Acetaminophen (APAP) is the primary cause of drug-induced acute liver failure. Ovarian tumor deubiquitinase 6A (OTUD6A), a recently discovered deubiquitinase of the OTU family, has been primarily studied in tumor contexts. However, its role in APAP-induced liver injury (AILI) remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the involvement of OTUD6A in the pathogenesis of AILI. Our findings demonstrated a substantial upregulation of OTUD6A in both the liver tissue and isolated hepatocytes of mice following APAP stimulation. OTUD6A knockout exacerbated APAP-induced inflammation, hepatocyte necrosis, and liver injury, whereas OTUD6A overexpression alleviated these pathologies. Mechanistically, OTUD6A directly interacted with the enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) and selectively removed K48-linked polyubiquitin chains from EZH2, enhancing its stability. This resulted in increased protein levels of EZH2 and H3K27me3, as well as reduced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and cell death in hepatocytes. Collectively, our research uncovers a novel role for OTUD6A in mitigating APAP-induced liver injury by promoting EZH2 stabilization.

Traditional development of small protein scaffolds has relied on display technologies and mutation-based engineering, which limit sequence and functional diversity, thereby constraining their therapeutic and application potential. Protein design tools have significantly advanced the creation of novel protein sequences, structures, and functions. However, further improvements in design strategies are still needed to more efficiently optimize the functional performance of protein-based drugs and enhance their druggability. Here, we extended an evolution-based design protocol to create a novel minibinder, BindHer, against the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). It not only exhibits super stability and binding selectivity but also demonstrates remarkable properties in tissue specificity. Radiolabeling experiments with ^99mTc, ⁶⁸Ga, and ¹⁸F revealed that BindHer efficiently targets tumors in HER2-positive breast cancer mouse models, with minimal nonspecific liver absorption, outperforming scaffolds designed through traditional engineering. These findings highlight a new rational approach to automated protein design, offering significant potential for large-scale applications in therapeutic mini-protein development.

Microbial communities such as those residing in the human gut are highly diverse and complex, and many with important implications for health and diseases. The effects and functions of these microbial communities are determined not only by their species compositions and diversities but also by the dynamic intra- and inter-cellular states at the transcriptional level. Powerful and scalable technologies capable of acquiring single-microbe-resolution RNA sequencing information in order to achieve a comprehensive understanding of complex microbial communities together with their hosts are therefore utterly needed. Here we report the development and utilization of a droplet-based smRNA-seq (single-microbe RNA sequencing) method capable of identifying large species varieties in human samples, which we name smRandom-seq2. Together with a triple-module computational pipeline designed for the bacteria and bacteriophage sequencing data by smRandom-seq2 in four human gut samples, we established a single-cell level bacterial transcriptional landscape of human gut microbiome, which included 29,742 single microbes and 329 unique species. Distinct adaptive response states among species in Prevotella and Roseburia genera and intrinsic adaptive strategy heterogeneity in Phascolarctobacterium succinatutens were uncovered. Additionally, we identified hundreds of novel host-phage transcriptional activity associations in the human gut microbiome. Our results indicated that smRandom-seq2 is a high-throughput and high-resolution smRNA-seq technique that is highly adaptable to complex microbial communities in real-world situations and promises new perspectives in the understanding of human microbiomes.
Humans ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/genetics* ; Bacteriophages/physiology* ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Sequence Analysis, RNA/methods* ; Bacteria/virology*

Objective In this preliminary survey,we sought to determine the composition of mosquito species inhabiting the Emeifeng Nature Reserve,Fujian Province,China.Methods Mosquito larvae were collected by straw and spoon trapping,and adult mosquitoes were collected by lamp trapping at selected breeding sites in the reserve.The specimens were initially identified based on morphology,with subsequent verification using molecular biology methods.Results A total of 34 mosquito species in 13 genera were collected,among which,there were 4 species of Anopheles(Genus Anopheles Meigen,1818),2 species of Lutzia(Genus Lutzia Theobald,1903),15 species of Culex(Genus Culex Linnaeus,1758),4 species of Stegomyia(Genus Stegomyia Theobald,1901),and single species of Hulecoeteomyia(Genus Hulecoeteomyia Theobald,1904),Luius(Genus Luius Reinert,Harbach et Kitching,2008),Aedes(Genus Aedes Meigen,1818),Downsiomyia(Genus Downsiomyia Vargas,1950),Collessius(Genus Collessius Reinert,Harbach et kitching,2006),Uranotaenia(Genus Uranotaenia Lynch 1891),Armigeres(Genus Armigeres Theobald,1901),Toxorhynchites(Genus Toxorhynchites Theobald,1901),and pestle mosquito(Genus Tripteroides Giles,1904).Conclusions The species composition of mosquitoes sampled in the Emeifeng Nature Reserve will provide a basis for further research on mosquito vectors and contribute to measures for local mosquito control.

Purpose To investigate the value of non-invasive preoperative prediction of programmed death ligand 1 expression status in extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma using MRI radiomics combined with clinical features through nomograms.Materials and Methods A retrospective collection was made of 87 cases of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma diagnosed through surgical pathology in the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University from January 2011 to December 2021.These were randomly divided into training and testing sets at a 7∶3 ratio.Using 3D-Slicer software,regions of interest were manually delineated layer-by-layer on MRI images,and radiomic features were extracted.Data normalization,feature dimensionality reduction and selection were then performed.A Gaussian naive Bayes classifier was used to construct the radiomics model,and radiomics scores were obtained.Multivariate Logistic regression was used to screen clinical features,and individual clinical and combined models were constructed.The predictive performances of the three models were evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUC),and the goodness of fit and clinical net benefit of the combined model nomogram were assessed through calibration and decision curves.Results Nine radiomic features and three clinical features were finally selected.The clinical features included alanine transaminase(P=0.020),aspartate transaminase(P=0.025)and total bilirubin(P=0.026).The predictive performance of the combined model(training set AUC 0.813,testing set AUC 0.818)was superior to that of the individual clinical model(training set AUC 0.711,testing set AUC 0.705)and the radiomics model(training set AUC 0.769,testing set AUC 0.767).Calibration and decision curves indicated good fit and better clinical net benefit for the combined model nomogram.Conclusion Based on preoperative multi-sequence MRI images and the radiomics score,along with alanine transaminase,aspartate transaminase and total bilirubin as clinical features,the constructed combined model nomogram effectively predicts the programmed death ligand 1 expression status in extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.This provides guidance for the precise and personalized immunotherapy for patients.

Purpose To investigate the value of non-invasive preoperative prediction of programmed death ligand 1 expression status in extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma using MRI radiomics combined with clinical features through nomograms.Materials and Methods A retrospective collection was made of 87 cases of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma diagnosed through surgical pathology in the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University from January 2011 to December 2021.These were randomly divided into training and testing sets at a 7∶3 ratio.Using 3D-Slicer software,regions of interest were manually delineated layer-by-layer on MRI images,and radiomic features were extracted.Data normalization,feature dimensionality reduction and selection were then performed.A Gaussian naive Bayes classifier was used to construct the radiomics model,and radiomics scores were obtained.Multivariate Logistic regression was used to screen clinical features,and individual clinical and combined models were constructed.The predictive performances of the three models were evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUC),and the goodness of fit and clinical net benefit of the combined model nomogram were assessed through calibration and decision curves.Results Nine radiomic features and three clinical features were finally selected.The clinical features included alanine transaminase(P=0.020),aspartate transaminase(P=0.025)and total bilirubin(P=0.026).The predictive performance of the combined model(training set AUC 0.813,testing set AUC 0.818)was superior to that of the individual clinical model(training set AUC 0.711,testing set AUC 0.705)and the radiomics model(training set AUC 0.769,testing set AUC 0.767).Calibration and decision curves indicated good fit and better clinical net benefit for the combined model nomogram.Conclusion Based on preoperative multi-sequence MRI images and the radiomics score,along with alanine transaminase,aspartate transaminase and total bilirubin as clinical features,the constructed combined model nomogram effectively predicts the programmed death ligand 1 expression status in extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.This provides guidance for the precise and personalized immunotherapy for patients.

Background::Hyperglycemia frequently induces apoptosis in endothelial cells and ultimately contributes to microvascular dysfunction in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Previous research reported that the expression of integrins as well as their ligands was elevated in the diseased vessels of DM patients. However, the association between integrins and hyperglycemia-induced cell death is still unclear. This research was designed to investigate the role played by integrin subunit β5 (ITGB5) in hyperglycemia-induced endothelial cell apoptosis.Methods::We used leptin receptor knockout (Lepr-KO) ( db/ db) mice as spontaneous diabetes animal model. Selective deletion of ITGB5 in endothelial cell was achieved by injecting vascular targeted adeno-associated virus via tail vein. Besides, we also applied small interfering RNA in vitro to study the mechanism of ITGB5 in regulating high glucose-induced cell apoptosis. Results::ITGB5 and its ligand, fibronectin, were both upregulated after exposure to high glucose in vivo and in vitro. ITGB5 knockdown alleviated hyperglycemia-induced vascular endothelial cell apoptosis and microvascular rarefaction in vivo. In vitro analysis revealed that knockdown of either ITGB5 or fibronectin ameliorated high glucose-induced apoptosis in human umbilical vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs). In addition, knockdown of ITGB5 inhibited fibronectin-induced HUVEC apoptosis, which indicated that the fibronectin-ITGB5 interaction participated in high glucose-induced endothelial cell apoptosis. By using RNA-sequencing technology and bioinformatic analysis, we identified Forkhead Box Protein O1 (FoxO1) as an important downstream target regulated by ITGB5. Moreover, we demonstrated that the excessive macroautophagy induced by high glucose can contribute to HUVEC apoptosis, which was regulated by the ITGB5-FoxO1 axis. Conclusion::The study revealed that high glucose-induced endothelial cell apoptosis was positively regulated by ITGB5, which suggested that ITGB5 could potentially be used to predict and treat DM-related vascular complications.

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of pneumococcal meningitis(PM),and drug sensitivity of Streptococcus pneumoniae(SP)isolates in Chinese children.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical information,laboratory data,and microbiological data of 160 hospitalized children under 15 years old with PM from January 2019 to December 2020 in 33 tertiary hospitals across the country.Results Among the 160 children with PM,there were 103 males and 57 females.The age ranged from 15 days to 15 years,with 109 cases(68.1% )aged 3 months to under 3 years.SP strains were isolated from 95 cases(59.4% )in cerebrospinal fluid cultures and from 57 cases(35.6% )in blood cultures.The positive rates of SP detection by cerebrospinal fluid metagenomic next-generation sequencing and cerebrospinal fluid SP antigen testing were 40% (35/87)and 27% (21/78),respectively.Fifty-five cases(34.4% )had one or more risk factors for purulent meningitis,113 cases(70.6% )had one or more extra-cranial infectious foci,and 18 cases(11.3% )had underlying diseases.The most common clinical symptoms were fever(147 cases,91.9% ),followed by lethargy(98 cases,61.3% )and vomiting(61 cases,38.1% ).Sixty-nine cases(43.1% )experienced intracranial complications during hospitalization,with subdural effusion and/or empyema being the most common complication[43 cases(26.9% )],followed by hydrocephalus in 24 cases(15.0% ),brain abscess in 23 cases(14.4% ),and cerebral hemorrhage in 8 cases(5.0% ).Subdural effusion and/or empyema and hydrocephalus mainly occurred in children under 1 year old,with rates of 91% (39/43)and 83% (20/24),respectively.SP strains exhibited complete sensitivity to vancomycin(100% ,75/75),linezolid(100% ,56/56),and meropenem(100% ,6/6).High sensitivity rates were also observed for levofloxacin(81% ,22/27),moxifloxacin(82% ,14/17),rifampicin(96% ,25/26),and chloramphenicol(91% ,21/23).However,low sensitivity rates were found for penicillin(16% ,11/68)and clindamycin(6% ,1/17),and SP strains were completely resistant to erythromycin(100% ,31/31).The rates of discharge with cure and improvement were 22.5% (36/160)and 66.2% (106/160),respectively,while 18 cases(11.3% )had adverse outcomes.Conclusions Pediatric PM is more common in children aged 3 months to under 3 years.Intracranial complications are more frequently observed in children under 1 year old.Fever is the most common clinical manifestation of PM,and subdural effusion/emphysema and hydrocephalus are the most frequent complications.Non-culture detection methods for cerebrospinal fluid can improve pathogen detection rates.Adverse outcomes can be noted in more than 10% of PM cases.SP strains are high sensitivity to vancomycin,linezolid,meropenem,levofloxacin,moxifloxacin,rifampicin,and chloramphenicol.[Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics,2024,26(2):131-138]

Objective: To establish a method for simultaneous determination of calceolarioside B and chlorogenic acid in Caulis Stauntoniae Chinensis tablets by HPLC.
Methods: The analysis was performed on a Thermo BDS HYPERSIL C₁₈ column (4.6 mm×250 mm,5 μm) maintained at 35 ℃. The mobile phase was consisted of methanol and 0.1% phosphoric acid solution, and gradient eluted with a flow rate of 1.0 mL·min^-1. The detection wavelength was 327 nm, and the injection volume was 10 μL.
Results: The linear ranges of calceolarioside B and chlorogenic acid were 0.51-20.60 μg·mL^-1 (r=1.000) and 0.52-20.63 μg·mL^-1 (r=1.000), respectively. The average recoveries were 100.3% with RSD as 1.1% and 105.9% with RSD as 1.4%, respectively. The content results of 5 batches of Caulis Stauntoniae Chinensis tablets were 0.083-1.115 mg·g^-1 for calceolarioside B and 0.161-1.204 mg·g^-1 for chlorogenic acid.
Conclusion: The method can be used for improving the quality evaluation standard of Caulis Stauntoniae Chinensis tablets.

Objective:To preliminarily explore the association of pregnancy factors with cow's milk protein allergy in infants.Methods:This study was based on data from a subcohort of a study called ge-netic susceptibility to cow's milk allergy in Chinese children,including infants born in Peking University People's Hospital between March 1,2020,and December 31,2020.The infants were divided into a cow's milk protein allergy(CMPA)group and a control group according to whether they had developed cow's milk protein allergy at the age of 1 year.We retrospectively collected the clinical data of infants and their mothers before and during pregnancy,and analyzed the association of multiple factors during pregnancy with cow's milk protein allergy in infants.Results:A total of 278 infants were enrolled in this study,including 52 infants with CMPA and 226 infants without CMPA.Among them,there were 143 boys and 135 girls.The proportion of male infants in the CMPA group(69.2％)was higher than that in the control group(47.3％),and the difference was statistically significant(P=0.004).There were no significant differences in the distribution of birth weight,gestational age at birth,low-birth-weight in-fants,premature,umbilical cord entangle neck,and neonatal asphyxia between the CMPA group and the control group(P＞0.05).The proportion of mothers complicated with autoimmune diseases,anemia or antibiotics exposure during pregnancy in the CMPA group was higher than that in the control group,and there were statistical differences between the two groups(P＜0.05).There was no significant difference in the distribution of other pregnancy complications between the two groups(P＞0.05),such as eclamp-sia/preeclampsia,chronic hypertension/gestational hypertension,diabetes/gestational diabetes,thyroid diseases,and so on.There was no significant difference in the overall distribution of some blood routine indexes during pregnancy between the CMPA group and the control group(P＞0.05).Multivariate Lo-gistic regression analysis showed that male infant,mothers complicated with autoimmune diseases or ane-mia,antibiotic exposure during pregnancy were independent risk factors for cow's milk protein allergy.Conclusion:Male infant,mothers complicated with autoimmune diseases or anemia,antibiotic exposure during pregnancy were independent risk factors for cow's milk protein allergy.