1.RXRα modulates hepatic stellate cell activation and liver fibrosis by targeting CaMKKβ-AMPKα axis.
Lijun CAI ; Meimei YIN ; Shuangzhou PENG ; Fen LIN ; Liangliang LAI ; Xindao ZHANG ; Lei XIE ; Chuanying WANG ; Huiying ZHOU ; Yunfeng ZHAN ; Gulimiran ALITONGBIEKE ; Baohuan LIAN ; Zhibin SU ; Tenghui LIU ; Yuqi ZHOU ; Zongxi LI ; Xiaohui CHEN ; Qi ZHAO ; Ting DENG ; Lulu CHEN ; Jingwei SU ; Luoyan SHENG ; Ying SU ; Ling-Juan ZHANG ; Fu-Quan JIANG ; Xiao-Kun ZHANG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(7):3611-3631
Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are the primary fibrogenic cells in the liver, and their activation plays a crucial role in the development and progression of hepatic fibrosis. Here, we report that retinoid X receptor-alpha (RXRα), a unique member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, is a key modulator of HSC activation and liver fibrosis. RXRα exerts its effects by modulating calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase β (CaMKKβ)-mediated activation of AMP-activated protein kinase-alpha (AMPKα). In addition, we demonstrate that K-80003, which binds RXRα by a unique mechanism, effectively suppresses HSC activation, proliferation, and migration, thereby inhibiting liver fibrosis in the CCl4 and amylin liver NASH (AMLN) diet animal models. The effect is mediated by AMPKα activation, promoting mitophagy in HSCs. Mechanistically, K-80003 activates AMPKα by inducing RXRα to form condensates with CaMKKβ and AMPKα via a two-phase process. The formation of RXRα condensates is driven by its N-terminal intrinsic disorder region and requires phosphorylation by CaMKKβ. Our results reveal a crucial role of RXRα in liver fibrosis regulation through modulating mitochondrial activities in HSCs. Furthermore, they suggest that K-80003 and related RXRα modulators hold promise as therapeutic agents for fibrosis-related diseases.
2.COMPERA 2.0 risk stratification in patients with severe aortic stenosis: implication for group 2 pulmonary hypertension.
Zongye CAI ; Xinrui QI ; Dao ZHOU ; Hanyi DAI ; Abuduwufuer YIDILISI ; Ming ZHONG ; Lin DENG ; Yuchao GUO ; Jiaqi FAN ; Qifeng ZHU ; Yuxin HE ; Cheng LI ; Xianbao LIU ; Jian'an WANG
Journal of Zhejiang University. Science. B 2025;26(11):1076-1085
COMPERA 2.0 risk stratification has been demonstrated to be useful in patients with precapillary pulmonary hypertension (PH). However, its suitability for patients at risk for post-capillary PH or PH associated with left heart disease (PH-LHD) is unclear. To investigate the use of COMPERA 2.0 in patients with severe aortic stenosis (SAS) undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), who are at risk for post-capillary PH, a total of 327 eligible SAS patients undergoing TAVR at our institution between September 2015 and November 2020 were included in the study. Patients were classified into four strata before and after TAVR using the COMPERA 2.0 risk score. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality. Survival analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier curves, log-rank test, and Cox proportional hazards regression model. The study cohort had a median (interquartile range) age of 76 (70‒80) years and a pulmonary arterial systolic pressure of 33 (27‒43) mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa) before TAVR. The overall mortality was 11.9% during 26 (15‒47) months of follow-up. Before TAVR, cumulative mortality was higher with an increase in the risk stratum level (log-rank, both P<0.001); each increase in the risk stratum level resulted in an increased risk of death (hazard ratio (HR) 2.53, 95% confidential interval (CI) 1.54‒4.18, P<0.001), which was independent of age, sex, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), hemoglobin, albumin, and valve type (HR 1.76, 95% CI 1.01‒3.07, P=0.047). Similar results were observed at 30 d after TAVR. COMPERA 2.0 can serve as a useful tool for risk stratification in patients with SAS undergoing TAVR, indicating its potential application in the management of PH-LHD. Further validation is needed in patients with confirmed post-capillary PH by right heart catheterization.
Humans
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Aortic Valve Stenosis/complications*
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Aged
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Hypertension, Pulmonary/mortality*
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Male
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Female
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Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement
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Aged, 80 and over
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Risk Assessment/methods*
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Proportional Hazards Models
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Kaplan-Meier Estimate
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Retrospective Studies
3.Clinical value of the two-dimensional speckle tracking technique for evaluating cardiac shape remodeling in small for gestational age fetuses
Chen ZHU ; Qi CAI ; Yun-yun REN ; Rui LIU ; Man LI ; Jin-lian XIANG
Fudan University Journal of Medical Sciences 2025;52(2):209-215
Objective To obtain measurements of fetal four-chamber view and left and right ventricular shapes using two-dimensional speckle tracking,and to explore the clinical quantification of cardiac shape remodeling in small for gestational age(SGA)fetuses.Methods In this study,we prospectively collected data on singleton pregnancies from 28 to 39 weeks that were established in the archives of Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital,Fudan University from May 2020 to Jul 2021.Fetuses eligible for inclusion criteria were randomly matched according to the ratio of estimated fetal weight(EFW)≥10th percentile(P10)∶EFW
4.Artificial intelligence iterative reconstruction for preoperative low-dose CT of ovarian tumor
Xiaojia CAI ; Jintao HAN ; Jing LIU ; Fan YANG ; Qi WANG ; Ruxun LI
Chinese Journal of Medical Imaging Technology 2025;41(4):539-542
Objective To investigate the value of artificial intelligence iterative reconstruction(AIIR)in preoperative low-dose CT of ovarian tumor.Methods Seventy patients with ovarian tumor were prospectively enrolled.Routine-dose(120 kVp,200 mAs)and low-dose(120 kVp,40 mAs)contrast-enhanced abdominopelvic CT scanning at portal venous phase were sequentially performed.The routine-dose images were reconstructed with hybrid iterative reconstruction(HIR)(group A),while low-dose images were reconstructed with HIR(group B)and AIIR(group C),respectively.Subjective and objective evaluation of image quality were compared among groups,and the diagnostic accuracy of peripheral organ invasion and peritoneal metastasis based on group A,B and C,as well as radiation dose of routine-and low-dose scanning were recorded.Results In group B,A and C,the subjective scoring of definition of tumor margin and septation,boundary between tumor and surrounding organ,as well as the signal-to-noise ratio and contrast-to-noise ratio of ovarian tumor and psoas muscles,increased successively(all P<0.017).No significant difference of subjective scoring of tumor feeding vessel clarity was found between group A and C(P=0.435),which were both higher than that in group B(P<0.017).The accuracy for diagnosing peripheral organ invasion based on group A,B and C was 83.87% (52/62),72.58% (45/62)and 83.87% (52/62),for diagnosing peritoneal metastasis was 85.71% (60/70),78.57% (55/70)and 84.29% (59/70),respectively.Compared to routine-dose CT,the effective dose of low-dose CT was reduced by 79.70% (2.60 mSv vs.12.81 mSv,P<0.001).Conclusion AIIR could improve image quality and metastasis diagnostic efficacy in low-dose CT of ovarian tumors.
5.Analysis of chemical constituents of Dendrobium huoshanense flowers based on LC-MS and GC-MS
Le-yuan JI ; Qi-yan LIN ; Jin-xiang WU ; Qian WANG ; Bang-xing HAN ; Ye-cai WANG ; Dong LIU
Chinese Traditional Patent Medicine 2025;47(11):3660-3670
AIM To establish LC-MS and GC-MS method and analyze the chemical constituents of Dendrobium huoshanense C.Z.Tang & S.J.Cheng flowers.METHODS LC-MS was performed on a Zorbax Eclipse C18 column(2.1 mm×100 mm,1.8 μm),with the mobile phase comprising of water(containing 0.1%formic acid)-acetonitrile flowing at 0.3 mL/min,and electrospray ionization was operated in both positive and negative ion modes.The GC-MS employed headspace solid-phase microextraction for sample preparation,and the analysis was performed on an HP-5MS column(30 m×0.25 mm,0.25 μm),with the following temperature program:initial temperature 50 ℃(held for 2 min),increased at 5 ℃/min to 180 ℃(held for 5 min),then raised at 10 ℃/min to 250 ℃(held for 5 min),and electron impact ion source was employed.RESULTS A total of 62 compounds were identified by LC-MS,including 35 flavonoids,4 coumarins,6 alkaloids,6 terpenoids,3 amino acids,2 polyphenols,2 ketones and 4 others.A total of 101 volatile components were identified by GC-MS,including ketones,aldehydes,alcohols,esters,ethers,and acid.CONCLUSION This method can comprehensively analyze the chemical constituents of D.huoshanense flowers,and provide a scientific basis for elucidating its pharmacodynamic material basis.
6.Anatomy of the cribriform fascia and its significance in the membranous anatomy of breast surgery
Yu-qi LIU ; Xue-peng ZHANG ; Hai-feng CAI
Journal of Regional Anatomy and Operative Surgery 2025;34(7):634-637
The cribriform fascia is formed by the fusion of deep and superficial fascias in the axilla,and it forms the base of the axilla together with the subcutaneous tissue and skin,which is a key part of the system of the membranous anatomy of breast surgery.The loose anatomical structure of the cribriform fascia makes it an important anatomical landmark in the axillary region,which plays an important role in accurate localization of lymph nodes.The sentinel lymph node biopsy through cribriform fascia has less intraoperative blood loss and shorter catheterization time compared with the traditional axillary fold approach.However,the anatomical structure of the cribriform fascia and its significance in the membranous anatomy of breast surgery have not been fully elucidated.This article analyzes the anatomical structure of the cribriform fascia and its adjacent tissues,and emphasizes the anatomical structure that needs to be paid attention to in sentinel lymph node biopsy through the axillary cribriform fascia,so as to provide a reference for clinicians to fully understand the cribriform fascia structure.
7.Clinical features and prognosis of different primary sites in early-stage follicular lymphoma: an analysis of the SEER database
Qiuzi ZHONG ; Yunpeng WU ; Mingyuan ZHU ; Wenhui CAI ; Cui GAO ; Ting ZHAO ; Dazhi CHEN ; Gaofeng LI ; Yonggang XU ; Lipin LIU ; Xin LIU ; Siye CHEN ; Shunan QI ; Ye-Xiong LI ; Ye LIU
Chinese Journal of Radiation Oncology 2025;34(6):560-568
Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of follicular lymphoma (FL) patients with different primary sites using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database.Methods:Clinical data of 7167 patients with early-stage FL (stage I-II) from the SEER database between 2000 and 2015 were respectively analyzed. Primary sites were divided into intranodal and extranodal types. Intranodal primary sites included supradiaphragmatic lymph nodes (LN), subphrenic lymph nodes and Waldeyer's ring. Extranodal primary sites consisted of skin, gastrointestinal tract, duodenum, head and neck, other sites. Prognostic factors and overall survival (OS) in patients with different primary sites were analyzed. OS rate was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier method and survival difference between primary sites was compared with log-rank test. Inverse probability treatment weighting (IPTW) and multi-variable analysis were applied to adjust for confounding factors. Multivariate Cox regression analysis of influencing factors of OS was performed.Results:The median age was 63 years old, with the median follow-up time of 63 months. There was no difference in prognosis among the intranodal groups or between the intranodal and extranodal groups. The 10-year OS rates of the supradiaphragmatic lymph LN ( n=2146), subdiaphragmatic LN ( n=2811), and the Waldeyer's ring ( n=151) groups were 70.7%, 69.9% and 73.4%, respectively ( P=0.422 for infradiaphragmatic LN vs. supradiaphragmatic LN, P=1.000 for Waldeyer's ring vs. supradiaphragmatic LN), and 70.3% and 68.9% for intranodal ( n=5108) and extranodal ( n=2059), respectively. There was no significant difference in OS between the groups ( P=0.581) after IPTW adjustment. The most common primary sites in extranodal disease were skin, gastrointestinal tract, head and neck, and duodenum. The 10-year OS for skin, gastrointestinal tract, and cutaneous was 74.2%, 74.7%, and 87.3%, respectively, significantly higher than 55.6% for other sites (duodenum vs. others sites, gastrointestinal vs. others sites, skin vs. others sites: all P<0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that difference in OS was not significant among the intranodal groups or between the intranodal and extranodal groups. However, different extranodal primary site was an independent prognostic factor for OS. Conclusions:Early FL patients with supradiaphragmatic LN, subdiaphragmatic LN and Waldeyer's ring, and between the intranodal and extranodal primary sites obtain similar prognosis. However, early-stage FL patients with different extranodal primary sites have prognostic differences. The prognosis of primary skin, gastrointestinal tract and duodenum is significantly better than that of other extranodal primary sites.
8.Comparative analysis of the efficacy of cold snare polypectomy and endoscopic mucosal resection in treatment of colonic adenoma in proximity to the orifice of appendix
Bin LIU ; Qinqin QI ; Xinglin CHEN ; Ke WEI ; Yuanyuan CAI ; Zhemin WANG ; Liuyong CHEN
China Journal of Endoscopy 2025;31(2):63-69
Objective To investigate the feasibility,efficacy and safety of cold snare polypectomy(CSP)and endoscopic mucosal resection(EMR)in treatment of colonic adenoma in proximity to the orifice of appendix.Methods Clinical data of 41 cases of colonic adenoma in the orifice of appendix treated with CSP(CSP group)and 15 cases treated with EMR(EMR group)from January 2018 to January 2023 were collected.The clinicopathological features and outcomes were analyzed.The main outcome was postoperative complications,including bleeding,perforation and postoperative appendicitis,while the secondary outcome was the total resection rate,block resection rate and local recurrence rate.Results The operation time and treatment cost of CSP group were shorter than EMR group,and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).The diameter of applicable lesions in CSP group was smaller than that in EMR group,and the proportion of lesions with tubular adenoma was significantly higher than that in EMR group.There were no significant differences in the time of admission,intestinal preparation score,length of stay,lesion morphology and lesion type between the two groups(P>0.05).Perforation and postoperative appendicitis were not observed in both groups,and delayed postoperative hemorrhage occurred in 1 case in the CSP group,but it could heal itself after surgery without endoscopic intervention.The complete resection rate was 100.0%in both groups.The total removal rate of CSP group was 100.0%,which was significantly higher than that of EMR group(86.7%),and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).The local recurrence rate was 2.4%(1/41)in CSP group,and no local recurrence was observed in EMR group(0/15),with no statistical significance(P>0.05).Conclusion CSP and EMR are safe and effective in the treatment of colonic adenoma in proximity to the orifice of appendix,and they are trustworthy.Compared with EMR,CSP is more applied to small diameter tubular adenomas,which has the characteristics of economy and time saving,but at the same time there is the risk of recurrence.EMR obviously has a wider application range,but there is a disadvantage in price and time,and individual cases need to be segmented resection.
9.Deoxynivalenol contamination in cereals and bakery products in Shanghai and dietary exposure assessment in pregnant women
Kailin LI ; Baozhang LUO ; Renjie QI ; Hua CAI ; Xia SONG ; Jingjin YANG ; Danping QIU ; Zhenni ZHU ; Yi HE ; Hong LIU
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2025;42(10):1170-1176
Background Deoxynivalenol (DON), a priority contaminant for food safety risk monitoring, is produced by Fusarium spp. infesting crops, and its common derivatives are 3-acetyl-DON (3A-DON) and 15-acetyl-DON (15A-DON), which have been shown to possess gastrointestinal toxicity, immunotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, and cytotoxicity. Due to the stable physicochemical properties of the DON family of toxins (DONs), they cannot be effectively removed during food processing, thus following the food chain, entering the human body, and posing health risks. Objective To understand the contamination status of DONs in commercial foods (cereals and bakery products) in Shanghai in 2022–2023, and to assess the exposure risk of DONs in pregnant women by combining their dietary consumption data. Methods Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used to determine the contamination level of DONs in 1 100 food samples (cereals and baked goods) collected in 2022 and 944 samples collected in 2023 from Shanghai. The dietary monitoring data of pregnant women in Shanghai from 2016 to 2017 were adopted. The monitoring employed the food frequency questionnaire distributed among pregnant women through a combination of online telephone enquiry and offline on-site face-to-face survey to estimate their food consumption levels. An exposure assessment model was established to calculate the exposure level to DONs, and the probability distribution of the DONs exposure level in the pregnant women group in Shanghai was obtained by applying @Risk 7.5 software and simulating the calculation according to the Monte Carlo principle. With reference to the tolerable daily intake (TDI) of DONs [1.00 µg·(kg·d)−1] proposed by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives, the risk of exposure to DONs from commercial cereals and bakery products in pregnant women in Shanghai was assessed. Results DONs were detected in cereal and bakery samples collected in 2022 and 2023 with different levels of contamination. The level of DONs in cereal foods in 2023 (mean: 36.33 µg·kg−1) decreased compared to 2022 (mean: 23.64 µg·kg−1). However, the positive rate (71.67%) and level (mean: 51.22 µg·kg−1) of DONs in bakery products increased significantly compared with 2022 (positive rate: 10.00%, mean: 24.39 µg·kg−1). The mean consumption of cereals in 783 pregnant women was 222.48 g·d−1 and the mean consumption of bakery products was 36.07 g·d−1, and there was no statistically significant difference in the intake of all types of cereals and bakery products across the early, middle, and late stages of pregnancy. The modelled intakes of DONs via commercial cereals and bakery products for pregnant women in Shanghai were calculated to be 0.20 and 0.57 µg·(kg·d)−1 in 2022 for the mean level and the 95th percentile level, respectively, and 0.16 µg·(kg·d)−1 and 0.35 µg·(kg·d)−1 in 2023, respectively. The results of the health risk assessment showed that pregnant women in Shanghai had 2.6% and 1.4% probability of exposure to DONs from cereal consumption in 2022 and 2023, respectively. Conclusion The risk of exposure of pregnant women in Shanghai to DONs via commercial cereals and bakery products is relatively low (1.4%-2.6%). However, considering the physical sensitivity of pregnant women, they should avoid consuming moldy grains and appropriately reduce intake of bakery products.
10.In Situ Analysis of Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Distribution Characteristics in Water-Sediment System Using Diffusive Gradients in Thin Films Probe
Qi-Si CAI ; Xing-Ying LI ; Fang ZHANG ; Jun-Wei YANG ; Si-Si LIU ; Chang-Er CHEN
Chinese Journal of Analytical Chemistry 2025;53(2):300-310,后插1-后插9
The water-sediment interface is an important zone for the migration and transformation of chemical substances,but traditional sampling methods make in situ sampling challenging,thus it is difficult to capture information on environmental processes at the micro-scale.In this study,diffusive gradients in thin films(DGT)probe technique was used as in situ tool to detect 18 kinds of typical per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances(PFAS)in the water-sediment system,elucidating their vertical distribution characteristics and patterns.The results showed that different PFAS exhibited distinct variation patterns with depth in water and sediment.Short-chain PFAS exhibited greater mobility,while the migration of long-chain PFAS was restricted in sediment and pore water due to their strong hydrophobicity and adsorption capacity,resulting in relatively small concentration changes in the sediment column.The PFAS concentrations measured by DGT ranged from 11.2 μg/L to 1305 μg/L.For long-chain PFAS,the concentrations measured by DGT were higher than those obtained from direct measurement of water and pore water,while the opposite results were obtained for short-chain PFAS.The DGT results indicated that although long-chain PFAS exhibited strong adsorption to sediment particles,the adsorbed PFAS were still bioavailable.DGT probe technique,with its advantages of in situ sampling and high spatial resolution,provides deep insights into the complex environmental processes occurring at the microscale in the water-sediment systems.DGT offers important technical support and scientific evidence for assessing the adsorption-desorption behavior,bioavailability,and ecological risks of these emerging pollutants in aquatic environment.

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