1.Effects of Cldn14 gene knockout on the formation of calcium oxalate stones in rats and its mechanism
Peiyue LUO ; Liying ZHENG ; Tao CHEN ; Jun ZOU ; Wei LI ; Qi CHEN ; Le CHENG ; Lifeng GAN ; Fangtao ZHANG ; Biao QIAN
Journal of Modern Urology 2025;30(2):168-173
Objective: To explore the effects of Cldn14 gene knockout on renal metabolism and stone formation in rats,so as to provide reference for research in the field of urinary calium metabolism and stone formation. Methods: Cldn14 gene knockout homozygous rats and wild-type rats of the same age were randomly divided into 4 groups:wild-type control (WC) group,wild-type ethylene glycol (WE) group,gene knockout control (KC) group and gene knockout ethylene glycol (KE) group,with 10 rats in each group.The WE and KE groups were induced with ethylene glycol + ammonium chloride to form kidney stones,while the WC and KC groups received normal saline gavage.After 4 weeks of standard maintenance feeding,the urine samples were collected to detect the venous blood.The kidneys were collected for HE,Pizzolatto's staining and transmission electron microscopy.The protein in renal tissues was extracted to detect the expressions of Claudin16 and Claudin19. Results: Crystal deposition was observed in the renal tubular lumen of the WE and the KE groups,and more crystals were detected in the KE group.The WE group had a large number of intracytoplasmic black crystalline inclusions observed in renal tubular epithelial cells under transmission electron microscope,followed by the KE and KC groups.Compared with WC and WE groups,KC and KE groups had significantly decreased serum calcium and magnesium levels but significantly increased urinary calcium level.In addition,the urinary calcium level was higher in the WE group than in the WC group and higher in the KE group than in the KC group.The KE group had lower level of Claudin16,but there was no significant difference in the level of Claudin19 among the 4 groups(P>0.05). Conclusion: Knockout of Cldn14 gene alone cannot effectively reduce urinary calcium excretion or reduce the risk of stone formation in rats,which may be related to the decrease of Claudin16 level.
2.Research progress on relationship between endocrine disrupting chemicals from daily life and gestational diabetes mellitus
Le WANG ; Beibei ZHU ; Fangbiao TAO
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2025;42(8):987-993
The incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is gradually increasing and has become a significant public health issue. Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are a ubiquitous class of exogenous chemical substances that can interfere with hormone synthesis, metabolism, and activity, and subsequently affect endocrine homeostasis. Humans are extensively and continuously exposed to various EDCs originating from food packaging, plastic products, textiles, electronic goods, as well as cleaning agents and cosmetics in daily life, leading to endocrine and metabolic disorders, such as obesity, insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance, and diabetes. Previous studies indicated a close association between EDCs exposure and the occurrence of GDM. This review summarized the correlation between daily life exposure to EDCs and GDM, along with their potential biological mechanisms, including bisphenols, phthalates, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, organophosphate esters, parabens, and triclosan, aiming to provide scientific evidence for supporting the effective implementation of public health intervention measures to alleviate and prevent GDM.
3.Current status of cognitive frailty among the elderly in community
ZHAI Yujia ; ZHANG Tao ; GU Xue ; XU Le ; WU Mengna ; LIN Junfen ; WU Chen
Journal of Preventive Medicine 2025;37(8):762-766,772
Objective:
To investigate the current status and influencing factors for cognitive frailty among the elderly in community, so as to provide the evidence for early identification and prevention of cognitive frailty among the elderly.
Methods:
Residents aged 60 years and above with local household registration from 11 counties (cities, districts) in Zhejiang Province from 2021 to 2023 were selected as study participants using a multistage random sampling method. Demographic information, lifestyle, and health status were collected through questionnaire surveys. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire. Cognitive frailty was evaluated using the FRAIL Scale and the Mini-Mental State Examination. Factors affecting cognitive frailty among the elderly in community were identified using a multivariable logistic regression model.
Results:
A total of 16 613 individuals were surveyed, including 7 465 males (44.93%) and 9 148 females (55.07%). The average age was (70.97±7.29) years. A total of 784 individuals were detected with depressive symptoms, with a detection rate of 4.72%. A total of 724 individuals were detected with cognitive frailty, with a detection rate of 4.36%. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that females (OR=1.419, 95%CI: 1.179-1.708), aged ≥70 years (70-<80 years old, OR=1.869, 95%CI: 1.490-2.345; ≥80 years old, OR=5.017, 95%CI: 3.935-6.398), without a spouse (OR=1.495, 95%CI: 1.234-1.810), sedentary (OR=2.420, 95%CI: 1.829-3.202), chronic diseases (1 type, OR=1.456, 95%CI: 1.175-1.804; ≥2 types, OR=1.639, 95%CI: 1.314-2.045), and depressive symptoms (OR=4.191, 95%CI: 3.361-5.225) were associated with a higher risk of cognitive frailty among the elderly in community. Conversely, a lower risk of cognitive frailty was seen among the elderly in community who had primary school or above (primary school, OR=0.512, 95%CI: 0.389-0.676; junior high school or above, OR=0.464, 95%CI: 0.354-0.608), engaged in physical exercise (OR=0.396, 95%CI: 0.291-0.539), and were reported average or good self-rated health status (average, OR=0.641, 95%CI: 0.475-0.866; good, OR=0.150, 95%CI: 0.109-0.208).
Conclusions
The detection rate of cognitive frailty among the elderly in community is relatively low and is influenced by demographic factors such as gender, age, education level, as well as lifestyle like sedentary and physical exercise, and health status. It is recommended to reduce the risk of cognitive frailty among the elderly through multidimensional interventions, including health education, promotion of healthy lifestyles, and enhanced mental health support.
4.Construction of a nomogram prediction model for Alzheimer's disease among the elderly in community
ZHANG Tao ; LIN Junfen ; GU Xue ; XU Le ; LI Fudong ; WU Chen
Journal of Preventive Medicine 2025;37(9):875-880
Objective:
To establish a nomogram prediction model for Alzheimer's disease (AD) among the elderly in community, so as to provide the evidence for early screening and prevention of AD.
Methods:
Based on the Zhejiang Healthy Aging Cohort Study, the elderly aged 60-90 years who completed the baseline survey were selected as the study subjects. Follow-up surveys were conducted from 2015 to 2016 and from 2019 to 2021. Sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle factors, medical history, and waist circumference were collected through questionnaire surveys and physical examinations. Cognitive function was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and a diagnosis of AD was made based on the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale and medical history. The participants were randomly divided into training and validation sets at 8∶2 ratio. LASSO regression was used to screen for predictive factors. Multivariable logistic regression model was used to analyze predictive factors and construct a nomogram. The model was analyzed and evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and decision curve analysis (DCA).
Results:
A total of 6 988 elderly were included at baseline, with a mean age of (68.19±6.63) years. There were 3 438 males (49.20%), and 3 550 females (50.80%). The median follow-up duration was 4.90 (interquartile range, 3.80) years, with 817 new cases of AD were identified, yielding an incidence of 11.69%. LASSO regression and multivariable logistic regression showed that age (OR=1.017, 95%CI: 1.005-1.030), gender (female, OR=1.820, 95%CI: 1.533-2.165), educational level (primary school, OR=0.813, 95%CI: 0.673-0.980), physical exercise (not active, OR=1.572, 95%CI: 1.260-1.980), dining companions (spouse and children, OR=0.771, 95%CI: 0.598-0.995), baseline MMSE score (OR=0.843, 95%CI: 0.821-0.866), and waist circumference (OR=0.981, 95%CI: 0.973-0.989) were risk predictors for AD among the elderly in community. The prediction model demonstrated an area under the ROC curve of 0.740 (95%CI: 0.698-0.783) in the validation set, with a sensitivity of 0.731 and a specificity of 0.667. DCA indicated that when the probability threshold was 0.060 to 0.325, the clinical net benefit was relatively high.
Conclusion
The AD risk prediction model constructed in this study has good discrimination and clinical practicability, can be used for early screening of AD among the elderly in the community.
5.Effect of paeoniflorin on aerobic glycolysis of macrophages induced by resiquimod
Ying-Ying JIN ; Le SHI ; Yong-Xi HAO ; Fan TANG ; Wen-Hui JIANG ; Tao LIANG
The Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 2024;40(5):683-687
Objective To investigate the effect of paeoniflorin on aerobic glycolysis of macrophages induced by resiquimod.Methods THP-1 cells were treated with phorbol ester(PM A)to differentiate into macrophages.The cells were divided into control group,model group and low,medium,high dose experimental group.The cells in the control group were cultured normally;in the model group,2 μg·mL-1 resiquimod was used to stimulate macrophages for 24 h to induce aerobic glycolysis.The low,medium and high dose experimental groups were treated with 1,10 and 100 μmol·L-1 paeoniflorin for 24 h on the basis of the model group.Cell activity was detected by cell counting kit-8(CCK-8)method.Lactate and glucose determination kit were used to detect lactate secretion and glucose consumption of cells in each group.The protein and mRNA expression levels of(PKM2)and(LDHA)were detected by Western blot and real-time fluorescence quantitative polynucleotide chain reaction(q-PCR)respectively.Immunofluorescence method was used to compare the fluorescence intensity of PKM2 in each group.Results After 24 h stimulation of THP-1 cells with 2 μg·mL-1 resiquimod,the glucose contents in cell culture supernatants of control group,model group and low,medium and high dose experimental groups were(14.70±0.44),(9.83±0.43),(10.68±0.29),(11.79±0.33)and(13.63±0.74)mmol·L-1;the lactate secreted by cells were(6.17±0.48),(11.94±0.55),(9.08±0.55),(7.79±0.66)and(6.50±0.55)mmol·L-1;the protein expression levels of PKM2 in cells were 1.00±0.00,1.33±0.18,1.02±0.17,0.74±0.17 and 0.73±0.18;the protein expression levels of LDHA were 1.00±0.00,1.20±0.09,0.90±0.14,0.76±0.12 and 0.78±0.17;the PKM2 mRNA levels were 1.00±0.09,2.11±0.23,1.98±0.31,1.38±0.25 and 0.93±0.32;the LDHA mRNA levels were 1.00±0.13,1.85±0.25,1.44±0.21,0.91±0.24 and 0.96±0.14;the average fluorescence intensities of PKM2 were 136.41±33.63,217.94±5.33,210.27±1.03,204.14±3.27 and 186.79±14.03.Compared with control group,the above indicators in model group showed statistically significant differences(P<0.05,P<0.01);compared with model group,the differences in the above indicators in medium and high dose experimental group were all statistically significant(P<0.05,P<0.01).Conclusion Paeoniflorin can inhibit the aerobic glycolysis of macrophages induced by resiquimod.
6.A novel biologic for the treatment of moderate to severe asthma:Tezepelumab
Guo-Zhu BAI ; Xi-Le MU ; Ru-Han A ; Yang-Tao WU ; Yong-Xia BAI
The Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 2024;40(5):741-744
Tezepelumab(AMG 157/MEDI9929)is a human monoclonal antibody against the epithelial cell-derived cytokine thymic stromal lymphopoietin(TSLP).It is primarily used to treat moderate to severe asthma,particularly in patients with a non-eosinophilic inflammatory phenotype,whose asthma remains uncontrolled despite the use of long-acting beta-agonists and moderate to high doses of inhaled glucocorticoids.This article will summarise the mechanism of action,clinical trial efficacy and safety and tolerability of Tezepelumab in order to provide a comprehensive understanding of the drug and inform clinical work.
7.Therapeutic effect of Xiayuxue decoction on a mouse model of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease induced by high-fat diet and its mechanism
Linqi HOU ; Zhiyi WANG ; Xin ZHAO ; Jie ZHANG ; Wenting MA ; Xuling LIU ; Wei ZHANG ; Le TAO ; Cheng LIU ; Liu WU
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2024;40(4):712-719
ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism of action of Xiayuxue decoction in inhibiting nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) induced by high-fat diet in mice by regulating nucleotide binding oligomerization domain like receptor containing pyrin domain protein 6 (NLRP6). MethodsA total of 15 male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into low-fat diet (LFD) group, high-fat diet (HFD) group, and Xiayuxue decoction-HFD group (XYXD group), with 5 mice in each group. Liver function parameters (alanine aminotransferase [ALT] and aspartate aminotransferase [AST]) and blood lipid metabolic indicators (triglycerides [TG] and total cholesterol [TC]) were measured; HE staining and oil red O staining were performed for liver tissue to observe histomorpholoty and lipid droplet deposition; quantitative real-time PCR was used to measure the expression levels of inflammatory factors (tumor necrosis factor-α [TNF-α], interleukin-1β [IL-1β], interleukin-18 [IL-18], and NLRP6) in liver tissue; Western blot was used to measure the protein expression levels of NLRP6, nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), and NF-κB p65; immunohistochemistry was used to measure the expression of NLRP6 and CD68. Mouse Raw264.7 cells were treated with palmitic acid (PA), lipopolysaccharide, and serum containing Xiayuxue decoction to observe inflammation. A one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison of continuous data between multiple groups, and the least significant difference t-test was used for further comparison between two groups. ResultsCompared with the LFD group, the HFD group had significant increases in the serum levels of ALT, AST, TC, and TG (all P<0.05). Liver histopathological examination showed that the HFD group had marked hepatic steatosis and a signficant increase in NAS score (P<0.05), and quantitative real-time PCR showed significant increases in the inflammatory factors such as IL1β and IL-18 and a significant reduction in the expression of NLRP6 (all P<0.05). Immunohistochemistry showed that the expression of NLRP6 showed a similar trend as that of the macrophage marker CD68. Western blot showed that after the downregulation of NLRP6 expression, there was a significant increase in phosphorylated NF-κB p65 (P<0.05). Compared with the HFD group, Xiayuxue decoction effectively improved liver inflammation, upregulated the expression of NLRP6, and downregulated phosphorylated NF-κB p65 in HFD mice (all P<0.05). After Raw264.7 cells were treated with PA, NLRP6 was downregulated to promote the progression of inflammation (P<0.05), and treatment with Xiayuxue decoction could upregulate NLRP6 and inhibit inflammation NF-κB (P<0.05). ConclusionXiayuxue decoction can effectively improve hepatic steatosis and liver inflammation in a mouse model of NAFLD, possibly by regulating NLRP6/NF-κB to alleviate macrophage activation.
8.Clinical characteristics and prognosis analysis of 53 cases of drowning in children
Yinggang PENG ; Leyun XIE ; Tian YU ; Tao WANG ; Le YANG ; Saizhen ZENG ; Yimin ZHU
Chinese Pediatric Emergency Medicine 2024;31(1):47-51
Objective:To summarize the clinical characteristics and first aid measures of children with drowning,and to provide scientific basis for the treatment and prevention of drowning in children.Methods:The clinical data of drowning children admitted to the Children's Medical Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University(Hunan Provincial People's Hospital)from January 2011 to December 2021 were retrospectively summarized. Baseline characteristics,prehospital emergency care and prognosis of the included children were analyzed.According to the time span, drowning children were divided into two stages, the first stage (2011-2016) and the second stage (2017-2021). According to cerebral performance category assessment scale,drowning children with cardiac arrest were divided into two groups: a group with good neurological prognosis and a group with poor neurological prognosis. The baseline characteristics,pre-hospital emergency care, and prognosis of drowning children during different periods and with different prognosis were analyzed.Results:A total of 53 children were enrolled during the study period,with 24 cases in the first phase(2011-2016)and 29 cases in the second phase(2017-2021).Boys accounted for 73.6%(39/53)of the cases, the age ranged from 1 month and 24 days to 14 years old,with 1-4 years old being the most common,accounting for 58.5%(31/53), and the season in which drowning occurred was more common in the summer(39.6%, 21/53).Six cases (11.3%) had significant neurological sequelae, and the mortality rate was 3.8%(2/53).There was a decrease in the proportion of drowning with water control in the second stage compared to the first stage(37.5% vs. 13.79%, P=0.046).Thirty-two(60.4%)children experienced on-site cardiopulmonary resuscitation(CPR) after drowning,with 24 cases in the group with good neurological prognosis and 8 cases in the group with poor neurological prognosis.Children in the poor neurological prognosis group required CPR for a long duration [10.00(1.50, 25.00)min],had lower body temperature,Glasgow Coma Score,pH and higher blood glucose levels on admission(all P < 0.05). Conclusion:Drowning is most common in preschool children,common in boys,and drowning prevention measures for young children deserve focused attention. Children found to be in cardiac arrest at the time of drowning have a long duration of drowning and CPR,which predicts a poor neurological prognosis,and timely and effective on-site CPR is the key to reducing the drowning rate.
9.Role of podoplanin in hepatic stellate cell activation and liver fibrosis
Zhiyi WANG ; Guangyue YANG ; Wei ZHANG ; Yaqiong PU ; Xin ZHAO ; Wenting MA ; Xuling LIU ; Liu WU ; Le TAO ; Cheng LIU
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2024;40(3):533-538
ObjectiveTo investigate the role and mechanism of podoplanin (PDPN) in hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation and liver fibrosis. MethodsLiver biopsy samples were collected from 75 patients with chronic hepatitis B who attended Department of Infectious Diseases, Putuo Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, for the first time from September 2019 to June 2022, and RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry were used to measure the expression of PDPN in liver tissue of patients in different stages of liver fibrosis. A total of 12 male C57/BL6 mice were randomly divided into control group and model group. The mice in the model group were given intraperitoneal injection of 10% CCl4, and those in the control group were injected with an equal volume of olive oil, for 6 weeks. HE staining and Sirius Red staining were used to observe liver histopathological changes; primary mouse liver cells were separated to measure the mRNA expression of PDPN in various types of cells; primary mouse HSCs were treated with PDPN protein, followed by treatment with the NF-κB inhibitor BAY11-708, to measure the expression of inflammatory factors in HSCs induced by PDPN. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups; a one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison between multiple groups, and the least significant difference t-test was used for further comparison between two groups. The Spearman correlation analysis was used to investigate data correlation. ResultsAs for the liver biopsy samples, there was a relatively low mRNA expression level of PDPN in normal liver, and there was a significant increase in the mRNA expression level of PDPN in liver tissue of stage S3 or S4 fibrosis (all P<0.001). Immunohistochemical staining showed that PDPN was mainly expressed in the fibrous septum and the hepatic sinusoid, and the PDPN-positive area in S4 liver tissue was significantly higher than that in S0 liver tissue (t=8.892, P=0.001). In normal mice, PDPN was mainly expressed in the hepatic sinusoid, and there was a significant increase in the expression of PDPN in CCl4 model mice (t=0.95, P<0.001), mainly in the fibrous septum. RT-PCR showed a significant increase in the mRNA expression of PDPN in the CCl4 model mice (t=11.25, P=0.002). Compared with hepatocytes, HSCs, Kupffer cells, and bile duct endothelial cells, hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells showed a significantly high expression level of PDPN (F=20.56, P<0.001). Compared with the control group, the primary mouse HSCs treated by PDPN protein for 15 minutes showed significant increases in the mRNA expression levels of the inflammation-related factors TNFα, CCL3, CXCL1, and CXCR1 (all P<0.05), and there were significant reductions in the levels of these indicators after treatment with BAY11-7082 (all P<0.05). ConclusionThere is an increase in the expression of PDPN mainly in hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells during liver fibrosis, and PDPN regulates HSC activation and promotes the progression of liver fibrosis via the NF-κB signaling pathway.
10.Effect of Xiayuxue Decoction against renal injury in mice with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and its mechanism
Xin ZHAO ; Zhiyi WANG ; Le TAO ; Guangyue YANG ; Wei ZHANG ; Liu WU ; Wenting MA ; Qian CHEN ; Xuling LIU ; Cheng LIU
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2024;40(11):2213-2220
Objective To investigate the effect of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)induced by high-fat diet(HFD)on the kidneys of mice and the protective effect and mechanism of Xiayuxue Decoction.Methods A total of 25 healthy controls and 25 NAFLD patients who attended Putuo Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from September 2020 to September 2021 were enrolled,and the levels of total cholesterol(TC),triglyceride(TG),blood urea nitrogen(BUN),creatinine(Cr),and uric acid(UA)were measured.A total of 24 male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into low-fat diet(LFD)group,HFD group,and HFD+Xiayuxue Decoction group(XYXD group),with 8 mice in each group,and since week 13,XYXD was administered by gavage once a day for 6 weeks till the end of week 18.The level of TC,TG,BUN,and Cr were measured for each group.HE staining and oil red staining were used to observe the pathological changes of the liver and the kidneys;immunohistochemical double staining was used to measure the expression levels of CD68 and alpha-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA);quantitative real-time PCR was used to measure the expression levels of sterol regulatory element binding protein 1(SREBP1),fatty acid synthase(FASN),interleukin-6(IL-6),tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),Desmin,and α-SMA in renal tissue;Western blot was used to measure the protein expression levels of SREBP1 and TNF-α.A one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison of continuous data between multiple groups,and the least significant difference t-test was used for pairwise comparison;the independent-samples t-test was used for comparison between two groups.Results Compared with the healthy controls,NAFLD patients showed significant increases in the levels of TC,TG,BUN,Cr,and UA(all P<0.05).Compared with the LFD group,the HFD group had significant increases in body weight,TC,TG,BUN,and Cr(all P<0.001),and compared with the HFD group,the XYXD group showed significant inhibition of the expression of TC,TG,BUN,and Cr(all P<0.001).Liver pathological examination showed that compared with the LFD group,the HFD group showed significant increases in hepatic steatosis and inflammatory infiltration,while the XYXD group showed significant alleviation of lesions.Renal pathological examination showed that compared with the LFD group,the HFD group had significant inflammatory infiltration,steatosis,and collagen formation in renal tissue,and compared with the HFD group,XYXD significantly alleviated inflammatory infiltration and inhibited steatosis and collagen formation.Quantitative real-time PCR showed that compared with the LFD group,the HFD group had significant increases in the relative mRNA expression levels of SREBP1,FASN,IL-6,TNF-α,Desmin,and α-SMA in renal tissue(all P<0.001),and compared with the HFD group,the XYXD group had significant reductions in the relative expression levels of these indicators(all P<0.001).Western blot showed that compared with the LFD group,the HFD group had significant increases in the protein expression levels of SREBP1 and TNF-α(P<0.05),and compared with the HFD group,the XYXD group had significant reductions in the protein expression levels of SREBP1 and TNF-α(P<0.05).Immunohistochemical staining showed that compared with the LFD group,the HFD group had significant increases in the positive staining or the double positive staining of α-SMA and CD68(P<0.05),and compared with the HFD group,the XYXD group showed significant reductions(P<0.05).Conclusion HFD can induce renal steatosis,inflammatory infiltration,and collagen formation,and XYXD might exert a protective effect on the kidneys by inhibiting the expression of macrophages and myofibroblasts in renal tissue.


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