1.Electrochemical Sensor Based on Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Nanobowl-Modified Electrode for Nitrofurantoin Detection
Yao-Juan HU ; Rui-Ying GUO ; Hui-Ru TANG ; Hui-Lin LI ; Feng-Yun HE ; Chang-Li ZHANG ; Chang-Yun CHEN
Chinese Journal of Analytical Chemistry 2025;53(7):1127-1137
Nitrofurantoin(NFT)is a nitrofuran antibiotic commonly used as a veterinary drug to treat bacterial infections in animals.However,due to the low solubility and bioaccumulation properties,NFT is prone to leave excessive residues in animal-derived foods and water systems,posing serious threats to human health and ecosystems.Therefore,there is an urgent need to develop an efficient and rapid detection method for NFT.In this work,nitrogen-doped carbon nanomaterials with unique bowl-like structures(N-CNBs)were synthesized via a hydrothermal-carbonization method.The morphology,surface structure,and specific surface area of N-CNBs were characterized using transmission electron microscopy(TEM),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS).The N-CNB modified glassy carbon electrode(N-CNB/GCE)was prepared,and the electrochemical test revealed that the N-CNB/GCE exhibited higher conductivity and larger electrochemical active surface area compared to bare GCE and nitrogen-doped hollow carbon nanosphere-modified electrode(N-HCNS/GCE).Additionally,the N-CNB/GCE demonstrated superior electrocatalytic activity toward NFT.An NFT electrochemical sensor was constructed based on N-CNB/GCE.The detection conditions of the sensor were optimized,and differential pulse voltammetry(DPV)was employed for NFT detection under optimal experimental conditions.The established NFT electrochemical sensor had a wide linear range of 0.4-500 μmol/L,a low detection limit(S/N=3)of 0.015 μmol/L and high selectivity,with excellent stability and reproducibility.The practical feasibility of this sensor was confirmed by analysis of NFT in milk and tap water samples,with spiked recoveries ranging from 94.2%to 108.9%.
2.Hypoglycemic Effect and Mechanism of ICK Pattern Peptides
Lin-Fang CHEN ; Jia-Fan ZHANG ; Ye-Ning GUO ; Hui-Zhong HUANG ; Kang-Hong HU ; Chen-Guang YAO
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(1):50-60
Diabetes is a very complex endocrine disease whose common feature is the increase in blood glucose concentration. Persistent hyperglycemia can lead to blindness, kidney and heart disease, neurodegeneration, and many other serious complications that have a significant impact on human health and quality of life. The number of people with diabetes is increasing yearly. The global diabetes prevalence in 20-79 year olds in 2021 was estimated to be 10.5% (536.6 million), and it will rise to 12.2% (783.2 million) in 2045. The main modes of intervention for diabetes include medication, dietary management, and exercise conditioning. Medication is the mainstay of treatment. Marketed diabetes drugs such as metformin and insulin, as well as GLP-1 receptor agonists, are effective in controlling blood sugar levels to some extent, but the preventive and therapeutic effects are still unsatisfactory. Peptide drugs have many advantages such as low toxicity, high target specificity, and good biocompatibility, which opens up new avenues for the treatment of diabetes and other diseases. Currently, insulin and its analogs are by far the main life-saving drugs in clinical diabetes treatment, enabling effective control of blood glucose levels, but the risk of hypoglycemia is relatively high and treatment is limited by the route of delivery. New and oral anti-diabetic drugs have always been a market demand and research hotspot. Inhibitor cystine knot (ICK) peptides are a class of multifunctional cyclic peptides. In structure, they contain three conserved disulfide bonds (C3-C20, C7-C22, and C15-C32) form a compact “knot” structure, which can resist degradation of digestive protease. Recent studies have shown that ICK peptides derived from legume, such as PA1b, Aglycin, Vglycin, Iglycin, Dglycin, and aM1, exhibit excellent regulatory activities on glucose and lipid metabolism at the cellular and animal levels. Mechanistically, ICK peptides promote glucose utilization by muscle and liver through activation of IR/AKT signaling pathway, which also improves insulin resistance. They can repair the damaged pancrease through activation of PI3K/AKT/Erk signaling pathway, thus lowering blood glucose. The biostability and hypoglycemic efficacy of the ICK peptides meet the requirements for commercialization of oral drugs, and in theory, they can be developed into natural oral anti-diabetes peptide drugs. In this review, the structural properties, activity and mechanism of ICK pattern peptides in regulating glucose and lipid metabolism were summaried, which provided a reference for the development of new oral peptides for diabetes.
3.Application of CRISPR/Cas System in Precision Medicine for Triple-negative Breast Cancer
Hui-Ling LIN ; Yu-Xin OUYANG ; Wan-Ying TANG ; Mi HU ; Mao PENG ; Ping-Ping HE ; Xin-Ping OUYANG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(2):279-289
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) represents a distinctive subtype, characterized by the absence of estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). Due to its high inter-tumor and intra-tumor heterogeneity, TNBC poses significant chanllenges for personalized diagnosis and treatment. The advant of clustered regular interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) technology has profoundly enhanced our understanding of the structure and function of the TNBC genome, providing a powerful tool for investigating the occurrence and development of diseases. This review focuses on the application of CRISPR/Cas technology in the personalized diagnosis and treatment of TNBC. We begin by discussing the unique attributes of TNBC and the limitations of current diagnostic and treatment approaches: conventional diagnostic methods provide limited insights into TNBC, while traditional chemotherapy drugs are often associated with low efficacy and severe side effects. The CRISPR/Cas system, which activates Cas enzymes through complementary guide RNAs (gRNAs) to selectively degrade specific nucleic acids, has emerged as a robust tool for TNBC research. This technology enables precise gene editing, allowing for a deeper understanding of TNBC heterogeneity by marking and tracking diverse cell clones. Additionally, CRISPR facilitates high-throughput screening to promptly identify genes involved in TNBC growth, metastasis, and drug resistance, thus revealing new therapeutic targets and strategies. In TNBC diagnostics, CRISPR/Cas was applied to develop molecular diagnostic systems based on Cas9, Cas12, and Cas13, each employing distinct detection principles. These systems can sensitively and specifically detect a variety of TNBC biomarkers, including cell-specific DNA/RNA and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA). In the realm of precision therapy, CRISPR/Cas has been utilized to identify key genes implicated in TNBC progression and treatment resistance. CRISPR-based screening has uncovered potential therapeutic targets, while its gene-editing capabilities have facilitated the development of combination therapies with traditional chemotherapy drugs, enhancing their efficacy. Despite its promise, the clinical translation of CRISPR/Cas technology remains in its early stages. Several clinical trials are underway to assess its safety and efficacy in the treatment of various genetic diseases and cancers. Challenges such as off-target effects, editing efficiency, and delivery methods remain to be addressed. The integration of CRISPR/Cas with other technologies, such as 3D cell culture systems, human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), and artificial intelligence (AI), is expected to further advance precision medicine for TNBC. These technological convergences can offer deeper insights into disease mechanisms and facilitate the development of personalized treatment strategies. In conclusion, the CRISPR/Cas system holds immense potential in the precise diagnosis and treatment of TNBC. As the technology progresses and becomes more costs-effective, its clinical relevance will grow, and the translation of CRISPR/Cas system data into clinical applications will pave the way for optimal diagnosis and treatment strategies for TNBC patients. However, technical hurdles and ethical considerations require ongoing research and regulation to ensure safety and efficacy.
4.Glutamine signaling specifically activates c-Myc and Mcl-1 to facilitate cancer cell proliferation and survival.
Meng WANG ; Fu-Shen GUO ; Dai-Sen HOU ; Hui-Lu ZHANG ; Xiang-Tian CHEN ; Yan-Xin SHEN ; Zi-Fan GUO ; Zhi-Fang ZHENG ; Yu-Peng HU ; Pei-Zhun DU ; Chen-Ji WANG ; Yan LIN ; Yi-Yuan YUAN ; Shi-Min ZHAO ; Wei XU
Protein & Cell 2025;16(11):968-984
Glutamine provides carbon and nitrogen to support the proliferation of cancer cells. However, the precise reason why cancer cells are particularly dependent on glutamine remains unclear. In this study, we report that glutamine modulates the tumor suppressor F-box and WD repeat domain-containing 7 (FBW7) to promote cancer cell proliferation and survival. Specifically, lysine 604 (K604) in the sixth of the 7 substrate-recruiting WD repeats of FBW7 undergoes glutaminylation (Gln-K604) by glutaminyl tRNA synthetase. Gln-K604 inhibits SCFFBW7-mediated degradation of c-Myc and Mcl-1, enhances glutamine utilization, and stimulates nucleotide and DNA biosynthesis through the activation of c-Myc. Additionally, Gln-K604 promotes resistance to apoptosis by activating Mcl-1. In contrast, SIRT1 deglutaminylates Gln-K604, thereby reversing its effects. Cancer cells lacking Gln-K604 exhibit overexpression of c-Myc and Mcl-1 and display resistance to chemotherapy-induced apoptosis. Silencing both c-MYC and MCL-1 in these cells sensitizes them to chemotherapy. These findings indicate that the glutamine-mediated signal via Gln-K604 is a key driver of cancer progression and suggest potential strategies for targeted cancer therapies based on varying Gln-K604 status.
Glutamine/metabolism*
;
Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein/genetics*
;
Humans
;
Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc/genetics*
;
Cell Proliferation
;
Signal Transduction
;
Neoplasms/pathology*
;
F-Box-WD Repeat-Containing Protein 7/genetics*
;
Cell Survival
;
Cell Line, Tumor
;
Apoptosis
5.Treatment of Insomnia Using the Method of Resolving Depression and Regulating the Middle and Tranquillising Mind
Chengyun HU ; Jun ZHANG ; Qian GUO ; Shuting DU ; Zhihao LIN ; Bing GAO ; Hui HUANG
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;66(12):1277-1280
To summarise the clinical experience of treating insomnia with the method of resolving depression, regulating the middle, and tranquilising mind. It is believed that the key to the pathogenesis of insomnia lies in qi depression, disharmony of qi pivot, and disharmony of qi and blood, and the core treatment is to resolve depression, regulating the middle, and tranquilising mind. The self-prescribed Jieyu Anmian Formula (解郁安眠方) could be used as the basic treatment, then modified according to the performance of the patient and syndromes. For syndrome of liver depression restricting spleen, the treatment should soothe liver and invigorate spleen, resolve depression and regulate the middle; for syndrome of liver depression and phlegm coagulation, the treatment should resolve depression and phlegm, support the earth and free the wood; for syndrome of liver depression transforming into fire, the treatment should soothe liver and clear fire, resolve depression and dysphoria; for syndrome of qi stagnation and blood stasis, the treatment should activate blood and regulate the middle, resolve depression and tranquilise mind.
6.Generalized Functional Linear Models: Efficient Modeling for High-dimensional Correlated Mixture Exposures.
Bing Song ZHANG ; Hai Bin YU ; Xin PENG ; Hai Yi YAN ; Si Ran LI ; Shutong LUO ; Hui Zi WEIREN ; Zhu Jiang ZHOU ; Ya Lin KUANG ; Yi Huan ZHENG ; Chu Lan OU ; Lin Hua LIU ; Yuehua HU ; Jin Dong NI
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2025;38(8):961-976
OBJECTIVE:
Humans are exposed to complex mixtures of environmental chemicals and other factors that can affect their health. Analysis of these mixture exposures presents several key challenges for environmental epidemiology and risk assessment, including high dimensionality, correlated exposure, and subtle individual effects.
METHODS:
We proposed a novel statistical approach, the generalized functional linear model (GFLM), to analyze the health effects of exposure mixtures. GFLM treats the effect of mixture exposures as a smooth function by reordering exposures based on specific mechanisms and capturing internal correlations to provide a meaningful estimation and interpretation. The robustness and efficiency was evaluated under various scenarios through extensive simulation studies.
RESULTS:
We applied the GFLM to two datasets from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). In the first application, we examined the effects of 37 nutrients on BMI (2011-2016 cycles). The GFLM identified a significant mixture effect, with fiber and fat emerging as the nutrients with the greatest negative and positive effects on BMI, respectively. For the second application, we investigated the association between four pre- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and gout risk (2007-2018 cycles). Unlike traditional methods, the GFLM indicated no significant association, demonstrating its robustness to multicollinearity.
CONCLUSION
GFLM framework is a powerful tool for mixture exposure analysis, offering improved handling of correlated exposures and interpretable results. It demonstrates robust performance across various scenarios and real-world applications, advancing our understanding of complex environmental exposures and their health impacts on environmental epidemiology and toxicology.
Humans
;
Environmental Exposure/analysis*
;
Linear Models
;
Nutrition Surveys
;
Environmental Pollutants
;
Body Mass Index
7.Effects of SIRT2 regulation on migration and proliferation of cardiac fibroblasts in Ang Ⅱ-induced mice
Lichan Lin ; Zhiyan Liu ; Zhenyu Liu ; Peng Liu ; Sui Sui ; Yunsen Zhang ; Xianwen Hu ; Rui Li ; Hui Tao
Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2025;60(4):589-595, 603
Objective:
To investigate the effect of sirtuin 2(SIRT2) on the proliferation and migration of cardiac fibroblasts(CFs)in C57BL/6 mice under angiotensin II(Ang Ⅱ) stimulation.
Methods :
The hearts were taken from 1 to 2 days C57BL/6 milk mice. After cutting and digesting, CFs were extracted by different adhesion centrifugation. After CFs attachment, the cells were cultured under control medium and Ang Ⅱ(100 nmol/L) medium and treated using OE-SIRT2 plasmid to overexpression the SIRT2 gene. RT-qPCR was used to detect mRNA expression of SIRT2 proliferating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA), periostin(POSTN)and type Ⅰ collagen procollagen A1(Col1A1), Western blot assay was used to measure the protein expression levels of SIRT2, PCNA, POSTN and Col1A1, CCK-8 assay and EdU assay were used to evaluate CFs proliferation rate, Transwell experiment was used to assess CFs migration activity.
Results:
Compared with control group, Ang Ⅱ stimulation led to down-regulation of SIRT2 expression in CFs, increased collagen expression, and promoted CFs proliferation and migration. The expression of SIRT2 was up regulated in CFs treated with OE-SIRT2 plasmid under Ang Ⅱ stimulation, Col1A1, POSTN and PCNA expression was down regulated, and CFs proliferation and migration ability decreased.
Conclusion
Overexpression of SIRT2 can inhibit the proliferation and migration of CFs under Ang Ⅱ stimulation, indicating that SIRT2 may be a key regulatory point in the onset and progression of cardiac fibrosis.
8.Asian consensus on normothermic intraperitoneal and systemic treatment for gastric cancer with peritoneal metastasis
Zhenggang ZHU ; Kitayama Joji ; Hyung-Ho Kim ; Jimmy Bok-Yan So ; Hui CAO ; Lin CHEN ; Xiangdong CHENG ; Jiankun HU ; Imano Motohiro ; Ishigami Hironori ; Ye Seob Jee ; Jong-Han Kim ; Yasuhiro Kodera ; Han LIANG ; Xiaowen LIU ; Sheng LU ; Yiping MOU ; Mingming NIE ; Won Jun Seo ; Yanong WANG ; Dan WU ; Zekuan XU ; Yamaguchi Hironori ; Chao YAN ; Zhongyin YANG ; Kai YIN ; Yonemura Yutaka ; Wei-Peng Yong ; Jiren YU ; Jun ZHANG ; Asian Gastric Cancer NIPS Treatment Collaborative Group ; Shanghai Anticancer Association, Committee of Peritoneal Tumor
Journal of Surgery Concepts & Practice 2025;30(4):277-294
Gastric cancer with peritoneal metastasis (GCPM) is a common and lethal manifestation of advanced gastric cancer, with a median survival of only 5-11 months. This consensus was developed by 30 experts from Asia (China, Japan, Korea, and Singapore) using the Delphi method and the GRADE evidence grading system. A total of 29 statements were formulated, covering the diagnosis and assessment of GCPM, indications for laparoscopic exploration and NIPS (normothermic intraperitoneal and systemic treatment), treatment regimens, prevention and management of complications, criteria for conversion surgery, and postoperative intraperitoneal therapy. The consensus aims to standardize clinical practice and improve the prognosis of patients with GCPM.
9.Risk factors and development of a prediction model of enteral feeding intolerance in critically ill children.
Xia ZHOU ; Hong-Mei GAO ; Lin HUANG ; Hui-Wu HAN ; Hong-Ling HU ; You LI ; Ren-He YU
Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics 2025;27(3):321-327
OBJECTIVES:
To explore the risk factors of feeding intolerance (FI) in critically ill children receiving enteral nutrition (EN) and to construct a prediction nomogram model for FI.
METHODS:
A retrospective study was conducted to collect data from critically ill children admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, between January 2015 and October 2020. The children were randomly divided into a training set (346 cases) and a validation set (147 cases). The training set was further divided into a tolerance group (216 cases) and an intolerance group (130 cases). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to screen for risk factors for FI in critically ill children receiving EN. A nomogram was constructed using R language, which was then validated on the validation set. The model's discrimination, calibration, and clinical net benefit were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curves, calibration curves, and decision curves.
RESULTS:
Duration of bed rest, shock, gastrointestinal decompression, use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and combined parenteral nutrition were identified as independent risk factors for FI in critically ill children receiving EN (P<0.05). Based on these factors, a nomogram prediction model for FI in critically ill children receiving EN was developed. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the training set and validation set was 0.934 (95%CI: 0.906-0.963) and 0.852 (95%CI: 0.787-0.917), respectively, indicating good discrimination of the model. The Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test showed that the model had a good fit (χ 2=12.559, P=0.128). Calibration curve and decision curve analyses suggested that the model has high predictive efficacy and clinical application value.
CONCLUSIONS
Duration of bed rest, shock, gastrointestinal decompression, use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and combined parenteral nutrition are independent risk factors for FI in critically ill children receiving EN. The nomogram model developed based on these factors exhibits high predictive efficacy and clinical application value.
Humans
;
Critical Illness
;
Enteral Nutrition/adverse effects*
;
Male
;
Risk Factors
;
Female
;
Child, Preschool
;
Infant
;
Nomograms
;
Retrospective Studies
;
Child
;
Logistic Models
10.Analysis of Hormone Levels in Patients with Hematological Diseases Before and After Hematopoietic Stem Cell Tansplantation.
Fen LI ; Yu-Jin LI ; Jie ZHAO ; Zhi-Xiang LU ; Xiao-Li GAO ; Hai-Tao HE ; Xue-Zhong GU ; Feng-Yu CHEN ; Hui-Yuan LI ; Qi SA ; Lin ZHANG ; Peng HU
Journal of Experimental Hematology 2025;33(5):1443-1452
OBJECTIVE:
By analyzing the hormone secretion of the adenohypophysis, thyroid glands, gonads, and adrenal cortex in patients with hematological diseases before and after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), this study aims to preliminarily explore the effect of HSCT on patients' hormone secretion and glandular damage.
METHODS:
The baseline data of 209 hematological disease patients who underwent HSCT in our hospital from January 2019 to December 2023, as well as the data on the levels of hormones secreted by the adenohypophysis, thyroid glands, gonads and adrenal cortex before and after HSCT were collected, and the changes in hormone levels before and after transplantation were analyzed.
RESULTS:
After allogeneic HSCT, the levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), triiodothyronine (T3), free triiodothyronine (FT3) and estradiol (E2) decreased, while the levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle- stimulating hormone (FSH) increased. The T3 level of patients with decreased TSH after transplantation was lower than that of those with increased TSH after transplantation. In female patients, the levels of prolactin (PRL), progesterone (Prog), and testosterone (Testo) decreased after HSCT. Testo and PRL decreased when there was a donor-recipient sex mismatch, and the levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol (COR) decreased when the HLA matching was haploidentical. The levels of T3, FT3, and PRL decreased after autologous HSCT. In allogeneic HSCT patients, the levels of TSH, T4, T3, FT3, and ACTH in the group with graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) were significantly lower than those in the group without GVHD. Logistic regression analysis showed the changes in hormone levels after transplantation were not correlated with factors such as the patient's sex, age, or whether the blood types of the donor and the recipient are the same.
CONCLUSION
HSCT can affect the endocrine function of patients with hematological diseases, mainly affecting target glandular organs such as the thyroid, gonads, and adrenal glands, while the secretory function of the adenohypophysis is less affected.
Humans
;
Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
;
Female
;
Male
;
Hematologic Diseases/blood*
;
Follicle Stimulating Hormone/blood*
;
Triiodothyronine/blood*
;
Luteinizing Hormone/blood*
;
Thyroid Gland/metabolism*
;
Estradiol/blood*
;
Thyrotropin/blood*
;
Gonads/metabolism*
;
Adult
;
Middle Aged
;
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone/blood*
;
Hormones/metabolism*
;
Adrenal Cortex/metabolism*
;
Prolactin


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