1.Role of IL-17A in acute inhalational pneumonia caused by highly virulent and multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
Qi KUANG ; Xiaoyu ZHU ; Lu LI ; Xueyan WANG ; Peijie YAN ; Lili ZHANG ; Meng LÜ ; Lingfei HU ; Dongsheng ZHOU ; Wenhui YANG
Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2026;61(4):599-605
ObjectiveTo investigate the role of interleukin (IL)-17A in acute inhalational pneumonia induced by the highly drug-resistant and hypervirulent Staphylococcus aureus strain USA300-R in mice. MethodsAn acute inhalational pneumonia model was established in mice using an aerosolized pulmonary delivery technique. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were employed to examine the expression dynamics of Il17a mRNA and IL-17A protein, respectively, in the lungs of infected mice. Il17a knockout (Il17a-/-) mice were generated using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology. The survival rate, body weight, bacterial load in lung tissue, and histopathological changes were compared between Il17a-/- and wild-type (WT) mice following inhalational infection with USA300-R. Results12 hours after USA300-R infection, compared to pre-infection, the expression level of Il17a mRNA in lung tissue and the level of IL-17A protein in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) increased by approximately 50-fold (P<0.01) and 6-fold (P<0.001), respectively. Compared to WT mice, Il17a-/- mice exhibited approximately 10-fold higher bacterial loads in lung tissue at both 12 and 24 hours post-infection (P<0.001, P<0.05). However, they showed significantly attenuated lung histopathological injury, reduced alveolar wall thickening, markedly decreased neutrophil infiltration, and an approximately 50% improvement in survival rate (P<0.05). ConclusionIn acute Staphylococcus aureus USA300-R inhalational pneumonia, IL-17A contributes to bacterial clearance by recruiting neutrophils; however, excessive neutrophil infiltration exacerbates pulmonary inflammation and injury, reduces survival rates, and represents a potential therapeutic target.
2.Action Mechanism of Huamoyan Granules in Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis Based on TRPV1/p38 MAPK Pathway
Jin ZHANG ; Lili YANG ; Canwen ZHENG ; Jing KANG ; Yanlei MA ; Yue SHI ; Lei LI ; Hongxu MENG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(4):79-89
ObjectiveThis paper aims to observe the protective effect of Huamoyan granules on knee osteoarthritis (KOA) and explore whether its protective effect is oriented toward an anti-inflammatory direction by regulation of macrophage polarization, which can effectively inhibit the progression of pathological inflammatory response, reduce the release of inflammatory pain mediators, and downregulate the protein expression level of transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1), so as to provide experimental evidence for its clinical application and investigate its action mechanism. MethodsAfter adaptive feeding, Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into six groups: sham group, model group, celecoxib group, and high, medium, and low-dose synovitis granule groups (9.6, 4.8, 2.4 g·kg-1). The administration dose of celecoxib capsules was 20 mg·kg-1. There were 10 rats in the sham group and 12 rats in the model group and each administration group. A KOA animal model was established by means of intra-articular injection of sodium iodoacetate into the knee joint. From the 10th day of the experiment, each administration group was given intragastric administration at a dose of 10 mL·kg-1 for 4 weeks. General conditions of rats in each group were assessed daily. The pressure pain threshold (PPT) to mechanical stimulation and joint diameter were recorded. X-ray examination was performed on the right knee joints of rats for imaging analysis. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed to detect the tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), serum interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and other pro-inflammatory cytokines in rat serum samples, as well as the expression levels of neurogenic inflammatory mediators such as nerve growth factor (NGF) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). Histopathological changes in the knee joint synovial tissues were examined by hematoxylineosin (HE) staining. Safranin O-fast green staining was performed to observe and evaluate the degree of knee cartilage lesions. Western blot was employed to quantitatively analyze TRPV1, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK), and phosphorylated (p)-p38 MAPK in rat knee synovial tissues. Immunofluorescence (IF) was used to measure and assess M1/M2 macrophage polarization. ResultsCompared with those in the sham group, the circumference and joint diameter of the right knee were markedly enlarged in the model group (P<0.01), while PPTs of rats showed a significant reduction (P<0.01). The contents of IL-1β, TNF-α, CGRP, and NGF in rats' serum were significantly elevated (P<0.01), and the synovial Krenn score was increased (P<0.01). The Mankin score of cartilage tissue was increased (P<0.01), and the protein expressions of TRPV1 and p-p38 MAPK/p38 MAPK were significantly upregulated (P<0.01). The experimental intervention significantly reduced the proportion of pro-inflammatory M1 macrophages in the total macrophage population (P<0.01), and the percentage of M2 macrophages was decreased (P<0.01). The M1/M2 macrophage ratio was significantly elevated (P<0.01). Knee joint diameters of all dose groups of Huamoyan granules and the celecoxib group were reduced (P<0.01) compared with those of the model group, and the PPT recovery speeds in the high and medium-dose groups of Huamoyan granules were more obvious (P<0.05). The contents of IL-1β, CGRP, and NGF in the rats' serum in all administration groups were significantly reduced (P<0.05, P<0.01), and the content of TNF-α in rats' serum was significantly reduced (P<0.01). All dose groups of Huamoyan granules demonstrated significant reductions in both synovial Krenn score (P<0.05, P<0.01) and protein expression of TRPV1 and p-p38 MAPK/p38 MAPK in rats' synovial tissues (P<0.01). The percentage of M1 macrophages in the synovial tissues of the celecoxib group and all dose groups of Huamoyan granules was decreased (P<0.01). The percentage of M2 macrophages was increased (P<0.05), and the M1/M2 ratio was decreased (P<0.01). ConclusionHuamoyan granules can alleviate the inflammatory response of KOA, reduce the release of inflammatory pain mediators, and downregulate TRPV1 protein expression by regulating macrophage polarization. Its mechanism may be related to the TRPV1/p38 MAPK signaling pathway, thereby achieving the effect of improving peripheral pain hypersensitivity in KOA.
3.Research on the Extraction of Elements of Complex Scenarios of Medical Surge and the Logical Deduction of Evolution
Tian YU ; Nan MENG ; Yiran GAO ; Min WEI ; Yanping WANG ; Lili JIANG ; Xin ZHANG ; Ning NING ; Zheng KANG ; Avdeev SERGEY ; Qunhong WU
Chinese Hospital Management 2025;45(11):11-16,21
Objective Exploring the components of complex scenarios of healthcare surges triggered by major epidemics to provide a theorical basis for building resilience in healthcare organizations.Methods A hybrid analysis method is used to summarize macro-meso-micro multi-level and multi-source heterogeneous information,extract the elements of complex scenarios of medical surge and evaluate the rationality.Fault Tree Analysis method is used to clarify the logical relationship between various scenario elements and construct scenario reasoning paths.Results 10 scenario states,11 disaster-bearing,24 emergency management and 23 scenario results are summarized and extracted to form the key elements of complex surge scenarios.Among them,M4 expansion and coordinated scheduling of key positions,B2 conventional drug inventory emergency/insufficient core treatment drugs,B emergency medical material transportation breakage,S3 disease symptom spectrum shift to severe disease,R13 prevention and control awareness laxity,and M5 media information dissemination management are the key driving factors that promote a major turning point in the scenario.The most positive scenario result is the orderly operation of the medical service system,and the most negative scenario result is the paralysis of the medical service system.Conclusion Medical institutions need to improve emergency plans based on the complex evolution scenarios of medical surges and agile governance capabilities targeting key turning points,focus on dynamically expanding and scheduling personnel in key positions,strengthen material rotation and reserve mechanisms,maintain smooth emergency logistics channels,and improve efficient management of media and public opinion,so as to comprehensively improve overall resilience.
4.A Dual-Layer Network Dynamics Modeling and Simulation of Medical Surge Risk Diffusion Based on MATLAB and REPAST
Nan MENG ; Yanping WANG ; Yiran GAO ; Tian YU ; Min WEI ; Wanmeng TENG ; Peng WANG ; Fengqian ZHONG ; Lili JIANG ; Jialin LU ; Ning NING ; Avdeev SERGEY ; Qunhong WU
Chinese Hospital Management 2025;45(11):22-27
Objective To explore the coupling mechanism between medical surge response resources and the spread of secondary risks during public health emergencies,as well as the effectiveness of relevant interventions.Methods Based on complex network theory,a dual-layer network model of medical resources and secondary events was constructed.The interactive feedback between medical resource status and secondary event risk,as well as the effects of network structure,were analyzed through MATLAB simulations,REPAST agent-based modeling,and mean-field analysis.Results Simulation and prediction results show that an increase in first-layer resource-deficient nodes significantly raises the activation rate and transmission speed of secondary events,while the clustering and spread of secondary events in the second layer,in turn,intensify resource depletion,creating a negative feedback loop.Mean-field analysis indicates a nonlinear positive correlation between the adequacy of medical resources and the likelihood of secondary events.Network structure analysis reveals that when the average node degree exceeds 8,resource allocation efficiency improves markedly.Conclusion There exists a dynamic coupling and bidirectional feedback relationship between medical resource status and secondary event risks.Enhancing the flexible allocation and responsiveness of medical resources,improving multi-sectoral collaborative monitoring and coordinated regulation,optimizing network connectivity and coordination mechanisms for resource distribution,and establishing dynamic monitoring and tiered early warning systems are key strategies for strengthening the resilience of healthcare systems and effectively containing the spread of secondary events.
5.Value of microbiological rapid on-site evaluation in treatment of patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia
Junchen XIONG ; Lihua QIU ; Ning LIU ; Lili SHI ; Liming SUN ; Xiaosheng MENG ; Huade ZHENG ; Jiguang MENG
Chinese Journal of Nosocomiology 2025;35(17):2618-2623
OBJECTIVE To explore the value of microbiological rapid on-site evaluation(M-ROSE)technique in treatment of the patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia(SCAP).METHODS A total of 124 patients with SCAP who were treated in the department of respiratory and critical care medicine of The Fourth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from Sep.2023 to Dec.2024 were enrolled in the study and were random-ly divided into the M-ROSE group and the control group in a 1∶1 ratio based on the status of M-ROSE for bron-choalveolar lavage fluid(BALF).The M-ROSE test and conventional etiological test[metagenomic next genera-tion sequencing(mNGS),smear,culture]were performed for the M-ROSE group,and the conventional etiologi-cal test was only carried out for the control group.The baseline data,symptoms and signs,C-reactive protein lev-el,treatment status and outcomes were observed and compared between the two groups of patients.RESULTS A-mong the 62 patients for whom the BALF specimens were detected with M-ROSE,45(72.58%)patients showed the consistent test result for fungi with mNGS,47(75.81%)patients showed the same test result for cocci with mNGS,and 30(48.39%)patients showed the same test result for bacilli with mNGS.The duration of the M-ROSE test was 1.50(1.50,2.00)h,shorter than that of the smear,culture and mNGS(P<0.05).The body temperature returning to the normal and the property,volume of sputum were improved more early in days in the M-ROSE group than in the control group after the anti-infection treatment(P<0.05);the level of inflammatory factor CRP declined more quickly in the M-ROSE group than in the control group(P<0.05);the effective rates of treatment of the M-ROSE group were higher than those of the control group after the hospitalization for 3,5 and 7 days(P<0.05).CONCLUSION The M-ROSE test for BALF may facilitate the rapid etiological diagnosis for the patients with SCAP in early stage,provide guidance for the anti-infection treatment strategies,and accelerate the improvement of symptoms and inflammatory factors;it has certain clinical application value.
6.Clinical characteristics of hematological tumors combined with invasive fusarium infection and strategies for treatment,prevention and control
Lili DONG ; Ruoqi SHAN ; Mingmei DU ; Sai HUANG ; Qi LEI ; Liping DOU ; Meng LI
Chinese Journal of Nosocomiology 2025;35(16):2455-2459
OBJECTIVE To explore the clinical characteristics of patients with hematologic tumors combined with Fusarium infection and analyze the prevention and control measures.METHODS Six patients with hematologic neo-plasms combined with Fusarium infection diagnosed at the First Medical Center of the People's Liberation Army General Hospital from Apr.2019 to Dec.2023 were selected as research objects.Through retrospective analysis of patients' clinical data,the clinical manifestations,diagnosis,treatment and prevention strategies of Fusarium in-fection in hematologic neoplasms were analyzed.RESULTS All six patients with hematologic neoplasms combined with Fusarium infection were neutropenic or deficient patients,with main symptoms including moderate fever,painful skin nodules,rash,skin broken and crusted,and scrotal swelling and pain.Patients with severe neutrophil deficiency were susceptible to blood-borne Fusobacterium infections.Four patients had a markedly elevated G-test and Fusorium was first detected by microbiome metagenomic next-generation sequencing(mNGS)in blood,earli-er than traditional pathogenic culture methods.Five patients had Fusarium detected in urine or stool cultures.All six patients received empirical antibacterial and antifungal treatments,but the fungal infection treatment effects were poor.Treatment was adjusted according to the pathogenetic findings,mainly using a combination regimen based on liposomal amphotericin B or posaconazole tablets,with three patients cured and three death.Two pa-tients were from the same ward with a sixteen-day interval.Although no evidence of infection transmission was found,there was still a risk of cross-infection in patients with hematological malignancies and severe immunodefi-ciency.Measures for the prevention and control of hospital-acquired infections were implemented for patients with Fusarium infection and the ward.CONCLUSIONS The clinical manifestations of patients with hematological tumors combined with Fusarium infection are complex and varied with high mortality rates.MNGS testing is valuable in the early diagnosis of Fusarium infection,and it is necessary to explore new treatment options and hospital-ac-quired infectious disease prevention and control measures to improve the prognosis.
7.The correlation between carotid plaque parameters of dual-energy CT angiography and the occurrence of acute stroke events
He ZHANG ; Juan LONG ; Dexing ZHOU ; Pan YU ; Xuefu XIA ; Cong SONG ; Yong WANG ; He ZHANG ; Lili ZHU ; Chunfeng HU ; Kai XU ; Yankai MENG
Journal of Practical Radiology 2025;41(6):910-914
Objective To investigate the correlation between dual-energy computed tomography angiography(CTA)parameters of carotid plaques and acute stroke events.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical and imaging data of patients who underwent dual-energy head and neck CTA and brain MRI scans.Utilizing the Siemens workstation(Syngo.Via VB40B),region of interest(ROI)were placed on the thickest slice of the carotid plaque in the axial plane to obtain parameters such as fat fraction(FF),virtual non-contrast(VNC)value,iodine concentration(IC),electron density(Rho),effective atomic number(Zeff),dual energy index(DEI),spectral curve,and corresponding CT values at 40 keV(40 keVHU)and 90 keV(90 keVHU).The slope of the energy spectrum curve(λ)was calculated within the 40 keV-90 keV range.Patients with acute cerebral infarction(ACI)in the ipsilateral anterior circulation territory were classified into the ACI group,while those without were classified into the non-acute cerebral infarction(NACI)(NACI group).Qualitative data were analyzed using the x2 test,and quantitative data were analyzed using the t-test.The predictive performance was assessed using the area under the curve(AUC)of the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve,and the differences between different ROC curves were compared using the DeLong test.Results A total of 72 patients were included,with 21 in the ACI group and 51 in the NACI group.The mean values of FF,Zeff,and 40 keVHU in the ACI group were greater than those in the NACI group.Statistically significant differences were observed between the groups for Zeff,DEI,40 keVHU,and λ(P<0.05).40 keVHU demonstrated the highest predictive performance,and the AUC,sensitivity,and specificity was 0.789,81.0%,and 74.5%,respectively.A combined variable constructed through logistic regression analysis yielded an AUC,sensitivity,and specificity of 0.796,85.7%,and 70.6%,respectively,with no significant statistical differences compared to single factor variables.Conclusion Dual-energy CTA parameters of carotid plaques may aid in predicting intraplaque hemorrhage(IPH)and the occurrence of acute stroke events.
8.Curcumol Retards Progression of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer through the SREBP-1/FASN/EGFR Pathway
Linglong MENG ; Fengxi BAI ; Yu ZHAO ; Xiaoyu WU ; Lili LIANG
Journal of Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;41(6):794-803
OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of Curcumol on lipid metabolism in non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)and its related molecular mechanism.METHODS A nude mouse xenograft tumor model was established,and Curcumol was administered for 14 d.The volume and weight of subcutaneous tumors were recorded.Hematoxylin-eosin(HE)and immunohistochemical staining were used to observe the pathological morphology of tumor tissues and organs,as well as the expression levels of Ki67 protein.Bio-chemical kits were used to detect the levels of lipids in tumor tissues.Western blot was used to detect the expression levels of SREBP-1,FASN,and EGFR proteins in tumor tissues.The qPCR and immunofluorescence were used to detect the expression of SREBP-1 in tumor tissues.Curcumol was used to treat human NSCLC cell line A549 and A549 cells overexpressing SREBP-1.The EdU assay was used to detect the proliferation ability of lung cancer cells;the MTT colorimetric method was used to detect cell viability;the Transwell assay was used to detect tumor cell migration and invasion;flow cytometry was used to detect cell apoptosis;biochemical kits were used to detect lipid levels in cells;and Western blot was used to detect the expression levels of SREBP-1,FASN,and EGFR proteins.RE-SULTS In the in vivo experiment,compared with the control group,Curcumol significantly inhibited the growth of subcutaneous xen-ografts,inhibited tumor cell proliferation(P<0.05,P<0.01),reduced the levels of triglycerides(TG),total cholesterol(T-CHO),and free fatty acids(FFA)in tumor tissues(P<0.05,P<0.01),downregulated the expression of SREBP-1,FASN,and p-EGFR pro-teins(P<0.01),and inhibited the expression of SREBP-1 mRNA in tumor tissues(P<0.05,P<0.01).In the in vitro experiment,compared with the control group,Curcumol significantly inhibited the proliferation,migration,and invasion of A549 cells,reduced cell viability(P<0.05,P<0.01),promoted tumor cell apoptosis(P<0.01),downregulated the levels of FFA,T-CHO,and TG in A549 cells(P<0.05,P<0.01),and inhibited the expression of SREBP-1,FASN,and p-EGFR proteins(P<0.05,P<0.01).Additionally,overexpression of SREBP-1 antagonized the inhibitory effects of Curcumol on lipid synthesis and EGFR activation,and weakened the inhibitory effects of Curcumolc on tumor cells.CONCLUSION Curcumol inhibits the expression levels of SREBP-1 and FASN,re-duces lipid synthesis,blocks EGFR signal transduction,and slows down the occurrence and development of NSCLC.
9.Research on the Extraction of Elements of Complex Scenarios of Medical Surge and the Logical Deduction of Evolution
Tian YU ; Nan MENG ; Yiran GAO ; Min WEI ; Yanping WANG ; Lili JIANG ; Xin ZHANG ; Ning NING ; Zheng KANG ; Avdeev SERGEY ; Qunhong WU
Chinese Hospital Management 2025;45(11):11-16,21
Objective Exploring the components of complex scenarios of healthcare surges triggered by major epidemics to provide a theorical basis for building resilience in healthcare organizations.Methods A hybrid analysis method is used to summarize macro-meso-micro multi-level and multi-source heterogeneous information,extract the elements of complex scenarios of medical surge and evaluate the rationality.Fault Tree Analysis method is used to clarify the logical relationship between various scenario elements and construct scenario reasoning paths.Results 10 scenario states,11 disaster-bearing,24 emergency management and 23 scenario results are summarized and extracted to form the key elements of complex surge scenarios.Among them,M4 expansion and coordinated scheduling of key positions,B2 conventional drug inventory emergency/insufficient core treatment drugs,B emergency medical material transportation breakage,S3 disease symptom spectrum shift to severe disease,R13 prevention and control awareness laxity,and M5 media information dissemination management are the key driving factors that promote a major turning point in the scenario.The most positive scenario result is the orderly operation of the medical service system,and the most negative scenario result is the paralysis of the medical service system.Conclusion Medical institutions need to improve emergency plans based on the complex evolution scenarios of medical surges and agile governance capabilities targeting key turning points,focus on dynamically expanding and scheduling personnel in key positions,strengthen material rotation and reserve mechanisms,maintain smooth emergency logistics channels,and improve efficient management of media and public opinion,so as to comprehensively improve overall resilience.
10.A Dual-Layer Network Dynamics Modeling and Simulation of Medical Surge Risk Diffusion Based on MATLAB and REPAST
Nan MENG ; Yanping WANG ; Yiran GAO ; Tian YU ; Min WEI ; Wanmeng TENG ; Peng WANG ; Fengqian ZHONG ; Lili JIANG ; Jialin LU ; Ning NING ; Avdeev SERGEY ; Qunhong WU
Chinese Hospital Management 2025;45(11):22-27
Objective To explore the coupling mechanism between medical surge response resources and the spread of secondary risks during public health emergencies,as well as the effectiveness of relevant interventions.Methods Based on complex network theory,a dual-layer network model of medical resources and secondary events was constructed.The interactive feedback between medical resource status and secondary event risk,as well as the effects of network structure,were analyzed through MATLAB simulations,REPAST agent-based modeling,and mean-field analysis.Results Simulation and prediction results show that an increase in first-layer resource-deficient nodes significantly raises the activation rate and transmission speed of secondary events,while the clustering and spread of secondary events in the second layer,in turn,intensify resource depletion,creating a negative feedback loop.Mean-field analysis indicates a nonlinear positive correlation between the adequacy of medical resources and the likelihood of secondary events.Network structure analysis reveals that when the average node degree exceeds 8,resource allocation efficiency improves markedly.Conclusion There exists a dynamic coupling and bidirectional feedback relationship between medical resource status and secondary event risks.Enhancing the flexible allocation and responsiveness of medical resources,improving multi-sectoral collaborative monitoring and coordinated regulation,optimizing network connectivity and coordination mechanisms for resource distribution,and establishing dynamic monitoring and tiered early warning systems are key strategies for strengthening the resilience of healthcare systems and effectively containing the spread of secondary events.

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