Low-dose apatinib optimizes the vascular normalization and enhances the antitumor effect of PD-1 inhibitor in gastric cancer.

Background: Apatinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor that has shown potential in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in gastric cancer (GC); however, its role in GC is unclear. This research aims to investigate the effect of low-dose apatinib in GC, and analyze the mechanisms of its underlying action.

Methods: A mouse model of GC was established, and the experimental mice were divided into different groups for different treatment: group NS (normal saline), group A (low-dose apatinib 50 mg/kg), group B (high-dose apatinib 200 mg/kg), group C [programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitor monotherapy], and group D (PD-1 inhibitor combined with low-dose apatinib).

Preliminary MRS study of critical values of relevant brain metabolites in elderly Chinese patients with post-stroke cognitive impairment.

Objective: Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (H-MRS) was applied in this study to detect metabolite changes in the brain of post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) and normal volunteers. The levels of N-acetylaspartate (NAA) and creatinine (Cr) and in the frontal lobe, hippocampus and cingulate gyrus were measured to distinguish patients with post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) and normal control group (NC). The relationship between them and cognitive function was explored and a critical value of the metabolite ratio was predicted.

Comparing single or dual tracing modality on sentinel lymph node biopsy from patients who plan to omitting axillary lymph node dissection referring to the criteria of Z0011 trial: a retrospective study.

Axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) can be omitted in the part of the breast-conserving patients with positive sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) since Z0011 trial has presented. Nevertheless, to date, no studies revealed the influence of different tracing modalities (single tracer versus dual tracers) for sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) on axillary management referring to Z0011 trial criteria. This study aimed to assess whether different tracing modalities of SLNB have impact on axillary management referring to Z0011 trial criteria.

Correlation of the detection rate of upper GI cancer with artificial intelligence score: results from a multicenter trial (with video).

Background And Aims: The quality of EGD is a prerequisite for a high detection rate of upper GI lesions, especially early gastric cancer. Our previous study showed that an artificial intelligence system, named intelligent detection endoscopic assistant (IDEA), could help to monitor blind spots and provide an operation score during EGD. Here, we verified the effectiveness of IDEA to help evaluate the quality of EGD in a large-scale multicenter trial.

Assisting scalable diagnosis automatically via CT images in the combat against COVID-19.

The pandemic of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is causing enormous loss of life globally. Prompt case identification is critical. The reference method is the real-time reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) assay, whose limitations may curb its prompt large-scale application.

Androgen receptor-dependent regulation of Bcl-xL expression: Implication in prostate cancer progression.

Background: Recently we reported that silencing the androgen receptor (AR) gene reduced Bcl-xL expression that was associated with a profound apoptotic cell death in prostate cancer cells. In this study we further investigated AR-regulated Bcl-xL expression.

Methods: Prostate cancer cell line LNCaP and its sublines, LNCaP/PURO and LNCaP/Bclxl, were used for cell proliferation assay and xenograft experiments in nude mice.

Chinese yellow wine inhibits production of homocysteine-induced extracellular matrix metalloproteinase-2 in cultured rat vascular smooth muscle cells.

Background & Aims: Regular consumption of moderate amounts of Chinese yellow wine is associated with a reduced risk of coronary disease. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) that participate in extracellular matrix degradation have been involved in atherosclerotic plaque growth and instability. The present research aimed to study the effects of Chinese yellow wine on the production of homocysteine (Hcy)-induced extracellular MMP-2 in cultured rats vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs).