1.Role of SWI/SNF Chromatin Remodeling Complex in Tumor Drug Resistance
Gui-Zhen ZHU ; Qiao YE ; Yuan LUO ; Jie PENG ; Lu WANG ; Zhao-Ting YANG ; Feng-Sen DUAN ; Bing-Qian GUO ; Zhu-Song MEI ; Guang-Yun WANG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(1):20-31
Tumor drug resistance is an important problem in the failure of chemotherapy and targeted drug therapy, which is a complex process involving chromatin remodeling. SWI/SNF is one of the most studied ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes in tumorigenesis, which plays an important role in the coordination of chromatin structural stability, gene expression, and post-translation modification. However, its mechanism in tumor drug resistance has not been systematically combed. SWI/SNF can be divided into 3 types according to its subunit composition: BAF, PBAF, and ncBAF. These 3 subtypes all contain two mutually exclusive ATPase catalytic subunits (SMARCA2 or SMARCA4), core subunits (SMARCC1 and SMARCD1), and regulatory subunits (ARID1A, PBRM1, and ACTB, etc.), which can control gene expression by regulating chromatin structure. The change of SWI/SNF complex subunits is one of the important factors of tumor drug resistance and progress. SMARCA4 and ARID1A are the most widely studied subunits in tumor drug resistance. Low expression of SMARCA4 can lead to the deletion of the transcription inhibitor of the BCL2L1 gene in mantle cell lymphoma, which will result in transcription up-regulation and significant resistance to the combination therapy of ibrutinib and venetoclax. Low expression of SMARCA4 and high expression of SMARCA2 can activate the FGFR1-pERK1/2 signaling pathway in ovarian high-grade serous carcinoma cells, which induces the overexpression of anti-apoptosis gene BCL2 and results in carboplatin resistance. SMARCA4 deletion can up-regulate epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by activating YAP1 gene expression in triple-negative breast cancer. It can also reduce the expression of Ca2+ channel IP3R3 in ovarian and lung cancer, resulting in the transfer of Ca2+ needed to induce apoptosis from endoplasmic reticulum to mitochondria damage. Thus, these two tumors are resistant to cisplatin. It has been found that verteporfin can overcome the drug resistance induced by SMARCA4 deletion. However, this inhibitor has not been applied in clinical practice. Therefore, it is a promising research direction to develop SWI/SNF ATPase targeted drugs with high oral bioavailability to treat patients with tumor resistance induced by low expression or deletion of SMARCA4. ARID1A deletion can activate the expression of ANXA1 protein in HER2+ breast cancer cells or down-regulate the expression of progesterone receptor B protein in endometrial cancer cells. The drug resistance of these two tumor cells to trastuzumab or progesterone is induced by activating AKT pathway. ARID1A deletion in ovarian cancer can increase the expression of MRP2 protein and make it resistant to carboplatin and paclitaxel. ARID1A deletion also can up-regulate the phosphorylation levels of EGFR, ErbB2, and RAF1 oncogene proteins.The ErbB and VEGF pathway are activated and EMT is increased. As a result, lung adenocarcinoma is resistant to epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs). Although great progress has been made in the research on the mechanism of SWI/SNF complex inducing tumor drug resistance, most of the research is still at the protein level. It is necessary to comprehensively and deeply explore the detailed mechanism of drug resistance from gene, transcription, protein, and metabolite levels by using multi-omics techniques, which can provide sufficient theoretical basis for the diagnosis and treatment of poor tumor prognosis caused by mutation or abnormal expression of SWI/SNF subunits in clinical practice.
2.Analysis of The Characteristics of Brain Functional Activity in Gross Motor Tasks in Children With Autism Based on Functional Near-infrared Spectroscopy Technology
Wen-Hao ZONG ; Qi LIANG ; Shi-Yu YANG ; Feng-Jiao WANG ; Meng-Zhao WEI ; Hong LEI ; Gui-Jun DONG ; Ke-Feng LI
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(8):2146-2162
ObjectiveBased on functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), we investigated the brain activity characteristics of gross motor tasks in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and motor dysfunctions (MDs) to provide a theoretical basis for further understanding the mechanism of MDs in children with ASD and designing targeted intervention programs from a central perspective. MethodsAccording to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 48 children with ASD accompanied by MDs were recruited into the ASD group and 40 children with typically developing (TD) into the TD group. The fNIRS device was used to collect the information of blood oxygen changes in the cortical motor-related brain regions during single-handed bag throwing and tiptoe walking, and the differences in brain activation and functional connectivity between the two groups of children were analyzed from the perspective of brain activation and functional connectivity. ResultsCompared to the TD group, in the object manipulative motor task (one-handed bag throwing), the ASD group showed significantly reduced activation in both left sensorimotor cortex (SMC) and right secondary visual cortex (V2) (P<0.05), whereas the right pre-motor and supplementary motor cortex (PMC&SMA) had significantly higher activation (P<0.01) and showed bilateral brain region activity; in terms of brain functional integration, there was a significant decrease in the strength of brain functional connectivity (P<0.05) and was mainly associated with dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and V2. In the body stability motor task (tiptoe walking), the ASD group had significantly higher activation in motor-related brain regions such as the DLPFC, SMC, and PMC&SMA (P<0.05) and showed bilateral brain region activity; in terms of brain functional integration, the ASD group had lower strength of brain functional connectivity (P<0.05) and was mainly associated with PMC&SMA and V2. ConclusionChildren with ASD exhibit abnormal brain functional activity characteristics specific to different gross motor tasks in object manipulative and body stability, reflecting insufficient or excessive compensatory activation of local brain regions and impaired cross-regions integration, which may be a potential reason for the poorer gross motor performance of children with ASD, and meanwhile provides data support for further unraveling the mechanisms underlying the occurrence of MDs in the context of ASD and designing targeted intervention programs from a central perspective.
3.Recent advances and challenges regarding epigenetic modification in HIV infection
Ai-Ping CHEN ; Lian-Gui FENG ; Yong-Jun ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Zoonoses 2024;40(6):556-563
The establishment and maintenance of latent cellular reservoirs of human immunodeficiency virus(HIV)within days after infection remains a major obstacle to achieving functional HIV cure.Epigenetics pertains to the regulation of gene ex-pression through means beyond mutations in DNA sequences.Research on epigenetic modifications in recent decades has facili-tated in-depth understanding of HIV pathogenesis and ongoing AIDS therapy strategies.This review briefly introduces princi-ples of epigenetics,and summarizes current epigenetic findings observed during HIV infection,particularly regarding the roles of epigenetic mechanisms including DNA methylation,histone modification,RNA modification,and non-coding RNAs in the processes of viral latency and formation of reservoirs.In addition,the implications and challenges of these epigenetic regulatory mechanisms in functional AIDS cure strategies are discussed.This review is aimed at encouraging more research groups to focus on epigenetic studies in HIV-infected populations,to develop more therapeutic drugs based on epigenetics,and to propose more rational and feasible functional AIDS cure strategies.
4.Overexpression of Hsp70 Promoted the Expression of Glycolysis-related Genes in C2C12 Cells
Lei QIN ; Ke XU ; Chun-Guang ZHANG ; Han CHU ; Shi-Fan DENG ; Jian-Bin ZHANG ; Hua YANG ; Liang HONG ; Gui-Feng ZHANG ; Chao SUN ; Lei PU
Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2024;40(10):1417-1425
The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of overexpressing 70-kD heat shock pro-teins(Hsp70)on glycolysis in C2C12 cells during myogenesis and adipogenesis.Using C2C12 cells as the research material,adenovirus was used to overexpress the Hsp70 gene,and changes in the expression of glycolytic genes were detected using fluorescence quantitative PCR and Western blotting techniques.The study indicated that during C2C12 cell myogenic differentiation,the expression trend of the Hsp70 gene was consistent with that of Gsk3β,Pkm,Prkag3,Pfkm,and Hk-2 genes,suggesting a relationship between Hsp70 and the glycolytic pathway during myogenic differentiation.Overexpression of Hsp70 in the later stages of myogenic differentiation significantly upregulated the expression of Gsk3β,Pkm,Prk-ag3,and Pfkm genes(P<0.05),with no significant impact on Hk-2 gene expression(P>0.05).Dur-ing C2C12 cell adipogenic induction,the expression trend of the Hsp70 gene was similar to that of Gsk3β,Pkm,Prkag3,Pfkm,and Hk-2 genes,indicating a relationship between Hsp70 and the glycolytic path-way during adipogenic induction.Following Hsp70 overexpression,in the later stages of adipogenic in-duction,the number of lipid droplets was significantly higher compared to the control group,with a sig-nificant upregulation of Gsk3β,Pkm,Prkag3,and Pfkm gene expression(P<0.05),while Hk-2 gene expression was not significantly affected(P>0.05).In conclusion,Hsp70 in C2C12 cells in myogenic and adipogenic states promoted the breakdown of glycogen into 6-phospho-glucose,thereby enhancing the glycolytic pathway,providing insights into the functional role of the Hsp70 gene in glycolysis in C2C12 cells.
5.Inhibitory Effect of Metformin and Arsenic Trioxide on KG1a Cell Proliferation
Meng LIU ; Shu-Min GUI ; Ming-Ming FENG ; Hui LIU ; Xiao-Hui SI ; Xin-Qing NIU
Journal of Experimental Hematology 2024;32(1):66-70
Objective:To investigate the effect of metformin and arsenic trioxide on KG1a cells proliferation of acute myeloid leukemia and its possible mechanism.Methods:CCK-8 method was used to detect the killing effect of metformin,arsenic trioxide and combined application on KG1a cells.Annexin V-FITC/P1 Dual Stain Flow Cytometry was used to detect the effect of combined application on apoptosis of KG1 a cells.Western blot was used to detect the expression of intracellular apoptosis-,autophagy-related protein.Results:Metformin and arsenic trioxide alone or in combination could inhibit the proliferation of KG1 a cells and induce apoptosis of KG1 a cells,and the proliferation inhibition rate and apoptosis rate in the combined drug group were higher than those in the drug group alone(P<0.05).The combination of drugs induced upregulation of Caspase 8 protein and P62 protein expression and was higher than that in the drug group alone(P<0.05).Conclusion:Metformin can synergize with arsenic trioxide to kill KG1a cells,and its mechanism of action may be related to inducing apoptosis and enhancing autophagy.
6.Serological Characteristics and Clinical Significance of Irregular Antibodies in Pregnant Women
Tao ZHANG ; Gui-Lin YANG ; Hong-Peng ZHANG ; Ying-Ying WU ; Sheng-Lan LI ; Kuai WAN ; Hai-Feng QI ; Chun-Li LI
Journal of Experimental Hematology 2024;32(1):231-236
Objective:To understand the serological characteristics of irregular antibodies in pregnant women and explore their clinical significance.Methods:From January 2017 to March 2022,151 471 pregnant women in Women and Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University were enrolled in this study,microcolumn gel card test was used for irregular antibody screening,and antibody specificity identification was further performed in some antibody-positive subjects.Results:The positive rate of irregular antibody screening in the enrolled pregnant women was 0.91%(1 375/151 471),0.23%(355/151 471)was detected in the first trimester,0.05%(71/151 471)in the second trimester,and 0.63%(949/151 471)in the third trimester.The positive rate of irregular antibody screening in the third trimester was significantly higher than that in the first and second trimester,and a significant increase in the number of positive cases was found in the third trimester than that in the second trimester.The analysis of agglutination intensity of 1 375 irregular antibody screening positive results showed that the weakly positive agglutination intensity accounted for 50.11%(689/1 375),which was the highest,the suspicious positive was 18.69%(257/1 375),and the positive was 31.20%(429/1 375).The significant difference in distribution of agglutination intensity was not observed between the first trimester group and the second trimester group,however,in the third trimester,the proportion of suspicious positive and weakly positive was lower than the first trimester,while,the proportion of positive was higher than the first trimester,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.001).Among the irregular antibody screening positive pregnant women,the proportion of pregnant women with pregnancy number ≥ 2 was significantly higher than that with pregnancy≤1.Among 60 pregnant women who underwent antibody identification,the distributions of the antibodies were as follows:Rh blood group system accounted for 23.33%(14/60),Lewis system 43.33%(26/60),Kidd system 3.33%(2/60),MNS system 16.67%(10/60),P1PK system 1.67%(1/60),autoantibodies 1.67%(1/60),and 4 cases was unable to identify(6.67%,4/60).Among specific antibodies,the anti-Lea was the most common(30.00%),followed by anti-E(16.67%)and anti-M(16.67%).Conclusion:The differences of irregular antibody serological characteristics exist in pregnant women from different regions with different genetic backgrounds,understanding the characteristics of irregular antibody in local pregnant women is of great significance for ensuring transfusion safety in pregnant women and preventing hemolytic disease of newborn.
7.Research progress on the role of the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway in sarcopenia
Feng CHEN ; Ming GUI ; Lijuan ZHAO
Chinese Journal of Geriatrics 2024;43(9):1216-1221
Sarcopenia is a progressive disease characterized by the loss of skeletal muscle mass and function.The risk of developing sarcopenia increases with age, making it a significant clinical concern for the elderly.However, the molecular mechanism underlying this disease remains unclear, and there is a lack of consensus regarding treatment strategies and evaluation of their effectiveness.In recent years, researchers have explored various factors such as nutrition, exercise, and genetics to understand the mechanisms involved.One such regulatory pathway, the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, has been found to be associated with multiple factors.This review aims to shed light on the regulatory mechanisms of cytokines, hormones, pro-inflammatory factors, and mitochondria within this pathway in the context of sarcopenia.By doing so, it hopes to offer new insights for the treatment of sarcopenia.
8.Xiaozheng Granules combined with Jingqiankang Bacteriostatic Gelatin for chronic prostatitis with damp-heat and blood stasis:A clinical observation based on infrared thermography
Peng MA ; Qi ZHANG ; Gui-Feng CHANG ; Zu-Long WANG
National Journal of Andrology 2024;30(6):540-546
Objective:To evaluate the clinical efficacy of Xiaozheng Granules(XZG)combined with Jingqiankang Bacterio-static Gelatin(JBG)on chronic prostatitis of the damp-heat and blood-stasis type based on infrared thermography(IRT).Methods:This study included 120 cases of chronic prostatitis with damp-heat and blood stasis treated in the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan U-niversity of Chinese Medicine with oral XZG(the control group,n=60)or oral XZG combined with anal administration of JBG(the trial group,n=60),both for 4 weeks.We obtained the NIH-CPSI and traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome scores of the patients,measured the temperatures in the belt-vessel,lower focal and inguinal regions by IRT before and after treatment,recorded the adverse reactions during the treatment,and compared them between the two groups of patients.Results:Compared with the base-line,the NIH-CPSI and TCM syndrome scores were significantly decreased in the two groups of patients after treatment(P<0.05),even more significantly in the trial than in the control group(P<0.05),and after 1 hour of treatment,the temperatures in the Xia-jiao([34.09±0.34]vs[33.60±0.40]℃,P<0.05)and the groin region([34.49±0.28]vs[33.78±0.30]℃,P<0.05)were remarkably reduced in the trial group,but showed no significant change in the control group(Xiajiao region:[34.02±0.29]vs[34.05±0.26]℃,P>0.05;groin region:[34.54±0.25]vs[34.51±0.22]℃,P>0.05).After 4 weeks of treatment,the temperatures in the Xiajiao and groin regions were even lower in the trial([33.13±0.41]℃ and[33.21±0.29]℃ )and the control group([33.42±0.25]℃ and[33.86±0.29]℃ )than the baseline and those after 1 hour of treatment(P<0.05),and still more significantly in the former than in the latter group(P<0.05).The total effectiveness rate was markedly higher in the trial group than in the control(88.14% vs 77.19%,P<0.05),and no obvious adverse reactions were observed in neither group.Conclusion:XZG combined with JBG is a safe and effective treatment of chronic prostatitis with damp-heat and blood-stasis,which can significantly reduce the NIH-CPSI and TCM syndrome scores and IRT temperatures in the lower focal and in-guinal regions of the patients.
9.Quality evaluation of Yanyangke Mixture
Xiao-Lian LIANG ; Xiong-Bin GUI ; Yong CHEN ; Zheng-Teng YANG ; Jia-Bao MA ; Feng-Xian ZHAO ; Hai-Mei SONG ; Jia-Ru FENG
Chinese Traditional Patent Medicine 2024;46(6):1781-1787
AIM To evaluate the quality of Yanyangke Mixture.METHODS The HPLC fingerprints were established,after which cluster analysis,principal component analysis and partial least squares discriminant analysis were performed.The contents of liquiritin,rosmarinic acid,sheganoside,irisgenin,honokiol,monoammonium glycyrrhizinate,irisflorentin,isoliquiritin and magnolol were determined,the analysis was performed on a 35 ℃ thermostatic Agilent ZORBAX SB-C18 column(5 μm,250 mmx4.6 mm),with the mobile phase comprising of 0.1%phosphoric acid-acetonitrile flowing at 1 mL/min in a gradient elution manner,and multi-wavelength detection was adopted.RESULTS There were ten common peaks in the fingerprints for twelve batches of samples with the similarities of more than 0.9.Various batches of samples were clustered into three types,three principal components displayed the acumulative variance contribution rate of 87.448%,peaks 5、14(honokiol),3(liquiritin),11(monoammonium glycyrrhizinate)and 15(asarinin)were quality markers.Nine constituents showed good linear relationships within their own ranges(r>0.999 0),whose average recoveries were 98.5%-103.6%with the RSDs of 0.92%-1.7%.CONCLUSION This stable and reliable method can provide a basis for the quality control of Yanyangke Mixture.
10.Consistency of chemical constituents between formula granules and standard decoction of Coptidis Rhizoma
Dai-Liang ZHANG ; Xin-Na DONG ; Lei SHI ; Xiao-Di DONG ; Yong-Qiang LIN ; Rong-Fei ZHANG ; Jing-Hua ZHANG ; Yuan-Cheng YAO ; Feng-Chao ZHANG ; Gui-Yun CAO ; Zhao-Qing MENG
Chinese Traditional Patent Medicine 2024;46(9):2851-2858
AIM To investigate the consistency of chemical constituents between formula granules and standard decoction of Coptidis Rhizoma.METHODS Eighteen batches of standard decoctions were prepared,after which the extraction rate and contents,transfer rates of magnolflorine,jatrorrhizine,columbamine,epiberberine,coptisine,palmatine,berberin were determined,HPLC characteristic chromatograms were established.RESULTS There were 11 common peaks in the characteristic chromatograms of 18 batches of standard decoctions and 24 batches of formula granules with the similarities of 0.861-1.000,which were clusterd into two categories.The formula granules and standard decoction demonstrated approximated extraction rate and contents,transfer rates of index constituents.CONCLUSION The chemical constituents between formula granules and standard decoction of Coptidis Rhizoma display good consistency,which can provide references for the quality control,process research and clinical application of the former.

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