Circulating tumor cells: a valuable indicator for locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Advancements in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treatment have led to a focus on personalized treatment. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are important for liquid biopsies and personalized treatment but are not being fully utilized. This study examined how pre- and post-treatment CTC counts, EMT subtypes, clinical characteristics, and patient prognosis are related in order to support the use of liquid biopsy in managing NPC. METHODS: This retrospective study included 141 patients with locally advanced NPC. All patients underwent CanPatrol™ CTC detection pre- and post-treatment and were categorized into EMT subtypes: epithelial type, mixed type, and mesenchymal type. This study analyzed CTC enumeration, EMT subtypes, and their associations with clinical characteristics and survival outcomes. RESULTS: The results indicated a positive correlation between the pre-treatment detection rate of CTCs and N stage (P < 0.01), alongside a positive correlation with the TNM clinical stage (P = 0.02). Additionally, the detection rate of mesenchymal CTCs post-treatment is positively associated with the N stage (P = 0.02). The enumeration of CTCs pre- and post-treatment is negatively correlated with prognosis and has statistical significance. Additionally, an investigation into the EMT subtypes of CTCs revealed a significant association between the presence of mesenchymal CTCs pre- and post-treatment and decreased overall survival (OS) (P < 0.05). Furthermore, T stage, N stage, TNM clinical stage, and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA were also significantly correlated with OS. CONCLUSION: The study found that mesenchymal CTCs pre- and post-treatment, as well as the number of CTCs, were linked to a poor prognosis.

The impact of urbanisation on green total factor productivity: Exploring threshold and mediating effects of human capital.

Green development is main direction of high-quality economic development in China. Urbanisation and human capital (HC) are important factors affecting green development. This study examines effects of urbanisation and HC on green total factor productivity (GTFP) using least squares dummy variable model, based on provincial data in China from 2001 to 2019. This study then explored impact of urbanisation on GTFP through HC (educated HC, healthy HC, and HC structure), adopting mediating effect and threshold effect model. The results showed that urbanisation and three types of HC promote GTFP in China and coastal region. In inland region, urbanisation has insignificant impact on GTFP, while educated HC and HC structure improve it. The mediating analysis revealed that educated and healthy HC in China and coastal region enhance promotion effect of urbanisation on GTFP, whereas HC structure hinders it. In inland region, only healthy HC stimulates promotion effect of urbanisation on GTFP. Considering threshold effect of educated and healthy HC, promotion effect of urbanisation on GTFP is weaker than threshold value; but effect is stronger above threshold value. The promotion effect of urbanisation on GTFP is stronger when value of HC structure is below the threshold, while effect is weakened as value exceeds threshold value. Policy implications are documented to promote urbanisation in a differentiated manner, increase investment in HC, and strengthen coordination between urbanisation and HC.

G20 roadmap for carbon neutrality: The role of Paris agreement, artificial intelligence, and energy transition in changing geopolitical landscape.

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) in the 21st century is driving profound societal changes and playing a crucial role in optimizing energy systems to achieve carbon neutrality. Most G20 nations have developed national AI strategies and are advancing AI applications in energy, manufacturing, and agriculture sectors to meet this goal. However, disparities exist among these nations, creating an "AI divide" that needs to be addressed for regulatory consistency and fair distribution of AI benefits. Here, we look at the linear effects of AI and the Paris Agreement (AI), as well as their potential interaction on carbon neutrality. We also investigate whether geopolitical risk (GPR) can hinder or enhance efforts to attain carbon neutrality through energy transition (ET). To measure carbon neutrality of G20 countries, we employed a robust parametric Malmquist index combined with the fixed-effect panel stochastic frontier model to account for heterogeneity. Results indicate that from 1990 to 2022, carbon neutrality has improved primarily due to technological advancements. Developed G20 countries led in technological progress, while developing countries showed modest gains in carbon efficiency. Using the Driscoll-Kraay robust standard error method, we found that AI has a positive but insignificant linear effect on carbon neutrality. However, the interaction between PA and AI was positive and statistically significant, suggesting that PA augments AI's potential in accelerating carbon neutrality. Energy transition accelerates carbon neutrality in both developed and developing G20 countries. However, the role of energy transition in achieving carbon neutrality becomes negative when the interaction term between energy transition and geopolitical risk (ET × GRP) is incorporated. Regarding control variables, green innovation positively impacts carbon neutrality, whereas financial development has an insignificant effect. Industrial structure and foreign direct investment both negatively affect carbon neutrality, thereby supporting the pollution haven hypothesis. It is recommended that strategies to bridge the "AI divide" and uphold geopolitical stability are crucial to achieve carbon neutrality.

Decreased serum exosomal miR-29a expression and its clinical significance in papillary thyroid carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Aberrant levels of circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) are potential biomarkers in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) diagnosis and therapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate serum exosomal miR-29a expression as a non-invasive biomarker for PTC diagnosis and prognosis. METHODS: Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was applied to measure serum exosomal miR-29a expression levels in blood samples of 119 patients with PTC and 100 control subjects. RESULTS: Serum exosomal miR-29a expression levels were significantly decreased in PTC cases. In addition, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis revealed serum exosomal miR-29a could well differentiate PTC from normal controls. Moreover, serum exosomal miR-29a levels increased progressively and significantly 30 days and 90 days after surgery. Furthermore, PTC patients with lower serum exosomal miR-29a expression had higher risk of recurrence. Decreased serum exosomal miR-29a expression was significantly associated with worse clinical variables including tumor size, extrathyroidal extension, and TNM stage, as well as shorter survival. Finally, both univariate and multivariate identified serum exosomal miR-29a as an independent prognostic indicator for overall survival. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrated that serum exosomal miR-29a might serve as a potential biomarker for PTC diagnosis and prognosis.

Alginate oligosaccharide protects endothelial cells against oxidative stress injury via integrin-α/FAK/PI3K signaling.

Alginate oligosaccharide (AOS) was reported to possess antioxidant and free radical scavenging activities, but the specific effects and mechanisms remain unclear. We investigated the effects of AOS on H2O2-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and the associated mechanisms. HUVECs were treated with 100-800 µM hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) for various periods (12, 24, and 36 h) to establish an in vitro oxidative stress and apoptosis HUVEC model. AOS protects HUVEC cells against oxidative stress-induced apoptosis by decreasing the expression levels of caspase 3 and Bax, and increasing Bcl-2 expression. Microarray assay, real-time PCR and western blot results revealed that AOS was able to effectively suppress H2O2-induced apoptosis via regulated integrin-α/FAK/PI3K pathway by influencing the expression of integrin-α, FAK, PI3K, PTEN, P21, and CDK2. In conclusion, our study suggests that AOS can protect endothelial cells against oxidative stress injury caused by H2O2, providing novel alternative strategies to prevent atherosclerosis in the future.

Syndecan-1 suppresses cell growth and migration via blocking JAK1/STAT3 and Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK pathways in human colorectal carcinoma cells.

BACKGROUND: Syndecan-1 (SDC-1) is a crucial membrane proteoglycan, which is confirmed to participate in several tumor cell biological processes. However, the biological significance of SDC-1 in colorectal carcinoma is not yet clear. An objective of this study was to investigate the role of SDC-1 in colorectal carcinoma cells. METHODS: Expression of SDC-1 in colorectal carcinoma tissues was evaluated by Reverse transcription-quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) and western blot. After transfection with pcDNA3.1 or pc-SDC-1, the transfection efficiency was measured. Next, SW480, SW620 and LOVO cell viability, apoptosis, migration and adhesion were assessed to explore the effects of exogenous overexpressed SDC-1 on colorectal carcinoma. In addition, the influences of aberrant expressed SDC-1 in Janus kinase 1 (JAK1)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and rat sarcoma virus (Ras)/rapidly accelerated fibrosarcoma (Raf)/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathways were detected by western blot analysis. RESULTS: SDC-1 mRNA and protein levels were down-regulated in human colorectal carcinoma tissues. SDC-1 overexpression inhibited cell proliferation via suppressing CyclinD1 and c-Myc expression, meanwhile stimulated cell apoptosis via increasing the expression levels of B-cell lymphoma-2-associated x (Bax) and Cleaved-Caspase-3. Additionally, SDC-1 overexpression restrained cell migration via inhibiting the protein expression of matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP-9), and elicited cell adhesion through increasing intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1). Furthermore, SDC-1 overexpression suppressed JAK1/STAT3 and Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK-related protein levels. CONCLUSIONS: In general, the evidence from this study suggested that SDC-1 suppressed cell growth, migration through blocking JAK1/STAT3 and Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK pathways in human colorectal carcinoma cells.

Epidemiological characteristics, treatment, and outcomes of 586 cases of intussusception: a 4-year retrospective study in China.

Objective: This study aims to retrospectively analyze the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of acute intussusception in a tertiary-care pediatric hospital in China over 4 years and evaluate the effectiveness and recurrence of fluoroscopy-guided pneumatic reduction (FGPR) and ultrasound-guided hydrostatic reduction (UGHR). Methods: This retrospective study was conducted from January 2019 to December 2022 involving children admitted and managed for acute intussusception in a tertiary-care pediatric hospital in China. The epidemiology, clinical features, and therapeutic effects were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 20.0. Results: The study included 401 boys (68.43%) and 185 girls (31.57%) aged from 2 months to 12 years. The most common symptoms reported were abdominal pain or paroxysmal crying (95.73%), vomiting (45.39%), and bloody stool (7.34%). Vomiting and bloody stool became atypical with increasing age (P < 0.001). The total success cases of reduction accounted for 563 cases (96.08%), and the recurrent cases accounted for 71 cases (12.12%). No significant difference was observed in the success or recurrence rates between FGPR and UGHR (P > 0.05). Abdominal pain was an independent protective factor for successful enema (P < 0.01, OR = 72.46), while bloody stool (P < 0.01, OR = 0.06) and older age were independent risk factors (P < 0.001, OR = 0.51). Of the 71 patients with recurrent intussusception, 29 were successfully reduced by enema, and the other 23 required surgical reduction. Twelve of the surgical cases were secondary intussusception, including three cases of Meckel's diverticulum, five cases of polyps, and four cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Conclusion: The epidemiological characteristics of children with intussusception in Xiamen showed peculiarity with a higher male-to-female ratio, older age at diagnosis, and no significant seasonality. Both FGPR and UGHR were effective and safe for intussusception, and surgical reduction was essential for patients with failed enema reduction.

Prognostic value of sarcopenia in the patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

PURPOSE: Sarcopenia, characterized by loss of muscle mass index (SMI), serves as a diagnostic indicator for malnutrition and has been shown to influence cancer treatment outcomes. The objective of this study was to investigate the prognostic significance of sarcopenia on the locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (laNPC) patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 545 patients with stage III-IVa NPC were included in this retrospective study. Sarcopenia was defined using the skeletal muscle index (SMI) determined at the C3 level based on baseline MRI. The log-rank test and the Cox proportional hazards model were used to compare overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). RESULTS: The results of the multivariate analysis revealed that sarcopenia group (HR = 2.82, 95% CI 1.96-4.06, P < 0.01), T4 stage (HR = 1.64, 95% CI 1.24-2.15, P < 0.01), N3 stage (HR = 1.91, 95% CI 1.52-2.40, P < 0.01), comorbidities (HR = 2.08, 95% CI 1.45-2.97, P < 0.01), and any adverse event grade 3-4 (HR = 1.48, 95% CI 1.04-2.01, P = 0.03) were identified as independent risk factors that significantly impacted the OS. Additionally, sarcopenia group (HR = 2.40, 95% CI 1.73-3.33, P < 0.01), T4 stage (HR = 1.50, 95% CI 1.17-1.92, P < 0.01), N3 stage (HR = 1.80, 95% CI 1.46-2.22, P < 0.01), sarcopenia group (HR = 2.40, 95% CI 1.73-3.33, P < 0.01), and any adverse event grade 3-4 (HR = 1.45, 95% CI 1.04-2.01, P = 0.03) were found to have a significant impact on PFS. CONCLUSION: Sarcopenia was identified as a prognostic factor for patients with laNPC. Furthermore, T stage, N stage, comorbidities, and any adverse event grade 3-4 were identified as independent prognostic factors for laNPC.

Understanding the spatial spillover effect of land finance on China's green development: does the moderating role of industrial structure matter?

Since the 1994 China's tax-sharing reform, land finance has far-reaching influence on fiscal system and has critical implications for green development and industrial structure optimization. Previous studies have largely focused on the environmental aspect of land finance by considering carbon emissions as environmental indicator only and ignored social and economic aspects. To fill the research gaps, this study analyzed spatial and moderating effects of land finance on green development through rationalized industrial structure, quantity of advanced industrial structure, and quality of advanced industrial structure in 246 Chinese cities from 2006 to 2019. The results document that local and surrounding land finance have negative effect on China's green development. Local land finance inhibits green development in western and large cities, while surrounding land finance deteriorates in eastern and large cities. Through mediation of industrial structure optimization, land finance accelerates green development in national, eastern, and large cities. In western cities, land finance promotes green development through quantity and quality of industrial structure upgrading. In small- and medium-sized cities, quantity of industrial structure upgrading plays a positive role.

Does the opening of high-speed rails improve urban carbon efficiency? Evidence from a spatial difference-in-difference method.

High carbon emission efficiency is an important guarantee for achieving the goals of "carbon peaking" by 2030 and "carbon neutrality" by 2060. Based on the panel data of prefecture-level cities from 2003 to 2018, the spatial difference-in-difference model is used to empirically test the spatial spillover effect of the opening of high-speed rail (HSR) on urban total factor carbon emission efficiency (TFCEE). The results show that the spatial correlation of TFCEE between regions is positive, and the opening of HSR has a significant positive spatial spillover effect on TFCEE. The conclusion is still valid after a series of robustness tests. We further employ a mediating effects model to verify that green technology innovation and labour resource mismatch are two important channels of influence for the opening of HSR to improve TFCEE. The heterogeneity analysis shows that the opening of HSR significantly promotes the higher development level and the provincial capital TFCEE.

The driving influence of multidimensional urbanization on green total factor productivity in China: evidence from spatiotemporal analysis.

China is experiencing a swift transformation from a rural to an urban society. This societal transition is the result of a country's ambition toward economic development. Rapid urbanization impacts on human wellbeing, environment, and infrastructure. Unlike many cases of urban extension, China's urbanization has led to increase in environmental issues, rather than to contain, and posed serious challenges to achieve sustainable development. To date, nevertheless, there is a little empirical enquiry on the spatiotemporal effects of multidimensional urbanization on green total factor productivity. Taking this into account, this article constructs a spatial panel data model based on 283 Chinese cities during 2006-2019. The results showed that the three types of urbanization (i.e., population, land, and economic) have positive effect on green total factor productivity (GTFP). Population urbanization has indirect positive effect on GTFP. Local land urbanization inhibits while surrounding land urbanization promotes GTFP. Economic urbanization has positive direct effect on GTFP. Considering regional heterogeneity, population and economic urbanization have positive effect on GTFP in eastern region. In central region, land urbanization significantly promotes GTFP, while economic urbanization has significant negative effect on GTFP. In the western region, the three types of urbanization are not conducive to GTFP. Considering sized heterogeneity, population and economic types of urbanization have significant negative effect on GTFP in small- and medium-sized cities. In large cities, the three types of urbanization have significant positive effects on GTFP. Considering temporal heterogeneity, the three types of urbanization significantly promote GTFP before 2014, but economic urbanization deteriorates GTFP after 2014. Our results recommend loosening Hukou system, improving land use efficiency, and developing technology and knowledge-intensive industries.

Mechanically Robust, Recyclable, and Self-Healing Polyimine Networks.

To achieve energy saving and emission reduction goals, recyclable and healable thermoset materials are highly attractive. Polymer copolymerization has been proven to be a critical strategy for preparing high-performance polymeric materials. However, it remains a huge challenge to develop high-performance recyclable and healable thermoset materials. Here, polyimine dynamic networks based on two monomers with bulky pendant groups, which not only displayed mechanical properties higher than the strong and tough polymers, e.g., polycarbonate, but also excellent self-repairing capability and recyclability as thermosets are developed. Owing to the stability of conjugation effect by aromatic benzene rings, the final polyimine networks are far more stable than the reported counterparts, exhibiting excellent hydrolysis resistance under both alkaline condition and most organic solvents. These polyimine materials with conjugation structure can be completely depolymerized into monomers recovery in an acidic aqueous solution at ambient temperature. Resulting from the bulky pendant units, this method allows the exchange reactions of conjugation polyimine vitrimer easily within minutes for self-healing function. Moreover, the introduction of trifluoromethyl diphenoxybenzene backbones significantly increases tensile properties of polyimine materials. This work provides an effective strategy for fabricating high-performance polymer materials with multiple functions.

Gallic Acid Ameliorates Cognitive Impairment Caused by Sleep Deprivation through Antioxidant Effect.

Sleep deprivation (SD) has a profound impact on the central nervous system, resulting in an array of mood disorders, including depression and anxiety. Despite this, the dynamic alterations in neuronal activity during sleep deprivation have not been extensively investigated. While some researchers propose that sleep deprivation diminishes neuronal activity, thereby leading to depression. Others argue that short-term sleep deprivation enhances neuronal activity and dendritic spine density, potentially yielding antidepressant effects. In this study, a two-photon microscope was utilized to examine the calcium transients of anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) neurons in awake SD mice in vivo at 24-hour intervals. It was observed that SD reduced the frequency and amplitude of Ca2+ transients while increasing the proportions of inactive neurons. Following the cessation of sleep deprivation, neuronal calcium transients demonstrated a gradual recovery. Moreover, whole-cell patch-clamp recordings revealed a significant decrease in the frequency of spontaneous excitatory post-synaptic current (sEPSC) after SD. The investigation also assessed several oxidative stress parameters, finding that sleep deprivation substantially elevated the level of malondialdehyde (MDA), while simultaneously decreasing the expression of Nuclear Factor erythroid 2-Related Factor 2 (Nrf2) and activities of Superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the ACC. Importantly, the administration of gallic acid (GA) notably mitigated the decline of calcium transients in ACC neurons. GA was also shown to alleviate oxidative stress in the brain and improve cognitive impairment caused by sleep deprivation. These findings indicate that the calcium transients of ACC neurons experience a continuous decline during sleep deprivation, a process that is reversible. GA may serve as a potential candidate agent for the prevention and treatment of cognitive impairment induced by sleep deprivation.

Lightweight Neural Networks-Based Safety Evaluation for Smart Construction Devices.

Based on the theory of lightweight neural networks, this paper presents a safety evaluation model for smart construction devices. The model index system includes the internal logical relationship between the input and output indexes, and the input indexes are specifically refined. According to the safety evaluation results, the article observes what type of accidents will occur at the construction site. According to the detailed and specific output index system, the six input factor layer indicators correspond to the indicators of several multiple network index layers, respectively. In the simulation process, MATLAB software was used to write the multiple neural network model program for the safety evaluation of the construction site, and the appropriate multiple network structure and related parameters were selected. The experimental results show that the multiple neural networks are trained by collecting 10 expert evaluation samples, and the trained multiple neural networks are applied to real construction cases. Comparing the two sets of data, it can be seen that the gap is relatively small, and the sample training is better. The multiple neural networks have relatively good evaluation performance. The method has a fast calculation speed and effectively improves the efficiency and practical value of safety evaluation.

Heterogeneous environmental regulations and green economic efficiency in China: the mediating role of industrial structure.

Industrial upgrading is the key to promoting green economic efficiency. Coordination between environmental regulations and industrial structure can lead to sustainable economic growth. However, insufficient attention has been paid to the mechanism by which environmental regulation (ER) promote green economic efficiency (GEE) under the mediating role of industrial structure optimization. Using robust and comprehensive measures of green economic efficiency, we assess how various environmental regulations affect green economic efficiency as well as the intermediate effect of industrial structure of a certain province with provincial panel data during the period 2003-2017. The results of dynamic panel two-step system generalized method of moments (GMM) confirm the heterogeneous effects of the three types of ER, namely control-and-command regulation, market-based regulation, and voluntary regulation on GEE in China. The spatial analysis demonstrates that control-and-command and voluntary regulations significantly accelerate GEE in inland provinces, while they have insignificant effect in coastal provinces. Based on the mediating analysis, we find that market-based regulation is conducive to GEE through both advanced and rationalized industrial structure, whereas control-and-command regulation improves GEE through advanced industrial structure only. The voluntary-based regulation on one hand stimulates GEE through advanced industrial structure, but on other hand impedes it through rationalized industrial structure. The results could provide critical insights and a theoretical basis for policy makers in reasonable optimization of industrial structure and guaranteeing green economic efficiency.

Acidic oligosaccharide sugar chain combined with hyperbaric oxygen delays D-galactose-induced brain senescence in mice via attenuating oxidative stress and neuroinflammation.

Aging is fundamental to neurodegeneration and dementia. Preventing oxidative stress and neuroinflammation are potential methods of delaying the onset of aging-associated neurodegenerative diseases. The acidic oligosaccharide sugar chain (AOSC) and hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) can increase the expression of antioxidants and have a neuroprotective function. In this study, we investigate the ability of AOSC, HBO, and AOSC + HBO to prevent D-gal-induced brain senescence. The Morris water maze and Y-maze test results showed that all three therapies significantly attenuated D-gal-induced memory disorders. A potential mechanism of this action was decreasing elevated levels of oxidative stress and neuroinflammation. The western blot and morphological results showed that all three therapies decreased D-gal-induced neuroinflammation and downregulated inflammatory mediators including the nuclear factor κ-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells, cyclooxygenase-2, interleukin-1ß, and tumor necrosis factor alpha. Taken together, our results indicated that AOSC, HBO, and AOSC + HBO therapies attenuated D-gal-induced brain aging in mice by repressing RAGE/NF-KB-induced inflammation, the activation of astrocytes and microglia, and a decrease in neuronal degeneration. These could be useful therapies for treating age-related neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. Furthermore, HBO combined with AOSC had a better effect than HBO or AOSC alone.

Human Serum Albumin Decorated Indocyanine Green Improves Fluorescence-Guided Resection of Residual Lesions of Breast Cancer in Mice.

OBJECTIVE: Achieving negative resection margin is critical but challenging in breast-conserving surgery. Fluorescence-guided surgery allows the surgeon to visualize the tumor bed in real-time and to facilitate complete resection. We envisioned that intraoperative real-time fluorescence imaging with a human serum albumin decorated indocyanine green probe could enable complete surgical removal of breast cancer in a mouse model. METHODS: We prepared the probe by conjugating indocyanine green (ICG) with human serum albumin (HSA). In vitro uptake of the HSA-ICG probe was compared between human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 and normal breast epithelial cell line MCF 10A. In vivo probe selectivity for tumors was examined in nude mice bearing MDA-MB-231-luc xenografts and the FVB/N-Tg (MMTV-PyMT) 634Mul/J mice model with spontaneous breast cancer. A positive-margin resection mice model bearing MDA-MB-231-luc xenograft was established and the performance of the probe in assisting surgical resection of residual lesions was examined. RESULTS: A significantly stronger fluorescence intensity was detected in MDA-MB-231 cells than MCF 10A cells incubated with HSA-ICG. In vivo fluorescence imaging showed that HSA-ICG had an obvious accumulation at tumor site at 24 h with tumor-to-normal tissue ratio of 8.19 ± 1.30. The same was true in the transgenic mice model. The fluorescence intensity of cancer tissues was higher than that of non-cancer tissues (58.53 ± 18.15 vs 32.88 ± 11.34). During the surgical scenarios, the residual tumors on the surgical bed were invisible with the naked eye, but were detected and resected with negative margin under HSA-ICG guidance in all the mice (8/8). Recurrence rate among mice that underwent resection with HSA-ICG (0/8) was significantly lower than the rates among mice with ICG (4/8), as well as the control group under white light (7/7). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that real-time in vivo visualization of breast cancer with an HSA-ICG fluorescent probe facilitates complete surgical resection of breast cancer in a mouse xenograft model.

Astragalus polysaccharide inhibits breast cancer cell migration and invasion by regulating epithelial­mesenchymal transition via the Wnt/ß­catenin signaling pathway.

Epithelial­mesenchymal transition (EMT) serves an important role in tumor migration and invasion. Astragalus polysaccharide (APS), which is the main component of the traditional Chinese medicine Astragalus membranaceus, has been identified to display an antitumor effect. However, the effects and mechanisms of APS during breast cancer migration and invasion are not completely understood. The present study investigated whether APS inhibited breast cancer migration and invasion by modulating the EMT pathway. An MTT assay and a Ki67 immunofluorescence staining assay demonstrated that APS inhibited the proliferation of breast cancer cells. The results of the wound healing and Transwell Matrigel invasion assays suggested that APS decreased the migration and invasion of breast cancer cells. The western blotting and immunofluorescence analyses further demonstrated that APS had a regulatory effect on EMT­related molecules. APS decreased the expression levels of Snail and vimentin, but increased E­cadherin expression. APS also downregulated Wnt1, ß­catenin and downstream target expression. Additionally, the present results suggested that APS decreased the proliferation, and EMT­mediated migration and invasion of cells by inhibiting the Wnt/ß­catenin signaling pathway. The present study suggested that APS may serve as a promising therapeutic agent for breast cancer.

Astragalus polysaccharides inhibits cardiomyocyte apoptosis during diabetic cardiomyopathy via the endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Traditional Chinese medicine Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bunge (AM) has been utilized for the treatment of diabetes mellitus and its complications for centuries. Astragalus polysaccharides (APS), the main bioactive ingredient extracted from the root of AM, is prescribed widely in China and has definite cardioprotective effect during diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM). Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-induced apoptosis played a crucial role in the progression of DCM. However, the regulatory mechanisms of APS on ER stress pathway haven't been comprehensively studied so far. AIM OF THE STUDY: The aim of this study was to identify the effect of APS on cardiomyocyte apoptosis and to investigate the mechanisms for the anti-apoptotic effect of APS during DCM. MATERIALS AND METHODS: DCM rat model was induced by intraperitoneal streptozotocin (STZ) injection and treated with APS for 16 weeks. Cardiac function, pathological changes and apoptotic cells were assessed by echocardiography, hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and TUNEL assay, respectively. Expressions of key molecules in ER stress pathway were detected by Western blot analysis. Cardiomyocytes were exposed to high glucose (HG) and treated with APS for 24 h. Cell viability, apoptosis and protein expressions were assessed by MTT, flow cytometer and Western blot analysis, respectively. Moreover, lentivirus over-expressing (OE) C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) was employed to further investigate the causative role of ER stress pathway in APS-mediated effect on cardiomyocyte apoptosis. RESULTS: In vivo, the results demonstrated that APS could improve heart function and attenuate myocardial apoptosis in DCM rat model. Further study demonstrated that APS could down-regulate the protein expressions of activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6) and protein kinase RNA-like ER kinase (PERK) related factors of ER stress pathway. In vitro, APS significantly inhibit HG stimulated H9C2 cell apoptosis and the expressions of ATF6 and PERK related proteins of ER stress pathway. However, after CHOP-OE lentivirus transfection, the protective effects of APS were diminished as increased apoptotic rate and higher expression of CHOP. CONCLUSIONS: APS could attenuate cardiomyocyte apoptosis via down-regulating the expression of ATF6 and PERK related factors of ER stress pathway in DCM rats and HG-stimulated H9C2 cells.