Management of Hepatic Encephalopathy by Traditional Chinese Medicine

In spite of the impressive progress in the investigation of hepatic encephalopathy (HE), the complex mechanisms underlying the onset and deterioration of HE are still not fully understood. Currently, none of the existing theories provide conclusive explanations on the symptoms that link liver dysfunction to nervous system disorders and clinical manifestations. This paper summarized the diagnostic and therapeutic approaches used for HE in modern medicine and traditional Chinese medicine and provided future perspective in HE therapies from the viewpoint of holistic and personalized Chinese medicine

Detection of malignant lesions in cytologically indeterminate thyroid nodules using a dual-layer spectral detector CT-clinical nomogram

PurposeTo evaluate the capability of dual-layer detector spectral CT (DLCT) quantitative parameters in conjunction with clinical variables to detect malignant lesions in cytologically indeterminate thyroid nodules (TNs).Materials and methodsData from 107 patients with cytologically indeterminate TNs who underwent DLCT scans were retrospectively reviewed and randomly divided into training and validation sets (7:3 ratio). DLCT quantitative parameters (iodine concentration (IC), NICP (IC nodule/IC thyroid parenchyma), NICA (IC nodule/IC ipsilateral carotid artery), attenuation on the slope of spectral HU curve and effective atomic number), along with clinical variables, were compared between benign and malignant cohorts through univariate analysis. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was employed to identify independent predictors which were used to construct the clinical model, DLCT model, and combined model. A nomogram was formulated based on optimal performing model, and its performance was assessed using receiver operating characteristic curve, calibration curve, and decision curve analysis. The nomogram was subsequently tested in the validation set.ResultsIndependent predictors associated with malignant TNs with indeterminate cytology included NICP in the arterial phase, Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis (HT), and BRAF V600E (all p < 0.05). The DLCT-clinical nomogram, incorporating the aforementioned variables, exhibited superior performance than the clinical model or DLCT model in both training set (AUC: 0.875 vs 0.792 vs 0.824) and validation set (AUC: 0.874 vs 0.792 vs 0.779). The DLCT-clinical nomogram demonstrated satisfactory calibration and clinical utility in both training set and validation set.ConclusionThe DLCT-clinical nomogram emerges as an effective tool to detect malignant lesions in cytologically indeterminate TNs

DataSheet_1_Transcriptome analysis reveals ABA involved in the detoxification mechanism of macroalga Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis to cadmium toxicity.xlsx

IntroductionCadmium (Cd) is a significant threat environmental pollutant in the marine ecological environment offshore. The macroalga, Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis, of significant economic value, is widely cultivated along China’s coastline. Yet, little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying Cd tolerance in macroalga.MethodsHere, we examined the transcriptome of G. lemaneiformis exposed to Cd to identify the responses to Cd stress.Results and discussionOur findings revealed that Cd led to the retardation of growth rate in G. lemaneiformis, accompanied by a notable reduction in the content of photosynthetic pigments and a decrease in the expression of genes associated with the photosynthetic system and nitrogen metabolism. When exposed to Cd, there was a rapid increase in Cd levels through the upregulation of genes encoding GlZIP6 and GlIRT1. Additionally, the expression of Cd efflux transporters, GlZIP1 and GlABCG22, and the ABCC7 transporter for compartmentation to the vacuole, was induced to mitigate Cd toxicity. Cd also activated crucial genes involved in the ABA biosynthesis and enhanced ABA content, thereby inducing ABA signaling pathway. Furthermore, exogenous ABA reduced the growth inhibition of G. lemaneiformis under Cd stress. Redox homeostasis was adjusted to adapt to Cd toxicity, with thioredoxin, glutaredoxin cycle and ascorbate-glutathione cycle identified as playing significant in maintaining reactive oxygen species homeostasis. Moreover, transcription factors such as several MYBs, signal transmission factors G protein and heat shock proteins (sHSPs, HSP 40, HSP 90, HSP101) were involved in the detoxification of Cd. Collectively, this study provided a comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms underpinning the of responses of macroalga G. lemaneiformis to Cd exposure.</p

DataSheet_2_Transcriptome analysis reveals ABA involved in the detoxification mechanism of macroalga Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis to cadmium toxicity.docx

IntroductionCadmium (Cd) is a significant threat environmental pollutant in the marine ecological environment offshore. The macroalga, Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis, of significant economic value, is widely cultivated along China’s coastline. Yet, little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying Cd tolerance in macroalga.MethodsHere, we examined the transcriptome of G. lemaneiformis exposed to Cd to identify the responses to Cd stress.Results and discussionOur findings revealed that Cd led to the retardation of growth rate in G. lemaneiformis, accompanied by a notable reduction in the content of photosynthetic pigments and a decrease in the expression of genes associated with the photosynthetic system and nitrogen metabolism. When exposed to Cd, there was a rapid increase in Cd levels through the upregulation of genes encoding GlZIP6 and GlIRT1. Additionally, the expression of Cd efflux transporters, GlZIP1 and GlABCG22, and the ABCC7 transporter for compartmentation to the vacuole, was induced to mitigate Cd toxicity. Cd also activated crucial genes involved in the ABA biosynthesis and enhanced ABA content, thereby inducing ABA signaling pathway. Furthermore, exogenous ABA reduced the growth inhibition of G. lemaneiformis under Cd stress. Redox homeostasis was adjusted to adapt to Cd toxicity, with thioredoxin, glutaredoxin cycle and ascorbate-glutathione cycle identified as playing significant in maintaining reactive oxygen species homeostasis. Moreover, transcription factors such as several MYBs, signal transmission factors G protein and heat shock proteins (sHSPs, HSP 40, HSP 90, HSP101) were involved in the detoxification of Cd. Collectively, this study provided a comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms underpinning the of responses of macroalga G. lemaneiformis to Cd exposure.</p