1.Prognostic significance of TRIM28 elevation in non-M3 acute myeloid leukemia
Siqi GONG ; Cong LI ; Mengmeng FAN ; Huiping WANG ; Wanqiu ZHANG ; Xue LIANG ; Qianshan TAO ; Qiang HONG ; Zhimin ZHAI
Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2026;61(2):301-308
ObjectiveTo clarify the expression of TRIM28 in non-M3 acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and its correlation with clinical indicators and prognosis, and to further explore the effect of TRIM28 expression levels on the proliferation and apoptosis of AML cells using small interfering RNA. MethodsThe GSE34577 dataset was analyzed using R software to compare TRIM28 expression between healthy controls and non-M3 acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. Clinical samples from non-M3 AML patients were collected, with TRIM28 expression levels measured using real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR). The analysis focused on correlations between TRIM28 expression and various clinical indicators, treatment efficacy, and patient prognosis. Furthermore, small interfering RNA (siRNA) technology was employed to downregulate TRIM28 expression in human primary AML cells (HL60 cell line). The effects on cell proliferation and apoptosis were then assessed through CCK-8 assays and flow cytometry, respectively. ResultsThe results showed that TRIM28 was up-regulated in non-M3 AML of both online database GSE34577 and clinical samples (P<0.000 1), TRIM28 expression of new diagnosis group and relapsed refractory group was higher than iron deficiency anemia group (P<0.01), and there was no significance between different French-American-British classification systems subtype. TRIM28 expression was higher in non-M3 AML patients with a poor genetic prognosis stratified as moderate than in the good prognosis group, and TRIM28 expression was associated with NPM1 combined with the FLT3-ITD mutation, positively correlated with age, bone marrow blast, peripheral blood blast and white blood cell, negatively correlated with hemoglobin. In addition, interference TRIM28 greatly inhibited cell proliferation and promoted cell apoptosis. ConclusionThis study reveals that TRIM28 is highly expressed in non-M3 AML and associated with prognosis, and plays a key role in the proliferation and apoptosis of AML cells, suggesting that TRIM28 may serve as a novel therapeutic target for non-M3 AML.
2.Effects of Non-invasive Light Flicker on Functional Properties of Primary Visual Cortex in Adult Mice
Xue-Qi LI ; Yi-Feng ZHOU ; Guang-Wei XU
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(9):2360-2375
ObjectiveAs the central hub of the classical visual pathway, the primary visual cortex not only encodes and processes visual information but also establishes dense neural circuit connections with higher-order cognitive brain regions. Numerous studies have shown that 40 Hz flicker stimulation can induce γ oscillations in the brain and significantly improve learning and cognitive impairments in patients with neurodegenerative diseases. Moreover, flickering light phenomena naturally occur in daily environments. Given that the primary visual cortex serves as the brain’s first cortical hub for receiving visual input, it is essential to comprehensively understand how non-invasive light flicker stimulation modulates its information processing mechanisms. This study systematically investigates the effects of non-invasive light flicker stimulation at different frequencies on the functional properties of neurons in the primary visual cortex of adult mice, aiming to uncover how such stimulation modulates this region and, consequently, affects overall brain function. MethodsThree groups of adult mice (approximately 12 weeks old) were exposed to light flicker stimulation at frequencies of 20 Hz, 40 Hz, and 60 Hz, respectively, for a duration of two months. A control group was exposed to the same light intensity without flickering. Following the stimulation period, in vivo multi-channel electrophysiological recordings were conducted. During these recordings, anesthetized mice were presented with various types of moving sinusoidal light gratings to assess the effects of different flicker frequencies on the functional properties of neurons in the primary visual cortex. ResultsThe experimental results demonstrate that two months of light flicker stimulation at 20 Hz, 40 Hz, and 60 Hz enhances the orientation tuning capabilities of neurons in the primary visual cortex. Specifically, 40 Hz and 60 Hz stimulation improved contrast sensitivity, whereas 20 Hz had no significant effect. Further analysis revealed that all three frequencies reduced neuronal response variability (as measured by the Fano factor), increased the signal-to-noise ratio, and decreased noise correlation (rsc) between neurons. ConclusionNon-invasive light flicker stimulation enhances orientation tuning (e.g., orientation bias index) and contrast sensitivity (e.g., contrast threshold and C50) in neurons of the primary visual cortex. This enhancement is likely due to improved information processing efficiency, characterized by reduced neuronal variability and increased signal-to-noise ratio. These findings suggest that the primary visual cortex can achieve precise and efficient information encoding in complex lighting environments by selectively adapting to different flicker frequencies and optimizing receptive field properties. This study provides new experimental evidence on how various types of light flicker influence visual perception and offers insights into the mechanisms through which specific frequencies enhance brain function.
3.Longitudinal Associations between Vitamin D Status and Systemic Inflammation Markers among Early Adolescents.
Ting TANG ; Xin Hui WANG ; Xue WEN ; Min LI ; Meng Yuan YUAN ; Yong Han LI ; Xiao Qin ZHONG ; Fang Biao TAO ; Pu Yu SU ; Xi Hua YU ; Geng Fu WANG
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2025;38(1):94-99
4.The mechanism of PTGES3/HSP90 in the medial prefrontal cortex regulating obesity-related cognitive impairment
Jinyan Wang ; Jia Hu ; Rui Hu ; Chunxia Huang ; Qi Xue
Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2025;60(4):596-603
Objective :
To investigate the mechanism of prostaglandin E synthase 3(PTGES3)/heat shock protein 90(HSP90) in the medial prefrontal cortex regulating obesity-related cognitive dysfunction.
Methods:
This study consisted of clinical trials and animal experiments. In part one, obese patients scheduled for bariatric surgery, and healthy adults matching gender and age were recruited at the same time to reach 10 cases in each group. The cognitive level was assessed with trail making test part A(TMT-A) and victoria stroop tests(VST). Four-dimensional data-independent acquisition(4D-DIA) was used to screen the proteome changes in peripheral blood. In part two, forty SPF healthy male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into four groups: normal diet group(ND group), high fat diet induced obesity group(DIO group), DIO supplemented with the control virus group(DIO+Scramble group) and DIO supplemented with the interfering virus group(DIO+shPTGES3 group). The Morris water maze test was conducted to evaluate the cognitive behavior changes of the four groups of mice. The immunofluorescence staining was performed to detect the expression of PTGES3 and HSP90 in the medial prefrontal cortex and the activation of ionized calcium binding adapter molecule 1(IBA1)-labeled microglia.
Results:
In the case-control study, the cognitive function of obese patients significantly decreased, and the expression of PTGES3 in peripheral blood significantly increased, while the level of PTGES3 was negatively correlated with cognitive function. In animal experiments, compared with ND group, DIO group had significantly prolonged time reaching the target platform, otherwise, the residence time in the target quadrant was shortened in the Morris water maze test. Simultaneously, there were significant increase in the expression of PTGES3 and HSP90, and the activation of IBA1 in the medial prefrontal cortex. Compared with DIO+Scramble group, mice in the DIO+shPTGES3 group spent less time reaching the target platform, and stayed longer in the target quadrant. The expression and co-localization levels of PTGES3 and HSP90 in medial prefrontal cortex significantly decreased. The activation level of microglia cells was also attenuated by PTGES3 interference.
Conclusion
Obesity-related cognitive dysfunction may be attributed to PTGES3/HSP90 in the medial prefrontal cortex by mediating neural inflammation.
5.Construction, breeding, and gene identification of TREM2 knockout mice
Rong Huang ; Xinxin Zhao ; Hui Xue ; Mengjuan Zhu ; Jiajie Tu ; Xinming Wang
Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2025;60(6):977-983
Objective :
To construct triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2(TREM2) gene knockout(TREM2-/-) mice using CRISPR/Cas9 technology, to breed TREM2-/- mice and to analyze the genotype of TREM2-/- mice.
Methods :
CRISPR/Cas9 technology was used to selectively knock out exon 2-3 regions of TREM2 gene to construct a TREM2-/- mouse model, and the genetic background of all mice was C57BL/6J. Polymerase chain reaction(PCR) was used to identify the genotype of mice. Quantitative real-time PCR(qPCR) and Western blot were used to detect the expression level of TREM2 in major tissues of mice, and the authenticity and scientific nature of PCR identification results were verified from mRNA level and protein level. According to the sgRNA sequence, the possible off-target sites were predicted on the CCTop website, and the tail DNA of mice was extracted and amplified by PCR and then Sanger sequencing was performed to detect whether there was off-target effect in TREM2-/- mice.
Results :
TREM2-/- mice were successfully constructed by CRISPR/Cas9 technology, and the mice were genotyped. The results of agarose gel electrophoresis showed that the mouse genotype with only 415 bp band amplified was wild type(WT), the mouse genotype of the 449 bp band amplified only was TREM2-/-, and the mouse genotypes amplified with 415 bp and 449 bp double bands were heterozygous. qPCR results showed that compared with WT mice, the mRNA expression of TREM2 in heart and brain tissues of TREM2-/- mice was down-regulated(P-/- mice was reduced(P-/- mice.
Conclusion
TREM2-/- mice are successfully constructed and bred, a reliable genotype identification method is established, the genetic stability of the mouse model is verified, which will provide an important genetic animal model for the study of TREM2 gene function.
6.Association of redundant foreskin with sexual dysfunction: a cross-sectional study from 5700 participants.
Yuan-Qi ZHAO ; Nian LI ; Xiao-Hua JIANG ; Yang-Yang WAN ; Bo XU ; Xue-Chun HU ; Yi-Fu HOU ; Ji-Yan LI ; Shun BAI
Asian Journal of Andrology 2025;27(1):90-95
A previous study showed that the length of the foreskin plays a role in the risk of sexually transmitted infections and chronic prostatitis, which can lead to poor quality of sexual life. Here, the association between foreskin length and sexual dysfunction was evaluated. A total of 5700 participants were recruited from the andrology clinic at The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (Hefei, China). Clinical characteristics, including foreskin length, were collected, and sexual function was assessed by the International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) and Premature Ejaculation Diagnostic Tool (PEDT) questionnaires. Men with sexual dysfunction were more likely to have redundant foreskin than men without sexual dysfunction. Among the 2721 erectile dysfunction (ED) patients and 1064 premature ejaculation (PE) patients, 301 (11.1%) ED patients and 135 (12.7%) PE patients had redundant foreskin, respectively. Men in the PE group were more likely to have redundant foreskin than men in the non-PE group ( P = 0.004). Logistic regression analyses revealed that the presence of redundant foreskin was associated with increased odds of moderate/severe ED (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.31, adjusted P = 0.04), moderate PE (aOR = 1.38, adjusted P = 0.02), and probable PE (aOR = 1.37, adjusted P = 0.03) after adjusting for confounding variables. Our study revealed a positive correlation between the presence of redundant foreskin and the risk of sexual dysfunction, especially in PE patients. Assessment of the length of the foreskin during routine clinical diagnosis may provide information for patients with sexual dysfunction.
Humans
;
Male
;
Foreskin
;
Cross-Sectional Studies
;
Adult
;
Erectile Dysfunction/epidemiology*
;
Premature Ejaculation/epidemiology*
;
Middle Aged
;
China/epidemiology*
;
Surveys and Questionnaires
;
Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological/epidemiology*
;
Young Adult
7.A strategy to reduce unnecessary prostate biopsies in patients with tPSA >10 ng ml -1 and PI-RADS 1-3.
Qi-Fei DONG ; Yi-Xun LIU ; Yu-Han CHEN ; Yi-Fan MA ; Tao ZHOU ; Xue-Feng FAN ; Xiang YU ; Chang-Ming WANG ; Jun XIAO
Asian Journal of Andrology 2025;27(4):531-536
We propose a strategy to reduce unnecessary prostate biopsies in Chinese patients with total prostate-specific antigen (tPSA) >10 ng ml -1 and Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS) scores between 1 and 3. Clinical data derived from 517 patients of The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC (Hefei, China) from January 2020 to December 2023 who met the screening criteria for the study were retrospectively collected. Independent predictors were identified via univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. The diagnostic capacity of clinical variables was evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and area under the curve (AUC). A prostate biopsy strategy was developed via risk stratification. Of the 517 patients, 17/348 (4.9%) with PI-RADS 1-2 were diagnosed with clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa), and 27/169 (16.0%) patients with PI-RADS 3 were diagnosed with csPCa. The appropriate prostate-specific antigen density (PSAD) cut-off values were 0.45 ng ml -2 for PI-RADS 1-2 patients and 0.3 ng ml -2 for PI-RADS 3 patients. The appropriate prostate volume (PV) cut-off values were 40 ml for PI-RADS 1-2 patients and 50 ml for PI-RADS 3 patients. The prostate biopsy strategy based on PSAD and PV developed in this study can reduce unnecessary prostate biopsies in patients with tPSA >10 ng ml -1 and PI-RADS 1-3. In the study, 66.5% (344/517) patients did not need to undergo prostate biopsy, at the expense of missing only 1.7% (6/344) patients with csPCa.
Humans
;
Male
;
Prostatic Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging*
;
Prostate-Specific Antigen/blood*
;
Aged
;
Middle Aged
;
Retrospective Studies
;
Prostate/diagnostic imaging*
;
Unnecessary Procedures/statistics & numerical data*
;
Biopsy/statistics & numerical data*
;
China
;
ROC Curve
8.Effects of Total Body Irradiation with 60 Co Gamma Ray at Different Dose Rates on Hematopoietic and Immune Cells in Mice.
Hui SHU ; Ya DONG ; Xue-Wen ZHANG ; Xing SHEN ; Shuang XING ; Zu-Yin YU
Journal of Experimental Hematology 2025;33(4):1181-1189
OBJECTIVE:
To investigate the effect of irradiation dose rate of 60Co γ-ray on hematopoietic and immune cells in total body irradiation (TBI) mice.
METHODS:
After TBI with 8 Gy 60Co γ-ray at three irradiation dose rates of 0.027, 0.256 and 0.597 Gy/min, the survival and change of body weight of C57BL/6J mice were observed within 30 days. The peripheral blood parameters were examined at each time point within 30 days post-irradiation. The hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell counts of mice were examined on the 10th and 30th day post-irradiation by flow cytometry, as well as the proportions of immune cells in peripheral blood, bone marrow and spleen of mice on the 30th day post-irradiation.
RESULTS:
After TBI with 8 Gy 60Co γ-ray, the 30-day survival rate of high dose-rate group was 0, which was significantly lower than 90% of medium dose-rate group and 100% of low dose-rate group (both P < 0.001). The peripheral blood parameters of all three groups showed a sharp decline → low value → gradually recovering trend. The count of white blood cell, neutrophil, lymphocyte, red blood cell, platelet and hemoglobin level in the high dose-rate and medium dose-rate groups were significantly lower than those in the low dose-rate group on day 7-18 post-irradiation (all P < 0.05), but there were no significant differences between the high dose-rate and medium dose-rate groups (P >0.05). On the 10th day after irradiation, the proportion and number of bone marrow hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (including LK, LSK, LT-HSC, ST-HSC, and MPP cells) in the low dose-rate and medium dose-rate groups were significantly decreased compared to those in the normal group (all P < 0.05), but there were no significant differences between the two groups (P >0.05). On the 30th day after irradiation, LSK, LT-HSC, ST-HSC and MPP cells in the low dose-rate group recovered to normal levels, while those in the medium dose-rate group were still significantly lower than those in the low dose-rate group (all P < 0.001). The results of bone marrow and peripheral immune cell tests on the 30th day after irradiation showed that the ratios of T and B lymphocytes in the low dose-rate and medium dose-rate groups were reduced compared to that in the normal group (both P < 0.05), while the ratio of neutrophils was increased (P < 0.01). The trend of changes in the spleen and peripheral blood was consistent.
CONCLUSION
The degree of hematopoietic and immune cell damage in mice after TBI with 8 Gy 60Co γ-ray is related to the dose rate, and low dose-rate irradiation can reduce the damage in the animal model. Therefore, choosing the appropriate dose rate of irradiation is a key factor in establishing an objective and reliable experimental animal model of irradiation.
Animals
;
Mice
;
Whole-Body Irradiation
;
Gamma Rays
;
Mice, Inbred C57BL
;
Hematopoietic Stem Cells/radiation effects*
;
Cobalt Radioisotopes
;
Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation
;
Male
9.A practice guideline for therapeutic drug monitoring of mycophenolic acid for solid organ transplants.
Shuang LIU ; Hongsheng CHEN ; Zaiwei SONG ; Qi GUO ; Xianglin ZHANG ; Bingyi SHI ; Suodi ZHAI ; Lingli ZHANG ; Liyan MIAO ; Liyan CUI ; Xiao CHEN ; Yalin DONG ; Weihong GE ; Xiaofei HOU ; Ling JIANG ; Long LIU ; Lihong LIU ; Maobai LIU ; Tao LIN ; Xiaoyang LU ; Lulin MA ; Changxi WANG ; Jianyong WU ; Wei WANG ; Zhuo WANG ; Ting XU ; Wujun XUE ; Bikui ZHANG ; Guanren ZHAO ; Jun ZHANG ; Limei ZHAO ; Qingchun ZHAO ; Xiaojian ZHANG ; Yi ZHANG ; Yu ZHANG ; Rongsheng ZHAO
Journal of Zhejiang University. Science. B 2025;26(9):897-914
Mycophenolic acid (MPA), the active moiety of both mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium (EC-MPS), serves as a primary immunosuppressant for maintaining solid organ transplants. Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) enhances treatment outcomes through tailored approaches. This study aimed to develop an evidence-based guideline for MPA TDM, facilitating its rational application in clinical settings. The guideline plan was drawn from the Institute of Medicine and World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. Using the Delphi method, clinical questions and outcome indicators were generated. Systematic reviews, Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) evidence quality evaluations, expert opinions, and patient values guided evidence-based suggestions for the guideline. External reviews further refined the recommendations. The guideline for the TDM of MPA (IPGRP-2020CN099) consists of four sections and 16 recommendations encompassing target populations, monitoring strategies, dosage regimens, and influencing factors. High-risk populations, timing of TDM, area under the curve (AUC) versus trough concentration (C0), target concentration ranges, monitoring frequency, and analytical methods are addressed. Formulation-specific recommendations, initial dosage regimens, populations with unique considerations, pharmacokinetic-informed dosing, body weight factors, pharmacogenetics, and drug-drug interactions are covered. The evidence-based guideline offers a comprehensive recommendation for solid organ transplant recipients undergoing MPA therapy, promoting standardization of MPA TDM, and enhancing treatment efficacy and safety.
Mycophenolic Acid/administration & dosage*
;
Drug Monitoring/methods*
;
Humans
;
Organ Transplantation
;
Immunosuppressive Agents/administration & dosage*
;
Delphi Technique
10.Cannabidiol alleviates methamphetamine addiction via targeting ATP5A1 and modulating the ATP-ADO-A1R signaling pathway.
Sha JIN ; Cong LIN ; Peipei LI ; Xue WANG ; Yibo WANG ; Cong ZHANG ; Xuenan WANG ; Yinghua PENG ; Haohong LI ; Yuyuan LU ; Xiaohui WANG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(10):5261-5276
Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive cannabinoid, shows great promise in treating methamphetamine (METH) addiction. Nonetheless, the molecular target and the mechanism through which CBD treats METH addiction remain unexplored. Herein, CBD was shown to counteract METH-induced locomotor sensitization and conditioned place preference. Additionally, CBD mitigated the adverse effects of METH, such as cristae loss, a decline in ATP content, and a reduction in membrane potential. Employing an activity-based protein profiling approach, a target fishing strategy was used to uncover CBD's direct target. ATP5A1, a subunit of ATP synthase, was identified and validated as a CBD target. Moreover, CBD demonstrated the ability to ameliorate METH-induced ubiquitination of ATP5A1 via the D376 residue, thereby reversing the METH-induced reduction of ATP5A1 and promoting the assembly of ATP synthase. Pharmacological inhibition of the ATP efflux channel pannexin 1, blockade of ATP hydrolysis by a CD39 inhibitor, and blocking the adenosine A1 receptor (A1R) all attenuated the therapeutic benefits of CBD in mitigating METH-induced behavioral sensitization and CPP. Moreover, the RNA interference of ATP5A1 in the ventral tegmental area resulted in the reversal of CBD's therapeutic efficacy against METH addiction. Collectively, these data show that ATP5A1 is a target for CBD to inhibit METH-induced addiction behaviors through the ADO-A1R signaling pathway.


Result Analysis
Print
Save
E-mail