OBJECTIVE To screen characteristic peaks of hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae(hvKP)using ma-trix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry(MALDI-TOF MS)combined with EX-Smartspec software and establish a rapid detection model for hvKP.METHODS Based on identification criteria of any positive peg-344,iroB,iucA,rmpA,prmpA2 genes or siderophore production＞30 μg/ml,89 hvKP and 72 classical Klebsiella pneumoniae(cKP)strains were initially collected and validated for virulence via Galleria mellonella assays.A diagnostic model distinguishing hvKP from cKP was constructed using EX-Smartspec soft-ware and a convolutional neural network algorithm,integrating characteristic peaks and cluster analysis to provide a rapid and accurate clinical diagnostic tool.RESULTS MALDI-TOF MS analysis identified a characteristic hvKP peak at(3 835±100)ppm.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis revealed optimal performance in distinguishing hvKP with an area under the curve(AUC)=0.741.When AUC ≥0.089,the model demonstra-ted high sensitivity(86.41％),specificity(69.90％),accuracy(78.16％),positive predictive value(74.17％),and negative predictive value(83.72％)in differentiating hvKP from cKP.Cluster analysis further validated the model's classification accuracy.Additionally,the typing classification model exhibited high accuracy(approxi-mately 0.95 and 0.90 in training and validation phases,respectively)and low loss values(-0.18 and 0.30).Val-idation of 6 randomly selected hvKP and 5 cKP strains showed a 100.00％pass rate.CONCLUSION The estab-lished diagnostic model for hvKP and cKP provides a rapid and accurate clinical tool for timely treatment of hvKP-related infections.

To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 in Fujian Province from the 49th week of 2022 to the 5th week of 2023,after further optimization of China's COVID-19 prevention and control measures on December 7,2022(the 49th week of 2022),this study used multi-dimensional surveillance data to dynamically assess population infection levels and their changing trends.The aim of the study was to provide a scientific basis for early warning of epidemic risk,medical resource allocation,and evalu-ation of socio-economic impact.A multi-source data surveillance system was constructed,encompassing surveillance of fever clinics at medical institutions(weekly collection of visits,positive nucleic acid and antigen test results,inpatients,and severe cases in sec-ondary or above hospitals),population nucleic acid test monitoring(weekly person-times and positivity rates of single-tube tests from the provincial system),sentinel hospital monitoring(weekly proportion of influenza-like illness visits at 18 sentinel hospitals and re-lated viral testing data),and monitoring of novel coronavirus variants(weekly systematic collection of genomic sequences of local and imported cases).Line charts were plotted weekly,and time series analysis,molecular epidemiological methods,and an improved SEIAR model were used to simulate epidemic spread.During the study period,the COVID-19 epidemic in Fujian Province exhibited three distinct stages.In the infection peak stage(52nd week of 2022),the provincial fever clinic visits reached 606 893 person-times,and a 49.2%positivity rate in population single-tube nucleic acid tests and 63.8%positivity rate in sentinel hospital monitoring were observed.In the medical load peak stage(2nd week of 2023),274 460 inpatients and 28 487 severe cases were recorded.In the epidemic decline stage(4th to 5th weeks of 2023),fever clinic visits decreased by 96.3%with respect to the peak,the single-tube nucleic acid test positivity rate decreased to 6.3%,and the sentinel hospital COVID-19 nucleic acid test positivity rate was 6.4%.All 508 sequenced local cases were Omicron variants,predominantly BA.5.2 and its sub-lineages(67.4%).Among 56 imported se-quenced cases,BA.5.2 and its sub-lineages accounted for 50.0%,and 16.1%comprised nine variants of interest including XBB and BQ.The model predicted the infection peak in the 52nd week of 2022,whereas the hospitalization peak lagged by approximately 10.6 days.Multi-source data monitoring revealed a three-stage development of the COVID-19 epidemic in Fujian.The BA.5.2 strain was dominant during the epidemic.The combination of multi-source monitoring data and modeling provides important references for epi-demic prevention and control,and highlights the need to improve the monitoring system in follow-up.

ObjectiveTo investigate the possible mechanism by which Zhiqiao Gancao Decoction （枳壳甘草汤， ZGD） delays intervertebral disc degeneration （IDD） based on the Hippo-yes-associated protein （YAP）/transcriptional co-activator with PDZ-binding motif （TAZ） signaling pathway. MethodsA total of 50 SD rats were randomly divided into sham surgery group， model group， low-dose ZGD group， high-dose ZGD group， and high-dose ZGD + inhibitor group， with 10 rats in each group. In the sham surgery group， the rats were pierced in the skin and muscle at the Co6/7/8 segments of the tail with a 21G needle （depth approximately 2 mm） without damaging the intervertebral disc. In the other groups， rats were injected with a 21G needle at the Co6/7/8 segments of the tail to establish an IDD model by piercing the tail intervertebral disc 5 mm. One week after modeling， rats in the low-dose and high-dose ZGD groups were given 6.24 and 12.24 g/（kg·d） of the decoction via gastric gavage， respectively. The high-dose ZGD + inhibitor group was given 12.24 g/（kg·d） of the decoction and an intraperitoneal injection of YAP/TAZ inhibitor Verteporfin 10 mg/kg. The sham surgery and model groups were given 5 ml/（kg·d） of normal saline via gavage. The gavage was given once a day， and the intraperitoneal injection was given every other day. After 4 weeks of continuous intervention， the pathological changes of the tail intervertebral discs were observed using HE staining， Oil Red O-Green staining， and Toluidine Blue staining. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of aggrecan and MMP3 in the nucleus pulposus. TUNEL fluorescence staining was performed to detect apoptosis in the nucleus pulposus， and the apoptosis rate was calculated. Western blot was used to detect the Hippo-YAP/TAZ signaling pathway， including YAP， phosphorylated YAP （p-YAP）， phosphorylated MST1/2 （p-MST1/2）， phosphorylated TAZ （p-TAZ） and apoptosis-related proteins， such as Cleaved Caspase 3， P53， Bcl-2 and Bax. ResultsCompared with sham surgery group， the rats in the model group showed significant degenerative changes in the intervertebral disc. The levels of aggrecan， Bcl-2， and YAP proteins in the nucleus pulposus decreased， while the levels of p-MST1/2， p-YAP， p-TAZ， P53， Bax， Cleaved Caspase 3， MMP3 proteins， and the apoptosis rate increased （P < 0.01）. Compared with the model group， the drug intervention groups showed partial recovery in intervertebral disc degeneration. The levels of aggrecan， Bcl-2， and YAP proteins increased， while the levels of p-MST1/2， p-YAP， p-TAZ， P53， Bax， Cleaved Caspase 3， MMP3 proteins， and the apoptosis rate decreased （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. The high-dose ZGD group showed more significant recovery in intervertebral disc degeneration compared to the low-dose ZGD group， with a decrease in the levels of p-MST1/2， p-YAP， p-TAZ， P53， Bax， Cleaved Caspase 3， MMP3 proteins， and apoptosis rate， and an increase in the levels of aggrecan， Bcl-2， and YAP proteins （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Compared with the high-dose ZGD group， the high-dose ZGD + inhibitor group showed a reduced recovery in intervertebral disc degeneration， with an increase in the levels of p-MST1/2， p-YAP， p-TAZ， P53， Bax， Cleaved Caspase 3， MMP3 proteins， and apoptosis rate， and a decrease in the levels of aggrecan， Bcl-2， and YAP proteins （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. ConclusionZGD may delay intervertebral disc degeneration by inhibiting the phosphorylation of YAP in the nucleus pulposus， maintaining the function of the Hippo-YAP/TAZ signaling pathway， and reducing apoptosis of nucleus pulposus cells.

Objective To explore the effect of Osthole on neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's disease(AD)by regulating the lactylation of pyruvate kinase M2(PKM2).Methods(1)Animal experiments:18 mice were divided into three groups,namely wild-type(WT)group,APP/PS1 group and APP/PS1+Osthole group.Learning-and memory-related biobehavioral indicators were compared among the three groups.Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the positive expression of Iba1 in brain tissue,enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was employed to detect the levels of interleukin(IL)-6,tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α,and IL-1β in brain tissue,and Western Blot was used to detect the protein expression levels of Pan lactylation(Pan-kla)and PKM2 lactylation(PKM2-kla)in brain tissue.(2)Cell experiments:an in vitro AD model was constructed by treated in mouse microglia(BV2 cells)with LPS/Aβ1-42,and followed by treatment with Osthole.Cell viability was detected by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium(MTT),expression of Iba1(a marker of microglial activation)was detected by Western Blot,nitric oxide(NO)production was assessed by Griess reagent,and levels of IL-6,TNF-α and IL-1β were detected by ELISA.BV2 cell-conditioned medium(CM)was co-cultured with neuroblastoma cells(Na2 cells)to assess the protective effect of Osthole on Na2 cells.(3)Molecular docking was performed between Osthole and PKM2,and experimental verification was conducted.Results In animal experiments,deficits of learning and memory in mice were aggravated in APP/PS1 group compared with that in WT group,which were improved upon treatment with Osthole.Furthermore,the APP/PS1 group mice showed an increase in Iba1 positive cells in brain tissue,an increase in the levels of pro-inflammatory factors IL-6,TNF-α and IL-1β,as well as an increase in the levels of Pan-kla and PKM2-kla compared with the WT group,while the above indexes were inhibited by the Osthole treatment.In cell experiments,Osthole had no significant effect on BV2 cell viability at concentrations up to 100 μmol/L.Treatment with LPS/Aβ1-42 upregulated the expression of Iba1,NO production,and levels of pro-inflammatory factors IL-6,TNF-α,and IL-1β in BV2 cells,while Osthole significantly inhibited the expression of these LPS/Aβ1-42-induced indicators.Meanwhile,Osthole attenuated the damage of BV2-CM on Na2 cells.The molecular docking results indicated a good binding affinity between Osthole and PKM2.Treatment with Osthole can down-regulated the levels of lactate,Pan-kla and PKM2-kla in the AD cell model.Conclusion Osthole can improve the condition of AD and reduce neuroinflammation by inhibiting the lactylation of PKM2.

Programmed cell death (PCD) is characterized as a cell death pathway governed by specific gene-encoding requirements, plays crucial roles in the homeostasis and innate immunity of organisms, and serves as both a pathogenic mechanism and a therapeutic target for a variety of human diseases. Z-DNA-binding protein 1 (ZBP1) functions as a cytosolic nucleic acid sensor, utilizing its unique Zα domains to detect endogenous or exogenous nucleic acids and its receptor-interacting protein homotypic interaction motif (RHIM) domains to sense or bind specific signaling molecules, thereby exerting regulatory effects on various forms of PCD. ZBP1 is involved in apoptosis, necroptosis, pyroptosis, and PANoptosis and interacts with molecules, such as receptor-interacting protein kinase 3 (RIPK3), to influence cell fate under various pathological conditions. It plays a crucial role in regulating PCD during infections, inflammatory and neurological diseases, cancers, and other conditions, affecting disease onset and progression. Targeting ZBP1-associated PCD may represent a viable therapeutic strategy for related pathological conditions. This review comprehensively summarizes the regulatory functions of ZBP1 in PCD and its interactions with several closely associated signaling molecules and delineates the diseases linked to ZBP1-mediated PCD, along with the potential therapeutic implications of ZBP1 in these contexts. Ongoing research on ZBP1 is being refined across various disease models, and these advancements may provide novel insights for studies focusing on PCD, potentially leading to new therapeutic options for related diseases.

Objective To analyze the composition of the pharmacodynamic components in the activated prothrombin complex concentrate(aPCC) developed by our research group,and to study the relationship between each pharmacodynamic component and the coagulation factor Ⅷ(FⅧ) bypassing activity.Methods The self-made aPCC concentrates were used as the research object,and the FⅧ bypassing activity was firstly detected by the coagulation method,and then the activities of a series of non-activated coagulation factors,activated coagulation factors and anti-coagulation factors were detected by the coagulation method and chromogenic substrate method.The prothrombin complex concentrate(PCC) in the market was used as a control to analyze the correlation between each pharmacodynamic component and FⅧ bypassing activity.Results The FⅧ bypassing activity of self-made aPCC concentrates and control PCC products were(43.53±3.07) IU/mL and(0.10 ±0.02) IU/mL,respectively,with a significant difference(t=20.16,P <0.01).Compared with the control PCC products,in the non-activated coagulation factors of self-made aPCC concentrates,the activities of coagulation factor Ⅶ(FⅦ) and coagulation factor Ⅸ(FⅨ) were significantly different(t=22.72 and 8.00,respectively,each P <0.05),and the activities of coagulation factor Ⅱ(FⅡ) and coagulation factor Ⅹ(F Ⅹ) showed no significant difference(t=1.67 and-0.96,respectively,each P> 0.05);in the activated coagulation factors of self-made aPCC concentrates,the activities of activated coagulation factor Ⅱ(FⅡ a),activated coagulation factor Ⅸ(FⅨ a),and activated coagulation factor Ⅹ(F Ⅹ a) were significantly different(t=15.92,32.93 and 34.64,respectively,each P <0.01),and there was no significant difference in the activity of activated coagulation factor Ⅶ(FⅦa)(t=2.34,P> 0.05);in the anti-coagulation factors of self-made aPCC concentrates,there was a significant difference in protein S(PS) activity(t=12.82,P <0.01),and there was no significant difference in heparin content or protein C(PC) activity(t=0.85 and-0.34,respectively,each P> 0.05).The FⅧ bypassing activity in the self-made aPCC concentrates and PCC products was significantly correlated with the activities of F Ⅶ,FⅨ,F Ⅱ a,FⅨ a,FⅩa and PS(r=0.999,0.971,0.988,0.994,0.974,and-0.984,respectively,each P <0.01),and was correlated with F Ⅹ a/F Ⅱ(r=0.827,P <0.05).Conclusion Self-made aPCC concentrates contain higher FⅦ bypassing activity,which may be related to the high activity of F Ⅶ,FⅨ,F Ⅱ a,FIX a and FⅩa.

OBJECTIVE To explore the effect and mechanism of Zhiqiao gancao decoction （ZQGCD） on pathological angiogenesis of degenerative intervertebral disc. METHODS The rats were randomly divided into sham operation group （normal saline）， model group （normal saline）， hypoxia inducible factor-1α （HIF-1α） inhibitor （YC-1） group [2 mg/（kg·d）， tail vein injection]， and ZQGCD low-dose， medium-dose and high-dose groups [3.06， 6.12， 12.24 g/（kg·d）]， with 8 rats in each group. Except for sham operation group， lumbar disc degeneration model of rat was constructed in all other groups. After modeling， they were given relevant medicine once a day， for consecutive 3 weeks. After the last medication， pathological changes and angiogenesis of the intervertebral disc tissue in rats were observed； the levels of inflammatory factors [interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， IL-6， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）] and the expressions of angiogenesis-related proteins [HIF-1α， vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF）， VEGF receptor 2 （VEGFR2）， angiotensin 1（Ang 1）， Ang 2] in the com intervertebral disc tissue in rats were all determined. In cell experiment， the primary nucleus pulposus cells were isolated and cultured from rats， and cellular degeneration was induced using 50 ng/mL TNF-α. The cells were divided into blank control group （10% blank control serum）， TNF-α group （10% blank control serum）， YC-1 group （10% blank control serum+0.2 mmol/L YC-1）， and 5%， 10%， 15% drug-containing serum group （5%， 10%， 15% drug-containing serum）. After 24 hours of intervention， the nucleus pulposus cells were co-cultured with HUVEC. The expressions of Collagen Ⅱ， matrix metalloproteinase-3 （MMP-3） in nucleus pulposus cells were detected. HUVEC proliferation， migration and tube forming ability were detected， and the expression levels of the HIF-1α/VEGF/Ang signal axis and angiogenesis- related proteins （add MMP-2， MMP-9） in HUVEC were detected. RESULTS Animal experiments had shown that compared with model group， the positive expression of CD31 in the intervertebral disc tissues of rats in each drug group was down-regulated （P＜ 0.05）， the levels of inflammatory factors and angiogenesis-related proteins were decreased significantly （P＜0.05）， and the pathological changes in the intervertebral disc were alleviated. Cell experiments had shown that compared with TNF-α group， the expression of Collagen Ⅱ in nucleus pulposus cells of all drug groups was significantly up-regulated （P＜0.05）， and the expression of MMP-3 was significantly down-regulated （P＜0.05）； the proliferation， migration and tubulogenesis of HUVEC were significantly weakened （P＜0.05）. The mRNA and protein expressions of HIF-1α， VEGF， Ang 2 as well as the expression of angiogenesis-related proteins （except for the expression of Ang 2 mRNA and HIF-1α， VEGFR2， Ang 2 protein in 5% drug- containing serum group） were significantly down-regulated （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS ZQGCD may inhibit the HIF-1α/VEGF/ Ang signal axis to weaken the angiogenic ability of vascular endothelial cells， improve pathological angiogenesis in the intervertebral disc， and delay the degeneration of the intervertebral disc.

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics and genetic variations of patients with aminoacylase-1 deficiency (ACY1D) caused by ACY1 gene mutations, in order to enhance clinicians′ understanding of this rare disease. Methods:Clinical and genetic data of a child with ACY1D admitted to Sir Run Run Hospital, Nanjing Medical University in December 2021 were collected. Using "aminoacylase-1 deficiency" "aminoacylase-1 gene" " ACY1" and "ACY1D" as keywords, relevant cases of ACY1 gene mutations were searched in CNKI, Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform, OMIM, and PubMed databases until February 2025. The clinical characteristics and types of genetic variations of previously reported ACY1D patients were summarized and analyzed. Results:The patient was an 8-year and 4-month-old boy. Clinical manifestations included growth retardation, ataxia, and focal epileptic seizures. Increased excretion of various N-acetylamino acids was observed in the urine. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging showed cerebellar atrophy. Whole-exome sequencing results showed a compound heterozygous mutation in the ACY1 gene: c.1063-1G>A (IVS14-1G>A) and c.170G>A (p.G57D) (reference transcript NM_000666.2), with c.170G>A (p.G57D) being a novel mutation. Family validation results showed that the c.1063-1G>A (IVS14-1G>A) mutation originated from his mother, and the c.170G>A (p.G57D) mutation originated from his father. By literature review 11 English articles were retrieved reporting 18 ACY1D patients, along with the child in this study, totaling 19 cases, with an onset age ranging from 1 week to 4 years and 6 months. Among them, 13/19 patients showed growth retardation, 9/19 patients had language disorders, 8/19 patients had intellectual disabilities, 7/19 patients had ataxia and low muscle tone, 6/19 patients had epilepsy and febrile convulsions, and 3/19 patients had irritability, autism, and muscle weakness. Genetic testing results indicated various types of mutations in the ACY1 gene, including missense, splicing, and frameshift mutations. Conclusions:ACY1D is an autosomal recessive genetic disease caused by ACY1 gene mutations, which is relatively rare in China. The main clinical manifestations include growth retardation, intellectual and language disorders. The c.170G>A heterozygous mutation is a newly discovered variant site, expanding the mutation spectrum of the ACY1 gene. Screening for ACY1 gene variations can aid in achieving a definitive diagnosis..

Protein liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), a pivotal phenomenon intricately linked to cellular processes, is regulated by various other proteins. However, there is still a lack of high-throughput methods for screening protein regulators of LLPS in target proteins. Here, we developed a CRISPR/Cas9-based screening method to identify protein phase separation regulators by integrating bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). Using this newly developed method, we screened the RNA-binding proteins that regulate PABPN1 phase separation and identified the tumor suppressor QKI as a promoter of PABPN1 phase separation. Furthermore, QKI exhibits decreased expression levels and diminished nuclear localization in colorectal cancer cells, resulting in reduced PABPN1 phase separation, which, in turn, promotes alternative polyadenylation (APA), cell proliferation, and migration in colorectal cancer.
Humans ; Colorectal Neoplasms/genetics* ; RNA-Binding Proteins/genetics* ; Poly(A)-Binding Protein I/genetics* ; CRISPR-Cas Systems ; Flow Cytometry ; Cell Proliferation ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Movement

Therapeutic resistance in cancer is responsible for numerous cancer deaths in clinical practice. While target mutations are well recognized as the basis of genetic resistance to targeted therapy, nontarget mutation resistance (or nongenetic resistance) remains poorly characterized. Despite its complex and unintegrated mechanisms in the literature, nongenetic resistance is considered from our perspective to be a collective response of innate or acquired resistant subpopulations in heterogeneous tumors to therapy. These subpopulations, e.g., cancer stem-like cells, cancer cells with epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, and drug-tolerant persisters, are protected by their resistance traits at cellular and molecular levels. This review summarizes recent advances in the research on resistant populations and their resistance traits. NOTCH signaling, as a central regulator of nongenetic resistance, is discussed with a special focus on its canonical maintenance of resistant cancer cells and noncanonical regulation of their resistance traits. This novel view of canonical and noncanonical NOTCH signaling pathways is translated into our proposal of reshaping therapeutic strategies targeting NOTCH signaling in resistant cancer cells. We hope that this review will lead researchers to study the canonical and noncanonical arms of NOTCH signaling as an integrated resistant mechanism, thus promoting the development of innovative therapeutic strategies.
Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Receptors, Notch/metabolism* ; Disease Resistance/physiology* ; Signal Transduction/physiology* ; Humans ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm/physiology* ; Molecular Targeted Therapy/methods*