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Stigmasterol is a plant-derived phytosterol that has attracted considerable attention because of its diverse biological activities and potential therapeutic applications. In this review, the chemical properties, biosynthesis, and biological effects of stigmasterol are exhaustively summarized. Furthermore, the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, neuroprotective, and hypolipidemic activities of stigmasterol have been discussed. Findings from various in vitro and in vivo studies have revealed its potential in treating various diseases, including cancer, diabetes, neurological disorders, and inflammatory conditions. The mechanisms underlying these effects are also discussed, particularly emphasizing the regulation of key signaling pathways and molecular targets, to further clarify the therapeutic role of stigmasterol. This review would provide a reference for further exploring the utility of stigmasterol as a therapeutic agent, thereby contributing to the improvement of human health.

The great success of cisplatin as a chemotherapeutic agent considerably increased research efforts in inorganic biochemistry to identify more metallic drugs having the potential of treating lung cancer. Metal coordination centres, which exhibit a wide range of coordination numbers and geometries, various oxidised and reduced states and the inherent ligand properties offer pharmaceutical chemists a plethora of drug structures. Owing to the presence of C=N and C=S bonds in a thiosemicarbazone Schiff base, N and S atoms in its hybrid orbital has lone pair of electrons, which can generate metal complexes with different stabilities with most metal elements under certain conditions. Such ligands and complexes play key roles in the treatment of anti-lung cancer. Research regarding metallic anti-lung cancer has advanced considerably, but there remain several challenges. In this review, we discuss the potential of thiosemicarbazone Schiff base complexes as anti-lung cancer drugs, their anti-cancer activities and the most likely action mechanisms involving the recent families of copper, nickel, platinum, ruthenium and other complexes.

Linear psoriasis is a rare type of psoriasis that usually presents as scaly papules and plaques unilaterally distributed along the Blaschko line. Currently, the pathogenesis of linear psoriasis is not fully understood, and genetic mosaicism may be one of the explanations. As linear psoriasis is less responsive to treatment than psoriasis vulgaris, there is no consensus on treatment guidelines specifically for this disease, and the efficacy of ustekinumab in treating this category has not been reported. In this article, we present a case of effective treatment of linear psoriasis with ustekinumab and review the relevant literature, hoping to help clinicians better understand and treat this disease.

Alopecia Areata (AA) is a common form of scarless alopecia. Its pathogenesis may be related to T cell-mediated autoimmune attack on hair follicles. Its clinical manifestations are mostly round or oval patches of AA, which can progress to Alopecia Totalis (AT) and Alopecia Universalis (AU). In severe cases, it affects the psychological health and quality of life of patients. In the past, the treatment of AA mainly relied on intra-lesional or systemic application of glucocorticoids, minoxidil or immunomodulators, which had problems such as limited efficacy and high recurrence rate. Some studies have also found that JAK inhibitors have improved effects on many autoimmune diseases, including AA. This case report presents a patient with AA who achieved significant therapeutic effects from treatment with Tofacitinib Citrate Sustained-Release Tablets, manufactured by Qilu Pharmaceutical Company in China. Due to the recurrence rate of AA, patients are likely to need long-term medication. The resulting economic burden cannot be ignored. We therefore investigated the mechanisms and economic benefits of various JAK inhibitors in the treatment of AA, in order to provide better guidance to patients with recurring disease who need long-term medication, and to their doctors in choosing a more rational therapeutic agent according to the patient’s condition and economic status.

In this study, we compare statistical properties of ancient and modern Chinese within the framework of weighted complex networks. We examine two language networks based on different Chinese versions of the Records of the Grand Historian. The comparative results show that Zipf's law holds and that both networks are scale-free and disassortative. The interactivity and connectivity of the two networks lead us to expect that the modern Chinese text would have more phrases than the ancient Chinese one. Furthermore, by considering some of the topological and weighted quantities, we find that expressions in ancient Chinese are briefer than in modern Chinese. These observations indicate that the two languages might have different linguistic mechanisms and combinatorial natures, which we attribute to the stylistic differences and evolution of written Chinese.

Background Noncatalytic region of tyrosine kinase 1 (NCK1) plays a key role in extracellular matrix degradation, which is required for the metastasis of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). However, the role NCK1 plays in the metastatic progression of TNBC is unknown. Methods and results Based on online databases, NCK1 was found to be highly expressed in TNBC as compared to normal breast-like subjects, which was also confirmed using TNBC cells and a tissue microarray. NCK1 expression gradually decreased with increased tumor stage. High NCK1 expression displayed a poor prognosis in lymph node-positive metastatic TNBC patients, but not in lymph node-negative patients. Using transwell assays and immunoblotting, we confirmed that NCK1 overexpression promoted, while NCK1 downregulation inhibited migration capabilities, as well as the expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP2/9), uridylyl phosphate adenosine, and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 in TNBC cells. Mechanistically, NCK1 upregulation mediated the activation of MMP2/9 through ERK1/2 activity. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) was positively correlated with NCK1. STAT3 could directly bind to the promoter region of NCK1 to promote its expression and was accompanied by the elevation of MMP2/9 and ERK1/2 signaling, which were partially abolished by the knockdown of NCK1 in TNBC cells. Conclusions NCK1 may serve as a diagnostic and prognostic marker of metastatic TNBC. STAT3 upregulation promoted the expression of NCK1, which subsequently induced the migration and activity of MMPs in a ERK1/2 signaling-dependent manner in TNBC cells. NCK1 is a promising target for improving TNBC migration.

Psoriasis frequently coexists with other immune-mediated conditions such as arthritis, alopecia areata, vitiligo, and hidradenitis suppurativa, many of which remain challenging to manage. To date, there have been rarely reported cases of treating psoriasis combined with lichen planus. We report a case of coexisting psoriasis and lichen planus in a female patient. Despite initial efficacy with acitretin and topical mometasone, the patient self-discontinued treatment over safety concerns, prompting a relapse. Upadacitinib was subsequently initiated and yielded marked improvement within 3 months. By discussing the disease interplay and treatment rationale, this report seeks to inform clinical decision-making.

Sox2 is an embryonal stem cell Ag essential for early embryonic development, tissue homeostasis and immune regulation. In the current study, one complete Sox2 cDNA sequence was cloned from freshwater bivalve Anodonta woodiana and named AwSox2. Histological changes of testis derived from Bisphenol A (BPA) treatment were analyzed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Expressions of AwSox2 derived from BPA, LPS and polyinosinic:polycytidylic (Poly I:C) challenge were measured by quantitative real-time PCR. The full-length cDNA of AwSox2 contained an open reading frame of 927 nucleotides bearing the typical structural features of Sox2 family. Obvious degeneration, irregular arrangement of spermatids, and clotted dead and intertwined spermatids were observed in BPA-treated groups. Administration of BPA could result in a dose-dependent up-regulation of AwSox2 expression in the male gonadal tissue of A. woodiana. In addition, expression of AwSox2 was significantly induced by LPS and Poly I:C treatment in the hepatopancreas, gill and hemocytes, compared with that of control group. These results indicated that up-regulations of AwSOx2 are closely related to apoptosis of spermatogonial stem cells derived from BPA treatment as well as enhancement of immune defense against LPS and Poly I:C challenge in A. woodiana.

Sox2 is an embryonal stem cell Ag essential for early embryonic development, tissue homeostasis and immune regulation. In the current study, one complete Sox2 cDNA sequence was cloned from freshwater bivalve Anodonta woodiana and named AwSox2. Histological changes of testis derived from Bisphenol A (BPA) treatment were analyzed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Expressions of AwSox2 derived from BPA, LPS and polyinosinic:polycytidylic (Poly I:C) challenge were measured by quantitative real-time PCR. The full-length cDNA of AwSox2 contained an open reading frame of 927 nucleotides bearing the typical structural features of Sox2 family. Obvious degeneration, irregular arrangement of spermatids, and clotted dead and intertwined spermatids were observed in BPA-treated groups. Administration of BPA could result in a dose-dependent up-regulation of AwSox2 expression in the male gonadal tissue of A. woodiana . In addition, expression of AwSox2 was significantly induced by LPS and Poly I:C treatment in the hepatopancreas, gill and hemocytes, compared with that of control group. These results indicated that up-regulations of AwSOx2 are closely related to apoptosis of spermatogonial stem cells derived from BPA treatment as well as enhancement of immune defense against LPS and Poly I:C challenge in A. woodiana .

Quaternized chitosan is a cationic biopolymer with good antibacterial activity, biocompatibility, and biodegradability, and it has been widely applied in many fields. We have developed a convenient method to evaluate the antibacterial activity of hydroxypropyltrimethylammonium chloride chitosan (HACC) with a nonionic surfactant poloxamer in aqueous solution by monitoring the change of the oxidation peak current in cyclic voltammetry. Increasing values of the oxidation peak current were positively correlated with the antibacterial activity of HACC–poloxamer solutions. Optical microscope images, the zeta potential, and fluorescence spectroscopy showed that the aggregation state of HACC–poloxamer was related to the ratio of the two polymers and also to the antibacterial activity and oxidation peak current. At an HACC-to-poloxamer ratio of 1:0.75, the maximum surface charge density and the smooth edge of HACC–poloxamer aggregates can accelerate diffusion in aqueous solution. It is expected that this convenient method can be applied for a quick evaluation of the antibacterial activity of cationic biopolymers in aqueous solution. Graphical Abstract The cyclic voltammograms of MB in HACC/poloxamer solution, and the antibacterial efficiency against S. aureus after incubated with HACC ( a ) and 1/0.75 of HACC/poloxamer ( b )