Pyroptosis: the dawn of a new era in endometrial cancer treatment.

Endometrial cancer (EC) is a malignancy of the inner epithelial lining of the uterus. While early-stage EC is often curable through surgery, the management of advanced, recurrent and metastatic EC poses significant challenges and is associated with a poor prognosis. Pyroptosis, an emerging form of programmed cell death, is characterized by the cleavage of gasdermin proteins, inducing the formation of extensive gasdermin pores in the cell membrane and the leakage of interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) and interleukin-18 (IL-18), consequently causing cell swelling, lysis and death. It has been found to be implicated in the occurrence and progression of almost all tumors. Recent studies have demonstrated that regulating tumor cells pyroptosis can exploit synergies function with traditional tumor treatments. This paper provides an overview of the research progress made in molecular mechanisms of pyroptosis. It then discusses the role of pyroptosis and its components in initiation and progression of endometrial cancer, emphasizing recent insights into the underlying mechanisms and highlighting unresolved questions. Furthermore, it explores the potential value of pyroptosis in the treatment of endometrial cancer, considering its current application in tumor radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy.

Cardiac manifestations of COVID-19 in Shenzhen, China.

PURPOSE: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has become a global public health concern; however, relatively few detailed reports of related cardiac injury are available. The aims of this study were to compare the clinical and echocardiographic characteristics of inpatients in the intensive-care unit (ICU) and non-ICU patients. METHODS: We recruited 416 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 and divided them into two groups: ICU (n = 35) and non-ICU (n = 381). Medical histories, laboratory findings, and echocardiography data were compared. RESULTS: The levels of myocardial injury markers in ICU vs non-ICU patients were as follows: troponin I (0.029 ng/mL [0.007-0.063] vs 0.006 ng/mL [0.006-0.006]) and myoglobin (65.45 µg/L [39.77-130.57] vs 37.00 µg/L [26.40-53.54]). Echocardiographic findings included ventricular wall thickening (12 [39%] vs 1 [4%]), pulmonary hypertension (9 [29%] vs 0 [0%]), and reduced left-ventricular ejection fraction (5 [16%] vs 0 [0%]). Overall, 10% of the ICU patients presented with right heart enlargement, thickened right-ventricular wall, decreased right heart function, and pericardial effusion. Cardiac complications were more common in ICU patients, including acute cardiac injury (21 [60%] vs 13 [3%]) (including 2 cases of fulminant myocarditis), atrial or ventricular tachyarrhythmia (3 [9%] vs 3 [1%]), and acute heart failure (5 [14%] vs 0 [0%]). CONCLUSION: Myocardial injury marker elevation, ventricular wall thickening, pulmonary artery hypertension, and cardiac complications including acute myocardial injury, arrhythmia, and acute heart failure are more common in ICU patients with COVID-19. Cardiac injury in COVID-19 patients may be related more to the systemic response after infection rather than direct damage by coronavirus.

First case of COVID-19 complicated with fulminant myocarditis: a case report and insights.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been demonstrated to be the cause of pneumonia. Nevertheless, it has not been reported as the cause of acute myocarditis or fulminant myocarditis. CASE PRESENTATION: A 63-year-old male was admitted with pneumonia and cardiac symptoms. He was genetically confirmed as having COVID-19 according to sputum testing on the day of admission. He also had elevated troponin I (Trop I) level (up to 11.37 g/L) and diffuse myocardial dyskinesia along with a decreased left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) on echocardiography. The highest level of interleukin-6 was 272.40 pg/ml. Bedside chest radiographs showed typical ground-glass changes indicative of viral pneumonia. Laboratory test results for viruses that cause myocarditis were all negative. The patient conformed to the diagnostic criteria of the Chinese expert consensus statement for fulminant myocarditis. After receiving antiviral therapy and mechanical life support, Trop I was reduced to 0.10 g/L, and interleukin-6 was reduced to 7.63 pg/mL. Moreover, the LVEF of the patient gradually recovered to 68%. The patient died of aggravation of secondary infection on the 33rd day of hospitalization. CONCLUSION: COVID-19 patients may develop severe cardiac complications such as myocarditis and heart failure. This is the first report of COVID-19 complicated with fulminant myocarditis. The mechanism of cardiac pathology caused by COVID-19 needs further study.

Characterization of the in vitro metabolites of idelalisib in liver microsomes and interspecies comparison.

Idelalisib acts as a phosphoinositide 3 kinase inhibitor, which has been approved by the US FDA for the treatment of certain hematological malignancies. The aim of this study is to profile the metabolites of idelalisib in the liver microsomes of mouse, rat, rabbit, dog, monkey and human. Idelalisib at the concentration of 20 µM was incubated with the liver microsomes in the presence of NADPH, GSH and UDPGA. The incubation samples were analyzed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detector and linear ion trap-orbitrap tandem mass spectrometer (UHPLC-DAD-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS), and the post-acquisition data was processed by Metworks software. Under the current experimental conditions, a total of 14 metabolites were detected. The structures of the metabolites were characterized based on their accurate masses, fragmental ions and retention times. Our results suggested the following: 1) idelalisib was prone to oxidative defluorination to give rise to desfluoroidelalisib (M13). This metabolite was reactive in nature as its corresponding GSH conjugate was detected (M4). Except GSH conjugation, this metabolite can further undergo oxygenation (M7 and M14), and glucuronidation (M3); 2) oxygenation was the major metabolic pathway in liver microsomes, leading to the metabolite M10 in all test species; 3) idelalisib can be directly conjugated with glucuronide to form N+-glucuronide (M1). Species-specific metabolic difference was observed between animals and human and rat and dog have closer metabolic profiles to human compared with other animal species.

Basic ionic liquid as catalysis and reaction medium: a novel and green protocol for the Markovnikov addition of N-heterocycles to vinyl esters, using a task-specific ionic liquid, [bmIm]OH.

A basic ionic liquid, 1-methyl-3-butylimidazolium hydroxide ([bmIm]OH), has been introduced as a catalyst and reaction medium for the Markovnikov addition of N-heterocycles to vinyl esters under mild conditions. The evidence for the role of this basic ionic liquid [bmIm]OH in promoting the Markovnikov addition has been given. On the basis of the evidence, a mechanism was postulated.

Controllable regioselective acylation of rutin catalyzed by enzymes in non-aqueous solvents.

An efficient route to synthesize 3''- and 4'''-vinyl rutin esters has been developed by enzyme-catalyzed regioselective acylation of rutin with divinyl dicarboxylates in organic media. Alkaline protease from Bacillus subtilis provided 3''-O-substituted vinyl rutin esters in pyridine, and Novozym 435 gave 4'''-O-substituted vinyl rutin esters in tert-butanol.

Penicillin G acylase catalyzed Markovnikov addition of allopurinol to vinyl ester.

A new enzymatic process is reported, in which penicillin G acylase from Escherichia coli displays a promiscuous activity in catalyzing the Markovnikov addition of allopurinol to vinyl ester.