1.Studies on the Design and Activity of Anticancer Peptides Based on the Weak Acidic Microenvironment of Tumors
Yue-Qi NIE ; Miao JIANG ; Hui-Yan WU ; Chang-Hao DING ; Wei REN ; Jun-Yi CHANG ; Ke CHEN ; Shao-Long DU ; Peng ZHANG ; Zhong-Hua LIU
Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2025;41(10):1380-1391
Lung cancer poses a serious threat to global public health security.Chemotherapy,as the main strategy for cancer treatment,faces challenges such as high toxicity and drug resistance.Anticancer peptides have the potential of being developed into new anticancer drugs due to their advantages of broad-spectrum anticancer activity,rapid action,and difficulty in generating drug resistance,but they also face shortcomings such as weak activity and strong toxic side effects.The weakly acidic microenvironment of tumors(pH 6.5-6.8)provides a good idea for the design of anticancer peptides of high-efficiency and low-toxicity.Previously,we designed the acid-sensitive antibacterial peptide pHly-1 using the wolf spider(Lycosa singoriensis)toxin Lycosin-Ⅰ as a template.In this study,we found that pHly-1 also had acid-sensitive anticancer activity.Further alanine scanning analysis of pHly-1 was carried out,and we ob-tained a mutant pHTP-2 with better acid sensitivity,whose IC50(half maximal inhibitory concentration)against A549 cells was 15.68 μmol/L at pH 6.6 and was greater than 100 μmol/L at pH 7.4.At pH 6.6,pHTP-2 could act on various lung cancer cell lines and induce the death of A549 cells by rapid ly-sis;at pH 7.4,500 μmol/L pHTP-2 had weak toxicity to red blood cells(the hemolysis rate was ap-proximately 38%)and primary myocardial cells(the inhibition rate was 49.7%,with P<0.05).Analy-sis of its charge,particle size,morphology,and secondary structure showed that at pH 6.6,the histidine in the sequence of pHTP-2 was protonated,increasing the positive charge(P<0.01),decreasing the hy-drated particle size(P<0.05)and forming an α-helical structure to induce membrane lysis of A549 cells.At pH 7.4,it was deprotonated,the positive charge decreases,a β-sheet structure was formed and self-aggregation occurred,limiting its effect on the A549 cell membrane and showing weak activity.In summary,pHTP-2 could respond to the weakly acidic microenvironment of tumors to exert selective cyto-toxic activity,effectively overcoming the shortcomings of anticancer peptides such as low efficiency and high toxicity.Our findings suggest that it is a high-quality lead molecule for anticancer drugs.
2.Clinical characteristics and correlation analysis between serum vitamin D and bone mineral density in elderly patients with hip fractures
Lianyu ZHONG ; Jun WU ; Zeliang ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Endocrine Surgery 2025;19(5):732-735
Objective:To analyze the clinical features of elderly patients with hip fracture and the expression of serum vitamin D (VitD), 25- hydroxy vitamin D (25-OH-D) and bone mineral density,, BMD) .Methods:Collect clinical data from 90 elderly patients with hip fractures admitted to the Emergency Department of Fenyang Hospital in Shanxi Province from Oct. 2020 to Dec. 2023 for analysis. Based on whether the patients have VitD deficiency, they were divided into group A (severe deficiency of 25-OH-D, insufficient) and group B (sufficient 25-OH-D). Clinical characteristics of patients and the levels of VitD, 25-OH-D, and BMD, and the correlation between the above indicators were analyzed.Results:The age of patients in groups A and B, whether there is osteoporosis, and 25-OH-D levels are suspicious influencing factors that cause VitD deficiency ( t=9.38, 5.06, 10.25 , P<0.05). There were statistical differences in lumbar vertebra, femoral neck, total hip BMD, lumbar vertebra SUVmen, total hip, lumbar SUVmax and indicators between group A and group B ( t=3.94, 9.21, 2.53, 3.95, 2.61 , P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis results showed that osteoporosis Exp[ (61.857 (3.029-1 263.408) , P<0.05], 25-OH-D[ (0.039 (0.005-0.312) , P<0.05], total hip BMD[ (480.040 (4.384-5 257.048) , P<0.05] were the main independent influencing factors causing VitD deficiency. Conclusions:There is a close relationship between 25-OH-D level, BMD expression and VitD deficiency in elderly patients with hip fractures. Among them, osteoporosis, 25-OH-D level, and total hip BMD are the main independent influencing factors that cause VitD deficiency.
3.Analysis of immune checkpoints,prognostic related molecules,and po-tential sensitive drugs in colorectal cancer based on TCGA database and bioinformatics methods
Yue WU ; Yi-jun ZHANG ; Yin-zhong WANG ; Yan-yan ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Current Advances in General Surgery 2025;28(6):444-450
Objective:To investigate biomarkers that are significantly associated with the immune checkpoint(ICs)genes of colorectal cancer(CRC)and have a key impact on the prognosis of patients,and to search for related sensitive drugs by using bioinformatics methods.Methods:Genes with up-regulated expression in TCGA database and associated with poor prognosis of patients were screened,and molecules with high correlation with immune checkpoint were extracted to verify their impact on the prognosis of patients with colorectal cancer.Finally,their im-pact on immune cell infiltration and correlation were detected,and sensitive drugs that act on target genes were ana-lyzed and searched.Results:Colorectal cancer patients with up-regulated expression of tissue inhibitor of metallo-proteinase 1(TIMP1)had poor prognosis.Different TIMP1 expression levels showed significant differences in the infil-tration levels of various immune cells.Further drug sensitivity analysis predicted that bleomycin and middotolin could be highly sensitive to samples with high TIMP1 expression.Conclusion:TIMP1 is expected to be a new predictive biomarker to identify the benefits of cancer immunotherapy,and bleomycin and middotolin may be potential individualized treatment options for patients with high expression of TIMP1.
4.CURRENT DISTRIBUTION OF AEDES AEGYPTI IN LEIZHOU PENINSULA,ZHANJIANG CITY,GUANGDONG PROVINCE
Rui-Peng LU ; Jin-Hua DUAN ; Yu-Wen ZHONG ; Hui DENG ; Jun WU ; Li-Ping LIU ; Wei-Xiong YIN ; Feng XING ; Hui HUANG ; Chang-Jie FU ; Zong-Jing CHEN ; Ming-Ji CHENG ; Sheng-Jun HU ; Ya-Ting CHEN ; Wen-Ting GUO ; Li-Feng LIN
Acta Parasitologica et Medica Entomologica Sinica 2025;32(1):16-21
Objective To investigate the status of population dynamics and distribution changes of Aedes aegypti in Guangdong Province.Methods Continuous monitoring was conducted from May 2018 to July 2024 in Wushi Town and Qishui Town,Leizhou City,Zhanjiang City,Guangdong Province.Additionally,a survey of the distribution of Ae.aegypti along the Leizhou Peninsula coast was carried out.Results The density of Ae.aegypti in Zhanjiang showed a gradual decline from 2018 to 2024.The last detection of adult Ae.aegypti in Wushi Town was in September 2021,and the last larva was found in October 2023.No Ae.aegypti was detected in Qishui Town during surveys from 2021 to 2024.A survey of 18 coastal villages in the Leizhou Peninsula revealed no detections of Ae.aegypti.Conclusions This study provides a basis for understanding the distribution and population density fluctuations of Ae.aegypti,assessing its invasion risk,and scientifically conducting relevant prevention and control efforts.
5.Studies on the Design and Activity of Anticancer Peptides Based on the Weak Acidic Microenvironment of Tumors
Yue-Qi NIE ; Miao JIANG ; Hui-Yan WU ; Chang-Hao DING ; Wei REN ; Jun-Yi CHANG ; Ke CHEN ; Shao-Long DU ; Peng ZHANG ; Zhong-Hua LIU
Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2025;41(10):1380-1391
Lung cancer poses a serious threat to global public health security.Chemotherapy,as the main strategy for cancer treatment,faces challenges such as high toxicity and drug resistance.Anticancer peptides have the potential of being developed into new anticancer drugs due to their advantages of broad-spectrum anticancer activity,rapid action,and difficulty in generating drug resistance,but they also face shortcomings such as weak activity and strong toxic side effects.The weakly acidic microenvironment of tumors(pH 6.5-6.8)provides a good idea for the design of anticancer peptides of high-efficiency and low-toxicity.Previously,we designed the acid-sensitive antibacterial peptide pHly-1 using the wolf spider(Lycosa singoriensis)toxin Lycosin-Ⅰ as a template.In this study,we found that pHly-1 also had acid-sensitive anticancer activity.Further alanine scanning analysis of pHly-1 was carried out,and we ob-tained a mutant pHTP-2 with better acid sensitivity,whose IC50(half maximal inhibitory concentration)against A549 cells was 15.68 μmol/L at pH 6.6 and was greater than 100 μmol/L at pH 7.4.At pH 6.6,pHTP-2 could act on various lung cancer cell lines and induce the death of A549 cells by rapid ly-sis;at pH 7.4,500 μmol/L pHTP-2 had weak toxicity to red blood cells(the hemolysis rate was ap-proximately 38%)and primary myocardial cells(the inhibition rate was 49.7%,with P<0.05).Analy-sis of its charge,particle size,morphology,and secondary structure showed that at pH 6.6,the histidine in the sequence of pHTP-2 was protonated,increasing the positive charge(P<0.01),decreasing the hy-drated particle size(P<0.05)and forming an α-helical structure to induce membrane lysis of A549 cells.At pH 7.4,it was deprotonated,the positive charge decreases,a β-sheet structure was formed and self-aggregation occurred,limiting its effect on the A549 cell membrane and showing weak activity.In summary,pHTP-2 could respond to the weakly acidic microenvironment of tumors to exert selective cyto-toxic activity,effectively overcoming the shortcomings of anticancer peptides such as low efficiency and high toxicity.Our findings suggest that it is a high-quality lead molecule for anticancer drugs.
6.Experimental and Computational Investigation of pH-Dependent Urease Conformational Dynamics and Its Impact on MICP Efficiency
Qiu-Cai ZHANG ; Yi-Fei ZHENG ; Mei-Zhong HUANG ; Xiu-Kang SHEN ; Ling-Ling WU ; Zhi-Jun ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2025;41(6):879-894
The engineering application of microbially induced carbonate precipitation(MICP)is limited by pH-dependent conformational dynamics of urease.Focusing on the α-subunit urease from Sporosarcina pasteurii,this study integrated conductivity experiments and constant-pH molecular dynamics simulations to analyze active site conformational dynamics and catalytic function across pH 3-11.Results showed that under neutral conditions(pH 7-8),key histidine residues(HIS139/HIS249)exhibited minimal dis-placement(<0.5 ?),the longest hydrogen bond lifetime(>8 ps),highest conformational stability(root mean square deviation,RMSD:0.15-0.18 nm),and optimal catalytic activity(conductivity change rate:0.03 mS/cm·min-1,CaCO3 precipitation:3.84 g).Extreme pH(pH 3/11)induced structural collapse(displacement up to 1.8 ?)and complete activity loss.Simulations revealed that neutral pH sta-bilizes a protonation-dependent cooperative allosteric network by maintaining active site cavity volume(~120 ?3)and moderate conformational coherence(correlation coefficient~0.8).This work deciphers the molecular mechanism of pH-regulated urease dynamics through protonation states,providing theoreti-cal support for MICP applications in acidic mine tailing remediation and alkaline soil stabilization.
7.Distribution characteristics of smoking behavior among adult twins in China
Shunkai LIU ; Wenjing GAO ; Weihua CAO ; Jun LYU ; Canqing YU ; Shengfeng WANG ; Tao HUANG ; Dianjianyi SUN ; Chunxiao LIAO ; Yuanjie PANG ; Ruqin GAO ; Min YU ; Jinyi ZHOU ; Xianping WU ; Zhong DONG ; Fan WU ; Dezheng WANG ; Zhihua XU ; Yu LIU ; Jianrui WANG ; Jie YIN ; Shengli YIN ; Liming LI
Chinese Journal of Preventive Medicine 2025;59(7):1090-1096
This study aims to describe the population and regional distribution characteristics of smoking behavior among adult twins in the China Twin Registry (CNTR), as well as the concordance rates for smoking behavior in monozygotic and dizygotic twins, and estimate the heritability. The study population included adult twins in CNTR who had smoking questionnaire data. A random-effects regression model was used to describe the distribution of smoking behavior among different subgroups based on various characteristics. The concordance of smoking behavior between different zygosity groups was calculated, and heritability was estimated. A total of 28 444 twin pairs were included in this study, with an average age of (36.6±12.0) years. Among male twins, 41.2% were current smokers, while only 1.2% of females smoked. Higher smoking rates were observed among male smokers in the 50-59 age group ( z=23.0, P<0.001), northern regions ( z=2.9, P<0.01), rural areas ( z=-5.2, P<0.001), those who were divorced/widowed ( z=3.8, P<0.001), and first-born twins ( z=-4.3, P<0.001), while lower smoking rates were found in those with higher education ( z=-16.1, P<0.001) and unmarried individuals ( z=-16.0, P<0.001). The smoking concordance rate for male monozygotic twins was 69.6%, significantly higher than the 57.3% concordance rate for dizygotic twins ( χ 2=105.0, P<0.05). The heritability of smoking behavior in male twins was estimated at 28.9% (95% CI: 24.3%-33.4%). Stratified analyses showed differences in heritability across regions and age groups: the heritability in northern regions was 32.6% (95% CI: 27.3%-38.0%), higher than the 21.0% (95% CI: 12.4%-29.5%) observed in southern regions; the highest heritability of 35.1% (95% CI: 26.3%-43.9%) was found in the 18-29 age group, with heritability decreasing with age. In conclusion, the smoking rate and influencing factors in the twin population are similar to those in the general population, with unique characteristics, such as higher smoking rates in first-born twins. Genetic factors have a significant impact on smoking behavior.
8.The application value of ultrasound BI-RADS classification combined with serum FGFR1 and GDF3 in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant breast masses
Na LI ; Ying HE ; Fei TENG ; Wenshu HE ; Caifeng GUO ; Na ZHONG ; Qiong WU ; Jun LI
Tianjin Medical Journal 2025;53(3):247-251
Objective To explore the application value of combining the ultrasound breast imaging reporting and data system(BI-RADS)classification with serum fibroblast growth factor receptor 1(FGFR1)and growth differentiation factor 3(GDF3)in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant breast masses.Methods A total of 159 patients with breast masses were selected and divided into the benign mass group(n=83)and the malignant mass group(n=76)based on postoperative pathological diagnosis.All patients underwent ultrasound examination,and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was applied to detect serum levels of FGFR1 and GDF3.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was applied to analyze the diagnostic value of ultrasound BI-RADS classification and serum FGFR1 and GDF3 levels for benign and malignant breast masses.Kappa test was applied to analyze the consistency between various diagnostic methods and pathological diagnosis.Results The serum levels of FGFR1 and GDF3,the proportions of irregular morphology,unclear boundaries,spiculation,microcalcifications,blood flow grade Ⅱ-Ⅲ and posterior echo attenuation,RI and PI were higher in the malignant tumor group than those in the benign tumor group(P<0.05).The area under the curve(AUC)of FGFR1,GDF3 and ultrasound BI-RADS classification in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant breast masses separately and in combination was 0.802(95%CI:0.732-0.871),0.817(95%CI:0.751-0.884),0.848(95%CI:0.784-0.912)and 0.956(95%CI:0.918-0.993),respectively.The combined diagnosis was more effective than that of the individual diagnosis of each indicator.The consistency between the individual and combined diagnosis of benign and malignant breast masses and pathological diagnosis showed that the Kappa values were 0.517,0.514,0.688 and 0.912,respectively,with the highest consistency observed in the combined diagnosis(P<0.05).Conclusion Ultrasound BI-RADS classification combined with serum FGFR1 and GDF3 has high application value in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant breast masses.
9.2024 annual report of interventional treatment for heart failure
Chang-dong ZHANG ; Yu-cheng ZHONG ; Geng LI ; Jie WU ; Jun TIAN ; Zhi-cheng JING ; Wei MA ; Nian-guo DONG ; Yong-jian WU ; Da-xin ZHOU ; Xiao-ke SHANG
Chinese Journal of Interventional Cardiology 2025;33(10):581-587
China has become the country with the highest global burden of heart failure(HF).Despite the widespread use of prognostic-improving medications today,the mortality rate of HF remains high,reaching 13.7%at one year-particularly among patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction(HFrEF).HF interventional device therapy(structural intervention)targets the structural factors underlying HF,including atrial pressure,ventricular remodeling,and valvular intervention.It leverages the heart's intrinsic physiological properties and pathological progression mechanisms to deliver treatments through interventions without external active forces,achieving anatomical or functional repair.This field has emerged as a rapidly growing area and plays an increasingly critical role in HF management.This article provides a comprehensive review and summary of the latest advancements in HF and cardiomyopathy interventional therapy over the past year.It covers various novel technologies and products currently in the research phase,aiming to provide an in-depth analysis of the current status and future directions of HF interventional therapy,and further advance the development of this discipline.
10.Clinical characteristics and correlation analysis between serum vitamin D and bone mineral density in elderly patients with hip fractures
Lianyu ZHONG ; Jun WU ; Zeliang ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Endocrine Surgery 2025;19(5):732-735
Objective:To analyze the clinical features of elderly patients with hip fracture and the expression of serum vitamin D (VitD), 25- hydroxy vitamin D (25-OH-D) and bone mineral density,, BMD) .Methods:Collect clinical data from 90 elderly patients with hip fractures admitted to the Emergency Department of Fenyang Hospital in Shanxi Province from Oct. 2020 to Dec. 2023 for analysis. Based on whether the patients have VitD deficiency, they were divided into group A (severe deficiency of 25-OH-D, insufficient) and group B (sufficient 25-OH-D). Clinical characteristics of patients and the levels of VitD, 25-OH-D, and BMD, and the correlation between the above indicators were analyzed.Results:The age of patients in groups A and B, whether there is osteoporosis, and 25-OH-D levels are suspicious influencing factors that cause VitD deficiency ( t=9.38, 5.06, 10.25 , P<0.05). There were statistical differences in lumbar vertebra, femoral neck, total hip BMD, lumbar vertebra SUVmen, total hip, lumbar SUVmax and indicators between group A and group B ( t=3.94, 9.21, 2.53, 3.95, 2.61 , P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis results showed that osteoporosis Exp[ (61.857 (3.029-1 263.408) , P<0.05], 25-OH-D[ (0.039 (0.005-0.312) , P<0.05], total hip BMD[ (480.040 (4.384-5 257.048) , P<0.05] were the main independent influencing factors causing VitD deficiency. Conclusions:There is a close relationship between 25-OH-D level, BMD expression and VitD deficiency in elderly patients with hip fractures. Among them, osteoporosis, 25-OH-D level, and total hip BMD are the main independent influencing factors that cause VitD deficiency.

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