The search for pyruvate kinase-R activators; from a HTS screening hit via an impurity to the discovery of a lead series.

Pyruvate kinase (PK) is an essential component of cellular metabolism, converting ADP and phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) to pyruvate in the final step of glycolysis. Of the four unique isoforms of pyruvate kinase, R (PKR) is expressed exclusively in red blood cells and is a tetrameric enzyme that depends on fructose-1,6-bisphosphate (FBP) for activation. PKR deficiency leads to hemolysis of red blood cells resulting in anemia. Activation of PKR in both sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia patients could lead to improved red blood cell fitness and survival. The discovery of a novel series of substituted urea PKR activators, via the serendipitous identification and diligent characterization of a minor impurity in an High Throughput Screening (HTS) hit will be discussed.

Recent advances in the development of tumor microenvironment-activatable nanomotors for deep tumor penetration.

Cancer represents a significant threat to human health, with the use of traditional chemotherapy drugs being limited by their harsh side effects. Tumor-targeted nanocarriers have emerged as a promising solution to this problem, as they can deliver drugs directly to the tumor site, improving drug effectiveness and reducing adverse effects. However, the efficacy of most nanomedicines is hindered by poor penetration into solid tumors. Nanomotors, capable of converting various forms of energy into mechanical energy for self-propelled movement, offer a potential solution for enhancing drug delivery to deep tumor regions. External force-driven nanomotors, such as those powered by magnetic fields or ultrasound, provide precise control but often necessitate bulky and costly external equipment. Bio-driven nanomotors, propelled by sperm, macrophages, or bacteria, utilize biological molecules for self-propulsion and are well-suited to the physiological environment. However, they are constrained by limited lifespan, inadequate speed, and potential immune responses. To address these issues, nanomotors have been engineered to propel themselves forward by catalyzing intrinsic "fuel" in the tumor microenvironment. This mechanism facilitates their penetration through biological barriers, allowing them to reach deep tumor regions for targeted drug delivery. In this regard, this article provides a review of tumor microenvironment-activatable nanomotors (fueled by hydrogen peroxide, urea, arginine), and discusses their prospects and challenges in clinical translation, aiming to offer new insights for safe, efficient, and precise treatment in cancer therapy.

Highly Conductive and Long-Term Stable Phosphorene-Based Nanocomposite for Radio-Frequency Antenna Application.

In this study, an omnidirectional and high-performance free-standing monopole patch radio-frequency antenna was fabricated using a urea-functionalized phosphorene/TiO2/polypyrrole (UTP) nanocomposite. The UTP nanocomposite antenna was fabricated via ball milling of urea-functionalized phosphorene, chemical oxidative polymerization of the UTP nanocomposite, and mechanical pelletizing of the composite. Based on experiments, the proposed UTP nanocomposite-based antenna exhibited long-term stability in terms of electrical conductivity. After 12 weeks, a slight change in surface resistance was observed. The proposed antenna exhibited high radiation efficiency (78.2%) and low return loss (-36.6 dB). The results of this study suggest the potential of UTP nanocomposite antennas for applications in 5G technology.

Hepatitis C Virus Dysregulates Polyamine and Proline Metabolism and Perturbs the Urea Cycle.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is an oncogenic virus that causes chronic liver disease in more than 80% of patients. During the last decade, efficient direct-acting antivirals were introduced into clinical practice. However, clearance of the virus does not reduce the risk of end-stage liver diseases to the level observed in patients who have never been infected. So, investigation of HCV pathogenesis is still warranted. Virus-induced changes in cell metabolism contribute to the development of HCV-associated liver pathologies. Here, we studied the impact of the virus on the metabolism of polyamines and proline as well as on the urea cycle, which plays a crucial role in liver function. It was found that HCV strongly suppresses the expression of arginase, a key enzyme of the urea cycle, leading to the accumulation of arginine, and up-regulates proline oxidase with a concomitant decrease in proline concentrations. The addition of exogenous proline moderately suppressed viral replication. HCV up-regulated transcription but suppressed protein levels of polyamine-metabolizing enzymes. This resulted in a decrease in polyamine content in infected cells. Finally, compounds targeting polyamine metabolism demonstrated pronounced antiviral activity, pointing to spermine and spermidine as compounds affecting HCV replication. These data expand our understanding of HCV's imprint on cell metabolism.

Systematic review of topical, laser, and oral treatments in acanthosis nigricans clinical trials.

Acanthosis nigricans (AN), with an estimated prevalence of 19.4% in the U.S., presents as hyperpigmented, velvety plaques in intertriginous regions. Acanthosis Nigricans negatively affects psychological well-being and particularly impacts skin of color individuals. Addressing the underlying cause of acanthosis nigricans, as current guidelines recommend, is often challenging. This highlights the importance of skin directed treatment for acanthosis nigricans. This systematic review evaluated topical, laser, and oral treatments for acanthosis nigricans and provides evidence-based recommendations for clinical use. Adhering to PRISMA guidelines, we evaluated 19 clinical trials investigating topical, oral, and laser interventions for acanthosis nigricans. Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine guidelines were used to make clinical recommendations. We strongly recommend topical tretinoin (grade A) and endorse the appropriate use of adapalene gel, urea cream, and fractional carbon dioxide laser therapy (grade B). Further research is essential to enhance our understanding of alternative treatments to determine additional evidence-based recommendations. This review aims to guide clinicians in managing acanthosis nigricans, especially when direct treatment of underlying conditions is impractical.

Design, synthesis, biological evaluation, and in silico studies of novel pyridopyridine derivatives as anticancer candidates targeting FMS kinase.

Design and synthesis of novel 4-carboxamidopyrido[3,2-b]pyridine derivatives as novel rigid analogues of sorafenib are reported herein. The target compounds showed potent antiproliferative activities against a panel of NCI-60 cancer cell lines as well as hepatocellular carcinoma cell line. Compounds 8g and 9f were among the most promising derivatives in terms of effectiveness and safety. Therefore, they were further examined to demonstrate their ability to induce apoptosis and alter cell cycle progression in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. The most potent compounds were tested against a panel of kinases that indicated their selectivity against FMS kinase. Compounds 8g and 8h showed the most potent activities against FMS kinase with IC50 values of 21.5 and 73.9 nM, respectively. The two compounds were also tested in NanoBRET assay to investigate their ability to inhibit FMS kinase in cells (IC50 = 563 nM (8g) and 1347 nM (8h) vs. IC50 = 1654 nM for sorafenib). Furthermore, compounds 8g and 8h possess potent inhibitory activities against macrophages when investigated in bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM) assay (IC50 = 56 nM and 167 nM, respectively, 164 nM for sorafenib). The safety and selectivity of these compounds were confirmed when tested against normal cell lines. Their safety profile was further confirmed using hERG assay. In silico studies were carried out to investigate their binding modes in the active site of FMS kinase, and to develop a QSAR model for these new motifs.

Regulating root structure of potted lettuce to magnify absorption from APP and UAN fertilizers.

Introduction: Improvement of root architecture is crucial to increasing nutrient acquisition. Methods: Two pot experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of different concentrations of urea ammonium nitrate solution (UAN) and ammonium polyphosphate (APP) on lettuce root architecture and the relationship between roots and nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) absorption. Results: The results showed that lettuce yield, quality, and root architecture were superior in the APP4 treatment compared to other P fertilizer treatments. The N480 treatment (480 mg N kg-1 UAN) significantly outperformed other N treatments in terms of root length, root surface area, and root volume. There were significant quantitative relationships between root architecture indices and crop uptake of N and P. The relationships between P uptake and root length and root surface area followed power functions. Crop N uptake was significantly linearly related to the length of fine roots with a diameter of <0.5 mm. Conclusion and discussion: The length of fine roots played a more prominent role in promoting N absorption, while overall root size was more important for P absorption. APP has a threshold of 9.3 mg P kg-1 for stimulating the root system. Above this threshold, a rapid increase in root absorption of P. UAN can promote extensive growth of fine roots with a diameter less than 0.5 mm. Applying appropriate rates of APP and limiting UAN application to less than 400 mg N kg-1 can improve root architecture to enhance N and P absorption by lettuce. These results highlight a new possibility to improve nutrients use efficiency while maintaining high yields.

Production of Omega-3 Fatty Acid Concentrates from Common Kilka Oil: Optimization of the Urea Complexation Process.

There has been an increase in interest in the application of ω-3 PUFAs, especially EPA and DHA, in the development of various food products owing to their myriad health benefits. However, most fish oils do not contain more than 30% combined levels of EPA and DHA. In this study, through the urea complexation procedure, the production of EPA and DHA concentrate in their free fatty acids (FFAs) form was achieved from an enzymatic oil extracted from common kilka (Clupeonella cultriventris caspia). To gain the maximum value of EPA and DHA, the response surface methodology (RSM), which is an effective tool to categorize the level of independent variables onto the responses of an experimental process, was also used. Different variables including the urea-fatty acids (FAs) ratio (in the range of 2-6, w/w), the temperature of crystallization (in the range of -24-8 °C), and the time of crystallization (in the range of 8-40 h) were investigated by response surface methodology (RSM) for maximizing the EPA and DHA contents. Following the model validation, the levels of the variables at which the maximum desirability function (0.907 score) was obtained for response variables were 5:1 (urea-FAs ratio), -9 °C (the temperature of crystallization), and 24 h (the time of crystallization). Under these optimal conditions, increases of 2.2 and 4.4 times in the EPA and DHA concentrations were observed, respectively, and an increase in the concentrations of EPA and DHA from 5.39 and 13.32% in the crude oil to 12.07 and 58.36% in the ω-3 PUFA concentrates were observed, respectively. These findings indicate that the urea complexation process is efficient at optimizated conditions.

Structural Design of Nickel Hydroxide for Efficient Urea Electrooxidation.

Urea stands as a ubiquitous environmental contaminant. However, not only does urea oxidation reaction technology facilitate energy conversion, but it also significantly contributes to treating wastewater rich in urea. Furthermore, urea electrolysis has a significantly lower theoretical potential (0.37 V) compared to water electrolysis (1.23 V). As an electrochemical reaction, the catalytic efficacy of urea oxidation is largely contingent upon the catalyst employed. Among the plethora of urea oxidation electrocatalysts, nickel-based compounds emerge as the preeminent transition metal due to their cost-effectiveness and heightened activity in urea oxidation. Ni(OH)2 is endowed with manifold advantages, including structural versatility, facile synthesis, and stability in alkaline environments. This review delineates the recent advancements in Ni(OH)2 catalysts for electrocatalytic urea oxidation reaction, encapsulating pivotal research findings in morphology, dopant incorporation, defect engineering, and heterogeneous architectures. Additionally, we have proposed personal insights into the challenges encountered in the research on nickel hydroxide for urea oxidation, aiming to promote efficient urea conversion and facilitate its practical applications.

Postoperative hyperammonemic encephalopathy due to unexpected constipation in a patient with hyperornithinemia-hyperammonemia-homocitrullinuria syndrome: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Hyperornithinemia-hyperammonemia-homocitrullinuria (HHH) syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive urea cycle disorder associated with a high risk of exacerbation of hyperammonemia during the perioperative period. Here, we describe an adult patient with HHH syndrome who developed hyperammonemic encephalopathy secondary to postoperative constipation. CASE PRESENTATION: A 52-year-old patient with HHH syndrome underwent intrathecal baclofen pump insertion for lower limb spasticity under general anesthesia. The surgery was uneventful, without any increase in serum ammonia levels. However, after surgery, he was constipated, and on postoperative day (POD) 3, he fell into a coma with an exacerbation of hyperammonemia (894 µg/dL). After administering a glycerin enema, he defecated, leading to a rapid decrease in serum ammonia levels to 165 µg/dL. He regained consciousness, and serum ammonia levels remained stable as long as he defecated. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest strict management of defecation during the perioperative period to prevent hyperammonemia in patients with HHH syndrome.

Rapid profiling of fish cell nitrogen metabolism with single-cell Raman spectroscopy: Unveiling enzyme's role in ammonia detoxification.

Ammonia is a prevalent aquatic pollutant that disrupts cellular functions and energy metabolism in fish, posing significant environmental and health threats. This research investigates the critical role of arginase 2 (ARG2) in mitigating ammonia toxicity in fish cells and its implications in adapting to nitrogen metabolism under high ammonia exposure. Through a CRISPR-Cas9 engineered ARG2 knockdown (KD) in the Epithelioma Papulosum Cyprini (EPC) cell line, we first investigated the biochemical responses of ARG2 KD and wild-type (WT) EPC cells to ammonia stress (NH4Cl treatment), showing diminished urea production and decreased cell viability in ARG2 KD cells. Subsequently, single-cell Raman spectroscopy analysis revealed that ARG2 KD cells exhibited profound metabolic shifts, including changes in protein, nucleic acids, lipid and sugar levels, showing the adjusting role of ARG2 in the balance of carbohydrate and nitrogen metabolism. Furthermore, the upregulated responses of various amino acids, such as glutamine, arginine, alanine, glutamic acid, glycine, histidine, phenylalanine and valine, in WT cells after NH4Cl treatment diminished in ARG2 KD cells except for the decrease in aspartic acid, indicating a switching effect of ARG2 in nitrogen metabolism under ammonia stress. This study highlights ARG2's essential role in ammonia detoxification and emphasizes ARG2's protective function and its importance in metabolism, shedding light on the adaptive mechanisms fish cells deploy against high ammonia environments. These insights contribute to deep understanding of aquatic organisms' molecular responses to environmental ammonia pollution, offering potential strategies for their protection.

Synthesis of nickel-sphere coated Ni-Mn layer for efficient electrochemical detection of urea.

Using a trustworthy electrochemical sensor in the detection of urea in real blood samples received a great attention these days. A thin layer of nickel-coated nickel-manganese (Ni@NiMn) is electrodeposited on a glassy carbon electrode (GC) (Ni@NiMn/GC) surface and used to construct the electrochemical sensor for urea detection. Whereas, electrodeposition is considered as strong technique for the controllable synthesis of nanoparticles. Thus, X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscope (AFM), and scanning electron microscope (SEM) techniques were used to characterize the produced electrode. AFM and SEM pictures revealed additional details about the surface morphology, which revealed a homogenous and smooth coating. Furthermore, electrochemical research was carried out in alkaline medium utilizing various electrochemical methods, including cyclic voltammetry (CV), chronoamperometry (CA), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The electrochemical investigations showed that the electrode had good performance, high stability and effective charge transfer capabilities. The structural, morphological, and electrochemical characteristics of Ni@NiMn/GC electrodes were well understood using the analytical and electrochemical techniques. The electrode showed a limit of detection (LOD) equal to 0.0187 µM and a linear range of detection of 1.0-10 mM of urea. Furthermore, real blood samples were used to examine the efficiency of the prepared sensor. Otherwise, the anti-interfering ability of the modified catalyst was examined toward various interfering species.

Uremic Stomatitis: A Latin American Case Series and Literature Review.

BACKGROUND: Uremic stomatitis is often unfamiliar to healthcare professionals. This study presents five cases of uremic stomatitis, providing a comprehensive analysis of their demographic distribution, clinicopathological features, and management strategies based on existing literature. METHODS: Data were collected from centers across Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, and Mexico. Electronic searches were conducted in five databases supplemented by manual scrutiny and gray literature. RESULTS: The series consisted of three men and two women with a mean age of 40.2 years. Lesions mostly appeared as white plaques, particularly on the tongue (100%). The median blood urea level was 129 mg/dL. Histopathological analysis revealed epithelial changes, including acanthosis and parakeratosis, with ballooned keratinocytes in the suprabasal region. Oral lesions resolved subsequent to hemodialysis in three cases (75%). Thirty-seven studies comprising 52 cases of uremic stomatitis have been described hitherto. Most patients were male (65.4%) with a mean age of 43.6 years. Clinically, grayish-white plaques (37.3%) and ulcers/ulcerations (28.9%) were common, particularly on the tongue (30.9%). Hemodialysis was performed on 27 individuals. The resolution rate of oral lesions was 53.3%. CONCLUSION: Earlier recognition of uremic stomatitis, possibly associated with long-term uremia, holds the potential to improve outcomes for patients with undiagnosed chronic kidney disease.

Targeted improvement of narrow micropores in porous carbon for enhancing trace benzene vapor removal: Revealing the adsorption mechanism via experimental and molecular simulation.

Porous carbon materials are highly desirable for removing benzene due to their low energy for capture and regeneration. Research has demonstrated that narrow microporous volume is crucial for effective adsorption of benzene at ultra-low concentration. Unfortunately, achieving directional increase in the narrow microporous volume in porous carbon remains a challenge. Here, nitrogen-doped hydrothermal carbon was prepared using urea-assisted hydrothermal method, and then porous carbon (PUC800) was prepared by KOH activation. The resulting material had 180 % higher pore volume and 179 % higher surface area compared to non-nitrogen activation methods. Then, using mechanochemical (mechanical compaction and KOH activation) approach to produce PUC800-3T, which had a 30 % increase in pore volume and a 33 % increase in surface area compared to PUC800. PUC800-3T showed benzene adsorption capacity of 4.2 mmol g-1 at 1 Pa and 5.8 mmol g-1 at 5 Pa. Experimental and molecular simulation indicate that the benzene adsorption at 1 and 5 Pa is determined by pore volume of less than 0.8 and 0.9 nm, respectively. Density functional theory calculations provided insight into the CH⋯X (X = N/O) interactions drive benzene adsorption on the carbon framework. This work provides valuable theoretical and experimental support for designing, preparing, and applying adsorbents for trace removal of benzene vapor.

Synergistic modulation of the d-band center in Ni3S2 by selenium and iron for enhanced oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and urea oxidation reaction (UOR).

Efficient production of green hydrogen energy is crucial in addressing the energy crisis and environmental concerns. The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) poses a challenge in conventional overall water electrolysis due to its slow thermodynamically process. Urea oxidation reaction (UOR) offers an alternative anodic oxidation method that is highly efficient and cost-effective, with favorable thermodynamics and sustainability. Recently, there has been limited research on bifunctional catalysts that exhibit excellent activity for both OER and UOR reactions. In this study, we developed a selenium and iron co-doped nickel sulfide (SeFe-Ni3S2) catalyst that demonstrated excellent Tafel slopes of 53.9 mV dec-1 and 16.4 mV dec-1 for OER and UOR, respectively. Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations revealed that the introduction of metal (iron) and nonmetallic elements (selenium) was found to coordinate the d-band center, resulting in improved adsorption/desorption energies of the catalysts and reduced the overpotentials and limiting potentials for OER and UOR, respectively. This activity enhancement can be attributed to the altered electronic coordination structure after the introduction of selenium (Se) and iron (Fe), leading to an increase in the intrinsic activity of the catalyst. This work offers a new strategy for bifunctional catalysts for OER and UOR, presenting new possibilities for the future development of hydrogen production and novel energy conversion technologies. It contributes towards the urgent search for technologies that efficiently produce green hydrogen energy, providing potential solutions to mitigate the energy crisis and protect the environment.

Urea cycle promotion via ammonia-upregulated CPS1 is involved in arsenite-induced pulmonary fibrosis through enhancing collagen synthesis.

Arsenic exposure is connected with lung toxicity and is related to lung fibrotic changes. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is characterized by extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition. Various genetic mechanisms and environmental factors induce or exacerbate pulmonary fibrosis. Collagen synthesis induced by sodium arsenite (NaAsO2) is closely associated with IPF. Fibroblasts tend to fine-tune their metabolic networks to support their synthetic requirements in response to environmental stimuli. Alterations in metabolism have an influential role in the pathogenesis of IPF. However, it is unclear how arsenic affects the metabolism in IPF. The urea cycle (UC) is needed for collagen formation, which provides adequate levels of proline (Pro) for biosynthesis of collagen. Carbamoyl phosphate synthetase 1 (CPS1) converts the ammonia to carbamoyl phosphate, which controls the first reaction of the UC. We show that, in arsenite-exposed mice, high amounts of ammonia in the lung microenvironment promotes the expression levels of CPS1 and the Pro metabolism. Reduction of ammonia and CPS1 ablation inhibit collagen synthesis and ameliorate IPF phenotypes induced by arsenite. This work takes advantage of multi-omics data to enhance understanding of the underlying pathogenic mechanisms, the key molecules and the complicated cellular responses to this pollutant, which provide a target for the prevention of pulmonary fibrosis caused by arsenic.

Preoperative blood urea nitrogen-to-serum albumin ratio for prediction of in-hospital mortality in patients who underwent emergency surgery for acute type A aortic dissection.

The study aimed to assess the predictive value of blood urea nitrogen (BUN)-to-albumin ratio (BA-R) for in-hospital mortality in patients undergoing emergency surgery for acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD). Patients who were diagnosed with ATAAD and underwent emergency surgery within 48 hours of onset at our hospital between January 2015 and December 2021 were included in this study. The primary endpoint of this study was postoperative in-hospital mortality (POIM). The data of the survivors and non-survivors were retrospectively compared analyses. A total of 557 ATAAD patients were included, with 505 survivors and 52 non-survivors. The preoperative BA-R of the non-survivor group was significantly higher than that of the survivor group (P < 0.001). Univariate regression analysis showed that preoperative BA-R, serum creatinine level, SA level, D-dimer level, age, myocardial ischemia, cerebral ischemia, and aortic clamp time were risk factors for POIM. In addition, multivariable regression analysis showed that preoperative BA-R ≥ 0.155 mmol/g was a risk factor for POIM (odds ratio, 6.815 [3.582-12.964]; P < 0.001). Receiver operating characteristic curve indicated that the cut-off point for preoperative BA-R was ≥0.155 mmol/g (area under the curve =0.874). The sensitivity and specificity of preoperative BA-R in predicting the POIM of patients who underwent emergency surgery for ATAAD were 84.6% and 71.3%, respectively (95% confidence interval, 0.829-0.919; P < 0.001). In conclusion, Preoperative BA-R is a simple, rapid, and potentially useful prognostic indicator of POIM in patients with ATAAD. BAR: Blood urea nitrogen-to-albumin ratio, BUN: Blood urea nitrogen, SA: Serum albumin, REF: Reference. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of BA-R for the prediction of postoperative in-hospital mortality in patients who underwent emergency surgery for ATAAD. A total of 557 patients with ATAAD were enrolled, and 505 survived while 52 did not. The preoperative BA-R of the non-survivor group was significantly higher than that of the survivor group (0.27 [0.18, 0.46] vs. 0.12 [0.10, 0.16]mmol/g; P < 0.001). The study showed that preoperative BA-R ≥ 0.155 mmol/g was a risk factor for POIM (odds ratio, 6.815 [3.582-12.964]; P < 0.001). ROC curve indicated that the cut-off point for preoperative BA-R was ≥0.155 mmol/g (AUC = 0.874) and the sensitivity and specificity were 84.6% and 71.3%, respectively (95% CI, 0.829-0.919; P < 0.001). We believe that our study makes a significant contribution to the literature because we found preoperative BA-R to be a simple, rapid, and potentially useful prognostic indicator of postoperative in-hospital mortality in patients with ATAAD.

The metabolic fuel of paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria.

Metabolic reprogramming has been investigated in haematological malignancies. To date, a few studies have analysed the metabolic profile of paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria (PNH). The study by Chen and colleagues sheds light on the involvement of metabolic changes in the proliferation of PNH clones. Commentary on: Chen et al. The histone demethylase JMJD1C regulates CPS1 expression and promotes the proliferation of PNH clones through cell metabolic reprogramming. Br J Haematol 2024;204:2468-2479.

The current infection with Helicobacter pylori and association with upper gastrointestinal lesions and risk of upper gastrointestinal cancer: Insights from multicenter population-based cohort study.

The relationship between Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection and upper gastrointestinal (UGI) cancers is complex. This multicenter, population-based cohort study conducted in seven areas in China aimed to assess the correlation between current H. pylori infection and the severity of UGI lesions, as well as its association with the risk of gastric cancer (GC) and esophageal cancer (EC). From 2015 to 2017, 27,085 participants (aged 40-69) completed a standardized questionnaire, and underwent a 13C-urea breath test. Then a subset underwent UGI endoscopy to assess the UGI lesion detection rates. All individuals were followed up until December 2021 to calculate the hazard ratios (HRs) for UGI cancers. H. pylori infection prevalence was 45.9%, and among endoscopy participants, 22.2% had gastric lesions, 19.2% had esophageal lesions. Higher detection rates of gastric lesions were noted in the H. pylori-positive population across all lesion severity levels. Over a median follow-up of 6.3 years, 104 EC and 179 GC cases were observed, including 103 non-cardia gastric cancer (NCGC) cases and 76 cardia gastric cancer (CGC) cases. H. pylori-infected individuals exhibited a 1.78-fold increased risk of GC (HR 1.78, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.32-2.40) but no significant increase in EC risk (HR 1.07, 95% CI 0.73-1.57). Notably, there was a higher risk for both NCGC and CGC in H. pylori-infected individuals. This population-based cohort study provides valuable evidence supporting the association between current H. pylori infection and the risk of both NCGC and CGC. These findings contribute to the empirical basis for risk stratification and recommendations for UGI cancer screening.

Enrichment of C17:0-rich saturated fatty acids from sheep tail fat for adjuvant therapy of non-small-cell lung cancer.

Heptadecanoic acid (C17:0), an odd-chain saturated fatty acid (OCSFA) in ruminant lipid, has been demonstrated to be potential for treating cancers. Our results also showed that sheep tail fat (STF) with higher level of C17:0-containing saturated fatty acids (SFAs) whereas lower level of oleic acid (C18:1), performed remarkable inhibition against non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. To enrich the content of C17:0, a C17:0-rich SFA concentrate (HRSC) was prepared from STF by solvent crystallization and urea complexation methods (hexane/STF = 3.5/1, 4 °C for 8 h, and 80% ethanol/urea/free fatty acids = 8/1/1, 4 °C for 6 h). The content of C17:0 was up from 3.02 to 6.34% and the recovery was 4.17%. Biological experiments showed that HRSC exerted better antiproliferative effect against NSCLC cells. Moreover, HRSC performed enhanced inhibitory effect in A549 cell xenograft mouse model. Therefore, HRSC has the potential to be applied in adjuvant therapy for NSCLC. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-023-01504-w.