Cost-Effectiveness of Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy for Chinese Patients.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is the most popular bariatric surgery procedure in China. However, its cost-effectiveness in Chinese patients is currently unknown. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to assess the cost-effectiveness of LSG vs no surgery in Chinese patients with severe and complex obesity, taking into account both healthcare expenses and the potential improvement in health-related quality of life (HRQoL). METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted, encompassing 135 Chinese patients who underwent LSG between January 3, 2022 and December 29, 2022, at a major bariatric center. The study evaluated the cost-effectiveness from a healthcare service perspective, employing the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) for quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) gained. The analyses compared LSG with the alternative of not undergoing surgery over a 1-year period, using actual data, and extended to a lifetime horizon by projecting costs and utilities at an annual discount rate of 3.0%. Subgroup analyses were undertaken to explore cost-effectiveness variations across different sex, age and BMI categories, and diabetes status, employing a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). To ensure the reliability of the findings, one-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were executed. RESULTS: The results indicated that 1-year post-LSG, patients achieved an average total weight loss (TWL) of (32.7 ± 7.3)% and an excess weight loss (EWL) of (97.8 ± 23.1)%. The ICER for LSG compared to no surgery over a lifetime was $4,327/QALY, significantly below the willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold for Chinese patients with severe and complex obesity. From a lifetime perspective, LSG proved to be cost-effective for all sex and age groups, across all BMI categories, and for both patients with and without diabetes. Notably, it was more cost-effective for younger patients, patients with higher BMI, and patients with diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: LSG is a highly cost-effective intervention for managing obesity in Chinese patients, delivering substantial benefits in terms of HRQoL improvement at a low cost. Its cost-effectiveness is particularly pronounced among younger individuals, those with higher BMI, and patients with diabetes.

Perioperative versus adjuvant S-1 plus oxaliplatin chemotherapy for stage II/III resectable gastric cancer (RESONANCE): a randomized, open-label, phase 3 trial.

Evidence from Europe shows that perioperative chemotherapy may be beneficial for the treatment of locally advanced gastric cancer, but reliable and robust data is lacking. To rectify this, the phase 3 RESONANCE trial investigated the efficacy and safety of S-1 plus oxaliplatin (SOX) as a perioperative chemotherapy regimen for gastric cancer. This randomized, open-label trial enrolled patients from 19 medical centers with stage II/III resectable gastric cancer who were centrally randomly assigned to either perioperative chemotherapy (PC) arm or adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) arm. Patients in the PC arm received two to four cycles of SOX followed by surgery and four to six cycles of SOX. Patients in the AC arm received upfront surgery and eight cycles of SOX. 386 patients in each group were enrolled and 756 (382 in PC and 374 in AC) were included in the mITT population. The three-year DFS rate was 61.7% in the PC arm and 53.8% in the AC arm (log-rank p = 0.019). The R0 resection rate in the PC arm was significantly higher than that in the AC arm (94.9% vs. 83.7%, p < 0.0001). There was no difference between two arms in surgical outcomes or postoperative complications. Safety-related data were like the known safety profile. In conclusion, from a clinical perspective, this trial indicated a trend towards higher three-year disease-free survival rate with perioperative SOX in stage II/III resectable gastric cancer with well-tolerated toxicity compared to adjuvant SOX, which might provide a theoretical basis for applying perioperative SOX in advanced gastric cancer patients. (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01583361).

Optimizing Shot Assignment in Variational Quantum Eigensolver Measurement.

Variational quantum eigensolvers (VQEs) show promise for tackling complex quantum chemistry challenges and realizing quantum advantages. However, in VQE, the measurement step encounters difficulties due to errors in objective function evaluation, e.g., the energy of a quantum state. While increasing the number of measurement shots can mitigate measurement errors, this approach leads to higher costs. Strategies for shot assignment have been investigated, allowing for the allocation of varying shot numbers to different Hamiltonian terms and reducing measurement variance through term-specific insights. In this paper, we introduce a dynamic approach, the Variance-Preserved Shot Reduction (VPSR) method. This technique strives to minimize the total number of measurement shots while preserving the variance of measurements throughout the VQE process. Our numerical experiments on H2 and LiH molecular ground states demonstrate the effectiveness of VPSR in achieving VQE convergence with a notably lower shot count.

Pulmonary Epstein-Barr virus-associated smooth muscle tumor after kidney transplantation: two case reports with review of differential diagnosis.

Pulmonary nodules are a common complication in solid organ transplant recipients, and may have various underlying causes, with Epstein-Barr virus-associated smooth muscle tumor (EBV-SMT) being one of them. Given the rarity of this entity, we describe the diagnosis and therapeutic interventions for post-transplant EBV-SMT in two individuals. Both cases involved female patients who were diagnosed with multiple pulmonary nodules 60 months and 116 months, respectively, after receiving living-related kidney transplantation. Pathological examination revealed a spindle cell tumor, with immunophenotype and EBV in situ hybridization supporting the diagnosis of EBV-SMT. After diagnosis, these two patients underwent intervention by decreasing their intake of immunosuppressants. As of the latest follow-up, the patients' lesion size remained stable, and their overall condition was favorable. We also reviewed literature about the morphological and molecular pathological features of EBV-SMT and highlighted the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of pulmonary spindle cell lesions especially in the setting of immunosuppression.

Comprehensive multi-omics analysis of tryptophan metabolism-related gene expression signature to predict prognosis in gastric cancer.

Introduction: The 5-year survival of gastric cancer (GC) patients with advanced stage remains poor. Some evidence has indicated that tryptophan metabolism may induce cancer progression through immunosuppressive responses and promote the malignancy of cancer cells. The role of tryptophan and its metabolism should be explored for an in-depth understanding of molecular mechanisms during GC development. Material and methods: We utilized the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) dataset to screen tryptophan metabolism-associated genes via single sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) and correlation analysis. Consensus clustering analysis was employed to construct different molecular subtypes. Most common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were determined from the molecular subtypes. Univariate cox analysis as well as lasso were performed to establish a tryptophan metabolism-associated gene signature. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) was utilized to evaluate signaling pathways. ESTIMATE, ssGSEA, and TIDE were used for the evaluation of the gastric tumor microenvironment. Results: Two tryptophan metabolism-associated gene molecular subtypes were constructed. Compared to the C2 subtype, the C1 subtype showed better prognosis with increased CD4 positive memory T cells as well as activated dendritic cells (DCs) infiltration and suppressed M2-phenotype macrophages inside the tumor microenvironment. The immune checkpoint was downregulated in the C1 subtype. A total of eight key genes, EFNA3, GPX3, RGS2, CXCR4, SGCE, ADH4, CST2, and GPC3, were screened for the establishment of a prognostic risk model. Conclusion: This study concluded that the tryptophan metabolism-associated genes can be applied in GC prognostic prediction. The risk model established in the current study was highly accurate in GC survival prediction.

Predicting the Clinical Outcome of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Based on the Gene Expression Characteristics of Necroptosis and Different Molecular Subtypes.

Necroptosis, a kind of programmed necrotic cell apoptosis, is the gatekeeper for the host to defend against the invasion of pathogens. It helps to regulate different biological processes regarding human cancer. Nevertheless, studies that determine the impact of death on triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) are scarce. Therefore, this paper has comprehensively examined the expression as well as clinical significance of necroptosis in TNBC. ConsensusClusterPlus was used to establish a stable molecular classification that used the expression regarding the necroptosis-linked genes. The clinical and immune characteristics of different subclasses were evaluated. Then, the weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) assisted in determining key modules, and we selected the genes exhibiting obvious association with necroptosis prognosis through the relationship with prognosis. The univariate Cox regression analysis together with least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) techniques served for the construction of the necroptosis-related prognostic risk score (NPRS) model, and the pathway characteristics of NPRS model grouping were further studied. Finally, the NPRS, taking into account the clinicopathological features, used the decision tree model for enhancing the prognostic model as well as the survival prediction. First, two stable molecular subtypes with different prognosis and immune characteristics were identified using necroptosis marker genes. Then, the key modules were identified, and 10 genes significantly related to the prognosis of necroptosis were selected. Then, the clinical prognostic model of NPRS was developed considering the prognosis-linked necroptosis genes. Finally, the NPRS model, taking into account the clinicopathological features, adopted the decision tree model for enhancing the prognostic model as well as the survival prediction. Herein, two new molecular subgroups considering necroptosis-linked genes are proposed, and an NPRS model composed of 10 genes is developed, which maybe assist in the personalized treatment and clinical treatment guidance of TNBC patients.

Single-cell sequencing analysis reveals gastric cancer microenvironment cells respond vastly different to oxidative stress.

Gastric cancer is a common type of gastrointestinal malignant tumor in China. The mechanism of the development and progression of gastric cancer remains the continuing research focus. The tumor microenvironment plays an important role in the development and progression of tumors. The present study used single-cell sequencing data to characterize the microenvironment of gastric cancer, investigate the effects of oxidative stress on gastric cancer microenvironmental cells through the comparison between cancer tissue and normal tissue, and identify the key genes associated with gastric cancer patients' survival. The results showed that compared with normal gastric tissue, gastric cancer tissue had a decreased oxidative stress response, weaker oxidative detoxification ability, and increased oxidative stress-induced cell death. In the different types of single cells of gastric cancer microenvironment, the oxidative stress response of T cell was increased, the ability of oxidative detoxification was enhanced, and the oxidative stress-induced cell death was exacerbate. Mucous cell showed the same trend as gastric cancer cells: decreased oxidative stress response, weak oxidative detoxification ability, and weakened oxidative stress-induced cell death. Moreover, TRIM62, MET, and HBA1, which were significantly associated with oxidative stress, may be biomarkers for the prognosis of gastric cancer. High expression of TRIM62 indicated a good prognosis, while MET and HBA1 indicated a poor prognosis, which will be confirmed by further clinical studies.

A novel rat model for cerebral venous sinus thrombosis: verification of similarity to human disease via clinical analysis and experimental validation.

BACKGROUND: Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) is a rare neurovascular disorder with highly variable manifestations and clinical courses. Animal models properly matched to the clinical form of CVST are necessary for elucidating the pathophysiology of the disease. In this study, we aimed to establish a rat model that accurately recapitulates the clinical features of CVST in human patients. METHODS: This study consisted of a clinical analysis and animal experiments. Clinical data for two centres obtained between January 2016 and May 2021 were collected and analysed retrospectively. In addition, a Sprague-Dawley rat model of CVST was established by inserting a water-swellable rubber device into the superior sagittal sinus, following which imaging, histological, haematological, and behavioural tests were used to investigate pathophysiological changes. Principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering heatmaps were used to evaluate the similarity between the animal models and human patients. RESULTS: The imaging results revealed the possibility of vasogenic oedema in animal models. Haematological analysis indicated an inflammatory and hypercoagulable state. These findings were mostly matched with the retrospective clinical data. Pathological and serological tests further revealed brain parenchymal damage related to CVST in animal models. CONCLUSIONS: We successfully established a stable and reproducible rat model of CVST. The high similarity between clinical patients and animal models was verified via cluster analysis. This model may be useful for the study of CVST pathophysiology and potential therapies.

Efficacy and safety of long-term transcutaneous electroacupuncture versus sham transcutaneous electroacupuncture for delayed gastric emptying after distal gastrectomy: study protocol for a randomized, patient-assessor blinded, controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Delayed gastric emptying (DGE) after distal gastrectomy impacts patients' nutritional status and quality of life. The current treatments of DGE seem unsatisfactory or need invasive interventions. It is unknown whether transcutaneous electroacupuncture (TEA) is effective in treating DGE. METHODS: A total of 90 eligible participants who underwent distal gastrectomy will be randomly allocated to either the TEA group (n = 60) or the sham transcutaneous electroacupuncture (sham-TEA) group (n = 30). Each participant will receive TEA on the bilateral acupoints of Zusanli (ST36) and Neiguan (PC6) for 4 weeks. The primary outcomes will be the residual rates of radioactivity in the stomach by gastric scintigraphy and total response rates. The secondary outcomes will be endoscopic features, autonomic function, nutritional and psychological status, serum examination, and quality of life (QoL). The adverse events will also be reported. The patients will be followed up 1 year after the treatment. DISCUSSION: The findings of this randomized trial will provide high-quality evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of long-term TEA for treating DGE after distal gastrectomy. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2000033965. Registered on 20 June 2020.

A novel immune-related lncRNA pair signature for prognostic prediction and immune response evaluation in gastric cancer: a bioinformatics and biological validation study.

BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer (GC), the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide with poor 5-year survival rate in advanced stages. Although immune-related and survival-related biomarkers, which typically comprise aberrantly expressed long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and genes, have been identified, there are no reports of immune-related lncRNA pair (IRLP) signatures for GC. METHODS: In this study, we acquired lncRNA expression profiles from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and used the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox proportional hazards model (iteration = 1000) to develop a IRLP prognostic signature. The area under curve (AUC) was used to assess the prognosis predictive power. The multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to identify whether this signature was an independent prognostic factor. The immune cell infiltration analysis was performed between the two risk groups. Last, molecular experiments were performed to explore LINC01082 is involved in the development of GC. RESULTS: We acquired lncRNA expression profiles and used the LASSO Cox model to develop an 18-IRLP signature with a strong prognostic predictive power. The 5-year AUC values of the training, validation, and overall TCGA datasets were 0.77, 0.86, and 0.80, respectively. The different prognostic outcomes between the high- and low-risk groups were determined using our 18-IRLP signature. Moreover, our 18-IRLP signature was an independent prognostic factor as per the multivariate Cox regression analysis, and showed better prognostic evaluation than the traditional TNM staging system as well as other clinical features. We also found differences in cancer-associated fibroblast and macrophage M2 infiltration and the expression of PD-L1, CTLA4, LAG3, and HLA were also observed between the two risk groups (P < 0.05). Analysis of biological functions revealed that target genes of the lncRNAs in the IRLP signature were enriched in focal adhesion and regulation of actin cytoskeleton. Finally, as one of significant candidates of IRLP signature, overexpression of LINC01082 suppressed the invasion ability of GC cells as well as PD-L1 expression profiles. CONCLUSIONS: Our novel 18-IRLP signature provides new insights regarding immunological biomarkers, imparts a better understanding of the tumor immune microenvironment, and can be used for predicting prognosis and evaluating immune response in GC.

Incidence and risk factors for postoperative pancreatic fistula in 2089 patients treated by radical gastrectomy: A prospective multicenter cohort study in China.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence of clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula (CR-POPF) following radical gastrectomy and to identify independent risk factors of CR-POPF. BACKGROUND: CR-POPF and its sequelae are potential complications following radical gastrectomy. The reported incidence of CR-POPF was quite different across various regions, and no consensus was reached. METHODS: Between December 2017 to November 2018, patients who underwent radical gastrectomy from 22 centers across 13 regions in China were prospectively recruited. The primary endpoint was the occurrence of CR-POPF, defined by the International Study Group of Pancreatic Fistula (ISGPF) in 2016. Clinically relevant change and short-term outcomes were recorded to diagnose and grade the POPF. Multivariate regression analyses were performed to identify independent risk factors of clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula (CR-POPF). RESULTS: A total of 2089 cases were analyzed. The incidence of biochemical leakage (BL) and CR-POPF were 19.6% and 1.1% respectively. All CR-POPF patients recovered well after appropriate treatment and no Grade C POPF were recorded. Logistic regression analysis showed pTNM III (OR, 2.940; 95% CI 1.180-7.325; P = 0.021) and LigaSure usage (OR, 6.618; 95% CI 1.847-23.707; P = 0.004) were independent risk factors of CR-POPF. LigaSure usage (OR, 4.817; 95% CI 1.184-19.598; P = 0.028), the drain amylase content (D-AMY) on postoperative day 3 (POD3) ≥5 times the upper limit of normal amylase (OR, 3.476; 95% CI 1.240-9.744; P = 0.018) and open surgery (OR, 2.463; 95% CI 1.003-6.050; P = 0.049) were independent predictors for identifying CR-POPF from BL. CONCLUSION: In rich-experienced gastric cancer centers, there is high prevalence of BL secondary to radical gastrectomy without clinical impact. Fewer patients suffered Grade B POPF, and Grade C POPF was less common. The patients with pTNM III or LigaSure usage were prone to suffer CR-POPF. Surgery procedure, LigaSure usage combined with D-AMY measurement on POD3 are promising for early identification of CR-POPF.

Effect of polystyrene microplastics on the volatile fatty acids production from waste activated sludge fermentation.

Anaerobic fermentation is crucial to resource utilization of waste activated sludge (WAS). However, accumulated microplastics (MPs) in sludge could not be ignored. Here, a typical MP, polystyrene (PS), was selected to study the effects of different concentrations of PS on anaerobic fermentation under the optimal volatile fatty acids (VFAs) production. Compared to the control, low PS concentrations (30 particles/g total solid) significantly (p = 0.002) increased the production of VFAs to 112.8 ± 2.4% due to solubilization enhancement and enzymatic activity. High concentrations of PS (90 particles/g total solid) significantly (p = 0.000) decreased VFAs production to 83.01 ± 0.76% because of the inactive related microbial activities, although organic matter release was enhanced in the initial stage. Mechanism studies showed that the toxicity of high PS concentration could be attributed to reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, excess sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and synergistic toxicity of aged MPs with external pollutants.

A positive feedback regulatory loop involving the lncRNA PVT1 and HIF-1α in pancreatic cancer.

Extreme hypoxia is among the most prominent pathogenic features of pancreatic cancer (PC). Both the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 (PVT1) and hypoxic inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) are highly expressed in PC patients and play a crucial role in disease progression. Reciprocal regulation involving PVT1 and HIF-1α in PC, however, is poorly understood. Here, we report that PVT1 binds to the HIF-1α promoter and activates its transcription. In addition, we found that PVT1 could bind to HIF-1α and increases HIF-1α post-translationally. Our findings suggest that the PVT1‒HIF-1α positive feedback loop is a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of PC.

The protocol of a prospective, multicenter, randomized, controlled phase III study evaluating different cycles of oxaliplatin combined with S-1 (SOX) as neoadjuvant chemotherapy for patients with locally advanced gastric cancer: RESONANCE-II trial.

BACKGROUND: Curing locally advanced gastric cancer through surgery alone is difficult. Adjuvant and neoadjuvant chemotherapy bring potential benefits to more patients with gastric cancer based on several clinical trials. According to phase II studies and guidelines, SOX regimen as neoadjuvant chemotherapy is efficient. However, the optimal duration of neoadjuvant chemotherapy has not been established. In this study, we will evaluate the efficacy and safety of different cycles of SOX as neoadjuvant chemotherapy for patients with locally advanced gastric cancer. METHODS: RESONANCE-II trial is a prospective, multicenter, randomized, controlled phase III study which will enroll 524 patients in total. Eligible patients will be registered, pre-enrolled and receive three cycles of SOX, after which tumor response evaluations will be carried out. Those who show stable disease or progressive disease will be excluded. Patients showing complete response or partial response will be enrolled and assigned into either group A for another three cycles of SOX (six cycles in total) followed by D2 surgery; or group B for D2 surgery (three cycles in total). The primary endpoint is the rate of pathological complete response and the secondary endpoints are R0 resection rate, three-year disease-free survival, five-year overall survival, and safety. DISCUSSION: This study is the first phase III randomized trial to compare the cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy using SOX for resectable locally advanced cancer. Based on a total of six to eight cycles of perioperative chemotherapy usually applied in locally advanced gastric cancer, patients in group A can be considered to have completed all perioperative chemotherapy, the results of which may suggest the feasibility of using chemotherapy only before surgery in gastric cancer. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registered prospectively in the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (WHO ICTRP) with registration number ChiCTR1900023293 on May 21st, 2019.

Observation of Flat Frequency Bands at Open Edges and Antiphase Boundary Seams in Topological Mechanical Metamaterials.

Motivated by the recent theoretical studies on a two-dimensional (2D) chiral Hamiltonian based on the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger chains [L. Zhu, E. Prodan, and K. H. Ahn, Phys. Rev. B 99, 041117(R) (2019)PRBMDO2469-995010.1103/PhysRevB.99.041117], we experimentally and computationally demonstrate that topological flat frequency bands can occur at open edges of 2D planar metamaterials and at antiphase boundary seams of ring-shaped or tubular metamaterials. Specifically, using mechanical systems made of magnetically coupled spinners, we reveal that the presence of the edge or seam bands that are flat in the entire projected reciprocal space follows the predictions based on topological winding numbers. The edge-to-edge distance sensitively controls the flatness of the edge bands and the localization of excitations, consistent with the theoretical analysis. The analog of the fractional charge state is observed. Possible realizations of flat bands in a large class of metamaterials, including photonic crystals and electronic metamaterials, are discussed.

Clinically applicable 53-Gene prognostic assay predicts chemotherapy benefit in gastric cancer: A multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: We previously established a 53-gene prognostic signature for overall survival (OS) of gastric cancer patients. This retrospective multi-center study aimed to develop a clinically applicable gene expression detection assay and to investigate the prognostic value of this signature. METHODS: A TCGA gastric adenocarcinoma cohort (TCGA-STAD) was used for comparing 53-gene signature with other gene signatures. A high-throughput mRNA hybridization gene expression assay was developed to quantify the expression of 53-genes in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues of 540 patients enrolled from three hospitals. 180 patents were randomly selected from two hospitals to build a prognostic prediction model based on the 53-gene signature using leave-p-out (one-third out) cross-validation method together with Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier analysis, and the model was assessed on three validation cohorts. FINDINGS: In the evaluation phase, studies based on TCGA-STAD showed that the 53-gene signature was significantly superior to other three prognostic signatures and was independent of TCGA molecular subtypes and clinical factors. For clinical validation and utility, the prognostic scores were generated using the newly developed assay, which was reliable and sensitive, in 100 sampling training sets and were significantly associated with OS in 100 sampling validation sets. The scores were significantly associated with OS in three independent and combined validation cohorts, and in patients with stages II and III/IV. The multivariate Cox regression demonstrated that the prognostic power of the score was independent of clinical factors, consistent with those findings in the TCGA dataset. Finally, patients with good prognostic scores exhibited significantly a better 5-year OS rate from adjuvant FOLFOX chemotherapy after surgery than from other chemotherapies. INTERPRETATION: The 53-gene prognostic score system is clinically applicable for predicting the OS of patients independent of clinical factors in gastric cancers, which could also be a promising predictive biomarker for FOLFOX regimen. FUNDING: Chinese National Science and Technology, National Natural Science Foundation and Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province.

LncRNA Hoxaas3 promotes lung fibroblast activation and fibrosis by targeting miR-450b-5p to regulate Runx1.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) participate in organ fibrosis and various pulmonary diseases, but its role in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is not fully understood. In this study, we found lncRNA Hoxaas3 (Hoxaas3) was up-regulated in the mice model of BLM-induced PF and TGF-ß1-induced fibrogenesis in lung fibroblasts (LF). Overexpression of Hoxaas3 promoted fibrogenesis, whereas Hoxaas3 inhibition attenuated lung fibrosis both in vitro and in vivo, through regulation of miR-450b-5p. Furthermore, miR-450b-5p inhibition stimulated fibrogenesis by regulating runt-related transcription factor 1 (Runx1), whereas up-regulation of miR-450b-5p alleviated fibrogenesis in LF. Mechanistically, our study showed that Hoxaas3 regulated lung fibroblast activation and fibrogenesis by acting as a competing endogenous RNA for miR-450b-5p: Hoxaas3 decreased the expression of miR-450b-5p to stimulate level and activity of Runx1 and induced fibrotic LF, whereas Runx1 inhibition alleviated the pro-fibrotic effect of Hoxaas3. In addition, Hoxaas3 was regulated by TGF-ß1/Smad4 pathway as its transcriptional target. In conclusion, our study showed the role and mechanism of the TGF-ß1/Smad4- Hoxaas3-miR-450b-5p-Runx1 axis for a better understanding of PF, demonstrated Hoxaas3 maybe a new diagnostic biomarker or potential therapeutic target for IPF.

Identification of tumorigenicity-associated genes in osteosarcoma cell lines based on bioinformatic analysis and experimental validation.

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary malignant tumor of bone. Tumorigenic investigation of osteosarcoma cell lines may facilitate preclinical studies of targeted therapy. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the tumorigenicity-associated genes in osteosarcoma cells. We found that 138 genes were highly expressed and 86 genes were lowly expressed in highly tumorigenic osteosarcoma cell lines (143B, MNNG/HOS, and SJSA-1) compared with poorly tumorigenic osteosarcoma cell lines (MG-63, Saos-2, and U-2 OS). Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis revealed that highly expressed genes were associated with amino acids and energy metabolism, while lowly expressed genes were associated with cell cycle and DNA replication. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis showed that highly expressed genes were associated with endoplasmic reticulum stress response and aggrephagy, whereas lowly expressed genes were correlated with extracellular matrix assembly and DNA damage response. Further analysis identified six highly expressed genes and six lowly expressed genes. Three of highly expressed genes (DDX10, FOXA2, and HEY1) were correlated with poor prognosis, while three of lowly expressed genes (CYP26B1, GP1BB, and IFI44) showed the opposite trend in patients with osteosarcoma. Knockdown of HEY1 significantly inhibited the tumorigenicity of 143B cells in BALB/c nude mice.

The Effect of Lecithins Coupled Decorin Nanoliposomes on Treatment of Carbon Tetrachloride-Induced Liver Fibrosis.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of bile duct-targeting lecithins- (PC-) coupled decorin (DCN) (PC-DCN) nanoliposomes against liver fibrosis in vitro and in vivo. We prepared PC-DCN nanoliposomes by using rat astrocytes, HSC-T6, to verify the antifibrosis effect of PC-DCN in vitro. First, we established a rat model of carbon tetrachloride-induced fibrosis. PC-DCN nanoliposomes were then injected into fibrotic rats via the portal vein or bile duct. The EdU assay was performed to analyze cell proliferation. Immunofluorescence staining was used to detect α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression. Western blot was performed to examine the expression of α-SMA, collagen type I alpha 1 (COL1A1), and transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) protein. The levels of aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), and total bilirubin (TBIL) were examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) analysis. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and Masson trichrome staining were used to determine liver tissue lesions and liver fibrosis. Compared with TGF-ß group, PC-DCN treatment could significantly reduce cell proliferation. Western blot analysis indicated that the expression of α-SMA, COL1A1, and TGF-ß was downregulated after treatment with PC-DCN in vitro and in vivo. Immunofluorescence staining confirmed that α-SMA expression was reduced by PC-DCN. Furthermore, H&E staining and Masson trichrome staining showed that the administration of PC-DCN nanoliposomes via the bile duct could reduce the extent of liver fibrosis. PCR analysis showed that PC-DCN administration could reduce proinflammatory cytokines IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1ß expression via the bile duct. The administration of PC-DCN nanoliposomes also significantly downregulated liver function indicators ALT, AST, and TBIL. The results of our study indicated that PC-DCN could effectively reduce the extent of liver fibrosis.