1.Effect and mechanism of action of 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid on an in vitro cell model of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease
Junjiao XU ; Tong LIU ; Sutong LIU ; Lihui ZHANG ; Yijia SONG ; Wenjing WU ; Beilei CUI ; Yajie GUAN ; Minghao LIU
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2026;42(7):1586-1596
ObjectiveTo investigate the potential targets of 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (2,5-DHBA) in the treatment of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) and the molecular mechanism by which it regulates the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) signaling pathway. MethodsA network pharmacology analysis was performed at first, and related databases were used to obtain the common action targets of 2,5-DHBA and MAFLD, followed by molecular docking and pathway enrichment analysis to predict the potential biological processes and signaling pathways regulated by these targets. Then mouse normal hepatocytes AML-12 were used for cell experiments, and CCK-8 assay was used to determine the three optimal intervention concentrations of 2,5-DHBA. AML-12 cells were divided into control group, model group (cells cultured in a medium containing 2 mmol/L free fatty acid [FFA] to establish a cell model of MAFLD), and three 2,5-DHBA intervention groups (cells cultured with FFA and 2,5-DHBA at the three different concentrations of 1.25, 5, and 20 μmol/L, respectively). Oil red O staining was used to observe intracellular lipid accumulation; the fluorescent probe DCFH-DA was used to measure the level of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS); biochemical assays were used to measure the content of triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TC); quantitative real-time PCR and Western Blot were used to measure the expression levels of related genes and proteins. A one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison between multiple groups, and the Tukey’s test was used for further comparison between two groups. ResultsA total of 32 common targets were obtained for 2,5-DHBA and MAFLD. Within a concentration range of 1.25 — 20 μmol/L, 2,5-DHBA treatment, starting from the concentration of 2.5 μmol/L, increased the viability of AML-12 cells in a dose-dependent manner. The minimum effective concentration of 1.25 μmol/L, the intermediate gradient concentration of 5 μmol/L, and the maximum safe concentration within the effective range of 20 μmol/L were selected for low-, middle-, and high-dose intervention, respectively. Compared with the model group, 2,5-DHBA intervention at concentrations of 1.25, 5, and 20 μmol/L could significantly reduce lipid droplet accumulation in cells (all P<0.05), and there were significant differences in TG and TC between the model group and the three intervention groups (all P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the model group had a significant increase in ROS fluorescence intensity (P<0.05), and compared with the model group, there was a dose-dependent reduction in intracellular ROS level after treatment with 5 μmol/L or 20 μmol/L 2,5-DHBA (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, 2,5-DHBA treatment at concentrations of 5 and 20 μmol/L significantly downregulated the mRNA expression levels of the lipogenic genes SREBf1 and FASN and upregulated the mRNA expression levels of the key antioxidant gene Nrf2 and its downstream target gene HO-1 (all P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the expression of p-PI3K/PI3K and p-Akt/Akt in the model group was significantly increased (all P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the protein expression levels of p-PI3K/PI3K and p-Akt/Akt were significantly decreased after 5 μmol/L 2,5-DHBA treatment (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the expression levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 protein in the model group were significantly decreased (all P<0.05). The protein levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 were significantly increased after treatment with 1.25 μmol/L 2,5-DHBA (P<0.05). ConclusionNetwork pharmacology and cellular experiments confirm that 2,5-DHBA can alleviate lipid deposition and oxidative stress by regulating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, thereby exerting a therapeutic effect on MAFLD.
2.Establishment and application of a colloidal gold immunochromatographic test strip assay for detection of caprine enterovirus
Xuebo ZHENG ; Xuyuan CUI ; Naitian YAN ; Qianying WANG ; Hongwei LI ; Lihui CHEN ; Wenjie GONG ; Xinping WANG
Chinese Journal of Veterinary Science 2025;45(4):662-667
To establish an immunochromatographic method for rapid detection of caprine enterovir-us(CEV),the monoclonal antibody against CEV VP1 protein was used as gold-labeled monoclonal antibodies,and the purified rabbit-derived polyclonal antibody of CEV-VP1 and sheep anti-mouse IgG were used as the detection line and quality control line,respectively.The colloidal gold immu-nochromatographic test strips for CEV were prepared according to the principle of double antibody sandwich,evaluated,and applied for clinical specimen detection.The results showed that the meth-od specifically recognized CEV without cross-reaction with bovine enterovirus and bovine viral di-arrhea virus.The minimum detection limit of the method was 102.49 TCID50/mL and had good re-producibility.The prepared test strips had a shelf life of three months kept at 4 ℃.Detection of clin-ical samples using the immunochromatographic test strips showed 100%coincidence rate with RT-PCR method.In conclusion,the colloidal gold immunochromatographic test strips for detection of the emerging CEV with good specificity,sensitivity and repeatability,which provides a new techni-cal means easily used for the rapid detection/diagnosis and epidemiological investigation on CEV infection.
3.Establishment and application of a colloidal gold immunochromatographic test strip assay for detection of caprine enterovirus
Xuebo ZHENG ; Xuyuan CUI ; Naitian YAN ; Qianying WANG ; Hongwei LI ; Lihui CHEN ; Wenjie GONG ; Xinping WANG
Chinese Journal of Veterinary Science 2025;45(4):662-667
To establish an immunochromatographic method for rapid detection of caprine enterovir-us(CEV),the monoclonal antibody against CEV VP1 protein was used as gold-labeled monoclonal antibodies,and the purified rabbit-derived polyclonal antibody of CEV-VP1 and sheep anti-mouse IgG were used as the detection line and quality control line,respectively.The colloidal gold immu-nochromatographic test strips for CEV were prepared according to the principle of double antibody sandwich,evaluated,and applied for clinical specimen detection.The results showed that the meth-od specifically recognized CEV without cross-reaction with bovine enterovirus and bovine viral di-arrhea virus.The minimum detection limit of the method was 102.49 TCID50/mL and had good re-producibility.The prepared test strips had a shelf life of three months kept at 4 ℃.Detection of clin-ical samples using the immunochromatographic test strips showed 100%coincidence rate with RT-PCR method.In conclusion,the colloidal gold immunochromatographic test strips for detection of the emerging CEV with good specificity,sensitivity and repeatability,which provides a new techni-cal means easily used for the rapid detection/diagnosis and epidemiological investigation on CEV infection.
4.Feasibility of MAGIC pure tone screening in children aged 3 to 6 years.
Qingjia CUI ; Fang GE ; Renjie HAN ; Jin YAN ; Cheng WEN ; Yue LI ; Xin DAI ; Lihui HUANG
Journal of Clinical Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery 2025;39(1):14-18
Objective:To explore the feasibility of the multiple-choice auditory graphical interactive check(MAGIC) screening module in childhood hearing screening in children aged 3 to 6 years. Methods:A hearing screening was conducted on 366 children(732 ears) aged between 3 and 6 years. The screening methods included MAGIC, DPOAE, and acoustic immittance.The cooperation, screening time, pass rate, and correlation of the three screening methods were compared. Results:There was a statistically significant difference in the degree of cooperation among the three screeningmethods(P=0.004).The MAGIC pure tone screening method was 98.6%, the screening DPOAE was 99.5%,and the acoustic immittance screening was 100%. For the screening duration, the MAGIC pure tone screening method was(116.3±59.1)s, the screening DPOAE was(27.2±19.7)s, and the acoustic impedance screening was(24.6±14.6)s. There was a significant statistical significance differences among the three or two groups(P<0.01). The passing rates of MAGIC pure tone screening,screening DPOAE and acoustic immittance screening were 64.7%, 65.4%, and 69.3%, respectively, and there was no significant statistical difference among the three or two groups(P>0.05). There was no significant difference between MAGIC pure tone screening method and screening DPOAE(P=0.827>0.05), and acoustic impedance(P=0.653>0.05), while the difference between screening DPOAE and acoustic impedance was statistically significant(P<0.01). Conclusion:MAGIC pure sound screening method has good feasibility, can comprehensively reflect the hearing level of screened children, and can be promoted for hearing screening in children aged between 3 and 6 years.
Humans
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Child, Preschool
;
Child
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Female
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Male
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Audiometry, Pure-Tone
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Mass Screening/methods*
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Feasibility Studies
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Acoustic Impedance Tests/methods*
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Hearing Loss/diagnosis*
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Hearing Tests/methods*
5.Human PCSK9D374Y exacerbates methionine choline deficiency diet-induced nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in mice
ABIDAN·ABUDURUSULI ; Xiaocui CHEN ; Yuanfeng CUI ; TUOLUONAYI·MIJITI ; Lihui DENG ; Bangdang CHEN
Basic & Clinical Medicine 2025;45(5):637-643
Objective To investigate the effect of mutation human proprotein convertase subtilism/kexin type 9(hPCSK9D374Y)in PCSK9 gene on methionine choline deficiency diet(MCD)-induced nonalcoholic steato-hepatitis(NASH)in mice.Methods Sixteen C57BL/6J wild-type mice were selected and randomly divided into the hPCSK9D374Y group and the control GFP group.MCD was fed for 6 weeks,and then the serum level of hepatic triglyceride,alanine aminotransferase(ALT)and aspartate aminotransferase(AST)was examined.Oil Red O and Sirius Red staining microscopy were used to identify hepatic lipid infiltration and fibrosis severity.F4/80-positive cell infiltration was analyzed using immunohistochemistry.Lipid synthesis and inflammatory response-related proteins were detected by Western blot and related mRNA expression was analyzed by RT-qPCR.Results Hepatic hPCSK9 protein and mRNA were significantly up-regulated,LDLR protein expression was down-regulated,and ser-um level of ALT and AST was significantly elevated in the hPCSK9D374Y group of mice(P<0.05).The degree of he-patic steatosis and fibrosis increased and F4/80-positive cells were significantly increased(P<0.01).FASN and SCD1 proteins were significantly up-regulated and PPARα was down-regulated in the hPCSK9D374Y group;The ex-pression of TLR4 and p-P65 was elevated,whereas the expression of Iκ Bα was decreased(P<0.001).RT-qPCR re-sults showed a significant increase of mRNA coding inflammatory factors TNF-α,IL-1β,IL-6,and MCP-1,and a significant up-regulation of fibrosis-associated mRNAs(collagen Ⅰα and collagen Ⅲα)was found(P<0.001).Conclusions Functionally acquired mutation in the PCSK9 gene(hPCSK9D374Y)exacerbates MCD-induced hepatic steatosis,inflammatory response and fibrosis in mice.
6.Human PCSK9D374Y exacerbates methionine choline deficiency diet-induced nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in mice
ABIDAN·ABUDURUSULI ; Xiaocui CHEN ; Yuanfeng CUI ; TUOLUONAYI·MIJITI ; Lihui DENG ; Bangdang CHEN
Basic & Clinical Medicine 2025;45(5):637-643
Objective To investigate the effect of mutation human proprotein convertase subtilism/kexin type 9(hPCSK9D374Y)in PCSK9 gene on methionine choline deficiency diet(MCD)-induced nonalcoholic steato-hepatitis(NASH)in mice.Methods Sixteen C57BL/6J wild-type mice were selected and randomly divided into the hPCSK9D374Y group and the control GFP group.MCD was fed for 6 weeks,and then the serum level of hepatic triglyceride,alanine aminotransferase(ALT)and aspartate aminotransferase(AST)was examined.Oil Red O and Sirius Red staining microscopy were used to identify hepatic lipid infiltration and fibrosis severity.F4/80-positive cell infiltration was analyzed using immunohistochemistry.Lipid synthesis and inflammatory response-related proteins were detected by Western blot and related mRNA expression was analyzed by RT-qPCR.Results Hepatic hPCSK9 protein and mRNA were significantly up-regulated,LDLR protein expression was down-regulated,and ser-um level of ALT and AST was significantly elevated in the hPCSK9D374Y group of mice(P<0.05).The degree of he-patic steatosis and fibrosis increased and F4/80-positive cells were significantly increased(P<0.01).FASN and SCD1 proteins were significantly up-regulated and PPARα was down-regulated in the hPCSK9D374Y group;The ex-pression of TLR4 and p-P65 was elevated,whereas the expression of Iκ Bα was decreased(P<0.001).RT-qPCR re-sults showed a significant increase of mRNA coding inflammatory factors TNF-α,IL-1β,IL-6,and MCP-1,and a significant up-regulation of fibrosis-associated mRNAs(collagen Ⅰα and collagen Ⅲα)was found(P<0.001).Conclusions Functionally acquired mutation in the PCSK9 gene(hPCSK9D374Y)exacerbates MCD-induced hepatic steatosis,inflammatory response and fibrosis in mice.
7.Pharmaceutical care of drug use in a case of severe pneumonia complicated with lung abscess caused by Fusobacterium necrosis
Jing MA ; Chao CUI ; Jiabing XU ; Zhongjing MENG ; Yingqian FU ; Yao XUE ; Lihui CUI
Chinese Journal of Pharmacoepidemiology 2024;33(10):1170-1177
To introduce a strategy for a case of severe pneumonia complicated with lung abscess caused by Fusobacterium necrotum.The pathogen was not identified,but the patient was still coughing up feverish bloody sputum after being treated with meropenem,linezolid and ornidazole.The results of detection of pathogen metagenomes in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid by posterior bronchoscopy suggested that the pathogen was Fusobacterium necrophorum,according to the characteristics of bacteria,the dynamic changes of clinical symptoms,liver and kidney function,body temperature and blood picture infection index,combined with the results of bacterial culture/drug sensitivity test,bronchoalveolar lavage fluid NGS and the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic characteristics of antimicrobial agents,to propose an anti-infective regimen that is strategically adjusted to imipenem cilastatin(1.0 g,ivd,q8h)plus ornidazole(0.5 g,ivd,q12h)for the implementation of pharmaceutical care after adoption by physicians.After 21 days,the patient's severe infection and lung abscess was controlled and patient was discharged.In this case,clinical pharmacists study the bacterial characteristics of Fusobacterium necrotum,review a large number of domestic and foreign literature to track the frontier knowledge of antimicrobial agents,and use their own expertise to provide effective pharmaceutical support for the clinical team,to assist clinical team in the diagnosis and treatment of rare infections,to achieve professional value.
8.DNMT3A loss drives a HIF-1-dependent synthetic lethality to HDAC6 inhibition in non-small cell lung cancer.
Jiayu ZHANG ; Yingxi ZHAO ; Ruijuan LIANG ; Xue ZHOU ; Zhonghua WANG ; Cheng YANG ; Lingyue GAO ; Yonghao ZHENG ; Hui SHAO ; Yang SU ; Wei CUI ; Lina JIA ; Jingyu YANG ; Chunfu WU ; Lihui WANG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2024;14(12):5219-5234
DNMT3A encodes a DNA methyltransferase involved in development, cell differentiation, and gene transcription, which is mutated and aberrant-expressed in cancers. Here, we revealed that loss of DNMT3A promotes malignant phenotypes in lung cancer. Based on the epigenetic inhibitor library synthetic lethal screening, we found that small-molecule HDAC6 inhibitors selectively killed DNMT3A-defective NSCLC cells. Knockdown of HDAC6 by siRNAs reduced cell growth and induced apoptosis in DNMT3A-defective NSCLC cells. However, sensitive cells became resistant when DNMT3A was rescued. Furthermore, the selectivity to HDAC6 inhibition was recapitulated in mice, where an HDAC6 inhibitor retarded tumor growth established from DNMT3A-defective but not DNMT3A parental NSCLC cells. Mechanistically, DNMT3A loss resulted in the upregulation of HDAC6 through decreasing its promoter CpG methylation and enhancing transcription factor RUNX1 binding. Notably, our results indicated that HIF-1 pathway was activated in DNMT3A-defective cells whereas inactivated by HDAC6 inhibition. Knockout of HIF-1 contributed to the elimination of synthetic lethality between DNMT3A and HDAC6. Interestingly, HIF-1 pathway inhibitors could mimic the selective efficacy of HDAC6 inhibition in DNMT3A-defective cells. These results demonstrated HDAC6 as a HIF-1-dependent vulnerability of DNMT3A-defective cancers. Together, our findings identify HDAC6 as a potential HIF-1-dependent therapeutic target for the treatment of DNMT3A-defective cancers like NSCLC.
9.A multicenter study to test the reliability and validity of the frailty assessment scale for elderly patients with inguinal hernia and to evaluate the value of clinical application
Xian LI ; Jia ZHENG ; Shibo WEI ; Hangyu LI ; Lei JIANG ; Lei DONG ; Jiang WANG ; Chongzhu TAO ; Yuhao YAN ; Lihui SUN ; Lunbo CUI ; Jinhai HUANG ; Yuxuan FANG ; Chengxin TANG
Chinese Journal of Surgery 2023;61(12):1080-1085
Objectives:To verify the reliability and validity of the frailty assessment scale for elderly patients with inguinal hernia and to evaluate the value of its clinical application.Methods:A convenience sampling method was used to collect 129 geriatric patients who underwent inguinal hernia surgery from January 2018 to January 2023 in nine hospitals in Liaoning Province. There were 120 males and 9 females, of whom 89 patients were 60 to <75 years old, 33 patients were 75 to <85 years old and 7 patients were ≥85 years old. The 129 patients included 11 elderly patients with inguinal hernia who had recovered from preoperative infection with COVID-19. Statistical methods such as Cronbach′s coefficient, Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin test, Bartlett′s test, Pearson′s correlation analysis, etc. were calculated to verify the reliability indexes such as feasibility, content validity, structural validity, criterion-related validity, internal consistency reliability, and re-test reliability. Taking the 5-item modified frailty index (5-mFI) as the gold standard, the area under the curve was used to analyze the ability of the two scales to predict the occurrence of postoperative acute urinary retention, postoperative delirium, poor incision healing, operative hematoma seroma, and postoperative complications.Results:The frailty assessment scale for elderly patients with inguinal hernia showed good reliability and validity (valid completion rate of 99.2%; item content validity index of 1.000, and the scale content validity index of 1.000; exploratory factor analysis extracted a total of 1 principal component, and factor loadings of each item of 0.565 to 0.873; the AUC for frailty diagnosis using 5-mFI as the gold standard of 0.795 ( P<0.01) Cronbach′s coefficient of 0.916, retest reliability coefficient of 0.926), it could effectively predict postoperative acute urinary retention, delirium, hematoma seroma in the operative area and total complications (AUC of 0.746, 0.870, 0.806, and 0.738, respectively; all P<0.05), and prediction efficiency was higher than that of 5-mFI (AUC of 0.694, 0.838, 0.626 and 0.641, P<0.05 for delirium only), but both scales were inaccurate in predicting poor incision healing (AUC of 0.519, P=0.913 for the frailty assessment scale and 0.455, P=0.791 for the 5-mFI). Conclusions:The frailty assessment scale for elderly patients with inguinal hernia is reliable and significantly predicts the occurrence of postoperative adverse events in elderly inguinal hernia patients. The scale can also be used for preoperative frailty assessment in elderly patients with inguinal hernia after rehabilitation from COVID-19 infection.
10.A multicenter study to test the reliability and validity of the frailty assessment scale for elderly patients with inguinal hernia and to evaluate the value of clinical application
Xian LI ; Jia ZHENG ; Shibo WEI ; Hangyu LI ; Lei JIANG ; Lei DONG ; Jiang WANG ; Chongzhu TAO ; Yuhao YAN ; Lihui SUN ; Lunbo CUI ; Jinhai HUANG ; Yuxuan FANG ; Chengxin TANG
Chinese Journal of Surgery 2023;61(12):1080-1085
Objectives:To verify the reliability and validity of the frailty assessment scale for elderly patients with inguinal hernia and to evaluate the value of its clinical application.Methods:A convenience sampling method was used to collect 129 geriatric patients who underwent inguinal hernia surgery from January 2018 to January 2023 in nine hospitals in Liaoning Province. There were 120 males and 9 females, of whom 89 patients were 60 to <75 years old, 33 patients were 75 to <85 years old and 7 patients were ≥85 years old. The 129 patients included 11 elderly patients with inguinal hernia who had recovered from preoperative infection with COVID-19. Statistical methods such as Cronbach′s coefficient, Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin test, Bartlett′s test, Pearson′s correlation analysis, etc. were calculated to verify the reliability indexes such as feasibility, content validity, structural validity, criterion-related validity, internal consistency reliability, and re-test reliability. Taking the 5-item modified frailty index (5-mFI) as the gold standard, the area under the curve was used to analyze the ability of the two scales to predict the occurrence of postoperative acute urinary retention, postoperative delirium, poor incision healing, operative hematoma seroma, and postoperative complications.Results:The frailty assessment scale for elderly patients with inguinal hernia showed good reliability and validity (valid completion rate of 99.2%; item content validity index of 1.000, and the scale content validity index of 1.000; exploratory factor analysis extracted a total of 1 principal component, and factor loadings of each item of 0.565 to 0.873; the AUC for frailty diagnosis using 5-mFI as the gold standard of 0.795 ( P<0.01) Cronbach′s coefficient of 0.916, retest reliability coefficient of 0.926), it could effectively predict postoperative acute urinary retention, delirium, hematoma seroma in the operative area and total complications (AUC of 0.746, 0.870, 0.806, and 0.738, respectively; all P<0.05), and prediction efficiency was higher than that of 5-mFI (AUC of 0.694, 0.838, 0.626 and 0.641, P<0.05 for delirium only), but both scales were inaccurate in predicting poor incision healing (AUC of 0.519, P=0.913 for the frailty assessment scale and 0.455, P=0.791 for the 5-mFI). Conclusions:The frailty assessment scale for elderly patients with inguinal hernia is reliable and significantly predicts the occurrence of postoperative adverse events in elderly inguinal hernia patients. The scale can also be used for preoperative frailty assessment in elderly patients with inguinal hernia after rehabilitation from COVID-19 infection.

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