1.Mechanism of miR-21 targeting inhibition of the PTEN/AKT/mTOR pathway in ameliorating chronic renal fibrosis in mice
Jiao QI ; Shanshan XU ; Qige QI ; Yan MENG ; Jianrong ZHAO ; Liying ZHANG
Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2026;61(2):217-224
ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism through which miR‑21 improves chronic renal fibrosis in mice via targeted modulation of the phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN)/protein kinase B (AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway. MethodsThirty‑two chronic kidney disease model mice were randomly divided into four groups (n=8 each group): model group, miR‑21 overexpression group, miR‑21 inhibition group, and miR‑21 inhibition + MK‑2206 group. Eight healthy mice were included as the control group. The miR‑21 overexpression, miR‑21 inhibition, and miR‑21 inhibition + MK‑2206 groups received tail‑vein injections of lentivirus (50 μL, 1×10⁸ TU per mouse) once weekly for three weeks. The control and model groups were injected with an equal volume of empty vector (LV‑NC). The miR‑21 inhibition + MK‑2206 group additionally received gavage of the AKT/mTOR pathway inhibitor MK‑2206 (480 mg/kg) once weekly for three weeks. The expressions of miR‑21, 24 h urinary protein, serum creatinine (Scr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and renal tissue levels of collagen Ⅰ, collagen Ⅲ, α‑smooth muscle actin (α‑SMA), and PTEN protein, as well as p‑AKT/AKT and p‑mTOR/mTOR ratios, were compared among groups. HE staining was used to observe pathological changes in renal tissue, and Masson staining was used to observe the degree of renal fibrosis. A dual‑luciferase assay was performed to verify the targeting relationship between miR‑21 and PTEN. ResultsCompared with the model group, miR‑21 expression in renal tissue increased in the miR‑21 overexpression group (P<0.05) and decreased in the miR‑21 inhibition group (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the miR‑21 overexpression group showed increased 24 h urinary protein, Scr, BUN, and renal tissue expression of collagen Ⅰ, collagen Ⅲ, and α‑SMA (all P<0.05), while these indicators decreased in the miR‑21 inhibition group (P<0.05). Compared with the miR‑21 inhibition group, the miR‑21 inhibition + MK‑2206 group exhibited lower 24‑h urinary protein, Scr, BUN, and renal tissue expression of Collagen Ⅰ, Collagen Ⅲ, and α‑SMA (all P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the miR‑21 overexpression group showed decreased PTEN protein expression (P<0.05) and increased p‑AKT/AKT and p‑mTOR/mTOR ratios (P<0.05), while the miR‑21 inhibition group showed increased PTEN expression (P<0.05) and decreased p‑AKT/AKT and p‑mTOR/mTOR ratios (P<0.05). Compared with the miR‑21 inhibition group, the miR‑21 inhibition + MK‑2206 group had lower p‑AKT/AKT and p‑mTOR/mTOR ratios (P<0.05), with no significant difference in PTEN protein expression. HE and Masson staining showed normal kidney structure and almost no fibrosis in the control group. The model group exhibited glomerular enlargement, capillary loop adhesion, and focal fibrosis. The miR-21 overexpression group showed severe destruction of glomerular structure, accompanied by extensive fibrosis and renal tubular atrophy. The pathological changes and degree of fibrosis were alleviated in the miR-21 inhibition group. The miR-21 inhibition + MK-2206 group showed only mild pathological changes and mild fibrosis, with the interstitium being largely normal. Compared with PTEN-WT + NC mimics 1, the relative luciferase activity in the PTEN-WT + miR-21 mimics group decreased (P<0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in relative luciferase activity between PTEN-WT + NC mimics group and PTEN-MUT + miR-21 mimics group. ConclusionmiR‑21 may improve renal function indicators and alleviate renal fibrosis in chronic kidney disease mice via targeted modulation of PTEN and subsequently inhibiting the AKT/mTOR pathway.
2.Analysis of cross-contamination and antibiotic resistance spread risks of Staphy-lococcus aureus in a swine slaughterhouse based on whole-genome sequencing
Jiawei YAN ; Junfeng LIU ; Jintao LIU ; Yonghang HAO ; Wenwen WANG ; Qinglin WANG ; Liying CHEN
Chinese Journal of Veterinary Science 2025;45(7):1417-1425
To assess the cross-contamination risk and genetic evolution ofStaphylococcus aureus(S.aureus)at various stages in a swine slaughterhouse,and to provide a reference for risk evalua-tion and control measures of S.aureus contamination during swine slaughtering,we conducted whole-genome sequencing on 31 isolates of S.aureus collected and preserved from the slaughter-house.Bioinformatics analyses were performed to investigate the genomic characteristics and genet-ic relationships of these isolates.Results revealed cross-contamination across different slaughter-house stages,predominantly with ST398-t1451 strains.Additionally,highly virulent ST9-t899 strains and ST398-t11 strains with numerous resistance genes were detected at various stages.The strains predominantly carried virulence genes such as hlgA,hlgB,and hlgC,with varying num-bers of resistance genes.Notably,two strains carried the optrA gene and three strains carried the cfr gene;the presence of the optrA gene is relatively rare among S.aureus.These genes confer re-sistance to novel synthetic antibiotics such as oxazolidinones and florfenicol and have the potential for horizontal gene transfer,increasing the risk of dissemination both within and beyond the slaughterhouse.Importantly,the study also detected a LA-MRSA-ST9 strain in water samples from the slaughterhouse,which could potentially infect humans.This strain exhibits zoonotic char-acteristics,highlighting the need for stricter protective measures for slaughterhouse workers to mitigate occupational exposure and infection risks.
3.HPLC-MS/MS screening method and application for 40 piperazine-type substances in urine
Jinting LIU ; Wanting XIE ; Liying ZHOU ; Shuo YANG ; Keming YUN ; Yan SHI
Chinese Journal of Forensic Medicine 2025;40(4):451-458
Objective Piperazine derivatives are a group of emerging psychoactive substances with excitatory and hallucinogenic effects on the central nervous system.This study established a high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(HPLC-MS/MS)screening method for the detection of 40 piperazine compounds in urine.Methods A 200 μL urine sample(spiked with an internal standard at 1 ng/mL)was subjected to liquid-liquid extraction with ethyl acetate.After nitrogen evaporation,the residue was redissolved in 200 μL methanol and injected for analysis.Separation was performed on a Waters Acquity UPLC? HSS T3 column(100 mm × 2.1 mm,1.8 μm).The mobile phase consisted of(A)20 mmol/L ammonium acetate buffer containing 0.1%formic acid and 5%acetonitrile,and(B)acetonitrile.Gradient elution was applied,and detection was carried out in multiple reaction monitoring(MRM)mode.Quantification was achieved using an internal standard calibration curve.Results The 40 piperazine substances demonstrated good linearity within the range of 1-50 ng/mL,with correlation coefficients of 0.995-0.998.The extraction recovery ranged from 51.51%to 104.1%.Intra-day precision was below 5%,while inter-day precision ranged from 1.61%to 10.17%.Accuracy was between-7.84%and 8.77%.The limits of detection were 0.2-1 ng/mL,and the limit of quantification was 1 ng/mL.Conclusion The proposed method requires only a small sample volume,exhibits high sensitivity,selectivity,and stability,and offers short run times.It is suitable for the qualitative and quantitative determination of piperazine derivatives in urine in forensic toxicology practice.
4.Analysis of the Path to Improve the Efficiency of Medical Resource Allocation in Chinese Medicine Hospitals under the Perspective of fsQCA Configuration
Xueyun TIAN ; Zhixin WANG ; Yiru ZHOU ; Yan JIANG ; Liying ZHAO ; Jie ZHOU ; Zi YANG ; Xiaowei MAN
Chinese Hospital Management 2025;45(1):41-45
Objective To explore the optimisation path of medical resource allocation efficiency improvement in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) hospitals under the synergistic effect of multiple factors,so as to provide powerful support for the balanced development of medical resources in TCM hospitals.Methods The comprehensive efficiency of resource allocation in TCM hospitals in 31 provinces (cities and districts) of China obtained by Data Envelopment Analysis was taken as the outcome variable,and with the help of Fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis,it examined the configurations of efficient medical resource allocation,considering the following conditional variables:per capital Regional GDP,the proportion of fiscal allocation revenue to total income,the ratio of TCM practicing (assistant) physicians to all practicing (assistant) physicians,the average length of hospital stay for discharged patients,the number of total diagnosis and treatments per thousand population,and the number of hospital beds per thousand population.Results By analyzing the conditional patterns of efficient allocation of medical resources in TCM hospitals,three equivalent driving paths can be summarized,which are comprehensive service capacity,TCM advantage and hospitalization driving paths.Conclusion The overall level of medical resource allocation efficiency of TCM hospitals in China needs to be improved.In the future,efforts should be made to improve the comprehensive service capacity and operational efficiency of hospitals,give full play to the advantages of TCM,build a high-quality TCM talent team,reasonably shorten the average hospital stay,and improve the utilization efficiency of hospital beds.
5.Research on the Chinese Medicine Service Capacity of the Primary Medical Institutions in Beijing Based on the Total Expenditure Accounting of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Ru HUO ; Sijia QI ; Yan JIANG ; Liying ZHAO ; Wei CHENG
Chinese Health Economics 2025;44(11):58-62
Objective:To study the development status and characteristics of the Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM)service capacity of primary medical institutions(referred as primary)in Beijing.Methods:The case-base aggregation method was used to analyze the total amount,distribution,and development changes of total TCM costs in primary healthcare institutions in Beijing.Results:From 2019 to 2023,the average annual growth rate of the TCM costs of primary healthcare institutions in Beijing was 10.09%,and the proportion in total TCM costs increased from 16.01%to 18.19%.The average annual growth rate of the TCM costs of community health service centers(stations)was 11.78%,but there were negative growths in outpatient departments,clinics,and village clinics.The proportion of the primary TCM costs in its health costs increased from 29.16%to 32.56%.The average annual growth rate of income from primary herbal medicines and processed Chinese medicines were 16.75%and 10.13%.Conclusion:The primary TCM undertaking has developed steadily,and Beijing should continue to guide high-quality TCM resources to sink.Multiple measures should be taken to promote the development of TCM in outpatient departments,clinics,and village clinics.The coordination between prices and medical insurance reimbursement and payment methods should be strengthened.Supervision over the quality and use of Chinese medicine should be strengthened,and the technical service capabilities of primary TCM should be enhanced.
6.Evaluation of Treg/Th17 balance on relative risk of acute exacerbation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Yan ZHANG ; Liying SONG ; Jianwei WANG
Chinese Journal of Immunology 2025;41(11):2689-2694
Objective:To explore influence of Treg/Th17 balance on relative risk of acute exacerbation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD).Methods:A prospective cohort study was used to select 246 patients with COPD treated in emergency department of Beidaihe Hospital from January 2021 to January 2023,who were divided into acute aggravation group(113 cases)and stable group(133 cases)according to GOLD guidelines.Clinical indicators and lung function levels of two groups were compared,and risk variables of acute exacerbation in COPD patients were analyzed by Logistic multivariate regression.Restricted cubic spline model was used to analyze correlation between Treg/Th17 level and acute exacerbation in COPD patients.A line graph model was constructed and validation based on risk factors.The model was stratified according to risk score of column graph by X-tile software,and clinical application value of model was further discussed.Results:①Th17,IL-17,IL-22,C-reactive protein change rate(ΔCRP),procalcitonin change rate(ΔPCT)and TGF-β1 levels in acute aggravation group were significantly higher than stable group,Treg and Treg/Th17 levels were lower than stable group(P<0.05);②Multivariate Logistic regression analysis found that Treg≤9.06%,Th17≥2.23%,Treg/Th17≤5.27,ΔPCT≥0.845,ΔCRP≥0.554,IL-17≥37.55 ng/L,IL-22≥14.14 ng/L,TGF-β1≥840.56 ng/L were risk factors for COPD patients with acute exacerbation(P<0.05);③Restricted cubic spline model analysis showed that Treg/Th17 level was correlated with COPD acute exacerbation(χ2=7.214,P=0.001),and there was a linear dose-response relationship(χ2=3.542,P=0.112);④A line graph prediction model was constructed based on the above eight risk factors and evaluation results showed that C-index before and after verification were 0.864 and 0.831,respectively;AUC before and after validation were 0.856 and 0.832,respectively,and correction curve before and after validation fitted well with ideal curve.Clinical decision curve showed that when threshold probability was 0.01~0.91,higher net benefit could be obtained by this model;⑤Risk stratification showed that inci-dence of acute exacerbation in high risk group was significantly higher than medium and low risk groups(χ2=6.056,P=0.013).Con-clusion:Monitoring changes in peripheral blood Treg/Th17 cell balance provides a high reference value for acute exacerbations in patients with COPD.
7.Risks of nasogastric intubation and the coping strategies for online appointment nurses:a qualitative study
Yanan GAO ; Yanli WANG ; Ruifang LIU ; Xiuli BAI ; Yan WU ; Chenxi LIU ; Liying MA ; Shan FU ; Zhitong ZHANG ; Xinhua QIAO
Modern Clinical Nursing 2025;24(6):57-64
Objective To explore the challenges faced by online appointment nurses during nasogastric intubation and to provide a reference for improvement of the quality and safety of the services provided by online appointment nursing.Methods A purposive sampling was employed to select 13 online appointment nurses from our hospital who had previously provided home nasogastric intubation services for patients.Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the online appointment nurses.The results acquired from the interviews were analysed using Colaizzi's method.Results Two themes were identified.Theme 1 covered the increased risks of nasogastric intubation due to the patients themselves and home environment,which included 4 sub-themes of difficulties in identification and response due to complex conditions of patient,high risk of a sudden asphyxia with poor resuscitation facility,psychological stress from unfamiliar home environment,and more challenges in risk identification due to limited conditions for performing home-based intubation procedures;Theme 2 covered the coping strategies of online-scheduled nurses,which included the improvement of knowledge and skills in emergency nursing to improve comfidence and judge ability of intubation,the strengthening of nurse-patient communication to build a trust and cooperation,the conduct of thorough assessment to ensure procedural safety,and the use of alternative tools and collaboration with family members.Conclusion Online appointment nurses face challenges and risks from both of the procedures and patients themselves during home based nasogastric intubation.Hospitals and relevant management should actively implement corresponding strategies,provide training and guidance for online appointment nurses,develop relevant regulations,and improve the management mechanisms of the internet platform to ensure the safety of home based nasogastric intubation for online appointment nurses and improve the quality of the"Internet Plus Nursing Services."
8.Risks of nasogastric intubation and the coping strategies for online appointment nurses:a qualitative study
Yanan GAO ; Yanli WANG ; Ruifang LIU ; Xiuli BAI ; Yan WU ; Chenxi LIU ; Liying MA ; Shan FU ; Zhitong ZHANG ; Xinhua QIAO
Modern Clinical Nursing 2025;24(6):57-64
Objective To explore the challenges faced by online appointment nurses during nasogastric intubation and to provide a reference for improvement of the quality and safety of the services provided by online appointment nursing.Methods A purposive sampling was employed to select 13 online appointment nurses from our hospital who had previously provided home nasogastric intubation services for patients.Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the online appointment nurses.The results acquired from the interviews were analysed using Colaizzi's method.Results Two themes were identified.Theme 1 covered the increased risks of nasogastric intubation due to the patients themselves and home environment,which included 4 sub-themes of difficulties in identification and response due to complex conditions of patient,high risk of a sudden asphyxia with poor resuscitation facility,psychological stress from unfamiliar home environment,and more challenges in risk identification due to limited conditions for performing home-based intubation procedures;Theme 2 covered the coping strategies of online-scheduled nurses,which included the improvement of knowledge and skills in emergency nursing to improve comfidence and judge ability of intubation,the strengthening of nurse-patient communication to build a trust and cooperation,the conduct of thorough assessment to ensure procedural safety,and the use of alternative tools and collaboration with family members.Conclusion Online appointment nurses face challenges and risks from both of the procedures and patients themselves during home based nasogastric intubation.Hospitals and relevant management should actively implement corresponding strategies,provide training and guidance for online appointment nurses,develop relevant regulations,and improve the management mechanisms of the internet platform to ensure the safety of home based nasogastric intubation for online appointment nurses and improve the quality of the"Internet Plus Nursing Services."
9.Research on the Chinese Medicine Service Capacity of the Primary Medical Institutions in Beijing Based on the Total Expenditure Accounting of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Ru HUO ; Sijia QI ; Yan JIANG ; Liying ZHAO ; Wei CHENG
Chinese Health Economics 2025;44(11):58-62
Objective:To study the development status and characteristics of the Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM)service capacity of primary medical institutions(referred as primary)in Beijing.Methods:The case-base aggregation method was used to analyze the total amount,distribution,and development changes of total TCM costs in primary healthcare institutions in Beijing.Results:From 2019 to 2023,the average annual growth rate of the TCM costs of primary healthcare institutions in Beijing was 10.09%,and the proportion in total TCM costs increased from 16.01%to 18.19%.The average annual growth rate of the TCM costs of community health service centers(stations)was 11.78%,but there were negative growths in outpatient departments,clinics,and village clinics.The proportion of the primary TCM costs in its health costs increased from 29.16%to 32.56%.The average annual growth rate of income from primary herbal medicines and processed Chinese medicines were 16.75%and 10.13%.Conclusion:The primary TCM undertaking has developed steadily,and Beijing should continue to guide high-quality TCM resources to sink.Multiple measures should be taken to promote the development of TCM in outpatient departments,clinics,and village clinics.The coordination between prices and medical insurance reimbursement and payment methods should be strengthened.Supervision over the quality and use of Chinese medicine should be strengthened,and the technical service capabilities of primary TCM should be enhanced.
10.Analysis of cross-contamination and antibiotic resistance spread risks of Staphy-lococcus aureus in a swine slaughterhouse based on whole-genome sequencing
Jiawei YAN ; Junfeng LIU ; Jintao LIU ; Yonghang HAO ; Wenwen WANG ; Qinglin WANG ; Liying CHEN
Chinese Journal of Veterinary Science 2025;45(7):1417-1425
To assess the cross-contamination risk and genetic evolution ofStaphylococcus aureus(S.aureus)at various stages in a swine slaughterhouse,and to provide a reference for risk evalua-tion and control measures of S.aureus contamination during swine slaughtering,we conducted whole-genome sequencing on 31 isolates of S.aureus collected and preserved from the slaughter-house.Bioinformatics analyses were performed to investigate the genomic characteristics and genet-ic relationships of these isolates.Results revealed cross-contamination across different slaughter-house stages,predominantly with ST398-t1451 strains.Additionally,highly virulent ST9-t899 strains and ST398-t11 strains with numerous resistance genes were detected at various stages.The strains predominantly carried virulence genes such as hlgA,hlgB,and hlgC,with varying num-bers of resistance genes.Notably,two strains carried the optrA gene and three strains carried the cfr gene;the presence of the optrA gene is relatively rare among S.aureus.These genes confer re-sistance to novel synthetic antibiotics such as oxazolidinones and florfenicol and have the potential for horizontal gene transfer,increasing the risk of dissemination both within and beyond the slaughterhouse.Importantly,the study also detected a LA-MRSA-ST9 strain in water samples from the slaughterhouse,which could potentially infect humans.This strain exhibits zoonotic char-acteristics,highlighting the need for stricter protective measures for slaughterhouse workers to mitigate occupational exposure and infection risks.

Result Analysis
Print
Save
E-mail