Aspirin suppresses hepatocellular carcinoma progression by inhibiting platelet activity

BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is the most common malignant liver disease in the world.Platelets(PLTs)are known to play a key role in the maintenance of liver homeostasis and the pathophysiological processes of a variety of liver diseases.Aspirin is the most classic antiplatelet agent.However,the molecular mechanism of platelet action and whether aspirin can affect HCC progression by inhibiting platelet activity need further study.AIM To explore the impact of the antiplatelet effect of aspirin on the development of HCC.METHODS Platelet-rich plasma,platelet plasma,pure platelet,and platelet lysate were prepared,and a coculture model of PLTs and HCC cells was established.CCK-8 analysis,apoptosis analysis,Transwell analysis,and real-time polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR)were used to analyze the effects of PLTs on the growth,metastasis,and inflammatory microenvironment of HCC.RT-PCR and Western blot were used to detect the effects of platelet activation on tumor-related signaling pathways.Aspirin was used to block the activation and aggregation of PLTs both in vitro and in vivo,and the effect of PLTs on the progression of HCC RESULTS PLTs significantly promoted the growth,invasion,epithelial-mesenchymal transition,and formation of an inflammatory microenvironment in HCC cells.Activated PLTs promoted HCC progression by activating the mitogenactivated protein kinase/protein kinase B/signal transducer and activator of transcription three(MAPK/AKT/STAT3)signaling axis.Additionally,aspirin inhibited HCC progression in vitro and in vivo by inhibiting platelet activation.CONCLUSION PLTs play an important role in the pathogenesis of HCC,and aspirin can affect HCC progression by inhibiting platelet activity.These results suggest that antiplatelet therapy has promising application prospects in the treatment and combined treatment of HCC.

Acute diquat poisoning case with multiorgan failure and a literature review:A case report

BACKGROUND With the withdrawal of paraquat from the market,diquat is widely used,so the treatment of diquat poisoning has become one of the focuses of emergency poisoning diagnosis and treatment.CASE SUMMARY We studied the case of a 17-year-old male patient who drank 200 mL(20 g/100 mL)of diquat solution two hours before arriving at the hospital.Despite the use of treatments such as gastric lavage,hemoperfusion,continuous hemodialysis,glucocorticoids,and organ support,the patient’s condition rapidly progressed to multiorgan failure,and he died 23.5 h after admission.CONCLUSION We summarized the clinical characteristics and treatment strategies of diquat poisoning through this case and performed a literature review to provide a basis and direction for clinical treatment.

Klebsiella pneumoniae infection secondary to spontaneous renal rupture that presents only as fever:A case report

BACKGROUND Spontaneous renal rupture is a rare disease in the clinic.The causes of spontaneous renal rupture include extrarenal factors,intrarenal factors,and idiopathic factors.Reports on infection secondary to spontaneous renal rupture and the complications of spontaneous renal rupture are scarce.Furthermore,there are few patients with spontaneous renal rupture who present only with fever.CASE SUMMARY We present the case of a 52-year-old female patient who was admitted to our hospital.She presented only with fever,and the cause of the disease was unclear.She underwent a contrast-enhanced computed tomography(CT)scan,which showed that the left renal capsule had a crescent-shaped,low-density shadow;the perirenal fat was blurred,and exudation was visible with no sign of calculi,malignancies,instrumentation,or trauma.Under ultrasound guidance,a pigtail catheter was inserted into the hematoma,and fluid was drained and used for the bacterial test,which proved the presence of Klebsiella pneumoniae.Two months later,abdominal CT showed that the hematoma was absorbed,so the drainage tube was removed.The abdominal CT was normal after 4 mo.CONCLUSION Spontaneous renal rupture due to intrarenal factors causes a higher proportion of shock and is more likely to cause anemia.

Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloprotease-1(TIMP-1)Regulates Adipogenesis of Adipose-derived Stem Cells(ASCs)via the Wnt Signaling Pathway in an MMP-independent Manner

Tissue inhibitor of m etalloprotease-1(TIM P-1)is a tissue inhibitor o f matrix metalloproteinases(MMPs).It however exerts multiple effects on biological processes,such as cell growth,proliferation,differentiation and apoptosis,in an MMP-independent manner.This study aimed to examine the role of TIMP-1 in adipogenesis of adipose-derived stem cells(ASCs)and the underlying mechanism.We knocked down the TIMP-1 gene in ASCs through lentiviral vectors encoding TIMP-1 small interfering RNA(siRNA),and then found that the knockdown of TIMP-1 in ASCs promoted the adipogenic differentiation of stem cells and inhibited the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in ASCs.We also noted that mutant TIMP-1 without the inhibitory activity on MMPs promoted the activation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway as well as the recombinant wild type TIMP-1 did,which indicated that the effect of TIMP-1 on Wnt/β-catenin pathway was MMPindependent.Our study suggested that TIMP-1 negatively regulated the adipogenesis of ASCs via the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in an MMP-independent manner.

Reliability of Chinese web-based ocular surface disease index questionnaire in dry eye patients:a randomized,crossover study

AIM:To assess the reliability of web-based version of ocular surface disease index in Chinese(C-OSDI)on clinically diagnosed dry eye disease(DE)patients.METHODS:A total of 254 Chinese participants(51%male,129/254;mean age:27.90±9.06 y)with DED completed paper-and web-based versions of C-OSDI questionnaires in a randomized crossover design.Ophthalmology examination and DED diagnosis were performed prior to the participants being invited to join the study.Participants were randomly designated to either group A(paper-based first and webbased second)or group B(web-based first and paper-based second).Final data analysis included participants that had successfully completed both versions of the C-OSDI.Demographic characteristics,test-retest reliability,and agreement of individual items,subscales,and total score were evaluated with intraclass correlation coefficients(ICC),Spearman rank correlation,Wilcoxon test and Rasch analysis.RESULTS:Reliability indexes were adequate,Pearson correlation was greater than 0.8 and ICCs range was 0.827 to 0.982;total C-OSDI score was not statistically different between the two versions.The values of mean-squares fit statistics were very low compared to 1,indicating that the responses to the items by the model had a high degree of predictability.While comparing the favorability 72%(182/254)of the participants preferred web-based assessment.CONCLUSION:Web-based C-OSDI is reliable in assessing DED and correlation with the paper-based version is significant in all subscales and overall total score.Webbased C-OSDI can be administered to assess individuals with DED as participants predominantly favored online assessment.

Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia and infective endocarditis in a patient with epidermolytic hyperkeratosis:A case report

BACKGROUND Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia(SAB)is among the leading causes of bacteraemia and infectious endocarditis.The frequency of infectious endocarditis(IE)among SAB patients ranges from 5%to 10%-12%.In adults,the characteristics of epidermolytic hyperkeratosis(EHK)include hyperkeratosis,erosions,and blisters.Patients with inflammatory skin diseases and some diseases involving the epidermis tend to exhibit a disturbed skin barrier and tend to have poor cellmediated immunity.CASE SUMMARY We describe a case of SAB and infective endocarditis in a 43-year-old male who presented with fever of unknown origin and skin diseases.After genetic tests,the skin disease was diagnosed as EHK.CONCLUSION A breached skin barrier secondary to EHK,coupled with inadequate sanitation,likely provided the opportunity for bacterial seeding,leading to IE and deepseated abscess or organ abscess.EHK may be associated with skin infection and multiple risk factors for extracutaneous infections.Patients with EHK should be treated early to minimize their consequences.If patients with EHK present with prolonged fever of unknown origin,IE and organ abscesses should be ruled out,including metastatic spreads.