1.Investigation of the regulatory effect of overexpressed Ptpn2 on SiO2-mediated mouse alveolar macrophages based on iTRAQ technology
Yi WEI ; Yaqian LI ; Xinjie LI ; Mengfei FENG ; Fuyu JIN ; Hong XU ; Ying ZHU
Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2026;61(2):183-191
ObjectiveTo investigate the regulatory effect of overexpressed protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 2 (Ptpn2) on the inflammatory response of mouse alveolar macrophages (MH-S) induced by SiO₂. MethodsCells with overexpressed Ptpn2 were constructed and induced by SiO₂. The experimental groups were divided into four groups: the negative control group with an empty vector (NC), the overexpressed Ptpn2 group (P), the negative control group with an empty vector + SiO₂ induction (NS), and the overexpressed Ptpn2 + SiO₂ induction group (PS). Isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) combined with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) were used to screen differential proteins, followed by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database analyses. Immunofluorescence staining was used to detect the expressions of Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) α, Gasdermin D (GSDMD), and Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression levels of PTPN2, Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3), and proteins related to the TGF-β1 signaling pathway in the cells of each group. ResultsiTRAQ results identified 144 differential proteins among the four groups. GO analysis showed that in biological processes (BP), these differential proteins were mainly enriched in IκB kinase/nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling, cell activation and signal transduction involved in immune responses, and regulation of receptor signaling pathways by signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT), etc. KEGG analysis revealed that the differential proteins were mainly enriched in Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, NF-κB signaling pathway, NOD-like receptor signaling pathway, TGF-β signaling pathway, and TNF signaling pathway. The results of immunofluorescence staining showed that compared with the NC group, the expressions of TNF α, GSDMD, and TGF-β1 in the cells of the NS group increased (P < 0.05); compared to the NS group, the expression of the aforementioned proteins in the PS group decreased in cellular proteins(P < 0.05). The results of Western blot showed that compared with the NC group, the protein expression levels of PTPN2, p-NF-κB,MyD88,TLR4,NLRP3,GSDMD,Caspase-1,IL-1β, TGF-βR1, TGF-βR,p-Smad2/3 in the NS group were significantly upregulated (P < 0.05); compared with the NS group, the expression levels of the aforementioned proteins in the PS group were significantly downregulated (P < 0.05). ConclusionOverexpression of Ptpn2 can inhibit the protein expressions of TLR4-TNF-α signaling, NLRP3 signaling, and TGF-β1 signaling closely related to inflammatory response in SiO₂-mediated MH-S macrophages.
2.Role of aspirin in metabolic associated fatty liver disease
Yongqi LI ; Yanqiu LI ; Lina SUN ; Chaoran WANG ; Ying FENG ; Liang WANG ; Xianbo WANG
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2026;42(1):178-182
Metabolic associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is the main type of chronic liver disease in the world, with an increasingly higher incidence rate and a younger age of onset. At present, the treatment of MAFLD mainly depends on lifestyle intervention and comorbidity management, and there is still a lack of effective drugs for MAFLD itself. As a classic nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug of the salicylic acid family, aspirin can intervene in the pathological process of MAFLD by regulating lipid metabolism, relieving insulin resistance, reducing liver inflammation and oxidative stress response, exerting an anti-liver fibrosis effect, and inhibiting hepatocellular carcinoma, and therefore, it has the value of preventing disease onset, delaying disease progression, and reversing disease condition. This article systematically reviews the mechanism of action and safety of aspirin in the treatment of MAFLD, in order to provide more drug treatment options for MAFLD patients.
3.The role of shed syndecan-4 in temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis in rats
HE Kangping ; CHEN Xiaohua ; LI Jinru ; ZHAN Ying ; HE Feng ; JIANG Tianlu ; LI Feifei ; YU Shibin
Journal of Prevention and Treatment for Stomatological Diseases 2026;34(5):443-455
Objective:
To investigate the mechanism of shed syndecan-4 (sSDC4) in temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJOA) in rats, aiming to provide experimental evidence for its prevention and treatment.
Methods:
This study was approved by the Institutional Animal Ethics Committee. Twelve 6-week-old female Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into two groups. They received a single intra-articular injection into the bilateral superior cavity of temporomandibular joint, which consisted of either 50 μL of 4 mg/mL monosodium iodoacetate (TMJOA model group) or 50 μL of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS, control group). After 4 weeks, the mandibular condylar cartilage was harvested for hematoxylin & eosin (H&E) staining, Safranin O-fast green (SO) staining, and type II collagen (Col-Ⅱ) immunohistochemical staining to assess the degree of cartilage degeneration. The synovium of the temporomandibular joint was collected for immunohistochemical staining to detect the expression levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) to evaluate the degree of synovial inflammation. Synovial fluid from the temporomandibular joint cavity was collected to measure sSDC4 levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In addition, 12 6-week-old female SD rats were randomly divided into a His-SDC4 group and a control group, receiving injections into the bilateral superior cavity of temporomandibular joint of either 100 ng/mL (50 μL) of His-SDC4 protein or 50 μL of PBS once every 3 days for a total of 28 days. The same experimental procedures were performed for H&E staining, SO staining, and immunohistochemical staining (Col-Ⅱ IL-6, TNF-α) to observe condylar cartilage degeneration and detect synovial inflammation. Rat synovial fibroblasts and condylar chondrocytes were cultured in vitro and randomly divided into a His-SDC4-stimulated (10 ng/mL) group and control group. Perform CCK-8 cytotoxicity assays and observe cellular morphology under optical microscopy, the mRNA expression levels of IL-6 and TNF-α were detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and the levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in cell culture supernatants were measured by ELISA.
Results:
Compared with the control group, the TMJOA group showed decreased condylar cartilage thickness, percentage of SO-positive area, and percentage of Col-Ⅱ-positive area (all P<0.001); an increased synovitis score (P<0.001) and increased percentages of IL-6- and TNF-α-positive cells in the synovium (all P<0.001); and a significant increase in sSDC4 levels in the synovial fluid (P=0.011). Following intra-articular injection of His-SDC4, condylar cartilage thickness, percentage of SO-positive area, and percentage of Col-Ⅱ-positive area all decreased (all P<0.001); the synovitis score increased (P=0.006), and the percentages of IL-6- and TNF-α-positive cells in the synovium increased (all P<0.001). In vitro experiments showed that His-SDC4 stimulation significantly upregulated the expression levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in both synovial fibroblasts and condylar chondrocytes (all P<0.01), and the levels of these two cytokines in the culture supernatants also significantly increased (all P<0.01).
Conclusion
During TMJOA progression, the level of sSDC4 in the synovial fluid is significantly elevated, which can directly stimulate synovial fibroblasts and condylar chondrocytes to secrete more pro-inflammatory cytokines, forming a vicious cycle that accelerates TMJOA progression.
4.Development of an artificial intelligence-based automatic MRI scoring model for extramural vascular invasion in rectal cancer and its prognostic value
Haitao HUANG ; Yunrui YE ; Lifen YAN ; Yanfen CUI ; Lili FENG ; Huifen YE ; Yulin LIU ; Ying ZHU ; Zhongwei CHEN ; Zhenhui LI ; Ke ZHAO ; Zaiyi LIU ; Changhong LIANG
Chinese Journal of Radiology 2025;59(11):1267-1274
Objective:To develop an artificial intelligence (AI)-based automatic scoring model for magnetic resonance imaging-detected extramural vascular invasion (AI-mrEMVI) and evaluate its performance and prognostic value in patients with rectal cancer.Methods:In this multicenter retrospective cohort study, a total of 2 501 rectal cancer patients from seven centers between November 2012 and December 2020 were included and divided into completely independent training ( n=1 830) and validation ( n=671) cohorts. A nnUNet-based AI-mrEMVI scoring model was constructed. Manual mrEMVI scores assigned by two radiologists served as the reference standard for accessing the accuracy of the AI-mrEMVI scoring. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox regression were used to evaluate the prognostic stratification ability of the AI-mrEMVI scores. The concordance index (C-index) was calculated to evaluate prognostic performance. Results:In the validation cohort, the manual mrEMVI scores were 0-2 in 425 patients (63.3%), 3 in 89 (13.4%), and 4 in 157 (23.4%). The AI-mrEMVI model identified 0-2 in 375 patients (55.9%), 3 in 95 (14.2%), and 4 in 201 (30.0%), with an overall accuracy of 81.1% (544/671, 95% CI 77.9%-84.0%). The 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) rates for patients with AI-mrEMVI scores of 0-2, 3, and 4 were 85.2%, 70.0%, and 58.2%, respectively, and the 5-year overall survival (OS) rates were 87.2%, 81.6%, and 62.6%, respectively (DFS: χ2=48.74, P<0.001; OS: χ2=30.04, P<0.001). Multivariable Cox regression showed that for DFS, AI-mrEMVI scores of 3 and 4 were associated with hazard ratios ( HR) of 1.75 (95% CI 1.11-2.77, P=0.016) and 2.65 (95% CI 1.86-3.78, P<0.001), respectively. For OS, an AI-mrEMVI score of 4 was associated with an HR of 2.56 (95% CI 1.62-4.03, P<0.001). The C-index values of the AI-mrEMVI scoring model for predicting DFS and OS were 0.647 (95% CI 0.608-0.686) and 0.650 (95% CI 0.598-0.702), respectively. Conclusion:The proposed AI-mrEMVI automatic scoring model demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy and performed favorably in predicting DFS and OS prognostic risk in patients with rectal cancer.
5.Research progress on mechanism of intestinal microbiota in tumor immunotherapy resistance
Hui-ling LI ; Xiao-xi LI ; Ying-nan FENG ; Xin HU ; Lan ZHANG ; Xian-zhe DONG
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2025;41(1):1-6
Previous studies have shown that the diversity and composition of intestinal microbiota are related to the effect of tumor immunotherapy,but the mechanism of intestinal microbiota affecting tumor immunotherapy resistance has rarely been sum-marized.This article not only expounds the current clinical sta-tus of tumor immunotherapy resistance,but also summarizes the correlation and regulatory mechanism between the composition and homeostasis of intestinal microbiota and drug resistance to different types of tumor immunotherapy,so as to provide a refer-ence for the study of potential targets for improving tumor immu-notherapy resistance based on intestinal microbiota.
6.Construction and verification of a core competency index system of nurses in"internet+postpartum maternal and infant home care"
Chunchai YING ; Yacen LI ; Ningning LIU ; Yunxia XIAO ; Suwen FENG
Chinese Journal of Nursing 2025;60(12):1486-1492
Objective The core competence index system of nurses providing"internet+postpartum maternal and infant home care"service was constructed and preliminarily verified,so as to provide references for objective evaluation of their core competence.Methods Based on literature review and semi-structured interviews,the core competence index system of nurses in"internet+postpartum maternal and infant home care"service was initially constructed with the iceberg model as the theoretical framework.In April to May 2024,the indicators are organized and analyzed using the Delphi method to form a final indicator system.In December 2024,30 nurses providing"internet+postpartum maternal and infant home care"service in a tertiary A obstetrics and gynecology hospital in Hangzhou were selected as the survey subjects,and the index system was preliminarily verified by questionnaires.Results A total of 20 experts completed 2 rounds of correspondence.The authoritative coefficients of the 2 rounds of expert inquiry were 0.88 and 0.90,respectively;the Kendall coordination coefficients were 0.34 and 0.39,respectively(P<0.001);the variation coefficients were 0~0.17 and 0.05~0.18,respectively.The final index system includes 3 first-class indicators,12 second-class indicators and 68 third-class indicators.The comprehensive,specialized,necessary,applicable,and overall satisfaction scores of the indicator system are(4.27±0.77)points,(4.43±0.56)points,(4.43±0.72)points,(4.47±0.56)points,and(4.46±0.56)points,respectively.Conclusion The core competence index system of nurses in"internet+postpartum maternal and infant home care"service is comprehensive,specialized,scientific and reliable,and can provide references for the training,assessment and evaluation of"internet+postpartum maternal and infant home care"talents.
7.Scoping review of surrogate decision in stroke patients
Yunyun MA ; Zijuan JIANG ; Ping LI ; Ying FENG ; Luoluo ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Practical Nursing 2025;41(22):1756-1761
Objective:To review the literature on surrogate decision making in stroke patients, and to clarify the application status of proxy decision making in stroke patients.Methods:Using the scope review guide as the methodological framework, studies on the application of surrogate decision in stroke patients, PubMed, Medline, CINAHL, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wanfang, China Biology Medicine databases were searched from the database inception to January 12, 2024.Results:A total of 20 articles were included, including 12 cross-sectional studies, 6 qualitative studies, 1 cohort study, and 1 case report. At present, surrogate decision was mainly used in brain surgery, tube placement and comfort care. The agent had a complicated mood when making a decision and self-doubt after making a decision. Agency decision making was susceptible to demographic factors, disease-related factors, cultural factors, emotional and psychological factors and other factors. Although the outcomes of most proxy decisions were in line with patient preferences, there was a difference in the estimates of prognosis between agents and medical staff.Conclusions:Proxy decision making is widely used in the field of stroke, but the psychological burden of agents is heavy. Developing advance care planning for stroke patients and developing decision aids may help agents make the best decision.
8.GPCRs identified on mitochondrial membranes:New therapeutic targets for diseases
Yanxin PAN ; Ning JI ; Lu JIANG ; Yu ZHOU ; Xiaodong FENG ; Jing LI ; Xin ZENG ; Jiongke WANG ; Ying-Qiang SHEN ; Qianming CHEN
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2025;15(7):1427-1434
G protein-coupled receptors(GPCRs)are the largest family of membrane proteins in eukaryotes,with nearly 800 genes coding for these proteins.They are involved in many physiological processes,such as light perception,taste and smell,neurotransmitter,metabolism,endocrine and exocrine,cell growth and migration.Importantly,GPCRs and their ligands are the targets of approximately one third of all mar-keted drugs.GPCRs are traditionally known for their role in transmitting signals from the extracellular environment to the cell's interior via the plasma membrane.However,emerging evidence suggests that GPCRs are also localized on mitochondria,where they play critical roles in modulating mitochondrial functions.These mitochondrial GPCRs(mGPCRs)can influence processes such as mitochondrial respi-ration,apoptosis,and reactive oxygen species(ROS)production.By interacting with mitochondrial signaling pathways,mGPCRs contribute to the regulation of energy metabolism and cell survival.Their presence on mitochondria adds a new layer of complexity to the understanding of cellular signaling,highlighting the organelle's role as not just an energy powerhouse but also a crucial hub for signal transduction.This expanding understanding of mGPCR function on mitochondria opens new avenues for research,particularly in the context of diseases where mitochondrial dysfunction plays a key role.Ab-normalities in the phase conductance pathway of GPCRs located on mitochondria are closely associated with the development of systemic diseases such as cardiovascular disease,diabetes,obesity and Alz-heimer's disease.In this review,we examined the various types of GPCRs identified on mitochondrial membranes and analyzed the complex relationships between mGPCRs and the pathogenesis of various diseases.We aim to provide a clearer understanding of the emerging significance of mGPCRs in health and disease,and to underscore their potential as therapeutic targets in the treatment of these conditions.
9.Photoaffinity probe-enabled discovery of sennoside A reductase in Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum
Yang XU ; Shujing LV ; Xiang LI ; Chuanjia ZHAI ; Yulian SHI ; Xuejiao LI ; Zhiyang FENG ; Gan LUO ; Ying WANG ; Xiaoyan GAO
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2025;15(1):262-276
Sennoside A(SA),a typical prodrug,exerts its laxative effect only after its transformation into rhei-nanthrone catalyzed by gut microbial hydrolases and reductases.Hydrolases have been identified,but reductases remain unknown.By linking a photoreactive group to the SA scaffold,we synthesized a photoaffinity probe to covalently label SA reductases and identified SA reductases using activity-based protein profiling(ABPP).From lysates of an active strain,Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum(B.pseu-docatenulatum),397 proteins were enriched and subsequently identified using mass spectrometry(MS).Among these proteins,chromate reductase/nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide(NADH)phosphate(NADPH)-dependent flavin mononucleotide(FMN)reductase/oxygen-insensitive NADPH nitroreductase(nfrA)was identified as a potent SA reductase through further bioinformatic analysis and The Universal Protein Resource(UniProt)database screening.We also determined that recombinant nfrA could reduce SA.Our study contributes to further illuminating mechanisms of SA transformation to rheinanthrone and simultaneously offers an effective method to identify gut bacterial reductases.
10.Impact of anticentromere antibody on the clinical features and prognosis of patients with primary biliary cholangitis
Shengzhu HE ; Guiqin ZHOU ; Kexin QIAO ; Yaxing LIU ; Bin LI ; Ying FENG ; Xianbo WANG
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2025;42(5):872-877
Objective To investigate the impact of anticentromere antibody(ACA)on the clinical features and prognosis of patients with primary biliary cholangitis(PBC)by comparing clinical classification,ursodeoxycholic acid(UDCA)response,GLOBE score,and UK-PBC score between ACA-positive PBC patients and ACA-negative PBC patients.Methods A total of 749 patients who were admitted to Beijing Ditan Hospital,Capital Medical University,from August 2013 to December 2022 and were diagnosed with PBC were enrolled and divided into ACA-positive group with 147 patients and ACA-negative group with 602 patients.According to their conditions on admission,the two groups were compared in terms of the distribution of clinical types,i.e.,chronic progression-type PBC,portal hypertension-type PBC,and standard jaundice/liver failure-type PBC.There were 261 patients with complete data after 1-year follow-up,among whom there were 53 patients with positive ACA and 208 with negative ACA.A statistical analysis was performed,and propensity score matching was performed based on sex and age at a ratio of 1∶2.The two groups were compared in terms of 1-year UDCA response rate,GLOBE score,and UK-PBC score before and after matching.The independent-samples t test or the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of continuous data between two groups,and the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups.Results Compared with the ACA-negative group,the ACA-positive group had a significantly higher age(61.28±10.35 years vs 56.74±12.17 years,t=4.164,P<0.001),a significantly higher proportion of female patients(93.9%vs 77.6%,χ2=20.221,P<0.001),a significantly higher proportion of patients with portal hypertension(48.3%vs 27.6%,χ2=23.289,P<0.001),and a significantly lower proportion of patients with jaundice/liver failure(24.5%vs 38.5%,χ2=10.205,P<0.001).After 1-year follow-up,for the 261 PBC patients with complete data,there was no significant difference in UDCA response rate before propensity score matching between the ACA-positive group and the ACA-negative group(41.5%vs 41.8%,P>0.05),and there was a significant difference in the proportion of patients with a GLOBE score of>0.3 between the ACA-positive group and the ACA-negative group(92.5%vs 80.3%,χ2=3.935,P=0.047).There were 53 patients in the ACA-positive group and 106 patients in the ACA-negative group after propensity score matching,and there were no significant differences between the two groups in UDCA response rate,GLOBE score,and UK-PBC score(all P>0.05).Conclusion ACA-positive patients tend to have an older age,with a higher proportion of female patients or patients with portal hypertension,while there is a relatively low proportion of patients with jaundice/liver failure.Positive ACA has no significant impact on UDCA response rate,GLOBE score,and UK-PBC score.


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