Publications by authors named "Li-Li Hou"
Background And Purpose: Malnutrition commonly predicts adverse outcomes among older adults in the intensive care unit (ICU). The Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) is a simple and practical tool for assessing nutritional status in older adults. This study aims to explore the association between GNRI and adverse post-extubation outcomes in critically ill older adults.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAndrographolide sensitizes glioma to temozolomide by inhibiting DKK1 expression.
Br J Cancer
November 2024
Background: Temozolomide (TMZ) is the first-line chemotherapeutic drug for gliomas treatment. However, the clinical efficacy of TMZ in glioma patients was very limited. Therefore, it is urgently needed to discover a novel approach to increase the sensitivity of glioma cells to TMZ.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- - Chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy shows promise for treating breast cancer, but current treatments with paclitaxel and PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors have limited effectiveness and side effects, like peripheral neuropathy.
- - Research identified that the protein Dickkopf-1 (DKK1) is increased after paclitaxel treatment, negatively affecting T cell activity and limiting the drug's antitumor effects.
- - Using an anti-DKK1 antibody alongside paclitaxel improved cancer treatment outcomes and reduced neuropathy symptoms in mouse models, suggesting a new approach for safer breast cancer therapies.
Herb pair of Huangqi-Danggui exerts anti-tumor immunity to breast cancer by upregulating PIK3R1.
Animal Model Exp Med
June 2024
Article Synopsis
- Traditional Chinese medicine suggests that herbs like Huangqi and Danggui can enhance Qi, boosting immunity to help fight tumors.
- The study used various methods to test the effectiveness of these herbs in cancer treatment, finding that their combination is more potent than either one alone.
- Key findings suggest that specific compounds in the combination target PIK3R1, enhancing immune response and showing significant anti-tumor effects, especially against breast cancer.
[A qualitative study on the needs of patients with mandibular defects for occlusal function].
Shanghai Kou Qiang Yi Xue
February 2024
Article Synopsis
- * Researchers conducted interviews with 27 patients and identified five key themes related to the impact of these defects and the lack of knowledge about exercise routines.
- * The conclusion emphasized the need for a standardized occlusal function exercise program that includes patient education and addresses barriers to compliance to improve patient outcomes.
Article Synopsis
- Lactate serves as a key metabolic substrate and signaling molecule in the brain, showing potential antidepressant effects through both acute and chronic administration.
- A study using 238 male Sprague Dawley rats demonstrated that acute intracerebroventricular infusion of lactate led to a reduction in immobility during a forced swimming test, indicating an antidepressant-like effect that is dose- and time-dependent.
- The research revealed that lactate's antidepressant effects depend on new protein synthesis rather than gene expression or other metabolic influences, specifically enhancing brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels via a cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-dependent process.
[Construction and application of virtual simulation teaching platform for in-hospital emergency nursing of craniofacial injury patients].
Shanghai Kou Qiang Yi Xue
August 2023
Article Synopsis
- A virtual simulation teaching platform was developed to enhance emergency nursing skills for craniofacial injury patients using advanced technologies like virtual reality and animation.
- The platform enables students to practice real-life rescue scenarios and incorporates evaluation modules to assess their nursing abilities.
- Results show improved first-aid skills among students, with high satisfaction regarding content relevance, though some aspects like usability need enhancements.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a therapy called electrophysiological appropriateness technique (EAT), based on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), in reducing postoperative pain after urethral reconstruction surgery.
- It involved 61 male patients divided into two groups: one receiving standard pain management and the other receiving EAT alongside standard care, with comparisons made on pain levels and pain management outcomes.
- Results showed that the group using EAT experienced significantly lower pain scores, reduced opioid usage, quicker recovery in bowel function, and fewer side effects than the control group.
[Glycogen phosphorylase inhibitor ameliorates pentylenetetrazole-induced acute seizure, neuroinflammation and memory impairment in rats].
Zhongguo Ying Yong Sheng Li Xue Za Zhi
September 2022
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates whether the GP inhibitor DAB can reduce seizures, neuroinflammation, and memory loss caused by PTZ in rats.
- The experiments involved comparing the effects of DAB on various seizure parameters and inflammation markers in rats given PTZ versus control groups.
- Results showed that DAB significantly improved seizure latency, decreased seizure duration, reduced inflammation markers, and enhanced memory performance compared to the PTZ group without DAB.
Article Synopsis
- Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major cause of cancer-related deaths, and this study investigates how aucubin, a natural compound, can inhibit HCC growth and enhance the effects of cisplatin, a common chemotherapy drug.
- Aucubin significantly reduces PD-L1 expression in HCC cells by disrupting the Akt/β-catenin signaling pathway, which helps improve the infiltration of CD8 tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes.
- The findings suggest that combining aucubin with cisplatin could be a promising new therapeutic strategy for treating HCC, as cisplatin typically increases PD-L1 expression, diminishing its effectiveness.
DKK1 promotes NUAK1 transcriptional expression through the activation Akt in hepatocellular carcinoma.
Cell Biol Int
February 2023
Article Synopsis
- NUAK1 is a kinase linked to worse outcomes in various cancers, and its overexpression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was confirmed in this study.
- Higher levels of NUAK1 in HCC cells led to increased cell growth and mobility, and this overexpression also boosted tumor growth and spread in animal models.
- The study found that DKK1 influences NUAK1 levels by activating the Akt signaling pathway, meaning that both DKK1 and NUAK1 contribute to HCC progression.
Article Synopsis
- Insular thyroid carcinoma (ITC) is a rare and poorly differentiated type of thyroid cancer, and this study aimed to clarify its demographic characteristics, survival rates, and prognostic factors.
- The research involved analyzing data from 206 ITC patients between 2004 and 2019, revealing that patients had a 10-year overall survival rate of 42.5%, with specific independent prognostic factors including age, cancer stage, and surgery type.
- The study developed predictive nomograms for overall survival and cancer-specific survival that showed better accuracy than traditional staging methods, indicating their potential utility in clinical practice.
[Psychological intervention for negative emotion and quality of life of patients with head and neck cancer (HNC): a meta-analysis].
Shanghai Kou Qiang Yi Xue
June 2022
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to evaluate how psychological interventions can help patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) by reducing negative emotions and enhancing their quality of life, providing evidence for clinical practices.
- Researchers conducted a thorough search of multiple databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) related to psychological interventions for HNC patients, ultimately analyzing 18 trials with 2,097 participants using specific statistical methods.
- Findings revealed that those receiving psychological interventions experienced significant reductions in anxiety and depression, along with improvements in quality of life, but the authors noted that the quality of the included studies varied and further research is needed to confirm these results.
Osteomodulin protects dental pulp stem cells from cisplatin-induced apoptosis in vitro.
Stem Cell Rev Rep
January 2023
Article Synopsis
- - Human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) show promise for tissue regeneration, and regulating apoptosis is essential for their use, with Osteomodulin (OMD) identified as a key regulatory protein.
- - The study investigated how OMD affects the apoptosis of hDPSCs, revealing that increased OMD expression enhances cell viability and protects against apoptosis, while reduced OMD leads to higher apoptosis rates.
- - OMD functions as a negative modulator of apoptosis through the Akt/GSK-3β/β-Catenin signaling pathway, providing insights for potential applications of hDPSCs in regenerative medicine.
[Effect of children's oral health cognition and behavior on oral health status].
Shanghai Kou Qiang Yi Xue
August 2021
Article Synopsis
- * Researchers surveyed 387 primary school students using questionnaires and analyzed the data to understand the relationship between their oral health knowledge and behaviors.
- * Results showed that while children's understanding of oral health was good, their habits were average; over half had dental caries, indicating poor oral health status, and better oral health behavior was linked to improved health outcomes.
Article Synopsis
- A water-soluble azobenzene chemosensor (designated as 1) was developed for the selective detection of mercury ions (Hg2+).
- The sensor exhibited significant changes in UV-Vis absorption signals, particularly around 240 nm, indicating its ability to identify Hg2+ across various pH levels while remaining unaffected by other metal ions and light exposure.
- The addition of Hg2+ resulted in a structural change to trans-1, linked to the interaction between the sensor's polyethylene glycol (PEG) chain and the mercury ion, which was confirmed by a control experiment.
Article Synopsis
- - This study explores the influence of cultural values on teamwork among doctors and nurses in China's emergency departments (EDs), highlighting how diverse backgrounds can create challenges in collaboration.
- - Interviews with 20 healthcare professionals revealed four main themes impacting teamwork: leadership, communication, mutual support, and staffing, along with various cultural sub-themes that affect interactions.
- - The findings suggest that improving teamwork in EDs requires understanding these cultural influences, and future research should focus on identifying key factors that can enhance cohesion between medical staff.
Article Synopsis
- Baicalein, a flavonoid from the plant Scutellaria baicalensis, influences cancer cell invasiveness and is crucial for trophoblast cell invasion necessary for embryo implantation.
- In experiments with HTR-8/SVneo cells treated with various baicalein concentrations, results showed increased cell migration and invasion, alongside changes in MMP-9 protein levels and gene expression.
- The activation of the NF-κB pathway by baicalein suggests its significant role in enhancing trophoblast cell behavior, indicating importance for successful pregnancy outcomes.
Article Synopsis
- The herbal medicine Yin Huang Mixture (YHHJ) is an aqueous extract from a variety of herbs, showing promise in treating itching and lowering bile acid levels in patients with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP).
- A study used a rat model to investigate how YHHJ affects the expression of bile acid carriers, specifically multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 (MRP2) and bile salt export pump (BSEP) during cholestasis induced by ethinylestradiol (EE).
- Results indicated that YHHJ treatment significantly reduced serum bile acids and bilirubin levels while increasing MRP2 and BSEP expression, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic option for ICP by enhancing bile acid transport.
Article Synopsis
- Lung cancer significantly impacts health and life, and anxiety among patients in palliative care can worsen their quality of life.
- This pilot study assessed the effects of electrical acupuncture on anxiety in 188 lung cancer patients, comparing it with standard care and muscle stimulation.
- Results showed that electrical acupuncture reduced anxiety and improved patients' quality of life and comfort over time, indicating its potential as an effective treatment in palliative care.
[Progress of Chinese Materia Medica in Treating Pregnancy Immune Tolerance].
Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi
September 2015
Article Synopsis
- Excessive HMGB1 protein release from heart cells after ischemia worsens inflammation and heart damage upon reperfusion.
- Electroacupuncture targeting specific acupoints in mice reduces HMGB1 levels and inflammation after heart injury, indicating a protective effect.
- This protective mechanism likely relies on the vagal nerve and specific nicotinic receptors, as shown by experiments involving nerve cutting and receptor antagonists.
Article Synopsis
- Lung cancer significantly affects both the physical and psychological well-being of patients, leading to emotional distress and financial challenges for families.
- A study conducted in Shanghai surveyed 104 non-small-cell lung cancer patients, revealing that nearly half experienced depression, with various factors influencing their mental health.
- Key predictors of depression included gender, how long the disease has been present, patients' ability to take care of themselves, pain levels, and the amount of social support they received.
Article Synopsis
- Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) aims to restore proper knee movement, with knee prosthesis design being crucial to its success, as reflected in created kinematic models for normal and prosthetic knees.
- Using advanced imaging techniques, a comprehensive model of the knee and surrounding structures was developed, enabling finite element analysis to compare normal knee behavior with that of a posterior-stabilized (PS) prosthesis during flexion.
- Results indicated that while the kinematic data from the normal knee matched previous studies, the PS prosthesis displayed abnormal movements, highlighting the need for design improvements to enhance its performance during early flexion.
Article Synopsis
- This study investigates the antitumor effects of ophiopogonin B (OP-B) on HeLa cells, revealing its strong ability to inhibit cell growth without inducing apoptosis.
- The research finds that OP-B activates autophagy in HeLa cells by increasing the levels of autophagy-related proteins Beclin-1 and LC3, indicating that the antiproliferative effects of OP-B are linked to autophagy.
- OP-B appears to inhibit the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway by down-regulating the phosphorylation of proteins involved in this pathway, positioning it as a potential alternative treatment for cervical cancer.