1.Dual Targeting of TBK1 and JAK-STAT1 Pathways by (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate Suppresses Type I Interferon-driven Inflammation
Liang LI ; Qi-Huan SHENG ; Huan LIU ; Wen-Hao YANG ; Jia-Lin SHI ; Ying-Jie SUN ; Rui JING ; Wei-Hua MAI ; Zhi-Min LI ; Xiao-Li XIE
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(7):1969-1983
ObjectiveType I interferon (IFN-I) signaling is essential for antiviral innate immunity, yet its sustained or excessive activation contributes to the pathogenesis of several autoimmune diseases and interferonopathies, such as systemic lupus erythematosus and Aicardi-Goutières syndrome. Current strategies targeting this pathway, exemplified by JAK inhibitors, act mainly on downstream signal transduction and provide limited direct control over upstream IFN-I production, while also carrying the risk of broad immunosuppression. Phyllanthus emblica L. has long been used in traditional medicine for inflammatory disorders, but the bioactive constituent responsible for its regulation of IFN-I signaling and the underlying molecular mechanism have not been clearly defined. This study aimed to identify the active anti-inflammatory component of P. emblica and to characterize its mechanism of action on the IFN-I pathway in macrophages. MethodsActive components ofP. emblica and their candidate targets were screened by network pharmacology using the TCMSP and DrugBank databases (oral bioavailability≥30%, drug-likeness≥0.18) and intersected with inflammation-related genes retrieved from public databases. The predicted interaction between EGCG and IFN-I pathway proteins (TBK1, IRF3, STAT1) was evaluated by molecular docking, with BX795 and GSK8612 used as reference TBK1 inhibitors. Mechanistic experiments were performed in THP-1-derived macrophages and primary bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM). Upstream signaling was activated by transfection of the nucleic acid analogs poly(I∶C) and poly(dA∶dT) or by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation, whereas downstream signaling was activated by exogenous IFN-β. An siRNA-mediated TREX1 knockdown model was used to mimic endogenous nucleic acid-driven interferonopathy. Expression of IFN-β1 and interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) was measured by RT-qPCR, protein phosphorylation by Western blot, and IFN-β secretion by ELISA. Cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) and drug affinity responsive target stability (DARTS) were used to probe the interactionbetween EGCG and IRF3. ResultsNetwork pharmacology identified (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) as a candidate IFN-I-suppressive constituent of P. emblica, with predicted binding to TBK1, IRF3, and STAT1. Molecular docking yielded binding energies of -9.2, -7.2, and -8.2 kcal/mol for TBK1, IRF3, and STAT1, respectively, indicating an affinity for TBK1 comparable to that of the reference inhibitors BX795 (-5.7 kcal/mol) and GSK8612 (-6.4 kcal/mol). EGCG suppressed IFN-β1 and ISG mRNA expression under poly (I∶C), poly (dA∶dT), and LPS stimulation in both THP-1 macrophages and BMDM. At the protein level, EGCG reduced the phosphorylation of TBK1 and IRF3 without affecting the levels of the upstream sensors cGAS and RIG-I, and lowered IFN-β secretion in a concentration-dependent manner. CETSA and DARTS showed that EGCG did not enhance the thermal stability or protease resistance of IRF3, indicating that its effect on IRF3 is indirect. Following IFN-β stimulation, prolonged EGCG treatment reduced STAT1 phosphorylation in a time-dependent manner without an apparent change in IRF9, and partially attenuated ISG transcription; this effect was not monotonicly concentration-dependent, and CXCL10 showed the most consistent suppression. In TREX1-knockdown cells, the elevated mRNA levels of ISG15, ISG56, and CXCL10 were reduced by EGCG. ConclusionEGCG suppresses IFN-I responses by concurrently inhibiting TBK1-IRF3-dependent IFN‑β production and JAK-STAT1-mediated downstream transcription. These in vitro findings provide a mechanistic basis for the anti-inflammatory use of P. emblica in traditional medicine and identify EGCG as a candidate for further evaluation in interferon-driven autoimmune disease models.
2.ERMAP ameliorates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in MOG-specific TCR transgenic mice
Jie ZHU ; Wenqian SONG ; Kezhu CHEN ; Yuandi LI ; Jie GAO ; Rong HU ; Min SU
Chinese Journal of Immunology 2025;41(6):1344-1349
Objective:To induce an experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis(EAE)model by MOG-specific TCR trans-genic mice(2D2TCR transgenic mice),and to investigate effect of exogenous ERMAP on T cells in spleen of MOG35-55-induced 2D2TCR transgenic mice.Methods:EAE models were established in two groups of 2D2TCR transgenic mice(Control-Ig treatment for control group and ERMAP-Ig fusion protein treatment for experimental group),with 9 mice per group.Severity of spinal cord injury of MOG35-55-induced EAE in mice was assessed based on daily clinical scores(DAI),HE and LFB staining results;autoreactive T cells(CD4+Vα3.2+Vβ11+),T cell proliferation activation indicators CD69(CD4+Vα3.2+Vβ11+CD69+)and Ki67(CD4+Vα3.2+Vβ11+Ki67+),Treg(CD4+Vα3.2+Vβ11+CD25+Foxp3+)and Th17 cells(CD4+Vα3.2+Vβ11+IL-17A+)in spleen were detected by flow cytome-try;IL-17A,IL-6,IFN-γ and TGF-β expressions in spinal cord tissues were detected by qRT-PCR.Results:In MOG35-55-induced 2D2TCR transgenic mouse EAE model,ERMAP-Ig fusion protein treatment group showed milder inflammatory infiltration and demye-lination in spinal cord,decreased proportion of autoreactive T cells,decreased proportion of activated and proliferating T cells,increased proportion of Treg,inhibition of Th17 cell differentiation,less inflammatory cell aggregation and cytokine production,and increased expression of anti-inflammatory factors in spinal cord.Conclusion:ERMAP may be involved in development of EAE in 2D2TCR transgenic mice by inhibiting T cell proliferative activation and promoting Treg cell production.
3.Literature review of one case of follicular lymphoma complicated with iliac bone Cryptococcus neoformans infection
Lulu LUO ; Min SUN ; Wei WANG ; Yanling XU ; Yuexian ZHANG ; Jie MI ; Huaping WANG ; Xiangxiang HU ; Ruiyi ZHANG ; Hongbin LU ; Junmin LI
Chinese Journal of Nosocomiology 2025;35(14):2105-2109
OBJECTIVE To conduct a literature review of one case of follicular lymphoma complicated with iliac bone Cryptococcus neoformans infection so as to raise the understanding of such pathogen in the field of HIV-negative Hodgkin's/non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.METHODS The clinical data were collected from one case of follicular lymphoma patient complicated with C.neoformans infection who was treated in Xinrui Hospital of Xin-wu District,Wuxi City on Feb.24,2023 and retrospectively analyzed.All of relevant literatures regarding to the subject were retrieved in Pubmed,CNKI,Wanfang and VIP databases,and the clinical data of the patients with HIV-negative Hodgkin's/non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with C.neoformans infection were screened out and summa-rized.RESULTS The case was a 28-year-old male and had the underlying disease of follicular lymphoma.The C.neoformans was detected by iliac bone histopathology and metagenome next generation sequencing(mNGS).The condition of the patient improved after the treatment with amphotericin B cholesterol sulphate com-pound and fluconazole.A total of 28 patients,with this case included,were involved in the literature review,23 of whom were male,and 5 were female,and the age ranged between 16 and 79 years old.With respect to major in-fection sites,there were 15(53.57%)cases of cerebral infection,9(32.14%)cases of blood infections,7(25.00%)cases of pulmonary infection,4(14.285%)cases of skin infections,2(7.14%)cases of muscle tis-sue infections,2(7.14%)cases of pleural effusion infections,2(7.14%)cases of bone infections and 1(3.57%)case of bone marrow infection.Totally 11 patients had disseminated Cryptococcus infection,accounting for 39.28%.CONCLUSIONS The C.neoformans infection is seldom detected in the patients with HIV-negative Hodgkin's/non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.The brain is the major infection site with the high probability of dissemina-ted infection.It is necessary for the hospital to deepen the understanding of the pathogen in the field of HIV-negative Hodgkin's/non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
4.Mycobacterium tuberculosis Rv3641c inhibits macrophage type Ⅰ interferon responses and promotes intracellular survival in macrophages
Wen JIN ; Min GENG ; Su-jie HU ; Xin-yang ZHANG ; Wen-qin LI ; Cheng-kun ZHENG ; Xin-an JIAO ; Xiang CHEN ; Zheng-zhong XU
Chinese Journal of Zoonoses 2025;41(4):385-391
This study was aimed at investigating the immunoregulatory function of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Rv3641c gene in modulating host type Ⅰ interferon responses.The shuttle plasmid pMV261 was used to construct Rv3641c overexpression recombinant Mycobacterium smegmatis,and the biological characteristics of the recombinant bacteria were analyzed to explore the effect of Rv3641c on the growth curve,colony morphology and stress resistance of Mycobacterium.Subsequently,RAW264.7 cells were infected with Rv3641c overexpressing Mycobacterium smegmatis,and the transcriptional expression of genes related to the inhibition of type I inter-feron pathway was determined by RT-PCR.The expression level of IFN-βprotein was determined by ELISA,and the intracellular sur-vival level was determined.As a result,the recombinant rMS::pMV261-Rv3641c was successfully constructed.The results of biologi-cal characteristics analysis showed that Rv3641c did not affect the growth of mycobacteria,but significantly changed the colony mor-phology of mycobacteria and improved its resistance to H2O2.The results of recombinant bacteria infection experiments showed that Rv3641c significantly down-regulated the transcription levels of IFN-α,IFN-βand downstream ISGs genes CXCL10,IFIT2 and IL-1β in host cells,and Rv3641c significantly down-regulated the transcription levels of IFN-α,IFN-βand downstream ISGs genes CXCL10,IFIT2 and IL-1βin host cells.The results of intracellular colonization experiments showed that the intracellular mycobacte-ria in the overexpression recombinant bacteria infection group were significantly higher than those in the empty vector group,indicat-ing that Rv3641c could promote the intracellular surviv al of mycobacteria.In summary,the Rv3641c gene of M.tuberculosis can inhibit the host type I interferon response and promote the intracellular survival of M.tuberculosis,which provides a new idea for further explor-ing the immune escape function of M.tuberculosis and the discovery of new targets for anti-tuberculosis drugs.
5.Discussion on the Treatment of Tumor-related Insomnia from"Heat Toxicity"
Chongyang QU ; Yinghua LI ; Shuzhen DUAN ; Rong MA ; Chunfang TIAN ; Min LIU ; Yuanyuan GUO ; Hongzhen YIN ; Shaobo HU ; Jie LI
Chinese Journal of Information on Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;32(7):172-175
Tumor-related insomnia is one of the common complications of tumor patients,which is secondary to tumor disease and related to tumor disease itself or tumor treatment.Combined with the unique pathogenesis of"heat-toxicity internal stagnation"of tumor-related insomnia,the important treatment methods are to clear away heat,attack toxicity,regulate qi and supplement healthy qi.This article explained the research status,etiology and pathogenesis,treatment principles of the disease,in order to provide new ideas and methods for the differentiation and treatment of tumor-related insomnia in TCM.
6.Whole genome sequencing and analysis of multidrug resistant ST314 Salmonella Kentucky from a broiler slaughterhouse
Jia-rui LI ; Rui-yuan SUN ; Pei-jie HE ; Hao-tian LIU ; Ru-yi KUANG ; Jing XIA ; Min CUI ; Yong HUANG ; Li-kou ZOU ; Xin-feng HAN
Chinese Journal of Zoonoses 2025;41(5):537-543
This study investigated the potential pathogenicity and genetic characteristics of ST314 Salmonella Kentucky(S.Ken-tucky)isolates from a broiler slaughterhouse.Antimicrobial susceptibility testing and whole-genome sequencing(WGS)were used to determine antimicrobial resistance,virulence factors,and the presence of antimicrobial resistance genes(ARGs)and mobile genetic elements(MGEs)among the isolates.The three multidrug resistant(MDR)isolates exhibited high resistance to multiple antimicrobial agents.The F4-2S strain exhibited resistance to 14 drugs across seven categories,whereas the F4T strain showed resistance to 13 drugs in the same number of categories.In contrast,the Y23 strain was resistant to nine drugs in six categories.Notably,F4-2S dem-onstrated high homology with F4T:both possessed 13 ARGs distributed across nine categories,in addition to a wide range of virulence factors,including secretion systems and effector proteins.The presence of IncR and IncX1 plasmids significantly enhanced both the antimicrobial resistance and pathogenicity of the isolates.The genome map of Y23 revealed a chromosome alongside two plasmids.The chromosome containedonly one resistance gene but several virulence factors,including the type III secretion system(T3SS),which is crucial for bacterial invasion.The plasmid pY23-1 contained eight types of 19 ARGs.Comparative analysis indicated that pY23-1 ex-hibited high homology with pZ1323SSL0055 and pSAL-045,all of which contained multiple ARGs,thus suggesting critical roles of these genes in the evolution of bacterial resistance.In conclusion,ST314 S.Kentucky demonstrated a complex mechanism of resis-tance coupled with significant pathogenic potential.The ARGs and MGEs in the plasmid contributed to the emergence and dissemina-tion of antimicrobial resistance.The multiple virulence factors present in the chromosome may be key factors driving the increasing virulence of ST314 S.Kentucky.
7.Research progress on protective effect of cannabidiol on central nervous system diseases
Pan-pan LI ; Bao-qi WANG ; Xiao-ming SHEN ; Jie ZHANG ; Yu-min XU
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2025;41(10):1818-1822
Cannabidiol(CBD),a natural,non-toxic,non-psy-choactive cannabinoid extracted from Cannabis sativa L,has a wide range of pharmacological activities,including anti-inflam-matory,antioxidant,immunomodulatory,analgesic,anti-tumor,anti-convulsant,anxiolytic effects.Recent studies have indica-ted that CBD may have potential neuroprotective effects in vari-ous models of central nervous system diseases.This paper re-views the experimental research progress of CBD in central nerv-ous system diseases and its possible neuroprotective mecha-nisms,aiming to provide references for its clinical application and new drug development.
8.Mechanism of transcription factor FoxO1 on ferroptosis in renal ischemia-reperfusion injury
Min DENG ; Xue YANG ; Yao HE ; He-jie ZHU ; Lu TIE ; Lin-lin LI
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2025;41(10):1884-1892
Aim To investigate the effects of tran-scription factor FoxO1 on acute kidney injury(AKI)induced by ischemic reperfusion injury(IRI)and to explore the underlying mechanisms.Methods Male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into four groups:Sham,IRI,FoxO1 inducible cell-specific knockout(FoxO1 icKO),and IRI+FoxO1 icKO.Tamoxifen(25 mg·kg-1)was intraperitoneally injec-ted to specifically knock out FoxO1 in mouse macro-phages,and a unilateral renal IRI model was estab-lished.The levels of serum creatinine(Scr),blood u-rea nitrogen(BUN),Fe2+,malondialdehyde(MDA),reactive oxygen species(ROS),and reduced glutathi-one(GSH)in renal tissues were detected.Hematoxy-lin-eosin(HE)staining was used to observe the patho-logical changes in renal tissues.Quantitative polymer-ase chain reaction(qPCR)was used to detect the mR-NA levels of inflammatory factors such as IL-1β and MCP1 in renal tissues.Western blot was used to detect the expression levels of apoptosis and ferroptosis-relat-ed proteins.Results Compared with the control group,the levels of Scr and BUN in the IRI group were significantly upregulated,the infiltration of inflammato-ry factors IL-1β,TNF-α and MCP1 increased,the pro-tein expressions of Bax/Bc12,cleaved-caspase-3/caspase-3,cytochrome C,and FTH1 in renal tissues were significantly enhanced,while the expression of GPX4 decreased.In addition,the levels of Fe2+,MDA and ROS in the renal cortex of the IRI group signifi-cantly increased,and the level of GSH markedly de-creased(P<0.05).Compared with the IRI group,the levels of Scr and BUN in the FoxO1 icKO group were significantly reduced,the infiltration of inflammatory factors was alleviated,the expression of apoptosis-relat-ed proteins in renal tissue decreased,the expression level of ferroptosis protein GPX4 increased,and the ex-pression of FTH1 decreased.The levels of Fe2+,MDA and ROS in the renal cortex decreased,and the level of GSH significantly increased(P<0.05).Conclusion Inducing the specific knockout of FoxO1 in macro-phages can alleviate AKI induced by IRI,and its mech-anism may be related to the inhibition of ferroptosis caused by IRI by FoxO1.
9.Development and validation of a prognostic model for predicting the persistence of prostate-specific antigen after radical prostatectomy
Xianqi SHEN ; Wenhui ZHANG ; Jin JI ; Yan WANG ; Min QU ; Zhenyang DONG ; Jialun LI ; Zenghui ZHOU ; Jie WANG ; Xu GAO
Chinese Journal of Urology 2025;46(1):37-43
Objective:To investigate the factors influencing the persistence of prostate specific antigen(PSA) following radical prostatectomy, and to develop and validate a predictive model for PSA persistence.Methods:Clinical data from 1 828 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy at Shanghai Changhai Hospital between January 2015 and December 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Of these, 1 295 patients from January 2015 to April 2021 comprised the modeling group, while 533 patients from May 2021 to December 2023 formed the validation group. Additionally, 109 patients who underwent radical surgery at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University between March and December 2023 were included as an external validation group. Patients with incomplete clinical information, serum PSA levels exceeding 100 ng/ml, or those who received preoperative neoadjuvant therapy were excluded. Ultimately, 1 003, 369, and 86 patients were included in the modeling, validation, and external validation groups, respectively. The modeling group had serum PSA of 19.29 (8.43, 23.73) ng/ml; the clinical stages were distributed as T 1, T 2, T 3, and T 4 in 191, 673, 123, and 16 patients, respectively; the primary Gleason scores of biopsy were 3, 4, and 5 in 460, 466, and 77 patients, respectively; and the secondary Gleason scores were 3, 4, and 5 in 363, 486, and 154 patients, respectively. The validation group had serum PSA of 12.80 (6.82, 14.40) ng/ml; the clinical stages were distributed as T 1, T 2, T 3, and T 4 in 40, 289, 37, and 3 patients, respectively; the primary Gleason scores of biopsy were 3, 4, and 5 in 218, 145, and 6 patients, respectively; and the secondary Gleason scores were 3, 4, and 5 in 140, 184, and 45 patients, respectively. The external validation group had serum PSA of 12.84 (7.11, 12.97) ng/ml; the clinical stages were distributed as T 1, T 2 and T 3 in 9, 68, and 9 patients, respectively; the primary Gleason scores of biopsy were 3, 4, and 5 in 58, 27, and 1 patient, respectively; and the secondary Gleason scores were 3, 4, and 5 in 28, 50, and 8 patients, respectively. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent risk factors for PSA persistence after radical prostatectomy in the modeling group and a prediction model was constructed. The predictive performance of the model was analyzed using the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve, the calibration curve, and the clinical decision curve. The predictive performance of the model was verified by the ROC curve in the validation group and the external validation group. Results:The incidence of persistent PSA after surgery in the modeling group, validation group, and external validation group was 8.97% (90/1 003), 7.32% (27/369), and 17.4% (15/86), respectively. In the modeling group, univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that serum PSA, percentage of positive needle cores, primary Gleason score on biopsy, and secondary Gleason score on biopsy were independent risk factors for PSA persistence ( P<0.05), and a prediction model was constructed based on these factors. The AUC value of this model was 0.790 (95% CI 0.745-0.835). Calibration curve and clinical decision curve analyses showed that the model's predicted probabilities aligned well with actual risks within the 0-40% prediction interval, providing clinical benefit. The AUC values of the ROC curves in the validation group and external validation group were 0.808 (95% CI 0.719-0.897) and 0.822 (95% CI 0.714-0.929), respectively, indicating that the model had good predictive performance. Conclusions:The predictive model for PSA persistence, constructed based on serum PSA, percentage of positive needle cores, primary and secondary Gleason score on biopsy, demonstrated good clinical predictive performance, exhibiting high accuracy in both internal and cross-center validation.
10.Effects of key molecules in m6A methylation modification on the replication and proliferation of Japanese encephalitis virus
Zhi-rong CHENG ; Min YAO ; Xue-yun LI ; Chao-jie CHAI ; Pin-xiang DANG ; Si-yu WANG ; Fang-lin ZHANG ; Xin LYU
Chinese Journal of Zoonoses 2025;41(2):150-157
This study was aimed at investigating the effects of demethylase fat mass and obesity-associated protein(FTO)and methyltransferase methyltransferase like protein 3(METTL3),key molecules in N6-methyladenosine(m6A)modification,on the replication and proliferation of Japanese encephalitis virus(JEV).Recombinant lentiviruses were generated by packaging the FTO and green fluorescent protein into lentiviral vectors.Neuro2a cells,a mouse neuroblastoma cell line,were infected with the lentivirus,and stable FTO-expressing cell lines were obtained through puromycin selection.Successful overexpression of FTO was confirmed through fluorescence microscopy,real-time quantitative PCR,and western blot analysis.When Neuro2a cells overexpressing FTO were infected with JEV,the overexpression of FTO decreased JEV replication in the cells,and increased the expression of interferon(IFN)and related molecules.Additionally,treatment of JEV-infected Neuro2a cells with the METTL3-specific inhibitor STM2457 resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in JEV replication and viral protein expression.These findings suggested that lowering m6A methylation levels inhibits JEV replication,thus shedding light on the regulatory role of methylation modification in JEV replication.

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