The mechanism of Xihuang pills' intervention in the tumour immune microenvironment for the treatment of liver cancer based on the STAT3-PDL1 pathway.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Xihuang pills, a time-honored Chinese compound formula with a history spanning thousands of years, have demonstrated remarkable efficacy in treating various cancers, such as breast cancer, colon cancer, and liver cancer. Clinical applications over the years have established their effectiveness. Several scholars conducting experimental studies have elucidated the potent tumor-suppressing effects of Xihuang pills. While the inhibition of tumor vascular development and prevention of tumor cell invasion and metastasis have been well-explored mechanisms, the impact on the tumor immune microenvironment has received less attention. This study focuses on investigating the immune microenvironment adjustments induced by Xihuang pills in hepatocellular carcinoma. AIM OF THE STUDY: Tumour cells will find an escape phenomenon during tumour immunotherapy, which will affect immunotherapy results. We will research the regulation of the tumour immune microenvironment, to provide a more complete and precise basis for the elucidation of the mechanism of Xihuang pills in treating cancers. It provides new research ideas for people to treat liver cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Through in vivo and in vitro assessments confirming the intervention effects of Xihuang pills, we observed alterations in T cell typing, macrophage polarization, and tumor-associated cytokine levels. The primary active ingredients of Xihuang pills were identified using UPLC-MS/GC-MS, and relevant pathways in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma were predicted through network pharmacology. Combining the network pharmacology approach, we predicted the pathways relevant to Xihuang pills in treating hepatocellular carcinoma and experimentally validated the involvement of PD-1/PD-L1, a key immunity-related axis. RESULTS: Xihuang Pill has a regulatory effect on the tumor immune microenvironment. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicated that Xihuang pills could impact splenic lymphocyte phenotyping, macrophage polarization, and IL-6 cytokine expression in liver cancer mice. The mechanism of action was associated with the regulation of the PD-1/PD-L1 signaling pathway by the STAT3 protein.

Mixed Potential Type Isoprene Sensor for the Application in Real-Time Monitoring of Biomarker Gases.

Monitoring of isoprene in exhaled breath is expected to provide a noninvasive and painless method for dynamic monitoring of physiological and metabolic states during exercise. However, for real-time and portable detection of isoprene, gas sensors have become the best choice for gas detection technology, which are crucial to achieving the goal of anytime, anywhere, human-centered healthcare in the future. Here, we first report a mixed potential type isoprene sensor based on a Gd2Zr2O7 solid electrolyte and a CdSb2O6 sensing electrode, which enables sensitive detection for isoprene with sensitivities of -21.2 mV/ppm and -65.8 mV/decade in the range of 0.05-1 and 1-100 ppm. The sensing behavior of the sensor follows the mixed potential sensing mechanism and was further verified by the electrochemical polarization curves. The significant differentiation between the sensor response to exhaled breath of healthy individuals and simulated breath containing different concentrations of isoprene demonstrates the potential of the sensor for the detection of isoprene in exhaled breath. Simultaneously, monitoring of isoprene during exercise signifies the feasibility of the sensor in dynamic monitoring of physiological indicators, which is not only of great significance for optimizing training and guiding therapeutic exercise intervention in sporting scenarios but also expected to help further reveal the interaction between exercise, muscle, and organ metabolism in medicine.