Spontaneous Occurrence of Various Types of Hepatocellular Adenoma in the Livers of Metabolic Syndrome-Associated Steatohepatitis Model TSOD Mice.

Male Tsumura-Suzuki Obese Diabetes (TSOD) mice, a spontaneous metabolic syndrome model, develop non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and liver tumors by feeding on a standard mouse diet. Nearly 70% of liver tumors express glutamine synthetase (GS), a marker of hepatocellular carcinoma. In contrast, approximately 30% are GS-negative without prominent nuclear or structural atypia. In this study, we examined the characteristics of the GS-negative tumors of TSOD mice. Twenty male TSOD mice were sacrificed at 40 weeks and a total of 21 tumors were analyzed by HE staining and immunostaining of GS, liver fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP), serum amyloid A (SAA), and beta-catenin. With immunostaining for GS, six (29%) tumors were negative. Based on the histological and immunohistological characteristics, six GS-negative tumors were classified into several subtypes of human hepatocellular adenoma (HCA). One large tumor showed generally similar findings to inflammatory HCA, but contained small atypical foci with GS staining and partial nuclear beta-catenin expression suggesting malignant transformation. GS-negative tumors of TSOD mice contained features similar to various subtypes of HCA. Different HCA subtypes occurring in the same liver have been reported in humans; however, the diversity of patient backgrounds limits the ability to conduct a detailed, multifaceted analysis. TSOD mice may share similar mechanisms of HCA development as in humans. It is timely to review the pathogenesis of HCA from both genetic and environmental perspectives, and it is expected that TSOD mice will make further contributions in this regard.

Demand Analysis and Management Suggestion: Sharing Epidemiological Data Among Medical Institutions in Megacities for Epidemic Prevention and Control.

During the prevention of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), epidemiological data is essential for controlling the source of infection, cutting off the route of transmission, and protecting vulnerable populations. Following Law of the People's Republic of China on Prevention and Treatment of Infectious Diseases and other related regulations, medical institutions have been authorized to collect the detailed information of patients, while it is still a formidable task in megacities because of the significant patient mobility and the existing information sharing barrier. As a smart city which strengthens precise epidemic prevention and control, Shanghai has established a multi-department platform named "one-net management" on dynamic information monitoring. By sharing epidemiological data with medical institutions under a safe environment, we believe that the ability to prevent and control epidemics among medical institutions will be effectively and comprehensively improved.

Alantolactone, a sesquiterpene lactone, inhibits breast cancer growth by antiangiogenic activity via blocking VEGFR2 signaling.

Alantolactone (ALA), a sesquiterpene lactone isolated from several medicinal plants such as Inula helenium, has been identified to have attractive anticancer activity. However, its role in the inhibition of angiogenesis during tumor development remains unclear. In this study, we found ALA can inhibit the proliferation, motility, migration, and tube formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. ALA also restrained angiogenesis in chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane and delayed the growth of human MDA-MB-231 breast cancer xenograft in mice through angiogenesis inhibition. Furthermore, ALA suppressed the phosphorylation of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 and its downstream protein kinase including PLCγ1, FAK, Src, and Akt in endothelial cells. Taken together, the antiangiogenic activity of ALA and its molecular mechanism are identified for the first time, indicating that ALA may be a potential drug candidate or lead compound for antiangiogenic cancer therapy.