1.A critical role for Phocaeicola vulgatus in negatively impacting metformin response in diabetes.
Manyun CHEN ; Yilei PENG ; Yuhui HU ; Zhiqiang KANG ; Ting CHEN ; Yulong ZHANG ; Xiaoping CHEN ; Qing LI ; Zuyi YUAN ; Yue WU ; Heng XU ; Gan ZHOU ; Tao LIU ; Honghao ZHOU ; Chunsu YUAN ; Weihua HUANG ; Wei ZHANG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(5):2511-2528
Metformin has been demonstrated to attenuate hyperglycaemia by modulating the gut microbiota. However, the mechanisms through which the microbiome mediates metformin monotherapy failure (MMF) are unclear. Herein, in a prospective clinical cohort study of newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients treated with metformin monotherapy, metagenomic sequencing of faecal samples revealed that Phocaeicola vulgatus abundance was approximately 12 times higher in nonresponders than in responders. P. vulgatus rapidly hydrolysed taurine-conjugated bile acids, leading to ceramide accumulation and reversing the improvements in glucose intolerance conferred by metformin in high-fat diet-fed mice. Interestingly, C22:0 ceramide bound to mitochondrial fission factor to induce mitochondrial fragmentation and impair hepatic oxidative phosphorylation in P. vulgatus-colonized hyperglycaemic mice, which could be exacerbated by metformin. This work suggests that metformin may be unsuitable for P. vulgatus-rich T2DM patients and that clinicians should be aware of metformin toxicity to mitochondria. Suppressing P. vulgatus growth with cefaclor or improving mitochondrial function using adenosylcobalamin may represent simple, safe, effective therapeutic strategies for addressing MMF.
2.Structural insights into the binding modes of lanreotide and pasireotide with somatostatin receptor 1.
Zicheng ZENG ; Qiwen LIAO ; Shiyi GAN ; Xinyu LI ; Tiantian XIONG ; Lezhi XU ; Dan LI ; Yunlu JIANG ; Jing CHEN ; Richard YE ; Yang DU ; Thiansze WONG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(5):2468-2479
Somatostatin receptor 1 (SSTR1) is a crucial therapeutic target for various neuroendocrine and oncological disorders. Current SSTR1-targeted treatments, including the first-generation somatostatin analog lanreotide (Lan) and the second-generation analog pasireotide (Pas), show promise but encounter challenges related to selectivity and efficacy. This study presents high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy structures of SSTR1 complexed with Lan or Pas, revealing the distinct mechanisms of ligand-binding and activation. These structures illustrate unique conformational changes in the SSTR1 orthosteric pocket induced by each ligand, which are critical for receptor activation and ligand selectivity. Combined with the biochemical assays and molecular dynamics simulations, our results provide a comparative analysis of binding characteristics within the SSTR family, highlighting subtle differences in SSTR1 activation by Lan and Pas. These insights pave the way for designing next-generation therapies with enhanced efficacy and reduced side effects through improved receptor subtype selectivity.
3.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):101108-101108
Sennoside A (SA), a typical prodrug, exerts its laxative effect only after its transformation into rheinanthrone 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. pseudocatenulatum), 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.
4.Progress on treatment of posterior angle injury of medial meniscus of knee joint under arthroscopy.
Shi-Xue LU ; Lei DING ; Qi CHEN ; You-Zhi XU ; Gan HUANG ; Jun LI
China Journal of Orthopaedics and Traumatology 2025;38(6):651-656
The injury of the posterior Angle of the medial meniscus of the knee joint is very common in clinic, and the arthroscopic treatment of the knee joint has been the first choice. However, there are many difficulties in arthroscopic treatment, such as narrow space in the medial posterior corner of the knee joint, insufficient space to deal with the injured meniscus, varion and lateral rotation under 30° flexion, release of the medial collateral ligament of the knee joint, and expansion of the knee joint cavity spinner, all of which could expose and expand the medial space of knee joint. Therefore, it is necessary to master and balance the use to avoid collateral injury. It is also necessary to determine the cause of meniscus injury during arthroscopic treatment, such as degenerative injury, simple meniscus repair and forming can hardly solve the pain of patients. Anterior cross injury is easy to cause instability of the knee joint, which is closely related to the injury of the posterior angle of the medial meniscus of the knee joint. In order to achieve the maximum therapeutic effect, physiological repair should be performed at the same time. There are various types of medial meniscus posterior angle injury, among which the Ramp injury, root fracture and laminae meniscus injury are greatly affected by joint degeneration, narrow knee space or knee stability, and all influencing factors should be fully considered in treatment.
Humans
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Arthroscopy/methods*
;
Tibial Meniscus Injuries/surgery*
;
Knee Joint/surgery*
;
Menisci, Tibial/surgery*
;
Knee Injuries/surgery*
5.Prevalence and risk factors of training-related abdominal injuries: A multicenter survey study.
Chuan PANG ; Wen-Quan LIANG ; Gan ZHANG ; Ting-Ting LU ; Yun-He GAO ; Xin MIAO ; Zhi-Da CHEN ; Yi LIU ; Wen-Tong XU ; Hong-Qing XI
Chinese Journal of Traumatology 2025;28(4):301-306
PURPOSE:
This study aims to identify the prevalence and risk factors of military training-related abdominal injuries and help plan and conduct training properly.
METHODS:
This questionnaire survey study was conducted from October 2021 to May 2022 among military personnel from 6 military units and 8 military medical centers and participants' medical records were consulted to identify the training-related abdominal injuries. All the military personnel who ever participated in military training were included. Those who refused to participate in this study or provided an incomplete questionnaire were excluded. The questionnaire collected demographic information, type of abdominal injury, frequency, training subjects, triggers, treatment, and training disturbance. Chi-square test and t-test were used to compare baseline information. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were used to explore the risk factors associated with military training-related abdominal injuries.
RESULTS:
A total of 3058 participants were involved in this study, among which 1797 (58.8%) had suffered training-related abdominal injuries (the mean age was 24.3 years and the service time was 5.6 years), while 1261 (41.2%) had no training-related abdominal injuries (the mean age was 23.1 years and the service time was 4.3 years). There were 546 injured patients (30.4%) suspended the training and 84 (4.6%) needed to be referred to higher-level hospitals. The most common triggers included inadequate warm-up, fatigue, and intense training. The training subjects with the most abdominal injuries were long-distance running (589, 32.8%). Civil servants had the highest rate of abdominal trauma (17.1%). Age ≥ 25 years, military service ≥ 3 years, poor sleep status, and previous abdominal history were independent risk factors for training-related abdominal injury.
CONCLUSION
More than half of the military personnel have suffered military training-related abdominal injuries. Inadequate warm-up, fatigue, and high training intensity are the most common inducing factors. Scientific and proper training should be conducted according to the factors causing abdominal injuries.
Humans
;
Military Personnel
;
Risk Factors
;
Prevalence
;
Male
;
Abdominal Injuries/etiology*
;
Female
;
Adult
;
Surveys and Questionnaires
;
Young Adult
6.Laser-assisted spatiotemporal control of Noxa expression in engineering bacteria for treating tumors.
Tingfang GAN ; Naiming ZHENG ; Huifeng LI ; Jinrui XU ; Ningning WU ; Lixin MA ; Yunhong HU
Chinese Journal of Biotechnology 2025;41(8):3199-3213
Bacterial therapy has attracted increasing attention due to its special mechanism and abundant applications. With the flourishing development of synthetic biology, therapeutic genes have been introduced into engineering bacteria to improve their antitumor efficacy. However, it is difficult to spatiotemporally control the expression of these therapeutic genes at the tumor site in vivo, thereby considerably limiting the application of engineered bacteria in tumor treatment. To resolve this problem, we constructed a temperature-responsive bacterial strain capable of triggering the expression of exogenous genes in a laser-controllable way. Noxa, a pro-apoptotic protein, is chosen to test the expression of exogenous protein and its anti-tumor effect in engineered bacteria upon laser irradiation. Firstly, Noxa was fused to the C-terminus of the bacterial outer membrane protein cytolysin A (ClyA), and then the recombinant gene fragment ClyA-Noxa was inserted into the temperature-sensitive plasmid pBV220 and the recombinant plasmid was transformed into non-pathogenic Escherichia coli MG1655. Thus, we constructed the engineering strain (TRB@Noxa) that could express Noxa on the bacterial surface. TRB@Noxa could target and colonize the tumor tissue without causing notable host toxicity. The bacterial infection triggered thrombosis in the tumor tissue, resulting in the darkness of tumor sites. In a xenograft mouse tumor model, our strategy demonstrated precise tumor targeting and strong tumor inhibition. In conclusion, we successfully constructed a new engineering bacterial strain TRB@Noxa. TRB@Noxa combined with photothermal therapy could arrest tumor growth in the absence of photosensitizers, which represents an appealing method for antitumor therapy in the future.
Escherichia coli/radiation effects*
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Animals
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Humans
;
Lasers
;
Mice
;
Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/biosynthesis*
;
Neoplasms/therapy*
;
Genetic Engineering
;
Cell Line, Tumor
;
Escherichia coli Proteins/genetics*
7.Efficacy and safety of CA280 cytokine adsorption column in treatment of acute-on-chronic liver failure
Yan HE ; Dakai GAN ; Xiaoqing ZHANG ; Tao LONG ; Xuezhen ZHANG ; Wei ZHANG ; Yizhen XU ; Yuyu ZENG ; Rui ZHOU ; Shuanglan LIU ; Xizi JIANG ; Yushi LU ; Molong XIONG ; Yunfeng XIONG
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2025;41(10):2093-2101
ObjectiveTo investigate the application of the novel inflammatory factor adsorption column CA280 combined with low-dose plasma exchange (LPE) in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). MethodsA prospective cohort study was designed, and a total of 93 ACLF patients who were admitted to The Ninth Hospital of Nanchang from June 2023 to January 2025 were enrolled and randomly divided into DPMAS+LPE group with 50 patients and CA280+LPE group with 43 patients. In addition to comprehensive medical treatment, the patients in the DPMAS+LPE group received DPMAS and LPE treatment, and those in the CA280+LPE group received CA280 and LPE treatment. The two groups were observed in terms of routine blood test results, liver function parameters, renal function markers, electrolytes, coagulation function parameters, cytokines, adverse events, and 28-day prognosis before surgery (baseline), during surgery (DPMAS or CA280), and after surgery (after sequential LPE treatment). The paired t-test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data before and after treatment within each group, and the independent-samples t test was used for comparison between groups; the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data before and after treatment within each group, and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison between groups. The chi-square test or the Fisher’s exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups, and the Spearman test was used for correlation analysis. ResultsAfter CA280 treatment, the ACLF patients had significant reductions in the levels of cytokines (IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, TNF-α, and IFN-γ), liver function parameters (ALT, AST, ALP, TBil, DBil, Alb, and glutathione reductase), and the renal function marker urea nitrogen (all P<0.05), and in terms of coagulation function parameters, there were significant increases in prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), thrombin time, and international normalized ratio (INR) and significant reductions in prothrombin activity (PTA) and fibrinogen (FIB) (all P<0.05). Compared with the DPMAS+LPE group, the CA280+LPE group showed better improvements in the serum cytokines IL-8 (Z=-2.63, P=0.009), IL-10 (Z=-3.94, P<0.001), and TNF-α (Z=-1.53, P=0.023), and the two artificial liver support systems had a similar effect in improving liver function (ALT, AST, GGT, GR, TBil, and DBil) (all P >0.05), but the CA280+LPE group showed a significantly greater reduction in Alb (Z=-2.08, P=0.037). CA280+LPE was more effective in reducing uric acid (Z=-2.97, P=0.003). Compared with DPMAS+LPE, CA280+LPE treatment resulted in a significant reduction in INR (Z=-4.01, P<0.001), a significant increase in APTT (Z=-2.53, P=0.011), and significant greater increases in PTA (Z=-6.28, P<0.001) and FIB (Z=-3.93, P<0.001). There were no significant differences in the incidence rates of adverse reactions and the rate of improvement at discharge between the two groups (all P>0.05). The Spearman correlation analysis showed that IL-6 was significantly correlated with WBC (r=0.22, P=0.042), TBil (r=0.29, P=0.005), and FIB (r=-0.33, P=0.003); IL-8 was positively correlated with APTT (r=0.37, P<0.001) and INR (r=0.25, P=0.013); TNF-α was significantly correlated with WBC (r=0.40, P<0.001) and TBil (r=0.34, P<0.001). ConclusionCompared with DPMAS, CA280 combined with LPE can effectively clear proinflammatory cytokines and improve liver function in ACLF patients, but it has a certain impact on Alb and coagulation function. This regimen provides a new option for the individualized treatment of ACLF and can improve the short-term prognosis of patients, but further studies are needed to verify its long-term efficacy.
8.Analysis of depressive symptoms and associated factors among primary and secondary school students in the in depth monitoring counties Rural Nutrition Improvement Program
Chinese Journal of School Health 2025;46(2):219-222
Objective:
To understand the prevalence and related factors of depressive symptoms among primary and secondary school students in the in depth monitoring counties of China s Rural Compulsory Education Nutrition Improvement Program, so as to provide a basis for prevention and psychological intervention of depressive symptoms among children and adolescents in rural areas.
Methods:
In November 2022, a stratified random sampling method was adopted to collect height and weight data, basic personal and family information of 7 949 primary and secondary school students from grade three to grade nine through physical measurements and questionnaires in 56 key monitoring schools implementing the Student Nutrition Improvement Program in 7 in depth monitoring counties (Jalaid Banner in Inner Mongolia, Jinzhai County in Anhui, Mao Xian in Sichuan, Tiandeng County in Guangxi, Mian County in Shaanxi, Zhaozhou County in Heilongjiang and Youxi County in Fujian), and to obtain the information related to their depressive symptoms through the self assessment questionnaire on depression. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was conducted to analyze the prevalence of depressive symptoms among primary and secondary school students, as well as their related factors.
Results:
The detection rate of depressive symptoms among primary and secondary school students in the in depth monitored counties was 23.5%. Logistic regression analysis showed that the probability of detecting depressive symptoms was higher among female students, middle school students, students whose video screen duration per day was >2 h, and students whose parents marital status was divorced or widowed ( OR =1.40, 1.64, 1.60, 1.24), and students whose sleep duration reached the recommended standard, whose parents usually accompanied them daily for time was 60-<120 min and ≥120 min, and students whose mothers literacy level was middle school graduation had lower probability of detecting depressive symptoms ( OR =0.85, 0.84, 0.71, 0.76) ( P < 0.05 ).
Conclusion
The detection rate of depressive symptoms among students in the in depth monitoring area is high, and targeted interventions need to be developed for students to reduce the risk of mental health problems.
9.Correlation between uterine volume and intrauterine adhesion: a propensity score matching analysis
Qian XU ; Hua DUAN ; Yuanyuan AN ; Lu GAN
Chinese Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 2025;60(1):18-23
Objective:To investigate the correlation between uterine volume and intrauterine adhesion (IUA).Methods:From June 2018 to November 2019, totally 7 007 patients who underwent hysteroscopy in outpatient operating rooms of Gynecological Minimally Invasive Center, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital were retrospectively analyzed . Patients of reproductive age with IUA without uterine fibroids and adenomyosis were selected as IUA group, and patients of reproductive age without uterine fibroids and adenomyosis without IUA during the same period were selected as the control group. The propensity score matching (PSM) method was used to perform 1∶1 matching for the two groups of patients, matching variables included age, height, weight, body mass index (BMI), gravidity, parity, and number of abortion curettage. Whether there was any difference in uterine volume between the two groups of patients was compared, and whether uterine volume was an influencing factor of IUA was explored. The patients in IUA group were also categorized into mild, moderate and severe to explore whether uterine volume influenced the severity of IUA. Results:(1) After inclusion and exclusion criteria, 351 patients were included in IUA group and 2 986 patients in the control group. With PSM, 327 patients in IUA group and 327 patients in the control group were finally enrolled in this study. There were no statistically significant differences in age, height, weight, BMI, gravidity, parity, and number of abortion curettage between the two groups of patients after matching (all P>0.05). (2) After PSM, there was a significant difference between the uterine volume of IUA group (median: 44.23 cm 3) and the uterine volume of the control group (median: 57.20 cm 3; P<0.001). (3) Reduced uterine volume ( OR=0.961, 95% CI: 0.952-0.970) was an independent risk factor for IUA ( P<0.001). (4) Uterine volume had a significant effect on the severity of IUA ( P<0.001), the larger the uterine volume ( B=-0.030, 95% CI: -0.044 to -0.017), the less severe the IUA. Conclusions:Reduced uterine volume is an independent risk factor for IUA, and uterine volume has a significant effect on the severity of IUA. In patients with small uterine volume size, primary and secondary prevention of IUA should be emphasized.
10.Predictive value of uterine volume for intrauterine adhesions caused by endometrial injury
Qian XU ; Hua DUAN ; Yuanyuan AN ; Lu GAN
Chinese Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 2025;60(7):528-533
Objective:To investigate the predictive value of uterine volume for intrauterine adhesion (IUA) caused by endometrial injury, and to provide a new perspective for the primary prevention of IUA.Methods:The clinical data of 7 007 patients of reproductive age who underwent outpatient hysteroscopy in the Gynecological Minimally Invasive Center, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital from June 2018 to November 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients of reproductive age with IUA without uterine fibroids and adenomyosis were selected as the IUA group (351 cases), and patients of reproductive age without uterine fibroids and adenomyosis and without IUA during the same period were selected as the control group (2 986 cases). The uterine volume was compared between the two groups. Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis was used to determine whether uterine volume was an independent factor for the occurrence of IUA. Ordinal multinomial logistic regression was used to analyze the correlation between uterine volume and menstrual volume in IUA patients. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the predictive value of uterine volume for IUA caused by endometrial injury.Results:(1) The uterine volume of the IUA group was significantly smaller than that of the control group (median: 44.15 vs 62.59 cm 3; Z=-15.742, P<0.001). (2) Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis showed that decreased uterine volume was an independent risk factor for IUA ( OR=0.184, 95% CI: 0.139-0.245; P<0.001). (3) The area under the ROC curve of uterine volume to predict IUA was 0.756, and the optimal cut-off value of uterine volume to predict IUA was 51.49 cm 3. (4) The risk of IUA caused by endometrial injury in patients with uterine volume≤51.49 cm 3 was 4.658 times higher than that in patients with uterine volume>51.49 cm 3 (95% CI: 3.681-5.893; P<0.001). (5) The smaller the uterine volume ( β=-0.032, 95% CI:-0.046 to -0.018; P<0.001), the more likely the IUA patients were to have menorrhagia and amenorrhea. Conclusions:Uterine volume has a certain predictive value for the occurrence of IUA caused by endometrial injury. For patients with small uterine volume, it is necessary to be alert to the occurrence of IUA caused by endometrial injury and improve the awareness of primary prevention.


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