High-fat diet (HFD) often increases oxidative stress and enhances inflammatory status in the body. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is widely expressed in the pancreatic tissues and plays an important role in pancreatitis. This study is aimed at investigating the effect of HFD on acute pancreatitis (AP) and the role of TLR4-mediated necroptosis and inflammation in this disease. Weight-matched rats were allocated for an 8-week feeding on the standard chow diet (SCD) or HFD, and then, the AP model was induced by infusion of 5% sodium taurocholate into the biliopancreatic duct. Rats were sacrificed at an indicated time point after modeling. Additionally, inhibition of TLR4 signaling by TAK-242 in HFD rats with AP was conducted in vivo. The results showed that the levels of serum free fatty acid (FFA) in HFD rats were higher than those in SCD rats. Moreover, HFD rats were more vulnerable to AP injury than SCD rats, as indicated by more serious pathological damage and much higher pancreatic malondialdehyde (MDA) and lipid peroxidation (LPO) levels as well as lower pancreatic superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities and reduced glutathione (GSH) contents and more intense infiltration of MPO-positive neutrophils and CD68-positive macrophages. In addition, HFD markedly increased the expressions of TLR4 and necroptosis marker (RIP3) and aggravated the activation of NF-κB p65 and the expression of TNF-α in the pancreas of AP rats at indicated time points. However, TLR4 inhibition significantly attenuated the structural and functional damage of the pancreas induced by AP in HFD rats, as indicated by improvement of the above indexes. Taken together, these findings suggest that HFD exacerbated the extent and severity of AP via oxidative stress, inflammatory response, and necroptosis. Inhibition of TLR4 signaling by TAK-242 alleviated oxidative stress and decreased inflammatory reaction and necroptosis, exerting a protective effect during AP in HFD rats.

Background: Glucose-to-lymphocyte ratio (GLR) plays an important role in the prognosis of various tumors. The aim of this study was to comprehensively evaluate the prognostic value of GLR in solid tumors through the meta-analysis.Methods: A comprehensive search of eligible studies was performed by scrutinizing the Pubmed, Embase and Web of science databases until May 30, 2024. The pooled hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to evaluate overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS) and recurrence free survival (RFS).Results: A total of 22 studies from 14 articles involving 9472 patients were included in the study. The pooled analysis showed that cancer patients with high GLR was significantly associated with unfavorable OS (HR:1.48,95% CI:1.34-1.63) and DFS/RFS (HR:2.20,95% CI:1.66-2.92). Subgroup analysis further showed that high GLR had better predictive value in liver cancer (HR:2.66, 95%CI:1.80-3.93), breast cancer (HR:2.13, 95%CI:1.10-4.13) and pancreatic cancer (HR:1.92, 95%CI:1.30-2.84).Conclusions: GLR can be used as an effective prognostic marker in patients with solid tumors.

Background: In humans, riboflavin must be obtained through intestinal absorption because it cannot be synthesized by the body. SLC52A2 encodes a membrane protein belonging to the riboflavin transporter protein family and is associated with a variety of diseases. Here, we systematically explore its relevance to multiple human tumors. Methods: We analyzed the association of SLC52A2 with 33 tumors using publicly available databases such as TCGA and GEO. We verified the SLC52A2 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma, gastric cancer, colon cancer, and rectal cancer using immunohistochemistry. Results: We report that SLC52A2 was highly expressed in almost all tumors, and the immunohistochemical results in the hepatocellular, gastric, colon, and rectal cancers were consistent with the above. SLC52A2 expression was linked to patient overall survival, disease-specific survival, progression-free interval, diagnosis, mutations, tumor mutational burden, microsatellite instability, common immune checkpoint genes, and immune cells infiltration. Enrichment analysis showed that SLC52A2 was mainly enriched in oocyte meiosis, eukaryotic ribosome biogenesis, and cell cycle. In hepatocellular carcinoma, the SLC52A2 expression is an independent prognostic factor. The SNHG3 and THUMPD3-AS1/hsa-miR-139-5p-SLC52A2 axis were identified as potential regulatory pathways in hepatocellular carcinoma. Conclusion: In conclusion, we have systematically described for the first time that SLC52A2 is closely associated with a variety of tumors, especially hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Capecitabine, a prodrug of 5-fluorouracil, is extensively utilized for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer, colorectal cancer, and gastric cancer. Nevertheless, there exist limitations in comprehending adverse reactions (AEs) in clinical practice. In this study, we investigated the distribution of AEs associated with capecitabine and explored potential rare adverse reactions by mining the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Objectives: Our research aimed to explore the spectrum of AEs associated with capecitabine, including both documented and potential events, to provide a comprehensive understanding of the drug’s safety profile and guide clinical practice. At the same time, it provides a new direction for further research on AEs associated with capecitabine in the future. Design: We collected capecitabine-related adverse reactions from the FAERS and standardized the classification of AEs using the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities 26.0. Four statistical schemes were used to analyze the obtained standardized signals. Methods: We collected AEs reported for capecitabine from the FAERS between 2004 and 2023. To ensure standardized data, the collected reports related to capecitabine-associated adverse events were categorized using the preferred terms (PTs) and system organ classes (SOCs) classifications provided by the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities 26.0. Statistical analysis involved the utilization of reporting odds ratio, proportional reporting ratio, Bayesian confidence propagation neural network, and multi-item gamma Poisson shrinker. Four statistical schemes were employed to analyze the adverse reactions associated with capecitabine. A positive signal was considered when all four schemes indicated an association with the adverse event. Results: We collected a total of 45,011 AEs associated with the use of capecitabine from the database, covering 27 SOCs from 2004 to 2023. The nine SOC categories with the highest number of events were identified, which include gastrointestinal disorders; general disorders and administration site conditions; skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders; nervous system disorders; investigations, injury, poisoning, and procedural complications; blood and lymphatic system disorders; metabolism and nutrition disorders; infections and infestations; and neoplasms benign, malignant, and unspecified (including cysts and polyps). Among these 27 SOCs, we identified seven SOCs that met the signal value criteria. Notably, we discovered AEs not mentioned in the instructions, including intestinal obstruction in gastrointestinal disorders, penetrating aortic ulcer in cardiac disorders, and non-cirrhotic portal hypertension in hepatobiliary disorders, all of which exhibited signals. Furthermore, 40.1% of AEs associated with the use of capecitabine occurred within the first 30 days. Conclusion: Our study conducted a comprehensive analysis of capecitabine’s AEs using the FAERS database. We identified previously unreported AEs, mitigating the risk for patients and ensuring safe drug administration.

Severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) is a life-threatening abdominal condition often complicated by intestinal barrier dysfunction, which further exacerbates disease progression. Neferine has demonstrated potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties; however, its role in ameliorating SAP and associated intestinal barrier damage remains unclear. In this study, we found that neferine administration significantly alleviates SAP severity by reducing pancreatic and ileal pathological damage, oxidative stress, inflammatory cell infiltration, and intestinal flora translocation. Additionally, neferine enhances the expression of tight junction proteins, increases short-chain fatty acid levels, and improves intestinal dysbiosis, thereby contributing to intestinal homeostasis restoration. Mechanistically, neferine upregulates Nrf2 expression and promotes its nuclear translocation by competitively binding to the Cys-288 site on Keap1. This activation enhances the Nrf2/FPN and Nrf2/xCT/GPX4 axes, thereby preventing ferroptosis and ultimately protecting against pancreatic and intestinal injury in SAP mice. Furthermore, the protective effects of neferine were largely reversed by the Nrf2 inhibitor ML385 and the ferroptosis inducer erastin. This study demonstrates that neferine effectively alleviates SAP by inhibiting ferroptosis and restoring intestinal homeostasis, providing insights into new treatment options for SAP.