1.SIRT5 Potentiates Hepatocarcinogenesis by Modulating Protein Acylation in Mice
Yu ZHANG ; Feng-Rui REN ; Jia-Yun LI ; Xiang-Yu CHEN ; Zi-Yi WANG ; Qi SUN ; Jun-Cheng ZHAO ; Ye ZHANG ; Zhen HUANG ; Hao HU ; Tao-Tao WEI ; Min XIAO
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(6):1712-1722
ObjectiveHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents 90% of all primary liver cancers. The main risk factors associated with HCC include viral hepatitis (B and/or C), alcohol abuse, and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), which progressively advance to liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, and ultimately evolve into HCC. Surgical resection represents the most effective treatment for HCC, while recent advances in immunotherapy, including immune checkpoint inhibitors and adoptive cell therapies, have provided improved treatment prospects for patients with unresectable HCC. However, the complex metabolic heterogeneity of HCC limits the therapeutic efficacy. Metabolic intermediates acyl-CoA not only provide energy and substrates for numerous biochemical reactions but also serve as donors for protein lysine acylation, a major class of post-translational modification (PTM). Therefore, a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying protein lysine acylation and hepatocarcinogenesis is urgently needed. MethodsThe levels of protein lysine acylation and silence information regulator 5 (SIRT5) expression levels in clinical HCC samples were analyzed by Western blot. Quantitative malonylome and succinylome of HCC samples were analyzed by antibody-based affinity enrichment coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. The proliferation of HCC cells was analyzed with Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assays, the apoptosis was quantified by Annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide (PI) staining coupled with flow cytometry, and the ability of cells to migrate was assayed by Transwell assays. The enzymatic activity of glutathione S-transferase Mu 1 (GSTM1) was quantified. Transgenic mice with hepatic overexpression of SIRT5 were constructed using CRISPR-Cas9, and primary hepatocarcinogenesis was induced by administration of diethylnitrosamine. ResultsWestern blot analysis indicated that the expression level of SIRT5 was elevated in clinical samples from HCC patients, and the levels of lysine malonylation, glutarylation, and succinylation were significantly reduced in HCC tissues. Knockout of SIRT5 in MHCC-97H and MHCC-97L hepatoma cells suppressed cell proliferation, and increased the percentage of apoptotic cells significantly. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses of the differentially malonylome and succinylome of HCC samples revealed significant enrichment in two major classes of biological processes: core energy metabolism (e.g., glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, tricarboxylic acid metabolic process, fatty acid beta oxidation) and detoxification and oxidative stress response (e.g., response to toxic substance, chemical carcinogenesis, reactive oxygen species (ROS)). SIRT5 removes malonylation from lysine residues in GSTM1 and restores its detoxification activity, which is crucial for the survival of hepatocytes under stressed conditions. More importantly, in vivo experiment indicated that hepatic-specific overexpression of SIRT5 in mice accelerated diethylnitrosamine-induced liver fibrosis and hepatocarcinogenesis, indicating the critical role of SIRT5 in HCC progression. ConclusionThis study highlights the previously unrecognized SIRT5-GSTM1 axis as a key regulator in hepatocarcinogenesis, and suggests a potential target for the treatment of patients with HCC.
2.PPARα activation alleviates lithocholic acid-induced liver injury by inhibiting pyroptosis
Hang-Fei Liang ; Chuo-Ying Mai ; Xuan Li ; Jia-Ning Tian ; Hai-Guo Su ; Min Huang ; Jian-Hong Fang ; Hai-Tao Wang ; Xiao Yang ; Hui-Chang Bi
Liver Research 2026;10(2):177-188
Background and aims
The mechanism of cholestatic liver injury (CLI) is unclear, and effective therapies are lacking. While peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) agonists show potential hepatoprotective effect and pyroptosis is implicated in hepatocellular damage, how PPARα activation mitigates lithocholic acid (LCA)-induced pyroptosis remains unknown.
Methods
The hepatoprotective effect of PPARα agonists was evaluated in a mouse model of intrahepatic cholestasis induced by LCA. Liver injury was assessed via serum biochemistry, hematoxylin and eosin and TUNEL staining, and electron microscopy. Pyroptosis pathways were analyzed using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, Western blot, and co-immunoprecipitation.
Results
Combined morphological, histopathological, and biochemical analyses confirmed that PPARα activation protects against CLI. Compared with LCA treatment alone, PPARα activation significantly attenuated the elevation of serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), the increased TUNEL-positive cells, and the formation of hepatocyte membrane pores. Mechanistically, PPARα activation suppressed both NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis and apoptosis protease-activating factor-1 (APAF-1)/CASPASE-3/GSDME-mediated pyroptosis. Furthermore, PPARα agonist pretreatment inhibited activation of the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and forkhead box O1 (FOXO1) signaling pathways.
Conclusions
PPARα protects against LCA-induced CLI by inhibiting both NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis associated with NF-κB and APAF-1/CASPASE-3/GSDME-mediated pyroptosis associated with the FOXO1 signaling pathway.
3.Technique and Application of Deep Learning-based EEG Denoising
Bao-Lian SHAN ; Hai-Qing YU ; Yong-Zhi HUANG ; Jia-Yuan MENG ; Min-Peng XU ; Tzyy-Ping JUNG ; Dong MING
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(8):2147-2160
Electroencephalography (EEG) is a non-invasive neurophysiological monitoring technique. It records the electrical activity of the cerebral cortex using electrodes placed on the scalp surface. Owing to its high safety, portability, and millisecond-level temporal resolution, EEG has been widely utilized in a variety of fields, including clinical diagnosis, brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), and cognitive neuroscience research. However, due to its microvolt-level amplitude, EEG is highly susceptible to various artifacts, including electrooculographic (EOG), electrocardiographic (ECG), electromyographic (EMG), and power line interference (PLI). These artifacts can obscure genuine neural activity and introduce spurious electrophysiological features. Consequently, they may compromise EEG signal quality, thereby reducing the reliability of downstream analyses. To address this issue, numerous EEG artifact removal methods have been developed, including both traditional denoising techniques and deep learning-based approaches. Traditional EEG denoising methods have long served as the primary solutions for artifact removal. Representative approaches include filtering, regression, and blind source separation. Although these methods have demonstrated effectiveness in specific scenarios, they suffer from several inherent limitations. Filtering assumes that artifacts and EEG signals can be separated in the frequency domain, but many artifacts, such as EOG and EMG, overlap with EEG spectra, which may lead to the loss of valuable neural information. Regression methods require high-quality artifact references to estimate and subtract contaminations, limiting their effectiveness in reference-free scenarios. Blind source separation can remove artifacts without external references, but it typically requires the number of EEG channels to exceed the number of sources, restricting its application in single- or low-channel EEG recordings. Deep learning-based EEG denoising methods address these limitations effectively. First, they learn the nonlinear mapping between contaminated and clean EEG directly from data in an end-to-end manner. This approach does not rely on assumptions about spectral separability, thereby preserving neural activity more completely. Second, the reference information is incorporated during the training phase, allowing the trained model to perform artifact removal independently without external references. Third, deep learning models can be flexibly designed to accommodate various recording setups, achieving robust denoising for both high-density and single-channel EEG. Collectively, these advantages enable deep learning-based methods to overcome the main challenges of traditional approaches, providing more accurate and reliable EEG signal recovery. The superior denoising performance of deep learning-based EEG denoising methods has attracted increasing attention in EEG artifact removal research. As a result, many deep learning-based denoising methods have been developed and successfully applied in neural engineering areas. However, a systematic review of the techniques and applications in this field is still lacking. To address this gap, this paper reviews recent advances in deep learning-based EEG denoising from four perspectives: technical principle, benchmark dataset, denoising model, and evaluation method. Representative applications in neural signal analysis and BCI decoding are also summarized. Furthermore, the advantage, existing challenge, and future research direction of deep learning-based EEG denoising are discussed. This review aims to provide valuable theoretical insights and technical guidance for researchers. It is also expected to promote further advances and broader applications of deep learning-based EEG denoising techniques.
4.Investigation and disposal of a pseudo-outbreak of Pseudomonas fluorescens detected from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid
Feng CHEN ; Dijun LIU ; Renjian HUANG ; Min HOU ; Ziyun HUANG ; Kai-jia WANG ; Xingtao YI
Chinese Journal of Infection Control 2025;24(9):1307-1313
Objective To investigate the causes for the continuous detection of Pseudomonas fluorescens(P.fluo-rescens)from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF)in pediatric department of a hospital,formulate intervention measures and evaluate its effectiveness,and provide basis for improving the whole process infection control of fiber bronchoscopy.Methods Epidemiological investigation was conducted on three children from whose BALF P.fluorescens were detected in May 3-6,2024.The comprehensive methods were adopted,including case revie-wing,on-site process tracking,environmental hygiene monitoring,laboratory testing on disinfectant sterilization effect,fiber bronchoscope structure maintenance and checking,etc.Risks were identified and targeted interventions were implemented.Results Among the 5 pediatric patients who underwent fiber bronchoscopy within 4 days,P.fluorescens was detected from BALF of 3 cases,with a detection rate of 60.0%.The children were 5-8 years old and were admitted to the hospital due to lobar pneumonia.They underwent fiber bronchoscopy from the day of admission to the second day,and bacterial strains were clinically determined to be contaminated strains.Environ-mental sampling showed that the detection rate of P.fluorescens at sampling points such as fiber bronchoscope and enzyme solution storage tank was 15.7%(8/51).After implementing intervention,no target bacteria were detected again,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).From January 1 to May 2,2024,71 BALF from pediatric department were not detected P.fluorescens;From May 3 to 6,among 5 detected BALF,3 were detected P.fluorescens;After intervention(May 16 to December 31),no specimen was detected P.fluorescens.Conclusion This event is a pseudo-outbreak caused by fiber bronchoscope damage as well as improper cleaning and disinfection procedures.Through collaborative investigation and timely intervention by multiple departments,the event was ef-fectively controlled.
5.Role of the PTTG3P/miR-146a-3p/PTTG1 pathway in castration-resistant progression of prostate cancer
Shengquan HUANG ; Min JIA ; Chun ZHOU ; Yi ZHI ; Weibing LI
Chongqing Medicine 2025;54(11):2544-2551
Objective To investigate the role of the pituitary tumor-transforming gene 3(PTTG3P)/microRNA-146a-3p(miR-146a-3p)/pituitary tumor-transforming gene 1(PTTG1)pathway in the castration-resistant transformation of prostate cancer(PCa).Methods Real-time quantitative PCR(qPCR)was used to detect the differences in PTTG3P mRNA expression between androgen-dependent PCa cells LNCaP and cas-tration-resistant PCa(CRPC)cells PC3 and DU145,as well as between primary PCa tissues and CRPC tis-sues.PTTG3P overexpression vectors and PTTG1 interference vectors(shPTTG1)were constructed and transfected into LNCaP cells.The cells were divided into the LNCaP group(control),LNCaP/PTTG3P group(transfected with PTTG3P overexpression vector),and LNCaP/PTTG3P/shPTTG group(transfected with PTTG3P overexpression vector and shPTTG).Under castrated conditions,qPCR was used to detect the ex-pression levels of PTTG3P mRNA and miR-146a-3p in each group of LNCaP cells.Cell viability assays in vitro were conducted to assess the growth status of each group of LNCaP cells,colony formation assays were performed to evaluate the tumorigenic ability of each group of LNCaP cells,and Western blotting was used to detect PTTG1 protein expression levels in each group of LNCaP cells.To investigate the role of miR-146a-3p in the PTTG3P/PTTG1 pathway,LNCaP cells were transfected with a miR-146a-3p mimic to establish a miR-146a-3p mimic cell line,and then transfected with the PTTG3P overexpression plasmid to create a miR-146a-3p mimic+PTTG3P cell line.A luciferase reporter assay was conducted to verify the relationship between miR-146a-3p and PTTG1.Results Compared with androgen-dependent PCa cells LNCaP and treatment-naive PCa tissues,PTTG3P mRNA expression was higher in CRPC cells PC3,DU145,and tissues(P<0.05).Un-der castration conditions,the cell viability and colony formation ability of the LNCaP/PTTG3P group were higher than those of the LNCaP group(P<0.05);cell viability and colony formation ability in the LNCaP/PTTG3P/shPTTG group were lower than those in the LNCaP/PTTG3P group(P<0.05);miR-146a-3p ex-pression was lower in CRPC than in treatment-naive PCa tissues(P<0.05).Overexpression of miR-146a-3p inhibited PTTG1 expression in LNCaP cells,and overexpression of PTTG3P reversed this effect(P<0.05).Conclusion Overexpression of PTTG3P promotes the progression of PCa to CRPC through the miR-146a-3p/PTTG1 pathway.The mechanism may involve PTTG3P competitively binding to miR-146a-3p,thereby upreg-ulating PTTG1 expression.
6.The predictive value of endotracheal tube cuff pressure change in the outcome of extubation in mechanically ventilated patients with AECOPD
Min CHEN ; Ting LENG ; Xiahong HUANG ; Xiaoli LIU ; Ping JIA ; Guoxue DU ; Juan ZHANG
China Modern Doctor 2025;63(4):11-15
Objective To investigate the predictive value of endotracheal tube cuff pressure change(△Pcuff)on extubation outcome in mechanically ventilated patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary diseas(AECOPD).Methods A total of 93 AECOPD patients who underwent mechanical ventilation for at least 48 hours and required extubation through spontaneous breathing trial(SBT)from March 2023 to August 2024 in the Department of Critical Care Medicine of Deyang People's Hospital were selected as study subjects.According to the outcome of extubation,they were divided into successful extubation group and failed extubation group.General clinical data,laboratory results,△Pcuff at the start and at 30min of SBT were compared between two groups.Binary Logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors affecting the outcome of extubation in AECOPD patients.The predictive value of △Pcuff for extubation outcome was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve.Results Of the 93 patients,81 were successfully extubed and 12 were failed.Univariate analysis showed that △Pcuff(at the beginning of SBT),△Pcuff(SBT 30min),systolic blood pressure,pH,arterial partial pressure of oxygen,arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide,and oxygenation index were all factors influencing the outcome of extubation(P<0.05).Binary Logistic regression analysis showed that △Pcuff(at the beginning of SBT)was an independent risk factor for extubation outcome(P<0.05).The ROC curve showed that △Pcuff(at the beginning of SBT)predicted extubation outcome with an area under the curve of 0.913,sensitivity of 84.0%,specificity of 83.3%,and Yoden index of 0.673,with an optimal cutoff of 34.5cmH2O(1cmH2O=0.098kPa).Conclusion The △Pcuff(at the beginning of SBT)has a good predictive value for the extubation outcome of mechanically ventilated patients with AECOPD,and the probability of successful extubation of a patient is higher when the △Pcuff is ≥34.5 cmH2O.
7.Development of the Motivation for Bedtime Procrastination Questionnaire for College Students
Yifan ZHANG ; Meijiao HUANG ; Min LI ; Xuan WANG ; Zhijun YU ; Haihui CHEN ; Runtong JIA ; Fang FAN
Chinese Mental Health Journal 2025;39(5):471-476
Objective:To develop the Motivation for Bedtime Procrastination Questionnaire for College Students(CS-MBPQ)and evaluate its validity and reliability.Methods:Based on literature analysis,interviews with severe bedtime procrastinators,and open-ended surveys with college students,the initial questionnaire was formed.A total of 389 college students were recruited to conduct item analysis and exploratory factor analysis.Additionally,691 college students were selected for confirmatory factor analysis,criterion validity testing,and internal consistency reliability analysis,and 132 of them were retested two weeks later.The subscale of behav-ioral intention from the Theory of Planned Behavior Questionnaire(TPBQ),Bedtime Procrastination Scale(BPS),and a self-made question for the frequency of bedtime procrastination were used as criterion tools.Results:The CS-MBPQ consists of 10 items,encompassing three factors:emotional need,external influence,and behavioral attitude,explaining 63.31%of the variance.Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the three-factor structure model of CS-MBPQ fitted well(x2/df=4.90,RMSEA=0.07,CFI=0.96,TLI=0.94).The CS-MBPQ total scores and scores for each factor were positively associated with the score of intentions to sleep on time,BPS scores,and bed-time procrastination frequency(ICC=0.14-0.53,Ps<0.05).The internal consistency reliabilities for CS-MBPQ and the three factors were 0.87,0.89,0.74,and 0.66,respectively,and the test-retest reliabilities(ICC)were 0.74,0.66,0.69,and 0.58,respectively.Conclusion:The Motivation for Bedtime Procrastination Questionnaire for College Students(CS-MBPQ)demonstrates good validity and reliability,which could be used as a tool to evaluate motivations for bedtime procrastination among Chinese college students.
8.Effects of epifriedelanol on gene expression of P-glycoprotein in human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line LS174T
Jie JIANG ; Xiao-li ZHANG ; Shi-jia XIANG ; Li-hua YAO ; Guo-ping ZHONG ; Min HUANG ; Yu-hua LI
The Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 2025;41(1):50-54
Objective To investigate the effect of epifriedelanol(Epi)on gene expression of P-glycoprotein(P-gp)in human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line LS174T and its mechanism.Methods LS174T cells were divided into control group and experimental-L,-M,-H groups.Experimental-L,-M,-H groups were treated with 5,10,20 μmol·L-1 Epi,respectively.Control group was treated with 0.1%dimethyl sulfoxide.Polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the mRNA expression level of P-gp.Theeffect of Epi on multidrug resistance protein 1(MDR1/P-gp)luciferase activity was investigated by pregnane X receptor(PXR)-MDR1/P-gp dual luciferase reporter gene assay.In addition,Western Blot was used to detect the protein expression level of P-gp and the nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB)pathway related proteins.Results The relative expression levels of P-gp mRNA in experimental-M,-H groups and control group were 52.24±5.19,23.00±3.52 and 100.00±9.00;the relative expression levels of P-gp protein were 86.37±9.96,74.85±15.92 and 100.00±12.91;the relative activities P-gp luciferase were 230.19±41.32,203.10±52.84 and 279.67±19.20;the relative expression levels of p65(RelA/p65)in nucleus were 132.36±23.93,145.96±25.15 and 100.00±10.88;the relative expression levels of phosphorylation NF-κB inhibits protein kinase α/β(p-IKKα/β)in cytoplasm were 184.00±54.82,290.10±49.59 and 100.00±15.34;the relative expression levels of phosphorylated NF-κB inhibitory protein α(p-IκBα)in cytoplasm were 125.73±18.77,133.69±20.25 and 100.00±8.12;the relative expression levels of IκBα in cytoplasm were 78.36±14.83,70.44±14.57 and 100.00±22.82,respectively.The above indexes of experimental-M and experimental-H groups were compared with control group,and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05,P<0.01,P<0.001).Conclusion Epi can down-regulate the gene expression of P-gp in human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line LS174T,and the mechanism may be related to activation of NF-κB and suppression of PXR.
9.Development of the Motivation for Bedtime Procrastination Questionnaire for College Students
Yifan ZHANG ; Meijiao HUANG ; Min LI ; Xuan WANG ; Zhijun YU ; Haihui CHEN ; Runtong JIA ; Fang FAN
Chinese Mental Health Journal 2025;39(5):471-476
Objective:To develop the Motivation for Bedtime Procrastination Questionnaire for College Students(CS-MBPQ)and evaluate its validity and reliability.Methods:Based on literature analysis,interviews with severe bedtime procrastinators,and open-ended surveys with college students,the initial questionnaire was formed.A total of 389 college students were recruited to conduct item analysis and exploratory factor analysis.Additionally,691 college students were selected for confirmatory factor analysis,criterion validity testing,and internal consistency reliability analysis,and 132 of them were retested two weeks later.The subscale of behav-ioral intention from the Theory of Planned Behavior Questionnaire(TPBQ),Bedtime Procrastination Scale(BPS),and a self-made question for the frequency of bedtime procrastination were used as criterion tools.Results:The CS-MBPQ consists of 10 items,encompassing three factors:emotional need,external influence,and behavioral attitude,explaining 63.31%of the variance.Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the three-factor structure model of CS-MBPQ fitted well(x2/df=4.90,RMSEA=0.07,CFI=0.96,TLI=0.94).The CS-MBPQ total scores and scores for each factor were positively associated with the score of intentions to sleep on time,BPS scores,and bed-time procrastination frequency(ICC=0.14-0.53,Ps<0.05).The internal consistency reliabilities for CS-MBPQ and the three factors were 0.87,0.89,0.74,and 0.66,respectively,and the test-retest reliabilities(ICC)were 0.74,0.66,0.69,and 0.58,respectively.Conclusion:The Motivation for Bedtime Procrastination Questionnaire for College Students(CS-MBPQ)demonstrates good validity and reliability,which could be used as a tool to evaluate motivations for bedtime procrastination among Chinese college students.
10.The predictive value of endotracheal tube cuff pressure change in the outcome of extubation in mechanically ventilated patients with AECOPD
Min CHEN ; Ting LENG ; Xiahong HUANG ; Xiaoli LIU ; Ping JIA ; Guoxue DU ; Juan ZHANG
China Modern Doctor 2025;63(4):11-15
Objective To investigate the predictive value of endotracheal tube cuff pressure change(△Pcuff)on extubation outcome in mechanically ventilated patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary diseas(AECOPD).Methods A total of 93 AECOPD patients who underwent mechanical ventilation for at least 48 hours and required extubation through spontaneous breathing trial(SBT)from March 2023 to August 2024 in the Department of Critical Care Medicine of Deyang People's Hospital were selected as study subjects.According to the outcome of extubation,they were divided into successful extubation group and failed extubation group.General clinical data,laboratory results,△Pcuff at the start and at 30min of SBT were compared between two groups.Binary Logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors affecting the outcome of extubation in AECOPD patients.The predictive value of △Pcuff for extubation outcome was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve.Results Of the 93 patients,81 were successfully extubed and 12 were failed.Univariate analysis showed that △Pcuff(at the beginning of SBT),△Pcuff(SBT 30min),systolic blood pressure,pH,arterial partial pressure of oxygen,arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide,and oxygenation index were all factors influencing the outcome of extubation(P<0.05).Binary Logistic regression analysis showed that △Pcuff(at the beginning of SBT)was an independent risk factor for extubation outcome(P<0.05).The ROC curve showed that △Pcuff(at the beginning of SBT)predicted extubation outcome with an area under the curve of 0.913,sensitivity of 84.0%,specificity of 83.3%,and Yoden index of 0.673,with an optimal cutoff of 34.5cmH2O(1cmH2O=0.098kPa).Conclusion The △Pcuff(at the beginning of SBT)has a good predictive value for the extubation outcome of mechanically ventilated patients with AECOPD,and the probability of successful extubation of a patient is higher when the △Pcuff is ≥34.5 cmH2O.


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