1.Assessment of ochratoxin A exposure in the diets of pregnant women in Shanghai
Kailin LI ; Renjie QI ; Hua CAI ; Xia SONG ; Jingjin YANG ; Danping QIU ; Zhenni ZHU ; Yi HE ; Baozhang LUO ; Hong LIU
Shanghai Journal of Preventive Medicine 2026;38(3):181-186
ObjectiveTo investigate the contamination status of ochratoxin A (OTA) in commercially available food products in Shanghai, and to assess OTA exposure levels and the associated non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks among pregnant women by integrating dietary consumption data of this population. MethodsThe levels of OTA contamination in 1 520 food samples collected in Shanghai from 2022 to 2023 were determined using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. An exposure assessment model was developed based on the dietary consumption levels of pregnant women from the 2016‒2017 Shanghai Pregnant Women Dietary Monitoring Survey to calculate the estimated daily intake (EDI) of OTA, the margin of exposure for non-carcinogenic toxicity (MOE1), and the margin of exposure for carcinogenic toxicity (MOE2). An MOE1 greater than 200 and an MOE2 greater than 10 000 indicate that the non-carcinogenic toxicity and carcinogenic toxicity resulting from exposure are negligible, respectively. For samples with OTA contamination levels below the limit of detection (LOD), which accounted for more than 80% of the samples, the OTA levels were assigned values of 0 and LOD, respectively, for subsequent calculations. ResultsThe detection rates of OTA in cereals, nuts, dried fruits, and alcohol samples collected in 2022 were 2.03%, 0, 0, and 0, respectively. The OTA detection rates in cereals, nuts, dried fruits, beans, and alcohol samples collected in 2023 were 2.50%, 0.39%, 2.47%, 1.67%, and 13.33%, respectively. For pregnant women in Shanghai in 2022, simulation results indicated that when assigning a value of 0 and the LOD, theP50 values of EDI for dietary OTA exposure were 0.05 and 0.72 ng·(kg·d)-1, respectively, and the P95 values of EDI for dietary OTA exposure were 0.25 and 2.40 ng·(kg·d)-1, respectively. For pregnant women in Shanghai in 2023, the P50 values of EDI for dietary OTA exposure were 0.04 and 1.00 ng·(kg·d)-1, respectively, and the P95 values of EDI for dietary OTA exposure were 0.23 and 2.67 ng·(kg·d)-1, respectively, both substantially below the tolerable daily intake (TDI) for OTA [17 ng·(kg·d)-1]. The EDI for dietary OTA exposure in 100.0% of Shanghai pregnant women was lower than the TDI, indicating an overall low level of dietary OTA exposure among this population. For 100.0% of pregnant women, the MOE₁ for dietary OTA exposure exceeded 200. When assigned a value of 0, the MOE₂ for 100.0% of pregnant women in both 2022 and 2023 exceeded10 000. When assigned the LOD value, 72.3% and 81.8% of pregnant women in 2022 and 2023, respectively, had an MOE₂ exceeding 10 000. ConclusionFrom 2022 to 2023, samples of cereals, nuts, dried fruits, beans, and alcohol sold in Shanghai exhibited varying degrees of OTA contamination. The overall EDI of OTA exposure among pregnant women in Shanghai remained at a low level. The non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks associated with OTA exposure were generally low and at controllable levels.
2.Harnessing Machine Learning for Personalized Care of Patients With Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss: A Multicenter Cohort Study
Yen-Ting GUO ; Ching-Ting TAN ; Chen-Chi WU ; Chun-Ying WANG ; Chein-Yu HUANG ; Tzu-Hsiang YANG ; Ting-Yi LEE ; Ting-Hua YANG ; Tien-Chen LIU ; Pey-Yu CHEN ; Pei-Hsuan LIN
Clinical and Experimental Otorhinolaryngology 2026;19(2):194-204
Objectives:
. Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) is a significant cause of hearing loss. Intratympanic steroid injection (ITSI) is commonly used as an initial or salvage treatment; however, the lack of a standardized treatment protocol has resulted in variability in clinical practice. In addition, no efficient prediction model currently exists to support personalized management. Therefore, this study aimed to develop tailored management strategies for ISSNHL using a machine-learning model.
Methods:
. This retrospective multicenter cohort study was conducted between January 2015 and December 2020, with data analysis performed between January 2021 and March 2024. Patients were selected based on the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision criteria for ISSNHL, along with relevant medication and procedure codes. Patients with pure-tone audiogram results not meeting ISSNHL criteria, better initial hearing in the affected ear, an identifiable etiology, no post-treatment audiogram, or delayed treatment (>6 weeks) were excluded. We included 770 patients diagnosed with ISSNHL who received ITSI. The primary outcome was the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for prediction performance. Recovery status was determined using the last pure-tone audiogram. Modeling was conducted on the Quanta for Medical Care AI platform using five machine-learning algorithms and a nested cross-validation framework, in which feature selection and hyperparameter tuning were performed in the inner folds and model performance was evaluated in the outer folds.
Results:
. A random forest classifier outperformed the other models in predicting hearing outcomes, achieving an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.788. Time to ITSI was the most influential treatment-related factor, with ITSI administered within 10 days of hearing loss being associated with better outcomes. This model can be used to provide personalized prognostic estimates under different treatment protocols.
Conclusion
. The machine-learning-based prediction model facilitates personalized treatment strategies and timely treatment adjustments for ISSNHL, thereby optimizing the likelihood of complete recovery.
3.Differences in deltamethrin resistance and kdr gene mutation in Culex tritaeniorhynchus population in and outside the Yellow Sea wetland
Xiao-er ZHANG ; Zhi-ming WU ; Ye TIAN ; Qian CUI ; Yu-qian JI ; Huan WANG ; Shu-juan YANG ; Yi-chao ZHAO ; Yu WANG ; Hua-yu YIN ; Yu DING ; Guo-jin YAN ; Min-sen ZHAO ; Shou-gang ZHANG ; Bing-dong SONG ; Hong-na CHEN ; Jian GAO ; Wei-fang YANG ; Yu-fu ZHANG ; Hui LIU ; Hong-liang CHU
Acta Parasitologica et Medica Entomologica Sinica 2026;33(2):101-107
Objective To gain insights into the biological characteristics of different populations of Culex tritaeniorhynchus within and around the Yellow Sea wetland from the perspective of the occurrence of resistance, we investigated the levels of resistance to deltamethrin and kdr gene mutation in the wetland and its peripheral areas. Methods Specimens were collected from Cx. tritaeniorhynchus populations at two monitoring sites in the Rare Bird National Nature Reserve and Tiaozi Ni Wetland Scenic Area, and also from two populations in Yancheng City and the Liuhe District of Nanjing, and the resistance of these mosquitoes to deltamethrin was determined using the CDC biotest bottle method. For each concentration of deltamethrin assessed, a random subset of exposed specimens was selected for amplification of the kdr gene fragment, followed by Sanger sequencing to identify and analyze resistance-associated mutations. Results The LC50 levels of deltamethrin among mosquitoes from the four populations in Luhe, Yancheng, the Rare Bird National Nature Reserve and the Tiaozi Ni Wetland Scenic Area were 2.048 5, 7.798 2, 3.473 3, and 17.695 5 mg/mL, respectively, with corresponding concentrations of deltamethrin ranging from 0.005 to 5.000,0.050 to 50.000,0.050 to 25.000 and 0.050 to 50.000 mg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, the ranges of the KT50 values were 11.76-107.43, 67.05-216.30,29.77-107.43 and 28.40-329.51 min; the 1-h knockdown rates were 34.58%-99.15%, 9.52%-43.80%, 55.09%-73.01%, and 10.09%-68.07%; and the 24-h mortality rates were 12.15%-67.52%,9.52%-79.56%,13.17%-82.21%, and 11.01%-78.99%, respectively. With respect to kdr gene mutation, we assayed a total of 63,70,59, and 57 mosquitoes for the four populations, for which we detected L1014F mutation frequencies of 14.29%, 35.00%, 20.34%, and 31.58%, respectively, with a majority of these mutations being heterozygous for resistance. In addition, five adult mosquitoes were identified has having synonymous mutations at site 1011[i. e. , AAT(asparagine)mutation to AAC(asparagine)]. Conclusions Our findings revealed the clear resistance of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus to deltamethrin in the Yancheng region of the Yellow Sea wetland, and the resistance phenotype and kdr frequency of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus in the wetland environment were comparable to those of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus in the wetland environment, thereby indicating that the resistance of different populations of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus was homogeneous under the pressure of different insecticide selection within and around the wetland. However, the underlying mechanisms need to be further studied.
4.Chemical constituents from the branches and leaves of Michelia yunnanensis and their anti-inflammatory activities
Yi-fan SHEN ; Ting-yue ZHENG ; Qiu-hua WANG ; Zhen-quan LI ; Qiu-ye ZHAO ; Liu-dong SONG ; Lin-fen DING
Chinese Traditional Patent Medicine 2025;47(6):1885-1891
AIM To study the chemical constituents from the branches and leaves of Michelia yunnanensis Franch.ex Finet & Gagnep.and their anti-inflammatory activities.METHODS The methanol extract was isolated and purified by silica gel,MCI,Sephadex LH-20 and semi-preparative HPLC,then the structures of obtained compounds were identified by physicochemical properties and spectral data.Their anti-inflammatory activities were evaluated by RAW264.7 model.RESULTS Twenty compounds were isolated and identified as dihydrodehydrodiconifenyl alcohol(1),8-hydroxypinoresinol(2),lariciresinol(3),isolariciresinol(4),(7S,8R)-4-hydroxy-3,3',5'-trimethoxy-8',9'-dinor-8,4'-oxyneoligna-7,9-diol-7'-aldehyde(5),thero-2,3-bis-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxypheyl)-3-methoxy-propanol(6),evofolin B(7),(E)-p-coumaryl alcohol γ-O-methyl ether(8),ω-hydroxypropioguaiacone(9),sinapaldehyde(10),isoscopoletin(11),6-hydroxy-5,7-dimethoxycoumarin(12),2α,3α-dihydroxy-2-methylbutyrolactone(13),6-hydroxy-3(1-hydroxy-1-methylethyl)-6-methyl-2-cyclohexen-1-one(14),benzofuran-2-carboxaldehyde(15),3,4-dihydroxy-5-methoxybenzaldehyde(16),3,5-dimethoxy-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde(17),3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde(18),3,4-dihydroxybenzoic methyl ester(19),vanillic acid(20).The inhibition rate of compound 1 on NO was 45.39%±0.32%.CONCLUSION Compounds 1-16,18-20 are first isolated from this plant.Compound 1 has anti-inflammatory activity.
5.COX6C Promotes the Proliferation of Multiple Myeloma Cells by Increasing Intracellular ATP Levels
Zhi-Hua LI ; Yi-Hua WANG ; Wen-Hua LIU ; Qian-Qian CUI ; Yan-Ping MA
Journal of Experimental Hematology 2025;33(6):1629-1634
Objective:To investigate the effect of COX6C on the proliferation of multiple myeloma(MM)cells and its mechanism of action.Methods:The expression of COX6C in MM cell lines were detected by RT-PCR.siRNA technology was used to knockdown COX6C expression in OPM2 cells.MTT assay and flow cytometry were employed to assess the effect of COX6C knockdown by siRNA on cell proliferation,mitochondrial membrane potential(Δ Ψm),and intracellular adenosine triphosphate(ATP)levels.The mitochondrial morphological changes in OPM2 cells pre-and post-siRNA-mediated COX6C knockdown were observed by transmission electron microscopy(TEM).Results:The relative expression level of COX6C was significantly increased in MM cell lines(P<0.01).Following siRNA-mediated COX6C knockdown,OPM2 cell proliferation was inhibited,with viable cells accounting for 62.32%±3.43%and 47.01%±5.12%after 48 and 72 hours of culture,respectively.siRNA-mediated COX6C knockdown also caused significant reductions in mitochondrial membrane potential and intracellular ATP levels(P<0.05),accompanied by mitochondrial shortening,swelling,and incomplete cristae structures.Conclusion:COX6C may promote the proliferation of MM cells by altering the mitochondrial structure and elevating intracellular ATP levels.
6.Analysis of Clinical Characteristics and Risk Factors for Bone Lesions in Patients with Multiple Myeloma
Chen-Yang LI ; Qi-Ke ZHANG ; Xiao-Fang WEI ; You-Fan FENG ; Yuan FU ; Qiao-Lin CHEN ; Wen-Jie ZHANG ; Yuan-Yuan ZHANG ; Shao-Hua ZHANG ; Shang-Yi ZHANG ; Jie LIU
Journal of Experimental Hematology 2025;33(6):1635-1639
Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics of patients with multiple myeloma(MM)complicated by bone lesions and the risk factors associated with bone lesions.Methods:The clinical data of 294 newly diagnosed MM patients in Gansu Provincial Hospital from January 2017 to June 2021 were retrospectively analyzed.The patients were divided into the bone lesion group(154 cases)and the non-bone lesions group(140 cases)based on the presence of absence of bone lesions at diagnosis.The general data and laboratory parameters were compared between the two groups.The risk factors for bone lesions in MM patients were analyzed by logistic regression analysis,and the characteristic(ROC)curves were plotted to assess the predictive value of each risk factor for the occurrence of bone lesions in MM patients.Results:Compared to the non-bone lesion group,the bone lesion group had significantly higher serum calcium levels and significantly greater proportions of patients with Durie-Salmon(DS)stage Ⅲ,and bone pain(all P<0.05).Logistic regression analysis showed that elevated serum calcium(OR=5.135,95%CI:1.931-13.653,P=0.001),DS stage Ⅲ(OR=1.841,95%CI:1.019-3.328,P=0.043),and bone pain(OR=8.208,95%CI:4.761-14.151,P<0.001)were independent risk factors for bone lesions in MM patients.ROC curve analysis showed that serum calcium(AUC=0.619,95%CI:0.555-0.683,P<0.001)and bone pain(AUC=0.743,95%CI:0.692-0.793,P<0.001)had predictive value for bone lesions in MM patients.Conclusion:MM patients have a high incidence of bone lesions,and active monitoring and management of risk factors may improve treatment outcomes and prognosis.
7.Safety and efficacy of percutaneous cannulation for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in high-risk patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention
Jun-jie XU ; Cheng-yi XU ; Cheng-wei LIU ; Dan SONG ; Hua YAN ; Xiao-jing MA
Chinese Journal of Interventional Cardiology 2025;33(3):128-134
Objective To explore the safety of establishing the veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation(VA-ECMO)pipeline through percutaneous puncture and the effectiveness of high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention(HR-PCI)under VA-ECMO assistance.Methods In this single-center retrospective study,patients who underwent HR-PCI assisted by VA-ECMO at Wuhan Asian Heart Hospital from December 2022 to December 2023 were included.The primary endpoint was the safety of establishing the VA-ECMO pipeline through percutaneous puncture,mainly characterized by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation(ECMO)-related complications,including severe bleeding/hematoma at the wound,arteriovenous fistula,pseudoaneurysm,peripheral arterial dissection,etc.The secondary endpoint was the effectiveness of HR-PCI under VA-ECMO assistance,defined as major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events(MACCE)at 6-month follow-up,including the composite events of all-cause death,non-fatal myocardial infarction,repeat revascularization,and ischemic stroke.Results Among the 189 patients included in the study,15(7.9%)had severe bleeding/hematoma at the puncture wound caused by VA-ECMO,8(4.2%)had wound infection,1(0.5%)had arteriovenous fistula,4(2.1%)had pseudoaneurysm,3(1.6%)had peripheral arterial dissection,8(4.2%)had systemic embolism,8(4.2%)had acute kidney injury,3(1.6%)had acute neurological injury,and 1(0.5%)died.percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI)was successful in 182 cases(96.3%),and a total of 36 cases(19.0%)had PCI-related complications.164 patients completed 6-month follow-up,among which 4(2.4%)had all-cause death,11(6.7%)had non-fatal myocardial infarction,11(6.7%)had unplanned repeat revascularization,and 2(1.2%)had the composite event of ischemic stroke.Conclusions Ultrasound-guided percutaneous puncture for establishing the VA-ECMO pipeline has high safety,and HR-PCI patients assisted by VA-ECMO have good short-term effects.
8.Chemical constituents from Commelina communis
Hong-ting YI ; Ding-mei LIANG ; Bin LEI ; Hong-ling ZENG ; Zhong-wen CHEN ; Hua LIU ; Feng LIU
Chinese Traditional Patent Medicine 2025;47(3):827-833
AIM To study the chemical constituents from Commelina communis L.METHODS The 95%ethanol extract from C.Communis was isolated and purified by activated charcoal,silica gel,Sephadex LH-20,and HPLC,then the structures of obtained compounds were identified by physicochemical properties and spectral data.RESULTS Seventeen compounds were isolated and identified as p-hydroxyl ethyl cinnamate(1),p-hydroxybenzaldehyde(2),vanillin(3),4-hydroxy-2,3-dimethyl-2-nonen-4-olide(4),hemeratrol A(5),chakyunglupulin B(6),chakyunglupulin A(7),2-(2-hydroxyethyl)-3-methylfumaric acid(8),N-cis-feruloyl tyramine(9),N-trans-coumaroyltyramine(10),5,6,7,3',4',5'-hexamethoxyflavone(11),N-trans-sinapoyltyramine(12),dihydro-feruloyltyramine(13),N-trans-feruloyltyramine(14),2-phenylethanol-β-D-glucoside(15),quercetin-3-O-β-D-glucoside(16),and isorhamnetin-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside(17).CONCLUSION Compounds 4-8,10 and 11 are isolated from Commelina genus for the first time,and 1,9,12-15 are first isolated from this plant.
9.Mechanism and experimental verification of ginsenoside Rg1 combined with hirudin in treatment of myocardial fibrosis in acute myocardial infarction based on network pharmacology
Yi LIU ; Yu-jie YIN ; Ning-xin HAN ; Zhen-hua JIA
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2025;41(4):753-761
Aim To predict the mechanism of action of ginsenoside Rg1(G-Rg1)paired with hirudin in the treatment of myocardial fibrosis in acute myocardial in-farction(AMI)based on the network pharmacology ap-proach,and to validate it by in vivo and in vitro experi-ments.Methods The corresponding targets of G-Rg1 and Hirudin were collected using SwissTargetPredic-tion,TargetNet,ETCM and ChEMBL databases,and the targets related to AMI and myocardial fibrosis were collected using GeneCards,OMIM and DisGeNET da-tabases.The drug-disease intersection targets were subjected to protein-protein interaction network(PPI)network analysis,gene ontology(GO)functional en-richment analysis and kyoto encyclopedia of genomes(KEGG)pathway enrichment analysis.Key targets and pathways were validated using an AMI mouse mod-el induced by ligation of the anterior descending branch of the left coronary artery in mice versus a hypoxia-in-duced injury model of human cardiac microvascular en-dothelial cells(HCMECs).Results G-Rg1 paired with hirudin had 229 drug targets,816 AMI and myo-cardial fibrosis disease targets,and 65 intersecting tar-gets.PPI analysis showed that tumor necrosis factor(TNF),interleukin-1[3(IL-1 β),transforming growth factor beta-1(TGF-β1),nuclear factor kappa-B(NF-κB),and interleukin-6(IL-6)might be the core tar-gets of G-Rg1 paired with Hirudin in the treatment of post-MI myocardial fibrosis;KEGG was enriched for a total of 141 pathways involving endocrine and metabo-lism,inflammation,and immunity,mainly TNF signa-ling pathway,PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and TGF-βsignaling pathway.In vivo experiments confirmed that G-Rg1 paired with hirudin attenuated myocardial fibro-sis after AMI in mice,and down-regulated the expres-sion of TNF-α,IL-1β,NF-κB,TGF-β1,and Smad2/3 proteins in myocardial tissues.In vitro experiments confirmed that G-Rg1 paired with Hirudin inhibited cellular NF-κB/TGF-β1 pathway,reduced hypoxia-in-duced cellular TNF-α and IL-1β expression,and su-perimposed NF-κB inhibitor significantly reduced IL-1 β expression and attenuated cellular inflammatory re-sponse.Conclusions G-Rg1 with Hirudin treats post-MI myocardial fibrosis by regulating TNF-α,IL-1 β and other targets and NF-KB/TGF-β1 pathway,reflecting its multi-pathway and multi-target action characteris-tics,and providing a pharmacological basis for the treatment of post-MI myocardial fibrosis with G-Rg1 with Hirudin.
10.Quality consistency evaluation of Tongmai preparations
Jia-hui XU ; Yu-hong LIU ; Zhi-fang HUANG ; Yun-hua LIU ; Yan CHEN ; Ting-ting XU ; Jin-hai YI
Chinese Traditional Patent Medicine 2025;47(3):709-716
AIM To evaluate the quality consistency of Tongmai Granules,Tongmai Tablets,Tongmai Capsules and Tongmai Oral Liquid.METHODS The HPLC fingerprints were established,after which the contents of danshensu,protocatechuic aldehyde,3'-hydroxy puerarin,puerarin,puerarin apioside,daidzin,ferulic acid,salvianolic acid B and salvianolic acid A were determined,and cluster analysis and principal component analysis were adopted in the quality analysis from the perspective of daily intake.RESULTS There were 21 common peaks in the fingerprints for 39 batches of samples with the similarities of 0.765-0.997.Various batches of samples were clustered into 5 categories,2 principal components demonstrated the accumulative variance contribution rate of 83.53% .The daily intakes of various constituents in different dosage forms exhibited obvious differences,especially for that of salvianolic acid B,which were low in tablets and capsules,and their heterogeneities existed among the same dosage forms.CONCLUSION This simple and accurate method can provide a reference for the quality evaluation of Tongmai preparations from different manufacturers.


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