1.Nicotinamide mononucleotide attenuates renal fibrosis in mice with Al-port syndrome through TGFβ/Smad3 signaling pathway
Mo LI ; Xingxing WANG ; Shangming LI ; Xiaomei LI ; Xiufen ZHANG ; Xiao HAN ; Xifei YANG
Chinese Journal of Pathophysiology 2025;41(3):518-523
AIM:To study the effect of nicotinamide mononucleotide(NMN)on renal fibrosis in mice with Al-port syndrome(AS)through TGFβ/Smad3 pathway.METHODS:SPF grade female X-linked AS(COL4A5 KI)mice were divided into model group(AS group)and model drug administration group(AS+NMN group).while female C57BL/6 mice served as the wild-type(WT)group,with 7 to 8 mice in each group.The mice in the administration group were given oral administration at 8 weeks of age for 8 weeks to 16 weeks of age.The remaining mice were given saline intragastric ad-ministration.The ratio of urinary microalbumin to urinary creatinine(UACR)was measured by biochemical method.After sampling,the renal fibrosis was analyzed by Masson staining.The expression levels of desmin and α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA)were detected by immunohistochemistry.The expressions of fibrosis-related proteins desmin,α-SMA,trans-forming growth factor β(TGFβ),Smad3,p-Smad3,and fibronectin were detected by Western blot.RESULTS:Com-pared with the model group,UACR(13 weeks,P<0.01;15 weeks,P<0.01)and fibrosis-related protein expression(P<0.05)in AS mice were significantly decreased after NMN treatment.CONCLUSION:Treatment with NMN attenuates renal fibrosis in AS mice through TGFβ/Smad3 signaling pathway.
2.Curcumin induces the autophagy of Mycobacterium tuberculosis-infected macrophages through PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway
Xiaomei LUO ; Xiaoqun HAN ; Qin DENG ; Nanyan FU ; Zhixing ZHOU ; Siyu HUANG
Chinese Journal of Microbiology and Immunology 2025;45(1):64-71
Objective:To investigate the effect of curcumin on phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/Akt/mTOR) pathway on the autophagy of Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG)-infected macrophages.Methods:The infection model was established by infecting THP-1-derived macrophages with BCG. Five groups were involved in this study, which were control group, BCG group, BCG+ curcumin group, BCG+ curcumin+ IGF-1(PI3K agonist) group, and BCG+ curcumin+ LY294002 (PI3K inhibitor) group. The fluorescence intensity of autophagosomes was observed under fluorescence microscope using the fluorescent dye monodansylcadaverine (MDC staining). The expression of PI3K, Akt, mTOR, phospho-PI3K (p-PI3K), phospho-Akt (p-Akt), phospho-mTOR (p-mTOR), microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3-Ⅱ (LC3-Ⅱ), and Beclin-1 at protein level were detected by Western blot. Colony forming unit was used to detect macrophage load. Multiple independent, normal, and homogeneous data were compared using one-way analysis of variance, and pairwise comparisons were conducted using LSD test.Results:BCG infection significantly decreased the fluorescence intensity of autophagosomes, and the expression of autophagy marker proteins LC3-Ⅱ and Beclin-1 ( P<0.05), but increased the expression of p-PI3K, p-Akt, and p-mTOR ( P<0.05). Curcumin increased the fluorescence intensity of autophagosomes and enhanced the expression of LC3-Ⅱ and Beclin-1 proteins in a concentration-dependent manner ( P<0.05). Besides, curcumin inhibited the expression of p-PI3K, p-Akt, and p-mTOR ( P<0.05). The PI3K agonist IGF-1 reversed the above effects of curcumin. Compared with the BCG+ curcumin group, the fluorescence intensity of autophagosomes and the expression of LC3-Ⅱ and Beclin-1 proteins were further increased ( P<0.05), while the expression of p-PI3K, p-Akt and p-mTOR was further decreased ( P<0.05) in the BCG+ curcumin+ LY294002 group. Compared with the BCG group, the bacterial loads in the BCG+ curcumin group and the BCG+ curcumin+ LY294002 group decreased significantly ( P<0.05), while the bacterial load in the BCG+ curcumin+ IGF-1 group increased significantly ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Curcumin can promote the autophagy of BCG-infected macrophages, which contributes to the clearance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis by macrophages. Part of the mechanism may be related to the inhibition of PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway.
3.Effects of baicalin on ferroptosis of mouse fibroblasts under high glucose treatment and its mechanism
Zheng GONG ; Xiaowei ZHANG ; Xiaomei LI ; Zhimin YIN ; Limin BAI ; Jiaxi WANG ; Yujia HAN ; Shuangyi XU ; Lu YU ; Gang XU
Chinese Journal of Burns 2025;41(3):277-285
Objective:To investigate the effects of baicalin on ferroptosis of mouse fibroblasts (Fbs) under high glucose treatment and its mechanism, and to provide a basis for the treatment of diabetic wounds.Methods:The study was an experimental study. Mouse Fbs were collected and divided into control group with conventional culture, high glucose group treated with glucose at final molarity of 30.0 mmol/L, and low baicalin group and high baicalin group pretreated with baicalin at final molarties of 5 and 10 μmol/L respectively and then treated as that in high glucose group. After 48 h of culture, the cell survival rate was detected by the cell counting kit-8, the reactive oxygen species level in cells was detected by the fluorescent probe method, the levels of malondialdehyde, glutathione, and ferrous ion in cells were detected by colorimetry, and the protein expression levels of solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11) and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) in cells and nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) in cytoplasm and nucleus were detected by Western blotting. Another batch of mouse Fbs were collected and divided into control group, high glucose group, high baicalin group, and high baicalin+ML385 group. The cells in the first three groups were treated as before, the cells in the last group were pretreated with baicalin and ML385 of Nrf2 inhibitor at final molarties of 10 μmol/L and then treated as that in high glucose group. After 48 h of culture, the protein expression levels of SLC7A11 and GPX4 in cells and the protein expression level of Nrf2 in cytoplasm and nucleus were detected as before. Except that the sample number in detecting SLC7A11 and GPX4 was 4, the sample number in detecting other indexes was 3.Results:After 48 h of culture, the cell survival rates in control group, high glucose group, low baicalin group, and high baicalin group were (100.0±10.7)%, (70.0±5.0)%, (80.9±3.2)%, and (91.4±1.9)%, respectively. Compared with those in control group, the cell survival rate, the glutathione level, and SLC7A11 and GPX4 protein expression levels in cells, and nuclear Nrf2 protein expression level were significantly decreased in high glucose group ( P<0.05), and the levels of reactive oxygen species, malondialdehyde, and ferrous ion in cells, and cytoplasmic Nrf2 protein expression level were significantly increased in high glucose group ( P<0.05). Compared with those in high glucose group, the cell survival rate, glutathione level, SLC7A11 and GPX4 protein expression levels in cells, and nuclear Nrf2 protein expression level in low baicalin group and high baicalin group were significantly increased ( P<0.05), the reactive oxygen species and ferrous ion levels in cells, and cytoplasmic Nrf2 protein expression level in low baicalin group and high baicalin group were significantly decreased ( P<0.05), and the malondialdehyde level in cells in high baicalin group was significantly decreased ( P<0.05). Compared with those in low baicalin group, the cell survival rate, glutathione level, SLC7A11 and GPX4 protein expression levels in cells, and nuclear Nrf2 protein expression level in high baicalin group were significantly increased ( P<0.05), and the reactive oxygen species, malondialdehyde, and ferrous ion levels in cells, and cytoplasmic Nrf2 protein expression level in high baicalin group were significantly decreased ( P<0.05). After 48 h of culture, compared with those in control group, the nuclear Nrf2 protein expression level and SLC7A11 and GPX4 protein expression levels in cells were significantly decreased ( P<0.05), and the cytoplasmic Nrf2 protein expression level was significantly increased in high glucose group ( P<0.05); compared with those in high glucose group, the cytoplasmic Nrf2 protein expression level was significantly decreased ( P<0.05), and the nuclear Nrf2 protein expression level and SLC7A11 and GPX4 protein expression levels in cells were significantly increased in high baicalin group ( P<0.05); compared with those in high baicalin group, the cytoplasmic Nrf2 protein expression level was significantly increased ( P<0.05), and the nuclear Nrf2 protein expression level and SLC7A11 and GPX4 protein expression levels in cells were significantly decreased in high baicalin+ML385 group ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Baicalin can inhibit the occurrence of ferroptosis in cells by activating the Nrf2 signaling pathway and up-regulating the expressions of proteins related to SLC7A11/GPX4 axis in Fbs in high glucose treatment, thus increasing the cell survival rate.
4.Preparation and physicochemical properties of nano-silver acupuncture needles.
Wenfeng HAI ; Jiaxin LIU ; Yang LIU ; Tingfang BAI ; Xiaomei HAN ; Ying YING ; Suocai TONG ; Tegexi BAIYIN ; Yingsong CHEN
Chinese Acupuncture & Moxibustion 2025;45(5):568-576
OBJECTIVE:
To explore the preparation of nano-silver acupuncture needles and evaluate the appearance, structure and properties.
METHODS:
Stainless steel acupuncture needles were pretreated by polishing with sandpaper and cleaning with ultrapure water and absolute ethanol. As the working electrodes, the needles were placed in an electrolyte solution contained silver nitrate (AgNO3), potassium nitrate (KNO3), and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP); and the silver nanoparticles were deposited at a constant voltage of -0.2 V for 1 200 s. The heat-treatment was conducted at 600 ℃ for 15 min in an argon atmosphere to strengthen the adhesion between the nanoparticles and the substrate. The surface appearance and structure of nano-silver acupuncture needles were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity and biocompatibility of the needles were evaluated. The cytotoxicity and biocompatibility of the sample were assessed using the CCK-8 assay. According to the national standard, Acupuncture Needles (GB 2024-2016), the other physicochemical performances of nano-silver acupuncture needles were tested.
RESULTS:
①By controlling the AgNO3 concentration and the molar ratio of AgNO3 to PVP, it was found that at an AgNO3 concentration of 2 mmol/L and a molar ratio of 5∶1, silver nanoparticles with the diameter of 50-100 nm, regular appearance, and uniform distribution were obtained. At a lower concentration, the size of silver nanoparticles was smaller and unevenly distributed particles, whereas a higher concentration tended to produce a dendritic structure. ②By sandpaper polishing, acid etching pretreatment, and heat-treatment at 600 ℃ under argon for 15 min, the adhesion of silver nanoparticles on the surface of the needle body was strengthened, and the simulated pig skin puncture test showed the intact coating without shedding. ③SEM found that the silver nanoparticles were uniformly deposited, forming a nanofilm approximately 1.5 μm thick; XRD analysis showed the diffraction peaks corresponding to cubic crystal silver (111), (200), (220) and (311); and XPS detected characteristic peaks of Ag 3d3/2 and Ag 3d5/2, confirming the successful deposition and good crystallinity of the silver nanoparticles. ④Resistivity measurements indicated that the nano-silver acupuncture needles exhibited a resistivity of approximately 0.15 Ω·cm, about three times lower than that of unmodified stainless steel needles. The infrared thermography demonstrated that their thermal conductivity was superior to that of traditional acupuncture needles. In vitro CCK-8 cytotoxicity assay showed that the nano-silver acupuncture needles had no adverse effects on human skin fibroblasts and possessed good biocompatibility. ⑤ The key parameters such as needle tip performance, hardness, and the adhesion between the needle body and handle were in compliance with the requirements in Acupuncture Needles (GB 2024-2016), ensuring a quality guarantee provided for clinical applications.
CONCLUSION
The preparation of nano-silver acupuncture needles effectively overcomes the insufficient toughness of traditional silver needles and improves the electrical and thermal conductivity of stainless acupuncture needles.
Silver/chemistry*
;
Needles
;
Acupuncture Therapy/instrumentation*
;
Metal Nanoparticles/chemistry*
;
Humans
;
Electric Conductivity
;
Animals
5.FGFR1 reduces the sensitivity of colorectal cancer cells to oxaliplatin by inhibiting the activity of PI3K/AKT signaling pathway
Cao LUYANG ; Zuo HAOJIAN ; Chen HAN ; Peng XIAOMEI ; Shi XINPENG ; Luo XIAOYONG
Chinese Journal of Clinical Oncology 2025;52(8):379-385
Objective:To investigate the effects of fibroblast growth factor receptor 1(FGFR1)on the resistance of colorectal cancer(CRC)cells to oxaliplatin(OXA).Methods:An OXA-resistant cell line(HCT8/OXA)was established by treating HCT8 CRC cells with low-dose OXA for a long period in vitro.The CCK-8 assay was used to compare the viability of the HCT8 and HCT8/OXA cells after OXA treatment and to exam-ine their resistance to the anticancer drug.Second-generation high-throughput sequencing technology was used to identify differentially ex-pressed genes between the parental and drug-resistant cells.The expression of FGFR1 in the HCT8 and HCT8/OXA cells was detected by Western blot assay.Colony formation and flow cytometric assays were used to determine cell proliferation and apoptosis,respectively.The expression of PI3K/AKT signaling pathway-related proteins was detected using Western blot assay.Results:Compared with the levels in the HCT8 cells,the FGFR1 levels were significantly increased in the HCT8/OXA cells(P<0.01).FGFR1 overexpression in the HCT8 cells increased their drug resistance(P<0.01)and proliferation(NC+OXA:236.67±6.24;FGFR1+OXA:568.33±6.24)and decreased their apoptotic rate after OXA treatment(NC+OXA:27.83±0.85;FGFR1+OXA:17.47±1.25).FGFR1 knockdown in the HCT8/OXA cells reduced their drug resistance(P<0.01)and proliferative ability(Si-NC+OXA:411±8.29;Si-FGFR1+OXA:233.33±20.55)and increased their apoptotic rate(Si-NC+OXA:2.85±0.17;Si-FGFR1+OXA:14.42±0.77).FGFR1 inhibited the activity of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and cell apoptosis and improved the proliferation and drug resistance of the CRC cells.By contrast,an activator of the PI3K/AKT pathway blocked the effects of FGFR1 on this sig-naling pathway and drug resistance in the CRC cells.Conclusions:FGFR1 can inhibit the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and thereby reduce the sensitivity of CRC cells to OXA.
6.The efficacy and safety of nebulized inhalation of recombinant human interferon α1b in the treatment of pediatric respiratory syncytial viral associated lower respiratory tract infections: a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase Ⅲ clinical study
Xiaohui LIU ; Baoping XU ; Yunxiao SHANG ; Han ZHANG ; Zhenkun ZHANG ; Guangyu LIN ; Ju YIN ; Aihua CUI ; Guocheng ZHANG ; Zhaoling SHI ; Liwei GAO ; Chunming JIANG ; Junmei BIAN ; Yongjian HUANG ; Rongfang ZHANG ; Xiaomei LIU ; Xiaoqing YANG ; Yu TANG ; Lili ZHONG ; Hongmei QIAO ; Chuangli HAO ; Yuqing WANG ; Qubei LI ; Ling CAO ; Yungang YANG ; Ling LU ; Rongjun LIN ; Xingzhen SUN ; Wei ZHOU ; Qiang CHEN ; Jikui DENG ; Yuejie ZHENG ; Lin ZHAO ; Tao AI ; Xiaohong LIU ; Xiaoxia LU ; Ning JIANG ; Ming LI
Chinese Journal of Applied Clinical Pediatrics 2025;40(3):180-186
Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of nebulized inhalation of recombinant human interferon (IFN) α1b injection in the treatment of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) associated lower respiratory tract infections (pneumonia and bronchiolitis) in children.Methods:A randomized, double-blind, parallel, placebo-controlled add-on design was used.Children with pneumonia or bronchiolitis aged 2 months to 5 years who tested positive for RSV antigen within 72 hours of onset from 30 clinical trial sites including Beijing Children′s Hospital, Capital Medical University between February 2021 and December 2022 were included in this study and randomly divided into 2 groups at a ratio of 1∶1 based on a stratified-block method.Both groups received basic treatments such as cough control, asthma relieving, expectorant treatment, fever reduction, oxygen therapy, etc.The experimental group received additional nebulized inhalation of IFN α1b injection at a dose of 2.0 μg/(kg·time), twice a day.The control group received nebulized inhalation of placebo twice a day.Clinical efficacy was evaluated based on indicators such as the duration of clinical symptoms and signs, and the Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate the median and 95% CI of the duration of clinical symptoms and signs.The Log-rank test was used to compared data between groups.Safety was assessed through the incidence of adverse reactions and laboratory tests, and the Chi-square test was used to analyze the difference between groups. Results:There were 123 children in the experimental group and 122 children in the control group.The median durations of all the 5 clinical symptoms and signs [including shortness of breath, wheezing, dyspnea (visible retractions), decreased transcutaneous oxygen saturation, and abnormal mental state] in the experimental group after treatment were slightly shortened than those in the control group [2.7 d(95% CI: 1.9-3.0 d)] vs.[2.9 d(95% CI: 2.6-3.6 d), P=0.027].The improvement in dyspnea (retractions) was especially pronounced in the experimental group, with a relief rate of 50.0% (0, 100%) on the first day of administration[compared with 0 (0, 50.0%) in the control group ( Z=2.002, P=0.025)].The median duration of dyspnea in the experimental group was nearly 1 day shorter than that in the control group [1.0 d(95% CI: 0.7-1.7 d) vs.1.8 d(95% CI: 1.0-2.5 d), P=0.046].There were no significant difference in hospital stay [6.0(5.0, 8.0) d vs.6.5(5.0, 8.0) d, Z=0.675, P=0.500], oxygen therapy duration [32.0(14.0, 96.3) h vs.39.0 (24.0, 83.2) h, Z=0.094, P=0.925], the recovery rate from clinical symptoms during treatment [(105/106, 99.1%) vs.(96/101, 95.0%)], and recurrence rate [(0/106, 0) vs.(2/101, 2.0%)] between the 2 groups (all P>0.05).However, the above-mentioned four indicators in the experimental group showed a trend of clinical benefits.The quantitative virus detection results showed that the RSV viral load in both groups decreased after treatment compared to before treatment.After 2 days of treatment, the decline rate of RSV viral load from the baseline was 0.90 lg copies/(mL·d) in the experimental group and 0.25 lg copies/(mL·d)in the control group, with a statistically significant difference ( P<0.05).Furthermore, there was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the 2 groups ( P>0.05).Importantly, no drug-related serious adverse reactions occurred in both groups. Conclusions:The nebulized inhalation therapy of IFN α1b demonstrates efficacy and safety in treating pediatric RSV associated lower respiratory tract infections.It particularly offers outstanding clinical therapeutic value for severe children.
7.The efficacy and safety of nebulized inhalation of recombinant human interferon α1b in the treatment of pediatric respiratory syncytial viral associated lower respiratory tract infections: a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase Ⅲ clinical study
Xiaohui LIU ; Baoping XU ; Yunxiao SHANG ; Han ZHANG ; Zhenkun ZHANG ; Guangyu LIN ; Ju YIN ; Aihua CUI ; Guocheng ZHANG ; Zhaoling SHI ; Liwei GAO ; Chunming JIANG ; Junmei BIAN ; Yongjian HUANG ; Rongfang ZHANG ; Xiaomei LIU ; Xiaoqing YANG ; Yu TANG ; Lili ZHONG ; Hongmei QIAO ; Chuangli HAO ; Yuqing WANG ; Qubei LI ; Ling CAO ; Yungang YANG ; Ling LU ; Rongjun LIN ; Xingzhen SUN ; Wei ZHOU ; Qiang CHEN ; Jikui DENG ; Yuejie ZHENG ; Lin ZHAO ; Tao AI ; Xiaohong LIU ; Xiaoxia LU ; Ning JIANG ; Ming LI
Chinese Journal of Applied Clinical Pediatrics 2025;40(3):180-186
Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of nebulized inhalation of recombinant human interferon (IFN) α1b injection in the treatment of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) associated lower respiratory tract infections (pneumonia and bronchiolitis) in children.Methods:A randomized, double-blind, parallel, placebo-controlled add-on design was used.Children with pneumonia or bronchiolitis aged 2 months to 5 years who tested positive for RSV antigen within 72 hours of onset from 30 clinical trial sites including Beijing Children′s Hospital, Capital Medical University between February 2021 and December 2022 were included in this study and randomly divided into 2 groups at a ratio of 1∶1 based on a stratified-block method.Both groups received basic treatments such as cough control, asthma relieving, expectorant treatment, fever reduction, oxygen therapy, etc.The experimental group received additional nebulized inhalation of IFN α1b injection at a dose of 2.0 μg/(kg·time), twice a day.The control group received nebulized inhalation of placebo twice a day.Clinical efficacy was evaluated based on indicators such as the duration of clinical symptoms and signs, and the Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate the median and 95% CI of the duration of clinical symptoms and signs.The Log-rank test was used to compared data between groups.Safety was assessed through the incidence of adverse reactions and laboratory tests, and the Chi-square test was used to analyze the difference between groups. Results:There were 123 children in the experimental group and 122 children in the control group.The median durations of all the 5 clinical symptoms and signs [including shortness of breath, wheezing, dyspnea (visible retractions), decreased transcutaneous oxygen saturation, and abnormal mental state] in the experimental group after treatment were slightly shortened than those in the control group [2.7 d(95% CI: 1.9-3.0 d)] vs.[2.9 d(95% CI: 2.6-3.6 d), P=0.027].The improvement in dyspnea (retractions) was especially pronounced in the experimental group, with a relief rate of 50.0% (0, 100%) on the first day of administration[compared with 0 (0, 50.0%) in the control group ( Z=2.002, P=0.025)].The median duration of dyspnea in the experimental group was nearly 1 day shorter than that in the control group [1.0 d(95% CI: 0.7-1.7 d) vs.1.8 d(95% CI: 1.0-2.5 d), P=0.046].There were no significant difference in hospital stay [6.0(5.0, 8.0) d vs.6.5(5.0, 8.0) d, Z=0.675, P=0.500], oxygen therapy duration [32.0(14.0, 96.3) h vs.39.0 (24.0, 83.2) h, Z=0.094, P=0.925], the recovery rate from clinical symptoms during treatment [(105/106, 99.1%) vs.(96/101, 95.0%)], and recurrence rate [(0/106, 0) vs.(2/101, 2.0%)] between the 2 groups (all P>0.05).However, the above-mentioned four indicators in the experimental group showed a trend of clinical benefits.The quantitative virus detection results showed that the RSV viral load in both groups decreased after treatment compared to before treatment.After 2 days of treatment, the decline rate of RSV viral load from the baseline was 0.90 lg copies/(mL·d) in the experimental group and 0.25 lg copies/(mL·d)in the control group, with a statistically significant difference ( P<0.05).Furthermore, there was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the 2 groups ( P>0.05).Importantly, no drug-related serious adverse reactions occurred in both groups. Conclusions:The nebulized inhalation therapy of IFN α1b demonstrates efficacy and safety in treating pediatric RSV associated lower respiratory tract infections.It particularly offers outstanding clinical therapeutic value for severe children.
8.Curcumin induces the autophagy of Mycobacterium tuberculosis-infected macrophages through PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway
Xiaomei LUO ; Xiaoqun HAN ; Qin DENG ; Nanyan FU ; Zhixing ZHOU ; Siyu HUANG
Chinese Journal of Microbiology and Immunology 2025;45(1):64-71
Objective:To investigate the effect of curcumin on phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/Akt/mTOR) pathway on the autophagy of Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG)-infected macrophages.Methods:The infection model was established by infecting THP-1-derived macrophages with BCG. Five groups were involved in this study, which were control group, BCG group, BCG+ curcumin group, BCG+ curcumin+ IGF-1(PI3K agonist) group, and BCG+ curcumin+ LY294002 (PI3K inhibitor) group. The fluorescence intensity of autophagosomes was observed under fluorescence microscope using the fluorescent dye monodansylcadaverine (MDC staining). The expression of PI3K, Akt, mTOR, phospho-PI3K (p-PI3K), phospho-Akt (p-Akt), phospho-mTOR (p-mTOR), microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3-Ⅱ (LC3-Ⅱ), and Beclin-1 at protein level were detected by Western blot. Colony forming unit was used to detect macrophage load. Multiple independent, normal, and homogeneous data were compared using one-way analysis of variance, and pairwise comparisons were conducted using LSD test.Results:BCG infection significantly decreased the fluorescence intensity of autophagosomes, and the expression of autophagy marker proteins LC3-Ⅱ and Beclin-1 ( P<0.05), but increased the expression of p-PI3K, p-Akt, and p-mTOR ( P<0.05). Curcumin increased the fluorescence intensity of autophagosomes and enhanced the expression of LC3-Ⅱ and Beclin-1 proteins in a concentration-dependent manner ( P<0.05). Besides, curcumin inhibited the expression of p-PI3K, p-Akt, and p-mTOR ( P<0.05). The PI3K agonist IGF-1 reversed the above effects of curcumin. Compared with the BCG+ curcumin group, the fluorescence intensity of autophagosomes and the expression of LC3-Ⅱ and Beclin-1 proteins were further increased ( P<0.05), while the expression of p-PI3K, p-Akt and p-mTOR was further decreased ( P<0.05) in the BCG+ curcumin+ LY294002 group. Compared with the BCG group, the bacterial loads in the BCG+ curcumin group and the BCG+ curcumin+ LY294002 group decreased significantly ( P<0.05), while the bacterial load in the BCG+ curcumin+ IGF-1 group increased significantly ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Curcumin can promote the autophagy of BCG-infected macrophages, which contributes to the clearance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis by macrophages. Part of the mechanism may be related to the inhibition of PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway.
9.Construction and pathogenicity analysis of Klebsiella pneumoniae vgrG-deficient strain
Shuangyi XU ; Xiaowei ZHANG ; Yujia HAN ; Xiaomei LI ; Gang XU
Chinese Journal of Microbiology and Immunology 2025;45(8):643-648
Objective:To investigate the role of the structural gene vgrG of the type Ⅵ secretion system (T6SS) of Klebsiella pneumoniae ( Kpn), and evaluate the growth ability in vitro and pathogenicity of the bacteria after vgrG was deleted. Methods:Using sequences published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), primers were designed to amplify the upstream and downstream homology arms of vgrG via PCR. These fragments were cloned into the vector pKO3-Km after overlapping, the recombinant vector pKO3-Km- vgrG was transferred into Kpn competent cells, and the vgrG deletion strain Δ vgrG was obtained through homologous recombination. The vgrG promoter with the complete gene fragment was amplify by PCR and cloned into the pBAD33 vector. The pBAD33- vgrG was then transferred into Δ vgrG competent cells to obtain the complemented strain CΔ vgrG. The wild-type strain (WT), Δ vgrG strain and CΔ vgrG strain were cultured in LB (Luria-Bertani) liquid medium to compare growth rates. Adhesion to human lung epithelial A549 cells and intracellular survival in macrophages Raw264.7 cells were assessed. In vivo experiments included mouse survival analysis ( n=10) and lung bacterial load quantification ( n=6). Statistical comparisons were performed using the Student t-test. Results:The Δ vgrG strain was obtained through homologous recombination. It was identified by specific primers that compared with the WT strain, the complete vgrG fragment (2 487 bp) was deleted. On this basis, the CΔ vgrG strain was obtained. Deletion of vgrG did not significantly affect Kpn growth in vitro growth ability of bacteria before on after Kpn deleted vgrG [(1.40±0.10) vs (1.20±0.30), t=0.63, P>0.05]. The viscosity of WT strain was significantly higher than that of the Δ vgrG strain [(0.96±0.04) vs (0.38±0.05), t=9.72, P<0.05], the viscosity of the CΔ vgrG strain was also significantly higher than that of the Δ vgrG strain ( P<0.05). At the cellular level, the amount of adherent bacteria of the WT strain to A549 cells was significantly greater than that of the Δ vgrG strain [(5 367.00±318.00) CFU vs (4 067.00±88.19) CFU, t=3.94, P<0.05], the amount of adherent bacteria of CΔ vgrG strain was also significantly higher than that of Δ vgrG strain ( P<0.05). After 12 h infection, the WT strain survival rate in macrophages was significantly higher than that of the Δ vgrG strain[(69.00±1.00)% vs (47.50±2.50)%, t=7.99, P<0.05]. At the animal level, the survival rate of WT strain group after lethal dose infection of mice was significantly lower than that of Δ vgrG strain group [(16.67±8.82)% vs (53.33±6.67)%, t=3.32, P<0.05]; mice infected with semi-lethal dose and the number of bacteria load in the lungs of WT strain group was significantly higher than that of the Δ vgrG strain group[ (4.97±0.06) lg CFU/g vs (4.05 ±0.04) lg CFU/g, t=12.27, P<0.01], the amount of bacteria in the lungs of mice in CΔ vgrG strain group was also significantly higher than that in Δ vgrG strain group ( P<0.01). Conclusions:The vgrG gene does not affect the growth of Kpn in vitro, but it is involved in the adhesion of Kpn to epithelial cells, resistance to macrophage killing and pathogenicity to mice.
10.Assessment of faults and abnormalities of machine signs of non-invasive ventilator for COPD pulmonary rehabilitation based on deep learning
Bo ZHAO ; Xiaomei HAN ; Hongwei FENG
China Medical Equipment 2025;22(6):39-44
Objective:To propose an alarm method for ventilator fault and abnormality of machine signs based on convolutional neural network(CNN)model,which aimed at the problem of low detection rate of ventilator faults and abnormalities of machine sign,and to analyze its application value in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD)in using non-invasive ventilator.Methods:This study established a identification model(CNN-SG)for ventilator fault based on stochastic gradient descent by mini-batch method that was introduced by CNN network,and a multi-task CNN identification model for abnormalities of machine signs of ventilator was established on the basis of CNN model.The respiratory waveform data of 60 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD)who admitted to Wusong Hospital,Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University from January 2019 to January 2024 were collected.These data were divided into train set(42 cases)and validation set(18 cases)as ratio of 7 to 3.The training set was used in the learning process of model,while the validation set was used to assess the model's performance for unknown data.One-hot encoding was used to represent fault states,and to predict whether occurred abnormal data failures within specific time intervals.Two independent convolutional networks were employed respectively to detect and identify invalid inspiratory effort and double-triggering abnormalities in abnormal machine signs.Model performance was assessed by using accuracy,precision,recall rate,negative predictive value(NPV),and specificity.Chi-square test was used to compare the differences of various assessment indicators between different models.The F1-score was calculated to comprehensively assess the performance of model.Results:In the validation set,the accuracy(99.98%),precision(99.90%),recall rate(99.97%),NPV(98.68%),and specificity(98.24%)of CNN-SG model were higher than those of CNN model in identify the fault of ventilator.In detecting invalid inspiratory effort,the accuracy,sensitivity,specificity and F1-scores of CNN-MTL model were respectively 98.83%,98.81%,97.68%and 98.85.The accuracy,sensitivity,specificity and F1-scores of CNN-MTL model were respectively 98.70%,98.83%,97.62%,and 98.75 in identifying double-triggering positive features,as well as 98.80%,98.81%,98.88%and 98.99 for double-triggering negative features.All of the above indicators of CNN-SG were significantly better than those of the conventional CNN model.Conclusion:The established deep learning algorithm model based on CNN can effectively identify faults and abnormalities of machine signs of non-invasive ventilator.

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