1.Influencing factors for condom use among men who have sex with men
LIU Jing ; ZHU Han ; YIN Jue ; XIA Manman ; LU Yi ; DAI Qing ; GU Chengjie ; LUO Zhen
Journal of Preventive Medicine 2026;38(2):115-118
Objective:
To investigate the status of condom use and its influencing factors among men who have sex with men (MSM), so as to provide a basis for improving condom utilization rates and AIDS prevention and control in this population.
Methods:
From May to October 2024, a snowball sampling method was employed to recruit MSM in Songjiang District, Shanghai Municipality. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect data on demographic characteristics, AIDS-related knowledge, sexual behaviors, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), and condom use in the past six months. Multivariable logistic regression model was used to analyze the influencing factors for consistent condom use.
Results:
A total of 921 MSM were surveyed, with a median age of 29.00 (interquartile range, 9.00) years. Among them, 697 (75.68%) were aware of AIDS-related knowledge, 826 (89.69%) expressed willingness to use PrEP, and 835 (90.66%) were willing to use PEP. Additionally, 787 (85.45%) MSM reported their age at first homosexual intercourse as ≥18 years, while 519 (56.35%) reported consistent condom use in the past six months. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that MSM who were aware of AIDS-related knowledge (OR=0.582, 95% CI: 0.423-0.801), willing to use PrEP (OR =0.611, 95% CI: 0.385-0.969), and whose age at first homosexual intercourse was <18 years (OR=0.480, 95% CI: 0.330-0.700) were less likely to consistent use condoms.
Conclusion
The proportion of consistent condom use among the MSM remains relatively low, which is primarily associated with AIDS-related knowledge, willingness to use PrEP, and the age at first homosexual intercourse.
2.Pleiotrophin (PTN): Multifunctional Regulation and Therapeutic Potential in The Nervous System
Xin TIAN ; Zhen ZHANG ; Fu-Cheng LUO ; Tao LÜ
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(3):550-563
Neurological disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), cerebral ischemia, and multiple sclerosis (MS), impose an escalating global health burden and remain largely incurable. These disorders arise from multifactorial and interconnected pathological processes, such as chronic neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, protein misfolding and aggregation, demyelination, and neurovascular dysfunction. Despite substantial advances in elucidating disease-associated molecular mechanisms, current therapeutic strategies are predominantly symptomatic and fail to effectively halt or reverse disease progression. This limitation highlights the urgent need to identify endogenous regulatory molecules capable of coordinating neuronal survival, synaptic maintenance, inflammatory control, and tissue repair within the central nervous system (CNS). Pleiotrophin (PTN) is a heparin-binding, growth-associated cytokine that has emerged as a key regulator of neural development, plasticity, and regeneration. Structurally, PTN contains multiple high-affinity heparin-binding domains that facilitate interactions with extracellular matrix components and cell surface proteoglycans, enabling spatially restricted and context-dependent signaling. Through these molecular properties, PTN functions as a multifunctional organizer of neural growth, plasticity, and tissue remodeling across developmental and adult stages. Its diverse biological effects are executed through a multi-receptor signaling system that integrates extracellular cues with intracellular programs governing cellular survival, migration, and differentiation. Notably, PTN displays a highly dynamic and cell type-specific expression pattern in the central nervous system, being enriched in neural progenitor cells during development and later restricted to discrete neuronal populations, neural stem cells, and non-neuronal niche cells—including astrocytes, pericytes, and vascular endothelial cells—which serve as critical sources of PTN under physiological and pathological conditions. PTN expression is tightly regulated during development and exhibits pronounced plasticity in response to pathological stimuli. Under physiological conditions, PTN is transiently expressed during critical windows of neural growth and synaptogenesis, supporting neuron-glia interactions and myelin formation. In contrast, in pathological contexts such as amyloid β-protein (Aβ) accumulation in AD, dopaminergic neuron degeneration in PD, demyelination in MS, and ischemic brain injury, PTN expression is frequently dysregulated, suggesting an active role in disease-associated remodeling rather than a passive bystander effect. Importantly, accumulating evidence indicates that PTN exerts a dual and context-dependent influence on neurological disorders. On the one hand, aberrant PTN signaling may contribute to maladaptive responses, including sustained glial activation, dysregulated neuroinflammation, extracellular matrix remodeling, and enhanced Aβ deposition. On the other hand, PTN displays robust neuroprotective and reparative functions by promoting neuronal survival, enhancing oligodendrocyte maturation and remyelination, and stimulating post-injury angiogenesis, thereby facilitating tissue repair and functional recovery. At the mechanistic level, PTN signaling is characterized by extensive cross-talk among receptor-dependent pathways. Activation of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) triggers canonical PI3K-AKT-mTOR and MAPK cascades that support neuronal survival and axonal integrity. PTN binding to protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type Z1 (PTPRZ1) induces conformational inhibition of its phosphatase activity, resulting in increased phosphorylation of downstream effectors such as β-catenin, Fyn, and Src, which regulate neuronal migration and synaptic stabilization. Syndecan-3 (SDC3) functions as both a co-receptor and an independent signaling mediator by capturing extracellular PTN, amplifying ALK- and PTPRZ1-dependent signaling, and directly modulating cytoskeletal dynamics through PKC and ERK pathways. In parallel, PTN interaction with αVβ3 integrin contributes to remodeling of the neurovascular niche, linking angiogenesis with neurogenesis and neural repair. From a translational perspective, therapeutic strategies targeting PTN can be broadly classified into 3 categories: direct enhancement of PTN signaling through exogenous protein supplementation or gene therapy-mediated upregulation, pharmacological modulation of PTN-associated receptor pathways and downstream signaling nodes, and exploitation of PTN as a dynamic biomarker to inform disease stratification and therapeutic responsiveness. These complementary approaches underscore the growing interest in PTN-centered interventions across a spectrum of neurological disorders. In summary, PTN functions not merely as a classical trophic factor but as a central signaling hub integrating inflammatory regulation, neural regeneration, and vascular remodeling within the CNS. This review aims to synthesize current insights into PTN’s molecular architecture, multi-receptor signaling mechanisms, and disease-specific functions, and to highlight emerging therapeutic strategies targeting PTN. By conceptualizing PTN as a dynamic modulator of neuronal resilience rather than a static biomarker, we propose that precise modulation of PTN signaling may offer promising avenues for therapeutic development in neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory diseases.
3.Analysis of Chronic Gouty Arthritis Animal Models Based on Clinical Characteristics of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine
Yan XIAO ; Siyuan LIN ; Fan YANG ; Qianglong CHEN ; Xiaohua CHEN ; Meiling WANG ; Zhen ZHANG ; Jiali LUO ; Youxin SU ; Jiemei GUO
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(7):84-92
ObjectiveBased on the clinical characteristics of chronic gouty arthritis (CGA) in both traditional Chinese and western medicine, this study aims to systematically evaluate the clinical concordance of existing CGA animal models, providing recommendations for establishing animal models that align with the pathological characteristics of CGA and the manifestations of traditional Chinese medicine syndromes. MethodsBy comprehensively retrieving Chinese and international databases such as China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, VIP Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database (VIP), and PubMed, all relevant literature on CGA animal models was collected. Based on the guidelines, the diagnostic criteria of both traditional Chinese and western medicine were summarized and organized. The evaluation indicators for the CGA model were constructed with reference to existing evaluation modes, and the CGA animal models were analyzed to systematically evaluate the clinical concordance of existing models. ResultsThe current methods used to construct CGA animal models mainly include monosodium urate crystal induction, high-protein diet induction (poultry lack urate oxidase), and high-fat diet combined with urate oxidase inhibitors and joint injection. Based on 11 pieces of included literature, the traditional Chinese and western medicine scoring data of each model were extracted, and the average scoring values of all models were ultimately calculated. The results show that the average clinical concordances of existing CGA animal models in both traditional Chinese and western medicine are 43.33% and 64.44%, respectively. Among them, the model with the highest clinical concordance rate is the one with a high-fat diet combined with potassium oxonate to induce hyperuricemia plus joint injection, achieving 83.33% clinical concordance in western medicine and 60% in traditional Chinese medicine. This model aligns well with the pathogenic characteristics and pathological changes of clinical CGA. ConclusionAlthough current CGA animal models can simulate some pathological characteristics of CGA, they struggle to comprehensively reflect the complex pathological processes of CGA and the characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine syndromes. Therefore, in the future, it is necessary to establish the CGA animal models that incorporate the clinical disease and syndrome characteristics of traditional Chinese and western medicine and formulate the uniform model evaluation criteria, providing more precise tools for CGA mechanism research and the development of traditional Chinese medicine.
4.Resistance of Aedes albopictus to common insecticides in Zhejiang Province, 2024
Qin-mei LIU ; Jin-na WANG ; Tian-qi LI ; Ming-yu LUO ; Zhou GUAN ; Zhen-yu GONG ; Ji-min SUN
Acta Parasitologica et Medica Entomologica Sinica 2026;33(2):96-100
Objective In order to understand the current resistance status of Aedes albopictus(Ae. albopictus) adult population to commonly used insecticides and the resistance dynamics development in Zhejiang Province and provide a theoretical basis for the scientific and rational use of hygienic insecticides. Methods Resistance determination was carried out using the diagnostic dose method(GB/T 26347-2010)recommended by WHO in the adult mosquito contact cylinder method to monitor the resistance of Ae. albopictus field populations in 11 cities and districts in Zhejiang Province in 2024. Results The monitoring result showed that adult Ae. albopictus in 11 areas were resistant or suspected resistant populations to both cis-cypermethrin and permethrin; suspected and resistant populations to the organophosphate insecticide malathion were as high as 81.82%; while suspected resistance to the carbamate insecticide residual carbofuran accounted for 45.45%, and the rest of the monitoring sites were sensitive to it. Conclusions The result suggest that the generalized resistance of Ae. albopictus populations to pyrethroids and organophosphorus insecticides in the field in Zhejiang Province needs to be highly emphasized. In future mosquito vector and mosquito-borne disease control, insecticides should be selected based on the resistance monitoring information, while following scientific guidelines for insecticide use.
5.Cardioprotective Effect of Rhizoma Polygonati in Naturally Aging Rats via Regulating of ATM,ATR-mediated DNA Damage Response Pathway
Zhen QIN ; Yongfang SHI ; Chengxi LUO ; Libin YE
World Science and Technology-Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;27(8):2351-2359
Objective To observe the cardioprotection of Rhizoma Polygonati(RP)in natural aging rat and its molecular mechanism.Methods 16 SD rats aged 2 months were selected as the young group,another 64 SD rats aged 18 months were randomly divided into 4 groups:an old group,a RP-low,a RP-medium and a RP-high dose group,with 16 rats in each group.The RP-low,RP-medium and RP-high dose groups were administered of RP(1,2,4 g·kg-1)by gavage,the old and young groups were given the same amount of distilled water once a day for 12 weeks.At week 4 and 12,eight rats from each group were sacrificed under anesthesia and hearts were isolated.Then cardiac weight index(CI)were measured and the histopathologic observation was assessed.The contents of total antioxidant capacity(T-AOC),glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px),superoxide dismutase(SOD)and malondialdehyde(MDA)were measured,and the expression of ataxia-telangiectasia mutated gene(ATM),ATM and Rad3-related kinase(ATR)-related protein in cardiac tissue were detected.Results With the increase of weeks of age,the fibrosis area in the old group was increased.The content of GSH-Px was decreased while MDA was increased;the expressions of Chk1 and Chk2 were also up-regulated(P<0.05).At week 4 or 12,compared to the young group,the CI was reduced,and the contents of T-AOC,SOD,GSH-Px were decreased while MDA was increased;the expression of ATM,ATR-related proteins were all significantly up-regulated in cardiac tissue of old group(P<0.05).After RP treatment,the CI was elevated,the structure of cardiomyocytes were intact and the myocardial fibers were arranged neatly,the fibrosis area was lowered.The contents of T-AOC,GSH-Px,SOD were increased while MDA was decreased.The expression of ATM,ATR-related proteins were significantly down-regulated in cardiac tissue(P<0.05).Conclusion RP could protect the heart in natural aging rats,and its mechanism may be related to the regulation of DNA damage response ATM,ATR signaling pathway.
6.The roles of eosinophils in different liver diseases
Guojing XING ; Yuan DENG ; Lifei WANG ; Longlong LUO ; Zhen WANG ; Zhaojie ZHANG ; Meixia YANG ; Ting ZHANG ; Xiaohui YU ; Jiucong ZHANG
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2025;41(7):1456-1460
Liver diseases have a high prevalence rate worldwide with relatively poor long-term clinical outcomes and have become one of the leading causes of disease burden and death around the world,which poses significant challenges to public health.Eosinophils(Eos)are a class of highly conserved multifunctional immune cells that play critical effector roles in allergic diseases.In recent years,an increasing amount of evidence has shown that Eos plays an important role in the pathogenesis of liver diseases,exerting a protective or harmful effect in different liver diseases,which has become a research hotspot in this field.This article elaborates on the role and potential mechanism of action of Eos in liver diseases,in order to provide a new perspective for in-depth research on the pathogenesis of liver diseases and lay the foundation for developing therapeutic strategies targeting Eos.
7.Ovarian teratoma-associated anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis:one case report
Qiao-ying LYU ; Yi-qin WANG ; Xue-zhen LUO
Fudan University Journal of Medical Sciences 2025;52(6):908-912
A 21-year-old unmarried female visited Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital,Fudan University with the chief complaint,memory decline for more than 20 days and discovery of a pelvic mass for more than 10 days.Through systematic examination,she was diagnosed with teratoma-associated anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor(NMDAR)encephalitis.The patient underwent bilateral ovarian teratoma enucleation,and postoperative pathology revealed immature teratoma grade Ⅰ in the left ovary and mature teratoma in the right ovary.Perioperative combined immunotherapy significantly improved her neuropsychiatric symptoms.The diagnosis and treatment of ovarian teratoma-associated anti-NMDAR encephalitis require multidisciplinary collaboration,with accurate diagnosis,timely surgical resection within 1 month,and early initiation of immunotherapy being critical factors for improving prognosis.Clinicians should remain vigilant to avoid missed or misdiagnosed cases,as this condition can lead to severe outcomes.
8.Role of SWI/SNF Chromatin Remodeling Complex in Tumor Drug Resistance
Gui-Zhen ZHU ; Qiao YE ; Yuan LUO ; Jie PENG ; Lu WANG ; Zhao-Ting YANG ; Feng-Sen DUAN ; Bing-Qian GUO ; Zhu-Song MEI ; Guang-Yun WANG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(1):20-31
Tumor drug resistance is an important problem in the failure of chemotherapy and targeted drug therapy, which is a complex process involving chromatin remodeling. SWI/SNF is one of the most studied ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes in tumorigenesis, which plays an important role in the coordination of chromatin structural stability, gene expression, and post-translation modification. However, its mechanism in tumor drug resistance has not been systematically combed. SWI/SNF can be divided into 3 types according to its subunit composition: BAF, PBAF, and ncBAF. These 3 subtypes all contain two mutually exclusive ATPase catalytic subunits (SMARCA2 or SMARCA4), core subunits (SMARCC1 and SMARCD1), and regulatory subunits (ARID1A, PBRM1, and ACTB, etc.), which can control gene expression by regulating chromatin structure. The change of SWI/SNF complex subunits is one of the important factors of tumor drug resistance and progress. SMARCA4 and ARID1A are the most widely studied subunits in tumor drug resistance. Low expression of SMARCA4 can lead to the deletion of the transcription inhibitor of the BCL2L1 gene in mantle cell lymphoma, which will result in transcription up-regulation and significant resistance to the combination therapy of ibrutinib and venetoclax. Low expression of SMARCA4 and high expression of SMARCA2 can activate the FGFR1-pERK1/2 signaling pathway in ovarian high-grade serous carcinoma cells, which induces the overexpression of anti-apoptosis gene BCL2 and results in carboplatin resistance. SMARCA4 deletion can up-regulate epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by activating YAP1 gene expression in triple-negative breast cancer. It can also reduce the expression of Ca2+ channel IP3R3 in ovarian and lung cancer, resulting in the transfer of Ca2+ needed to induce apoptosis from endoplasmic reticulum to mitochondria damage. Thus, these two tumors are resistant to cisplatin. It has been found that verteporfin can overcome the drug resistance induced by SMARCA4 deletion. However, this inhibitor has not been applied in clinical practice. Therefore, it is a promising research direction to develop SWI/SNF ATPase targeted drugs with high oral bioavailability to treat patients with tumor resistance induced by low expression or deletion of SMARCA4. ARID1A deletion can activate the expression of ANXA1 protein in HER2+ breast cancer cells or down-regulate the expression of progesterone receptor B protein in endometrial cancer cells. The drug resistance of these two tumor cells to trastuzumab or progesterone is induced by activating AKT pathway. ARID1A deletion in ovarian cancer can increase the expression of MRP2 protein and make it resistant to carboplatin and paclitaxel. ARID1A deletion also can up-regulate the phosphorylation levels of EGFR, ErbB2, and RAF1 oncogene proteins.The ErbB and VEGF pathway are activated and EMT is increased. As a result, lung adenocarcinoma is resistant to epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs). Although great progress has been made in the research on the mechanism of SWI/SNF complex inducing tumor drug resistance, most of the research is still at the protein level. It is necessary to comprehensively and deeply explore the detailed mechanism of drug resistance from gene, transcription, protein, and metabolite levels by using multi-omics techniques, which can provide sufficient theoretical basis for the diagnosis and treatment of poor tumor prognosis caused by mutation or abnormal expression of SWI/SNF subunits in clinical practice.
9.Traditional superior disciplines empower the development of potential or new disciplines
Zuoqi DING ; Zhen TANG ; Jiewen LUO ; Jinnan SUN
Journal of China Pharmaceutical University 2025;56(3):397-404
The scientific evaluation of the construction and development of university disciplines is an important part and a key challenge in China’s “Double First-Class” initiative. Based on the ESI and InCites databases, this study conducted a year-long observation and analysis of the disciplines at universities in Jiangsu Province under the “Double First-Class” framework. The research focused on the development trends of potential and emerging disciplines, while exploring the influence of traditional predominant disciplines on the growth of these emerging fields and the pathways through which such influence might occur. The study aims to provide some reference and insights for the development of disciplines in the universities in Jiangsu. The findings reveal that, overall, the discipline development maturity of the universities is high, with a positive growth trend and significant development potential in certain fields, which are strongly supported by the traditional predominant disciplines. However, an imbalance in the development across various discipline categories has also been observed. Looking ahead, universities are encouraged to capitalize on their unique academic strengths to foster collaborative development, emphasize the growth of social science disciplines, promote interdisciplinary integration, and cultivate high-level talent for society. This approach will better facilitate the establishment of high-level universities and contribute to the realization of the goal of building a strong educational nation.
10.Analysis and prediction of global burden due to cystic echinococcosis from 1990 to 2035
Zhen LAI ; Gang LIU ; Haili ZHAO ; Miaomiao QIU ; Jian CHEN ; En LUO ; Junguo XIN ; Xiaohong YANG
Chinese Journal of Schistosomiasis Control 2025;37(3):255-267
Objective To investigate the trends in the global burden due to cystic echinococcosis from 1990 to 2021, and to predict the global burden of cystic echinococcosis from 2022 to 2035, so as to provide insights into formulation of the cystic echinococcosis control strategy. Methods The global age-standardized prevalence, mortality, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) rates and their 95% uncertainty intervals (UI) of cystic echinococcosis from 1990 to 2021 were captured from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 (GBD 2021) database, and the trends in the global burden of cystic echinococcosis from 1990 to 2021 were analyzed using the Joinpoint regression model. The associations between the global burden of cystic echinococcosis and socio-demographic index (SDI) were examined using a smoothing spline model and frontier analysis, and the global burden of cystic echinococcosis was projected from 2022 to 2035 using the Bayesian age-period-cohort (BAPC) model. Results The global agestandardized prevalence, mortality and DALYs rates of cystic echinococcosis were 7.69/105 [95% UI: (6.27/105, 9.51/105)], 0.02/105 [95% UI: (0.01/105, 0.02/105)], and 1.32/105 [95% UI: (0.99/105, 1.69/105)] in 2021. The global age-standardized prevalence of cystic echinococcosis appeared a tendency towards a rise by 0.14% per year from 1990 to 2021, and the global age-standardized mortality and DALYs rates of cystic echinococcosis appeared a tendency towards a decline by 4.68% and 4.01% per year from 1990 to 2021, respectively. Joinpoint regression analysis showed that global age-standardized prevalence of cystic echinococcosis appeared a tendency towards a decline from 1990 to 2000 [annual percent change (APC) = −0.66%, 95% confidence interval (CI): (−0.70%, −0.61%)] and from 2005 to 2015 [APC = −0.88%, 95% CI: (−0.93%, −0.82%)], and towards a rise from 2000 to 2005 [APC = 3.68%, 95% CI: (3.49%, 3.87%)] and from 2015 to 2021 [APC=0.30%, 95%CI: (0.19%, 0.40%)].Theagestandardized prevalence (r = −0.17, P < 0.05), mortality (r = −0.67, P < 0.05) and DALYs rates of cystic echinococcosis (r = −0.60, P < 0.05) all correlated negatively with SDI across 21 geographical regions from 1990 to 2021, and the age-standardized mortality (r = −0.61, P < 0.05) and DALYs rates (r = −0.44, P < 0.05) both correlated negatively with SDI across 204 countries and territories in 2021. Frontier analysis revealed that the age-standardized DALYs rate of cystic echinococcosis was still not in line with the frontier in some high-SDI countries or territories. In addition, the global age-standardized prevalence was projected with the BAPC model to appear a tendency towards a rise among both men [estimated annual percent change (EAPC) = 0.18%, 95% CI: (0.13%, 0.23%)] and women [EAPC = 0.29%, 95% CI: (0.24%, 0.34%)] from 2022 to 2035, and the global age-standardized mortality [men: EAPC = −4.71%, 95% CI: (−4.71%, −4.37%); women: EAPC = −4.74%, 95% CI: (−4.74%, −4.74%)] and DALYs rates [men: EAPC = −3.35%, 95% CI: (−3.36%, −3.34%); women: EAPC = −3.17%, 95% CI: (−3.18%, −3.16%)] were projected to appear a tendency towards a decline among both men and women. Conclusions The global burden of cystic echinococcosis appeared an overall tendency towards a decline from 1990 to 2021; however, the global prevalence of cystic echinococcosis is projected to appear a tendency towards a rise from 2022 to 2035. Intensified cystic echinococcosis control programmes are recommended.


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