhou, China) for glans dehiscence repair after failed hypospadias repair from October 2014 to October 2020; sixteen patients underwent surgery using the MCT (MCT group) and ten patients underwent surgery using the tubularized incised plate (TIP) technique (TIP group).

NLGN3 promotes neuroblastoma cell proliferation and growth through activating PI3K/AKT pathway.

Neuroblastoma is the most common extracranial solid tumor of childhood, previous studies show synaptic protein neuroligin-3 (NLGN3) promotes glioma proliferation and growth, However, no investigation about the role of NLGN3 in neuroblastoma was reported. Here, we found NGLGN3 was significantly upregulated in neuroblastoma cells and tissues, its overexpression significantly promoted neuroblastoma cell proliferation and growth determined by MTT analysis, colony formation assay, cell cycle progression analysis, BrdU incorporation assay and animal model, while its knockdown inhibited cell proliferation and growth. Then we found NLGN3 could increase the phosphorylation level of AKT and the transcription activity of FOXO family, suggesting NLGN3 activated PI3K/AKT pathway, inhibition of PI3K/AKT pathway in NLGN3 overexpressing cells inhibited cell proliferation, confirming NLGN3 promoted neuroblastoma proliferation through activating PI3K/AKT pathway.

GDNF family receptor alpha 2 promotes neuroblastoma cell proliferation by interacting with PTEN.

Neuroblastoma is a childhood tumor, and high-stage neuroblastoma has a poor prognosis. The regulatory mechanisms for neuroblastoma progression are poorly understood. In present study, we found that GDNF family receptor alpha 2 (GFRA2) was upregulated in neuroblastoma cells and tissues, and its overexpression promoted neuroblastoma cell proliferation, as revealed using colony formation, soft agar growth, and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays Tumor suppressor phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) is an inhibitor of the phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT serine/threonine kinase (AKT) pathway that interacts with GFRA2.

The relationship between amniotic fluid miRNAs and congenital obstructive nephropathy.

Exosomes are small membrane vesicles with size of 30-100 nm, which were found in bodily fluids including amniotic fluid and saliva. The biological materials in exosomes, such as proteins and RNA, can be used as novel potential biomarkers for diagnostic assays. The purpose of this study was to assess whether exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) could be used as biomarkers to prenatally diagnose congenital hydronephrosis and to evaluate fetal kidney function.

miR-1303 promotes the proliferation of neuroblastoma cell SH-SY5Y by targeting GSK3β and SFRP1.

Neuroblastoma (NB) is one of the most common solid tumors in children, many microRNAs regulate progression and development of NB. Here, we found miR-1303 was upregulated in NB cells and tissues, miR-1303 overexpression promoted the proliferation of SH-SY5Y NB cell investigated by MTT assay, colony formation assay and anchorage-independent growth ability assay, while miR-1303 knockdown reduced this effect. mechanism analysis suggested glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK3β) and secreted frizzled-related protein 1 (SFRP1) were the target of miR-1303, luciferase assay revealed miR-1303 directly bound to the 3'UTR of GSK3β and SFRP1.

A peptide tetramer Tk-tPN induces tolerance of cardiac allografting by conversion of type 1 to type 2 immune responses via the Toll-like receptor 2 signal-promoted activation of the MCP1 gene.

The plant protein trichosanthin (Tk) and its derived peptide tetramer Tk-tPN have been shown to stimulate the type 2 immune responses for treating autoimmune disease. This work explores the possibility of using Tk-tPN as a non-toxic immunosuppressant to induce transplantation tolerance using the mechanisms by which T-cell-mediated immune responses are transferred from type 1 to type 2 through innate immunity-related pathways. Immunocytes and cytokine secretions involved in the mouse cardiac allografting model with Tk-tPN treatment were characterized.

Protein kinase A-dependent phosphorylation of Dock180 at serine residue 1250 is important for glioma growth and invasion stimulated by platelet derived-growth factor receptor α.

Background: Dedicator of cytokinesis 1 (Dock1 or Dock180), a bipartite guanine nucleotide exchange factor for Rac1, plays critical roles in receptor tyrosine kinase-stimulated cancer growth and invasion. Dock180 activity is required in cell migration cancer tumorigenesis promoted by platelet derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) and epidermal growth factor receptor.

Methods: To demonstrate whether PDGFRα promotes tumor malignant behavior through protein kinase A (PKA)-dependent serine phosphorylation of Dock180, we performed cell proliferation, viability, migration, immunoprecipitation, immunoblotting, colony formation, and in vivo tumorigenesis assays using established and short-term explant cultures of glioblastoma cell lines.

Leukemia propagating cells rebuild an evolving niche in response to therapy.

Residence of cancer-propagating cells (CPCs) within preferential microenvironmental niches has a major part in evading therapy. However, the nature of niches involved and the mechanisms protecting CPCs remain largely unknown. We addressed these issues in mouse transplantation models of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

[Foley catheter versus urethral stent plus gastric tube for urine drainage following urethroplasty].

Objective: To compare the advantages and disadvantages of the Foley catheter draining method versus the urethral stent plus gastric tube draining method for urine drainage following urethroplasty for hypospadias.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 361 cases of hypospadias treated by urethroplasty. After operation, 91 of the cases received urine drainage with the Foley catheter (group A) and 270 with a urethral stent plus a gastric tube (group B).

A Trichosanthin-derived peptide suppresses type 1 immune responses by TLR2-dependent activation of CD8(+)CD28(-) Tregs.

A group of 15-aa-long Trichosanthin-derived peptides was synthesized and screened based on their differential abilities to induce low-responsiveness in mouse strains with high and low susceptibility. One of them was conjugated to form a homo-tetramer Tk-tPN. At concentrations of 0.

Sam68 is a novel marker for aggressive neuroblastoma.

Background: Neuroblastoma (NB) is the most common solid extracranial tumor in children. However, the molecular mechanism and progression of NB is largely unknown, and unfortunately, the prognosis is poor. Src-associated in mitosis with a molecular weight of 68 kDa (Sam68) is associated with carcinogenesis and neurogenesis.

Mutated major histocompatibility complex class II transactivator up-regulates interleukin-33-dependent differentiation of Th2 subset through Nod2 binding for NLR (NOD-like receptor) signaling initiation.

Dominant-negative mutants of class II transactivator (mCIITAs) with N-terminal depletion have been used to repress the transcription of class II genes in xenotransplantation. Here, we report that mCIITA overexpressing myeloid cell line Ana-1 (Ana-1-mCIITA) derived from a C57BL/6 mouse was able to down-regulate the MHC class II expression and reverse immune responses from Th1 (IL-2(+)IFN-γ(+)STAT4(+)) to Th2 (IL-4(+)IL-5(+)IL-10(+)IL-13(+)STAT6(+)) when cocultured with T cells. Mechanism analysis indicated that the mCIITA protein is able to initiate a NOD-like receptor-related signaling pathway via binding of the cytoplasmic Nod2 protein, which was followed by activating RIP2, caspase 1, and IKK-α/β.

Nicotine decreases beta-amyloid through regulating BACE1 transcription in SH-EP1-α4β2 nAChR-APP695 cells.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects the elderly population. Deposition of beta-amyloid (Aβ) in the brain is a hallmark of AD pathology. In our previous study, we have constructed a cell line expressing human APP695 (hAPP695) in SH-EP1 cells stably transfected with human nicotinic receptor (nAChR) α4 subunit and β2 subunit gene.

Ureteral triplication combined with right renal ectopia and ureteral cyst.

Ureteral triplication is one of the rarest malformations of the upper urinary tract. We report the case of a 12-year-old girl with right ureteral triplication combined with renal ectopia and ureteral cyst with stenosis at the junction of the ureteral cyst and distal ureter. The ureteral cyst was tailored and tubularized, and the tight junction was removed, as in Hynes-Anderson ureteropyeloplasty; on reevaluation almost 4 years later, kidney function was normal and computed tomography showed a normal kidney and ureter.

Construction of SH-EP1-alpha4beta2-hAPP695 cell line and effects of nicotinic agonists on beta-amyloid in the cells.

(1) Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in central nervous system are thought to be new targets for Alzheimer's disease. However, the most involved nicotinic receptor subtype in Alzheimer's disease is unclear. alpha4beta2 receptor is the most widely spread subtype in brain, involving in several important aspects of cognitive and other functions.