1.Mechanism of pachymic acid in ameliorating renal injury in pregnancy induced hypertension rats by regulating the Sirt1/PGC‑1α pathway
Junjiang ZHU ; Jincheng LIN ; Jiajian WU ; Yi ZENG ; Jun HU ; Min LI ; Hongying LIU ; Jinfen LI
China Pharmacy 2026;37(2):186-191
OBJECTIVE To investigate the mechanism of pachymic acid on renal injury in pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) rats by regulating the silent information regulator transcript 1/peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1α (Sirt1/PGC-1α) pathway. METHODS Pregnant SD rats were prepared by co-caging and PIH model was induced using N-nitro-L- arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) method. PIH rats were randomly divided into model group, L-pachymic acid (low-dose pachymic acid, 10 mg/kg) group, H-pachymic acid (high-dose pachymic acid, 20 mg/kg) group, and H-pachymic acid+EX527 (20 mg/kg pachymic acid+10 mg/kg EX527) group, with 6 rats in each group. Another 6 normal pregnant rats were selected as blank group. Each group was given relevant medicine or solvent intragastrically or intraperitoneally daily, once a day, for 28 consecutive days. After the last administration, 24 h urinary protein and tail artery systolic blood pressure (SBP) were measured in pregnant rats from each group, along with the levels of serum creatinine (Scr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN),uric acid (UA), and cystatin C (Cys-C). The contents of superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) in renal tissue, as well as the mRNA and protein expression levels of Sirt1 and PGC-1α, were also determined. Meanwhile, renal histopathological changes in rats from each group were evaluated using hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining. RESULTS Compared with model group, L-pachymic acid group and H-pachymic acid group exhibited significant decreases in 24 h urine protein quantification, tail artery SBP, Scr, BUN, UA, Cys-C levels, glomerulosclerosis index score of renal tissue, renal tubular injury score, the percentage of PAS positive area, MDA and 8-OHdG (P<0.05). Conversely, the contents of SOD and GSH-Px, along with the mRNA and protein expression levels of Sirt1 and PGC-1α, were significantly increased (P<0.05). Moreover, these improvements were more pronounced in H-pachymic acid group (P<0.05). Compared with H-pachymic acid group, the aforementioned indicators in pregnant rats from the H-pachymic acid+EX527 group showed significant reversal (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Pachymic acid significantly ameliorates renal injury induced by PIH in rats, potentially through activation of the Sirt1/PGC-1α pathway.
2.Relationship between screen time and addictive non-suicidal self-injury behaviors among adolescent female patients with depression disorder: the mediating role of family dysfunction
Yifan LIU ; Wenle ZHANG ; Weige WU ; Jun TANG ; Yiyin HUANG ; Yun LI
Sichuan Mental Health 2026;39(2):119-125
BackgroundAddictive non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) behaviors among adolescents have become increasingly prominent, although previous studies have identified multiple related risk factors and have examined the association between screen time and NSSI behaviors, the impact of screen time on NSSI behaviors addiction, as well as the mediating role of family dysfunction in this relationship, remain to be further clarified. ObjectiveTo investigate the mediating role of family dysfunction in the relationship between screen time and NSSI behaviors addiction among adolescent female patients with depression disorder, with the aim of providing references for reducing NSSI behaviors addiction. MethodsFrom September 2024 to November 2025, a total of 652 adolescent female patients with depression disorder were enrolled from both outpatient and inpatient departments of Xiamen Xian-yue Hospital, all of whom met the diagnostic criteria for depressive episode (F32) or recurrent depressive disorder (F33) according to the International Classification of Diseases, tenth edition (ICD-10). Assessments included a self-developed demographic questionnaire, screen use questionnaire, Chinese Family Assessment Instrument (C-FAI), and Ottawa Self-injury Inventory Chinese Revised version (OSIC). Among participants with NSSI behaviors, Spearman correlation analysis was used to examine the correlation between screen time and scale scores. Model 4 of the Process 4.1 for SPSS 26.0 was then applied to test the mediating role, and Bootstrapping procedure involving 5 000 replicates was employed to confirm the statistical significance. ResultsAmong the 652 patients, 569 (87.27%) exhibited NSSI behaviors. Among them, 398 cases (69.95%) belonged to the addictive NSSI group, and 171 cases (30.05%) belonged to the non-addictive NSSI group. The OSIC addiction dimension score was positively correlated with screen time and C-FAI scores (rs=0.114, 0.224, P<0.01). Family dysfunction mediated the relationship between screen time and NSSI addiction, with an indirect effect value of 0.036 (95% CI: 0.016–0.062), accounting for 35.88% of the total effect. ConclusionScreen time may affect the NSSI behaviors addiction in adolescent female patients with depression disorder through family dysfunction. [Funded by Joint Funds for the Innovation of Science and Technology, Fujian Province (number, 2025Y9762)]
3.Accuracy of Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy–Detected Fumarate Peak for Diagnosing Fumarate Hydratase Deficiency in Uterine Leiomyomas: A Prospective Study
Guiqin LIU ; Wenxin YU ; Shihang PAN ; Yuansheng LUO ; Jingli CHEN ; Mengying ZHU ; Zaoyu WANG ; Yang SONG ; Jin ZHANG ; Jianrong XU ; Yan ZHOU ; Jun MA ; Guangyu WU
Korean Journal of Radiology 2026;27(5):440-451
Objective:
To evaluate the diagnostic performance of magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in discriminating fumarate hydratase-deficient (FH-d) uterine leiomyomas (ULs) from FH-preserved ULs.
Materials and Methods:
This study consisted of three stages, with independent cohorts recruited for each stage: 1) sample-size estimation was retrospectively performed on UL specimens (diameter ≥3 cm; age, 20–40 years) from our database with immunohistochemistry (IHC) for 2-succinocysteine (2-SC) as the reference, without genetic testing, 2) MRS sequence optimization in confirmed FH germline mutation participants with ultrasound-detected ULs (diameter ≥3 cm), without IHC analysis, and 3) prospective diagnostic test accuracy was evaluated in consecutive participants with ultrasound-detected ULs (diameter ≥3 cm;age, 20–40 years), using IHC for 2-SC for determining the FH status and subsequent genetic testing in those with positive 2-SC results to identify whether FH mutations were germline or somatic in origin. The choline and fumarate peaks in MRS were classified as positive, negative, or technical failure (TF). TFs were analyzed separately and excluded from the primary diagnostic accuracy calculations. T1-, T2-, and diffusion-weighted images were interpreted as hyperintense or hypointense. The enhancement rate and apparent diffusion coefficient were also acquired. Diagnostic performance was compared between MRS and various magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features.
Results:
The optimal MRS parameters for the fumarate peak were echo time (TE) = 140 ms and an average of 256. Among the 360 prospective participants, 37 were confirmed to have FH-dULs. MRS showed positive fumarate peaks in 35 of 37 FH-dULs.After excluding six TFs, the positive fumarate peak on MRS showed 94.6% (35/37) sensitivity, 99.7% (316/317) specificity, and 99.2% (351/354) accuracy, all of which were significantly superior to those of other MRI features (P ≤ 0.002).
Conclusion
A positive fumarate peak on MRS may be a useful imaging biomarker for diagnosing FH-dULs.
4.Molecular Mechanisms of Angiogenesis in Mg-Based Biodegradable Bone Implants
Jun-jie HUANG ; Jia-long WU ; Di LIU ; Peng GAO
Progress in Modern Biomedicine 2025;25(16):2705-2714
Magnesium(Mg)-based bone implants have emerged as a promising candidate in bone regeneration due to their elastic modulus matching natural bone,favorable biodegradability,and biocompatibility.The degradation-derived magnesium ions(Mg2+)promote angiogenesis through multifaceted molecular mechanisms,thereby accelerating bone healing.This review systematically elucidates key pathways by which Mg2+regulates vascularization:① Activation of the CGRP-FAK-VEGF signaling axis via dorsal root ganglia-mediated neurovascular coupling;② Stabilization of HIF-1α through inhibiting VHL-mediated ubiquitination degradation and activating MagT1/TRPM7 ion channels,thereby enhancing VEGF transcription;③ Modulation of Notch signaling to drive vascular endothelial differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells(BMSCs);④The activation of PI3K/AKT signaling pathway enhances endothelial nitric oxide synthase(eNOS)activity,leading to increased nitric oxide(NO)production which subsequently promotes endothelial cell proliferation and migration;⑤Immunomodulatory effects via macrophage M2 polarization and subsequent secretion of angiogenic factors;⑥stimulation of PDGF-BB secretion from MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblasts.Notably,Mg2+exhibits concentration-dependent pro-angiogenic effects(optimal range:1-10 mM)and specifically enhances type H vessel formation,which critically couples angiogenesis with osteogenesis to boost bone regeneration efficiency.
5.The Application Value of Dynamic Monitoring of Serum Thyroid Hormone Levels in Assessing the Condition Changes and Prognosis of Elderly Patients with Sepsis
Jian-jun LIU ; Jia WU ; Xin-hai GAO ; Yi HU
Progress in Modern Biomedicine 2025;25(15):2530-2539
Objective:To explore the application value of dynamic monitoring of serum thyroid hormone(THs)levels in assessing the condition changes and prognosis of elderly patients with sepsis.Methods:Using a retrospective cohort study,a total of 120 elderly critically ill patients hospitalized in the Department of Critical Care Medicine from April 2020 to April 2023 were selected as research subjects,divided into a sepsis group(60 cases)and a non-sepsis group(60 cases).Sepsis patients were further divided into a survival group(43 cases)and a death group(17 cases)based on 28-day survival status.Serum THs,PCT,IL-6,and Lac were measured on the 1st,5th,and 10th days of hospitalization(d1,d5,dl0)for sepsis patients,and the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment(SOFA)score and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation Ⅱ(APACHE Ⅱ)score were recorded.The datas of non-sepsis patients were sampled on d1.The incidence of non-thyroidal illness syndrome(NTIS)was statistically analyzed,and the dynamic changes of serum THs among different groups were compared.The correlation between THs and disease severity,as well as the predictive value of THs for 28-day mortality in sepsis,was analyzed.Results:①The incidence of NTIS was 78.33%(94/120),with a significantly higher incidence in sepsis patients(96.67%,58/60)compared to non-sepsis patients(60.00%),with statistical significance(P<0.05).②Compared to non-sepsis patients,sepsis patients had significantly lower levels of TSH,T3,FT3,and T4 on d1,while rT3 was significantly elevated,with statistical significance(P<0.05);the difference in FT4 levels was not statistically significant(P>0.05).Pearson correlation analysis showed that T3 and T4 were negatively correlated with SOFA and APACHE Ⅱ scores(P<0.05),while other THs indicators showed no correlation with SOFA and APACHE Ⅱ scores(P>0.05).ANOVA results indicated that there was no statistically significant difference in T4 levels at the three time points,and its changes showed no obvious linear trend over time(P>0.05);T3 was significantly lower on d1 than on d5 and d10,and showed an increasing trend with longer hospitalization,while SOFA and APACHE Ⅱ scores were significantly higher on d1 than on d5 and d10,showing a decreasing trend with longer hospitalization(all P<0.05).③Compared to the survival group of sepsis patients,the death group had significantly higher levels of PCT on d10,IL-6 on d5 and d10,and Lac on d1,d5,and d10(P<0.05).The death group had significantly lower levels of T3 and T4 on d1,significantly lower levels of TSH,T3,T4,and FT4 on d5,and significantly lower levels of TSH,T3,FT3,T4,and FT4 on d10,with statistical significance(P<0.05).④Logistic regression analysis showed that independent risk factors for 28-day mortality in sepsis patients included T3 on d1 and T3,FT3,T4,FT4,and IL-6 on d10,with statistical significance(P<0.05).ROC curve analysis indicated that serum levels of T3,FT3,T4,and FT4 on d10 had certain predictive value for 28-day mortality in sepsis patients(all P<0.05),with T3,FT3,and FT4 showing good predictive value,and their AUCs were 0.875,0.872,and 0.861,respectively.The combined AUC for predicting 28-day mortality in sepsis patients using T3,FT3,and FT4 on d10 increased to 0.902.Conclusion:The incidence of NTIS was high in elderly sepsis patients,and the serum THs levels and their dynamic changes were closely related to the patients'condition changes.Continuous dynamic monitoring of serum THs levels could help to assess the progression of sepsis,and T3 may serve as an indicator for evaluating the progression and prognosis of sepsis.
6.Unilateral adrenal aldosteronoma with Klinefelter syndrome:one case report and literature review
Yue LI ; Shu-fei ZANG ; Yue-yue WU ; Bing-bing ZHA ; Guo-wei SHI ; Jun ZHANG ; Jun LIU
Fudan University Journal of Medical Sciences 2025;52(5):752-758
Primary aldosteronism(PA)is the most common cause of secondary hypertension,yet its diagnosis remains under-recognized,with a high rate of missed diagnoses.This condition significantly impacts multiple systems,including the cardiovascular,renal,metabolic,and skeletal systems,resulting in notable complications.Patients with Klinefelter syndrome(KS)exhibit a markedly higher prevalence of metabolic disorders,which may further exacerbate cardiovascular and endocrine dysfunction.Here we report a patient who presented with refractory hypertension and an incidentally discovered adrenal mass,and was ultimately diagnosed with a left adrenal aldosterone-producing adenoma combined with KS.We provide a detailed description of the patient's clinical manifestations,biochemical indices,diagnostic process,and postoperative histopathological findings in order to enhance the understanding of PA and KS and their potential interconnections,which offers diagnostic insights to reduce misdiagnosis and missed diagnoses.
7.Inhibitory effect of cyasterone on chondrocyte inflammation and apopto-sis in knee osteoarthritis and its mechanism
Deren LIU ; Lei SHI ; Jiangyu LIU ; Taiyang LIAO ; Peimin WANG ; Peng WU ; Jun MAO
Chinese Journal of Pathophysiology 2025;41(9):1775-1783
AIM:This study aimed to investigate the inhibitory effects and potential mechanisms of cyasterone(CYA)on inflammation and apoptosis of chondrocytes in knee osteoarthritis(KOA).METHODS:A rat model of KOA was established through anterior cruciate ligament transection(ACLT).Rats were randomly divided into 5 groups(n=6 in each group):normal control(NC),ACLT,ACLT+CYA(10 mg/kg),ACLT+CYA+SR9009(BMAL1 inhibitor),and ACLT+CYA+LY294002(PI3K inhibitor).Pathological changes in cartilage were evaluated using hematoxylin-eosin(HE)and safranin O/fast green staining,graded according to the Osteoarthritis Research Society International(OARSI)system.Immunohistochemistry was employed to measure the expression levels of BMAL1,phosphorylated phosphati-dylinositol 3-kinase(p-PI3K),phosphorylated protein kinase B(p-AKT)and phosphorylated nuclear factor-κB(p-NF-κB)in cartilage.An in vitro KOA model was created by stimulating rat chondrocytes with interleukin-1β(IL-1β).Cell vi-ability was assessed using the CCK-8 assay,while enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was used to quantify pro-inflammatory cytokines(IL-6,IL-1β and TNF-α).Apoptosis was analyzed via flow cytometry,and the protein expression levels of BMAL1,PI3K,p-PI3K,AKT,p-AKT,NF-κB and p-NF-κB were evaluated using Western blot.RESULTS:In vivo,the rats in ACLT group exhibited significant chondrocyte degradation and lacunae formation compared with NC group,confirming the successful establishment of the KOA model.The rats in ACLT+CYA,ACLT+CYA+SR9009 and ACLT+CYA+LY294002 groups showed improved cartilage integrity compared with ACLT group,with reduced OARSI scores(P<0.05),increased BMAL1 expression(P<0.05),and decreased levels of p-PI3K,p-AKT and p-NF-κB(P<0.05).In vitro,the chondrocytes in IL-1β+CYA,IL-1β+CYA+SR9009 and IL-1β+CYA+LY294002 groups exhibited lower levels of IL-6,IL-1β and TNF-α(P<0.05),decreased apoptosis rates(P<0.01),increased BMAL1 protein ex-pression(P<0.05),and reduced p-PI3K/PI3K,p-AKT/AKT and p-NF-κB/NF-κB ratios(P<0.05),compared with IL-1β group.CONCLUSION:Cyasterone alleviates chondrocyte inflammation and apoptosis in KOA by activating BMAL1,which subsequently inhibits the phosphorylation of PI3K/AKT/NF-κB signaling pathway.
8.Studies on the Design and Activity of Anticancer Peptides Based on the Weak Acidic Microenvironment of Tumors
Yue-Qi NIE ; Miao JIANG ; Hui-Yan WU ; Chang-Hao DING ; Wei REN ; Jun-Yi CHANG ; Ke CHEN ; Shao-Long DU ; Peng ZHANG ; Zhong-Hua LIU
Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2025;41(10):1380-1391
Lung cancer poses a serious threat to global public health security.Chemotherapy,as the main strategy for cancer treatment,faces challenges such as high toxicity and drug resistance.Anticancer peptides have the potential of being developed into new anticancer drugs due to their advantages of broad-spectrum anticancer activity,rapid action,and difficulty in generating drug resistance,but they also face shortcomings such as weak activity and strong toxic side effects.The weakly acidic microenvironment of tumors(pH 6.5-6.8)provides a good idea for the design of anticancer peptides of high-efficiency and low-toxicity.Previously,we designed the acid-sensitive antibacterial peptide pHly-1 using the wolf spider(Lycosa singoriensis)toxin Lycosin-Ⅰ as a template.In this study,we found that pHly-1 also had acid-sensitive anticancer activity.Further alanine scanning analysis of pHly-1 was carried out,and we ob-tained a mutant pHTP-2 with better acid sensitivity,whose IC50(half maximal inhibitory concentration)against A549 cells was 15.68 μmol/L at pH 6.6 and was greater than 100 μmol/L at pH 7.4.At pH 6.6,pHTP-2 could act on various lung cancer cell lines and induce the death of A549 cells by rapid ly-sis;at pH 7.4,500 μmol/L pHTP-2 had weak toxicity to red blood cells(the hemolysis rate was ap-proximately 38%)and primary myocardial cells(the inhibition rate was 49.7%,with P<0.05).Analy-sis of its charge,particle size,morphology,and secondary structure showed that at pH 6.6,the histidine in the sequence of pHTP-2 was protonated,increasing the positive charge(P<0.01),decreasing the hy-drated particle size(P<0.05)and forming an α-helical structure to induce membrane lysis of A549 cells.At pH 7.4,it was deprotonated,the positive charge decreases,a β-sheet structure was formed and self-aggregation occurred,limiting its effect on the A549 cell membrane and showing weak activity.In summary,pHTP-2 could respond to the weakly acidic microenvironment of tumors to exert selective cyto-toxic activity,effectively overcoming the shortcomings of anticancer peptides such as low efficiency and high toxicity.Our findings suggest that it is a high-quality lead molecule for anticancer drugs.
9.Construction of CD8+T cell-associated Risk Model in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Based on Bulk and Single-cell RNA-seq Data
Xin-Tong ZHANG ; Jian-Jun ZHU ; Jin WU ; Hao WU ; Fan LU ; Wen-Tao ZHANG ; Jing-Jia CHANG ; Ting TANG ; Zhi-Gao OU ; Feng-Feng JIA ; Li LI ; Peng-Fei YU ; Ming LIU
Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2025;41(10):1511-1528
Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC),which is essentially primary liver cancer,is closely related to CD8+T cell immune infiltration and immune suppression.We constructed a CD8+T cells related risk score model to pre-dict the prognosis of HCC patients and provided therapeutic guidance based on the risk score.Using integrated bulk RNA sequencing(RNA-seq)and single-cell RNA sequencing(scRNA-seq)datasets,we identified stable CD8+T cell signatures.Based on these signatures,a 3-gene risk score model,comprised of KLRB1,RGS2,and TN-FRSF1B was constructed.The risk score model was well validated through an independent external validation co-hort.We divided patients into high-risk and low-risk groups according to the risk score and compared the differ-ences in immune microenvironment between these two groups.Compared with low-risk patients,high-risk patients have higher M2-type macrophage content(P<0.0001)and lower CD8+T cells infiltration(P<0.0001).High-risk patients predict worse response to immunotherapy treatment than low-risk patients(P<0.01).Drug sensitivity a-nalysis shows that PI3K-β inhibitor AZD6482 and TGFβRII inhibitor SB505124 may be suitable therapies for high-risk patients,while the IGF-1R inhibitor BMS-754807 or the novel pyrimidine-based anti-tumor metabolic drug Gemcitabine could be potential therapeutic choices for low-risk patients.Moreover,expression of these 3-gene mod-el was verified by immunohistochemistry.In summary,the establishment and validation of a CD8+T cell-derived risk model can more accurately predict the prognosis of HCC patients and guide the construction of personalized treatment plans.
10.Surveillance and early warning index system for schistosomiasis in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River basin
Sanhong JIANG ; Yibiao ZHOU ; Shizhu LI ; Dandan LIN ; Qingwu JIANG ; Liyong WEN ; Shengming LI ; Fei HU ; Benjiao HU ; Jie ZHOU ; Chunli CAO ; Jing XU ; Jianwen XIE ; Changming WU ; Xiaolan YAN ; Weimin XU ; Jun GE ; Guanghui REN ; Xiaoli LIU
Chinese Journal of Endemiology 2025;44(4):259-264
Under the current situation of "low prevalence and low infection" of schistosomiasis in China, and to provide a basis for achieving the goal of eliminating schistosomiasis by 2030 proposed by the Healthy China Action (2019 - 2030) as scheduled, the Hunan Provincial Corps Hospital of the Chinese People's Armed Police Force established a schistosomiasis monitoring and early warning index system based on the previous studies on schistosomiasis early warning index system and the recent literature analysis, combined with the current potential risk factors affecting the transmission and prevalence of schistosomiasis, and organized two rounds of expert consultation and carried out project promotion meetings. The experts reached a consensus on the comprehensiveness and practicability of the index system, aiming to lay a solid foundation for construction of China's schistosomiasis prevention and control early warning system.

Result Analysis
Print
Save
E-mail