1.Correlation between cerebral perfusion and cognitive function in patients with minor stroke or transient ischemic attack caused by severe intracranial arterial stenosis or occlusion
Meiling SHANG ; Yanran CHEN ; Bingbing GUO ; Xiaotong CHI ; Lu QUAN ; Gezhi YAN ; Hui WANG ; Ling MA ; Fude LIU ; Jia YU ; Jianfeng HAN ; Ming ZHANG ; Wanghuan DUN ; Yujing WANG
Chinese Journal of Cerebrovascular Diseases 2025;22(10):701-711
Objective This study aimed to investigate the correlation of cerebral perfusion and cognitive function status in patients with minor stroke(MS)or transient ischemic attack(TIA)complicated by severe intracranial arterial stenosis or occlusion(hereafter referred to as ICAS-MSTIA).Methods Retrospectively enrol consecutive ICAS-MSTIA patients admitted to the Department of Neurology,the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University,from June 2023 to May 2024.In the meantime,healthy controls were openly recruited.The ICAS-MSTIA patients were divided into two groups based on the side of intracranial large artery stenosis or occlusion:the left intracranial large artery involvement group and the right intracranial large artery involvement group.All patients with intracranial large artery stenosis or occlusion underwent MR scanning within 2 weeks after the first episode of TIA or MS,while there was no specific time requirement for MR examination in the healthy control group.On the day of MR scanning,the Montreal cognitive assessment(MoCA)scale was used to evaluate the participants'global cognitive function and performance in various cognitive domains,including visuospatial/executive function,naming,attention,language,abstraction,delayed recall,and orientation.General information of all participants was collected,including age,sex,educational level,body mass index,and history of smoking and alcohol consumption.Clinical data were collected from both left and right intracranial large artery involvement groups,including cerebrovascular risk factors(such as,diabetes mellitus,hypertension,and hyperlipidemia),National Institutes of Health stroke scale(NIHSS)score at admission,responsible stenotic or occluded arteries(internal carotid artery,middle cerebral artery),degree of stenosis in the responsible vessel(severe stenosis[stenosis rate 70%-99%],occlusion[stenosis rate100%])and non-responsible vessel(no stenosis[0],mild stenosis[stenosis rate>0-49%]),collateral circulation compensation(American Society of Interventional and Therapeutic Neuroradiology/Society of Interventional Radiology[ASTIN/SIR]collateral circulation classification),and responsible events(TIA,MS).General data and MoCA scale scores were compared across the three groups,while clinical data were compared between the left and right intracranial large artery involvement groups.Statistical parametric mapping 12(SPM 12)was used to perform voxel-wise independent samples t-tests on cerebral blood flow(CBF)differences among the left ICAS-MSTIA group,right ICAS-MSTIA group,and healthy control group,with cluster-level family-wise error(FWE)correction applied for adjustment.Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the relationship between global CBF values and total MoCA scores in ICAS-MSTIA patients with left or right intracranial large artery involvement.Results A total of 33 ICAS-MSTIA patients and 33 healthy controls were enrolled in the study.Among the ICAS-MSTIA patients,21 had left intracranial large artery involvement and 12 had right involvement.(1)Among the three groups,statistically significant differences were observed in the proportions of individuals with reported smoking history(P=0.024)and alcohol consumption history(P=0.011).The left intracranial large artery involvement group had a higher NIHSS score(0[0,2]vs.0[0,0],P=0.044)and a higher proportion of patients with internal carotid artery involvement(13/21 cases vs.2/12 cases,P=0.027)compared with the right side group.No statistically significant differences were observed in other general or clinical data across the three groups or between the two non-control groups(all P>0.05).(2)Statistically significant differences were found across the three groups in the MoCA scale total score and scores of visuospatial/executive function,attention,language,abstraction,delayed recall,and orientation cognitive domains(all P<0.05),while no significant difference was noted in the naming score(P=0.063).The left intracranial large artery involvement group had lower total MoCA score and lower scores in visuospatial/executive function,attention,language,abstraction,delayed recall,and orientation in comparison to the healthy control group(all P<0.016 7).The right intracranial large artery involvement group had significantly lower scores in language,abstraction,and orientation domains than the healthy control group(all P<0.016 7).Additionally,the left side group had a lower attention domain score than the right side group(P<0.016 7).No other statistically significant differences were found in pairwise comparisons(all P>0.016 7).(3)Patients in both the left and right intracranial large artery involvement groups exhibited a significant decrease in CBF in extensive regions on the affected side,including the temporal lobe,dorsolateral prefrontal cortex,and occipital lobe.Furthermore,after correction,in the left involvement group CBF was higher in the contralateral lingual gyrus,cuneus,and calcarine sulcus compared with the healthy control group(P<0.05).While in the right involvement group,no regions had increased CBF compared to the healthy control group.(4)Multiple linear regression showed positive correlation between CBF in ipsilateral precentral gyrus and superior temporal gyrus,and the total MoCA score in patients with left intracranial large artery involvement(FWE-corrected,P<0.05).In contrast,there was no correlation between CBF and total MoCA score in patients with right intracranial large artery involvement.Conclusions ICAS-MSTIA patients exhibited various degrees of impairment in cerebral perfusion and cognitive function.A significant positive correlation is observed between these two impairments in patients with left intracranial large artery involvement.
2.Preparation of the Fusion Protein Between Diphtheria Toxin Mutants and the Receptor Binding Domain of Botulinum Neurotoxin Serotype E(EHc)Molecules and the Immunological Effect Evaluation
Qiu-Ju JIA ; Yao-Hui ZHAO ; Xiao-Yu LIU ; Shuo YU ; Jian-Sheng LU ; Yun-Zhou YU ; Ming LIAO
Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2025;41(10):1421-1431
CRM 197(cross-reacting material 197),a naturally occurring mutant of diphtheria toxin,is a safe and effective vaccine vector and extensively used on developing conjugate or combined vaccines.The mutant loses its enzymatic activity,but fully retains its receptor-binding ability and immunogenicity.In current work,the diphtheria toxin mutant CRM 197 and its fusion proteins with the receptor-binding do-main of botulinum neurotoxin serotype E(EHc)were developed using genetic engineering technology.These recombinant proteins were confirmed by Western blotting and SDS-PAGE.BALB/c mice were im-munized with the CRM197-EHc and EHc-CRM197 fusion proteins,and their immunogenicity was evalua-ted.These two fusion protein molecules,CRM197-EHc and EHc-CRM197,as subunit vaccines,elicited a robust humoral immune response targeting both CRM197 and EHc antigens in the immunized mice.Compared to the mixture of CRM197 and EHc,the mice vaccinated with the fusion proteins(CRM197-EHc and EHc-CRM197)induced higher levels of anti-CRM197 antibodies,and the mice vaccinated with EHc-CRM197 also generated strongest anti-EHc antibodies.Consequently,as a carrier molecule in the fusion protein vaccine,EHc enhances the immunogenicity of CRM197 molecules.Likewise,CRM197 boosts the immunogenicity of EHc in the EHc-CRM197 fusion protein.
3.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.
4.Preparation of the Fusion Protein Between Diphtheria Toxin Mutants and the Receptor Binding Domain of Botulinum Neurotoxin Serotype E(EHc)Molecules and the Immunological Effect Evaluation
Qiu-Ju JIA ; Yao-Hui ZHAO ; Xiao-Yu LIU ; Shuo YU ; Jian-Sheng LU ; Yun-Zhou YU ; Ming LIAO
Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2025;41(10):1421-1431
CRM 197(cross-reacting material 197),a naturally occurring mutant of diphtheria toxin,is a safe and effective vaccine vector and extensively used on developing conjugate or combined vaccines.The mutant loses its enzymatic activity,but fully retains its receptor-binding ability and immunogenicity.In current work,the diphtheria toxin mutant CRM 197 and its fusion proteins with the receptor-binding do-main of botulinum neurotoxin serotype E(EHc)were developed using genetic engineering technology.These recombinant proteins were confirmed by Western blotting and SDS-PAGE.BALB/c mice were im-munized with the CRM197-EHc and EHc-CRM197 fusion proteins,and their immunogenicity was evalua-ted.These two fusion protein molecules,CRM197-EHc and EHc-CRM197,as subunit vaccines,elicited a robust humoral immune response targeting both CRM197 and EHc antigens in the immunized mice.Compared to the mixture of CRM197 and EHc,the mice vaccinated with the fusion proteins(CRM197-EHc and EHc-CRM197)induced higher levels of anti-CRM197 antibodies,and the mice vaccinated with EHc-CRM197 also generated strongest anti-EHc antibodies.Consequently,as a carrier molecule in the fusion protein vaccine,EHc enhances the immunogenicity of CRM197 molecules.Likewise,CRM197 boosts the immunogenicity of EHc in the EHc-CRM197 fusion protein.
5.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.
6.Treatment of hypertensive nephropathy based on"five viscera in one"view
Hong WANG ; Lu-fan SHEN ; Rui-ling MA ; Ming-shuang HOU ; Hong-ying LÜ ; Guan-jun JIA ; Lin YI
The Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 2025;41(1):121-126
Hypertensive nephropathy is one of the common chronic kidney diseases in China,the morbidity and mortality are increasing year by year,which seriously endangers the physical and mental health of patients.Traditional Chinese medicine believes that human is an organic whole,the five viscera and six organs are closely related in physiology and pathology,based on the theory of"holistic concept",the application of Chinese medicine in the treatment of hypertensive nephropathy can effectively improve kidney function and reduce the occurrence of adverse reactions.Therefore,based on the theory of"five viscera in one",this paper summarizes the etiology and pathogenesis of hypertensive nephropathy and the treatment of hypertensive nephropathy from the five aspects of liver,heart,spleen,lung and kidney,aiming to provide new ideas for the prevention and treatment of kidney disease by traditional Chinese medicine.
7.Siwu decoction prevents radiation immune damage through Sirt1-PI3K-Akt-mTOR pathway
Ting-yu YANG ; Lin LIN ; Jia-lu CUI ; Ming-yue HUANG ; Ye-hui GAO ; Yue GAO ; Zeng-chun MA
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2025;41(9):1783-1792
Aim To investigate the protective effect of Siwu decoction(SWD)on immune injury induced by 60Coγ-rays in mice and the related mechanism.Meth-ods C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into six groups:Control group(Control),Model group(Mod-el),Siwu decoction low-dose group(SWD-L),Siwu decoction medium-dose group(SWD-M),Siwu decoc-tion high-dose group(SWD-H)and resveratrol positive group(Resveratrol,Res).The drug was continued to be administered 11 days before and after irradiation,with a single whole-body irradiation of 4 Gy,and all in-dexes were detected three days after irradiation.The changes of peripheral blood and organ indexes were de-tected.Serum levels of cytokine interferon gamma(IFN-γ),interleukin-1 β(IL-1 β),IL-2,IL-4,IL-6,IL-10,IL-17,transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β),tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α,and immunoglobulin A(IgA),IgG,IgM,and complement protein 3(C3),C4 content were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).B lymphocytes,T lymphocytes,NK cells in spleen and T lymphocytes in thymus were de-tected by flow cytometry.The pathological changes of spleen and thymus were analyzed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining.The expression of Sirt 1 protein in spleen after radiation was detected by immunofluores-cence staining.The protein contents of Sirt1,PI3K,Akt,p-Akt and mTOR in spleen were detected by Western blot assay.Results SWD could significantly increase LYMPH%and reduce pathological injury of spleen and thymus.Flow cytometry showed that SWD could significantly increase the percentage of CD19+B lymphocytes in spleen,decrease the percentage of NK lymphocytes and the ratio of CD4+/CD8+in spleen and thymus.ELISA results showed that SWD signifi-cantly inhibited the expression of IL-1 β,IL-2,IL-6,IL-17,IFN-γ,TGF-β,TNF-α,and increased the content of anti-inflammatory factors IL-4 and IL-10.At the same time,SWD significantly inhibited the increase of IgA,IgG,IgM,C3 and C4 induced by radiation.The results of immunofluorescence staining and Western blot showed that SWD could decrease the expression of PI3K,Akt,p-Akt and mTOR protein,and enhance the expression of Sirt1 protein.Conclusions SWD has obvious preventive effect on immune damage induced by 60Co gamma radiation in mice.The mechanism may be related to Sirt1-PI3K-Akt-mTOR.
8.Siwu decoction prevents radiation immune damage through Sirt1-PI3K-Akt-mTOR pathway
Ting-yu YANG ; Lin LIN ; Jia-lu CUI ; Ming-yue HUANG ; Ye-hui GAO ; Yue GAO ; Zeng-chun MA
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2025;41(9):1783-1792
Aim To investigate the protective effect of Siwu decoction(SWD)on immune injury induced by 60Coγ-rays in mice and the related mechanism.Meth-ods C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into six groups:Control group(Control),Model group(Mod-el),Siwu decoction low-dose group(SWD-L),Siwu decoction medium-dose group(SWD-M),Siwu decoc-tion high-dose group(SWD-H)and resveratrol positive group(Resveratrol,Res).The drug was continued to be administered 11 days before and after irradiation,with a single whole-body irradiation of 4 Gy,and all in-dexes were detected three days after irradiation.The changes of peripheral blood and organ indexes were de-tected.Serum levels of cytokine interferon gamma(IFN-γ),interleukin-1 β(IL-1 β),IL-2,IL-4,IL-6,IL-10,IL-17,transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β),tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α,and immunoglobulin A(IgA),IgG,IgM,and complement protein 3(C3),C4 content were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).B lymphocytes,T lymphocytes,NK cells in spleen and T lymphocytes in thymus were de-tected by flow cytometry.The pathological changes of spleen and thymus were analyzed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining.The expression of Sirt 1 protein in spleen after radiation was detected by immunofluores-cence staining.The protein contents of Sirt1,PI3K,Akt,p-Akt and mTOR in spleen were detected by Western blot assay.Results SWD could significantly increase LYMPH%and reduce pathological injury of spleen and thymus.Flow cytometry showed that SWD could significantly increase the percentage of CD19+B lymphocytes in spleen,decrease the percentage of NK lymphocytes and the ratio of CD4+/CD8+in spleen and thymus.ELISA results showed that SWD signifi-cantly inhibited the expression of IL-1 β,IL-2,IL-6,IL-17,IFN-γ,TGF-β,TNF-α,and increased the content of anti-inflammatory factors IL-4 and IL-10.At the same time,SWD significantly inhibited the increase of IgA,IgG,IgM,C3 and C4 induced by radiation.The results of immunofluorescence staining and Western blot showed that SWD could decrease the expression of PI3K,Akt,p-Akt and mTOR protein,and enhance the expression of Sirt1 protein.Conclusions SWD has obvious preventive effect on immune damage induced by 60Co gamma radiation in mice.The mechanism may be related to Sirt1-PI3K-Akt-mTOR.
9.Progress on antisense oligonucleotide in the field of antibacterial therapy
Jia LI ; Xiao-lu HAN ; Shi-yu SONG ; Jin-tao LIN ; Zhi-qiang TANG ; Zeng-ming WANG ; Liang XU ; Ai-ping ZHENG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica 2025;60(2):337-347
With the widespread use of antibiotics, drug-resistant bacterial infections have become a significant threat to human health. Finding new antibacterial strategies that can effectively control drug-resistant bacterial infections has become an urgent task. Unlike small molecule drugs that target bacterial proteins, antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) can target genes related to bacterial resistance, pathogenesis, growth, reproduction and biofilm formation. By regulating the expression of these genes, ASO can inhibit or kill bacteria, providing a novel approach for the development of antibacterial drugs. To overcome the challenge of delivering antisense oligonucleotide into bacterial cells, various drug delivery systems have been applied in this field, including cell-penetrating peptides, lipid nanoparticles and inorganic nanoparticles, which have injected new momentum into the development of antisense oligonucleotide in the antibacterial realm. This review summarizes the current development of small nucleic acid drugs, the antibacterial mechanisms, targets, sequences and delivery vectors of antisense oligonucleotide, providing a reference for the research and development of antisense oligonucleotide in the treatment of bacterial infections.
10.The Refinement and Innovation of The UV Cross-linking and Immunoprecipitation
Jia-Min ZHAO ; Cheng-Jiang LU ; Ming YANG ; Nashun BUHE ; Gang WANG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(4):1036-1052
RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are ubiquitous components within cells, fulfilling essential functions in a myriad of biological processes. These proteins interact with RNA molecules to regulate gene expression at various levels, including transcription, splicing, transport, localization, translation, and degradation. Understanding the intricate network of RBP-RNA interactions is crucial for deciphering the complex regulatory mechanisms that govern cellular function and organismal development. Ultravidet (UV) cross-linking and immunoprecipitation (CLIP) stands out as a powerful approach designed to map the precise locations where RBPs bind to RNA. By using UV light to create covalent bonds between proteins and RNA, followed by immunoprecipitation to isolate the protein-RNA complexes, researchers can identify the direct targets of specific RBPs. The advent of high-throughput sequencing technologies has revolutionized CLIP, enabling the identification of not only the types but also the exact sequences of RNA bound by RBPs on a genome-wide scale. The evolution of CLIP has led to the development of specialized variants, each with unique features that address specific challenges and expand the scope of what can be studied. High-throughput sequencing CLIP (HITS-CLIP) was one of the first advancements, significantly increasing the throughput and resolution of RNA-protein interaction mapping. Photoactivatable-ribonucleoside-enhanced CLIP (PAR-CLIP) introduced the use of photoactivatable ribonucleosides to enhance cross-linking efficiency and specificity, reducing background noise and improving the detection of low-abundance RNA-protein interactions. Individual-nucleotide resolution CLIP (iCLIP) further refined the technique, achieving unprecedented precision by resolving individual nucleotides involved in RBP binding, which is particularly valuable for studying the fine details of RNA structure and function. Despite the remarkable progress, there remains room for improvement in CLIP technology. Researchers continue to seek methods to increase sensitivity, reduce technical variability, and improve the reproducibility of results. Advances in sample preparation, data analysis algorithms, and computational tools are critical for addressing these challenges. Moreover, the application of CLIP to more diverse biological systems, including non-model organisms and clinical samples, requires the development of tailored protocols and the optimization of existing ones. Looking forward, the field of RNA biology is poised to benefit greatly from ongoing innovations in CLIP technology. The exploration of non-canonical RNA-protein interactions, such as those involving long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs), promises to reveal new layers of cellular regulation and may lead to the discovery of novel therapeutic targets. Furthermore, integrating CLIP data with other omics approaches, such as proteomics and metabolomics, will provide a more comprehensive understanding of the dynamic interplay between RNA and its binding partners within the cell. In conclusion, the continuous refinement and expansion of CLIP techniques have not only deepened our knowledge of RNA biology but have also opened up new avenues for investigating the molecular underpinnings of health and disease. As the technology matures, it is expected to play an increasingly pivotal role in both basic and applied research, contributing to the advancement of medical science and biotechnology.

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