Achieving Remarkable Specific Mechanical Strength and Energy Absorption Capacity in SiC Nanowire Networks through Graded Structural Design.

Lightweight porous ceramics with a unique combination of superior mechanical strength and damage tolerance are in significant demand in many fields such as energy absorption, aerospace vehicles, and chemical engineering; however, it is difficult to meet these mechanical requirements with conventional porous ceramics. Here, we report a graded structure design strategy to fabricate porous ceramic nanowire networks that simultaneously possess excellent mechanical strength and energy absorption capacity. Our optimized graded nanowire networks show a compressive strength of up to 35.6 MPa at a low density of 540 mg·cm-3, giving rise to a high specific compressive strength of 65.7 kN·m·kg-1 and a high energy absorption capacity of 17.1 kJ·kg-1, owing to a homogeneous distribution of stress upon loading. These values are top performance compared to other porous ceramics, giving our materials significant potential in various engineering fields.

Transcriptome and Metabolome Analyses of Aroma Differences between Chardonnay and a Chardonnay Bud Sport.

Chardonnay is one of the most popular white grape wine varieties in the world, but this wine lacks typical aroma, considered a sensory defect. Our research group identified a Chardonnay bud sport with typical muscat characteristics. The goal of this work was to discover the key candidate genes related to muscat characteristics in this Chardonnay bud sport to reveal the mechanism of muscat formation and guide molecular design breeding. To this end, HS-SPME-GC-MS and RNA-Seq were used to analyze volatile organic compounds and the differentially expressed genes in Chardonnay and its aromatic bud sport. Forty-nine volatiles were identified as potential biomarkers, which included mainly aldehydes and terpenes. Geraniol, linalool, and phenylacetaldehyde were identified as the main aroma components of the mutant. The GO, KEGG, GSEA, and correlation analysis revealed HMGR, TPS1, TPS2, TPS5, novel.939, and CYP450 as key genes for terpene synthesis. MAO1 and MAO2 were significantly downregulated, but there was an increased content of phenylacetaldehyde. These key candidate genes provide a reference for the development of functional markers for muscat varieties and also provide insight into the formation mechanism of muscat aroma.

Association between the adherence to Mediterranean diet and depression in rheumatoid arthritis patients: a cross-sectional study from the NHANES database.

BACKGROUND: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease, and depression is a most frequent comorbid condition associated with RA. Studies have shown that inflammation plays a vital role in the pathophysiology of depression and RA. Mediterranean diet (MED) has been proved to be a healthy anti-inflammatory dietary pattern. This study aims to explore the association between the adherence to Mediterranean diet (aMED) and depression in RA patients. METHODS: In this study, RA patients aged ≥ 20 years old were extracted from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NAHNES) database. Dietary intake information was obtained from 24-h dietary recall interview. Covariates included sociodemographic information, lifestyles, laboratory parameters, and the history of diseases and medications were included. The weighted univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were used to assess the association between aMED and depression. Subgroup analysis was conducted to further explore the association between MED components and depression. RESULTS: Totally 1,148 patients were included, of whom 290 (25.26%) had depression. After adjusted all covariates, high aMED was associated with the lower odds of depression in RA patients (OR = 0.53, 95%CI: 0.29-0.97). Among MED components, higher consumption of vegetables (OR = 0.54, 95%CI: 0.34-0.84) and cereals (OR = 0.63, 95%CI: 0.39-0.99) contributed more to decrease the odds of depression. CONCLUSION: Greater aMED may have potential benefits for improving mental health in RA patients. Future large-scale cohort studies are needed to explore the association between aMED and depression in RA patients.

Quantification of Charge Transport and Mass Deprivation in Solid Electrolyte Interphase for Kinetically-Stable Low-Temperature Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Graphite (Gr)-based lithium-ion batteries with admirable electrochemical performance below -20 °C are desired but are hindered by sluggish interfacial charge transport and desolvation process. Li salt dissociation via Li+-solvent interaction enables mobile Li+ liberation and contributes to bulk ion transport, while is contradictory to fast interfacial desolvation. Designing kinetically-stable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) without compromising strong Li+-solvent interaction is expected to compatibly improve interfacial charge transport and desolvation kinetics. However, the relationship between physicochemical features and temperature-dependent kinetics properties of SEI remains vague. Herein, we propose four key thermodynamics parameters of SEI potentially influencing low-temperature electrochemistry, including electron work function, Li+ transfer barrier, surface energy, and desolvation energy. Based on the above parameters, we further define a novel descriptor, separation factor of SEI (SSEI), to quantitatively depict charge (Li+/e-) transport and solvent deprivation processes at Gr/electrolyte interface. A Li3PO4-based, inorganics-enriched SEI derived by Li difluorophosphate (LiDFP) additive exhibits the highest SSEI (4.89×103) to enable efficient Li+ conduction, e- blocking and rapid desolvation, and as a result, much suppressed Li-metal precipitation, electrolyte decomposition and Gr sheets exfoliation, thus improving low-temperature battery performances. Overall, our work originally provides visualized guides to improve low-temperature reaction kinetics/thermodynamics by constructing desirable SEI chemistry.

Roles of long noncoding RNAs in human inflammatory diseases.

Chemokines, cytokines, and inflammatory cells mediate the onset and progression of many diseases through the induction of an inflammatory response. LncRNAs have emerged as important regulators of gene expression and signaling pathways. Increasing evidence suggests that lncRNAs are key players in the inflammatory response, making it a potential therapeutic target for various diseases. From the perspective of lncRNAs and inflammatory factors, we summarized the expression level and regulatory mechanisms of lncRNAs in human inflammatory diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, osteoarthritis, sepsis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, acute lung injury, diabetic retinopathy, and Parkinson's disease. We also summarized the functions of lncRNAs in the macrophages polarization and discussed the potential applications of lncRNAs in human inflammatory diseases. Although our understanding of lncRNAs is still in its infancy, these data will provide a theoretical basis for the clinical application of lncRNAs.

A Fast-Charge Graphite Anode with a Li-Ion-Conductive, Electron/Solvent-Repelling Interface.

Graphite has been serving as the key anode material of rechargeable Li-ion batteries, yet is difficultly charged within a quarter hour while maintaining stable electrochemistry. In addition to a defective edge structure that prevents fast Li-ion entry, the high-rate performance of graphite could be hampered by co-intercalation and parasitic reduction of solvent molecules at anode/electrolyte interface. Conventional surface modification by pitch-derived carbon barely isolates the solvent and electrons, and usually lead to inadequate rate capability to meet practical fast-charge requirements. Here we show that, by applying a MoOx-MoNx layer onto graphite surface, the interface allows fast Li-ion diffusion yet blocks solvent access and electron leakage. By regulating interfacial mass and charge transfer, the modified graphite anode delivers a reversible capacity of 340.3 mAh g-1 after 4000 cycles at 6 C, showing promises in building 10-min-rechargeable batteries with a long operation life.

Activin receptors in human cancer: Functions, mechanisms, and potential clinical applications.

Activins are members of the transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) superfamily and act as key regulators in various physiological processes, such as follicle and embryonic development, as well as in multiple human diseases, including cancer. They have been established to signal through three type I and two type II serine/threonine kinase receptors, which, upon ligand binding, form a final signal-transducing receptor complex that activates downstream signaling and governs gene expression. Recent research highlighted the dysregulation of the expression or activity of activin receptors in multiple human cancers and their critical involvement in cancer progression. Furthermore, expression levels of activin receptors have been associated with clinicopathological features and patient outcomes across different cancers. However, there is currently a paucity of comprehensive systematic reviews of activin receptors in cancer. Thus, this review aimed to consolidate existing knowledge concerning activin receptors, with a primary emphasis on their signaling cascade and emerging biological functions, regulatory mechanisms, and potential clinical applications in human cancers in order to provide novel perspectives on cancer prognosis and targeted therapy.

The diagnostic performance of V' and U' variables as an objective index of pink-color sign for diagnosing esophageal cancerous lesions.

BACKGROUND: The pink-color sign (PCS) has been widely used for diagnosing esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) during Lugol's iodine chromoendoscopy. However, the identification of the PCS only relies on the subjective assessments made by the endoscopist, which could lead to bias and disagreement. Previous research has indicated that the V' variable can, as an objective index, define the PCS in the LU'V' color space. We aimed to validate the diagnostic performance of the PCS defined by the V' variable alone and attempt to improve the diagnostic performance by combining the V' and U' variables. METHODS: We re-examined 231 subjects with Lugol's unstained lesions (LULs) from a previously reported prospective trial. The diagnostic performance of the method using V' variable alone (V' alone method), the combination method using V' and U' variables (V' + U' method), and the endoscopists were calculated and compared. RESULTS: A total of 236 LULs were included, among which 46 were histologically confirmed to be cancerous lesions. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the V' alone method were 73.91% (95% CI 58.87-85.73%), 79.47% (95% CI 73.03-84.98%), and 78.39% (95% CI 72.59-83.47%) in the external validation cohort, respectively. It is inferior to endoscopists in terms of specificity and accuracy. The V' + U' method demonstrated a diagnostic performance comparable to the experienced endoscopists, with sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 76.74% (95% CI 61.37-88.25%), 88.64% (95% CI 83.00-92.92%), and 86.30% (95% CI 81.03-90.56%), respectively. CONCLUSION: The V' alone method exhibited lower specificity and accuracy than the experienced endoscopist and the V' + U' method. However, the modified V' + U' method demonstrated a diagnostic performance comparable to experienced endoscopists. Utilizing the objective index of the PCS could provide valuable support in clinical decision-making.

Strong yet flexible ceramic aerogel.

Ceramic aerogels are highly efficient, lightweight, and chemically stable thermal insulation materials but their application is hindered by their brittleness and low strength. Flexible nanostructure-assembled compressible aerogels have been developed to overcome the brittleness but they still show low strength, leading to insufficient load-bearing capacity. Here we designed and fabricated a laminated SiC-SiOx nanowire aerogel that exhibits reversible compressibility, recoverable buckling deformation, ductile tensile deformation, and simultaneous high strength of up to an order of magnitude larger than other ceramic aerogels. The aerogel also shows good thermal stability ranging from -196 °C in liquid nitrogen to above 1200 °C in butane blow torch, and good thermal insulation performance with a thermal conductivity of 39.3 ± 0.4 mW m-1 K-1. These integrated properties make the aerogel a promising candidate for mechanically robust and highly efficient flexible thermal insulation materials.

Protective effects of a new generation of probiotic Bacteroides fragilis against colitis in vivo and in vitro

Bacteroides fragilis, one of the potential next-generation probiotics, but its protective mechanism is not yet known. We aimed to characterize the anti-inflammatory effect of B. fragilisATCC25285 and to elucidate its mechanism through in vivo and in vitro experiments. An in vitro model of inflammation by induction of colonic cells with TNF-a, and co-cultured with B. fragilis to detect cell viability, apoptosis and invasive capacity. Furthermore, critical proteins of the TLR/NF-κB pathway and the inflammatory cytokines were measured. For animal trials, C57BL/6 J male mice were orally administered B. fragilis or PBS once daily for 21 days. Colitis was induced by drinking 2.5% DSS from days 0 to 7. The mice were weighed daily and rectal bleeding, stool condition and blood in the stool were recorded. We found that B. fragilis treatment alone was harmless and had no effect on cell viability or apoptosis. While predictably TNF-α decreased cell viability and increased apoptosis, B. fragilis attenuated this deterioration. The NF-κB pathway and inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-1ß activated by TNF-α were also blocked by B. fragilis. Notably, the metabolic supernatant of B. fragilis also has an anti-inflammatory effect. Animal studies showed that live B. fragilis rather than dead strain ameliorated DSS-induced colitis, as evidenced by weight loss, shortened colon length and enhanced barrier function. The colonic tissue levels of inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-6) were decreased and IL-10 was increased as a result of B. fragilis administration. In conclusion, B. fragilis ATCC25285 exhibited anti-inflammatory effects whether in vivo or in vitro, and it may be a potential probiotic agent for improving colitis.

Analyzing the research landscape: Mapping frontiers and hot spots in anti-cancer research using bibliometric analysis and research network pharmacology.

Introduction: Network pharmacology has emerged as a forefront and hotspot in anti-cancer. Traditional anti-cancer drugs are limited by the paradigm of "one cancer, one target, one drug," making it difficult to address the challenges of recurrence and drug resistance. However, the main advantage of network pharmacology lies in its approach from the perspective of molecular network relationships, employing a "one arrow, multiple targets" strategy, which provides a novel pathway for developing anti-cancer drugs. This study employed a bibliometric analysis method to examine network pharmacology's application and research progress in cancer treatment from January 2008 to May 2023. This research will contribute to revealing its forefront and hotspots, offering new insights and methodologies for future investigations. Methods: We conducted a literature search on network pharmacology research in anti-cancer (NPART) from January 2008 to May 2023, utilizing scientific databases such as Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) and PubMed to retrieve relevant research articles and reviews. Additionally, we employed visualization tools such as Citespace, SCImago Graphica, and VOSviewer to perform bibliometric analysis. Results: This study encompassed 3,018 articles, with 2,210 articles from WoSCC and 808 from PubMed. Firstly, an analysis of the annual national publication trends and citation counts indicated that China and the United States are the primary contributing countries in this field. Secondly, the recent keyword analysis revealed emerging research hotspots in "tumor microenvironment," "anti-cancer drugs," and "traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). " Furthermore, the literature clustering analysis demonstrated that "calycosin," "molecular mechanism," "molecular docking," and "anti-cancer agents" were widely recognized research hotspots and forefront areas in 2023, garnering significant attention and citations in this field. Ultimately, we analyzed the application of NPART and the challenges. Conclusion: This study represents the first comprehensive analysis paper based on bibliometric methods, aiming to investigate the forefront hotspots of network pharmacology in anti-cancer research. The findings of this study will facilitate researchers in swiftly comprehending the current research trends and forefront hotspots in the domain of network pharmacology in cancer research.

Antimicrobial resistance, molecular characteristics, virulence and pathogenicity of bla NDM-1-positive Enterobacter cloacae.

Introduction. The bla NDM-1 -positive Enterobacter cloacae has led to limited therapeutic options for clinical treatment.Hypothesis/Gap Statement. Analysing the antimicrobial resistance and molecular typing of bla NDM-1-positive E. cloacae is of great significance. Meanwhile, the effect of the bla NDM-1 gene on the virulence and pathogenicity of E. cloacae remains unclear and should be assessed.Aim. To understand bla NDM-1-positive E. cloacae from different perspectives.Methodology. The PCR was used to screen bla NDM-1-positive E. cloacae, then, antimicrobial susceptibility tests and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) were performed on them; sixty-nine strains of bla NDM-1-negative E. cloacae were collected as the controls, 28 pairs of virulence-related genes' carriage and biofilm-forming ability were detected for preliminary evaluation of the virulence phenotype of the strains; to gain insight into the effect of the bla NDM-1 gene on the virulence and pathogenicity of E. cloacae, the bla NDM-1-positive E. cloacae T2 (NDM-1), the T2 bla NDM-1 knockout strain (ΔNDM-1) and ATCC13047 (ST) were studied, compared the motility, anti-serum killing ability, and virulence to cells. Then, the mice intraperitoneal infection model was established, the survival curve, histopathological characteristics, bacterial load in spleen and the contents of cytokines were compared.Results. (1) Thirty-five bla NDM-1-positive E. cloacae exhibited multidrug resistance. MLST distinguished 12 STs, ST74 was the most common clonal type (11/35), followed by ST114 (10/35). (2) The detection rates of virulence genes clpB, icmf, VasD/Lip and acrA in the bla NDM-1-positive E. cloacae were significantly higher than those in bla NDM-1-negative E. cloacae (P<0.05), while there was no significant difference in the amount of biofilm formation between two groups. (3) The presence of bla NDM-1 gene attenuated the motility diameter of E. cloacae, but had no significant effect on their ability to resist serum killing, and the virulence to cells. The survival rate, histopathological changes, bacterial load in spleen and inflammatory cytokines were not significantly affected.Conclusions. (1) The bla NDM-1-positive E. cloacae exhibited multidrug resistance, and the MLST typing was mainly ST74 and ST114, with a small-scale clonal spread of the ST114 strain in the hospital NICU ward. (2) The bla NDM-1 gene did not affect the virulence and pathogenicity of E. cloacae.

Highly cross-linked carbon tube aerogels with enhanced elasticity and fatigue resistance.

Carbon aerogels are elastic, mechanically robust and fatigue resistant and are known for their promising applications in the fields of soft robotics, pressure sensors etc. However, these aerogels are generally fragile and/or easily deformable, which limits their applications. Here, we report a synthesis strategy for fabricating highly compressible and fatigue-resistant aerogels by assembling interconnected carbon tubes. The carbon tube aerogels demonstrate near-zero Poisson's ratio, exhibit a maximum strength over 20 MPa and a completely recoverable strain up to 99%. They show high fatigue resistance (less than 1.5% permanent degradation after 1000 cycles at 99% strain) and are thermally stable up to 2500 °C in an Ar atmosphere. Additionally, they possess tunable conductivity and electromagnetic shielding. The combined mechanical and multi-functional properties offer an attractive material for the use in harsh environments.

Hierarchical SiC-Graphene Composite Aerogel-Supported Ni-Mo-S Nanosheets for Efficient pH-Universal Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution.

MoS2 exhibits good prospects in electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution. Whereas, the electrocatalytic property of MoS2 is restrained by its insufficient active sites, low electrical conductivity, and slow water dissociation processes. Herein, an aerogel composed of silicon carbide (SiC) and graphene (SiCnw-RGO) was constructed by growing SiC nanowires (SiCnw) in the graphene aerogel (RGO) via the CVD method, and then Ni-Mo-S nanosheets were hydrothermally synthesized on the SiCnw-RGO composite aerogel to develop an efficient pH-universal electrocatalyst. Ni-Mo-S nanosheets supported on SiCnw-RGO (Ni-Mo-S@SiCnw-RGO) exhibit an interesting hierarchical three-dimensional interconnected structure of composite aerogel. The optimal Ni-Mo-S@SiCnw-RGO electrocatalyst exhibits excellent catalytic performance with low Tafel slopes of 60 mV/dec under acidic conditions and 90 mV/dec under alkaline conditions. Density functional theory calculations demonstrate a composite catalyst exhibits advantageous hydrogen adsorption free energy and water dissociation energy barrier. This study provides a reference to design an efficient hierarchical aerogel electrocatalyst.

Discovery of CLEC2B as a diagnostic biomarker and screening of celastrol as a candidate drug for psoriatic arthritis through bioinformatics analysis.

BACKGROUND: Psoriatic arthritis (PSA) is a chronic, immune-mediated inflammatory joint disease that is liked to mortality due to cardiovascular disease. Diagnostic markers and effective therapeutic options for PSA remain limited due to the lack of understanding of the pathogenesis. We aimed to identify potential diagnostic markers and screen the therapeutic compounds for PSA based on bioinformatics analysis. METHODS: Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of PSA were identified from the GSE61281 dataset. WGCNA was used to identify PSA-related modules and prognostic biomarkers. Clinical samples were collected to validate the expression of the diagnostic gene. These DEGs were subjected to the CMap database for the identification of therapeutic candidates for PSA. Potential pathways and targets for drug candidates to treat PSA were predicted using Network Pharmacology. Molecular docking techniques were used to validate key targets. RESULTS: CLEC2B was identified as a diagnostic marker for PSA patients (AUC > 0.8) and was significantly upregulated in blood samples. In addition, celastrol was identified as a candidate drug for PSA. Subsequently, the network pharmacology approach identified four core targets (IL6, TNF, GAPDH, and AKT1) of celastrol and revealed that celastrol could treat PSA by modulating inflammatory-related pathways. Finally, molecular docking demonstrated stable binding of celastrol to four core targets in the treatment of PSA. Animal experiments indicated celastrol alleviated inflammatory response in the mannan-induced PSA. CONCLUSION: CLEC2B was a diagnostic marker for PSA patients. Celastrol was identified as a potential therapeutic drug for PSA via regulating immunity and inflammation.

Characteristics of phenotypic antibiotic resistance of Helicobacter pylori and its correlation with genotypic antibiotic resistance: A retrospective study in Ningxia.

BACKGROUND: Geographic differences exist in the antibiotic resistance patterns of Helicobacter pylori. Personalized treatment regimens based on local or individual resistance data are essential. We evaluated the current status of H. pylori resistance in Ningxia, analyzed resistance-related factors, and assessed the concordance of phenotypic and genotypic resistance. METHODS: Strains were isolated from the gastric mucosa of patients infected with H. pylori in Ningxia and relevant clinical information was collected. Phenotypic antibiotic susceptibility assays (Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion) and antibiotic resistance gene detection (Sanger sequencing) were performed. RESULTS: We isolated 1955 H. pylori strains. The resistance rates of H. pylori to amoxicillin, levofloxacin, clarithromycin, and metronidazole were 0.9%, 42.4%, 40.4%, and 94.2%, respectively. Only five tetracycline-resistant and one furazolidone-resistant strain were identified. Overall, 3.3% of the strains were sensitive to all six antibiotics. Multidrug-resistant strains accounted for 22.9%, of which less than 20% were from Wuzhong. Strains isolated from women and patients with nonulcerative disease had higher rates of resistance to levofloxacin and clarithromycin. Higher rates of resistance to metronidazole, levofloxacin, and clarithromycin were observed in the older age group than in the younger age group. The kappa coefficients of phenotypic resistance and genotypic resistance for levofloxacin and clarithromycin were 0.830 and 0.809, respectively, whereas the remaining antibiotics showed poor agreement. CONCLUSION: H. pylori antibiotic resistance is severe in Ningxia. Therefore, furazolidone, amoxicillin, and tetracycline are better choices for the empirical therapy of H. pylori infection in this region. Host sex, age, and the presence of ulcerative diseases may affect antibiotic resistance of the bacteria. Personalized therapy based on genetic testing for levofloxacin and clarithromycin resistance may be a future direction for the eradication therapy of H. pylori infection in Ningxia.

A Lead-Free 0D/2D Cs3Bi2Br9/Bi2WO6 S-Scheme Heterojunction for Efficient Photoreduction of CO2.

Photocatalytic reduction of CO2 into valuable hydrocarbon fuels is one of the green ways to solve the energy problem and achieve carbon neutrality. Exploring photocatalyst with low toxicity and high-efficiency is the key to realize it. Here we report a lead-free halide perovskite-based 0D/2D Cs3Bi2Br9/Bi2WO6 (CBB/BWO) S-scheme heterojunction for CO2 photoreduction, prepared by a facile electrostatic self-assembly approach. The CBB/BWO shows superior photoreduction of CO2 under visible light with CO generation rate of 220.1 µmol·g-1·h-1, which is ∼115.8 and ∼18.5 times higher than that of Cs3Bi2Br9 perovskite quantum dots (CBB PQDS) and Bi2WO6 nanosheets (BWO NS), respectively. The improved photocatalytic activity can be attributed to the tight 0D/2D structure and S-scheme charge transfer pathway between the Cs3Bi2Br9 PQDS and atomic layers of the Bi2WO6 NS, which shortens transmission distance of photogenerated carriers and boosts efficient separation and transfer of the carriers. This work provides insight in manufacturing potential lead-free perovskite-based photocatalysts for achieving carbon neutrality.

Epirubicin may enhance the inhibition of hepatocellular carcinoma induced by iodine-125 seeds through downregulating WNT pathway.

AIM: To investigate the role of iodine-125 (125 I) combined with epirubicin (EPI) in inhibiting hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) growth and promoting apoptosis. METHODS: Both in vivo and in vitro experiments were conducted. CCK-8 assay was performed to determine the cells viability after EPI treatment. HepG2 and SMMC7721 cells were treated with EPI or 125 I or in combination. Colony formation assays were performed to verify the antiproliferation effect. Annexin V-FITC/PI, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assays, and western blotting were performed to analyze cellular apoptosis. Scratch wound healing assays and transwell assays were used to examine migration following different treatments. An isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantitation analysis was used to detect changes in protein expression after 125 I treatment, identifying the potential mediating protein cathelicidin (LL-37). LL-37 protein and WNT pathway-related proteins were detected by western blotting in SMMC7721 and HepG2 cells. Mice were treated with 125 I and EPI to evaluate whether EPI enhanced the antitumor effect of 125 I. RESULTS: EPI promoted 125 I-induced apoptosis and reduced the proliferation of HepG2 and SMMC7721 cells. EPI also prevented the migration of HepG2 and SMMC7721 cells. EPI combined with 125 I may interfere with the WNT signaling pathway by decreasing LL-37 to inhibit HCC development. The antitumor effects of EPI with 125 I were verified in mice. CONCLUSION: EPI combined with 125 I induced apoptosis and inhibited the proliferation of HCC cells by LL-37 downregulating the WNT pathway.