1.Standardization Challenges in Outcome Evaluation Systems of Animal Experiments and Considerations for Core Outcome Set Construction Strategies
Qingyong ZHENG ; Yongjia ZHOU ; Tengfei LI ; Jianguo XU ; Chen TIAN ; Hui LIU ; Min TIAN ; Ziyu ZHOU ; Caihua XU ; Yating CUI ; Junfei WANG ; Jinhui TIAN
Laboratory Animal and Comparative Medicine 2026;46(1):138-148
Animal experimentation constitutes a critical link between basic research and clinical application, making its research quality and translational efficiency paramount. Although considerable progress has been made in standardizing operational procedures and ethical guidelines, the standardization of outcome evaluation systems has significantly lagged, creating a key bottleneck that constrains the quality of biomedical research and evidence synthesis. This deficiency is manifested by pronounced heterogeneity in outcome selection across similar studies, incomplete methodological reporting, and disparate criteria for result interpretation, which severely impairs the comparability of findings and the evidence integration. To cope with this challenge, this paper systematically introduces a mature methodological tool from clinical research–the core outcome set (COS)–and explores its construction strategies and application potential in the field of animal experimentation. Given the extensive diversity of animal experiments, a pragmatic strategy of "focusing on key areas, implementing phased pilots, and promoting gradual expansion" should be adopted. This approach prioritizes the development of domain-specific COS for disease areas characterized by high research volume, urgent translational needs, and well-established animal models. A multi-source integration pathway for COS development is detailed, comprising systematic literature searches, methodological appraisals, and expert consensus, with the feasibility of leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance efficiency also being examined. The development and promotion of such COS are not intended to restrict scientific exploration; rather, they aim to establish a new, tiered evaluation paradigm consisting of "core outcomes" (mandatory), "recommended outcomes" (encouraged), and "exploratory outcomes" (optional). This framework is expected not only to enhance research quality through standardization and to adhere to the "3R" principles but also to accelerate the accumulation of high-quality evidence. This, in turn, provides a solid foundation for higher-level evidence synthesis, ultimately facilitating the effective translation of basic research findings into clinical practice and providing an essential methodological framework for scientific advancement in relevant disciplines.
2.Analysis of Clinical and Genetic Characteristics of SELENON-Related Myopathy
Xiaohong HUANG ; Min QIAN ; Lin CHEN ; Liying CUI ; Yi DAI
JOURNAL OF RARE DISEASES 2026;5(2):200-206
To summarize the clinical characteristics and genetic mutation spectrum of patients with SELENON-related myopathy(SELENON-RM), in order to improve awareness among physicians. A total of 12 patients from independent families with genetically confirmed SELENON-RM at Peking Union Medical College Hospital between January 2016 and December 2025 were retrospectively included. Clinical data were collected, and their clinical and genetic features were analyzed. The mean age at presentation was(16.7±9.7) years(range: 6-35 years), with males accounting for 66.7%(8/12). Patients presented with delayed motor development since early childhood, followed by a relatively stable disease course without significant progression over several years. Among 10 patients tested for serum creatine kinase, 4 had normal levels and 6 showed elevated levels. Electromyography performed in 9 patients indicated myogenic damage in both upper and lower limbs. Muscle biopsy in 6 patients revealed myopathic changes, including variation in muscle fiber size and fiber-type disproportion with predominance of type Ⅰ fibers. Pulmonary function tests in 5 patients demonstrated restrictive ventilatory defects. Overnight polysomnography in 6 patients revealed severe nocturnal hypoxemia. Genetic analysis showed that among the 12 patients, 9 patients had compound heterozygous mutations in the Patients with SELENON-RM usually develop symptoms in early life, presenting with motor developmental delay, scoliosis or rigid spine, and frequently with occult but significant respiratory involvement. Patients in this study appear to predominantly carry compound heterozygous variants, and exons 1 and 11 of the
3.From Bedside to Molecular Diagnosis-Multidisciplinary Treatment of a Rare Case of Autoinflammatory Disease Presenting with Skin Induration and Limb Weakness
Hanhui FU ; Wenjun WANG ; Yaping LIU ; Hui YOU ; Tao WANG ; Wen ZHANG ; Xuejun ZENG ; Liying CUI ; Huijuan ZHU ; Xiuli ZHAO ; Min SHEN ; Yicheng ZHU
JOURNAL OF RARE DISEASES 2026;5(2):207-213
This article reports a rare case of autoinflammatory disease presenting initially with skin induration and swelling after trauma as the initial manifestation, followed by progressive limb weakness. The patient was a middle-aged female who developed skin induration and swelling after trauma, which gradually progressed to limb weakness, dysarthria and bilateral facial paralysis, accompanied by livedo reticularis of the lower extremities, diffuse skin induration of the limbs, and beaded subcutaneous nodules in the right upper limb. The patient had a susceptibility to infection since childhood and a history of chronic livedo reticularis. Skin pathological examination revealed panniculitis. A comprehensive etiological screening for special infections and autoimmune diseases was completed with an unremarkable results, and whole-exome sequencing showed no abnormal findings. Following a multidisciplinary discussion combined with RNA sequencing results, the patient was diagnosed with an autoinflammatory disease, with a suspected type Ⅰ interferonopathy. Treatment with tofacitinib resulted in gradual improvement of clinical symptoms. This case highlights the importance of detailed medical history collection, systematic physical examination and multidisciplinary collaborative diagnosis and treatment, and underscores the pivotal role of molecular diagnosis in the confirmation of rare diseases. It can provide a reference for the clinical diagnosis and management of similar rare cases.
4.Differences in deltamethrin resistance and kdr gene mutation in Culex tritaeniorhynchus population in and outside the Yellow Sea wetland
Xiao-er ZHANG ; Zhi-ming WU ; Ye TIAN ; Qian CUI ; Yu-qian JI ; Huan WANG ; Shu-juan YANG ; Yi-chao ZHAO ; Yu WANG ; Hua-yu YIN ; Yu DING ; Guo-jin YAN ; Min-sen ZHAO ; Shou-gang ZHANG ; Bing-dong SONG ; Hong-na CHEN ; Jian GAO ; Wei-fang YANG ; Yu-fu ZHANG ; Hui LIU ; Hong-liang CHU
Acta Parasitologica et Medica Entomologica Sinica 2026;33(2):101-107
Objective To gain insights into the biological characteristics of different populations of Culex tritaeniorhynchus within and around the Yellow Sea wetland from the perspective of the occurrence of resistance, we investigated the levels of resistance to deltamethrin and kdr gene mutation in the wetland and its peripheral areas. Methods Specimens were collected from Cx. tritaeniorhynchus populations at two monitoring sites in the Rare Bird National Nature Reserve and Tiaozi Ni Wetland Scenic Area, and also from two populations in Yancheng City and the Liuhe District of Nanjing, and the resistance of these mosquitoes to deltamethrin was determined using the CDC biotest bottle method. For each concentration of deltamethrin assessed, a random subset of exposed specimens was selected for amplification of the kdr gene fragment, followed by Sanger sequencing to identify and analyze resistance-associated mutations. Results The LC50 levels of deltamethrin among mosquitoes from the four populations in Luhe, Yancheng, the Rare Bird National Nature Reserve and the Tiaozi Ni Wetland Scenic Area were 2.048 5, 7.798 2, 3.473 3, and 17.695 5 mg/mL, respectively, with corresponding concentrations of deltamethrin ranging from 0.005 to 5.000,0.050 to 50.000,0.050 to 25.000 and 0.050 to 50.000 mg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, the ranges of the KT50 values were 11.76-107.43, 67.05-216.30,29.77-107.43 and 28.40-329.51 min; the 1-h knockdown rates were 34.58%-99.15%, 9.52%-43.80%, 55.09%-73.01%, and 10.09%-68.07%; and the 24-h mortality rates were 12.15%-67.52%,9.52%-79.56%,13.17%-82.21%, and 11.01%-78.99%, respectively. With respect to kdr gene mutation, we assayed a total of 63,70,59, and 57 mosquitoes for the four populations, for which we detected L1014F mutation frequencies of 14.29%, 35.00%, 20.34%, and 31.58%, respectively, with a majority of these mutations being heterozygous for resistance. In addition, five adult mosquitoes were identified has having synonymous mutations at site 1011[i. e. , AAT(asparagine)mutation to AAC(asparagine)]. Conclusions Our findings revealed the clear resistance of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus to deltamethrin in the Yancheng region of the Yellow Sea wetland, and the resistance phenotype and kdr frequency of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus in the wetland environment were comparable to those of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus in the wetland environment, thereby indicating that the resistance of different populations of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus was homogeneous under the pressure of different insecticide selection within and around the wetland. However, the underlying mechanisms need to be further studied.
5.Epidemiological investigation of a cluster of rural severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome cases and tick ecological monitoring results in Zibo City
Jun DU ; Ai-min FENG ; Bao-qiang CUI ; Tao SUN ; Yi-chuan YANG ; Yan-dong WANG
Acta Parasitologica et Medica Entomologica Sinica 2026;33(2):128-133
Objective To understand the epidemiological characteristics of a clustered outbreak of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome(SFTS)as well as the ecological tick monitoring results for Zibo City, and to provide a scientific basis for formulating prevention and control strategies. Methods A case definition was cited before epidemic investigations were performed. Epidemiological investigations were performed on the index cases and their close contacts. Blood samples were collected from cases and close contacts, and quantitative real-time RT-PCR was used to detect SFTS virus(SFTSV)nucleic acid sequences. A retrospective cohort study was conducted to analyze risk factors and develop prevention and control strategies. Results This clustered outbreak involved two index cases and six close contacts with no deaths. Case A exhibited symptom onset on July 26. SFTS was confirmed on August 2. Case B exhibited symptom onset on August 1, and SFTS was confirmed on August 3. Patient B reported a recent history of tick bites. In both index cases, the incubation period for SFTS was inferred to be 7-12 days. The time interval from symptom onset to clinical diagnosis in the two cases ranged from 2-8 days, with an average period of 5 days. SFTSV nucleic acid test result were positive for both patients, whereas all six close contacts tested negative. All captured ticks tested negative for SFTSV using quantitative real-time RT-PCR. The densities of parasitic and free-living ticks in the emergency monitoring area around the cases were 12.60 and 4.65 ticks/(flag·100 m). In 2024, the average parasitic tick index and free-living tick density index were 4.21 and 2.43 ticks/(flag ·100 m)in Yiyuan County, respectively. Conclusions No evidence of human-to-human transmission was found in the assessed SFTS clusters. The infections were likely acquired through tick bites during fieldwork, and the risk of a subsequent outbreak spreading was low.
6.Expert consensus on early orthodontic treatment of class III malocclusion.
Xin ZHOU ; Si CHEN ; Chenchen ZHOU ; Zuolin JIN ; Hong HE ; Yuxing BAI ; Weiran LI ; Jun WANG ; Min HU ; Yang CAO ; Yuehua LIU ; Bin YAN ; Jiejun SHI ; Jie GUO ; Zhihua LI ; Wensheng MA ; Yi LIU ; Huang LI ; Yanqin LU ; Liling REN ; Rui ZOU ; Linyu XU ; Jiangtian HU ; Xiuping WU ; Shuxia CUI ; Lulu XU ; Xudong WANG ; Songsong ZHU ; Li HU ; Qingming TANG ; Jinlin SONG ; Bing FANG ; Lili CHEN
International Journal of Oral Science 2025;17(1):20-20
The prevalence of Class III malocclusion varies among different countries and regions. The populations from Southeast Asian countries (Chinese and Malaysian) showed the highest prevalence rate of 15.8%, which can seriously affect oral function, facial appearance, and mental health. As anterior crossbite tends to worsen with growth, early orthodontic treatment can harness growth potential to normalize maxillofacial development or reduce skeletal malformation severity, thereby reducing the difficulty and shortening the treatment cycle of later-stage treatment. This is beneficial for the physical and mental growth of children. Therefore, early orthodontic treatment for Class III malocclusion is particularly important. Determining the optimal timing for early orthodontic treatment requires a comprehensive assessment of clinical manifestations, dental age, and skeletal age, and can lead to better results with less effort. Currently, standardized treatment guidelines for early orthodontic treatment of Class III malocclusion are lacking. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the etiology, clinical manifestations, classification, and early orthodontic techniques for Class III malocclusion, along with systematic discussions on selecting early treatment plans. The purpose of this expert consensus is to standardize clinical practices and improve the treatment outcomes of Class III malocclusion through early orthodontic treatment.
Humans
;
Malocclusion, Angle Class III/classification*
;
Orthodontics, Corrective/methods*
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Consensus
;
Child
7.Effect of liriodendrin on intestinal flora and ferroptosis pathway in septic rats with acute kidney injury.
Chan GUO ; Lingzhi CUI ; Min ZHOU ; Yuzhen ZHUO ; Lei YANG ; Jiarui LI
Chinese Critical Care Medicine 2025;37(8):728-734
OBJECTIVE:
To investigate the effects of liriodendrin on the intestinal flora and the ferroptosis signaling pathway in renal tissue of rats with sepsis-induced acute kidney injury (AKI).
METHODS:
Thirty male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into sham operation group (Sham group), sepsis model induced by cecal ligation and puncture group (CLP group), and liriodendrin intervention group (CLP+LIR group), with 10 rats in each group. The CLP+LIR group was given 0.2 mL of 100 mg/kg liriodendrin by gavage 2 hours before modeling; Sham group and CLP group were given the same volume of normal saline by gavage. The samples were collected after anesthesia 24 hours after modeling. The pathological changes of renal tissue were observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. The levels of inflammatory factors such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukins (IL-1β, IL-6) were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The levels of renal function indicators such as creatinine (Cr), and urea nitrogen (UREA) in peripheral blood, and the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and Fe2+ in renal tissue were detected. Western blotting was used to detect the expressions of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in renal tissues. The changes of intestinal flora were detected by 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing.
RESULTS:
Compared with the Sham group, the CLP group showed significantly enlarged glomeruli, noticeable renal interstitial edema, disorganized kidney tissue, and significantly increased pathological scores. The contents of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, Cr, and UREA in peripheral blood and the levels of MDA and Fe2+ in renal tissue were significantly increased. The protein expressions of Nrf2, GPX4, and HO-1 in renal tissue were significantly down-regulated. The species richness of intestinal flora decreased significantly, and the relative abundances of pathogenic bacteria such as Morganella, Citrobacter, Proteus, Klebsiella, Shigella, Aggregatibacter, and Enterococcus increased significantly, while the relative abundances of beneficial bacteria such as Butyricimonas, Veillonella, Prevotella, Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Ruminococcus decreased significantly. Compared with the CLP group, CLP+LIR group could significantly reduce the pathological damage of renal tissue, the pathological score significantly decreased (1.80±0.84 vs. 4.20±1.30, P < 0.05), and improve the composition of intestinal flora, reduce the relative abundances of pathogenic bacteria such as Proteus, Klebsiella, Shigella, Aggregatibacter, and Enterococcus, and significantly increase the relative abundances of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Ruminococcus, significantly reduce the contents of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, Cr, and UREA in peripheral blood and the levels of MDA and Fe2+ in renal tissue [blood TNF-α (ng/L): 191.31±7.23 vs. 254.90±47.89, blood IL-1β (ng/L): 11.15±4.04 vs. 23.06±1.67, blood IL-6 (ng/L): 163.20±17.83 vs. 267.69±20.92, blood Cr (μmol/L): 24.14±4.25 vs. 41.17±5.43, blood UREA (mmol/L): 4.59±0.90 vs. 8.01±1.07, renal MDA (μmol/g): 9.67±0.46 vs. 16.05±0.88, renal Fe2+ (mg/g): 0.71±0.07 vs. 0.93±0.04, all P < 0.05], and increase the protein expressions of Nrf2, GPX4, and HO-1 (Nrf2/GAPDH: 1.21±0.01 vs. 0.39±0.01, GPX4/GAPDH: 0.74±0.04 vs. 0.48±0.04, HO-1/GAPDH: 0.91±0.01 vs. 0.41±0.02, all P < 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
Liriodendrin has an obvious protective effect on sepsis-induced AKI. The mechanism may involve regulating the intestinal flora, increasing the activation of the Nrf2/HO-1/GPX4 signaling pathway in renal tissue, and reducing ferroptosis.
Animals
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Acute Kidney Injury/microbiology*
;
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
;
Sepsis/complications*
;
Male
;
Ferroptosis/drug effects*
;
Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects*
;
Rats
;
Signal Transduction
;
Kidney/metabolism*
;
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism*
8.Isolation, identification, and degradation characterization of a polyethylene plastic-degrading bacterial strain.
Yuwei WANG ; Liting ZHANG ; Min XU ; Zhongli CUI ; Hui CAO
Chinese Journal of Biotechnology 2025;41(6):2405-2414
Polyethylene (PE) is widely used due to its excellent properties. However, the improper disposal of PE waste has led to serious environmental pollution. Microbial degradation of PE is a low-carbon, environmentally friendly, and highly efficient method of homogeneous recycling. The use of microbial degradation technology to treat polyethylene waste has become one of the current research hotspots. As a result, employing microbial degradation technology to address polyethylene waste has become a key focus of current research. A PE-degrading strain ETX1 was screened from waste plastics in a landfill by the enrichment culture method. The strain was identified as Lysinibacillus sp.. After incubating PE powder with the strain for 20 days, a weight loss of 29.41% was observed. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) showed that special absorption peaks such as carbonyl and hydroxyl groups appeared, proving that ETX1 had the effect of degrading PE. The degradation effect of this strain was characterized by the weight loss of PE film, FTIR, scanning electron microscopy, and contact angle. The results showed that ETX1 reduced the PE film weight by up to 5.23% within 120 days. The film structure was damaged, with holes formed by erosion on the film surface, and the hydrophilicity was enhanced. Additionally, a stronger carbonyl absorption peak appeared. The discovery of the PE-degrading strain ETX1 not only enriches the resources of PE plastic-degrading strains but also lays a foundation for mining efficient PE-degrading elements, obtaining degrading enzymes, and deciphering related degradation pathways.
Polyethylene/chemistry*
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Biodegradation, Environmental
;
Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
;
Bacillaceae/classification*
;
Plastics/metabolism*
9.A Colorimetric and Electrochemical Dual-Mode Modified Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay Method Based on Calcium Carbonate Nanocubes
Huan-Ming CUI ; Min MAO ; Xun MAO
Chinese Journal of Analytical Chemistry 2025;53(11):1839-1847
In the study,calcium carbonate nanocubes(CCNC)were controllably prepared,and a simple and universal modified enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)method was developed for colorimetric and electrochemical dual-mode detection of lung cancer potential biomarker ferritin.The classic sandwich immunoassay mode was adopted.Monoclonal antibodies were modified on microwell of microplate and CCNC firstly.In the presence of ferritin,the CCNC were well captured on the surface of the microplate through the sandwich immunoreaction mode.Calcium ions released by acid hydrolysis formed a colored complex with the following added chromogenic agent,and the color of the sample solution changed from weak yellow to red.Spectrophotometry could be used for the quantitative detection of ferritin.Under the optimal conditions,the absorbance at 512 nm showed a good linear relationship with the logarithm of concentration of ferritin in the range of 1-250 ng/mL,with detection limit of 0.6 ng/mL,which was comparable that of the traditional ELISA method.In addition,gold nanoparticles(AuNPs)modified electrode-based electrochemical technique was also been introduced into the modified ELISA method.Under the optimized conditions,the linear range for ferritin test was 0.05-100 ng/mL,with an extreme low detection limit of 32 pg/mL(S/N>3).The CCNC probe used here exhibited obvious advantages over the enzyme probes in traditional ELISA technique in terms of stability,simplicity and cost,providing a new type of nanoprobe for ELISA technology.
10.Relationship between serum ABCA1 and FABP4 levels and insulin resistance and pregnancy outcome in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus
Wenting LI ; Zhangxia CUI ; Mei LI ; Min WANG
International Journal of Laboratory Medicine 2025;46(10):1158-1162
Objective To investigate the relationship between serum ATP binding cassette subfamily A member 1(ABCA1)and fatty acid binding protein 4(FABP4)levels and insulin resistance(IR)and pregnan-cy outcome in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus(GDM).Methods A total of 121 patients with GDM admitted to the hospital from October 2019 to October 2023(GDM group)and 65 healthy pregnant women during the same period(control group)were selected,and the patients with GDM were divided into a poor group(50 cases)and a good group(71 cases)according to the pregnancy outcome.Serum ABCA1 and FABP4 levels were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay,and Pearson correlation coefficients were used to analyze the correlation between the two and the IR index(MOMA-IR)assessed by steady state model.With pregnancy outcome in GDM patients as the dependent variable,multivariate Logistic regression was used to determine its influencing factors,and receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the predictive efficacy of serum ABCA1 and FABP4 levels.Results Serum ABCA1 level in the GDM group was lower than those in the control group,and FABP4 level and HOMA-IR were higher than those in the control group(t=12.818,P<0.001,t=17.219,P<0.001,t=17.543,P<0.001).In the GDM patients,HOMA-IR was nega-tively correlated with serum ABCA1 levels and positively correlated with serum FABP4 levels(r=-0.739,t=0.724,both P<0.001).The independent risk factors for adverse pregnancy outcomes in GDM patients were HOMA-IR(OR=1.449,95%CI:1.161-1.810)and FABP4(OR=1.024,95%CI:1.011-1.037),and the independent protective factor was ABCA1(OR=0.302,95%CI:0.163-0.559).The area under the curve of serum ABCA1 combined with FABP4 level to predict pregnancy outcome in GDM patients was 0.877(95%CI:0.805-0.930),which was greater than that of serum ABCA1 and FABP4 levels alone,which were predic-ted by 0.786(95%CI:0.702-0.855),0.787(95%CI:0.703-0.856).Conclusion Reduced serum ABCA1 levels and elevated FABP4 levels are associated with IR and adverse pregnancy outcomes in patients with GDM,and the combination of the two has high predictive efficacy.


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