1.Targeting PPARα for The Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases
Tong-Tong ZHANG ; Hao-Zhuo ZHANG ; Li HE ; Jia-Wei LIU ; Jia-Zhen WU ; Wen-Hua SU ; Ju-Hua DAN
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(9):2295-2313
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains one of the leading causes of mortality among adults globally, with continuously rising morbidity and mortality rates. Metabolic disorders are closely linked to various cardiovascular diseases and play a critical role in their pathogenesis and progression, involving multifaceted mechanisms such as altered substrate utilization, mitochondrial structural and functional dysfunction, and impaired ATP synthesis and transport. In recent years, the potential role of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) in cardiovascular diseases has garnered significant attention, particularly peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα), which is recognized as a highly promising therapeutic target for CVD. PPARα regulates cardiovascular physiological and pathological processes through fatty acid metabolism. As a ligand-activated receptor within the nuclear hormone receptor family, PPARα is highly expressed in multiple organs, including skeletal muscle, liver, intestine, kidney, and heart, where it governs the metabolism of diverse substrates. Functioning as a key transcription factor in maintaining metabolic homeostasis and catalyzing or regulating biochemical reactions, PPARα exerts its cardioprotective effects through multiple pathways: modulating lipid metabolism, participating in cardiac energy metabolism, enhancing insulin sensitivity, suppressing inflammatory responses, improving vascular endothelial function, and inhibiting smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration. These mechanisms collectively reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease development. Thus, PPARα plays a pivotal role in various pathological processes via mechanisms such as lipid metabolism regulation, anti-inflammatory actions, and anti-apoptotic effects. PPARα is activated by binding to natural or synthetic lipophilic ligands, including endogenous fatty acids and their derivatives (e.g., linoleic acid, oleic acid, and arachidonic acid) as well as synthetic peroxisome proliferators. Upon ligand binding, PPARα activates the nuclear receptor retinoid X receptor (RXR), forming a PPARα-RXR heterodimer. This heterodimer, in conjunction with coactivators, undergoes further activation and subsequently binds to peroxisome proliferator response elements (PPREs), thereby regulating the transcription of target genes critical for lipid and glucose homeostasis. Key genes include fatty acid translocase (FAT/CD36), diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT), carnitine palmitoyltransferase I (CPT1), and glucose transporter (GLUT), which are primarily involved in fatty acid uptake, storage, oxidation, and glucose utilization processes. Advancing research on PPARα as a therapeutic target for cardiovascular diseases has underscored its growing clinical significance. Currently, PPARα activators/agonists, such as fibrates (e.g., fenofibrate and bezafibrate) and thiazolidinediones, have been extensively studied in clinical trials for CVD prevention. Traditional PPARα agonists, including fenofibrate and bezafibrate, are widely used in clinical practice to treat hypertriglyceridemia and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels. These fibrates enhance fatty acid metabolism in the liver and skeletal muscle by activating PPARα, and their cardioprotective effects have been validated in numerous clinical studies. Recent research highlights that fibrates improve insulin resistance, regulate lipid metabolism, correct energy metabolism imbalances, and inhibit the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle and endothelial cells, thereby ameliorating pathological remodeling of the cardiovascular system and reducing blood pressure. Given the substantial attention to PPARα-targeted interventions in both basic research and clinical applications, activating PPARα may serve as a key therapeutic strategy for managing cardiovascular conditions such as myocardial hypertrophy, atherosclerosis, ischemic cardiomyopathy, myocardial infarction, diabetic cardiomyopathy, and heart failure. This review comprehensively examines the regulatory roles of PPARα in cardiovascular diseases and evaluates its clinical application value, aiming to provide a theoretical foundation for further development and utilization of PPARα-related therapies in CVD treatment.
2.Theta Oscillations Support Prefrontal-hippocampal Interactions in Sequential Working Memory.
Minghong SU ; Kejia HU ; Wei LIU ; Yunhao WU ; Tao WANG ; Chunyan CAO ; Bomin SUN ; Shikun ZHAN ; Zheng YE
Neuroscience Bulletin 2024;40(2):147-156
The prefrontal cortex and hippocampus may support sequential working memory beyond episodic memory and spatial navigation. This stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) study investigated how the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) interacts with the hippocampus in the online processing of sequential information. Twenty patients with epilepsy (eight women, age 27.6 ± 8.2 years) completed a line ordering task with SEEG recordings over the DLPFC and the hippocampus. Participants showed longer thinking times and more recall errors when asked to arrange random lines clockwise (random trials) than to maintain ordered lines (ordered trials) before recalling the orientation of a particular line. First, the ordering-related increase in thinking time and recall error was associated with a transient theta power increase in the hippocampus and a sustained theta power increase in the DLPFC (3-10 Hz). In particular, the hippocampal theta power increase correlated with the memory precision of line orientation. Second, theta phase coherences between the DLPFC and hippocampus were enhanced for ordering, especially for more precisely memorized lines. Third, the theta band DLPFC → hippocampus influence was selectively enhanced for ordering, especially for more precisely memorized lines. This study suggests that theta oscillations may support DLPFC-hippocampal interactions in the online processing of sequential information.
Adult
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Female
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Humans
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Young Adult
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Epilepsy
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Hippocampus
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Memory, Short-Term
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Mental Recall
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Prefrontal Cortex
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Theta Rhythm
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Male
3.Clinical application status of multiple localization methods in the treatment of pulmonary nodules by sub-lobectomy
Dingpei HAN ; Su YANG ; Xiang CHEN ; Wei, GUO ; Jie XIANG ; Lianggang ZHU ; Jiaming CHE ; Junbiao HANG ; Hecheng LI
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2024;31(01):160-165
The precise localization of pulmonary nodules has become an important technical key point in the treatment of pulmonary nodules by thoracoscopic surgery, which is a guarantee for safe margin and avoiding removal of too much normal lung parenchyma. With the development of medical technology and equipment, the methods of locating pulmonary nodules are also becoming less trauma and convenience. There are currently a number of methods applied to the preoperative or intraoperative localization of pulmonary nodules, including preoperative percutaneous puncture localization, preoperative transbronchial localization, intraoperative palpation localization, intraoperative ultrasound localization, and localization according to anatomy. The most appropriate localization method should be selected according to the location of the nodule, available equipment, and surgeon鈥檚 experience. According to the published literatures, we have sorted out a variety of different theories and methods of localization of pulmonary nodules in this article, summarizing their advantages and disadvantages for references.
4.Expert consensus on cryoablation therapy of oral mucosal melanoma
Guoxin REN ; Moyi SUN ; Zhangui TANG ; Longjiang LI ; Jian MENG ; Zhijun SUN ; Shaoyan LIU ; Yue HE ; Wei SHANG ; Gang LI ; Jie ZHNAG ; Heming WU ; Yi LI ; Shaohui HUANG ; Shizhou ZHANG ; Zhongcheng GONG ; Jun WANG ; Anxun WANG ; Zhiyong LI ; Zhiquan HUNAG ; Tong SU ; Jichen LI ; Kai YANG ; Weizhong LI ; Weihong XIE ; Qing XI ; Ke ZHAO ; Yunze XUAN ; Li HUANG ; Chuanzheng SUN ; Bing HAN ; Yanping CHEN ; Wenge CHEN ; Yunteng WU ; Dongliang WEI ; Wei GUO
Journal of Practical Stomatology 2024;40(2):149-155
Cryoablation therapy with explicit anti-tumor mechanisms and histopathological manifestations has a long history.A large number of clinical practice has shown that cryoablation therapy is safe and effective,making it an ideal tumor treatment method in theory.Previously,its efficacy and clinical application were constrained by the limitations of refrigerants and refrigeration equipment.With the development of the new generation of cryoablation equipment represented by argon helium knives,significant progress has been made in refrigeration efficien-cy,ablation range,and precise temperature measurement,greatly promoting the progression of tumor cryoablation technology.This consensus systematically summarizes the mechanism of cryoablation technology,indications for oral mucosal melanoma(OMM)cryotherapy,clinical treatment process,adverse reactions and management,cryotherapy combination therapy,etc.,aiming to provide reference for carrying out the standardized cryoablation therapy of OMM.
5.Development of a droplet digital polymerase chain reaction assay for the sensitive detection of total and integrated HIV-1 DNA
Lin YUAN ; Zhiying LIU ; Xin ZHANG ; Feili WEI ; Shan GUO ; Na GUO ; Lifeng LIU ; Zhenglai MA ; Yunxia JI ; Rui WANG ; Xiaofan LU ; Zhen LI ; Wei XIA ; Hao WU ; Tong ZHANG ; Bin SU
Chinese Medical Journal 2024;137(6):729-736
Background::Total human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) DNA and integrated HIV DNA are widely used markers of HIV persistence. Droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) can be used for absolute quantification without needing a standard curve. Here, we developed duplex ddPCR assays to detect and quantify total HIV DNA and integrated HIV DNA.Methods::The limit of detection, dynamic ranges, sensitivity, and reproducibility were evaluated by plasmid constructs containing both the HIV long terminal repeat (LTR) and human CD3 gene (for total HIV DNA) and ACH-2 cells (for integrated HIV DNA). Forty-two cases on stable suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART) were assayed in total HIV DNA and integrated HIV DNA. Correlation coefficient analysis was performed on the data related to DNA copies and cluster of differentiation 4 positive (CD4 +) T-cell counts, CD8 + T-cell counts and CD4/CD8 T-cell ratio, respectively. The assay linear dynamic range and lower limit of detection (LLOD) were also assessed. Results::The assay could detect the presence of HIV-1 copies 100% at concentrations of 6.3 copies/reaction, and the estimated LLOD of the ddPCR assay was 4.4 HIV DNA copies/reaction (95% confidence intervals [CI]: 3.6-6.5 copies/reaction) with linearity over a 5-log 10-unit range in total HIV DNA assay. For the integrated HIV DNA assay, the LLOD was 8.0 copies/reaction (95% CI: 5.8-16.6 copies/reaction) with linearity over a 3-log 10-unit range. Total HIV DNA in CD4 + T cells was positively associated with integrated HIV DNA ( r = 0.76, P <0.0001). Meanwhile, both total HIV DNA and integrated HIV DNA in CD4 + T cells were inversely correlated with the ratio of CD4/CD8 but positively correlated with the CD8 + T-cell counts. Conclusions::This ddPCR assay can quantify total HIV DNA and integrated HIV DNA efficiently with robustness and sensitivity. It can be readily adapted for measuring HIV DNA with non-B clades, and it could be beneficial for testing in clinical trials.
6.Population pharmacokinetics of Ainuovirine and exposure-response analysis in human immunodeficiency virus-infected individuals
Xiaoxu HAN ; Jin SUN ; Yihang ZHANG ; Taiyi JIANG ; Qingshan ZHENG ; Haiyan PENG ; Yao WANG ; Wei XIA ; Tong ZHANG ; Lijun SUN ; Xinming YUN ; Hong QIN ; Hao WU ; Bin SU
Chinese Medical Journal 2024;137(20):2473-2482
Background::Ainuovirine (ANV) is a new generation of non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 infection. This study aimed to evaluate the population pharmacokinetic (PopPK) profile and exposure-response relationship of ANV among people living with HIV.Methods::Plasma concentration-time data from phase 1 and phase 3 clinical trials of ANV were pooled for developing the PopPK model. Exposure estimates obtained from the final model were used in exposure-response analysis for virologic responses and safety responses.Results::ANV exhibited a nonlinear pharmacokinetic profile, which was best described by a two-compartment model with first-order elimination. There were no significant covariates correlated to the pharmacokinetic parameters of ANV. The PopPK parameter estimate (relative standard error [%]) for clearance adjusted for bioavailability (CL/F) was 6.46 (15.00) L/h, and the clearance of ANV increased after multiple doses. The exposure-response model revealed no significant correlation between the virologic response (HIV-RNA <50 copies/mL) at 48 weeks and the exposure, but the incidence of adverse events increased with the increasing exposure ( P value of steady-state trough concentration and area under the steady-state curve were 0.0177 and 0.0141, respectively). Conclusions::Our PopPK model supported ANV 150 mg once daily as the recommended dose for people living with HIV, requiring no dose adjustment for the studied factors. Optimization of ANV dose may be warranted in clinical practice due to an increasing trend in adverse reactions with increasing exposure.Trial registration::Chinese Clinical Trial Registry https://www.chictr.org.cn (Nos. ChiCTR1800018022 and ChiCTR1800019041).
7.High-throughput screening of SARS-CoV-2 main and papain-like protease inhibitors.
Yi ZANG ; Mingbo SU ; Qingxing WANG ; Xi CHENG ; Wenru ZHANG ; Yao ZHAO ; Tong CHEN ; Yingyan JIANG ; Qiang SHEN ; Juan DU ; Qiuxiang TAN ; Peipei WANG ; Lixin GAO ; Zhenming JIN ; Mengmeng ZHANG ; Cong LI ; Ya ZHU ; Bo FENG ; Bixi TANG ; Han XIE ; Ming-Wei WANG ; Mingyue ZHENG ; Xiaoyan PAN ; Haitao YANG ; Yechun XU ; Beili WU ; Leike ZHANG ; Zihe RAO ; Xiuna YANG ; Hualiang JIANG ; Gengfu XIAO ; Qiang ZHAO ; Jia LI
Protein & Cell 2023;14(1):17-27
The global COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has infected over 109 million people, leading to over 2 million deaths up to date and still lacking of effective drugs for patient treatment. Here, we screened about 1.8 million small molecules against the main protease (Mpro) and papain like protease (PLpro), two major proteases in severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 genome, and identified 1851Mpro inhibitors and 205 PLpro inhibitors with low nmol/l activity of the best hits. Among these inhibitors, eight small molecules showed dual inhibition effects on both Mpro and PLpro, exhibiting potential as better candidates for COVID-19 treatment. The best inhibitors of each protease were tested in antiviral assay, with over 40% of Mpro inhibitors and over 20% of PLpro inhibitors showing high potency in viral inhibition with low cytotoxicity. The X-ray crystal structure of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro in complex with its potent inhibitor 4a was determined at 1.8 Å resolution. Together with docking assays, our results provide a comprehensive resource for future research on anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug development.
Humans
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Antiviral Agents/chemistry*
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COVID-19
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COVID-19 Drug Treatment
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High-Throughput Screening Assays
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Molecular Docking Simulation
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Protease Inhibitors/chemistry*
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SARS-CoV-2/enzymology*
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Viral Nonstructural Proteins
8.Equity and efficiency of resource allocation for management and treatment of severe mental disorders in Shanghai in 2020
Xin FAN ; Wei-bo ZHANG ; Yi ZHU ; Yan-li SU ; Bin XIE ; Jun CAI
Journal of Public Health and Preventive Medicine 2023;34(1):20-24
Objective To analyze the equity and efficiency of resource allocation for management and treatment of severe mental disorders in Shanghai in 2020, and to provide a foundation for making relevant policies. Methods Data on resource allocation for the management and treatment of severe mental disorders in 17 district-level mental health institutions in 2020 were collected. The Gini coefficient was used to evaluate the equity of resource allocation by population and geographic area, and data envelopment analysis was carried out to analyze the equity of resource allocation. Results The Gini coefficients of special funds, psychiatric medical staff and actual open beds according to population were 0.24, 0.25 and 0.27, respectively. The Gini coefficients according to area were 0.54, 0.62 and 0.64, respectively. The average efficiency of resource allocation was 0.865. There were 5 institutions where DEA was effective, accounting for 29.41%. There were 12 institutions where DEA was non-effective, accounting for 70.59%. Conclusion The equity of resources allocation for the management and treatment of severe mental disorders according to population is good, but the equity of allocation based on geographic area is not high. The efficiency of resource allocation needs to be further improved. It is suggested that the resource allocation should be optimized to promote the fairness and efficiency of resource allocation for the management and treatment of severe mental disorders.
9.Chinese Guideline on the Management of Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy (2022).
You-Xin CHEN ; Yu-Qing ZHANG ; Chang-Zheng CHEN ; Hong DAI ; Su-Yan LI ; Xiang MA ; Xiao-Dong SUN ; Shi-Bo TANG ; Yu-Sheng WANG ; Wen-Bin WEI ; Feng WEN ; Ge-Zhi XU ; Wei-Hong YU ; Mei-Xia ZHANG ; Ming-Wei ZHAO ; Yang ZHANG ; Fang QI ; Xun XU ; Xiao-Xin LI
Chinese Medical Sciences Journal 2023;38(2):77-93
Background In mainland China, patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) have approximately an 40% prevalence of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV). This disease leads to recurrent retinal pigment epithelium detachment (PED), extensive subretinal or vitreous hemorrhages, and severe vision loss. China has introduced various treatment modalities in the past years and gained comprehensive experience in treating PCV.Methods A total of 14 retinal specialists nationwide with expertise in PCV were empaneled to prioritize six questions and address their corresponding outcomes, regarding opinions on inactive PCV, choices of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) monotherapy, photodynamic therapy (PDT) monotherapy or combined therapy, patients with persistent subretinal fluid (SRF) or intraretinal fluid (IRF) after loading dose anti-VEGF, and patients with massive subretinal hemorrhage. An evidence synthesis team conducted systematic reviews, which informed the recommendations that address these questions. This guideline used the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) approach to assess the certainty of evidence and grade the strengths of recommendations. Results The panel proposed the following six conditional recommendations regarding treatment choices. (1) For patients with inactive PCV, we suggest observation over treatment. (2) For treatment-na?ve PCV patients, we suggest either anti-VEGF monotherapy or combined anti-VEGF and PDT rather than PDT monotherapy. (3) For patients with PCV who plan to initiate combined anti-VEGF and PDT treatment, we suggest later/rescue PDT over initiate PDT. (4) For PCV patients who plan to initiate anti-VEGF monotherapy, we suggest the treat and extend (T&E) regimen rather than the pro re nata (PRN) regimen following three monthly loading doses. (5) For patients with persistent SRF or IRF on optical coherence tomography (OCT) after three monthly anti-VEGF treatments, we suggest proceeding with anti-VEGF treatment rather than observation. (6) For PCV patients with massive subretinal hemorrhage (equal to or more than four optic disc areas) involving the central macula, we suggest surgery (vitrectomy in combination with tissue-plasminogen activator (tPA) intraocular injection and gas tamponade) rather than anti-VEGF monotherapy. Conclusions Six evidence-based recommendations support optimal care for PCV patients' management.
10.Establishing a rat model of preeclampsia in early pregnancy and observing its behavior and cognitive effects on the offspring
Yantuanjin Ma ; Yuhang Zhang ; Qiuyue He ; Tong Xu ; Wei Huang ; Hong Su ; Yuling Yang ; Jianping He ; Yuan Qian
Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2023;58(4):643-649
Objective:
To establish a rat model of preeclampsia (PE) in early pregnancy and to observe the changes in phenotype,pregnancy outcome and cognitive ability of offspring.
Methods :
The pregnant rats were randomly divided into model group and control group.Ultra-low dose lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (0. 5 μg / kg) and an equal volume of normal saline were injected into the tail vein of pregnant rats on the fifth day of pregnancy.The levels of blood pressure ,12-hour urinary protein ,peripheral blood coagulation factors and placental cytokines in the two groups were measured.Furthermore,placental pathology,pregnancy outcomes,and cognitive abilities of offspring were observed.
Results:
Blood pressure and urinary protein levels of model group were significantly higher than those of control group levels.Compared with the control group,the levels of platelet and antithrombin Ⅲ (AT Ⅲ) in the peripheral blood of pregnant rats in the model group were lower than those in the control group,while D-dimer was higher than that in the control group,the weight of the fetus and placenta in the model group decreased (P <0. 001) ,the expression levels of interleukin ( IL) -6,tumor necrosis factor α ( TNF-α) and interferon gamma (INF-γ) in peripheral blood increased,while the expression level of transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) decreased(P<0. 001) .The water maze test showed that the latency of the offspring of the model group to the plat- form was longer than that of the control group (P<0. 05) ,while the frequency of crossing the platform quadrant and the time of staying in the platform quadrant of the model group were lower than those of the control group (P < 0. 05 ) .HE and PAS staining showed that there were infiltration of inflammatory cells in the basal layer of placenta, obvious decrease of blood vessels in labyrinthine area,slight edema of renal interstitium and degeneration of local renal tubular epithelial cells in the model group,while there were no above pathological changes in placenta and kidney in the control group.
Conclusion
A single injection of LPS in early pregnancy can successfully induce PE- related symptoms and adverse pregnancy outcomes such as fetal growth restriction and lead to the decline of cogni- tive ability of offspring.


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