1.Serpina3c Mitigates Adipose Tissue Inflammation by Inhibiting the HIF1α-Mediated Endoplasmic Reticulum Overoxidation in Adipocytes
Yu JIANG ; Jia-Qi GUO ; Ya WU ; Peng ZHENG ; Shao-Fan WANG ; Meng-Chen YANG ; Gen-Shan MA ; Yu-Yu YAO
Diabetes & Metabolism Journal 2026;50(1):62-76
Background:
Visceral white adipose tissue (vWAT) inflammation is a critical pathology of obesity-caused heart damage and is closely associated with adipocyte endoplasmic reticulum (ER) dysfunction. Serine (or cysteine) peptidase inhibitor, clade A, member 3C (Serpina3c) has been identified as an adipokine with anti-vWAT inflammatory effects. However, it remains unclear whether Serpina3c deficiency promotion of vWAT inflammation involves adipocyte ER dysfunction and whether it further contributes to heart damage in obesity.
Methods:
Wild type and Serpina3c knockout (Serpina3c–/–) mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 12 weeks. An adeno-associated virus (AAV) was injected locally into epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT) of Serpina3c–/– mice to induce eWAT-adipocyte- specific overexpression of Serpina3c (AAV-Serpina3c) or knockdown of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (AAV-shHIF1α). In vitro experiments were performed in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.
Results:
Serpina3c–/– mice exhibited more severe eWAT, serum and heart inflammation after HFD feeding. Consistently, these adverse phenotypes were mitigated in AAV-Serpina3c and AAV-shHIF1α mice. Mechanistically, ER oxidoreductase 1α (Ero1α) and protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) family members PDIA3 and PDIA4 were found to be target genes of HIF1α. In the obese mice, Serpina3c deficiency caused adipocyte more hypertrophy, and activated HIF1α-Ero1α/PDI mediated ER overoxidation and ER stress in eWAT. Subsequently, this led to increased adipocyte apoptosis and chemokine production and decreased adiponectin expression, which promoted macrophage infiltration and M1 polarization in eWAT, thus exacerbating eWAT inflammation and ultimately facilitating serum and distal heart inflammation.
Conclusion
These findings indicate that Serpina3c is a significant regulator of adipocyte ER redox homeostasis, thus highlighting Serpina3c as a potential therapeutic target for obesity-related eWAT inflammation and heart damage.
2.Application of active screening on carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales monitoring in intensive care units:a multi-center study
Yiyu LYU ; Shaoyun QI ; Shihua SHEN ; Lu LIU ; Zhen TIAN ; Zhiwei XU ; Tao FANG ; Cuiying GUO ; Zhiping LI ; Ren DING ; Fanxiang MENG ; Ruojie LI ; Xiaoqian HU ; Xueping WANG ; Dequan WU ; Yile WU
Chinese Journal of Infection Control 2025;24(7):906-911
Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of active screening in improving the detection rate of carbape-nem-resistant Enterobacterales(CRE)in the intensive care units(ICUs).Methods From July 2023 to June 2024,active screening of rectal swab CRE was conducted on ICU patients in 10 hospitals.ICU patients who underwent ac-tive screening from July 2023 to June 2024 were selected as the study group,while those who did not undergo active screening from July 2022 to June 2023 were selected as the control group.Difference in CRE detection rates between the two groups of patients was compared.Results A total of 7 803 ICU patients were included in the study group,744 CRE strains were detected,with a detection rate of 9.53%,out of which 304 CRE strains were detected through routine detection(detection rate 3.90%),3 707 patients underwent active screen,440 CRE strains were detected(detection rate 11.87%).7 561 ICU patients were included in the control group,out of which 250 CRE strains were detected through routine detection,with a detection rate of 3.31%.There was a statistically significant difference in the overall detection rate of CRE between two groups of patients(x2=246.18,P<0.001).In the study group,CRE detection rate of active screening(11.87%)was higher than that of routine detection(3.90%),with statistically significant difference(x2=264.26,P<0.001).A total of 17 CRE strains were detected from the study group.The proportions of Klebsiella pneumoniae(80.92%vs 73.41%)and Serratia marcescens(2.30%vs0.23%)in the routine detection group were both higher than in the active screening group,while the proportion of Escherichia coli in the routine detection group was lower(8.22%vs 19.55%),all with statistically significant differences(all P<0.05).Conclusion The prevalence of CRE in ICUs is relatively high,with a wide range of bac-terial species.Active screening can improve the detection rate of CRE.
3.Study on the application of autologous umbilical cord blood priming of CPB circuit in cardiac surgery for congenital heart disease
Zirui PENG ; Haiyun YUAN ; Qingqing MENG ; Yanli LIU ; Yumei LIU ; Pushan ZHANG ; Runzhang LIANG ; Jiaxiong WU ; Abudurexiti NIJIMU· ; Jing LING ; Qi LOU ; Shusheng WEN
Chinese Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2025;41(10):589-598
Objective:To explore the clinical value of autologous umbilical cord whole blood(UCB) priming of the cardiopulmonary bypass(CPB) circuit in neonatal cardiac surgery for congenital heart disease(CHD).Methods:This prospective non-randomized controlled trial included neonates undergoing CHD surgery at Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital from August 2024 to January 2025. The experimental group used autologous UCB for CPB circuit priming, while the control group used adult allogeneic blood(AAB) priming when UCB was unavailable. Preoperative characteristics, intraoperative CPB and aortic cross-clamping(ACC) times, postoperative ICU stay duration, mechanical ventilation time, and hospitalization length were compared.Results:There were no significant differences in preoperative baseline characteristics between the two groups( P>0.05). At the end of surgery, red blood cell count(RBC), hemoglobin level(Hb), and creatine kinase(CK) showed no significant differences between the groups( P> 0.05). Additionally, perioperative left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF) demonstrated no statistically significant variations( P>0.05). At surgery completion, the UCB group exhibited lower hematocrit(HCT) and higher blood lactic acid(Lac) levels but these differences resolved by 6 hours postoperatively( P>0.05). The UCB group had higher maximum vasoactive-inotropic scores(VISmax) within 48 hours and longer ICU stays, though total hospitalization and mechanical ventilation durations showed no significant differences( P>0.05). Conclusion:Autologous UCB priming reduces AAB requirements and has minimal impact on postoperative cardiac and pulmonary function recovery, or homeostasis., which is safe and feasible. This study provides evidence supporting the clinical application of UCB priming in CPB circuits.
4.Research on the application of deep learning based on conventional MRI in differentiating solitary fibrous tumors from schwannomas in the orbit
Jiliang REN ; Zehang NING ; Meng QI ; Zhipeng XIA ; Guoqing WU ; Ying YUAN
Chinese Journal of Radiology 2025;59(2):206-211
Objective:To explore the value of deep learning (DL) models based on conventional MRI in differentiating orbital solitary fibrous tumors (SFT) from schwannomas.Methods:This was a case-control study. A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients with pathologically confirmed orbital SFT and schwannoma admitted to Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University (institution 1) from December 2014 to January 2022 and Ninth People′s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine (institution 2) from July 2015 to May 2022. A total of 140 patients were included, with 104 patients from institution 1 comprising the training cohort for building DL models and 36 patients from institution 2 comprising the external validation cohort for assessing model performance. Based on the preoperative cross-sectional fat-suppressed T 2WI and contrast-enhanced T 1WI (ceT 1WI), tumor contours were outlined on all tumor-containing slices. Six diagnostic models were constructed using residual networks (ResNet) and split-attention residual networks (ResNeSt) with 18 layers (ResNet-18 and ResNeSt-18), based solely on individual T 2WI and ceT 1WI, as well as a combination of both. A radiology resident and an attending radiologist independently reviewed conventional MRI images to determine the tumor type. The performance of the DL models and radiologists in differentiating orbital SFT from schwannoma in the external validation cohort was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curves, and the areas under the curves (AUC) were compared using the DeLong test. Results:In the external validation cohort, the AUC (95% CI) of the ResNet-18 models based on T 2WI, ceT 1WI, and their combination were 0.861 (0.719-1), 0.896 (0.774-1), and 0.885 (0.755-1), respectively, while the AUC (95% CI) of the ResNeSt-18 models were 0.889 (0.748-1), 0.872 (0.726-1), and 0.910 (0.801-1), respectively. Among these, the ResNeSt-18 model based on the combined sequences achieved the best performance in differentiating the two tumors. The AUC (95% CI) for the individual interpretation of the radiology resident and attending radiologist were 0.729 (0.571-0.887) and 0.771 (0.618-0.923), respectively. The AUC of the ResNeSt-18 model based on the combined sequences was statistically significantly higher than those of the resident and attending radiologist ( Z=1.96, P=0.049; Z=2.00, P=0.045). Conclusion:The ResNeSt-18 model based on conventional MRI can effectively differentiate orbital SFT from schwannoma, demonstrating better performance than those of the radiology resident and the attending radiologist.
5.Study on the application of autologous umbilical cord blood priming of CPB circuit in cardiac surgery for congenital heart disease
Zirui PENG ; Haiyun YUAN ; Qingqing MENG ; Yanli LIU ; Yumei LIU ; Pushan ZHANG ; Runzhang LIANG ; Jiaxiong WU ; Abudurexiti NIJIMU· ; Jing LING ; Qi LOU ; Shusheng WEN
Chinese Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2025;41(10):589-598
Objective:To explore the clinical value of autologous umbilical cord whole blood(UCB) priming of the cardiopulmonary bypass(CPB) circuit in neonatal cardiac surgery for congenital heart disease(CHD).Methods:This prospective non-randomized controlled trial included neonates undergoing CHD surgery at Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital from August 2024 to January 2025. The experimental group used autologous UCB for CPB circuit priming, while the control group used adult allogeneic blood(AAB) priming when UCB was unavailable. Preoperative characteristics, intraoperative CPB and aortic cross-clamping(ACC) times, postoperative ICU stay duration, mechanical ventilation time, and hospitalization length were compared.Results:There were no significant differences in preoperative baseline characteristics between the two groups( P>0.05). At the end of surgery, red blood cell count(RBC), hemoglobin level(Hb), and creatine kinase(CK) showed no significant differences between the groups( P> 0.05). Additionally, perioperative left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF) demonstrated no statistically significant variations( P>0.05). At surgery completion, the UCB group exhibited lower hematocrit(HCT) and higher blood lactic acid(Lac) levels but these differences resolved by 6 hours postoperatively( P>0.05). The UCB group had higher maximum vasoactive-inotropic scores(VISmax) within 48 hours and longer ICU stays, though total hospitalization and mechanical ventilation durations showed no significant differences( P>0.05). Conclusion:Autologous UCB priming reduces AAB requirements and has minimal impact on postoperative cardiac and pulmonary function recovery, or homeostasis., which is safe and feasible. This study provides evidence supporting the clinical application of UCB priming in CPB circuits.
6.Comparison of six active constituent contents in modified Liujunzi Decoction during different process amplifications
Ya-ping ZHU ; Yu-xin LIU ; Meng-qi SHAO ; You-jin WANG ; Lei WU
Chinese Traditional Patent Medicine 2025;47(2):395-400
AIM To compare the contents of caffeic acid,ferulic acid,narirutin,calycosin,glycyrrhizic acid and atractylenolide Ⅲ of modified Liujunzi Decoction(MLJZD)during small test,pilot test(500,1 500 L)and large production.METHODS The samples were taken after soaking for 60 min,boiling for 0,5,10,15,20,30 min in the first decoction,and boiling for 5,10,15,20 min in the second decoction,respectively,after which the HPLC fingerprints were established,the contents of active constituents were determined.RESULTS There were 6 common peaks in the HPLC fingerprints for small test and pilot test,while 5 common peaks were observable in the HPLC fingerprints for large production,along with the similarities of more than 0.980.During pilot tests at different time points,various active constituents demonstrated consistent content changing trends,whose total content was higher than those during small test and large production.CONCLUSION Process amplification exhibits a little influence on active constituent contents in MLJZD,which don't show increasing trends with the expansion of container and enhancement of dosage.
7.Comparison of six active constituent contents in modified Liujunzi Decoction during different process amplifications
Ya-ping ZHU ; Yu-xin LIU ; Meng-qi SHAO ; You-jin WANG ; Lei WU
Chinese Traditional Patent Medicine 2025;47(2):395-400
AIM To compare the contents of caffeic acid,ferulic acid,narirutin,calycosin,glycyrrhizic acid and atractylenolide Ⅲ of modified Liujunzi Decoction(MLJZD)during small test,pilot test(500,1 500 L)and large production.METHODS The samples were taken after soaking for 60 min,boiling for 0,5,10,15,20,30 min in the first decoction,and boiling for 5,10,15,20 min in the second decoction,respectively,after which the HPLC fingerprints were established,the contents of active constituents were determined.RESULTS There were 6 common peaks in the HPLC fingerprints for small test and pilot test,while 5 common peaks were observable in the HPLC fingerprints for large production,along with the similarities of more than 0.980.During pilot tests at different time points,various active constituents demonstrated consistent content changing trends,whose total content was higher than those during small test and large production.CONCLUSION Process amplification exhibits a little influence on active constituent contents in MLJZD,which don't show increasing trends with the expansion of container and enhancement of dosage.
8.Effects of Common Anticoagulants on the Visual Characteristics of Bloodstains
Zun-Lei QIAN ; Meng-Qi WU ; Yu SHI
Journal of Forensic Medicine 2025;41(1):40-47,58
Objective To investigate the effects of three common anticoagulants,ethylene diamine tet-raacetic acid-K2(EDTA-K2),sodium citrate and heparin sodium,on the visual characteristics of blood-stains such as patterns and colors.Methods Freshly collected blood samples were treated with EDTA-K2,sodium citrate and heparin sodium respectively,and bloodstain samples were prepared on two ob-jects,acrylic plate and ceramic tile.Bloodstains without anticoagulant treatment were used as the con-trol sample.The drying time,wetting ratio,the number of cracks,the number of fragments,the cen-tral impression area ratio and the mean gray value of bloodstains were observed and recorded.Results Anticoagulants delayed the drying process of bloodstains.At 3.5 h,the wetting ratios of EDTA-K2-,sodium citrate-and heparin sodium-anticoagulated bloodstains on the acrylic plate were 54.80%,56.68%and 60.60%,respectively,which were higher than that of bloodstains without anticoagulant treatment(25.70%).Anticoagulants increased the number of cracks,the number of fragments and the central im-pression area ratio.The changes of these three visual characteristics were most obvious in the sodium citrate-anticoagulated bloodstains,with the crack number of 0.93/mm,the fragment number of 46,and the central impression area ratio of 48.41%after drying.Anticoagulants reduced the mean gray value of bloodstains.Among them,the sodium citrate-anticoagulated bloodstains exhibited the longest time to peak in mean gray value,reading 3.5 h.Similar changes in visual characteristics were observed on the ceramic tile.Conclusion The three commonly used anticoagulants change the visual characteristics of bloodstains.It is not recommended to use anticoagulated blood as a substitute for preparing experimen-tal samples in bloodstain pattern analysis experiments.Based on the changes in the visual characteris-tics during the drying process of bloodstains,the time of bloodstain deposition can be roughly esti-mated,and the blood scene staged with anticoagulated blood can be identified.
9.The Development and Application of Chatbots in Healthcare: From Traditional Methods to Large Language Models
Zixing WANG ; Le QI ; Xiaodan LIAN ; Ziheng ZHOU ; Aiwei MENG ; Xintong WU ; Xiaoyuan GAO ; Yujie YANG ; Yiyang LIU ; Wei ZHAO ; Xiaolin DIAO
Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital 2025;16(5):1170-1178
With the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence technology, chatbots have shown great potential in the healthcare sector. From personalized health advice to chronic disease management and psychological support, chatbots have demonstrated significant advantages in improving the efficiency and quality of healthcare services. As the scope of their applications expands, the relationship between technological complexity and practical application scenarios has become increasingly intertwined, necessitating a more comprehensive evaluation of both aspects. This paper, from the perspective of he althcare applications, systematically reviews the technological pathways and development of chatbots in the medical field, providing an in-depth analysis of their performance across various medical scenarios. It thoroughly examines the advantages and limitations of chatbots, aiming to offer theoretical support for future research and propose feasible recommendations for the broader adoption of chatbot technologies in healthcare.
10.RNA-seq-based screening of autophagy-related genes during lung infection by highly antibiotic-resistant and highly virulent Staphylococcus aureus
Jinhong Zha ; Qi Kuang ; Chengxi Wu ; Xiaoyu Zhu ; Duo Su ; Lili Zhang ; Meng Lyu ; Lingfei Hu ; Dongsheng Zhou ; Wenhui Yang
Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2025;60(9):1689-1696
Objective :
To identify autophagy-related genes involved in pulmonary infection caused by the highly drug-resistant and virulent methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strain USA300 ( USA300) ,and to explore the underlying molecular mechanisms , thereby providing potential targets for immunotherapy.
Methods:
The GSE220943 dataset of a USA300-induced pulmonary infection mouse model was obtained from the GEO database. Differentially expressed genes ( DEGs ) were identified using the DESeq2 package. Autophagy-related genes ( ARGs) were retrieved from the MSigDB and Autophagy databases.Weighted gene co-expression network analysis ( WGCNA) was performed to construct gene co-expression modules.Genes overlapping among DEGs,ARGs,and WGCNA modules were identified as autophagy-related DEGs.Gene Ontology ( GO) enrichment analysis was con- ducted using the clusterProfiler R package,while Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes ( KEGG) pathway en- richment analysis was performed via the Metascape platform.Immune cell infiltration was analyzed using the Immu- CellAI-mouse website.A protein - protein interaction ( PPI) network was constructed using the STRING database, and hub genes were identified through topological analysis in Cytoscape. Receiver operating characteristic curve ( ROC) curves were plotted via the website https: / /www.bioinformatics.com.cn. Finally,key gene expression was validated in mouse lung tissues by real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR ( RT-qPCR) .
Results:
A total of 6 135,4 075,3 680,and 2 342 differentially expressed genes ( DEGs) were identified at 12,24,48,and 96 hours post-infection,respectively.By integrating DEGs,autophagy-related genes ( ARGs) ,and WGCNA mod- ules,19 autophagy-related DEGs were identified. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses indicated that these genes were mainly involved in CD4 + T cell activation and regulation,innate immune responses,and autophagosome mem- brane formation.Immune infiltration analysis revealed that innate immune cells such as neutrophils and dendritic cells predominated during the early phase of infection,while γδ T cells and M2 macrophages became more promi- nent in the later stages.PPI network analysis identified 12 hub autophagy-related genes,among which three upreg- ulated key genes ( Eif2ak2,Ikbke,and Nfkbiz) were further confirmed.The area under the ROC curve for all three genes was 1. 000.RT-qPCR validation demonstrated significantly elevated expression of these three genes in lung tissues at 24 hours post-infection ( all P<0. 05) .
Conclusion
Eif2ak2,Ikbke,and Nfkbiz may be involved in the pulmonary infection caused by USA300 by promoting autophagy and hold promise as potential targets for immuno- therapy.


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