1.Effects of resveratrol on cGAS-STING signaling pathway in fibroblast-like synoviocytes of patients with rheumatoid arthritis
Taorong Wang ; Yubao Shao ; Nannan Liu ; Wenhao Li ; Meng Li ; Xiaoyu Chen
Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2025;60(1):73-78
Objective :
To investigate the effects of resveratrol(Res) on fibroblast-like synoviocytes(FLS) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis(RA), and to explore the possible mechanism of Res inhibiting the release of inflammatory factors from FLS.
Methods :
FLS from RA patients were culturedin vitroand treated with different concentrations of Res(0, 20, 40, 80, 160, 320 μmol/L). The viability of FLS cells was detected by CCK-8 assay after 12 and 24 h. The contents of inflammatory factor interleukin-6(IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) in cell supernatant were detected by ELISA. The expression levels of cyclic guanosine monophosphate-adenosine monophosphate synthase(cGAS) and stimulator of interferon gene(STING) were measured by Western blot; After lentivirus infection with FLS caused the cells to overexpress cGAS, the cells were divided into Control group(blank control), cGAS group(cGAS overexpression), Res+cGAS group(Res 160 μmol/L+cGAS overexpression) and Res group(Res 160 μmol/L). The expression level of STING protein in cells of each group was determined by Western blot, the viability of FLS cells in each group was detected by CCK-8, and the contents of inflammatory factor IL-6 and TNF-α in the supernatant of cells of each group were detected by ELISA method.
Results :
The results of CCK-8 experiment showed that under 40, 80, 160 μmol/L Res treatment, FLS viability decreased significantly after 24 h compared with blank control group(P<0.01). ELISA results showed that the contents of IL-6 and TNF-α in cell supernatant were also significantly decreased after treatment with Res of 40, 80 and 160 μmol/L(P<0.01). Meanwhile, Western blot results showed that Res could significantly decrease the protein expression levels of STING and cGAS in FLS cells after treatment of 40, 80 and 160 μmol/L(P<0.05,P<0.01). Compared with the Control group, the expression level of STING protein in FLS increased after overexpression of cGAS(P<0.05); compared with the Res group, the content of inflammatory factors in the supernatant of FLS and the expression level of STING protein in FLS significantly increased after overexpression of cGAS(P<0.01,P<0.05).
Conclusion
The appropriate concentration of Res can inhibit the release of inflammatory cytokines in FLS cells, which may be related to the blocking of cGAS-STING signaling pathway.
2.Prediction of lymph node metastasis in invasive lung adenocarcinoma based on radiomics of the primary lesion, peritumoral region, and tumor habitat: A single-center retrospective study
Hongchang WANG ; Yan GU ; Wenhao ZHANG ; Guang MU ; Wentao XUE ; Mengen WANG ; Chenghao FU ; Liang CHEN ; Mei YUAN ; Jun WANG
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2025;32(08):1079-1085
Objective To predict the lymph node metastasis status of patients with invasive pulmonary adenocarcinoma by constructing machine learning models based on primary tumor radiomics, peritumoral radiomics, and habitat radiomics, and to evaluate the predictive performance and generalization ability of different imaging features. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 1 263 patients with invasive pulmonary adenocarcinoma who underwent surgery at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Jiangsu Province Hospital, from 2016 to 2019. Habitat regions were delineated by applying K-means clustering (average cluster number of 2) to the grayscale values of CT images. The peritumoral region was defined as a uniformly expanded area of 3 mm around the primary tumor. The primary tumor region was automatically segmented using V-net combined with manual correction and annotation. Subsequently, radiomics features were extracted based on these regions, and stacked machine learning models were constructed. Model performance was evaluated on the training, testing, and internal validation sets using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), F1 score, recall, and precision. Results After excluding patients who did not meet the screening criteria, a total of 651 patients were included. The training set consisted of 468 patients (181 males, 287 females) with an average age of (58.39±11.23) years, ranging from 29 to 78 years, the testing set included 140 patients (56 males, 84 females) with an average age of (58.81±10.70) years, ranging from 34 to 82 years, and the internal validation set comprised 43 patients (14 males, 29 females) with an average age of (60.16±10.68) years, ranging from 29 to 78 years. Although the habitat radiomics model did not show the optimal performance in the training set, it exhibited superior performance in the internal validation set, with an AUC of 0.952 [95%CI (0.87, 1.00)], an F1 score of 84.62%, and a precision-recall AUC of 0.892, outperforming the models based on the primary tumor and peritumoral regions. Conclusion The model constructed based on habitat radiomics demonstrated superior performance in the internal validation set, suggesting its potential for better generalization ability and clinical application in predicting lymph node metastasis status in pulmonary adenocarcinoma.
3.Construction and Validation of A Prognostic Model for Lung Adenocarcinoma Based on Ferroptosis-related Genes.
Zhanrui ZHANG ; Wenhao ZHAO ; Zixuan HU ; Chen DING ; Hua HUANG ; Guowei LIANG ; Hongyu LIU ; Jun CHEN
Chinese Journal of Lung Cancer 2025;28(1):22-32
BACKGROUND:
Ferroptosis-related genes play a crucial role in regulating intracellular iron homeostasis and lipid peroxidation, and they are involved in the regulation of tumor growth and drug resistance. The expression of ferroptosis-related genes in tumor tissues can be used to predict patients' future survival times, aiding doctors and patients in anticipating disease progression. Based on the sequencing data of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, this study identified genes involved in the regulation of ferroptosis, constructed a prognostic model, and evaluated the predictive performance of the model.
METHODS:
A total of 1467 ferroptosis-related genes were obtained from the GeneCards database. Gene expression profiles and clinical data from 541 LUAD patients were collected from the TCGA database. The expression data of all ferroptosis-related genes were extracted, and differentially expressed genes were identified using R software. Survival analysis was performed on these genes to screen for those with prognostic value. Subsequently, a prognostic risk scoring model for ferroptosis-related genes was constructed using LASSO regression model. Each LUAD patient sample was scored, and the patients were divided into high-risk and low-risk groups based on the median score. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted, and the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were generated to assess model performance, followed by validation in an external dataset. Finally, univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were conducted to evaluate the independent prognostic value and clinical relevance of the model.
RESULTS:
Through survival analysis, 121 ferroptosis-related genes associated with prognosis were initially identified. Based on this, a LUAD prognostic risk scoring model was constructed using 12 ferroptosis-related genes (ALG3, C1QTNF6, CCT6A, GLS2, KRT6A, LDHA, NUPR1, OGFRP1, PCSK9, TRIM6, IGF2BP1 and MIR31HG). The results indicated that patients in the high-risk group had significantly shorter survival time than those in the low-risk group (P<0.001), and the model demonstrated good predictive performance in both the training set (1-yr AUC=0.721) and the external validation set (1-yr AUC=0.768). Risk scores were significantly associated with the prognosis of LUAD patients in both univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses (P<0.001), suggesting that this score is an important prognostic factor for LUAD patients.
CONCLUSIONS
This study successfully established a LUAD risk scoring model composed of 12 ferroptosis-related genes. In the future, this model is expected to be used in conjunction with the tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) staging system for prognostic predictions in LUAD patients.
Humans
;
Ferroptosis/genetics*
;
Prognosis
;
Adenocarcinoma of Lung/pathology*
;
Lung Neoplasms/pathology*
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Male
;
Female
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Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
;
Middle Aged
;
ROC Curve
4.RBM14 enhances transcriptional activity of p23 regulating CXCL1 expression to induce lung cancer metastasis.
Wen ZHANG ; Yulin PENG ; Meirong ZHOU ; Lei QIAN ; Yilin CHE ; Junlin CHEN ; Wenhao ZHANG ; Chengjian HE ; Minghang QI ; Xiaohong SHU ; Manman TIAN ; Xiangge TIAN ; Yan TIAN ; Sa DENG ; Yan WANG ; Xiaokui HUO ; Zhenlong YU ; Xiaochi MA
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(6):3059-3072
Metastasis serves as an indicator of malignancy and is a biological characteristic of carcinomas. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a key role in the promotion of tumor invasion and metastasis and in the enhancement of tumor cell aggressiveness. Prostaglandin E synthase 3 (p23) is a cochaperone for heat shock protein 90 (HSP90). Our previous study showed that p23 is an HSP90-independent transcription factor in cancer-associated inflammation. The effect and mechanism of action of p23 on lung cancer metastasis are tested in this study. By utilizing cell models in vitro and mouse tail vein metastasis models in vivo, the results provide solid evidence that p23 is critical for promoting lung cancer metastases by regulating downstream CXCL1 expression. Rather than acting independently, p23 forms a complex with RNA-binding motif protein 14 (RBM14) to facilitate EMT progression in lung cancer. Therefore, our study provides evidence for the potential role of the RBM14-p23-CXCL1-EMT axis in the metastasis of lung cancer.
5.Association of Estimated Glucose Disposal Rate With the Stenosis Severity of Coronary Artery Disease: A Cross-sectional Study
Yubin WU ; Zhiteng CHEN ; Maoxiong WU ; Wenhao LIU ; Qian CHEN ; Shiyi ZHOU ; Yan-xin CHEN ; Min XIA
Journal of Sun Yat-sen University(Medical Sciences) 2024;45(1):136-145
ObjectiveTo investigate the association between estimated glucose disposal rate (eGDR) and the severity of coronary heart disease. MethodsWe conducted a hospital-based cross-sectional study that included 1258 patients (mean age: 62(53-68) years) who underwent coronary angiography for suspected coronary artery disease (53.9% were male). Insulin resistance level (IR) was calculated according to eGDR formula: eGDR = 21.158 - (0.09 × WC) - (3.407 × hypertension) - (0.551 × HbA1c) [hypertension (yes = 1 / no = 0), HbA1c = HbA1c (%)]. Subjects were grouped according to the eGDR quantile. CAD severity was determined by the number of narrowed vessels: no-obstructive CAD group (all coronary stenosis were<50%, n=704), Single-vessel CAD group (only one involved major coronary artery stenosis≥50%, n=205), Multi-vessel CAD group (two or more involved major coronary arteries stenosis≥50%, n=349); Multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the association between eGDR and CAD severity. The linear relationship between eGDR and CAD in the whole range of eGDR was analyzed using restricted cubic spline. Subgroup analyses were used to assess the association between eGDR and CAD severity in different diabetic states. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were used to evaluate the value of eGDR in improving CAD recognition. ResultsA decrease in the eGDR index was significantly associated with an increased risk of CAD severity (OR: 2.79; 95%CI: 1.72~4.55; P<0.001). In multivariate logistic regression models, individuals with the lowest quantile of eGDR (T1) were 2.79 times more likely to develop multi-vessel CAD than those with the highest quantile of eGDR (T3) (OR: 2.79; 95%CI: 1.72~4.55; P<0.001). Multivariate restricted cubic spline analysis showed that eGDR was negatively associated with CAD and multi-vessel CAD (P-nonlinear>0.05). In non-diabetic patients, compared with the reference group (T3), the T1 group had a significantly increased risk of CAD (OR: 1.42; 95% CI: 1.00~2.01; P<0.05) and multi-vessel CAD (OR: 1.86; 95%CI: 1.21~2.86; P<0.05). No statistical association was found between eGDR and CAD in diabetic patients. In ROC curve analysis, when eGDR was added to traditional model for CAD, significant improvements were observed in the model's recognition of CAD and multi-vessel CAD. ConclusionOur study shows eGDR levels are inversely associated with CAD and CAD severity. eGDR, as a non-insulin measure to assess IR, could be a valuable indicator of CAD severity for population.
6.The osteoclastic activity in apical distal region of molar mesial roots affects orthodontic tooth movement and root resorption in rats
Zheng WENHAO ; Lu XIAOFENG ; Chen GUANGJIN ; Shen YUFENG ; Huang XIAOFEI ; Peng JINFENG ; Wang JIAJIA ; Yin YING ; Song WENCHENG ; Xie MENGRU ; Yu SHAOLING ; Chen LILI
International Journal of Oral Science 2024;16(2):322-332
The utilization of optimal orthodontic force is crucial to prevent undesirable side effects and ensure efficient tooth movement during orthodontic treatment.However,the sensitivity of existing detection techniques is not sufficient,and the criteria for evaluating optimal force have not been yet established.Here,by employing 3D finite element analysis methodology,we found that the apical distal region(A-D region)of mesial roots is particularly sensitive to orthodontic force in rats.Tartrate-resistant acidic phosphatase(TRAP)-positive osteoclasts began accumulating in the A-D region under the force of 40 grams(g),leading to alveolar bone resorption and tooth movement.When the force reached 80 g,TRAP-positive osteoclasts started appearing on the root surface in the A-D region.Additionally,micro-computed tomography revealed a significant root resorption at 80 g.Notably,the A-D region was identified as a major contributor to whole root resorption.It was determined that 40 g is the minimum effective force for tooth movement with minimal side effects according to the analysis of tooth movement,inclination,and hyalinization.These findings suggest that the A-D region with its changes on the root surface is an important consideration and sensitive indicator when evaluating orthodontic forces for a rat model.Collectively,our investigations into this region would aid in offering valuable implications for preventing and minimizing root resorption during patients'orthodontic treatment.
7.Standardized specialist training for developmental and behavioral pediatrics in China and the United States: current status and thoughts
Xiaoyang CHEN ; Lingling WU ; Wenhao LI ; Wenyuan JIN ; Yanyan WANG ; Xiaolin LIU ; Zhiwei ZHU
Chinese Journal of Medical Education Research 2024;23(3):314-320
The United States has established a perfect specialist training system for developmental and behavioral pediatrics (DBP), while the DBP specialist training system in China is still in the early stage of development and has been constantly improved. This article analyzes and compares the current status of DBP specialist training system between the United States and China from the aspects of training pattern, eligibility criteria, training plans and contents, assessment and evaluation, and certification. With reference to the training system in the United States, we can further improve the DBP specialist training system in China by perfecting the training system and related documents, constructing reasonable eligibility criteria, establishing a training pattern guided by post competency, improving the DBP assessment and evaluation system based on competency, and enhancing the certification of DBP physicians.
8.A multicenter study on respiratory pathogen detection with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in children
Xiaoyan DONG ; Yingxue ZOU ; Fangfang LYU ; Wenhao YANG ; Hailin ZHANG ; Yanhua NIU ; Haojie WANG ; Run GUO ; Xu WANG ; Li LI ; Zihao LIN ; Li LUO ; Danli LU ; Quan LU ; Hanmin LIU ; Lina CHEN
Chinese Journal of Pediatrics 2024;62(4):310-316
Objective:To analyze the status of respiratory pathogen detection and the clinical features in children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP). Methods:A prospective, multicenter study was conducted to collect clinical data, including medical history, laboratory examinations and multiplex PCR tests of children diagnosed with MPP from 4 hospitals in China between November 15 th and December 20 th, 2023. The multiplex PCR results and clinical characteristics of MPP children in different regions were analyzed. The children were divided into severe and mild groups according to the severity of the disease. Patients in the severe group were further divided into Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) alone and Multi-pathogen co-detection groups based on whether other pathogens were detected besides MP, to analyze the influence of respiratory pathogen co-detection rate on the severity of the disease. Mann-Whitney rank sum test and Chi-square test were used to compare data between independent groups. Results:A total of 298 children, 136 males and 162 females, were enrolled in this study, including 204 children in the severe group with an onset age of 7.0 (6.0, 8.0) years, and 94 children in the mild group with an onset age of 6.5 (4.0, 7.8) years. The level of C-reactive protein, D-dimer, lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) were significantly higher (10.0 (5.0, 18.0) vs. 5.0 (5.0, 7.5) mg/L, 0.6 (0.4, 1.1) vs. 0.5 (0.3, 0.6) mg/L, 337 (286, 431) vs. 314 (271, 393) U/L, Z=2.02, 2.50, 3.05, all P<0.05), and the length of hospitalization was significantly longer in the severe group compared with those in mild group (6.0 (6.0, 7.0) vs. 5.0 (4.0, 6.0) d, Z=4.37, P<0.05). The time from onset to admission in severe MPP children was significantly shorter than that in mild MPP children (6.0 (5.0, 9.5) vs. 9.0 (7.0, 13.0) d, Z=2.23, P=0.026). All patients completed the multiplex PCR test, with 142 cases (47.7%) MPP children detected with 21 pathogens including adenovirus 25 cases (8.4%), human coronavirus 23 cases (7.7%), rhinovirus 21 cases (7.0%), Streptococcus pneumoniae 21 cases (7.0%), influenza A virus 18 cases (6.0%). The pathogens with the highest detection rates in Tianjin, Shanghai, Wenzhou and Chengdu were Staphylococcus aureus at 10.7% (8/75), adenovirus at 13.0% (10/77), adenovirus at 15.3% (9/59), and both rhinovirus and Haemophilus influenzae at 11.5% (10/87) each. The multi-pathogen co-detection rate in severe MPP children was significantly higher than that in mild MPP group (52.9% (108/204) vs. 36.2% (34/94), χ2=10.62, P=0.005). Among severe MPP children, there are 89 cases in the multi-pathogen co-detection group and 73 cases in the simple MPP group. The levels of LDH, D-dimer and neutrophil counts in the multi-pathogen co-detection group were significantly higher than those in the simple MPP group (348 (284, 422) vs. 307 (270, 358) U/L, 0.8 (0.5, 1.5) vs. 0.6 (0.4, 1.0) mg/L, 4.99 (3.66, 6.89)×10 9vs. 4.06 (2.91, 5.65)×10 9/L, Z=5.17, 4.99, 6.11, all P<0.05). Conclusions:The co-detection rate of respiratory pathogens, LDH and D-dimer in children with severe MPP were higher than those with mild MPP. Among severe MPP children the stress response of children in co-detection group was more serious than that of children with simple MPP.
9.Effect of Gualou Xiebai Banxiatang on Myocardial Microangiogenesis and HIF-1α/VEGF-related Pathways in Myocardial Ischemia Model Rats
Wenhao CHEN ; Weishan MENG ; Hong LI ; Weiwei TIAN ; Qi ZHANG ; Yingying TAN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2024;30(17):1-9
ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of Gualou Xiebai Banxiatang on cardiac function and myocardial histopathological changes in rats with ischemic myocardial injury, and to observe the effect of myocardial microvascular density (MVD), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling pathways on myocardial microangiogenesis. MethodSeventy male SD rats were randomly selected, with six rats in the normal group. The remaining rats were fed a high-fat diet and injected with isoproterenol hydrochloride (ISO,80 mg·kg-1·d-1, 2 d) to induce a hyperlipidemia-based ischemic heart disease model. After successful modeling, the rats were randomly divided into the model group, high, medium, and low dose groups of Gualou Xiebai Banxiatang, and the metoprolol group. The high, medium, and low dose groups of Gualou Xiebai Banxiatang were given Gualou Xiebai Banxiatang at 10.42, 5.21, 2.61 g·kg-1·d-1, respectively, while the metoprolol group was given metoprolol at 2.6 mg·kg-1·d-1. Both the normal and model groups were given an equivalent volume of physiological saline for 28 days. After the intervention, relevant tests were conducted, and serum was collected to measure heart function-related indicators. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and Masson staining were performed on ventricular tissue to observe pathological changes under a light microscope. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to detect the positive expression of platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule (CD31). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the expression of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and VEGF. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression levels of PI3K/mTOR/HIF-1α/VEGF. ResultCompared with the normal group, the model group showed significantly increased serum levels of LDH, CK, CK-MB, NT-proBNP, and VEGF (P<0.01), significantly increased collagen volume fraction (CVF) (P<0.01), significantly decreased MVD (P<0.01), and elevated protein expression levels of PI3K, mTOR, HIF-1α, and VEGF (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the metoprolol group had significantly lower serum levels of LDH, CK, CK-MB, and NT-proBNP (P<0.01), significantly higher VEGF levels (P<0.01), significantly decreased CVF (P<0.01), significantly increased MVD (P<0.01), and significantly increased protein expression levels of PI3K, mTOR, and VEGF (P<0.01), with no statistically significant change in HIF-1α protein expression. Compared with the model group, the high and medium dose groups of Gualou Xiebai Banxiatang had decreased serum levels of LDH, CK, CK-MB, and NT-proBNP (P<0.05, P<0.01), increased VEGF levels (P<0.05, P<0.01), significantly reduced CVF (P<0.01), increased MVD (P<0.05, P<0.01), and significantly increased protein levels of PI3K, mTOR, HIF-1α, and VEGF (P<0.01). In the low dose group of Gualou Xiebai Banxiatang, compared with the model group, serum levels of LDH and NT-proBNP were decreased (P<0.05), VEGF was increased (P<0.05). Moreover, CVF was decreased (P<0.05), and the protein expression levels of PI3K, mTOR, HIF-1α, and VEGF were significantly increased (P<0.01). ConclusionGualou Xiebai Banxiatang can improve cardiac function, reduce myocardial pathological damage, enhance endothelial cell function, promote myocardial microvascular formation, and upregulate the expression of PI3K, mTOR, HIF-1α, and VEGF proteins in myocardial tissue in rats with ischemic myocardial injury.
10.Advances in application of EEG-fNIRS technology in researches on neuropsychiatric disorders
Chenyang GAO ; Kai WU ; Wenhao LI ; Yi LI ; Zhile JIANG ; Yuxin WANG ; Wenrui CHEN ; Jing ZHOU
Chinese Journal of Medical Physics 2024;41(3):348-355
Currently,electroencephalogram(EEG),functional near-infrared spectroscopy(fNIRS),and functional magnetic resonance imaging have been widely studied and applied to neuropsychiatric disorders.In recent years,the devices which can realize the simultaneous acquisition of EEG and fNIRS has been developed and gradually applied in the studies on neuropsychiatric disorders.The review provides an introduction of the techniques of synchronized detection and data analysis for EEG-fNIRS,summarizes the analysis methods and new findings of the recent studies of stroke,epilepsy,and other neuropsychiatric disorders using EEG-fNIRS,and also discusses the future research directions.


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