1.Cloning and Functional Characterization of O-Methyltransferase Gene in Carthamus tinctorius
Yongming HUANG ; Yaping LI ; Ping SU ; Meng XIA
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(9):217-223
ObjectiveTo comprehensively identify the O-methyltransferase (OMT) genes in Carthamus tinctorius and explore the key OMTs that can catalyze the methylation of flavonoids, providing a basis for understanding the molecular formation mechanism of the structural diversity of flavonoids in C. tinctorius. MethodsThe hidden Markov model was used to systematically identify the type Ⅰ OMTs from the high-quality genome data of C. tinctorius. A suite of bioinformatics tools was employed to systematically analyze the physicochemical properties, gene structure, conserved motifs, chromosomal localization, gene replication events, and collinearity of the identified genes. The target gene was heterologously expressed through the prokaryotic expression system of E. coli, and the protein function was verified by in vitro enzymatic reactions. ResultsA total of 31 type Ⅰ OMTs were identified. CtFOMT1 was successfully cloned and expressed in a soluble form in Escherichia coli. The recombinant protein was purified via Ni2+ affinity chromatography to obtain a high-concentration preparation. In vitro enzymatic assays demonstrated that CtFOMT1 utilized S-adenosylmethionine as the methyl donor to catalyze the methylation of the 4′-OH of naringenin, resulting in the production of isosakuranetin. A similar process occurred with the 4′-OH of luteolin, leading to the formation of diosmetin. Subsequent methylation of the 3′-OH group of diosmetin generated 4′-methylchrysoeriol. ConclusionCtFOMT1 can catalyze the methylation of 4′-/3′-OH in the flavonoid skeleton. It is hypothesized that CtFOMT1 may play a role in the biosynthesis of various 4′-/3′-oxymethyl flavonoids in C. tinctorius.
2.Research on the diagnostic value of coagulation parameters and proteinuria in preeclampsia and its severity
Xiaoqian FENG ; Ping DI ; Ruibing LI ; Mianyang LI
Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2026;61(2):309-313
ObjectiveTo investigate the diagnostic value of coagulation function indicators and proteinuria in preeclampsia and its severity assessment. MethodsA total of 239 pregnant women who visited from January 2022 to December 2023 were selected as research subjects. They were divided into healthy control group (n=50), non-gestational hypertension group (n=39), and gestational hypertension group (n=150) based on clinical diagnosis. The gestational hypertension group was further subdivided into three subgroups: simple hypertension group (n=50), mild preeclampsia group (n=50), and severe preeclampsia group (n=50). The study compared differences in plasma protein S (PS), plasma protein C (PC), fibrin degradation products (FDP), fibrin monomer (FM), and proteinuria levels among different groups. The correlation between proteinuria and coagulation function indicators in patients with gestational hypertension was analyzed, and ROC curves were used to analyze the diagnostic efficacy of coagulation indicators and proteinuria for gestational hypertension and different stages of preeclampsia. ResultsThe gestational hypertension group showed lower PS and PC values compared to the non-gestational hypertension group and healthy control group, while FDP, FM values, and proteinuria levels were higher than those in the non-gestational hypertension group and healthy control group (P<0.05). Significant differences in coagulation indicators and proteinuria levels were observed among pregnant women with different degrees of gestational hypertension (P<0.05). The AUC values for diagnosing gestational hypertension using PS, PC,FDP, FM, and proteinuria were 0.928, 0.957, 0.968, 0.948, and 0.932 respectively (P<0.000 1). For diagnosing simple hypertension and mild preeclampsia, the AUC values were 0.875, 0.777, 0.830, 0.679, and 0.936 respectively (P<0.01). For diagnosing mild and severe preeclampsia, the AUC values were 0.901, 0.776, 0.780, 0.807, and 0.848 respectively (P<0.000 1). ConclusionCoagulation function indicators and proteinuria show significant differences between healthy pregnant women and those with gestational hypertension. PS, PC, FDP, FM, and proteinuria levels vary among pregnant women with different stages of preeclampsia. The aforementioned indicators exhibit certain diagnostic efficacy for gestational hypertension and preeclampsia.
3.Lysosomes as Regulators of Cancer Stemness and Drug Resistance
Fa-Xiao ZHOU ; Di-Ping YU ; Si-Qi TAN ; Hong-Yu DUAN ; Xiao-Ming WU
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(4):951-967
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) represent a distinct subpopulation of cells characterized by self-renewal capacity, differentiation potential, and critical roles in driving tumor progression, therapeutic resistance, recurrence, and maintenance of the tumor microenvironment. Targeting CSCs has emerged as a pivotal direction in cancer research, offering novel strategies to overcome drug resistance and prevent metastasis and relapse. Lysosomes, traditionally recognized as central organelles for intracellular degradation and recycling, are indispensable for cellular homeostasis. Dysregulation of lysosomal function is intimately linked to various diseases, including cancer. In tumors, aberrant lysosomal activity can promote malignant progression through mechanisms such as altering metabolic pathways, enhancing lysosomal exocytosis, modulating drug resistance, and interfering with autophagy-lysosomal pathways. Recent studies have underscored the involvement of lysosomes in regulating CSC properties. This review synthesizes findings on lysosomal regulation of CSCs through the following aspects. (1) Lysosomes exert complex and critical bidirectional control over CSC stemness maintenance through three degradation pathways that are dependent on their degradative function. (i) The lysophagy pathway. This pathway exhibits dual roles. Activation can sustain CSC functions; for instance, in glioblastoma, hypoxia upregulates Gal-8 via the STAT3/HIF1α signaling axis to induce autophagy, supporting stem cell survival. In head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, degradation of GSK3β activates the Wnt pathway, enhancing stemness. Conversely, this pathway can suppress stemness by degrading stemness-related proteins such as BMI-1 and OCT4A, thereby impairing CSC self-renewal capacity. (ii) Mitophagy pathway. In non-small cell lung cancer stem cells, mitophagy-related mechanisms, such as the accumulation of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) activating the TLR9-Notch1-AMPK signaling axis, have been shown to promote CSC proliferation. (iii) Autophagosome-dependent lysosomal degradation pathway. This pathway directly regulates stemness-related proteins in a bidirectional manner. Enhanced degradative function can promote CSC properties, exemplified by the degradation of NUMB to activate Notch signaling. Conversely, attenuated degradative function can also enhance stemness by stabilizing oncoproteins (e.g., protecting Frizzled-1 from degradation to sustain Wnt signaling) or preventing the degradation of tumor suppressors (e.g., inhibiting Notch degradation). (2) Constituent proteins of lysosomes, including membrane proteins and luminal acid hydrolases, participate in regulating CSC stemness. Regarding membrane proteins, LAMP2A facilitates chaperone-mediated autophagy to maintain stemness in glioblastoma and ovarian cancer. V-ATPase, by maintaining an acidic luminal environment, promotes proliferation and drug resistance in glioma stem cells. Among hydrolases, cathepsins B and L are highly expressed in pancreatic and ovarian cancers and correlate with poor prognosis. Furthermore, targeting lysosomes to induce lysosomal membrane permeabilization (LMP) triggers lysosome-mediated cell death, presenting a potential therapeutic strategy for eradicating CSCs.(3) The acidic luminal environment, single-membrane structure, and the presence of transmembrane transporters (e.g., ABCA3) enable lysosomes to passively trap or actively uptake and sequester chemotherapeutic drugs. Subsequent drug extrusion via exocytosis confers drug resistance. In CSCs, this lysosome-mediated drug sequestration, often cooperating with autophagy, establishes multimodal drug resistance. Therefore, targeting lysosomal function represents a potential strategy to overcome therapy resistance. The central role of lysosomes in regulating CSC stemness and resistance positions them as highly promising therapeutic targets. Strategies aimed at disrupting lysosomal function to selectively eliminate CSCs include: inhibiting the lysosome-autophagy system using agents like IITZ or lovastatin; inducing lysosomal membrane permeabilization (LMP) with compounds such as hexamethylene amiloride to compromise membrane stability; and disrupting the acidic luminal environment using drugs like siramesine or the K/H transport compound 2. In conclusion, lysosomes critically regulate CSC stemness maintenance and drug resistance through degradative pathways, membrane protein functions, luminal hydrolase activities, and drug sequestration mechanisms. This redefines the lysosome from a traditional “waste disposal unit” to a “signal integration center” in CSCs. The duality and context-dependency of lysosomal function in CSCs offer novel insights into the heterogeneity observed across different tumors. Targeting lysosomal vulnerabilities—such as inducing LMP, disrupting acidity, or blocking autophagic flux—provides a strategy to bypass canonical CSC resistance mechanisms and directly trigger cell death. This establishes the lysosome as a key target to overcome CSC-mediated therapy resistance, paving the way for developing diverse candidate drugs and innovative combination therapies in oncology.
4.Influenza A virus infection activates TLR3-mediated necroptosis
Weijie LI ; Congying HUANG ; Ziling ZENG ; Xiang LI ; Jia XU ; Tian GONG ; Hao ZHANG ; Xinyan ZHANG ; Ping WANG ; Yuanjia HU ; Haiyu XU ; Lijuan SONG
Science of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;4(1):40-49
Background: Influenza A virus (IAV) is a negative-sense RNA virus of the Orthomyxoviridae family and is the etiological agent of a highly contagious acute respiratory disease that can lead to acute lung injury. Objective: To elucidate the molecular mechanisms of IAV infection, an integrative research approach combining gene expression profiling, multinetwork analysis, and in vivo experimental validations was employed. Methods: First, a series of network-based analyses were performed, including protein-protein interaction network construction, weighted gene co-expression network analysis, and subsequent gene set enrichment analysis, to identify the major underlying mechanisms of IAV infection. Following gene expression analysis, core targets, both direct and indirect regulators, were screened. An IAV (H1N1) strain A/PR/8/34-induced acute lung injury mouse model was constructed for in vivo validations. Batch one included two groups to evaluate findings from the multi-network analysis: Mock (n = 10; 5 males and 5 females) and IAV (n = 10; 5 males and 5 females). Batch two included three groups to assess the role of toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) in IAV infection: Mock (n = 6; 3 males and 3 females), IAV (n = 6; 3 males and 3 females), and TLR3 inhibitor (n = 6; 3 males and 3 females). Body weight was measured on days 0, 3, and 5 after infection. On day 5, lung tissues were collected to assess viral load and histopathological changes. Key targets were examined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Western blotting, and immunofluorescence staining, both in sera and lung tissues. Results: IAV infection was significantly associated with dysregulation of the immune-inflammation system, such as the LTR, nucle-otide-binding oligomerization domain-(NOD) like receptor, retinoic acid-inducible gene I-like receptor, and nuclear factor kappa-B signaling pathways. Gene set enrichment analysis further indicated that the TLR and necroptosis signaling pathways played crucial roles in the progression of IAV infection (TLR signaling pathway normalized enrichment score = 2.3941, P = 1.00 × 10 −10; necroptosis normalized enrichment score = 1.9421, P = 6.21 × 10 −7). Among the core targets, TLR3 and mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL) may regulate gene expression at the transcriptional level (all P < 0.05). In vivo validation using an IAV (PR8) infected acute lung injury mouse model demonstrated increased viral load and lung index, alveolar structural damage, and inflammatory cell infiltration. Immunofluorescence staining exhibited large gaps in Lamin B1 staining and breaches in Emerin signals following IAV-PR8 infection. Expression levels of TLR3, p-receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 3 (RIPK3)/RIPK3, and p-mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL)/MLKL proteins in lung tissues, as well as proinflammatory factors and mediators in sera, were significantly elevated after IAV infection. Moreover, enhanced neutrophil infiltration (myeloperoxidase) and citrullinated histone H3 (a neutrophil extracellular trap-specific marker), both established indicators of neutrophil extracellular trap formation, were observed. Notably, treatment with a TLR3 inhibitor significantly ameliorated IAV-induced acute lung injury by regulating necroptosis-related targets. Conclusion: Our study provides network-based in vivo evidence that TLR3-receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 3-MLKL-mediated necroptosis may underlie IAV-induced acute lung injury and could serve as a potential therapeutic target in severe influenza cases.
5.Real-Time Typical Urodynamic Signal Recognition System Using Deep Learning
Xin LIU ; Ping ZHONG ; Di CHEN ; Limin LIAO
International Neurourology Journal 2025;29(1):40-47
Purpose:
Gold-standard urodynamic examination is widely used in the diagnosis and treatment of lower urinary tract dysfunction. The purpose of urodynamic quality control is to standardize urodynamic examination and ensure its clinical reference value. In our study, we attempted to use a deep learning (DL) algorithm model, mainly for the recognition of typical urodynamic signal, to help physicians complete high-quality urodynamic examinations.
Methods:
Urodynamic image data from 2 cohorts of adult patients with neurogenic bladder were used: (1) 300 patients with neurogenic bladder in our center from 2012 to 2018 (1,960 images used to train and validate the DL model); and (2) 100 patients with neurogenic bladder from 2020 to 2021 (695 images used to test the performance of the DL model). This resulted in a total of 2,655 images to train, validate and test the DL algorithm to predict the urdynamic signals.
Results:
Yolov5l had the best detection performance and the highest comprehensive index score (F1, 0.81; mean average precision, 0.83). Our study is a retrospective single-center study, and the generalization ability of the model has not been verified.
Conclusions
DL algorithms can help operators identify typical urodynamic signals in real time, improve the interpretation and quality of urodynamic examination, and benefit patients.
6.Real-Time Typical Urodynamic Signal Recognition System Using Deep Learning
Xin LIU ; Ping ZHONG ; Di CHEN ; Limin LIAO
International Neurourology Journal 2025;29(1):40-47
Purpose:
Gold-standard urodynamic examination is widely used in the diagnosis and treatment of lower urinary tract dysfunction. The purpose of urodynamic quality control is to standardize urodynamic examination and ensure its clinical reference value. In our study, we attempted to use a deep learning (DL) algorithm model, mainly for the recognition of typical urodynamic signal, to help physicians complete high-quality urodynamic examinations.
Methods:
Urodynamic image data from 2 cohorts of adult patients with neurogenic bladder were used: (1) 300 patients with neurogenic bladder in our center from 2012 to 2018 (1,960 images used to train and validate the DL model); and (2) 100 patients with neurogenic bladder from 2020 to 2021 (695 images used to test the performance of the DL model). This resulted in a total of 2,655 images to train, validate and test the DL algorithm to predict the urdynamic signals.
Results:
Yolov5l had the best detection performance and the highest comprehensive index score (F1, 0.81; mean average precision, 0.83). Our study is a retrospective single-center study, and the generalization ability of the model has not been verified.
Conclusions
DL algorithms can help operators identify typical urodynamic signals in real time, improve the interpretation and quality of urodynamic examination, and benefit patients.
7.Real-Time Typical Urodynamic Signal Recognition System Using Deep Learning
Xin LIU ; Ping ZHONG ; Di CHEN ; Limin LIAO
International Neurourology Journal 2025;29(1):40-47
Purpose:
Gold-standard urodynamic examination is widely used in the diagnosis and treatment of lower urinary tract dysfunction. The purpose of urodynamic quality control is to standardize urodynamic examination and ensure its clinical reference value. In our study, we attempted to use a deep learning (DL) algorithm model, mainly for the recognition of typical urodynamic signal, to help physicians complete high-quality urodynamic examinations.
Methods:
Urodynamic image data from 2 cohorts of adult patients with neurogenic bladder were used: (1) 300 patients with neurogenic bladder in our center from 2012 to 2018 (1,960 images used to train and validate the DL model); and (2) 100 patients with neurogenic bladder from 2020 to 2021 (695 images used to test the performance of the DL model). This resulted in a total of 2,655 images to train, validate and test the DL algorithm to predict the urdynamic signals.
Results:
Yolov5l had the best detection performance and the highest comprehensive index score (F1, 0.81; mean average precision, 0.83). Our study is a retrospective single-center study, and the generalization ability of the model has not been verified.
Conclusions
DL algorithms can help operators identify typical urodynamic signals in real time, improve the interpretation and quality of urodynamic examination, and benefit patients.
8.Aerobic Exercise Ameliorates Neuroinflammation in AD Mice by Weakening Blood-Brain Barrier Disruption and Microglial Immune Activation
Shun-Ling YUAN ; Sheng-Yu DAI ; Wei LIN ; Di-Qun XU ; Yi-Ping LIU
Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2025;41(11):1700-1710
This study aims to investigate the effects of aerobic exercise on neuroinflammation in AD mice and explore the mechanisms of neuroinflammation regulated by the blood-brain barrier,lipopolysaccharide(LPS)displacement,and glial cell activation.Twenty 3-month-old male APP/PS1 double transgenic mice were used,which were randomly divided into a sedentary group(SE-AD)and an aerobic exercise group(Run-AD),and 10 3-month-old male C57BL/6 mice were used as the control group(WT).The Run-AD group underwent 12 weeks of aerobic training.The results of the water maze showed that aerobic exercise improved the learning and memory capacity of AD mice(P<0.05).The results of H&E stai-ning and Nissl staining showed that aerobic exercise reduced necrotic cells and inflammatory cell infiltra-tion in the cerebral cortex,as well as nuclear condensation in the CA1 and GD regions of the hippocam-pus(P<0.05,P<0.01),and increased the area of Nissl bodies in the cerebral cortex and hippocam-pal CA3 and DG regions.Western blotting and ELISA results showed that aerobic exercise increased the expression of Occludin,ZO-1 and Claudin-5 proteins in the brain(P<0.01),and decreased the levels of LPS in the brain(P<0.01).The qRT-PCR results exhibited that aerobic exercise decreased the ex-pression of TLR4,MyD88,NF-κB,IL-1β,and TNF-α mRNA(P<0.05,P<0.01).The results of immunofluorescence staining revealed that aerobic exercise reduced the fluorescence area of brain IL-1βand TNF-α proteins(P<0.05,P<0.01),as well as the fluorescence area of Iba-1,GFAP,and TLR4 proteins in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus(P<0.05,P<0.01).There was a high degree of overlap between Iba-1 and TLR4 fluorescence in the cerebral cortex,and GFAP was localized around Iba-1.In summary,aerobic exercise attenuates neuroinflammation in AD mice by protecting the blood-brain barrier,reducing the displacement of LPS,and subsequently weakening the immune activation of microglia to regulate the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway to alleviate neuroinflammation.
9.Research progress on exercise pre-rehabilitation in patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery
Ping ZHANG ; Anni HU ; Chun LIU ; Di WANG ; Hong HUANG ; Xiaoli XIE ; Yuexiu HU ; Qing ZHOU ; Yunyan SU
Journal of Clinical Medicine in Practice 2025;29(19):131-135
Cardiac surgery patients often present with multiple comorbidities,the risk of periop-erative complications and the complexity of postoperative rehabilitation have significantly increased,posing higher demands on comprehensive perioperative management.Preoperative exercise pre-reha-bilitation,as a multidisciplinary collaborative intervention strategy,has been demonstrated to signifi-cantly improve the clinical prognosis of patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery by enhancing their cardiopulmonary function,muscle strength,and overall physiological functional reserve,thereby in-creasing the body's tolerance to surgical stress.Although phase-specific research achievements have been made domestically and internationally in the field of exercise pre-rehabilitation,its standardized implementation and clinical translation on a global scale still face numerous obstacles,necessitating systematic review and in-depth exploration.Therefore,this study aimed to conduct a systematic re-view of the intervention protocols,clinical efficacy,safety,and feasibility of preoperative exercise pre-rehabilitation in patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery,with the goal of providing theoretical evidence and practical references for optimizing perioperative management pathways and promoting the implementation of enhanced recovery after surgery concepts.
10.A Health Economic Evaluation of an Artificial Intelligence-assisted Prescription Review System in a Real-world Setting in China.
Di WU ; Ying Peng QIU ; Li Wei SHI ; Ke Jun LIU ; Xue Qing TIAN ; Ping REN ; Mao YOU ; Jun Rui PEI ; Wen Qi FU ; Yue XIAO
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2025;38(3):385-388

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