Release of PAHs from sediments to seawater under wave: Indoor microcosms and level IV fugacity models.

Estuaries and coasts are located at the land-sea interface, where sediment liquefaction due to strong wave action results in significant material exchange at the sediment-seawater system. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), as organic pollutants, are distributed across various media. Herein, the impact of wave was studied on the release of PAHs through indoor microcosmic experiments combined with a level IV fugacity model. Comparison revealed that the release amount and rate of PAHs during static consolidation stage were minimal, whereas wave action substantially enhanced the release. Particularly the sediments in a liquefied state, the PAHs release in Stage III was 1.55-1.86 times that in Stage II, reaching 84.73 µg/L. The loss of soil strength and strong hydrodynamic effects resulted in a substantial release of PAHs into seawater along with suspended solids. Due to volatility of 2-ring PAHs and difficult desorption of 6-ring PAHs, 3-5-ring PAHs are the main contributors to releases into seawater. The model results also indicated that the three PAHs had different fates in the sediment-seawater system, with sediment serving as an important "reservoir" for benzo[a]pyrene entering seawater, while functioning as both a "sink" and a "source" for pyrene.

Identification of INHBA as a potential biomarker for gastric cancer through a comprehensive analysis.

Inhibin subunit beta A (INHBA) is a member of the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-ß) superfamily that plays a fundamental role in various cancers. However, a systematic analysis of the exact role of INHBA in patients with gastric cancer (GC) has not yet been conducted. We evaluated the expression levels of INHBA and the correlation between INHBA and GC prognosis in GC. The relationship between INHBA expression, immune infiltration levels, and type markers of immune cells in GC was also explored. In addition, we studied INHBA mutations, promoter methylation, and functional enrichment analysis. Besides, high expression levels of INHBA in GC were significantly related to unfavorable prognosis. INHBA was negatively correlated with B cell infiltration, but positively correlated with macrophage and most anticancer immunity steps. INHBA expression was positively correlated with the type markers of CD8+ T cells, neutrophils, macrophages, and dendritic cells. INHBA has a weak significant methylation level change between tumor and normal tissues and mainly enriched in cancer-related signaling pathways. The present study implies that INHBA may serve as a potential biomarker for predicting the prognosis of patients with GC. INHBA is a promising predictor of immunotherapy response, with higher levels of INHBA indicating greater sensitivity.

A Field Study Implementing New Monitoring Technology for Roof Caving and Systematic Monitoring for Gob-Side Entry Retaining via Roof Cutting in Underground Coal Mining.

The longwall mining method with gob-side entry retaining via roof cutting is a new underground coal mining method which has the characteristics of a high resource recovery ratio and environmental friendliness. Due to the complexity of this method, the research method of case-based dynamic on-site monitoring, analysis, adjustment, and optimization is usually adopted. Based on a roadway retaining via roof cutting project, in addition to the traditional indirect monitoring method of hydraulic support pressure, this study innovatively establishes a direct monitoring method for roof caving by monitoring the gangue pressure in the goaf, which provides data for the roof cutting effect and offers a new method for studying the overlying strata movement. In the project, a comprehensive monitoring and analysis system was established, including gangue pressure, cable bolt stress, bracket pressure, roadway deformation, and roof separation, which was used to dynamically analyze the effect of roof cutting and optimize the support design. The results show that the pressure of the hydraulic support close to the roof cutting is low, indicating that roof cutting is favorable in the roadway retaining mining method. The roadway deformation in the advanced abutment pressure area of the working face is small. The mining-induced stress caused by the collapse and compaction of the overlying strata in the goaf is the dominant factor affecting the effect of roadway retaining, especially in the 50-100 m range behind the working face, where the dynamic load causes high bearing capacity of the support elements, large roadway convergence, and roof separation. Temporary support and supplementary reinforcement should be added when necessary. The monitoring system presented in this study is highly comprehensive, simple, reliable, and low in cost, providing a reference for roof cutting roadway retaining projects and roof caving-related studies.

Research on main influencing factors and complete support technology for dynamic pressure and large deformation roadway.

To determine the main factors influencing dynamic pressure and large deformation roadways, a targeted set of support technologies was designed. The 2603 air inlet roadway of the Zhangcun coal mine in Lu'an, Shanxi Province, was taken as an example. The influence of the Wenwangshan South normal fault and in situ stress field on the dynamic pressure roadway was analyzed theoretically, and the main factors influencing this dynamic pressure and large deformation roadway under natural geological conditions were determined. The effect of the existing roadway support scheme was evaluated by field test methods such as nondestructive bolt testing. The influence of mining two working faces on the dynamic pressure and large deformation roadway was studied by the FLAC3D numerical simulation method. On this basis, a new grouting material was developed, a complete set of technical schemes of full-section integrated cooperative support of dynamic pressure and large deformation roadways was proposed, and the field application effect was verified. The results showed that under natural geological conditions, the 2603 air inlet roadway was located within the influence range of the Wenwangshan South normal fault, which was significantly affected and controlled by the fault. The included angle between the roadway extension direction and the maximum principal stress was 74°, which was not conducive to the stability of the roadway. The range of the roadway loose zone was large. Under the existing support conditions, the surrounding rock could not form a relatively stable structure, which was one of the main reasons for the large deformation of the surrounding rock in the dynamic pressure roadway. The 2603 air inlet roadway was affected by the mining of both the adjacent working face and the 2603 working face. The stresses were superimposed, and the roadway was greatly deformed and damaged. A new grouting material was developed. A crosslinking agent prepared by toluene diisocyanate and polyether polyol was added to the existing polyurethane material to form a new grouting material, and a complete supporting technical scheme was proposed. The field application results showed that the displacement and floor heave of both sides of the roadway were reduced by approximately 87%, the deformation and failure of the coal and rock mass of the roadway were effectively controlled, and the deformation of the dynamic pressure roadway was greatly reduced.

Ni-doped MoS2 embedded in natural wood containing porous cellulose for piezo-catalytic degradation of tetracycline.

Wood is a natural material with low cost and easy recovery, which porous, layered, excellent structure and mechanical properties make it possible to apply in wastewater treatment. We have successfully grown MoS2 on natural wood containing porous cellulose and introduced the high conductivity circuit path provided by Ni nanoparticles to construct a new piezoelectric three-dimensional wood block for the efficient degradation of tetracycline. Ni/MoS2/Wood exhibited excellent piezo-catalytic degradation performance, and the degradation rate of tetracycline reached 95.96 % (k = 0.0411 min-1) under ultrasonic vibration. After 5 cycles, the degradation rate still reached 90.20 %. In addition, Ni/MoS2/Wood was used as the reactor filler to degrade tetracycline through piezoelectric response triggered by hydrodynamic force, and the degradation rate reached 90.27 % after 60 min. Further, the mechanism and the possible degradation pathways of tetracycline degradation were proposed. This low-cost, recyclable and stable three-dimensional wood block piezoelectric material provides a new idea for the practical application of wastewater treatment.

Insights into fundamental problems of rockburst under the modern structure stress field.

Rockbursts are some of the most severe dynamic disasters in coal mines. In this paper, the discrimination method of the tectonic stress field is proposed by analyzing the modern stress field in China. The tectonic stress field formed by modern tectonic movement guides in situ stress measurements. According to the stress state classification, most rockbursts in coal mines in China are closely associated with tectonic stress. For tectonic stress-driven rockbursts, modern tectonic movement and modern tectonic stress fields must be considered. The stress change and energy transfer caused by tectonic movement affect the geological structure where coal mines are located. Energy accumulation under rockburst conditions is mainly formed by natural geo-dynamic movement and the mining configuration, and energy accumulation is the basis for rockbursts. The application of the geo-dynamic environmental evaluation method to determine the coalfield geo-dynamic process and the influence of modern tectonic movement is proposed. Accordingly, the classification method of rockbursts in coal mines is established. Based on the distribution characteristics of modern tectonic conditions in China, it is revealed that these dynamic disasters follow a "110" distribution. Finally, a "three condition" criteria of rockbursts is proposed: the geo-dynamic environment is a necessary condition for rockbursts, mining disturbance is a sufficient condition for rockbursts, and risk-releasing measures are a condition controlling rockburst risk mitigation.

Clinical course and management of insidious adrenal crisis manifested initially as hyperpyrexia secondary to pembrolizumab: Case reports and literature review.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are novel drugs with a dramatic survival benefit in patients with advanced malignancies. With the widespread use, several immune-related adverse events (irAEs) have emerged, which may be life-threatening. Herein we report two patients with adrenal crisis who received anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) (pembrolizumab) therapy. Several reports of secondary adrenal insufficiency caused by pembrolizumab exist, including during treatment or late onset. Severe adrenal insufficiency according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) has rarely been described in the literature, since it initially manifests as high-grade fever. The two male patients developed adrenal crisis that was first characterized by hyperpyrexia accompanied by abdominal symptoms. These initial manifestations confused the clinicians who misdiagnosed them as infection. Timely identification, hydrocortisone pulse therapy, and fluid resuscitation improved the patients' condition. Compliance with the standardized treatment approach and course can prevent or relieve the crisis as soon as possible. Assessment of relevant laboratory test results and patient education, including when to use stress-dose hydrocortisone and guidance on route of administration, can reduce the incidence of adrenal crisis. We report these two cases and have evaluated the literature on previously reported cases to improve our understanding of this condition and offer a more scientific approach to diagnosis and treatment options.

Effects of early palliative care on patients with incurable cancer: A meta-analysis and systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: This meta-analysis aims to compare the effects of early palliative care on patients with incurable cancer with those of standard oncologic care or on-demand palliative care. METHODS: Pubmed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, ClinicalTrials.gov and World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) were searched for relevant randomised controlled trials. We also screened reference lists of included studies for additional qualified studies. We used Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias Tool to evaluate quality of included studies. DerSimonian and Laird's random effects meta-analysis was used to synthesise the effects. RESULTS: Sixteen in 1376 studies were included. The pooled data suggested that patients receiving early palliative care had better quality of life (SMD = 0.737, 95% CI: 0.240-1.234), fewer symptoms (SMD = 0.304, 95% CI: 0.097-0.510), better mood (SMD = -0.443, 95% CI: -0.605 to -0.282), better survival (hazard ratio [HR] of death: HR = 1.521, 95% CI: 1.521-1.923; 1-year overall survival probability: HR = 1.238, 95% CI: 1.031-1.486) and higher probability of dying at home (HR = 1.153, 95% CI: 1.027-1.295) than patients in the control group. And there is no difference between resource use. CONCLUSION: Early palliative care improves lives of patients with incurable cancer, but the evidence level is low because of high heterogeneity of quality of life and small numbers of included studies for other results.

Cystathionine ß-synthase expression correlates with tumor development and poor prognosis in patients with adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction.

OBJECTIVES: To reveal the expression level of cystathionine ß-synthase (CBS) in adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction (AEG) and discuss the relationship between CBS expression level and tumor microvascular density (MVD), clinical features and prognosis. METHODS: Paraffin samples from 214 patients with AEG were selected to make pathological microchips. Immunohistochemistry was performed based on the microchips to detect the expression level of CBS and microvascular density (MVD) in cancer tissues and adjacent control tissues. Relationships between expression level of CBS and MVD, clinical characteristics and prognosis were analyzed. RESULTS: In total, 214 AEG cases were classified into three groups: CBS negative staining (n=26), low staining (n=44), and high staining (n=144). Quantitative alterations in CBS and CD31 expression were explored using immunohistochemistry. The 5-year recurrence rate of enrolled patients was followed up and found that CBS expression was significantly increased in tumor tissue compared with adjacent non-tumor tissue (P<0.0001). There were significant differences in microvascular density between the groups with negative and high CBS staining (P<0.0001), and between the groups with low and high CBS staining (P<0.0001). Univariate analysis revealed significant differences in tumor stage (P<0.0001), T stage (P=0.008), N stage (P=0.028), differentiation degree (P=0.037), and 5-year survival (P=0.0034) among the three groups. Multivariate logic regression analysis showed that increased CBS scores were associated with an increased probability of 5-year recurrence (P=0.018). Finally, different CBS expression levels were associated with disease-free survival in AEG patients. CONCLUSIONS: CBS expression level is closely related to microvascular density and tumor stage in AEG. High level of CBS not only accelerates tumor angiogenesis but also affects patient's survival and prognosis.

Research on the mechanisms of taraxerol for the treatment of gastric cancer effect based on network pharmacology.

BACKGROUND: Modern pharmacological studies have shown that traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) Taraxacum mongolicum possesses anti-cancer activity. Taraxerol (TRX) is a pentacyclic triterpene isolated from T. mongolicum, which is widely used in clinical treatment, and its anti-cancer effects have been extensively studied. However, the effects and molecular mechanism of TRX in gastric cancer (GC) have not been fully explicated. METHODS: We used public databases to derive information on potential targets of TRX and proteins related to GC. Also, STRING and R3.6.2 software were used to analyze the protein-protein interaction (PPI). The Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were done to explain the potential mechanism underlying the regulatory role of TRX in GC. The role of TRX in GC was verified by 3-(4,5)-dimethylthiahiazo (-z-y1)-3,5-di- phenytetrazoliumromide (MTT) assay, apoptosis analysis, Transwell assay, and wound healing assay, and the key signaling pathways were verified. RESULTS: We identified 135 potential targets for the treatment of GC via network pharmacological analysis. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis showed that steroid hormone receptor activity and the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway were the biological processes and pathways with the highest degree of enrichment. Additionally, cellular experiments revealed that TRX inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of GC cells as well as induced G1 phase arrest and apoptosis in GC cells. CONCLUSION: Here, we used multi-target and multi-pathway network pharmacological analysis to verify the anti-cancer activity of TRX in GC. Also, in vitro experimental data were used to derive the potential molecular mechanism.

Regulatory Mechanism and Experimental Verification of Patchouli Alcohol on Gastric Cancer Cell Based on Network Pharmacology.

BACKGROUND: Pogostemon cablin is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) that is frequently used to treat various gastrointestinal diseases. Patchouli alcohol (PA), a compound extracted from the Pogostemon cablin, has been shown to have anti-tumor efficacy in human colorectal cancer. However, the mechanism of PA's anticancer effect on gastric cancer (GC) remains unknown. METHODS: We used the public database to obtain the potential targets of PA and genes related to GC. Bioinformatic analyses, such as the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), Gene Ontology (GO), and protein-protein interactions (PPI), were used for analyzing the potential signal pathways and targets. Cell experiments were also conducted to further explain the impact and molecular mechanism of PA on GC, as well as to confirm the findings of network pharmacology. RESULTS: Using network pharmacological analysis, 161 possible targets were identified for the treatment of GC. Network analysis and functional enrichment analysis show that PA produced a marked effect in the treatment of GC through multi-targets and multi-pathways, especially the MAPK and PI3K/AKT signal pathways. In addition, PA showed the inhibition of GC cell proliferation, migration and invasion in cell experiments. According to our findings, PA could also cause G0/G1 phase arrest and apoptosis in GC cells. CONCLUSION: Using network pharmacology, we aim to uncover the possible molecular mechanism of PA on GC treatment in this research. Cell experiments were also conducted to confirm the therapeutic effect of PA on GC.

TMT-based proteomics analysis of the effects of Qianjinweijing Tang on lung cancer.

Qianjinweijing Tang (QJWJ) is a classic traditional Chinese formula that is often used in the treatment of treat lung cancer (LC). However, the underlying cellular mechanisms of the anticancer effects of QJWJ remain unclear. Cell viability was determined by MTS assay and levels of apoptosis measured by flow cytometry. Animal experiments were conducted to determine the effects of QJWJ on tumor growth in vivo. We used a proteomics approach to study the effects of QJWJ on LC cells and applied bioinformatics analysis to identify differentially expressed proteins that were validated by western blotting. QJWJ inhibited the proliferation of LC cells and induced apoptosis. The tumor growth delay effects of QJWJ were confirmed in vivo. We identified 104 differentially expressed proteins following QJWJ treatments of which 45 proteins were upregulated and 59 were downregulated. The levels of differentially expressed proteins were validated by western blotting. Our study indicated that QJWJ has anticancer effects in vivo and in vitro and that these effects are mediated by modulating the expression of tumor-related proteins.

Numerical simulation on fracturing behaviour of hard roofs at different levels during extra-thick coal seam mining.

In fully mechanized caving mining of extra-thick coal seams, the movement range of overburden is wide, resulting in the breakage of multilayer hard roofs in overlying large spaces. However, the characteristics, morphology and impact effect of hard roofs at different levels are different and unclear. In this study, a secondary development was used in the numerical simulation software ABAQUS, and the caving of rock strata in the finite-element software was realized. The bearing stress distribution, fracturing morphology and impact energy characteristics of hard roofs at different levels were studied to reflect the action and difference of hard roof failure on the working face; thus, revealing the mechanism of the strong ground pressure in stopes, and providing a theoretical basis for the safe and efficient mining of extra-thick coal seams with hard roofs.

Relationship between thymidine kinase 1 before radiotherapy and prognosis in breast cancer patients with diabetes.

In a retrospective study design, we explored the relationship between serum thymidine kinase 1 (TK1) concentration before radiotherapy and clinical parameters and evaluated the prognostic value of serum TK1 concentration before radiotherapy in breast cancer patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The present study finally consisted of 428 breast cancer patients with a mean age of 53.0 years. Compared with low TK1 group, the high TK1 group tended to have larger tumor size (P=0.011) and had more lymph node number (P=0.021). Significant differences were also observed in clinical stages I, II and III (P=0.000). There was no significant difference between TK1 and other clinical parameters. For disease-free survival (DFS), the univariate analysis indicated that the high TK1 increased the risk of poor prognosis (HR = 2.38, 95% CI: 1.64-4.23, P=0.000). The Kaplan-Meier curve indicated the high TK1 group was poorer than that in the low TK1 group (P=0.002). For the overall survival (OS), similar results were found that the high TK1 was related to poor OS (HR = 1.89, 95% CI: 1.34-3.67, P=0.000). The multivariate Cox regression indicated that the TK1 was still associated with DFS (HR = 1.83, 95% CI: 1.22-3.17, P=0.001) and OS (HR = 1.63, 95% CI: 1.19-2.08, P=0.006). The high pretreatment serum TK1 levels in breast cancer patients were associated with poor OS and DFS. TK1 could be a potential predictive factor in differential diagnosis of poor prognosis from all patients.

The role of procalcitonin in differential diagnosis between acute radiation pneumonitis and bacterial pneumonia in lung cancer patients receiving thoracic radiotherapy.

Acute Radiation Pneumonitis (ARP) is one of the most common dose-limiting toxicities of thoracic radiotherapy. The accurate diagnosis of ARP remains a challenge because of the lack of a rapid biomarker capable of differentiating ARP from bacterial pneumo (BP). The aim of this study was to investigate the potential usefulness of procalcitonin (PCT) in the differential diagnosis of ARP and BP. Lung cancer patients who had undergone thoracic radiotherapy within 6 months and were admitted to hospital for ARP or BP were retrospectively analyzed. The serum levels of PCT, C-reactive protein (CRP) and white blood cells (WBC) were compared between the two groups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to assess the diagnostic value of PCT, CRP and WBC in the differential diagnosis of ARP and BP and determine the best cut-off values. One hundred eighteen patients were included. Among them, seventy-seven patients were diagnosed with ARP, and 41 patients were diagnosed with BP. The PCT concentrations for patients diagnosed with ARP group were significantly lower than those in the BP group (P < 0.001). There were no differences in CRP and WBC between the two groups. The areas under the ROC curves (AUC) for PCT, CRP and WBC were 0.745, 0.589 and 0.578, respectively. The best cutoff values of PCT, CRP and WBC were 0.47 µg/L, 54.5 mg/L and 9.9 × 109/L, respectively. Low serum PCT levels are associated with ARP. PCT is a useful biomarker to distinguish ARP from BP.

Baohuoside- Ⅰ inhibits malignant phenotype of SW480 and RKO cells and its mechanism / 中国肿瘤生物治疗杂志

@# Objective: To investigate the effect of Baohuoside-Ⅰ on the proliferation, invasion, migration and apoptosis of colon cancer cell lines SW480 and RKO and the relative mechanism. Methods: Colon cancer cell lines SW480 and RKO were respectively treated with different concentrations of Baohuoside-Ⅰ (0, 5, 10, 20 μg/ml). Cell proliferation was detected by MTT assay; The ability of cell clone formation was tested by cell clone formation experiments; The migration and invasion of cells were detected by Transwell assay; The apoptosis and cell cycle was detected by Flow cytometry; and the protein expression levels of cleaved PARP, cleaved Caspase-3 and Bcl-2 were detected by Western blotting. TheeffectsofBaohuoside-Ⅰontranscriptomeandpossiblesignaling pathways were detected by RNA-Seq technology. Results: Baohuoside-Ⅰ could inhibit the proliferation, invasion and migration of SW480 and RKO cells, and induce cell apoptosis and G0/G1 phase block. Baohuoside-Ⅰ could also up-regulate the protein expressions of cleaved PARP and cleaved Caspase-3 but down-regulate the protein expression of Bcl-2 in SW480 and RKO cell lines. In addition, RNA-Seq data analysis showed that DNAreplication and transcription of ERBB signaling pathway related genes were both affected by Baohuoside-Ⅰ. Conclusion: Baohuoside-Ⅰ could induce apoptosis and G0/G1 phase block of colon cancer cell lines SW480 and RKO by affecting the expression of apoptosis related proteins, as well as cellular DNA replication and ERBB signaling pathways, thus inhibiting the malignant phenotypes of SW480 and RKO.

Antitumor Effect of Periplocin in TRAIL-Resistant gastric cancer cells via upregulation of death receptor through activating ERK1/2-EGR1 pathway.

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), a member of the tumor necrosis factor family, induces apoptosis in a variety of cancer cells. However, gastric cancer (GC) cells are insensitive to TRAIL usually. In the previous study, we showed that Periplocin could induce apoptosis in GC cells via the activation of ERK1/2-EGR1 pathway. In the present study, we have shown that the combination of Periplocin and TRAIL had a greater inhibitory effect on gastric cancer cell viability in vitro and in vivo than Periplocin or TRAIL alone. Through upregulating the expression of DR4 and DR5 at transcriptional and protein levels, Periplocin enhanced the sensitivity of gastric cancer cells to TRAIL. Furthermore, enhanced activity of ERK1/2-EGR1 pathway was responsible for upregulating of DR4 and DR5 uponPeriplocin treatment, subsequently reducing the expression of Mcl-1 and Bcl2 and activating Bid and caspase-3/8. Collectively, these data implied that Periplocin might act as a sensitizer of TRAIL and could be a potential strategy for the treatment of GC.

Optimizing miRNA-module diagnostic biomarkers of gastric carcinoma via integrated network analysis.

Several microRNAs (miRNAs) have been suggested as novel biomarkers for diagnosing gastric cancer (GC) at an early stage, but the single-marker strategy may ignore the co-regulatory relationships and lead to low diagnostic specificity. Thus, multi-target modular diagnostic biomarkers are urgently needed. In this study, a Zsummary and NetSVM-based method was used to identify GC-related hub miRNAs and activated modules from clinical miRNA co-expression networks. The NetSVM-based sub-network consisting of the top 20 hub miRNAs reached a high sensitivity and specificity of 0.94 and 0.82. The Zsummary algorithm identified an activated module (miR-486, miR-451, miR-185, and miR-600) which might serve as diagnostic biomarker of GC. Three members of this module were previously suggested as biomarkers of GC and its 24 target genes were significantly enriched in pathways directly related to cancer. The weighted diagnostic ROC AUC of this module was 0.838, and an optimized module unit (miR-451 and miR-185) obtained a higher value of 0.904, both of which were higher than that of individual miRNAs. These hub miRNAs and module have the potential to become robust biomarkers for early diagnosis of GC with further validations. Moreover, such modular analysis may offer valuable insights into multi-target approaches to cancer diagnosis and treatment.

p-Hydroxylcinnamaldehyde slows the progression of 4NQO-induced oesophageal tumourigenesis via the RhoA-MAPK signaling pathway.

p-Hydroxylcinnamaldehyde isolated from the Cochinchina momordica seed (CMSP) has been identified to inhibit growth and metastasis in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) by inducing differentiation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect and underlying mechanism of CMSP on 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide (4NQO)-induced oesophageal tumourigenesis. In the present study, a mouse model of oesophageal preneoplastic lesions was established by providing 4NQO-containing drinking water to C57BL/6 mice. The effect of CMSP on tumourigenesis induced by the chemical mutagen and the effect of CMSP on immune function were investigated. The results showed that the incidence and pathological stage of atypical hyperplasia in oesophageal tissues were significantly reduced in CMSP-treated mice compared with untreated mice. Immunohistochemistry and pull-down assay results revealed that the expression levels of p-ERK1/2, p-SAPK/JNK, and GTP-RhoA were significantly decreased in the oesophageal tissue of CMSP-treated mice. In addition, the proportions of CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, and NK cells were increased, while the proportion of CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) was decreased, in the peripheral blood of CMSP-treated mice. These results indicated that CMSP could hamper 4NQO-induced oesophageal tumourigenesis by regulating the RhoA-ERK/JNK signaling pathway and promoting immune system function, thus providing a new potential strategy for treating preneoplastic lesions of the oesophagus.