1.Research Advances in Construction Methods and Novel Technologies for Animal Models of Pulmonary Hypertension
Ziyi CHEN ; Hongyan SUN ; Pinfang KANG ; Wenjuan WU
Laboratory Animal and Comparative Medicine 2026;46(1):81-93
Pulmonary hypertension (PH), marked by sustained elevation of pulmonary artery pressure, imposes a heavy burden on the right ventricle and may culminate in right heart failure. Its pathogenesis is multifaceted, encompassing endothelial dysfunction, vascular smooth muscle proliferation, inflammation, thrombosis, and genetic factors. Animal models serve as core tools for exploring PH mechanisms and therapies, each with unique strengths and limitations. The single-dose monocrotaline (MCT) model is one of the most commonly used experimental animal models of PH and is widely applied in mechanistic studies, drug screening, and efficacy evaluation; it offers simplicity and cost-effectiveness, can induce PH within a short period, yet its pathophysiology differs to some extent from human idiopathic PH. In contrast, the Sugen5416 combined with chronic hypoxia model better mimics PH progression by placing animals under hypoxic conditions to induce pulmonary vasoconstriction and vascular remodeling, but it requires a longer modelling time, and the degree of hypoxia has a substantial impact on experimental outcomes. Beyond these two commonly used modeling approaches, a variety of emerging techniques have been applied in PH research; gene-editing technologies enable precise investigation of specific gene functions in PH. Additionally, induced pluripotent stem cell-based 3D organoid technology allows for individualized modelling while preserving patients' genetic information for precise clinical translation. Each model or technology can simulate different aspects of the pathological processes of human PH, and their findings provide key insights into the nature of the disease and serve as an important platform for the development of novel therapeutic targets. This paper comprehensively describes various animal models and emerging technologies used in PH research, analyzing their characteristics, applications, and limitations, with the aim of providing experimental and technical support for the development of new therapeutic strategies and drugs.
2.Network analysis of anxiety, depression and perceived stress with eating behaviors in adolescents
Chinese Journal of School Health 2025;46(6):821-826
Objective:
To explore the network structure of eating behaviors with anxiety, depression and perceived stress in adolescents, so as to provide a basis for effective prevention and intervention of eating behavior problems and negative emotions in adolescents.
Methods:
Based on the Psychology and Behavior Investigation of Chinese Residents (2021) database, the study was conducted among 3 087 adolescents. Sakata Eating Behavior Scale Short From(EBS-SF) was used to investigate their eating behaviors. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9(PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7 Item(GAD-7), and Perceived Stress Questionnaire-3 Item (PSQ-3) were used to evaluate their depression, anxiety and perceived stress. Network analysis method was applied to construct a network of eating behaviors and negative emotional symptoms among adolescents, so as to evaluate the centrality, bridge strength, stability and accuracy of each item.
Results:
The total scores of eating behaviors, depression,anxiety and stress perception in adolescents were 17.41±4.53,6.95±6.08,4.86±5.03,9.34±3.80,respectively. The symptom with the highest intensity and expected impact was "I am only satisfied when I buy more food than I need", with a node intensity and expected impact value of 4.37. The nodes Depression and Anxiety were the most closely connected(weight=0.87). There were no statistically significant differences in the network structure( M =0.13,0.11) and network connection strength(female and male:4.16,4.06, s =0.10;urban and rural areas:4.08,4.07, s =0.01) between different sexes and residents ( P >0.05).
Conclusion
The negative impact of comorbidities such as anxiety, depression, perceived stress and eating behaviors among adolescents can be reduced through targeted prevention and intervention of core symptoms and bridging symptoms.
3.Public Database-based Study to Explore the Expression and Role of DDB1 in Lung Adenocarcinoma.
Xinkai ZOU ; Ziyi HE ; Yanfei ZHANG ; Yi HU ; Xiaomin WANG ; Zhongjie WU
Chinese Journal of Lung Cancer 2025;28(4):256-266
BACKGROUND:
Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the predominant subtype of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Damage-specific DNA binding protein 1 (DDB1), as a core protein of the CUL4-DDB1 ubiquitin ligase complex, is involved in the regulation of DNA damage repair, epigenetic modification, and cell cycle checkpoint activation. While the involvement of DDB1 in tumour progression through DNA repair and RNA transcriptional regulation has been reported, its expression and role in LUAD remain to be elucidated. This study aims to investigate the expression and role of DDB1 in LUAD.
METHODS:
The expression, clinicopathological features and prognosis of DDB1 in LUAD were analysed using databases such as UALCAN, Kaplan-Meier Plotter and GEPIA; The interaction network and enriched functional pathways were constructed by GeneMANIA and Metascape; the correlation between DDB1 and immune cells by combining with TISIDB infiltration was evaluated, and the clustering results of cell subtypes and the expression of DDB1 in different immune cell subpopulations were analysed by single-cell sequencing; finally, tissue microarrays were used to further verify the expression and prognostic value of DDB1 in LUAD.
RESULTS:
The mRNA and protein expression of DDB1 in LUAD tissues were significantly higher than those in normal tissues (P<0.01), and the high expression correlated with later clinical stage (P<0.001), lymph node metastasis (P<0.001) and poor prognosis (P<0.001). Functional enrichment showed that DDB1 was involved in DNA repair and RNA transcriptional regulation, and TISIDB evaluation revealed that DDB1 was negatively correlated with the expression level of immune cells, suggesting the potential regulation of the immune microenvironment. Single cell analysis showed that DDB1 was mainly expressed in T cells, alveolar macrophages and dendritic cells. Tissue microarrays confirmed that overall survival was shorter in the DDB1 high expression group (P<0.001), and Cox multifactorial analysis showed that DDB1 was an independent predictor of LUAD prognosis.
CONCLUSIONS
DDB1 is highly expressed in LUAD, which is associated with poor prognosis, and is closely related to tumor immune cell infiltration, and is involved in tumourigenesis and development through DNA repair and RNA transcriptional regulation. DDB1 can be used as a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic target for LUAD.
Humans
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Adenocarcinoma of Lung/immunology*
;
DNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism*
;
Lung Neoplasms/diagnosis*
;
Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
;
Prognosis
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Male
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Female
;
Middle Aged
4.VenusMutHub: A systematic evaluation of protein mutation effect predictors on small-scale experimental data.
Liang ZHANG ; Hua PANG ; Chenghao ZHANG ; Song LI ; Yang TAN ; Fan JIANG ; Mingchen LI ; Yuanxi YU ; Ziyi ZHOU ; Banghao WU ; Bingxin ZHOU ; Hao LIU ; Pan TAN ; Liang HONG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(5):2454-2467
In protein engineering, while computational models are increasingly used to predict mutation effects, their evaluations primarily rely on high-throughput deep mutational scanning (DMS) experiments that use surrogate readouts, which may not adequately capture the complex biochemical properties of interest. Many proteins and their functions cannot be assessed through high-throughput methods due to technical limitations or the nature of the desired properties, and this is particularly true for the real industrial application scenario. Therefore, the desired testing datasets, will be small-size (∼10-100) experimental data for each protein, and involve as many proteins as possible and as many properties as possible, which is, however, lacking. Here, we present VenusMutHub, a comprehensive benchmark study using 905 small-scale experimental datasets curated from published literature and public databases, spanning 527 proteins across diverse functional properties including stability, activity, binding affinity, and selectivity. These datasets feature direct biochemical measurements rather than surrogate readouts, providing a more rigorous assessment of model performance in predicting mutations that affect specific molecular functions. We evaluate 23 computational models across various methodological paradigms, such as sequence-based, structure-informed and evolutionary approaches. This benchmark provides practical guidance for selecting appropriate prediction methods in protein engineering applications where accurate prediction of specific functional properties is crucial.
5.Chemokine CCL2 Mediates Neuroglial Crosstalk and Drives Chronic Pain Pathogenesis.
Junyu LU ; Yunxin SHI ; Yongkang LI ; Ziyi NIU ; Shengxi WU ; Ceng LUO ; Rou-Gang XIE
Neuroscience Bulletin 2025;41(12):2296-2321
Chronic pain, frequently comorbid with neuropsychiatric disorders, significantly impairs patients' quality of life and functional capacity. Accumulating evidence implicates the chemokine CCL2 and its receptor CCR2 as key players in chronic pain pathogenesis. This review examines the regulatory mechanisms of the CCL2/CCR2 axis in chronic pain processing at three hierarchical levels: (1) Peripheral Sensitization: CCL2/CCR2 modulates TRPV1, Nav1.8, and HCN2 channels to increase neuronal excitability and CGRP signaling and calcium-dependent exocytosis in peripheral nociceptors to transmit pain. (2) Spinal Cord Central Sensitization: CCL2/CCR2 contributes to NMDAR-dependent plasticity, glial activation, GABAergic disinhibition, and opioid receptor desensitization. (3) Supraspinal Central Networks: CCL2/CCR2 signaling axis mediates the comorbidity mechanisms of pain with anxiety and cognitive impairment within brain regions, including the ACC, CeA, NAc, and hippocampus, and it also increases pain sensitization through the descending facilitation system. Current CCL2/CCR2-targeted therapeutic strategies and their development status are discussed, highlighting novel avenues for chronic pain management.
Humans
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Chronic Pain/physiopathology*
;
Animals
;
Neuroglia/metabolism*
;
Chemokine CCL2/metabolism*
;
Receptors, CCR2/metabolism*
6.Luteolin and its antidepressant properties: From mechanism of action to potential therapeutic application.
Jiayu ZHOU ; Ziyi WU ; Ping ZHAO
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2025;15(4):101097-101097
Luteolin is a natural flavonoid compound exists in various fruits and vegetables. Recent studies have indicated that luteolin has variety pharmacological effects, including a wide range of antidepressant properties. Here, we systematically review the preclinical studies and limited clinical evidence on the antidepressant and neuroprotective effects of luteolin to fully explore its antidepressant power. Network pharmacology and molecular docking analyses contribute to a better understanding of the preclinical models of depression and antidepressant properties of luteolin. Seventeen preclinical studies were included that combined network pharmacology and molecular docking analyses to clarify the antidepressant mechanism of luteolin and its antidepressant targets. The antidepressant effects of luteolin may involve promoting intracellular noradrenaline (NE) uptake; inhibiting 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) reuptake; upregulating the expression of synaptophysin, postsynaptic density protein 95, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, B cell lymphoma protein-2, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione S-transferase; and decreasing the expression of malondialdehyde, caspase-3, and amyloid-beta peptides. The antidepressant effects of luteolin are mediated by various mechanisms, including anti-oxidative stress, anti-apoptosis, anti-inflammation, anti-endoplasmic reticulum stress, dopamine transport, synaptic protection, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis regulation, and 5-HT metabolism. Additionally, we identified insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R), AKT serine/threonine kinase 1 (AKT1), prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2), estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1), and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) as potential targets, luteolin has an ideal affinity for these targets, suggesting that it may play a positive role in depression through multiple targets, mechanisms, and pathways. However, the clinical efficacy of luteolin and its potential direct targets must be confirmed in further multicenter clinical case-control and molecular targeting studies.
7.Correlation of oncogene c-MYC expression with mitochondrial metabolic enzyme DLAT/DLST and progression of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
Yeting XU ; Ziyi QIN ; Yucheng WANG ; Huanwen WU ; Rui JU ; Lei GUO
Basic & Clinical Medicine 2025;45(4):450-455
Objective To investigate the correlation between c-MYC expression and mitochondrial metabolism in malignant duct epithelial cells of pancreatic cancer patients.Methods GEPIA database was used to analyze the correlation between c-MYC expression and overall survival.The expression of c-MYC in tumor tissues was detected by immunohistochemical staining.The difference of DLAT and DLST gene expression between tumor and normal tis-sues was compared in GEPIA database.HP A database was used to analyze the correlation between c-MYC and DLAT,DLST expression in tumor tissues.The expression level of DLAT and DLST in tumor tissues was evaluated by immunofluorescence staining.Results The high expression of c-MYC gene was negatively correlated with overall survival(P<0.01).The level of c-MYC protein was positively correlated with the pathological grade of PanIN.Compared with normal tissues,the expression of DLAT and DLST genes in pancreatic cancer cells was increased(P<0.01).The protein level of c-MYC was positively correlated with those of DLAT and DLST(P<0.01,P<0.001).Conclusions The high expression of mitochondrial metabolic enzymes DLAT and DLST in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells is significantly correlated with the expression level of c-MYC,which increases with the progression of pancreatic cancer.
8.Luteolin and its antidepressant properties:From mechanism of action to potential therapeutic application
Jiayu ZHOU ; Ziyi WU ; Ping ZHAO
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2025;15(4):723-741
Luteolin is a natural flavonoid compound exists in various fruits and vegetables.Recent studies have indicated that luteolin has variety pharmacological effects,including a wide range of antidepressant properties.Here,we systematically review the preclinical studies and limited clinical evidence on the antidepressant and neuroprotective effects of luteolin to fully explore its antidepressant power.Network pharmacology and molecular docking analyses contribute to a better understanding of the preclinical models of depression and antidepressant properties of luteolin.Seventeen preclinical studies were included that combined network pharmacology and molecular docking analyses to clarify the antide-pressant mechanism of luteolin and its antidepressant targets.The antidepressant effects of luteolin may involve promoting intracellular noradrenaline(NE)uptake;inhibiting 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT)re-uptake;upregulating the expression of synaptophysin,postsynaptic density protein 95,brain-derived neurotrophic factor,B cell lymphoma protein-2,superoxide dismutase,and glutathione S-transferase;and decreasing the expression of malondialdehyde,caspase-3,and amyloid-beta peptides.The antide-pressant effects of luteolin are mediated by various mechanisms,including anti-oxidative stress,anti-apoptosis,anti-inflammation,anti-endoplasmic reticulum stress,dopamine transport,synaptic protec-tion,hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis regulation,and 5-HT metabolism.Additionally,we identified insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor(IGF1R),AKT serine/threonine kinase 1(AKT1),prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2(PTGS2),estrogen receptor alpha(ESR1),and epidermal growth factor recep-tor(EGFR)as potential targets,luteolin has an ideal affinity for these targets,suggesting that it may play a positive role in depression through multiple targets,mechanisms,and pathways.However,the clinical efficacy of luteolin and its potential direct targets must be confirmed in further multicenter clinical case-control and molecular targeting studies.
9.Analysis of myopia status and related factors among primary school students in a certain district of Beijing City in 2022
Chao YANG ; Songyu LI ; Yan WU ; Ziyi YANG ; Jinghua FENG ; Nan CHEN ; Qiuyan MA ; Yingxin YANG
Chinese Journal of Preventive Medicine 2024;58(7):1029-1034
Objective:To analyze the current situation of myopia and its related factors among primary school students in a certain district of Beijing City in 2022, and provide a basis for the risk assessment of myopia among primary school students.Method:In June 2022, a cluster sampling method was used to include 376 third-grade students from a primary school in a certain district of Beijing. A questionnaire survey was conducted to collect basic information about students, including eye usage habits, reading and writing postures, and parents′ myopia conditions. The examination of students′ distant visual acuity and refractive status was performed. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the related factors of myopia occurrence.Results:The age of 376 primary school students was (8.87±0.417) years old, with 48.40% (182) being male. A total of 196 myopia cases were identified, with a myopia rate of 52.13%. The results of the multivariate logistic regression model analysis showed that students who sometimes read while lying down ( OR=2.003, 95% CI: 1.128-3.555), often read while lying down ( OR=18.853, 95% CI: 4.512-78.778), had outdoor activity time less than 120 minutes per day ( OR=4.937, 95% CI: 2.4464-9.892), were engaged in indoor break activities ( OR=4.995, 95% CI: 2.773-8.996), performed eye exercises less than once per day ( OR=8.710, 95% CI: 4.464-16.995), had a reading distance from the book less than 30 cm ( OR=5.098, 95% CI: 2.410-10.787), occasionally maintained a fist distance from the edge of the desk ( OR=1.918, 95% CI: 1.086-3.385), and had high school desks and tables ( OR=5.325, 95% CI: 1.465-19.359) could have a higher risk of myopia occurrence, compared with those who never read while lying down, had outdoor activity time more than 120 minutes per day, maintained outdoor break activities, performed eye exercises more than once per day, had a reading distance from the book more than 30 cm, always maintained a fist distance from the edge of the desk, and had short school desks and tables. Conclusion:The incidence rate of myopia among primary school students in a certain district of Beijing City. in 2022 is relatively high. The occurrence of myopia is related to insufficient outdoor activity time and poor eye usage habits.
10.Second-hand smoke behavior at home among smokers
CUI Ziyi ; WU Jiaqian ; HU Shiyao ; TANG Yan ; SHI Jianhua
Journal of Preventive Medicine 2024;36(11):1003-1007
Objective:
To investigate the second-hand smoke behavior at home among smokers, so as to provide the reference for developing home tobacco control strategies.
Methods:
Permanent residents who were smokers and at the ages of 15 years and above were sampled from 10 streets (townships) in Xuhui District, Shanghai Municipality using the multi-stage random sampling and population-size proportional sampling methods in 2022. Demographic information, smoking status, awareness of second-hand smoke hazards and second-hand smoke behavior at home were collected by questionnaire surveys. Factors affecting second-hand smoke behavior at home were identified using a multivariable logistic regression model.
Results:
A total of 1 024 smokers were surveyed, including 769 males (75.10%) and 255 females (24.90%). The awareness of hazards of second-hand smoke was 33.59%; the awareness rate of second-hand smoke causing lung cancer in adults was the highest at 76.76%, while the awareness rate of second-hand smoke leading to premature birth and low birth weight in newborns was the lowest at 39.45%. There were 459 smokers with second-hand smoke behavior at home, accounting for 44.82%. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that occupation (the retired, OR=2.320, 95%CI: 1.276-4.218), frequency of smoking (often, OR=5.722, 95%CI: 3.977-8.231), smoking duration (a year and above, OR=10.089, 95%CI: 5.508-18.480), electronic cigarette use (occasionally, OR=2.994, 95%CI: 1.283-6.986), living with pregnant women or infants (no, OR=2.171, 95%CI: 1.367-3.448), family indoor smoking restrictions (no restriction, OR=13.926, 95%CI: 7.538-25.727) and awareness of second-hand smoke hazards (unknown, OR=1.562, 95%CI: 1.067-2.287) were the influencing factors for second-hand smoke behavior at home.
Conclusion
There were 44.82% smokers in Xuhui District with second-hand smoke behavior at home, which was influenced by occupation, living situation, smoking status, family indoor smoking restriction and awareness of second-hand smoke hazards.


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