1.Preclinical mouse models for studying cholangiocarcinoma
Shanru Yang ; Chaodi Bao ; Yuan Li ; Yangxiang Ou ; Yifan Jiang ; Wenjie Xu ; Dongfang Zheng ; Na Li ; Mengjie Yang ; Fuyan Wang ; Xin Hou
Liver Research 2026;10(1):22-34
Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a malignancy characterized by tumor cells originating in the liver or bile ducts, exhibiting features of cholangiocyte differentiation. It poses a significant clinical challenge due to the limited diagnostic and therapeutic options available. Robust animal models are essential for advancing our understanding of CCA pathogenesis and developing effective treatments. This review provides a comprehensive overview of CCA mouse models, highlighting various approaches, including chemical induction, genetically engineered models, and tumor xenografts. Each model is discussed in terms of its establishment techniques, pathological characteristics, and research significance, with a focus on intrahepatic CCA. Chemical induction models, such as diethylnitrosamine- and azoxymethane-induced models, offer insights into tumorigenesis processes, whereas genetically modified models involving alterations in key genes such as Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog, tumor protein 53, and isocitrate dehydrogenase serve as important tools for studying the molecular mechanisms underlying CCA. Xenograft models, including patient-derived xenografts, bridge the gap between experimental research and clinical applications, allowing for precise therapeutic evaluations. By comparing these models, this review underscores their respective advantages and limitations, paving the way for future studies aiming to optimize and innovate CCA modeling strategies.
2.Association between plant-based diet and different types of obesity
ZHOU Mengyi ; SU Danting ; HE Mengjie ; XU Peiwei ; HAN Dan ; HUANG Lichun ; ZHANG Ronghua
Journal of Preventive Medicine 2025;37(8):773-778
Objective:
To investigate the association between plant-based diet and different types of obesity, so as to provide references for obesity prevention.
Methods:
Residents aged 35-75 years from 33 counties (cities, districts) in Zhejiang Province were selected as study subjects using a multistage stratified random sampling method between April and December 2024. Demographic information and living behaviors were collected using questionnaire surveys. Height, weight and waist circumference were measured, and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. BMI ≥28.0 kg/m2 was defined as obesity, waist circumference ≥90 cm in males or ≥85 cm in females was defined as central obesity, and individual with obesity who also had central obesity was defined as having compound obesity. Food intake over a 3-day period was collected using the consecutive 3-day 24-hour dietary recall method. The plant diet index (PDI), healthful plant diet index (HPDI), and unhealthful plant diet index (UPDI) were calculated, and categorized into quintiles (Q1-Q5) based on their distribution. Association between the PDI, PDI, UPDI and different types of obesity were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression models.
Results:
A total of 4 882 individuals were surveyed, including 2 233 males (45.74%) and 2 649 females (54.26%). The average age was (55.42±12.14) years. There were 537 individuals of obesity, 1 718 individuals of central obesity, and 500 individuals of compound obesity, with detection rates of 11.00%, 35.19%, and 10.24%, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that, after adjusting for demographic information and living behaviors, compared with Q1 group, HPDI Q5 group showed a 29.6% lower risk of obesity (OR=0.704, 95%CI: 0.525-0.943) and a 32.1% lower risk of compound obesity (OR=0.679, 95%CI: 0.502-0.918). Conversely, the UPDI Q5 group exhibited a 39.5% higher risk of obesity (OR=1.395, 95%CI: 1.032-1.886) and a 39.8% higher risk of compound obesity (OR=1.398, 95%CI: 1.025-1.907). No statistically significant association was found between PDI and obesity, central obesity, and compound obesity (all P>0.05). As HPDI increased, the risks of obesity and compound obesity showed decreasing trends; as UPDI increased, the risks of obesity and compound obesity showed increasing trends (all Ptrend<0.05).
Conclusion
A healthful plant-based diet is associated with reduced risks of obesity and compound obesity, while an unhealthful plant-based diet is associated with increased risks of obesity and compound obesity.
3.Application of a new type of lung body projection flashlight for percussion back in patients with cerebral hemorrhage
Yuxing CHEN ; Mengjie CHEN ; Qiaoyan JU ; Chunhua LI ; Jiadong QIAN ; Yunfeng XU
Chinese Journal of Practical Nursing 2025;41(19):1465-1471
Objective:To observe the clinical effect of the new type of lung body projection flashlight for percussion back in patients with cerebral hemorrhage, so as to promote patient lung rehabilitation, reduce pulmonary complications, and improve prognosis.Methods:Adopting a randomized controlled trial method, a total of 102 patients with cerebral hemorrhage who were hospitalized in the Department of Neurosurgery of The First Hospital of Jiaxing from January 2022 to December 2023 and their caregivers were selected as the research objects by convenience sampling method. The patients were divided into the control group (51 cases) and the observation group (51 cases) by the random number table method. The control group received traditional back tapping on the basis of routine nursing and back tapping guidance. The observation group used a new type of lung body projection flashlight for percussion back to assist in back tapping nursing and health guidance on the basis of routine nursing.The incidence of pulmonary infection, white blood cell count, levels of hypersensitive C-reactive protein and procalcitonin, the quality of discharge guidance, the scores of satisfaction of patients, and the assessment score of caregivers′ percussion back skills were evaluated in the two groups.Results:Finally, a total of 49 patients were enrolled in the observation group, including 38 males and 11 females, aged (67.08 ± 11.05) years old. A total of 49 patients were enrolled in the control group, including 31 males and 18 females, aged (68.84 ± 10.46) years old. There were 8 males and 41 females, aged (58.00 ± 8.17) years old in the caregivers of the observation group. There were 6 males and 43 females, aged (57.57 ± 9.15) years old in the caregivers of the observation group. The incidence of pulmonary infection in the observation group was 28.6% (14/49), which was lower than that in the control group 32.7% (16/49), and the difference was not statistically significant ( P>0.05). There was no significant difference in the level of white blood cell count, hypersensitive C-reactive protein and procalcitonin between the two groups when the time of pulmonary infection was diagnosed and after 2 weeks of treatment ( P>0.05). The levels of white blood cell count, hypersensitive C-reactive protein and procalcitonin after 1 week of treatment were (7.97 ± 1.30)×10 9/L, (30.71 ± 11.96) mg/L, 0.04(0.02, 0.07) μg/L in the observation group, which were all lower than those in the control group (9.46 ± 2.16) × 10 9/L, (58.34 ± 48.96) mg/L, 0.09(0.04, 0.20) μg/L, and the differences were statistically significant ( t=5.06, 4.22, Z=1.98, all P<0.05). The total score of discharge guidance quality, obtained content, guidance skills and effect scores were (134.94 ± 7.34), (47.80 ± 2.86), (87.14 ± 5.98) points in the observation group, which were significantly higher than those in the control group (117.04 ± 7.04), (39.80 ± 3.15), (77.24 ± 5.60) points, and the differences were statistically significant ( t=12.32, 13.15, 8.46, all P<0.05). The scores of the satisfaction of patients including six aspects(operation convenience, precise positioning, goal orientation, operation specification, nursing confidence and mission satisfaction) in the observation group were 91.84%(45/49), 95.92%(47/49), 91.84%(45/49), 93.88%(46/49), 91.84%(45/49), 97.96%(48/49), which were higher than those in the control group 73.47%(36/49), 57.14%(28/49), 53.06%(26/49), 67.35%(33/49), 73.47%(36/49), 81.63%(40/49), and the differences were statistically significant ( χ2 values were 5.76-20.51, all P<0.05). The assessment score of percussion skills of caregivers in the observation group was (79.55 ± 3.98) points, which was significantly higher than that in the control group (75.35 ± 4.94) points, and the difference was statistically significant ( t=4.64, P<0.05). Conclusions:The clinical application of the new type of lung body projection flashlight for percussion back in patients with cerebral hemorrhage can achieve accurate and standardized percussion back to promote the improvement of pulmonary infection and improve the skill level of caregivers of cerebral hemorrhage patients, as well as improve the quality of discharge guidance and the satisfaction of patients.
4.Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of a novel class of indazole-containing compounds with potent anti-influenza activities targeting the PA-PB1 interface.
Yun-Sang TANG ; Chao ZHANG ; Jing XU ; Haibo ZHANG ; Zhe JIN ; Mengjie XIAO ; Nuermila YILIYAER ; Er-Fang HUANG ; Xin ZHAO ; Chun HU ; Pang-Chui SHAW
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(6):3163-3180
The PA-PB1 interface of the influenza polymerase is an attractive site for antiviral drug design. In this study, we designed and synthesized a mini-library of indazole-containing compounds based on rational structure-based design to target the PB1-binding interface on PA. Biological evaluation of these compounds through a viral yield reduction assay revealed that compounds 27 and 31 both had a low micromolar range of the half maximal effective concentration (EC50) values against A/WSN/33 (H1N1) (8.03 μmol/L for 27; 14.6 μmol/L for 31), while the most potent candidate 24 had an EC50 value of 690 nM. Compound 24 was effective against different influenza strains including a pandemic H1N1 strain and an influenza B strain. Mechanistic studies confirmed that compound 24 bound PA with a K d which equals to 1.88 μmol/L and disrupted the binding of PB1 to PA. The compound also decreased the lung viral titre in mice. In summary, we have identified a potent anti-influenza candidate with potency comparable to existing drugs and is effective against different viral strains. The therapeutic options for influenza infection have been limited by the occurrence of antiviral resistance, owing to the high mutation rate of viral proteins targeted by available drugs. To alleviate the public health burden of this issue, novel anti-influenza drugs are desired. In this study, we present our discovery of a novel class of indazole-containing compounds which exhibited favourable potency against both influenza A and B viruses. The EC50 of the most potent compounds were within low micromolar to nanomolar concentrations. Furthermore, we show that the mouse lung viral titre decreased due to treatment with compound 24. Thus our findings identify promising candidates for further development of anti-influenza drugs suitable for clinical use.
5.Isorhamnetin Alleviates Inflammation-Induced Crosstalk between Kynurenine Pathway and Gut Microbiota in Depressed Mice
Mengjie XU ; Wei HE ; Ke YAN ; Xinru GAO ; Jun LI ; Dongyue XU ; Jiao XIAO ; Tingxu YAN
Biomolecules & Therapeutics 2025;33(2):297-310
Depression is a widespread psychiatric disorder with complex pathogenesis and unsatisfactory therapeutic effects. As a native flavonoid, Isorhamnetin (ISO) has been deemed to exert neuroprotective effects by antioxidation and regulation of immunity. However, no reports of anti-depressed effect of ISO have yet been found. The present study was conducted to clarify the mechanism basis of anti-depressed effect of ISO utilizing behavioral, biochemical, molecular approaches in vitro and in vivo and bio-informatics analysis. The effects of ISO on depressed mice was investigated through the SPT and FST, and the lesions were examined by H&E staining. Besides, the inflammatory factor and indicator in kynurenine pathway were assessed through detection kits, and the microbiota were checked by 16sRNA. Molecular docking study was performed to investigate the target of ISO. Additionally, Western blot was used to test the activation of PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. The results indicated that ISO could enhance the sugar water preference of mice in SPT and reduce immobility time in FST. Further more, ISO suppressed peripheral and central inflammation, regulated the changes in kynurenine pathway and gut microbiota, inhibited activation of PI3K/AKT pathway, and presented good binding patterns with target proteins on PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that ISO alleviated depression-like behaviour by normalizing inflammation-induced dysregulation of the crosstalk between KP and gut microbiota disorder through regulated PI3K/AKT/NF-κB pathway.
6.Research progress on value-added assessment in medical education
Qin ZHONG ; Mengjie BAO ; Yiyong XU
Chinese Journal of Medical Education Research 2025;24(1):50-54
Value-added assessment is a developmental and formative evaluation that focuses on the process, and its essence is to pay attention to the progress and changes of students. This method can promote the scientific, objective and fair evaluation of education. This review describes the connotation of value-added assessment, related assessment tools, and the research status of value-added assessment in medical education in China and abroad, and puts forward relevant suggestions and enlightenment on education reform of value-added assessment for the current problems in the application of value-added assessment in medical education, so as to provide a reference for establishing a scientific evaluation orientation for medical education, and for improving the comprehensive quality of students and the fair and just development of education.
7.Population screening for acupuncture treatment of neck pain: a machine learning study.
Zhen GAO ; Mengjie CUI ; Haijun WANG ; Cheng XU ; Nixuan GU ; Laixi JI
Chinese Acupuncture & Moxibustion 2025;45(4):405-412
OBJECTIVE:
To screen the population for acupuncture treatment of neck pain, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technology and based on machine learning algorithms.
METHODS:
Eighty patients with neck pain were recruited. Using FPX25 handheld pressure algometer, the tender points were detected in the areas with high-frequent onset of neck pain and high degree of acupoint sensitization. Acupuncture was delivered at 4 tender points with the lowest pain threshold, once every two days; and the treatment was given 3 times a week and for 2 consecutive weeks. The amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) of the brain before treatment was taken as a predictive feature to construct support vector machine (SVM), logistic regression (LR), and K-nearest neighbors (KNN) models to predict the responses of neck pain patients to acupuncture treatment. A longitudinal analysis of the ALFF features was performed before and after treatment to reveal the potential biological markers of the reactivity to the acupuncture therapy.
RESULTS:
The SVM model could successfully distinguish high responders (48 cases) and low responders (32 cases) to acupuncture treatment, and its accuracy rate reached 82.5%. Based on the SVM model, the ALFF values of 4 brain regions were identified as the consistent predictive features, including the right middle temporal gyrus, the right superior occipital gyrus, and the bilateral posterior cingulate gyrus. In the patients with high acupuncture response, the ALFF value in the left posterior cingulate gyrus decreased after treatment (P<0.05), whereas in the patients with low acupuncture response, the ALFF value in the right superior occipital gyrus increased after treatment (P<0.01). The longitudinal functional connectivity (FC) analysis found that compared with those before treatment, the high responders showed the enhanced FC after treatment between the left posterior cingulate gyrus and various regions, including the bilateral Crus1 of the cerebellum, the right insula, the bilateral angular gyrus, the left medial superior frontal gyrus, and the left middle cingulate gyrus (GRF: corrected, voxel level: P<0.05, mass level: P<0.05). In contrast, the low responders exhibited the enhanced FC between the left posterior cingulate gyrus and the left Crus2 of the cerebellum, the left middle temporal gyrus, the right posterior cingulate gyrus, and the left angular gyrus; besides, FC was reduced in low responders between the left posterior cingulate gyrus and the right supramarginal gyrus (GRF: corrected, voxel level: P<0.05, mass level: P<0.05).
CONCLUSION
This study validates the practicality of pre-treatment ALFF feature prediction for acupuncture efficacy on neck pain. The therapeutic effect of acupuncture on neck pain is potentially associated with its impact on the default mode network, and then, alter the pain perception and emotional regulation.
Humans
;
Neck Pain/physiopathology*
;
Acupuncture Therapy
;
Female
;
Male
;
Adult
;
Middle Aged
;
Machine Learning
;
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
;
Young Adult
;
Brain/physiopathology*
;
Acupuncture Points
;
Aged
8.Large models in medical imaging: Advances and prospects.
Mengjie FANG ; Zipei WANG ; Sitian PAN ; Xin FENG ; Yunpeng ZHAO ; Dongzhi HOU ; Ling WU ; Xuebin XIE ; Xu-Yao ZHANG ; Jie TIAN ; Di DONG
Chinese Medical Journal 2025;138(14):1647-1664
Recent advances in large models demonstrate significant prospects for transforming the field of medical imaging. These models, including large language models, large visual models, and multimodal large models, offer unprecedented capabilities in processing and interpreting complex medical data across various imaging modalities. By leveraging self-supervised pretraining on vast unlabeled datasets, cross-modal representation learning, and domain-specific medical knowledge adaptation through fine-tuning, large models can achieve higher diagnostic accuracy and more efficient workflows for key clinical tasks. This review summarizes the concepts, methods, and progress of large models in medical imaging, highlighting their potential in precision medicine. The article first outlines the integration of multimodal data under large model technologies, approaches for training large models with medical datasets, and the need for robust evaluation metrics. It then explores how large models can revolutionize applications in critical tasks such as image segmentation, disease diagnosis, personalized treatment strategies, and real-time interactive systems, thus pushing the boundaries of traditional imaging analysis. Despite their potential, the practical implementation of large models in medical imaging faces notable challenges, including the scarcity of high-quality medical data, the need for optimized perception of imaging phenotypes, safety considerations, and seamless integration with existing clinical workflows and equipment. As research progresses, the development of more efficient, interpretable, and generalizable models will be critical to ensuring their reliable deployment across diverse clinical environments. This review aims to provide insights into the current state of the field and provide directions for future research to facilitate the broader adoption of large models in clinical practice.
Humans
;
Diagnostic Imaging/methods*
;
Precision Medicine/methods*
;
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted/methods*
9.Isorhamnetin Alleviates Inflammation-Induced Crosstalk between Kynurenine Pathway and Gut Microbiota in Depressed Mice
Mengjie XU ; Wei HE ; Ke YAN ; Xinru GAO ; Jun LI ; Dongyue XU ; Jiao XIAO ; Tingxu YAN
Biomolecules & Therapeutics 2025;33(2):297-310
Depression is a widespread psychiatric disorder with complex pathogenesis and unsatisfactory therapeutic effects. As a native flavonoid, Isorhamnetin (ISO) has been deemed to exert neuroprotective effects by antioxidation and regulation of immunity. However, no reports of anti-depressed effect of ISO have yet been found. The present study was conducted to clarify the mechanism basis of anti-depressed effect of ISO utilizing behavioral, biochemical, molecular approaches in vitro and in vivo and bio-informatics analysis. The effects of ISO on depressed mice was investigated through the SPT and FST, and the lesions were examined by H&E staining. Besides, the inflammatory factor and indicator in kynurenine pathway were assessed through detection kits, and the microbiota were checked by 16sRNA. Molecular docking study was performed to investigate the target of ISO. Additionally, Western blot was used to test the activation of PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. The results indicated that ISO could enhance the sugar water preference of mice in SPT and reduce immobility time in FST. Further more, ISO suppressed peripheral and central inflammation, regulated the changes in kynurenine pathway and gut microbiota, inhibited activation of PI3K/AKT pathway, and presented good binding patterns with target proteins on PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that ISO alleviated depression-like behaviour by normalizing inflammation-induced dysregulation of the crosstalk between KP and gut microbiota disorder through regulated PI3K/AKT/NF-κB pathway.
10.Effects of genetic risk of insulin resistance and triglyceride index on risk of cardiovascular disease
Ying PAN ; Shuting LIU ; Haoyu GU ; Mengjie ZHAO ; Zhiping XU ; Yun TANG ; Min HUANG ; Yueqing HUANG ; Kaixin ZHOU ; Jian SHAO ; Shao ZHONG
Chinese Journal of Geriatrics 2025;44(5):643-649
Objective:By analyzing the genetic risk of triglyceride-glucose index(Tyg)and insulin resistance(IR)for cardiovascular disease(CVD), to elucidate the extent to which the contribution of Tyg to the risk of CVD development is influenced by IR genetic risk.Methods:In this study, we selected data from a cohort of elderly people in the Kunshan community, screened 7, 385 individuals with both clinical and genomic data, and calculated the polygenic risk score of insulin resistance(IRPRS)for each participant based on publicly available IR genome-wide association data, and assessed the effect of genetic risk and Tyg level on the risk of developing CVD using a multivariate Cox proportional risk model.Calculating interactions to assess the effects of genetic risk and Tyg levels on the risk of developing CVD, the effects of Tyg tertile grouping and IRPRS on the risk of developing CVD were assessed using a multivariate Cox proportional risk model, and subgroup analyses were performed for gender to assess the effects of Tyg tertile grouping and IRPRS on the risk of developing CVD by gender.Results:In the univariate Cox model, Q3 and IRPRS with the highest TYG levels were significantly associated with the risk of CVD, respectively( HR=1.59, 95% CI: 1.33-1.89; P<0.001; HR=1.61, 95% CI: 1.18-2.20; P=0.003).After adjusting for multiple confounders, the Q3 Group with the highest TYG level was still significantly associated with the risk of CVD( HR=1.28, 95% CI: 1.05-1.57; P=0.014), the Association of TYG with the risk of CVD did not change significantly( HR=1.29, 95% CI: 1.05-1.57; P=0.014).We conducted a subgroup analysis by sex and found that among older men, 13, the highest levels of TYG and IRPRS were significantly associated with CVD risk, respectively( HR=1.70, 95% CI: 1.31.2.20; P<0.001; HR=1.98, 95% CI: 1.24-3.15; P=0.004).After adding IRPRS to the model, the Association of TYG with the risk of CVD remained unchanged( HR=1.69, 95% CI: 1.31-2.19; P<0.001).After adjusting for various confounders, Tyg remained significantly associated with the risk of CVD( HR=1.39, 95% CI: 1.04-1.88; P=0.028), the results showed that TYG remained significantly associated with the risk of CVD( HR=1.41, 95% CI: 1.05-1.90; P=0.023), and the association did not decrease.No Association of IRPRS with CVD risk was found in older women. Conclusions:IRPRS and TYG are the risk factors of CVD, and diet, exercise, drugs and other external factors on TYG are the main risk factors of CVD.For individuals with high genetic factors, the risk of CVD can still be reduced by lifestyle adjustments such as diet, exercise and drug intervention.


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