Current Medical Science

OBJECTIVE: While the reduction of transient receptor potential channel subfamily M member 5 (TRPM5) has been reported in islet cells from type 2 diabetic (T2D) mouse models, its role in lipotoxicity-induced pancreatic β-cell dysfunction remains unclear. This study aims to study its role. METHODS: Pancreas slices were prepared from mice subjected to a high-fat-diet (HFD) at different time points, and TRPM5 expression in the pancreatic β cells was examined using immunofluorescence staining...

Recent studies have shown that cellular levels of polyamines (PAs) are significantly altered in neurodegenerative diseases. Evidence from in vivo animal and in vitro cell experiments suggests that the cellular levels of various PAs may play important roles in the central nervous system through the regulation of oxidative stress, mitochondrial metabolism, cellular immunity, and ion channel functions. Dysfunction of PA metabolism related enzymes also contributes to neuronal injury and cognitive impairment in many neurodegenerative diseases...

Copper is an essential trace element, and plays a vital role in numerous physiological processes within the human body. During normal metabolism, the human body maintains copper homeostasis. Copper deficiency or excess can adversely affect cellular function. Therefore, copper homeostasis is stringently regulated. Recent studies suggest that copper can trigger a specific form of cell death, namely, cuproptosis, which is triggered by excessive levels of intracellular copper. Cuproptosis induces the aggregation of mitochondrial lipoylated proteins, and the loss of iron-sulfur cluster proteins...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

OBJECTIVE: Secoemestrin C (SC), an epitetrathiodioxopiperazine isolated from Aspergillus nidulans, has been previously reported to have immunomodulatory and hepatoprotective effects against acute autoimmune hepatitis. However, the effect of SC on regulating the inflammation and its underlying mechanisms in the pathogenesis of psoriasis remain unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of SC on inflammatory dermatosis both in vitro and in vivo. METHODS: In vitro, HaCaT cells were induced with tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α, 10 ng/mL) to establish an inflammatory injury model, and the expression of nuclear transcription factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway components was measured using qRT-PCR and Western blotting...

OBJECTIVE: Both sequential embryo transfer (SeET) and double-blastocyst transfer (DBT) can serve as embryo transfer strategies for women with recurrent implantation failure (RIF). This study aims to compare the effects of SeET and DBT on pregnancy outcomes. METHODS: Totally, 261 frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles of 243 RIF women were included in this multicenter retrospective analysis. According to different embryo quality and transfer strategies, they were divided into four groups: group A, good-quality SeET (GQ-SeET, n=38 cycles); group B, poor-quality or mixed-quality SeET (PQ/MQ-SeET, n=31 cycles); group C, good-quality DBT (GQ-DBT, n=121 cycles); and group D, poor-quality or mixed-quality DBT (PQ/MQ-DBT, n=71 cycles)...

OBJECTIVE: Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are a class of newly discovered immunocytes. Group 1 ILCs (ILC1s) are identified in the decidua of humans and mice. High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is predicted to be one of the target genes of miR-142-3p, which is closely related to pregnancy-related diseases. Furthermore, miR-142-3p and HMGB1 are involved in regulating the NF-κB signaling pathway. This study aimed to examine the regulatory effect of miR-142-3p on ILC1s and the underlying mechanism involving HMGB1 and the NF-κB signaling pathway...

OBJECTIVE: Brain metastases significantly impact the clinical course of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aimed to examine the age-related incidence, demographics, and survival of patients with HCC and brain metastases. METHODS: Data of HCC patients from 2010 to 2015 in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Registry were screened for the presence of brain metastases. They were stratified by age and ethnicity. Multivariable logistic and Cox regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with brain metastases and those with overall survival (OS) and liver cancer-specific survival (CSS), respectively...

OBJECTIVE: Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) represents a substantial risk factor for heart failure and increased mortality in individuals afflicted with diabetes mellitus (DM). DCM typically manifests as myocardial fibrosis, myocardial hypertrophy, and impaired left ventricular diastolic function. While the clinical utility of the Jianpi Qinghua (JPQH) formula has been established in treating diabetes and insulin resistance, its potential efficacy in alleviating diabetic cardiomyopathy remains uncertain...

OBJECTIVE: Human adenovirus (HAdV) infection is common and can develop to serious conditions with high mortality, yet the mechanism of HAdV infection remains unclear. In the present study, the serum metabolite profiles of HAdV-7-infected patients with pneumonia or upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) were explored. METHODS: In total, 35 patients were enrolled in the study following an outbreak of HAdV-7 in the army, of whom 14 had pneumonia and 21 had URTI. Blood samples were collected at the acute stage and at the recovery stage and were analyzed by untargeted metabolomics...

OBJECTIVE: Keshan disease (KD) is a myocardial mitochondrial disease closely related to insufficient selenium (Se) and protein intake. PTEN induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1)/Parkin mediated mitochondrial autophagy regulates various physiological and pathological processes in the body. This study aimed to elucidate the relationship between PINK1/Parkin-regulated mitochondrial autophagy and KD-related myocardial injury. METHODS: A low Se and low protein animal model was established...

Infectious diseases are the common enemies of mankind. In the course of historical development, they persistently threaten human health and safety. Even today, despite the developments in medical science, we cannot escape the fear and suffering caused by infectious diseases. Whether in ancient or modern times, the source of infection, route of transmission, and a susceptible population are the three key conditions for the prevalence and spread of infectious diseases. All factors closely related to these three conditions can affect the prevalence of infectious diseases...

OBJECTIVE: Anthracycline-containing regimens are irreplaceable in neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) for breast cancer (BC) at present. However, 30% of early breast cancer (EBC) patients are resistant to anthracycline-containing chemotherapy, leading to poor prognosis and higher mortality. Ki-67 is associated with the prognosis and response to therapy, and it changes after NAC. METHODS: A total of 105 BC patients who received anthracycline-containing NAC were enrolled...

OBJECTIVE: Premature rupture of membranes (PROM) is a common pregnancy disorder that is closely associated with structural weakening of fetal membranes. Studies have found that formyl peptide receptor 1 (FPR1) activates inflammatory pathways and amniotic epithelialmesenchymal transition (EMT), stimulates collagen degradation, and leads to membrane weakening and membrane rupture. The purpose of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory and EMT inhibitory effects of FPR1 antagonist (BOC-MLF) to provide a basis for clinical prevention of PROM...

Cancer patients are at high risk of malnutrition, which can lead to adverse health outcomes such as prolonged hospitalization, increased complications, and increased mortality. Accurate and timely nutritional assessment plays a critical role in effectively managing malnutrition in these patients. However, while many tools exist to assess malnutrition, there is no universally accepted standard. Although different tools have their own strengths and limitations, there is a lack of narrative reviews on nutritional assessment tools for cancer patients...

OBJECTIVE: YAP1 plays a dual role as an oncogene and tumor suppressor gene in several tumors; differentiating between these roles may depend on the YAP1 phosphorylation pattern. The specific function of YAP1 in B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), however, is currently unclear. Thus, in the present study, the role of YAP1 in B-ALL was investigated using relevant cell lines and patient datasets. METHODS: The effects of shRNA-mediated knockdown on YAP1 and LATS1 levels in the NALM6 and MOLT-4 cell lines were examined using Western blotting, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, flow cytometry, immunostaining, and nude mouse subcutaneous tumorigenesis experiments...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

OBJECTIVE: The function of Bcl-6 in T follicular helper (Tfh) cell maturation is indispensable, and Tfh cells play a pivotal role in asthma. This study investigated the impact of Bcl-6 on asthmatic traits. METHODS: The microscopic pathological alterations, airway resistance (AR), and lung compliance (LC) were determined in asthmatic mice and Bcl-6 interference mice. The surface molecular markers of Tfh cells and the Bcl-6 mRNA and protein expression were determined by flow cytometry, RT-qPCR, and Western blotting, respectively...

OBJECTIVE: Retinoblastoma (RB) is a prevalent type of eye cancer in youngsters. Prospero homeobox 1 (Prox1) is a homeobox transcriptional repressor and downstream target of the proneural gene that is relevant in lymphatic, hepatocyte, pancreatic, heart, lens, retinal, and cancer cells. The goal of this study was to investigate the role of Prox1 in RB cell proliferation and drug resistance, as well as to explore the underlying Notch1 mechanism. METHODS: Human RB cell lines (SO-RB50 and Y79) and a primary human retinal microvascular endothelial cell line (ACBRI-181) were used in this study...