1.The SMAD-Pathway Mediates HMGB1-Induced Proliferation and Metastatic Progression in Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells
De-De LIAN ; Xue Mei LI ; Yu-Xi JIA ; Ming-Wei ZHOU ; Xiang-Ru CHEN ; Yang-Yang TIAN ; Min LI ; Ming-Hui SUN ; Ye ZHAO ; Hong-Jun LI ; Qing-Ling ZHANG
Annals of Dermatology 2026;38(1):51-58
Background:
High-mobility group box protein 1 (HMGB1) is a chromatin-binding protein involved in arthritis, ischemia, sepsis, atherosclerosis, neurodegenerative disorders, meningitis, and cancer. HMGB1 exhibits dual roles in cancer, acting as either a tumor suppressor or oncoprotein depending on context.
Objective:
This research aimed to elucidate HMGB1’s functional significance in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC).
Methods:
We overexpressed HMGB1 in cSCC cell lines using recombinant adenovirus and examined its effects on cell proliferation, colony formation, and cell migration.
Results:
Immunohistochemical analysis revealed elevated HMGB1 expression levels in cSCC tissue relative to normal epidermis. To assess the influence of HMGB1, we employed recombinant adenoviruses expressing HMGB1 to transduce SCC cell lines (SCC12 and SCC13). Enhanced HMGB1 expression significantly promoted cellular proliferation and colony formation capacity.Notably, HMGB1 overexpression elevated the levels of proliferation regulators, including P63, SOX2, CDK4 and CDK6. Furthermore, HMGB1 overexpression substantially enhanced tumor invasiveness, accompanied by upregulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) biomarkers. Mechanistically, overexpression of HMGB1 enhanced transforming growth factor-β signaling by increasing phosphorylation of SMAD2/3, the key mediators of EMT.
Conclusion
These data imply that HMGB1 acts as a tumor-promoting factor in cSCC.
2.Technique and Application of Deep Learning-based EEG Denoising
Bao-Lian SHAN ; Hai-Qing YU ; Yong-Zhi HUANG ; Jia-Yuan MENG ; Min-Peng XU ; Tzyy-Ping JUNG ; Dong MING
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(8):2147-2160
Electroencephalography (EEG) is a non-invasive neurophysiological monitoring technique. It records the electrical activity of the cerebral cortex using electrodes placed on the scalp surface. Owing to its high safety, portability, and millisecond-level temporal resolution, EEG has been widely utilized in a variety of fields, including clinical diagnosis, brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), and cognitive neuroscience research. However, due to its microvolt-level amplitude, EEG is highly susceptible to various artifacts, including electrooculographic (EOG), electrocardiographic (ECG), electromyographic (EMG), and power line interference (PLI). These artifacts can obscure genuine neural activity and introduce spurious electrophysiological features. Consequently, they may compromise EEG signal quality, thereby reducing the reliability of downstream analyses. To address this issue, numerous EEG artifact removal methods have been developed, including both traditional denoising techniques and deep learning-based approaches. Traditional EEG denoising methods have long served as the primary solutions for artifact removal. Representative approaches include filtering, regression, and blind source separation. Although these methods have demonstrated effectiveness in specific scenarios, they suffer from several inherent limitations. Filtering assumes that artifacts and EEG signals can be separated in the frequency domain, but many artifacts, such as EOG and EMG, overlap with EEG spectra, which may lead to the loss of valuable neural information. Regression methods require high-quality artifact references to estimate and subtract contaminations, limiting their effectiveness in reference-free scenarios. Blind source separation can remove artifacts without external references, but it typically requires the number of EEG channels to exceed the number of sources, restricting its application in single- or low-channel EEG recordings. Deep learning-based EEG denoising methods address these limitations effectively. First, they learn the nonlinear mapping between contaminated and clean EEG directly from data in an end-to-end manner. This approach does not rely on assumptions about spectral separability, thereby preserving neural activity more completely. Second, the reference information is incorporated during the training phase, allowing the trained model to perform artifact removal independently without external references. Third, deep learning models can be flexibly designed to accommodate various recording setups, achieving robust denoising for both high-density and single-channel EEG. Collectively, these advantages enable deep learning-based methods to overcome the main challenges of traditional approaches, providing more accurate and reliable EEG signal recovery. The superior denoising performance of deep learning-based EEG denoising methods has attracted increasing attention in EEG artifact removal research. As a result, many deep learning-based denoising methods have been developed and successfully applied in neural engineering areas. However, a systematic review of the techniques and applications in this field is still lacking. To address this gap, this paper reviews recent advances in deep learning-based EEG denoising from four perspectives: technical principle, benchmark dataset, denoising model, and evaluation method. Representative applications in neural signal analysis and BCI decoding are also summarized. Furthermore, the advantage, existing challenge, and future research direction of deep learning-based EEG denoising are discussed. This review aims to provide valuable theoretical insights and technical guidance for researchers. It is also expected to promote further advances and broader applications of deep learning-based EEG denoising techniques.
3.Enhancement of Ca2+ Signal Strength in Astrocytes in the Lateral Septum Improves Cognitive Disorders in Mice After Hemorrhagic Shock and Resuscitation.
Wen-Guang LI ; Lan-Xin LI ; Rong-Xin SONG ; Xu-Peng WANG ; Shi-Yan JIA ; Xiao-Yi MA ; Jing-Yu ZHANG ; Gang-Feng YIN ; Xiao-Ming LI ; Li-Min ZHANG
Neuroscience Bulletin 2025;41(8):1403-1417
Hemorrhagic shock is a common clinical emergency that can aggravate cell injury after resuscitation. Astrocytes are crucial for the survival of neurons because they regulate the surrounding ionic microenvironment of neurons. Although hemorrhagic shock and resuscitation (HSR) injury can impair cognition, it remains unclear how this insult directly affects astrocytes. In this study, we established an HSR model by bleeding and re-transfusion in mice. The social interaction test and new object recognition test were applied to evaluate post-operative cognitive changes, and the results suggest that mice experience cognitive impairment following exposure to HSR. In the HSR group, the power spectral density of β and γ oscillations decreased, and the coupling of the θ oscillation phase and γ oscillation amplitude was abnormal, which indicated abnormal neuronal oscillation and cognitive impairment after HSR exposure. In brief, cognitive impairment in mice is strongly correlated with Ca2+ signal strength in lateral septum astrocytes following HSR.
Animals
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Astrocytes/metabolism*
;
Shock, Hemorrhagic/metabolism*
;
Resuscitation/adverse effects*
;
Male
;
Mice
;
Calcium Signaling/physiology*
;
Mice, Inbred C57BL
;
Septal Nuclei/metabolism*
;
Cognitive Dysfunction/etiology*
;
Disease Models, Animal
;
Cognition Disorders/etiology*
4.The Impacts of Climate Change on the Environment and Human Health in China: A Call for more Ambitious Action.
Shi Lu TONG ; Yu WANG ; Yong Long LU ; Cun de XIAO ; Qi Yong LIU ; Qi ZHAO ; Cun Rui HUANG ; Jia Yu XU ; Ning KANG ; Tong ZHU ; Dahe QIN ; Ying XU ; Buda SU ; Xiao Ming SHI
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2025;38(2):127-143
As global greenhouse gases continue rising, the urgency of more ambitious action is clearer than ever before. China is the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases and one of the countries affected most by climate change. The evidence about the impacts of climate change on the environment and human health may encourage China to take more decisive action to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate impacts. This article aimed to review the evidence of environmental damages and health risks posed by climate change and to provide a new science-based perspective for the delivery of sustainable development goals. Over recent decades, China has experienced a strong warming pattern with a growing frequency of extreme weather events, and the impacts of climate change on China's environment and human health have been consistently observed, with increasing O 3 air pollution, decreases in water resources and availability, land degradation, and increased risks for both communicable and non-communicable diseases. Therefore, China's climate policy should target the key factors driving climate change and scale up strategic measures to curb carbon emissions and adapt to inevitable increasing climate impacts. It provides new insights for not only China but also other countries, particularly developing and emerging economies, to ensure climate and environmental sustainability whilst pursuing economic growth.
Climate Change
;
China
;
Humans
;
Greenhouse Gases
;
Air Pollution
;
Sustainable Development
;
Environment
5.Hepatolenticular Degeneration With Primary Liver Cancer:Report of One Case and Review of the Literature.
Hui WANG ; Jia-Lin DU ; Qing-Ya YANG ; Dian-Dian HAO ; Ming-Yuan ZHANG ; Xiao-Yu WEN
Acta Academiae Medicinae Sinicae 2025;47(2):319-324
Hepatolenticular degeneration is a rare disease,and the number of cases of primary liver cancer occurring on the basis of liver cirrhosis caused by hepatolenticular degeneration is very small.This paper reports a case of hepatolenticular degeneration with primary liver cancer,and then reviews and summarizes current cases of this disease both domestically and internationally.
Humans
;
Hepatolenticular Degeneration/complications*
;
Liver Neoplasms/complications*
6.miR-142a-3p Reduces Autophagy in TCMK-1 Cells and Enhances Pyroptosis by Targeting ATG16L1
Xing ZHAO ; Fei YU ; Rui-Yang YUAN ; Ya-Ru YANG ; Jia-Yan LIU ; Hai-Mai DING ; Xue-Ming ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2025;41(7):1031-1039
The incidence rate of kidney diseases in China has always remained high.At present,the clinical treat-ment mainly focuses on symptomatic treatment to delay the progression of the disease,and there is a lack of eco-nomical and effective treatment methods.MicroRNA plays an important regulatory role in the occurrence and devel-opment of diseases.This study aims to explore the role and regulatory mechanism of miR-142a-3p in adriamycin(ADR)-induced renal tubular epithelial cell(TCMK-1)injury,with a focus on its potential as a therapeutic target for ADR nephropathy.First,cell viability was assessed using the CCK-8 kit,and a mouse renal tubular epithelial cell model induced by ADR was established.Subsequently,alterations in miR-142a-3p and its target gene ATG16L1 mRNA levels were quantified using RT-qPCR.Western blotting was used to detect the protein levels of autophagy marker proteins and pyroptosis marker proteins.Monodansylcadaverin(MDC)staining was performed and the autophagy of cells was detected by flow cytometry.The results showed that the relative expression of miR-142a-3p in TCMK-1 cells induced by ADR was increased and the relative expression of its target gene ATG16L1 was decreased(P<0.0001).Western blotting results showed that the levels of p62(P<0.001)and pyroptosis-related proteins(P<0.001)were increased,while the protein levels of autophagy-related proteins were decreased(P<0.05).The flow cytometry results showed that there was no difference in the mean fluorescence intensity of autoph-agosomes between the ADR group and the autophagosome inhibitor group(3-MA group)(P>0.05),indicating that after ADR induction,cell autophagy was inhibited and pyroptosis was enhanced.When the expression of miR-142a-3p was inhibited by transfecting miR-142a-3p inhibitor,the relative expression level of the target gene ATG16L1 was restored(P<0.001).Western blotting showed that the protein level of p62(P<0.01)and pyropto-sis-related proteins(P<0.01)were decreased,and the protein level of autophagy-related proteins was restored(P<0.001).Flow cytometry results further indicated that cell autophagy was restored(P<0.0001).In conclusion,ADR targets A TG1 6L1 through miR-142a-3p to reduce the autophagy level of TCMK-1,and simultaneously activates GSDMD-mediated pyroptosis.
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.Differences in Gut Microbiota between IBS-C and FC Patients and Their Correlation with Psychological Status
Jia WU ; Xin HUANG ; Juan XIE ; Quan-ming AN ; Yu-feng GUO
Progress in Modern Biomedicine 2025;25(19):3062-3069
Objective:To analyze intestinal microecological differences and their correlation with psychological status in patients with constipated irritable bowel syndrome(IBS-C)and functional constipation(FC).Methods:A total of 160 patients with IBS-C and FC attending the outpatient and inpatient departments of the Department of Gastroenterology at the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University from January 2021 to January 2024 were selected and grouped according to the type of disease into the IBS-C group(80 patients)and the FC group(80 patients),and 80 patients who had a health checkup during the same period were selected as the control group.Fresh fecal specimens were taken from all subjects,and 16S rRNA sequencing was used to detect the intestinal flora,and the indices of intestinal microecological diversity(Ace index,Chao index,Shannon index,and Sobs index)were detected,and the psychological state of the subjects was assessed by using the Self-Assessment Scale for Anxiety(SAS)and the Self-Depression Scale(SDS).Pearson's correlation method was used to analyze the correlation between intestinal microecology and correlation with psychological state in IBS-C and FC patients.Result:Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus levels were lower in both the FC and IBS-C groups compared with the control group,and the decrease was more pronounced in the IBS-C group(P<0.05).Enterobacteriaceae and Enterococci contents were higher in patients in the FC and IBS-C groups(P<0.05),with the greatest increase in the IBS-C group(P<0.05);Microbial diversity analysis showed that there were differences in Ace,Chao,Shannon and Sobs indices among the three groups(P<0.05).All diversity indices were lower in the FC and IBS-C groups than in the control group,and the degree of reduction was more pronounced in the IBS-C group than in the FC group(P<0.05);The SAS and SDS scores of both FC and IBS-C groups were higher than those of the control group,and the scores of the IBS-C group were higher than those of the FC group(P<0.05);correlation analysis showed that,in the IBS-C and FC groups,Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus,Ace index,Chao index,Shannon index,and Sobs index were negatively correlated with SAS and SDS scores.Enterobacteriaceae and Enterococci were positively correlated with SAS and SDS scores(P<0.05).Conclusion:There are possible differences in the gut microbiota between IBS-C and FC patients.The imbalance of gut microbiota is more significant in IBS-C patients,and gut microbiota is closely related to psychological status.Clinical treatment of IBS-C and FC should pay attention to the regulation of gut microbiota and intervention of psychological status.
9.Efficacy and safety of stem cell therapy for erectile dysfunction:A systematic review and Meta-analysis
Ming-hui HUANG ; Jia-yu ZHAO ; Xue-jun SHANG ; Yong-jun LIU
National Journal of Andrology 2025;31(6):535-546
Objective:To assess the safety,efficacy and potential impact of stem cell therapy(SCT)in improving erectile dys-function(ED).Methods:A comprehensive search strategy was used to search the literatures on safety and efficacy evaluation of stem cell(SC)in the treatment of ED by human clinical trials from PubMed,Embase and Web of science databases with a search time frame from database creation to July 4,2024.The exclusion criteria were as follows:reviews,conference abstracts,animal experi-ments,and duplicate sample literature.Results:The study initially screened 1 773 papers,and 17 were included in the final analy-sis.These studies involved a total of 269 ED patients,and a variety of sources of stem cells had been used in the treatment of ED,in-cluding adipose-derived stem cells,bone marrow-derived stem cells,placental stroma-derived stem cells,umbilical cord-derived stem cells,dental pulp-derived stem cells,and oral mucosa-derived stem cells.All studies were conducted by injecting stem cells into the cavernous body of the penis,but there is no fixed standard for the amount of injection,injection site and number of injections.The op-timal treatment mode was still being explored.Patients' International Index of Erectile Function(IIEF)scores and Erection Hardness Score(EHS),peak systolic velocity(PSV),and end diastolic velocity(EDV)improved after treatment.But some studies showed that the efficacy of the treatment diminished with increasing time.No serious adverse effects were reported in any of the studies and none of the adverse effects persisted for a long period of time.The most common adverse effects included injection site reactions,and SCT showed a good safety and tolerability profile.Conclusion:SCT has the potential to be a promising and innovative regenerative therapy option for ED patients.In the future,with the advancement of stem cell technology,larger randomized controlled studies should continue to be conducted to explore standardized treatments,so as to further evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of SCT for ED.
10.miR-142a-3p Reduces Autophagy in TCMK-1 Cells and Enhances Pyroptosis by Targeting ATG16L1
Xing ZHAO ; Fei YU ; Rui-Yang YUAN ; Ya-Ru YANG ; Jia-Yan LIU ; Hai-Mai DING ; Xue-Ming ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2025;41(7):1031-1039
The incidence rate of kidney diseases in China has always remained high.At present,the clinical treat-ment mainly focuses on symptomatic treatment to delay the progression of the disease,and there is a lack of eco-nomical and effective treatment methods.MicroRNA plays an important regulatory role in the occurrence and devel-opment of diseases.This study aims to explore the role and regulatory mechanism of miR-142a-3p in adriamycin(ADR)-induced renal tubular epithelial cell(TCMK-1)injury,with a focus on its potential as a therapeutic target for ADR nephropathy.First,cell viability was assessed using the CCK-8 kit,and a mouse renal tubular epithelial cell model induced by ADR was established.Subsequently,alterations in miR-142a-3p and its target gene ATG16L1 mRNA levels were quantified using RT-qPCR.Western blotting was used to detect the protein levels of autophagy marker proteins and pyroptosis marker proteins.Monodansylcadaverin(MDC)staining was performed and the autophagy of cells was detected by flow cytometry.The results showed that the relative expression of miR-142a-3p in TCMK-1 cells induced by ADR was increased and the relative expression of its target gene ATG16L1 was decreased(P<0.0001).Western blotting results showed that the levels of p62(P<0.001)and pyroptosis-related proteins(P<0.001)were increased,while the protein levels of autophagy-related proteins were decreased(P<0.05).The flow cytometry results showed that there was no difference in the mean fluorescence intensity of autoph-agosomes between the ADR group and the autophagosome inhibitor group(3-MA group)(P>0.05),indicating that after ADR induction,cell autophagy was inhibited and pyroptosis was enhanced.When the expression of miR-142a-3p was inhibited by transfecting miR-142a-3p inhibitor,the relative expression level of the target gene ATG16L1 was restored(P<0.001).Western blotting showed that the protein level of p62(P<0.01)and pyropto-sis-related proteins(P<0.01)were decreased,and the protein level of autophagy-related proteins was restored(P<0.001).Flow cytometry results further indicated that cell autophagy was restored(P<0.0001).In conclusion,ADR targets A TG1 6L1 through miR-142a-3p to reduce the autophagy level of TCMK-1,and simultaneously activates GSDMD-mediated pyroptosis.

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