The links between symptom burden, illness perception, psychological resilience, social support, coping modes, and cancer-related worry in Chinese early-stage lung cancer patients after surgery: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to investigate the links between the clinical, demographic, and psychosocial factors and cancer-related worry in patients with early-stage lung cancer after surgery. METHODS: The study utilized a descriptive cross-sectional design. Questionnaires, including assessments of cancer-related worry, symptom burden, illness perception, psychological resilience, coping modes, social support and participant characteristics, were distributed to 302 individuals in early-stage lung cancer patients after surgery. The data collection period spanned from January and October 2023. Analytical procedures encompassed descriptive statistics, independent Wilcoxon Rank Sum test, Kruskal-Wallis- H- test, Spearman correlation analysis, and hierarchical multiple regression. RESULTS: After surgery, 89.07% had cancer-related worries, with a median (interquartile range, IQR) CRW score of 380.00 (130.00, 720.00). The most frequently cited concern was the cancer itself (80.46%), while sexual issues were the least worrisome (44.37%). Regression analyses controlling for demographic variables showed that higher levels of cancer-related worry (CRW) were associated with increased symptom burden, illness perceptions, and acceptance-rejection coping modes, whereas they had lower levels of psychological resilience, social support and confrontation coping modes, and were more willing to obtain information about the disease from the Internet or applications. Among these factors, the greatest explanatory power in the regression was observed for symptom burden, illness perceptions, social support, and sources of illness information (from the Internet or applications), which collectively explained 52.00% of the variance. CONCLUSIONS: Healthcare providers should be aware that worry is a common issue for early stage lung cancer survivors with a favorable prognosis. During post-operative recovery, physicians should identify patient concerns and address unmet needs to improve patients' emotional state and quality of life through psychological support and disease education.

Coping with family function changes: A qualitative study of couples facing advanced lung cancer.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the experiences of couples with advanced lung cancer in coping with changes in their family functioning. Methods: This study included patients with advanced lung disease and their spouses who were hospitalized in a tertiary hospital in Shanghai, China. Data were collected through interviews that focused on three key areas: (1) patient coping, (2) spousal coping, and (3) dyadic coping. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted in Chinese and analyzed using Braun-Clarke thematic analysis. Results: A total of 15 couples participated in the study (12 male and 3 female patients). The average age of the patients was 63.73 years, and that of their partners was 63.20 years. Marriage duration ranged from 25 to 53 years. Three distinct themes emerged from the data: individual patient coping was expressed in four areas: struggle, acceptance of reality, cherishing the present and regaining hope, and rebuilding family life; spousal coping was expressed in three areas: acceptance and understanding of the patient, providing active support, and adjusting roles and sharing of family responsibilities; and dyadic coping was expressed in three areas: cognitive consistency of changes in family functioning, stress communication, and family adjustment and adaptation based on shared cognition. A relationship diagram of patients with advanced lung cancer and their spouses in coping with post-cancer changes in family functioning was constructed. Conclusions: Post-cancer coping with changes in family functioning in couples with advanced lung cancer is a continuous developmental and gradual evolutionary process, and there is a close relationship between the two that influences each other. Early assistance for couples to form consistent cognition and communicate effectively with the stress caused by the disease can help improve the family functioning of both partners and, in turn, improve the quality of life of patients. Therefore, it is recommended that clinicians conduct family- or couple-centered intervention studies aimed at improving the post-cancer quality of life of patients with advanced lung cancer.

A novel avian intestinal epithelial cell line: its characterization and exploration as an in vitro infection culture model for Eimeria species.

BACKGROUND: The gastrointestinal epithelium plays an important role in directing recognition by the immune system, and epithelial cells provide the host's front line of defense against microorganisms. However, it is difficult to cultivate avian intestinal epithelial cells in vitro for lengthy periods, and the lack of available cell lines limits the research on avian intestinal diseases and nutritional regulation. Chicken coccidiosis is a serious intestinal disease that causes significant economic losses in the poultry industry. In vitro, some cell line models are beneficial for the development of Eimeria species; however, only partial reproduction can be achieved. Therefore, we sought to develop a new model with both the natural host and epithelial cell phenotypes. METHODS: In this study, we use the SV40 large T antigen (SV40T) gene to generate an immortalized cell line. Single-cell screening technology was used to sort positive cell clusters with epithelial characteristics for passage. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) identification, immunofluorescence detection, and bulk RNA sequencing analysis and validation were used to check the expression of epithelial cell markers and characterize the avian intestinal epithelial cell line (AIEC). AIECs were infected with sporozoites, and their ability to support the in vitro endogenous development of Eimeria tenella was assessed. RESULTS: This novel AIEC consistently expressed intestinal epithelial markers. Transcriptome assays revealed the upregulation of genes associated with proliferation and downregulation of genes associated with apoptosis. We sought to compare E. tenella infection between an existing fibroblast cell line (DF-1) and several passages of AIEC and found that the invasion efficiency was significantly increased relative to that of chicken fibroblast cell lines. CONCLUSIONS: An AIEC will serve as a better in vitro research model, especially in the study of Eimeria species development and the mechanisms of parasite-host interactions. Using AIEC helps us understand the involvement of intestinal epithelial cells in the digestive tract and the immune defense of the chickens, which will contribute to the epithelial innate defense against microbial infection in the gastrointestinal tract.

The unmet needs of patients in the early rehabilitation stage after lung cancer surgery: a qualitative study based on Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to explore the unmet needs of lung cancer patients in early rehabilitation, based on Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory. METHODS: Information on the experiences of 20 patients was collected through semi-structured interviews. The interviews were conducted in the surgical nursing clinic within 1 week of discharge from hospital. The data were analysed using a combination of deductive (theory-driven) and inductive (data-driven) methods, using Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs as a framework for identifying and organising themes. RESULTS: Patients had a mean age of 50.92 years (SD 11.88); n = 11 (55%) were female. Major themes aligned with the dimensions of Maslow's hierarchy of needs model. Five major themes with 12 corresponding sub-themes emerged: (1) physiological needs, including "self-care and independence in life", "return to pre-operative status as soon as possible", "increase exercise under specialist guidance" and "reduce cough and pain and improve sleep quality"; (2) safety and security needs, such as "symptom management", "regulation of the emotions of worry and fear" and "access accurate treatment information"; (3) love and belonging needs, including "accompany family members" and "chat with friends";(4)Esteem needs: "live with dignity";(5) Self-actualization, such as "accept and submit to the reality of cancer" and "live meaningfully". CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study indicated that there were many unmet needs for patients during the early recovery period after lung cancer surgery. An overview of the different areas of need identified in this study may guide future research and development of interventions to improve patients' quality of life during the home rehabilitation phase.

Agrimol B inhibits colon carcinoma progression by blocking mitochondrial function through the PGC-1α/NRF1/TFAM signaling pathway.

Background: The activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator 1α (PGC-1α) stimulates the transcription of the downstream target proteins, mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) and nuclear respiratory factor 1 (NRF1), which induces mitochondrial biogenesis and promotes colorectal tumorigenesis. Agrimol B (Agr) is a constituent of Agrimonia pilosa Ledeb. that exerts anticancer effects. Herein, we aimed to investigate the antitumor activity of Agr and its mechanism of action. Methods: The interaction between Agr and PGC-1α was predicted by molecular docking. After the treatment with different concentrations of Agr (0, 144, 288, and 576 nM), the cell viability, migration rate, proliferation rate, and apoptosis rate of human colon cancer HCT116 cells were determined. Mitochondrial activity, cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), and mitochondrial membrane potential were assessed to measure the regulatory effect of Agr on mitochondrial function. Western blotting (WB) assay was used to examine the expression of PGC-1α, NRF1, and TFAM, as well as of the pro-apoptotic proteins, Bax and Caspase-3, and the antiapoptotic protein (Bcl-2). Finally, subcutaneous tumor xenograft model mice were used to evaluate the effect of Agr on colorectal cancer (CRC) in vivo. Results: The molecular docking results revealed a high likelihood of Agr interacting with PGC-1α. Agr inhibited the proliferation and migration of HCT116 cells, promoted ROS production and mitochondrial oxidative stress, inhibited mitochondrial activity, and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential. Agr induced cell apoptosis and, in combination with PGC-1α, impaired mitochondrial biogenesis and suppressed the expression of NRF1 and TFAM. Agr also suppressed the expression of Bcl-2 and Cleaved-Caspase-3 and increased the expression of Bax and Caspase-3. In addition, the in vivo antitumor effect and mechanism of Agr were confirmed by using a subcutaneous tumor xenograft mouse model. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrated that Agr regulates the expression of PGC-1α, thereby inducing mitochondrial dysfunction and promoting tumor cell apoptosis. This work highlights the potential of Agr as a promising therapeutic candidate in CRC.

Gelatin/Polycaprolactone Electrospun Nanofibrous Membranes: The Effect of Composition and Physicochemical Properties on Postoperative Cardiac Adhesion.

Cardiovascular diseases have become a major threat to human health. The adhesion formation is an inevitable pathophysiological event after cardiac surgery. We have previously shown that gelatin/polycaprolactone (GT/PCL, mass ratio 50:50) electrospun nanofibrous membranes have high potential in preventing postoperative cardiac adhesion, but the effect of GT:PCL composition on anti-adhesion efficacy was not investigated. Herein, nanofibrous membranes with different GT:PCL mass ratios of 0:100, 30:70, 50:50, and 70:30 were prepared via electrospinning. The 70:30 membrane failed to prevent postoperative cardiac adhesion, overly high GT contents significantly deteriorated the mechanical properties, which complicated the suturing during surgery and hardly maintained the structural integrity after implantation. Unexpectedly, the 0:100 membrane (no gelatin contained) could not effectively prevent either, since its large pore size allowed the penetration of numerous inflammatory cells to elicit a severe inflammatory response. Only the GT:PCL 50:50 membrane exhibited excellent mechanical properties, good biocompatibility and effective anti-cell penetration ability, which could serve as a physical barrier to prevent postoperative cardiac adhesion and might be suitable for other biomedical applications such as wound healing, guided tissue or bone regeneration.

A Serum Metabolomic Study Reveals Changes in Metabolites During the Treatment of Lung Cancer-Bearing Mice with Anlotinib.

BACKGROUND: Anlotinib is a vascular endothelial growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor recommended for the treatment of advanced lung cancer patients after at least two previous systemic chemotherapies. Currently, many patients with lung cancer do not respond well to anlotinib treatment. Therefore, the aim of this metabolomic study was to determine the internal mechanism of anlotinib action at the molecular level and to identify the potential biomarkers and pathways associated with the therapeutic effects of anlotinib. METHODS: A total of 20 male nude mice were randomly divided into 2 groups and treated with anlotinib or physiological saline. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry was performed to analyze the serum samples and determine the differential metabolites and pathways between anlotinib and control groups. RESULTS: We observed significant differences between the anlotinib and control groups, and 13 endogenous differential metabolites and 5 potential metabolic pathways were identified. Glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism, tryptophan metabolism, glycine, serine and threonine metabolism, phenylalanine metabolism and valine, leucine and isoleucine biosynthesis were the most important pathways regulated by anlotinib in vivo. Notably, these 5 differential pathways were highly associated with the TCA cycle, which is important in the proliferation and apoptosis of cancer cells. CONCLUSION: This serum metabolomic study revealed distinct metabolic profiles in lung cancer-bearing mice treated with anlotinib and identified differential metabolites and pathways between the anlotinib and control groups, which may provide new ideas for the clinical application of anlotinib.

A clinical study of Yiqi Huayu Jiedu decoction reducing the risk of postoperative gastric cancer recurrence and metastasis: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trail.

BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer is a common gastrointestinal tumor, seriously threatening human health. Radical surgery is the preferred treatment for gastric cancer. However, due to the late diagnosis and postoperative recurrence and metastasis, the prognosis is dismal. In China, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used to treat gastric cancer for many years. The purpose of this study is to explore the efficacy and safety of Yiqi Huayu Jiedu decoction in the treatment of postoperative gastric caner. METHODS/DESIGN: 226 eligibility patients altogether will be randomly allocated to the treatment group and the control group at a ratio of 1:1. After enrollment, every patients will obtain 6 months of treatment, as well as 2 years of follow-up. At the end of this study, primary outcomes including 1-year progression-free survival rate, 2-year progression-free survival rate and disease-free survival, secondary outcomes containing tumor markers, TCM syndrome points, quality of life scale, imageological examination and the safety indicators will be assessed. DISCUSSION: This study will provide the evidence-based evidence for the efficacy of Yiqi Huayu Jiedu decoction reducing the risk of postoperative gastric cancer recurrence and metastasis, which will be beneficial to form the therapeutic regimen in postoperative gastric cancer with integrated TCM and Western medicine. TRAIL REGISTRATION: ChiCTR2000032802.

ß-Asarone Increases Chemosensitivity by Inhibiting Tumor Glycolysis in Gastric Cancer.

ß-asarone is the main active ingredient of the Chinese herb Rhizoma Acori Tatarinowii, which exhibits a wide range of biological activities. It was confirmed to be an efficient cytotoxic agent against gastroenteric cancer cells. However, the exact mechanism of ß-asarone in gastric cancer (GC) remains to be elucidated. The present study showed the inhibitory effect of ß-asarone on three types of different differentiation stage GC cell lines (MGC803, SGC7901, and MKN74) in a dose-dependent manner. Meanwhile, the synergistic sensitivity of ß-asarone and cisplatin was confirmed by using the median-effect principle. Flow cytometry assay revealed that under both normoxia and CoCl2-induced hypoxia conditions, ß-asarone can induce apoptosis of GC cells, which can block GC cells in the cell cycle G2/M phase, showing obvious subdiploid peak. Moreover, the activity of lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), an enzyme that plays an important role in the final step of tumor glycolysis, was significantly decreased in GC cells following treatment with ß-asarone. Mechanistically, ß-asarone can reduce pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK) 1, phospho(p)-PDK1, PDK4, hypoxia-inducible factor 1-α (HIF1α), c-myc, STAT5, and p-STAT5 expression, which revealed how ß-asarone affects tumor glycolysis. In conclusion, the present study provided evidence in support of the hypothesis that the increase of chemotherapy sensitization by ß-asarone is associated with the inhibition of tumor glycolysis.

Clinical and prognostic significance of MYH11 in lung cancer.

Myosin heavy chain 11 (MYH11), encoded by the MYH11 gene, is a protein that participates in muscle contraction through the hydrolysis of adenosine triphosphate. Although previous studies have demonstrated that MYH11 gene expression levels are downregulated in several types of cancer, its expression levels have rarely been investigated in lung cancer. The present study aimed to explore the clinical significance and prognostic value of MYH11 expression levels in lung cancer and to further study the underlying molecular mechanisms of the function of this gene. The Oncomine database showed that the MYH11 expression levels were decreased in lung cancer compared with those noted in the normal lung tissue (P<0.05). Kaplan-Meier plotter results revealed that the decreased MYH11 expression levels were correlated with poor prognosis in lung cancer patients. Among the lung cancer cases with gene alteration of MYH11, mutation was the most common of all alteration types. Coexpedia and Metascape analyses revealed that the target genes were primarily enriched in 'muscle contraction', 'contractile fiber part', 'actin cytoskeleton' and the 'adherens junction'. These results indicated that MYH11 is a potential novel drug target and prognostic indicator of lung cancer.

A clinical study of traditional Chinese medicine prolonging the survival of advanced gastric cancer patients by regulating the immunosuppressive cell population: A study protocol for a multicenter, randomized controlled trail.

BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer (GC) is a common high-mortality disease, causing a serious social burden. Traditional Chinese medicine has been utilized to prevent and treat GC for many years but its effects remain unclear. The aim of our study is to elucidate the anti-tumor effects and the possible mechanism of Jianpi Yangzheng Xiaozheng decoction. METHODS/DESIGN: This is a prospective, multicenter, randomized controlled trial continuing 1.5 years. Two hundred ten eligible patients will be randomly divided into 2 groups, the chemotherapy alone and the chemotherapy combined with JPYZXZ group at a ratio of 1:2. All patients will receive the treatment for 24 weeks and follow up for 1.5 years. The primary outcomes are one-year survival rate, progression-free survival, and overall survival (OS), while the secondary outcomes are immune related hematology test, objective response rate, tumor makers, traditional Chinese medicine syndrome points, fatigue scale, and quality of life scale. All of these outcomes will be analyzed at the end of the trail. DISCUSSION: This study will provide the objective evidence for the efficacy and safety of Jianpi Yangzheng Xiaozheng decoction in advanced GC. Furthermore, it will be helpful to form a therapeutic regimen in advanced GC by the combination of traditional medicine and western medicine.Trail registration: ChiCTR1900028147.