1.Key scientific issues and breakthrough paths to eliminate the harm of hepatitis B virus infection
Yixue WANG ; Bo PENG ; Lei WEI ; Quanxin LONG ; Yuchen XIA ; Yinyan SUN ; Wenhui LI
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2026;42(1):2-6
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) exclusively infects liver parenchymal cells and forms covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) within their nuclei. HBV cccDNA serves as the essential template for viral gene transcription, the sole source of progeny virus production, and the key driver of viral antigen expression, and it is the molecular basis for the persistence of HBV infection. Therefore, elimination and/or functional silencing of cccDNA is the key to eradicate chronic HBV infection. This article discusses the critical scientific issues that need to be solved during elimination of the harm of HBV infection from the perspectives of the synthesis, transcription, and clearance of cccDNA, as well as the impact of nonparenchymal cells on cccDNA, in order to provide a reference for eradicating HBV infection in the future.
2.The Role of Gut Microbiota in Male Erectile Dysfunction of Rats
Zhunan XU ; Shangren WANG ; Chunxiang LIU ; Jiaqi KANG ; Yang PAN ; Zhexin ZHANG ; Hang ZHOU ; Mingming XU ; Xia LI ; Haoyu WANG ; Shuai NIU ; Li LIU ; Daqing SUN ; Xiaoqiang LIU
The World Journal of Men's Health 2025;43(1):213-227
Purpose:
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common male sexual dysfunction. Gut microbiota plays an important role in various diseases. To investigate the effects and mechanisms of intestinal flora dysregulation induced by high-fat diet (HFD) on erectile function.
Materials and Methods:
Male Sprague–Dawley rats aged 8 weeks were randomly divided into the normal diet (ND) and HFD groups. After 24 weeks, a measurement of erectile function was performed. We performed 16S rRNA sequencing of stool samples. Then, we established fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) rat models by transplanting fecal microbiota from rats of ND group and HFD group to two new groups of rats respectively. After 24 weeks, erectile function of the rats was evaluated and 16S rRNA sequencing was performed, and serum samples were collected for the untargeted metabolomics detection.
Results:
The erectile function of rats and the species diversity of intestinal microbiota in the HFD group was significantly lower, and the characteristics of the intestinal microbiota community structure were also significantly different between the two groups. The erectile function of rats in the HFD-FMT group was significantly lower than that of rats in the ND-FMT group. The characteristics of the intestinal microbiota community structure were significantly different. In the HFD-FMT group, 27 metabolites were significantly different and they were mainly involved in the several inflammation-related pathways.
Conclusions
Intestinal microbiota disorders induced by HFD can damage the intestinal barrier of rats, change the serum metabolic profile, induce low-grade inflammation and apoptosis in the corpus cavernosum of the penis, and lead to ED.
3.Research progress on the application of visual electrophysiological examination in early diagnosis of glaucoma
Chang SUN ; Rong ZHANG ; Xiaolin XIAO ; Minpeng XU ; Dong MING ; Xia HUA
International Eye Science 2025;25(7):1073-1078
Glaucoma is a group of optic nerve disorders characterized by progressive optic nerve atrophy and visual field defects, which can lead to irreversible blindness. Early diagnosis of glaucoma is essential for preventing visual loss. However, due to the absence of obvious early symptoms, the diagnosis of glaucoma remains challenging. Visual electrophysiological examinations, an objective approach for evaluating visual function, have the potential to be used in the early diagnosis of glaucoma. This review integrates the latest publications to introduce visual electrophysiological examination techniques, including electroretinography(ERG)and visual evoked potential(VEP). It also explores the mechanisms underlying these techniques and their application value in the early diagnosis of glaucoma. In addition, this review summarizes the advantages, limitations, and applicable scenarios of different visual electrophysiological techniques. Finally, the review provides an outlook on the development prospects of visual electrophysiological techniques in the early diagnosis of glaucoma. The findings of this review can assist clinicians in selecting appropriate diagnostic methods, promote the innovation and development of early visual electrophysiological diagnostic techniques for glaucoma, and contribute to reducing the risk of blindness caused by glaucoma.
4.Associations of adipokine with diabetic retinopathy among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus
SUN Xia ; DAN lingying ; ZHENG Peng ; CHEN Xinyi
Journal of Preventive Medicine 2025;37(3):248-252
Objective:
To examine the associations between three adipokines (omentin-1, nesfatin-1 and apelin) and diabetic retinopathy (DR) among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), so as to provide the basis for the prevention and control of DR.
Methods:
The T2DM patients hospitalized in Lishui TCM Hospital from August 2021 to May 2023 were selected and divided into three groups: no diabetic retinopathy (NDR) group, non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) group, and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) group based on fundus fluorescein angiography. Data on gender, age, and course of T2DM were collected through questionnaires, and serum omentin-1, nesfatin-1, apelin, and related blood biochemical indicators were measured. The associations of omentin-1, nesfatin-1 and apelin with DR were analyzed using a multinomial logistic regression model.
Results:
A total of 150 T2DM patients were enrolled, including 58 cases in the NDR group, 60 cases in the NPDR group, and 32 cases in the PDR group, with males accounting for 60.34%, 45.00% and 68.75%, respectively. The mean ages were (54.79±14.40), (57.03±12.20) and (57.72±10.70) years, respectively. The median (interquartile range) courses of T2DM were 7.00 (7.75), 10.00 (8.00) and 10.00 (5.00) years, respectively. Compared with the NDR group, the NPDR group had lower levels of omentin-1 and nesfatin-1 and higher level of apelin, while the PDR group had higher level of omentin-1 and lower level of apelin (all P<0.05). Compared with the NPDR group, the PDR group had higher levels of omentin-1 and nesfatin-1 and lower level of apelin (all P<0.05). Multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that omentin-1 level was statistically associated with NPDR (OR=0.503, 95%CI: 0.291-0.871) and PDR (OR=7.862, 95%CI: 2.956-20.910); nesfatin-1 (OR=0.971, 95%CI: 0.953-0.989) and apelin (OR=3.266, 95%CI: 1.817-5.868) levels were statistically associated with NPDR.
Conclusion
Serum levels of omentin-1, nesfatin-1 and apelin were associated with different stages of DR among T2DM patients.
5.Exploration of radiotherapy as a combined treatment modality with in situ vaccines in the treatment of advanced soft tissue sarcomas
TAN Siyi, ; WANG Xiaolu ; WANG Qin ; DU Shiyao ; YIN Fangtao ; YANG Yiqi ; SUN Wu ; LIU Juan ; ZHOU Xia ; LIU Baorui, ; LI Rutian
Chinese Journal of Cancer Biotherapy 2025;32(4):418-424
[摘 要] 目的:评估放疗作为原位疫苗的联合治疗模式在晚期软组织肉瘤(STS)患者中的有效性和安全性。方法:回顾性分析2020年12月至2024年9月期间在南京大学医学院附属鼓楼医院肿瘤中心接受联合治疗模式的12例晚期STS患者的临床资料。12例患者均接受了联合治疗。放疗主要以大分割为主。靶向治疗:安罗替尼10例、阿帕替尼2例。免疫治疗以PD-1抗体为主。主要研究终点为疾病控制率(DCR),次要研究终点为客观有效率(ORR)及安全性。结果:接受联合治疗的12例STS患者中有0例CR,4例PR,7例SD,1例PD。ORR为33%,DCR为91.7%,其中靶病灶的DCR为100%。12例患者中,9例出现Ⅰ~Ⅱ级不良反应。最常发生的血液学不良反应是贫血(6例)、肝功能检查结果异常(3例)。最常发生的非血液学不良反应是尿蛋白(5例)、高血压(4例)、甲状腺功能异常(3例)、厌食(3例)、恶心呕吐(2例);仅2例发生Ⅲ级血液毒性,有1例发生Ⅲ级气胸。结论:放疗作为原位疫苗的联合治疗模式在晚期STS患者中展现出较高的DCR,且未出现严重不良反应。该联合治疗模式具有良好的有效性与安全性。
6.Research on BP Neural Network Method for Identifying Cell Suspension Concentration Based on GHz Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy
An ZHANG ; A-Long TAO ; Qi-Hang RAN ; Xia-Yi LIU ; Zhi-Long WANG ; Bo SUN ; Jia-Feng YAO ; Tong ZHAO
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(5):1302-1312
ObjectiveThe rapid advancement of bioanalytical technologies has heightened the demand for high-throughput, label-free, and real-time cellular analysis. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) operating in the GHz frequency range (GHz-EIS) has emerged as a promising tool for characterizing cell suspensions due to its ability to rapidly and non-invasively capture the dielectric properties of cells and their microenvironment. Although GHz-EIS enables rapid and label-free detection of cell suspensions, significant challenges remain in interpreting GHz impedance data for complex samples, limiting the broader application of this technique in cellular research. To address these challenges, this study presents a novel method that integrates GHz-EIS with deep learning algorithms, aiming to improve the precision of cell suspension concentration identification and quantification. This method provides a more efficient and accurate solution for the analysis of GHz impedance data. MethodsThe proposed method comprises two key components: dielectric property dataset construction and backpropagation (BP) neural network modeling. Yeast cell suspensions at varying concentrations were prepared and separately introduced into a coaxial sensor for impedance measurement. The dielectric properties of these suspensions were extracted using a GHz-EIS dielectric property extraction method applied to the measured impedance data. A dielectric properties dataset incorporating concentration labels was subsequently established and divided into training and testing subsets. A BP neural network model employing specific activation functions (ReLU and Leaky ReLU) was then designed. The model was trained and tested using the constructed dataset, and optimal model parameters were obtained through this process. This BP neural network enables automated extraction and analytical processing of dielectric properties, facilitating precise recognition of cell suspension concentrations through data-driven training. ResultsThrough comparative analysis with conventional centrifugal methods, the recognized concentration values of cell suspensions showed high consistency, with relative errors consistently below 5%. Notably, high-concentration samples exhibited even smaller deviations, further validating the precision and reliability of the proposed methodology. To benchmark the recognition performance against different algorithms, two typical approaches—support vector machines (SVM) and K-nearest neighbor (KNN)—were selected for comparison. The proposed method demonstrated superior performance in quantifying cell concentrations. Specifically, the BP neural network achieved a mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 2.06% and an R² value of 0.997 across the entire concentration range, demonstrating both high predictive accuracy and excellent model fit. ConclusionThis study demonstrates that the proposed method enables accurate and rapid determination of unknown sample concentrations. By combining GHz-EIS with BP neural network algorithms, efficient identification of cell concentrations is achieved, laying the foundation for the development of a convenient online cell analysis platform and showing significant application prospects. Compared to typical recognition approaches, the proposed method exhibits superior capabilities in recognizing cell suspension concentrations. Furthermore, this methodology not only accelerates research in cell biology and precision medicine but also paves the way for future EIS biosensors capable of intelligent, adaptive analysis in dynamic biological research.
7.Research progress on techniques for detection of tick-borne encephalitis virus infections
Zhuofan LIU ; Hao XIE ; Xiaoliang SUN ; Tao XIA ; Junhui GUO
Chinese Journal of Schistosomiasis Control 2025;37(2):209-216
Tick-borne encephalitis is a central nervous system disease caused by infections with tick-borne pathogens, which is characterized by severe clinical symptoms, multiple sequelae, and a high fatality rate. Currently, there is no cure for tick-borne encephalitis. Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is the most common pathogen of tick-borne encephalitis. Therefore, rapid and accurate detection of TBEV contributes to reducing the mortality of tick-borne encephalitis, improving patients' prognosis, and reducing the risk of TBEV transmission. The currently available serological tests for detection of TBEV infections mainly include neutralization test, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunofluorescence assay, and nucleic acid tests mainly include polymerase chain reaction (PCR), loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), reverse transcription polymerase spiral reaction, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated proteins (Cas)-based assays. This review summarizes the progress of researches on serological and nucleic acid tests for detection of TBEV infections, so as to provide insights into prevention and control of tick-borne encephalitis.
8.The Role of Gut Microbiota in Male Erectile Dysfunction of Rats
Zhunan XU ; Shangren WANG ; Chunxiang LIU ; Jiaqi KANG ; Yang PAN ; Zhexin ZHANG ; Hang ZHOU ; Mingming XU ; Xia LI ; Haoyu WANG ; Shuai NIU ; Li LIU ; Daqing SUN ; Xiaoqiang LIU
The World Journal of Men's Health 2025;43(1):213-227
Purpose:
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common male sexual dysfunction. Gut microbiota plays an important role in various diseases. To investigate the effects and mechanisms of intestinal flora dysregulation induced by high-fat diet (HFD) on erectile function.
Materials and Methods:
Male Sprague–Dawley rats aged 8 weeks were randomly divided into the normal diet (ND) and HFD groups. After 24 weeks, a measurement of erectile function was performed. We performed 16S rRNA sequencing of stool samples. Then, we established fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) rat models by transplanting fecal microbiota from rats of ND group and HFD group to two new groups of rats respectively. After 24 weeks, erectile function of the rats was evaluated and 16S rRNA sequencing was performed, and serum samples were collected for the untargeted metabolomics detection.
Results:
The erectile function of rats and the species diversity of intestinal microbiota in the HFD group was significantly lower, and the characteristics of the intestinal microbiota community structure were also significantly different between the two groups. The erectile function of rats in the HFD-FMT group was significantly lower than that of rats in the ND-FMT group. The characteristics of the intestinal microbiota community structure were significantly different. In the HFD-FMT group, 27 metabolites were significantly different and they were mainly involved in the several inflammation-related pathways.
Conclusions
Intestinal microbiota disorders induced by HFD can damage the intestinal barrier of rats, change the serum metabolic profile, induce low-grade inflammation and apoptosis in the corpus cavernosum of the penis, and lead to ED.
9.The Role of Gut Microbiota in Male Erectile Dysfunction of Rats
Zhunan XU ; Shangren WANG ; Chunxiang LIU ; Jiaqi KANG ; Yang PAN ; Zhexin ZHANG ; Hang ZHOU ; Mingming XU ; Xia LI ; Haoyu WANG ; Shuai NIU ; Li LIU ; Daqing SUN ; Xiaoqiang LIU
The World Journal of Men's Health 2025;43(1):213-227
Purpose:
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common male sexual dysfunction. Gut microbiota plays an important role in various diseases. To investigate the effects and mechanisms of intestinal flora dysregulation induced by high-fat diet (HFD) on erectile function.
Materials and Methods:
Male Sprague–Dawley rats aged 8 weeks were randomly divided into the normal diet (ND) and HFD groups. After 24 weeks, a measurement of erectile function was performed. We performed 16S rRNA sequencing of stool samples. Then, we established fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) rat models by transplanting fecal microbiota from rats of ND group and HFD group to two new groups of rats respectively. After 24 weeks, erectile function of the rats was evaluated and 16S rRNA sequencing was performed, and serum samples were collected for the untargeted metabolomics detection.
Results:
The erectile function of rats and the species diversity of intestinal microbiota in the HFD group was significantly lower, and the characteristics of the intestinal microbiota community structure were also significantly different between the two groups. The erectile function of rats in the HFD-FMT group was significantly lower than that of rats in the ND-FMT group. The characteristics of the intestinal microbiota community structure were significantly different. In the HFD-FMT group, 27 metabolites were significantly different and they were mainly involved in the several inflammation-related pathways.
Conclusions
Intestinal microbiota disorders induced by HFD can damage the intestinal barrier of rats, change the serum metabolic profile, induce low-grade inflammation and apoptosis in the corpus cavernosum of the penis, and lead to ED.
10.The Role of Gut Microbiota in Male Erectile Dysfunction of Rats
Zhunan XU ; Shangren WANG ; Chunxiang LIU ; Jiaqi KANG ; Yang PAN ; Zhexin ZHANG ; Hang ZHOU ; Mingming XU ; Xia LI ; Haoyu WANG ; Shuai NIU ; Li LIU ; Daqing SUN ; Xiaoqiang LIU
The World Journal of Men's Health 2025;43(1):213-227
Purpose:
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common male sexual dysfunction. Gut microbiota plays an important role in various diseases. To investigate the effects and mechanisms of intestinal flora dysregulation induced by high-fat diet (HFD) on erectile function.
Materials and Methods:
Male Sprague–Dawley rats aged 8 weeks were randomly divided into the normal diet (ND) and HFD groups. After 24 weeks, a measurement of erectile function was performed. We performed 16S rRNA sequencing of stool samples. Then, we established fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) rat models by transplanting fecal microbiota from rats of ND group and HFD group to two new groups of rats respectively. After 24 weeks, erectile function of the rats was evaluated and 16S rRNA sequencing was performed, and serum samples were collected for the untargeted metabolomics detection.
Results:
The erectile function of rats and the species diversity of intestinal microbiota in the HFD group was significantly lower, and the characteristics of the intestinal microbiota community structure were also significantly different between the two groups. The erectile function of rats in the HFD-FMT group was significantly lower than that of rats in the ND-FMT group. The characteristics of the intestinal microbiota community structure were significantly different. In the HFD-FMT group, 27 metabolites were significantly different and they were mainly involved in the several inflammation-related pathways.
Conclusions
Intestinal microbiota disorders induced by HFD can damage the intestinal barrier of rats, change the serum metabolic profile, induce low-grade inflammation and apoptosis in the corpus cavernosum of the penis, and lead to ED.


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