European Journal of Medical Research最新文献

{"title":"Alterations in the plasma concentrations of BDNF, proBDNF, and MMP-9 in patients with schizophrenia.","authors":"Yuhang Liang, Hongying Pan, Zhilan Yang, Chen Yu, Tiantian Jiang, Yinhang Li, Haiyan Yu, Min Qiu, Shaochuan Zhang","doi":"10.1186/s40001-025-03153-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40001-025-03153-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a complex psychiatric disorder characterized by altered brain neurotrophic factor signaling. This study aimed to investigate the plasma levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), its precursor proBDNF, and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in SCZ patients and their relationships with clinical symptoms and lipid metabolism. Plasma levels of BDNF, proBDNF, and MMP-9 were measured in 105 SCZ patients and 76 healthy controls (HCs), the Chinese version of the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (CRDPSS), and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). SCZ patients exhibited significantly lower BDNF levels and higher proBDNF and MMP-9 levels compared to HCs. A negative correlation was observed between MMP-9 levels and CRDPSS negative symptom scores, PANSS negative subscale scores, and PANSS total scores. BDNF levels were positively correlated with total cholesterol (TC), while MMP-9 levels were negatively correlated with TC. The MMP-9-based discriminant model had high accuracy in distinguishing between HCs and SCZ patients, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.944 in the training set and 0.961 in the test set. Our findings suggest that MMP-9 and BDNF may be involved in the pathophysiology of SCZ and could serve as potential diagnostic biomarkers. The disrupted balance of BDNF and proBDNF, along with altered MMP-9 levels, may contribute to the clinical manifestation of SCZ, particularly in relation to negative symptoms and lipid metabolism.</p>","PeriodicalId":11949,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Medical Research","volume":"30 1","pages":"867"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12465453/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145174103","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Obsessive-compulsive disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic: unveiling the traits that hold the key-a cross-sectional study.","authors":"Hourivash Ghaderi, Fatemeh Goudarzi, Rahem Rahmati, Melika Arab Bafrani, Fatemeh Zarimeidani, Zahra Karimi, Masoud Lotfizadeh, Stefano Pallanti","doi":"10.1186/s40001-025-03158-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40001-025-03158-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted global mental health, notably obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Our aim is to reveal the intricacies of how OCD presents itself during a pandemic and its association with sociodemographic factors, offering insights that may enhance mental health management and improve readiness for future public health crises.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This cross-sectional study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022. Utilizing a cluster sampling approach, participants were recruited online and administered the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R). The acquired dataset was subsequently analyzed using SPSS software (v.27) and R programming language (v.4.4.1).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In this study, 593 eligible individuals were included. Among them, 54.8% were female, and the participants had a mean age of 40.71 ± 11.7. Based on OCI-R, 73.2% of the participants scored ≥ 21, indicating more Likelihood of disturbing from OCD. Satisfaction with monthly income and sex significantly differed between OCD positive and negative groups. The logistic regression analysis demonstrated that individuals exhibiting checking traits had a substantially higher probability, approximately 23.09 times, of indicating OCD. Additionally, we uncovered that checking, ordering, and neutralizing traits were more greatly impacted by sociodemographic factors.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study highlights the notable increase in new cases of mental health disorders, including OCD, due to the impact of COVID-19. It recommends proactive consideration of OCD risk factors during stressful events like pandemics, focusing on predisposing traits and sociodemographic factors to prevent and manage the disorder effectively.</p>","PeriodicalId":11949,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Medical Research","volume":"30 1","pages":"881"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12465382/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145174303","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Short-term and long-term effects of anterior and posterior surgical approaches on plantar pressure distribution in patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy.","authors":"Xuhong Zhang, Zichuan Wu, Junzhe Sheng, Xingyu Li, Aochen Xu, Junbin Liu, Hanlin Song, Baifeng Sun, Chen Xu, Min Qi, Yang Liu","doi":"10.1186/s40001-025-03161-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40001-025-03161-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To compare the short-term and long-term effects of Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF) versus posterior open-door laminoplasty on plantar pressure distribution in patients with Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy (CSM).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 156 CSM patients admitted between January 2020 and December 2022 were enrolled and divided into an ACDF group (n = 82) and a posterior open-door group (n = 74) based on surgical approach. Plantar pressure data (medial foot pressure, lateral foot pressure, forefoot pressure, rearfoot pressure) were collected preoperatively, at 6 months postoperatively, and at 2 years postoperatively. Concurrent assessments included the mJOA score, Nurick grade, and radiographic parameters (Maximum Spinal Cord Compression ratio, Compression Ratio, Spinal Cord Occupation Ratio).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>No significant differences existed in preoperative plantar pressure or clinical indicators between the two groups (P > 0.05). At 6 months postoperatively, medial foot pressure in the ACDF group decreased significantly from (45.21 ± 6.32) % to (38.76 ± 5.14)%, outperforming the posterior group (42.35 ± 5.87)% (P < 0.01). Lateral foot pressure increased to (57.23 ± 4.98)% in the ACDF group versus (55.12 ± 5.36)% in the posterior group (P < 0.05). At 2 years postoperatively, lateral foot pressure in the posterior group further increased to (59.47 ± 5.02)%, partially surpassing the ACDF group (58.15 ± 4.79)% (P = 0.036). However, medial foot pressure improvement remained significantly greater in the ACDF group (36.54 ± 4.82 vs. 39.21 ± 5.16, P < 0.01). Forefoot pressure increased significantly in both groups at 2 years (P < 0.05), while rearfoot pressure showed no significant difference. The ACDF group demonstrated superior improvement in mJOA score (5.21 ± 1.34 vs. 3.89 ± 1.27, P < 0.01) and Nurick grade.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>ACDF surgery provides faster and more sustained improvement in medial plantar pressure for CSM patients, correlating with its direct relief of ventral spinal cord compression and restoration of proprioceptive conduction. Posterior surgery may optimize lateral foot pressure through long-term biomechanical compensation of spinal stability, but overall functional recovery is less pronounced compared to the anterior approach.</p>","PeriodicalId":11949,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Medical Research","volume":"30 1","pages":"875"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12465588/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145174332","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Group-based trajectory modeling of anion gap and mortality in patients with sepsis: a retrospective analysis of the MIMIC-IV database.","authors":"Longsheng Zhang, Shujun Ye, Jinyu Hu, Zhiliang Huang, Xulin Lin, Yingshan Lin, Renzhe Lin, Huankai Zhang, Duo Yang","doi":"10.1186/s40001-025-03146-6","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40001-025-03146-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The purpose of this study was to identify distinct trajectories of the anion gap (AG) of patients with sepsis within the first 48 h following intensive care unit (ICU) admission and to explore the relationship between these trajectories and all-cause mortality.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study was carried out involving patients with sepsis from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV (MIMIC-IV) database. Group-based trajectory modeling (GBTM) was utilized to identify the distinct trajectory groups for the AG values. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality, and the secondary outcomes were 90-day and 1-year mortality. Both univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models were performed to explore the relationship between different AG longitudinal trajectories and mortality. Stratified analyses were performed to investigate the stability of the relationship between AG trajectories and the primary outcome.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 6960 patients with sepsis were included for trajectory grouping. Four distinct AG trajectories based on the model fitting standard were identified: group 1 (11.19%), group 2 (52.87%), group 3 (29.86%), and group 4 (6.08%). Using trajectory group 1 as the reference, after adjusting for all potential confounders, group 2, group 3, and group 4 still had 1.32 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.07-1.63), 1.67 (95% CI 1.33-2.09), and 1.87 (95% CI 1.40-2.51) times the risk of 30-day mortality, respectively. Similar results were also found for 90-day mortality and 1-year mortality. The associations were directionally similar across all subgroups.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Trajectory groups with higher AG levels were associated with an increased risk for all-cause mortality. Identifying distinct AG trajectories may help identify patient subgroups with varying risks of mortality, providing valuable implications for both research and clinical practice.</p>","PeriodicalId":11949,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Medical Research","volume":"30 1","pages":"879"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12465563/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145174298","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Machine learning and nomogram prediction model to explore the relationship between monocyte-to-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio and asthma: results from the NHANES 2001-2018.","authors":"Lizhen Zou, Jijing Zhao, Yingding Ruan, Yunpeng Wang","doi":"10.1186/s40001-025-03147-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40001-025-03147-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Asthma is a prevalent chronic respiratory disease with significant morbidity and healthcare burden. Identifying novel biomarkers for asthma risk prediction is crucial for early intervention and personalized management. The monocyte-to-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (MHR) has emerged as a potential inflammatory marker in various chronic diseases. This study aimed to investigate the association between MHR and asthma risk using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and to develop a predictive model for asthma risk incorporating MHR and other clinical variables.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Data from NHANES (2001-2018) were used. Weighted logistic regression was employed to assess the relationship between MHR and asthma risk. Participants were randomly divided into training (70%) and validation (30%) cohorts. The Boruta algorithm was used to evaluate the training cohort, select the best model, and identify potential confounding factors. A nomogram-based predictive model was constructed using variables selected by the Boruta algorithm [smoke, age, hypertension, cardiovascular disease (CVD), marital status, gender, race, poverty-income ratio (PIR), body mass index (BMI), cancer, education, diabetes, and MHR]. The model's performance was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA) curves. The variables selected by Boruta algorithm are included in the machine learning (ML) model for analysis. SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) analysis was performed to assess the contribution of each variable.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 28,855 participants were included after excluding those with missing data. MHR was positively associated with asthma incidence (P < 0.05). The Boruta algorithm achieved an AUC of 0.64 in the validation cohort. Among the ML models, the Xgboost model demonstrated the best performance with an AUC of 0.640 (95% CI 0.623-0.656). SHAP analysis identified CVD as the most influential factor, followed by age, BMI, PIR, and gender.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study demonstrates a positive association between the MHR and asthma risk, indicating a significant cross-sectional relationship. The nomogram-based predictive model incorporating MHR and other clinical variables showed moderate discriminative ability.</p>","PeriodicalId":11949,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Medical Research","volume":"30 1","pages":"868"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12465457/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145174301","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of acupressure and reflexology on pregnancy constipation: a quasi-experimental study.","authors":"Fahimeh Jamshidi Broon, Fatemeh Salmani, Hamidreza Bahrami Taghanaki, Hamideh Hosseini, Marzieh Torshizi","doi":"10.1186/s40001-025-03166-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40001-025-03166-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Constipation is one of the most common complaints during pregnancy. A significant percentage of pregnant women report that this constipation occurs or worsens during pregnancy. Nowadays, the use of complementary medicine treatments to control or reduce constipation is of particular importance. The aim of this study was, therefore, to compare the effects of acupressure and reflexology on constipation in pregnant women.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this quasi-experimental study, 90 pregnant women who had visited three health centres in Birjand, Iran, for 4 weeks in 2021 were randomly selected and assigned to three groups: acupressure (n = 30), reflexology (n = 30) and control (n = 30). The Constipation Assessment Scale (CAS) for pregnancy was completed before the intervention and in the first, second, third and fourth weeks after the intervention (twice a week), while the control group received usual care.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The average severity of constipation decreased significantly over time after the start of the intervention in both the acupressure and reflexology groups (P < 0.05). In the control group, the average severity of constipation decreased significantly in the first, second and third weeks after the intervention, but increased significantly in the fourth week (P < 0.05). The average reduction in the severity of constipation over the course of the study was significantly higher in the pregnant women in the acupressure group than in the reflexology group and the control group, and higher in the reflexology group than in the control group (P < 0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Both acupressure and reflexology had significant effects on reducing the severity of constipation during pregnancy. However, the alleviating effect of acupressure was greater than that of reflexology. Trial registration Registered at the Iranian registry of clinical trials, with code No. IRCT20210626051706N1 in 2021-12-20.</p>","PeriodicalId":11949,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Medical Research","volume":"30 1","pages":"877"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12465380/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145174352","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Performance of the Primary Osteoporosis Screening Tool (POST) in osteoporosis screening: a cross-sectional study in China.","authors":"Yuchen Tang, Xin Hu, Wen Dong, Jun Qin, Jianchuan Shu, Jiaxin Kuang, Qiufu Wang, Guanyin Jiang, Miao Lei, Yongle Wu, Jie Hao, Zhenming Hu","doi":"10.1186/s40001-025-03104-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40001-025-03104-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the Primary Osteoporosis Screening Tool (POST) in identifying osteoporosis among Chinese adults aged 50 years and older.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This retrospective cross-sectional study consecutively included patients from the University-Town Hospital of Chongqing Medical University. Osteoporosis was defined based on the T-scores of femoral neck bone mineral density (BMD) or lumbar spine BMD by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry examinations. The POST scores were computed according to the subject information on age, sex, and weight. In addition, the performance of the POST was assessed and compared with the Osteoporosis Self-assessment Tool for Asians (OSTA) by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, net reclassification improvement (NRI), integrated discrimination improvement (IDI).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 2861 patients were included in the final analysis, of whom 78.43% were women, with a mean age of 65.67 ± 9.81 years. The POST exhibited superior performance compared to OSTA in osteoporosis screening, as evidenced by a higher area under curve, enhanced NRI/IDI metrics, and remarkable sensitivity. Subgroup analysis further highlighted the superior efficacy of POST in individuals aged 65 years and older. Additionally, sensitivity analysis confirmed that the POST maintained robust performance in identifying individuals with osteoporosis, even after the exclusion of underweight patients.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The POST has been shown to be an effective instrument for osteoporosis screening among Chinese adults. Nonetheless, this study has limitations including its single-center retrospective design and imbalanced gender distribution, which may affect generalizability.</p>","PeriodicalId":11949,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Medical Research","volume":"30 1","pages":"861"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12465849/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145174277","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Investigating the relationship between glymphatic dysfunction and motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease.","authors":"Xinhui Ma, Ruifang Yan, Yangyang Jian, Jingjing Zhang, Beichen Xie, Jinhui Duan, Jingwei Cui, Kaiyu Wang, Lin Han, Wenpeng Ge","doi":"10.1186/s40001-025-03125-x","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40001-025-03125-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The glymphatic system is instrumental in cerebral waste drainage, and its impairment is mechanistically linked to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's disease (PD). Nevertheless, the relationship between dysfunction in the clearance processes and the intensity of motor symptoms in PD remains inadequately characterized. This study applied the non-invasive Diffusion Tensor Image Analysis along the Perivascular Space technique to quantify the clearance network activity in PD patients compared with healthy controls (HCs), probing its prospects as an imaging biomarker for motor impairment. From January 2024 to June 2025, a total of 43 PD patients, diagnosed according to the clinical diagnostic criteria, along with 31 well-matched HCs, were enrolled. All participants underwent MRI, and the waste-clearance system function was evaluated using the DTI-ALPS index. Motor manifestations in the PD group were systematically rated using the MDS-UPDRS. An independent sample t-test was carried out to compare the disparities in this imaging metric between groups. Correlation and multiple regression analyses were further employed to explore the connections between the imaging metric and parkinsonian motor features. This study demonstrated a significantly lower MRI-derived metric in the PD group (1.19 ± 0.14) relative to HCs (1.27 ± 0.13; p = 0.019). The statistical significance of this difference persisted after covariance adjustment for age, years of education, and drinking history via ANCOVA (B = 0.080, 95% CI [0.015, 0.145], p = 0.016). Pearson correlation analysis revealed significant inverse associations between this radiographic measure and both the total MDS-UPDRS score (r = - 0.418, p = 0.005; Bootstrap 95% BCa CI [- 0.628, - 0.171]) and its motor subsection (Part III) score (r = - 0.424, p = 0.005; Bootstrap 95% BCa CI [- 0.644, - 0.169]). Multiple regression indicated that the imaging metric served as an independent negative predictor of motor symptom severity (standardized β = - 0.420, p = 0.010; B = - 42.45, Bootstrap 95% BCa CI [- 79.17, - 9.91]), accounting independently for 14.6% of the variability in motor severity (ΔR² = 0.146, p = 0.008). These results suggest an association between the imaging metric and the function of the clearance network in PD, as well as a significant correlation with motor disability. These findings warrant further investigation into the metric's potential as a neuroimaging marker for motor impairment.</p>","PeriodicalId":11949,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Medical Research","volume":"30 1","pages":"865"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12465828/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145174307","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring the effect of capsaicin on gene expression and chemotherapy sensitization in gastric cancer cells.","authors":"Weijian Meng, Kun Xie, Zhihong Qi, Rui Zhang, Jie Shen","doi":"10.1186/s40001-025-03127-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40001-025-03127-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Capsaicin, phytochemical component in red hot chili peppers, has previously been demonstrated to exhibit antitumor effect in various cancer type. However, the deep biological function and molecular mechanism of capsaicin was still uncertain.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study applied cell viability assay, apoptosis assay, Transwell assay, immunofluorescence, qPCR, western blot assay and high-throughput RNA sequencing to explore the effect of capsaicin on gene expression and chemotherapy sensitization in gastric cancer cells.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Capsaicin could significantly inhibit cell viability and induce apoptosis in both AGS and HGC-27 gastric cancer cell line. Through high-throughput RNA sequencing, capsaicin exhibited inhibiting role in DNA repair, DNA replication and chromosome assemble pathway. qPCR assay and western blot validated that capsaicin could inhibit expression of the key enzymes (FEN1, LIG1 and PARP1) in DNA damage response and chemotherapy resistance. In vitro assay demonstrated that capsaicin could significantly induce cyto-toxicity and chemotherapy-induced DNA damage of 5-FU and Oxalipatin at low dose. Immunofluorescence analysis revealed that capsaicin inhibited both the expression and nuclear accumulation of PARP1 in AGS cells treated with 5-FU or oxaliplatin.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Capsaicin could inhibit DNA repair, thereby inhibited cell viability and improved the sensitivity of chemotherapy in gastric cancer cells.</p>","PeriodicalId":11949,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Medical Research","volume":"30 1","pages":"855"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12465754/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145174318","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"HEG1 promotes gastric cancer progression by stabilizing AKT1 and is functionally regulated by the deubiquitinase USP48.","authors":"Yajun Zhao, Zhouhai Zhang, A-Man Xu","doi":"10.1186/s40001-025-02999-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40001-025-02999-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>HEG1 (Heart of Glass 1) is an endothelial cell-associated protein with emerging roles in oncogenesis, though its function in gastric cancer (GC) remains poorly understood. This study investigates the role of HEG1 in GC progression and uncovers the regulatory mechanism involving the deubiquitinase USP48.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Comprehensive bioinformatics analyses, in vitro and in vivo assays, were employed to evaluate the expression, function, and mechanistic regulation of HEG1 in GC. RNA-seq, protein interaction studies, immunoprecipitation assays, and pharmacogenomic data analysis were used to explore the HEG1-AKT1 axis and its modulation by USP48.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>HEG1 was significantly overexpressed in GC tissues and cell lines, and high HEG1 expression correlated with advanced tumor grade, TP53 wild-type status, and poor prognosis. Functional studies revealed that HEG1 promotes GC cell proliferation, clonogenicity, and tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, HEG1 stabilizes AKT1 by reducing its ubiquitination, leading to sustained activation of the AKT signaling pathway. Importantly, USP48 was identified as a novel deubiquitinase of HEG1. USP48 directly interacts with and stabilizes HEG1 by removing K48-linked polyubiquitin chains, thereby preventing proteasomal degradation.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>HEG1 acts as a key oncogenic regulator in gastric cancer by modulating AKT1 stability and cell proliferative potential. Its stability is critically dependent on USP48-mediated deubiquitination. The USP48-HEG1-AKT1 axis represents a novel regulatory pathway in gastric cancer progression and a potential target for therapeutic intervention.</p>","PeriodicalId":11949,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Medical Research","volume":"30 1","pages":"872"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12465465/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145174344","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}