1.Research progress on anti-vascular endothelial growth factor prognostic biomarkers for macular edema secondary to retinal vein occlusion
Dan WANG ; Xiaofeng HAO ; Like XIE ; Xiangdong CHEN ; Jing XU ; Mei SUN ; Mengjiao ZHANG ; Xiaoduo GUAN
International Eye Science 2025;25(12):1938-1942
Retinal vein occlusion(RVO)is the second most common blinding retinal vascular disease, and its secondary macular edema(ME)is an important cause of visual function impairment in patients. Intravitreal injection of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)drugs serves as the first-line treatment, yet it is confronted with such issues as the need for repeated injections and non-response in some patients. Imaging and laboratory biomarkers play a crucial role in the early accurate diagnosis, prediction of disease progression, and evaluation of visual prognosis of RVO-ME. This study systematically reviews the research progress of imaging and laboratory biomarkers related to the prognosis of RVO-ME after anti-VEGF treatment in recent years, covering imaging biomarkers like central retinal thickness and ellipsoid zone integrity, as well as laboratory biomarkers such as serum APLN and aqueous humor IL-6. It summarizes the associations between different biomarkers and the prognosis of anti-VEGF therapy, aiming to provide a basis for the early accurate assessment and optimization of individualized treatment for RVO-ME patients, which holds significant clinical reference value.
2.Effect of Eucommiae Cortex extract mediated by ERβ/JNK pathway on learning and memory ability of APP/PS1 double-transgenic mice.
Yue LI ; Li-Li ZHANG ; Can ZHAO ; Hong-Mei ZHAO ; Yan WANG ; Jin-Lei FU ; Jie ZHANG ; Ning ZHANG ; Hong-Dan XU
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(2):285-293
To study the ameliorative effect of Eucommiae Cortex extract on spatial learning disabilities in APP/PS1 double-transgenic mice and explore its relationship with estrogen receptor β(ERβ)/c-Jun N-terminal kinase(JNK) signaling pathway, sixty 3-month-old male APP/PS1 mice were randomly divided into a model group, an anti-brain failure capsule group(0.585 g·kg~(-1)), a donepezil hydrochloride group(0.65 mg·kg~(-1)), and a Eucommiae Cortex extract group(1.3 g·kg~(-1)), and 15 C57BL/6 mice of the same genetic background were set as WT control group. The learning and memory ability of mice was assessed by the Morris water maze test(MWM), the passive avoidance test(PAT), and the novel object recognition test(NOR). The histomorphological and cellular ultrastructural features of the hippocampal region of the mice were observed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining and transmission electron microscopy(TEM); the molecular docking validation of the key active ingredients and the key targets was performed by using AutoDock Vina software, and the immunohistochemical method(IHC) was used to detect the ERβ expression in the dentate gyrus(DG) area of mouse hippocampus. Western blot(WB) was utilized to detect the expression of ERβ, p-JNK, and JNK in mouse hippocampal area. Compared with those in the WT control group, the results of behavioral experiments showed that the latency of the mice in the model group was significantly increased, the number of platform traversals, and the target quadrant residence time were significantly decreased in the MWM. The evasion latency was significantly reduced, and the number of errors was significantly increased in the PAT. The index of recognition of novel objects was significantly reduced in the NOR. The results of HE staining indicated that the hippocampal area of mice in the model group showed a decrease in the number of neurons, disorganization of pyramidal cell arrangement, nucleus consolidation, and other changes. TEM results showed that some neuronal nuclei in the hippocampal area had a consolidated state, slightly thickened and aberrant nuclear membranes, and fewer intracytoplasmic nidus bodies; the IHC results showed that the expression of ERβ in the hippocampal DG area of the mice was reduced. The WB results showed that the ERβ expression in the hippocampal tissue was decreased, and the p-JNK/JNK level was elevated. Compared with the model group, the Eucommiae Cortex extract group showed a significant decrease in latency, and increase in number of platform traversals and target quadrant residence time in the MWM, a significant increase in evasion latency and decrease in number of errors in the PAT, and a significant increase in the index of recognition of novel objects in the NOR. In addition, there was an increase in the number of neurons in the hippocampal area of mice. The pyramidal cells tended to be arranged in an orderly manner; the nuclei of neurons in the hippocampal area were in a better state; the expression of ERβ in the hippocampal DG area of the mice was elevated; the expression of ERβ in the hippocampal tissue was elevated, and the level of p-JNK/JNK was reduced. The effects of donepezil hydrochloride group and anti-brain failure capsule on APP/PS1 mice in terms of behavioral, HE, and TEM indexes were similar to those of Eucommiae Cortex extract, and there was no significant difference between donepezil hydrochloride group and the model group in IHC and WB experiments, and the results of molecular docking indicated that the estrogen-like components in Eucommiae Cortex extract were tightly bound to ERβ. In conclusion, the binding of Eucommiae Cortex extract to estrogen receptors, regulation of ERβ expression, and activation of ERβ/JNK signaling pathway may be one of the key mechanisms by which it improves the learning and memory ability of APP/PS1 mice.
Animals
;
Male
;
Mice
;
Mice, Transgenic
;
Memory/drug effects*
;
Mice, Inbred C57BL
;
Estrogen Receptor beta/genetics*
;
Eucommiaceae/chemistry*
;
Alzheimer Disease/psychology*
;
Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor/metabolism*
;
Presenilin-1/metabolism*
;
Humans
;
MAP Kinase Signaling System/drug effects*
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage*
;
Hippocampus/metabolism*
;
Maze Learning/drug effects*
;
Learning/drug effects*
3.Correction to: Scorpion Venom Heat-Resistant Peptide is Neuroprotective Against Cerebral Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in Association with the NMDA-MAPK Pathway.
Xu-Gang WANG ; Dan-Dan ZHU ; Na LI ; Yue-Lin HUANG ; Ying-Zi WANG ; Ting ZHANG ; Chen-Mei WANG ; Bin WANG ; Yan PENG ; Bi-Ying GE ; Shao LI ; Jie ZHAO
Neuroscience Bulletin 2025;41(3):549-550
4.Identification and expression analysis of AP2/ERF family members in Lonicera macranthoides.
Si-Min ZHOU ; Mei-Ling QU ; Juan ZENG ; Jia-Wei HE ; Jing-Yu ZHANG ; Zhi-Hui WANG ; Qiao-Zhen TONG ; Ri-Bao ZHOU ; Xiang-Dan LIU
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(15):4248-4262
The AP2/ERF transcription factor family is a class of transcription factors widely present in plants, playing a crucial role in regulating flowering, flower development, flower opening, and flower senescence. Based on transcriptome data from flower, leaf, and stem samples of two Lonicera macranthoides varieties, 117 L. macranthoides AP2/ERF family members were identified, including 14 AP2 subfamily members, 61 ERF subfamily members, 40 DREB subfamily members, and 2 RAV subfamily members. Bioinformatics and differential gene expression analyses were performed using NCBI, ExPASy, SOMPA, and other platforms, and the expression patterns of L. macranthoides AP2/ERF transcription factors were validated via qRT-PCR. The results indicated that the 117 LmAP2/ERF members exhibited both similarities and variations in protein physicochemical properties, AP2 domains, family evolution, and protein functions. Differential gene expression analysis revealed that AP2/ERF transcription factors were primarily differentially expressed in the flowers of the two L. macranthoides varieties, with the differentially expressed genes mainly belonging to the ERF and DREB subfamilies. Further analysis identified three AP2 subfamily genes and two ERF subfamily genes as potential regulators of flower development, two ERF subfamily genes involved in flower opening, and two ERF subfamily genes along with one DREB subfamily gene involved in flower senescence. Based on family evolution and expression analyses, it is speculated that AP2/ERF transcription factors can regulate flower development, opening, and senescence in L. macranthoides, with ERF subfamily genes potentially serving as key regulators of flowering duration. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for further research into the specific functions of the AP2/ERF transcription factor family in L. macranthoides and offer important theoretical insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying floral phenotypic differences among its varieties.
Plant Proteins/chemistry*
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Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
;
Transcription Factors/chemistry*
;
Lonicera/classification*
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Flowers/metabolism*
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Phylogeny
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Gene Expression Profiling
;
Multigene Family
5.Home-based phototherapy implementation and management needs in patients with vitiligo: a questionnaire survey analysis
Yu LI ; Ziwei WANG ; Rongjia YE ; Rong LI ; Yan ZHU ; Xiaohua ZHANG ; Dan HUANG ; Mei JU
Chinese Journal of Dermatology 2025;58(7):608-612
Objective:To investigate the current status of the implementation of home-based phototherapy (HBPT) in patients with vitiligo, and to analyze management needs among patients receiving HBPT.Methods:A questionnaire survey was conducted on the application of HBPT among patients with vitiligo who visited the outpatient clinic of the Hospital for Skin Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from December 2021 to November 2022. Additionally, the popularization and usage of HBPT as well as needs of patient management were investigated and analyzed in these vitiligo patients.Results:A total of 496 valid questionnaires were collected from 496 patients with vitiligo (241 males [48.5%] and 255 females [51.5%]) . Their ages at visit ranged from 2 to 67 (30.87 ± 12.36) years. The most commonly affected sites were the head and face (52.2%) , followed by hair (32.1%) , hands and feet (31.4%) , trunk (30.2%) , limbs (24.3%) , neck (19.5%) , and perineum (9.9%) . Among the participants, 320 (64.5%) were currently using or had used HBPT, and 352 (70.8%) expressed a willingness to learn more about HBPT usage guidelines and health education. Regarding the repigmentation outcomes after HBPT: among 312 patients, 54 (17.3%) reported complete recovery, 64 (20.5%) were markedly improved, 142 (45.5%) experienced improvement, and 52 (16.7%) showed no response. Adverse reactions occurred in 223 patients (71.5%) , of whom 28 (9.0%) experienced severe adverse reactions. The most desired guiding information was the adjustment method for phototherapy dosage and treatment duration (184/352, 52.3%) ; the most effective way to receive health education information was through verbal education by medical staff (177/352, 50.3%) .Conclusion:For vitiligo patients who were willing to accept and use HBPT, the most desired guiding information was the adjustment method for phototherapy dosage and treatment duration, and verbal health education by medical staff appeared to be the main way to obtain health education information.
6.Construction and practice of a teaching quality assurance system for Chinese-foreign joint education program of clinical medicine: a case study of Chongqing Medical University
Ge CHEN ; Mingjing SHANG ; Mei HE ; Yang YANG ; Yi ZHANG ; Dan ZHU ; Huayong YU
Chinese Journal of Medical Education Research 2025;24(1):18-23
Chinese-foreign joint education program of clinical medicine is an important means to achieve the globalization of medical education. Chongqing Medical University and University of Leicester in the UK have jointly established a Chinese-foreign joint education program of clinical medicine to achieve the integration of Chinese and British cultivation concepts, management systems, teaching resources, teacher teams, evaluation systems, and multiculturalism. They have also constructed an internal teaching quality assurance system with the main contents of the improvement of management mechanisms, the formulation of training programs, the construction of teaching staff, the design of syllabuses, the curriculum assessment system, and teaching quality evaluation, as well as an external teaching quality assurance system with the core components of clinical medicine accreditation, Chinese-foreign joint education program evaluations, international quality audits, and professional quality monitoring. Both systems can help to comprehensively improve teaching quality.
7.Formulation and Interpretation of Prescription Evaluation Standard
Lijuan YANG ; Jiancun ZHEN ; Wei ZHANG ; Jin LU ; Dan MEI ; Pengmei LI ; Haiying ZHANG ; Nan ZHANG
Herald of Medicine 2025;44(3):400-403
Prescription evaluation is an important innovative medication supervision mode in China,which is an impor-tant means to ensure rational drug use.The Pharmaceutical Specialized Committee of the Chinese Hospital Association had led the formulation of the Pharmacy Administration and Pharmacy Practice in Healthcare Institutions—Part 4-9:Pharmacy Administra-tion—Prescription Evaluation.The standard regulated 11 key elements in the three aspects of basic requirements,evaluation re-quirements,and quality management and evaluation improvement,which can be used as the basis for guiding medical institutions to standardize prescription evaluation work.This paper introduced the formulation process of the prescription evaluation standard and interpreted the key contents of the standard,which was helpful for peers to deeply understand the standard,promote the imple-mentation of the standard,and further improve the quality of prescription evaluation work.
8.Formulation and Analysis of Clinical Pharmacist Training Standard
Ping LIN ; Jiancun ZHEN ; Jin LU ; Wei ZHANG ; Dan MEI ; Ling JIANG ; Xiaoyang LU ; Ting XU ; Peiyuan XIA ; Pengmei LI ; Jing LIU
Herald of Medicine 2025;44(3):408-411
Clinical pharmacist training is an important way to strengthen the clinical pharmacist team's construction and improve their pharmaceutical service capabilities and levels.The Pharmacy Administration and Pharmacy Practice in Healthcare Institutions-Part 4-8-1:Pharmacy Administration-Pharmacy Training Management-Clinical Pharmacist Training was based on the relevant requirements of the current clinical pharmacist training system of the Chinese Hospital Association,and formulated by sor-ting out relevant materials,such as standards,policies and regulations,technical specifications,literature,the current situation of clinical pharmacist training in China,and expert opinions.A total of 15 key elements of clinical pharmacist training were selected and divided into three aspects(base management,training process and assessment,and the quality management,evaluation and improvement).This article mainly introduced the construction method and content of the clinical pharmacist training standard,to deepen the understanding of the standard for relevant units and to promote the implementation of the standard.
9.Endoplasmic reticulum membrane remodeling by targeting reticulon-4 induces pyroptosis to facilitate antitumor immune.
Mei-Mei ZHAO ; Ting-Ting REN ; Jing-Kang WANG ; Lu YAO ; Ting-Ting LIU ; Ji-Chao ZHANG ; Yang LIU ; Lan YUAN ; Dan LIU ; Jiu-Hui XU ; Peng-Fei TU ; Xiao-Dong TANG ; Ke-Wu ZENG
Protein & Cell 2025;16(2):121-135
Pyroptosis is an identified programmed cell death that has been highly linked to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) dynamics. However, the crucial proteins for modulating dynamic ER membrane curvature change that trigger pyroptosis are currently not well understood. In this study, a biotin-labeled chemical probe of potent pyroptosis inducer α-mangostin (α-MG) was synthesized. Through protein microarray analysis, reticulon-4 (RTN4/Nogo), a crucial regulator of ER membrane curvature, was identified as a target of α-MG. We observed that chemically induced proteasome degradation of RTN4 by α-MG through recruiting E3 ligase UBR5 significantly enhances the pyroptosis phenotype in cancer cells. Interestingly, the downregulation of RTN4 expression significantly facilitated a dynamic remodeling of ER membrane curvature through a transition from tubules to sheets, consequently leading to rapid fusion of the ER with the cell plasma membrane. In particular, the ER-to-plasma membrane fusion process is supported by the observed translocation of several crucial ER markers to the "bubble" structures of pyroptotic cells. Furthermore, α-MG-induced RTN4 knockdown leads to pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2)-dependent conventional caspase-3/gasdermin E (GSDME) cleavages for pyroptosis progression. In vivo, we observed that chemical or genetic RTN4 knockdown significantly inhibited cancer cells growth, which further exhibited an antitumor immune response with anti-programmed death-1 (anti-PD-1). In translational research, RTN4 high expression was closely correlated with the tumor metastasis and death of patients. Taken together, RTN4 plays a fundamental role in inducing pyroptosis through the modulation of ER membrane curvature remodeling, thus representing a prospective druggable target for anticancer immunotherapy.
Pyroptosis/immunology*
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Humans
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Endoplasmic Reticulum/immunology*
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Animals
;
Nogo Proteins/antagonists & inhibitors*
;
Mice
;
Cell Line, Tumor
;
Xanthones/pharmacology*
;
Neoplasms/pathology*
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Mice, Nude
10.Associations of Genetic Risk and Physical Activity with Incident Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Large Prospective Cohort Study.
Jin YANG ; Xiao Lin WANG ; Wen Fang ZHONG ; Jian GAO ; Huan CHEN ; Pei Liang CHEN ; Qing Mei HUANG ; Yi Xin ZHANG ; Fang Fei YOU ; Chuan LI ; Wei Qi SONG ; Dong SHEN ; Jiao Jiao REN ; Dan LIU ; Zhi Hao LI ; Chen MAO
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2025;38(10):1194-1204
OBJECTIVE:
To investigate the relationship between physical activity and genetic risk and their combined effects on the risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
METHODS:
This prospective cohort study included 318,085 biobank participants from the UK. Physical activity was assessed using the short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. The participants were stratified into low-, intermediate-, and high-genetic-risk groups based on their polygenic risk scores. Multivariate Cox regression models and multiplicative interaction analyses were used.
RESULTS:
During a median follow-up period of 13 years, 9,209 participants were diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. For low genetic risk, compared to low physical activity, the hazard ratios ( HRs) for moderate and high physical activity were 0.853 (95% confidence interval [ CI]: 0.748-0.972) and 0.831 (95% CI: 0.727-0.950), respectively. For intermediate genetic risk, the HRs were 0.829 (95% CI: 0.758-0.905) and 0.835 (95% CI: 0.764-0.914), respectively. For participants with high genetic risk, the HRs were 0.809 (95% CI: 0.746-0.877) and 0.818 (95% CI: 0.754-0.888), respectively. A significant interaction was observed between genetic risk and physical activity.
CONCLUSION
Moderate or high levels of physical activity were associated with a lower risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease across all genetic risk groups, highlighting the need to tailor activity interventions for genetically susceptible individuals.
Humans
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Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/epidemiology*
;
Exercise
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Male
;
Female
;
Middle Aged
;
Prospective Studies
;
Aged
;
Genetic Predisposition to Disease
;
Risk Factors
;
United Kingdom/epidemiology*
;
Incidence
;
Adult

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