Objective: Each pulmonary segment is an anatomical and functional unit. However, it is fundamentally difficult to precisely distinguish every pulmonary segment using the conventional pulmonary intersegmental planes from computed tomography images. Building arteriopulmonary segments is likely to be an effective way to identify pulmonary segments. Methods: The thoracic computed tomography images of 40 patients were collected. The anatomic structures of interest were extracted in the transverse, sagittal, and coronal planes using the semi-automated segmentation tools provided by Amira software. The intrapulmonary vessels were subsequently segmented and reconstructed. The distributions of the pulmonary arteries, veins, and bronchi were observed. In patients with pulmonary masses, the mass was also reconstructed. Results: The three-dimensional reconstructed images showed the branches of the pulmonary artery ramified up to their eighth order covering the entire lung as well as evident intersegmental gaps without pulmonary arteries. The segmental artery was closely accompanied by the segmental bronchi in 486 pulmonary segments (90% of total number of segments). The size and spatial location of the pulmonary mass within a pulmonary segment were also clearly visible. Conclusions: Demarcation of arteriopulmonary segments can be used to precisely distinguish every pulmonary segment and provide its detailed anatomical structure before pulmonary segmentectomy.

Pancreatic cancer remains a formidable challenge in oncology due to its aggressive nature and limited treatment options. In this study, we investigate the potential therapeutic efficacy of elaiophylin, a novel compound, in targeting BxPC-3 and PANC-1 pancreatic cancer cells. We comprehensively explore elaiophylin’s impact on apoptosis induction, proliferation inhibition, migration suppression, invasion attenuation, and angiogenesis inhibition, key processes contributing to cancer progression and metastasis. The results demonstrate that elaiophylin exerts potent pro-apoptotic effects, inducing a substantial increase in apoptotic cells. Additionally, elaiophylin significantly inhibits proliferation, migration, and invasion of BxPC-3 and PANC-1 cells. Furthermore, elaiophylin exhibits remarkable anti-angiogenic activity, effectively disrupting tube formation in HUVECs. Moreover, elaiophylin significantly inhibits the Wnt/β-Catenin signaling pathway. Our findings collectively demonstrate the multifaceted potential of elaiophylin as a promising therapeutic agent against pancreatic cancer via inhibition of the Wnt/β-Catenin signaling pathway. By targeting diverse cellular processes crucial for cancer progression, elaiophylin emerges as a prospective candidate for future targeted therapies. Further investigation of the in vivo efficacy of elaiophylin is warranted, potentially paving the way for novel and effective treatment approaches in pancreatic cancer management.

Objective: Excessive sugar-sweetened beverage consumption like cola is a worldwide public health problem. However, the effects and mechanisms of replacing water with cola (either as sugar-free cola or sugar-sweetened cola) on intestinal microbiota and overall health remain unknown, prompting this investigation. Methods: To address this, we created a new experimental model in which cola completely replaced drinking water. Twenty-four Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups ( n = 8): water, cola (sugar-sweetened), diet cola, for an 8-week intervention. Body weight, body length, BMI, organ indices, hematological, and serum biochemical parameters, and gut microbiota (16S rRNA gene sequencing) were determined. Results: Both colas resulted in immune suppression (lower thymus index and leukopenia) and decreased total protein. The cola group showed renal stress [higher blood urea nitrogen, (BUN)] and a significant increase in spleen index. The diet cola induced a significant transaminases elevation compared to the cola group. Both colas significantly altered intestinal microbiota structure, including changes in diversity and abundance (e.g., shifts in Firmicutes and Bacteroidota proportions and in the abundance of Ligilactobacillus and Lactobacillus ). Co-abundance network showed complicated relationships, mostly involving Lactobacillus, Romboutsia , and other taxa. Furthermore, Bacteroidota and unclassified Lactobacillus were significantly correlated with immune organ indices (thymus, spleen) and BUN. Conclusion: Using an innovative model of complete water replacement, our study demonstrates that long-term cola consumption-whether or not sugar containing-has significant perturbative effects on gut microbiota and impairs immune and renal function. These results should warn of the impacts of regular cola intake and the need for further scrutiny of artificial sweeteners.

Cyclophosphamide (CTX) is a commonly used immunosuppressant and chemotherapeutic drug, yet its clinical application is often restricted by drug-induced liver injury (DILI). Pterostilbene (PTS), a dietary polyphenol abundant in blueberries...

Lumican, an extracellular matrix (ECM) component highly expressed in placenta, is implicated in preeclampsia (PE) pathogenesis, though its precise mechanisms in trophoblast function and PE development remain unclear. Transcriptomic analysis of a PE rat model induced by L-NAME revealed altered placental gene expression. Lumican expression progressively increased throughout rat and human gestation but was significantly downregulated in PE patient and model placentas. Functional assays showed shRNA-mediated lumican knockdown inhibited trophoblast proliferation, migration, and invasion while promoting apoptosis. This knockdown also influenced the phosphorylation of key proteins within the PI3K/AKT and P53 signaling pathways. Co-treatment with the PI3K agonist 740 Y-P activated this pathway, enhancing trophoblast proliferation and invasion, effects antagonized by lumican knockdown. In vivo, adenovirus-mediated lumican shRNA induced PE-like phenotypes: elevated systolic blood pressure, increased 24 h urinary protein, higher plasma sFlt-1 levels and sFlt-1/PlGF ratio. Histopathological analyses demonstrated abnormal placental villi development and renal glomerular endothelial damage. Immunohistochemistry confirmed lumican deficiency reduced PI3K, AKT, and MDM2 while upregulating P53 in placental tissues. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that reduced lumican expression contributes to PE by impairing trophoblast function via disruption of the PI3K/AKT and P53 signaling pathway, thus providing a mechanistic basis for its further exploration as a diagnostic marker and therapeutic target.