CDKL3 is a targetable regulator of cell cycle progression in cancers.

Cell cycle regulation is largely abnormal in cancers. Molecular understanding and therapeutic targeting of the aberrant cell cycle are essentially meaningful. Here, we identified an under-appreciated Serine/Threonine kinase, CDKL3 (Cyclin-dependent kinase like 3), crucially drives the rapid cell cycle progression and cell growth in cancers. Mechanism-wise, CDKL3 localizes in the nucleus and associates with specific cyclin to directly phosphorylate Retinoblastoma (Rb) for quiescence exit. In parallel, CDKL3 prevents the ubiquitin-proteasomal degradation of CDK4 by direct phosphorylation on T172 to sustain G1 phase advancement. The crucial function of CDKL3 in cancers was demonstrated both in vitro and in vivo. We also designed, synthesized and characterized a first-in-class CDKL3-specific inhibitor, HZ1. HZ1 exhibits greater potency than CDK4/6 (Cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6) inhibitor in pan-cancer treatment by causing cell cycle arrest and overcomes the acquired resistance of the latter. In particular, CDKL3 has significant clinical relevance in colon cancer, and the effectiveness of HZ1 was demonstrated by murine and patient-derived cancer models. Collectively, this work presented an integrated paradigm of cancer cell cycle regulation and suggested CDKL3-targeting as a feasible approach in cancer treatment.

Mathematical derivation and mechanism analysis of beta oscillations in a cortex-pallidum model.

In this paper, we develop a new cortex-pallidum model to study the origin mechanism of Parkinson's oscillations in the cortex. In contrast to many previous models, the globus pallidus internal (GPi) and externa (GPe) both exert direct inhibitory feedback to the cortex. Using Hopf bifurcation analysis, two new critical conditions for oscillations, which can include the self-feedback projection of GPe, are obtained. In this paper, we find that the average discharge rate (ADR) is an important marker of oscillations, which can divide Hopf bifurcations into two types that can uniformly be used to explain the oscillation mechanism. Interestingly, the ADR of the cortex first increases and then decreases with increasing coupling weights that are projected to the GPe. Regarding the Hopf bifurcation critical conditions, the quantitative relationship between the inhibitory projection and excitatory projection to the GPe is monotonically increasing; in contrast, the relationship between different coupling weights in the cortex is monotonically decreasing. In general, the oscillation amplitude is the lowest near the bifurcation points and reaches the maximum value with the evolution of oscillations. The GPe is an effective target for deep brain stimulation to alleviate oscillations in the cortex.

Fiber Bragg grating sensing system for temperature measurements based on optically injected DFB-LD with an OEO loop.

A novel fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensing system, based on an optically injected distributed feedback laser diode (DFB-LD) with an optoelectronic oscillating (OEO) loop, is proposed and experimentally demonstrated for temperature measurements with high and tunable sensitivity. The FBG sensor device works as an edge filter to adjust the optical power of the injected beam in response to temperature variations. The optically injected DFB-LD works at Period-one (P1) oscillating state, and the central wavelength of the oscillating mode of the DFB-LD can be tuned by the variable power of the injected beam. Furthermore, an OEO loop is implemented to improve the signal quality of the generated P1 microwave signal. Hence, the sensing parameter of temperature is converted to the frequency variation of the generated P1 microwave signal in the proposed sensing system. In the proof-of-concept experiment, a series of P1 microwave signals are generated while different temperatures are applied to the FBG sensor. The sensitivity of the proposed FBG sensing system for temperature measurements can be tuned from 0.44322 GHz/°C to 1.25952 GHz/°C. The stability and repeatability experiments are also performed, demonstrating the high measurement accuracy (0.0629°C) and low error of the system. The proposed FBG-based sensing and interrogation system exhibits high sensitivity, large tunability, good linearity, and flexible sensing generality.

Enhancement of Motor Learning and Corticospinal Excitability: The Role of Electroacupuncture and Motor Training in Healthy Volunteers.

BACKGROUND This study embarked on an innovative exploration to elucidate the effects of integrating electroacupuncture (EA) with motor training (MT) on enhancing corticospinal excitability and motor learning. Central to this investigation is the interplay between homeostatic and non-homeostatic metaplasticity processes, providing insights into how these combined interventions may influence neural plasticity and motor skill acquisition. MATERIAL AND METHODS The investigation enrolled 20 healthy volunteers, subjecting them to 4 distinct interventions to parse out the individual and combined effects of EA and MT. These interventions were EA alone, MT alone, EA-priming followed by MT, and MT-priming followed by EA. The assessment of changes in primary motor cortex (M1) excitability was conducted through motor-evoked potentials (MEPs), while the grooved pegboard test (GPT) was used to evaluate alterations in motor performance. RESULTS The findings revealed that EA and MT independently contributed to enhanced M1 excitability and motor performance. However, the additional priming with EA or MT did not yield further modulation in MEPs amplitudes. Notably, EA-priming was associated with improved GPT completion times, underscoring its potential in facilitating motor learning. CONCLUSIONS The study underscores that while EA and MT individually augment motor cortex excitability and performance, their synergistic application does not further enhance or inhibit cortical excitability. This points to the involvement of non-homeostatic metaplasticity mechanisms. Nonetheless, EA emerges as a critical tool in preventing M1 overstimulation, thereby continuously fostering motor learning. The findings call for further research into the strategic application of EA, whether in isolation or with MT, within clinical settings to optimize rehabilitation outcomes.

In situ fabrication of Fe3C nanoparticles and porous-carbon composites as high-performance electromagnetic wave absorber.

This study successfully utilized a straightforward approach, choosing liquid-liquid phase separation to build a porous structure and synthesize composite absorbers based on polyimide-based porous carbon/Fe3C (PIC/Fe3C-1, PIC/Fe3C-2) nanoparticles and porous carbon/FeCo alloy nanoparticles (PIC/FeCo). The specially designed network structure pore structures contributed multiple reflection, conduction loss and strong interfacial polarization. After characterization, PIC/Fe3C-2 obtained minimum RL of -35.37 dB at 17.04 GHz with 1.55 mm thickness and effective absorption bandwidth of 4.95 GHz with 1.66 mm thickness. Furthermore, PIC/FeCo, with a thickness of 1.63 mm, exhibits the most robust electromagnetic wave loss ability at 15.6 GHz, with a minimum RL of -56.32 dB and an effective absorption bandwidth of 4.88 GHz. Thus, the design strategy presented in this study could serve as a model for synthesizing other high-performance absorbers, effectively mitigating electromagnetic wave-induced pollution.

Solid-waste-recycled CuO/C3N4 S-scheme heterojunctions for efficient photocatalytic antibiotic degradation.

With the increasing severity of antibiotic pollution, the development of effective green photocatalysts for the degradation of organic pollutants in water has attracted extensive attention. Herein, we have prepared CuO/C3N4 S-scheme heterogeneous photocatalysts via recycling Cu resources from Cu-containing electroplating sludges. By mediating the acid leaching process, copper in electroplating sludges was dissolved selectively, while other metal species were retained in the residues. The CuO/C3N4 S-scheme heterojunction not only effectively suppressed the recombination of photogenerated charge carriers of C3N4, but also preserved the strong reducing electrons of C3N4 and the strong oxidizing holes of CuO, retaining the outstanding redox ability of CuO/C3N4. Therefore, CuO/C3N4 photocatalysts exhibited good catalytic performance in the degradation of tetracycline (over 95% in 2 h). In addition, CuO/C3N4 S-scheme heterojunctions achieved a high mineralization rate (45% in 2 hours), thus reducing secondary pollution during the degradation. This work provides a reliable direction for designing novel S-scheme heterojunction photocatalytic materials by using metal sources in solid waste.

Design, synthesis and mechanism study of coumarin-sulfonamide derivatives as carbonic anhydrase IX inhibitors with anticancer activity.

In this study, twenty-nine coumarin-3-sulfonamide derivatives, twenty-seven of which are original were designed and synthesized. Cytotoxicity assay indicated that most of these derivatives exhibited moderated to good potency against A549 cells. Among them, compound 8q showed potent inhibition against the four tested cancer cell lines, especially A549 cells with IC50 value of 6.01 ± 0.81 µM, and much lower cytotoxicity on the normal cells was observed compared to the reference compounds. Bioinformatics analysis revealed human carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX) was highly expressed in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and associated with poor prognosis. The inhibitory activity of compound 8q against CAIX was assessed by using molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations, which revealed prominent interactions of both compound 8q and CAIX at the active site and their high affinity. The results of ELISA assays verified that compound 8q possessed strong inhibitory activity against CAIX and high subtype selectivity, and could also down-regulate the expression of CAIX in A549 cells. Furthermore, the significant inhibitory effects of compound 8q on the migration and invasion of A549 cells were also found. After treatment with compound 8q, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels increased and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) decreased. Mechanistic investigation using western blotting revealed compound 8q exerted the anti-migrative and anti-invasive effects probably through mitochondria-mediated PI3K/AKT pathway by targeting CAIX. In summary, coumarin-3-sulfonamide derivatives were developed as potential and effective CAIX inhibitors, which were worthy of further investigation.

Polyimide-based porous carbon and cobalt nanoparticle composites as high-performance electromagnetic wave absorbers.

This study successfully utilized a straightforward approach, choosing liquid-liquid phase separation to build a porous structure and synthesize composite absorbers based on polyimide-based porous carbon and cobalt nanoparticles (designated as PPC/Co-700 and PPC/Co-800). A fine porous structure was achieved as a result of the excellent heat resistance of polyimide resulting in an excellent electromagnetic wave absorption ability of PPC/Co composites. The results obtained clearly indicated that PPC/Co-700 and PPC/Co-800 exhibit a porous structure with coral-like pores, enhancing both impedance matching properties and microwave attenuation abilities. This improvement in impedance matching conditions and dissipation capability is attributed to the synergistic effect of dielectric loss induced by carbon and magnetic loss induced by Co nanoparticles. PPC/Co-700 showed the strongest absorption performance with a minimum reflection loss of -59.85 dB (30 wt% loading, thickness of 3.42 mm) and an effective absorption bandwidth (EABW, RL ≤ -10 dB) of 6.24 GHz (30 wt% loading, thickness of 2.78 mm). Therefore, this work provides a facile strategy for the development of a promising absorbing material with outstanding electromagnetic wave absorption performance.

Enhancing Targeted Photodynamic Therapy: Star-Shaped Glycopolymeric Photosensitizers for Improved Selectivity and Efficacy.

Targeted photodynamic therapy (PDT) offers advantages over nontargeted approaches, including improved selectivity, efficacy, and reduced side effects. This study developed star-shaped glycopolymeric photosensitizers using porphyrin-based initiators via ATRP. Incorporating a porphyrin core gave the polymers fluorescence and ROS generation, while adding fructose improved solubility and targeting capabilities. The photosensitizers had high light absorption, singlet oxygen production, specificity, low dark toxicity, and biocompatibility. The glycopolymers with longer sugar arms and higher density showed better uptake on MCF-7 and MDA-MB-468 cells compared to HeLa cells, indicating enhanced targeting capabilities. Inhibition of endocytosis confirmed the importance of the GLUT5 receptor. The resulting polymers exhibited good cytocompatibility under dark conditions and satisfactory PDT under light irradiation. Interestingly, the polymers containing fructose have a GLUT5-dependent elimination effect on the MCF-7 and MDA-MB-468 cells. The intracellular ROS production followed a similar pattern, indicating that the fructose polymer exhibits specific targeting toward cells with GLUT5 receptors.

Effect of suspended particulate matter on physiological, biochemical and photosynthetic characteristics of Chlorella pyrenoidosa in the Jinjiang Estuary (Fujian, China).

Suspended particulate matter (SPM), an important component of the natural water environment, can act as a carrier of many pollutants that affect aquatic organisms. In the present study, the effect of SPM obtained from Jinjiang Estuary on the physiological, biochemical, and photosynthetic properties of typical freshwater algae (Chlorella pyrenoidosa) was investigated. The results showed that under different concentrations of SPM treatment, the superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) activities, and malondialdehyde (MDA) content of C. pyrenoidosa increased, but the soluble protein content decreased. SPM with different particle sizes had less effect on SOD of C. pyrenoidosa, but showed a promoting effect on CAT and MDA as well as soluble protein content. In terms of photosynthetic activity, high concentrations (70, 90 mg/L) and small particle sizes (0-75, 75-120 µm) of SPM had a greater effect on the chlorophyll a content of C. pyrenoidosa. In addition, different concentrations of SPM had no significant effect on the potential photosynthetic activity of PS II (Fv/F0) and the maximum quantum yield of PS II (Fv/Fm), but the inhibition of the initial slope (alpha), the maximum photosynthetic rate (ETRmax) and the semi-light saturation point (Ik) increased with the increase of SPM concentration. Fv/F0, ETRmax, and Ik of C. pyrenoidosa showed some degree of recovery after inhibition in the presence of SPM of different particle sizes.

Toe stimulation improves tactile perception of the genitals.

The human body is represented in a topographic pattern in the primary somatosensory cortex (S1), and genital representation is displaced below the toe representation. However, the relationship between the representation of the genitals and toe in S1 remains unclear. In this study, tactile stimulation was applied to the big toe in healthy subjects to observe changes in tactile acuity in the unstimulated genital area, abdomen, and metacarpal dorsal. Then tactile stimulation was applied to the right abdomen and metacarpal dorsal to observe changes in tactile acuity in bilateral genitals. The results revealed that tactile stimulation of the big toe led to a reduction in the 2-point discrimination threshold (2PDT) not only in the stimulated big toe but also in the bilateral unstimulated genitals, whereas the bilateral abdomen and metacarpal dorsal threshold remained unchanged. On the other hand, tactile stimulation of the abdomen and metacarpal dorsal did not elicit 2-point discrimination threshold changes in the bilateral genitals. Cortical and subcortical mechanisms have been proposed to account for the findings. One explanation involves the intracortical interaction between 2 adjacent representations. Another possible explanation is that the information content of a specific body part is broadly distributed across the S1. Moreover, exploring the links between human behaviors and changes in the cerebral cortex is of significant importance.

Cu-modified InVO4 photocatalysts for enhanced N2 fixation using chemical reagents and electroplating sludge as the Cu source.

Inspired by simulation analysis, we found that Cu decoration could enhance the NH3 production rate of InVO4 through promoting N2 adsorption and reducing the activation energy of the key hydrogenation step. 5% Cu/InVO4 exhibited an optimal NH3 yield of 195.11 µmol gcat-1 h-1, approximately six times higher than that of InVO4. Cu/InVO4 was also fabricated by upcycling Cu from electroplating sludge, achieving a gratifying nitrogen fixation performance of 154.13 µmol gcat-1 h-1.

Pan-Cancer Analysis of the Cuproptosis-Related Gene DLD.

Background: Cancer affects millions of people each year and imposes a huge economic and social burden worldwide. Cuproptosis is a recently discovered novel mode of cell death. The exact function of the cuproptosis-related gene dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (DLD) and its role in pan-cancer is unknown. Methods: Data were retrieved from the GTEx, TCGA, and multiple online websites. These data were used to assess the expression, prognosis, and diagnostic value of DLD in various tumors. The relationship of DLD with immune microenvironment immunomodulators, immune checkpoints, tumor mutational load (TMB), microsatellite instability (MSI), and oncology drug sensitivity was explored by correlation analysis. Results: The mRNA and protein expression of DLD differs in most cancers. Survival analysis showed that DLD was associated with prognosis with KIRC, KIRP, KICH, and UCS. DLD had a strong diagnostic value in KIRC, GBM, PAAD, and LGG (AUC > 0.9). DLD promoter methylation affects the aberrant expression of LIHC, LUSC, PAAD, READ, and THCA. DLD was negatively correlated with stromal score, immune score, and ESTIMATE score in UCEC, TGCT, LUSC, and SARC. In UCS, resting memory CD4 T cells and activated NK cells were significantly correlated with DLD expression. Significant correlations were also observed between DLD expression and immunomodulators, immune checkpoints, TMB, and MSI in various cancers. Importantly, we also identified a number of potential drugs that may target DLD. Conclusion: DLD expression is associated with a variety of tumor prognoses and plays an integral role in tumorigenesis, tumor metabolism, and immunity.

Metallic micronutrients are associated with the structure and function of the soil microbiome.

The relationship between metallic micronutrients and soil microorganisms, and thereby soil functioning, has been little explored. Here, we investigate the relationship between metallic micronutrients (Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Mo and Ni) and the abundance, diversity and function of soil microbiomes. In a survey across 180 sites in China, covering a wide range of soil conditions the structure and function of the soil microbiome are highly correlated with metallic micronutrients, especially Fe, followed by Mn, Cu and Zn. These results are robust to controlling for soil pH, which is often reported as the most important predictor of the soil microbiome. An incubation experiment with Fe and Zn additions for five different soil types also shows that increased micronutrient concentration affects microbial community composition and functional genes. In addition, structural equation models indicate that micronutrients positively contribute to the ecosystem productivity, both directly (micronutrient availability to plants) and, to a lesser extent, indirectly (via affecting the microbiome). Our findings highlight the importance of micronutrients in explaining soil microbiome structure and ecosystem functioning.

Emodin attenuates cardiomyocyte pyroptosis in doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity by directly binding to GSDMD.

BACKGROUND: Doxorubicin (Dox), which is an anticancer drug, has significant cardiac toxicity and side effects. Pyroptosis occurs during Dox-induced cardiotoxicity (DIC), and drug inhibition of this process is one therapeutic approach for treating DIC. Previous studies have indicated that emodin can reduce pyroptosis. However, the role of emodin in DIC and its molecular targets remain unknown. HYPOTHESIS/PURPOSE: We aimed to clarify the protective role of emodin in mitigating DIC, as well as the mechanisms underlying this effect. METHODS: The model of DIC was established via the intraperitoneal administration of Dox at a dosage of 5 mg/kg per week for a span of 4 weeks. Emodin at two different doses (10 and 20 mg/kg) or a vehicle was intragastrically administered to the mice once per day throughout the Dox treatment period. Cardiac function, myocardial injury markers, pathological morphology of the heart, level of pyroptosis and mitochondrial function were assessed. Protein microarray, biolayer interferometry and pull-down assays were used to confirm the target of emodin. Moreover, GSDMD-overexpressing plasmids were transfected into GSDMD-/- mice and HL-1 cells to further verify whether emodin suppressed GSDMD activation. RESULTS: Emodin therapy markedly enhanced cardiac function and reduced cardiomyocyte pyroptosis in mice induced by Dox. Mechanistically, emodin binds to GSDMD and inhibits the activation of GSDMD by targeting the Trp415 and Leu290 residues. Moreover, emodin was able to mitigate Dox-induced cardiac dysfunction and myocardial injury in GSDMD-/- mice overexpressing GSDMD, as shown by increased EF and FS, decreased serum levels of CK-MB, LDH and IL-1ß and mitigated cell death and cell morphological disorder. Additionally, emodin treatment significantly reduced GSDMD-N expression and plasma membrane disruption in HL-1 cells overexpressing GSDMD induced by Dox. In addition, emodin reduced mitochondrial damage by alleviating Dox-induced GSDMD perforation in the mitochondrial membrane. CONCLUSION: Emodin has the potential to attenuate DIC by directly binding to GSDMD to inhibit pyroptosis. Emodin may become a promising drug for prevention and treatment of DIC.

Rapidly separating dissolving microneedles with sustained-release colchicine and stabilized uricase for simplified long-term gout management.

Despite growing prevalence and incidence, the management of gout remains suboptimal. The intermittent nature of the gout makes the long-term urate-lowering therapy (ULT) particularly important for gout management. However, patients are reluctant to take medication day after day to manage incurable occasional gout flares, and suffer from possible long-term toxicity. Therefore, a safe and easy-to-operate drug delivery system with simple preparation for the long-term management of gout is very necessary. Here, a chitosan-containing sustained-release microneedle system co-loaded with colchicine and uricase liposomes were fabricated to achieve this goal. This microneedle system was confirmed to successfully deliver the drug to the skin and maintain a one-week drug retention. Furthermore, its powerful therapeutic potency to manage gout was investigated in both acute gouty and chronic gouty models. Besides, the drug co-delivery system could help avoid long-term daily oral colchicine, a drug with a narrow therapeutic index. This system also avoids mass injection of uricase by improving its stability, enhancing the clinical application value of uricase. In general, this two-drug system reduces the dosage of uricase and colchicine and improves the patient's compliance, which has a strong clinical translation.

ENO2-derived phosphoenolpyruvate functions as an endogenous inhibitor of HDAC1 and confers resistance to antiangiogenic therapy.

Metabolic reprogramming is associated with resistance to antiangiogenic therapy in cancer. However, its molecular mechanisms have not been clearly elucidated. Here, we identify the glycolytic enzyme enolase 2 (ENO2) as a driver of resistance to antiangiogenic therapy in colorectal cancer (CRC) mouse models and human participants. ENO2 overexpression induces neuroendocrine differentiation, promotes malignant behaviour in CRC and desensitizes CRC to antiangiogenic drugs. Mechanistically, the ENO2-derived metabolite phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) selectively inhibits histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) activity, which increases the acetylation of ß-catenin and activates the ß-catenin pathway in CRC. Inhibition of ENO2 with enolase inhibitors AP-III-a4 or POMHEX synergizes the efficacy of antiangiogenic drugs in vitro and in mice bearing drug-resistant CRC xenograft tumours. Together, our findings reveal that ENO2 constitutes a useful predictive biomarker and therapeutic target for resistance to antiangiogenic therapy in CRC, and uncover a previously undefined and metabolism-independent role of PEP in regulating resistance to antiangiogenic therapy by functioning as an endogenous HDAC1 inhibitor.

Solid pseudopapillary neoplasm: Report of a case of primary ovarian origin and review of the literature.

Background: Solid pseudopapillary neoplasms (SPNs) are uncommon tumors of low malignancy with a generally favorable prognosis, mostly originating from the pancreas. To date, 12 cases of SPNs with a primary ovarian origin (SPN-Os) have been reported globally, and their detailed characteristics have not been fully elucidated. Case description: We reported the 13th SPN-O case, which occurred in a 52-year-old woman with an 18.5 cm left ovarian mass. Four imaging methods, including ultrasound, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography, were utilized before surgery. An elevated level of serum cancer antigen 125 was detected and a total hysterectomy plus bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy was performed. Microscopic examination revealed a typical solid pseudopapillary structure. The tumor cells were stained focally for pan-cytokeratin, synaptophysin, CD99 and CD10, while ß-catenin, vimentin and CD56 were diffusely expressed. The Ki-67 proliferation index was 3%, and immunohistochemical (IHC) staining for chromogranin-A, inhibin-a, and E-cadherin was negative. No evidence of recurrence or metastasis was observed by clinical and imaging data during a 5-month postoperative follow-up. Conclusion: This is a report of an unusual case of a primary ovarian SPN with an up-to-date review of SPN-Os. A minimum combination of imaging methods and IHC stains was proposed for SPN-Os, which may prove beneficial in clinical practice.

USP10 strikes down ß-catenin by dual-wielding deubiquitinase activity and phase separation potential.

Wnt/ß-catenin signaling is a conserved pathway crucially governing development, homeostasis, and oncogenesis. Discoveries of its regulators hold great values in both basic and translational research. Through screening, we identified a deubiquitinase, USP10, as a critical modulator of ß-catenin. Mechanistically, USP10 binds to key scaffold Axin1 via conserved motifs and stabilizes Axin1 through K48-linked deubiquitination. Surprisingly, USP10 physically tethers Axin1 and ß-catenin and promotes the phase separation for ß-catenin suppression regardless of the enzymatic activity. Function-wise, USP10 enzymatic activity preferably regulates embryonic development and both the enzymatic activity and physical function jointly control intestinal homeostasis by antagonizing ß-catenin. In colorectal cancer, USP10 substantially represses cancer growth mainly through physical promotion of phase separation and correlates with Wnt/ß-catenin magnitude clinically. Collectively, we discovered USP10 functioning in multiple biological processes against ß-catenin and unearthed the enzyme-dependent and -independent "dual-regulating" mechanism. These two functions of USP10 work in parallel and are context dependent.

White matter microstructural disruption in minimal hepatic encephalopathy: a neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the ability of neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) for detecting white matter (WM) microstructural abnormalities in minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE). METHODS: Diffusion-weighted images, enabling the estimation of NODDI and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) parameters, were acquired from 20 healthy controls (HC), 22 cirrhotic patients without MHE (NHE), and 15 cirrhotic patients with MHE. Tract-based spatial statistics were used to determine differences in DTI (including fractional anisotropy [FA] and mean/axial/radial diffusivity [MD/AD/RD]) and NODDI parameters (including neurite density index [NDI], orientation dispersion index [ODI], and isotropic volume fraction [ISO]). Voxel-wise analyses of correlations between diffusion parameters and neurocognitive performance determined by Psychometric Hepatic Encephalopathy Score (PHES) were completed. RESULTS: MHE patients had extensive NDI reduction and rare ODI reduction, primarily involving the genu and body of corpus callosum and the bilateral frontal lobe, corona radiata, external capsule, anterior limb of internal capsule, temporal lobe, posterior thalamic radiation, and brainstem. The extent of NDI and ODI reduction expanded from NHE to MHE. In both MHE and NHE groups, the extent of NDI change was quite larger than that of FA change. No significant intergroup difference in ISO/MD/AD/RD was observed. Tissue specificity afforded by NODDI revealed the underpinning of FA reduction in MHE. The NDI in left frontal lobe was significantly correlated with PHES. CONCLUSION: MHE is characterized by diffuse WM microstructural impairment (especially neurite density reduction). NODDI can improve the detection of WM microstructural impairments in MHE and provides more precise information about MHE-related pathology than DTI.