1.Molecular Mechanism of Gypenoside L Inducing Ovarian Cancer Cell Apoptosis by Regulating NUF2 and Influencing Magnesium Homeostasis
Yang HONG ; Di ZHANG ; Yuanguang DONG ; Jiaxin WANG ; Lu PAN ; Lijiang ZHOU ; Mingdian YUAN ; Qun WANG ; Nan SONG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(13):155-165
ObjectiveThis paper aims to investigate the role of NDC80 kinetochore complex component (NUF2) and magnesium homeostasis in ovarian cancer cell apoptosis, as well as the regulatory mechanism of gypenoside L (Gyp-L) on NUF2 and magnesium homeostasis. MethodsOvarian cancer OVCAR3 cells were divided into a blank control group, a low-concentration Gyp-L group (50 µmol·L-1), a high-concentration Gyp-L group (100 µmol·L-1), and a cisplatin (15 µmol·L-1) group. The migration, proliferation, and apoptosis capabilities of OVCAR3 cells were evaluated through cell scratch assays, clonal experiments, and terminal-deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling assay (TUNEL) staining. Differentially expressed genes of ovarian cancer were screened by using the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The interaction relationships of differentially expressed genes and proteins were analyzed via the Search Tool for Recurring Instances of Neighbouring Genes (STRING) database. The prognostic survival analysis was performed by using the Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) database, and the differential expression levels of genes were validated with the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) database. The mRNA expression levels of NUF2, magnesium homeostasis-related indicators, such as magnesium transporter 1 (MAGT1), non-imprinted in Prader-Willi/Angelman syndrome 1 (NIPA1), NIPA-like domain containing 1 (NIPAL1), as well as apoptosis-related indicators B cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) and Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) in OVCAR3 cells, were detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR). The protein expression levels of NUF2, MAGT1, NIPA1, NIPAL1, Bcl-2, and Bax in OVCAR3 cells were quantitatively analyzed by ProteinSimple WES. A model of overexpression of NUF2 was constructed, and Gyp-L intervention was performed. The molecular mechanism by which Gyp-L induces ovarian cancer cell apoptosis by regulating NUF2 and influencing magnesium homeostasis was quantitatively analyzed and detected through cell cloning, TUNEL staining, Real-time PCR, and ProteinSimple WES. Finally, the Mg2+ content and protein synthesis efficiency were detected by immunofluorescence. ResultsGyp-L significantly inhibited the migration and proliferation capabilities of OVCAR3 cells and promoted their apoptosis (P<0.05). Overexpression of NUF2 markedly increased the expression levels of MAGT1, NIPA1, NIPAL1, and Bcl-2, while reducing the expression level of Bax (P<0.05). It also significantly elevated intracellular Mg2+ content and protein synthesis efficiency and simultaneously inhibited apoptosis (P<0.05). Gyp-L could reverse the magnesium homeostasis imbalance and apoptosis inhibition caused by the overexpression of NUF2, downregulating the expression levels of NUF2, MAGT1, NIPA1, NIPAL1, and Bcl-2 (P<0.05), while upregulating the expression level of Bax (P<0.05). ConclusionGyp-L can inhibit the occurrence of ovarian cancer, and its mechanism may involve inhibiting the expression of NUF2 to maintain magnesium homeostasis and inducing apoptosis of ovarian cancer cells.
2.Clinicopathological characteristics and diagnostic strategies of prostatic paraganglioma presenting with prostatic mass and micturition-associated symptoms
Mengjie ZHANG ; Qun LU ; Yao FU ; Qing ZHANG ; Weidong GAN ; Hongqian GUO
Journal of Modern Urology 2026;31(6):552-558
Objective To evaluate the clinical characteristics, diagnostic reasoning, and therapeutic strategies of prostatic paraganglioma (PPG) to provide an evidence-based foundation for early diagnosis and precision treatment of this rare malignancy. Methods The clinical data of a patient with PPG admitted to our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Concurrently, a systematic search was conducted across domestic and international databases, including PubMed, CNKI, and Wanfang.Clinical manifestations, laboratory tests, pathological features, therapeutic modalities, and prognostic data of 24 cases reported between 1979 and 2025 were pooled with the institutional case for a comprehensive analysis (n=25). Results Epidemiological features: the age at onset ranged from 8 to 76 years, with a mean age of (44.6±15.2) years, predominantly affecting young and middle-aged adults (30-50 years).Notably, 20.0% (5/25) of the patients exhibited characteristic micturition-associated catecholamine release symptoms (e.g., post-micturition palpitations, transient hypertension).Laboratory findings: among the 19 patients who underwent catecholamine metabolite testing, 14 (73.7%) showed significant elevation in serum or urinary norepinephrine and methoxyadrenaline levels.Pathological and immunohistochemical features: the positivity rate for neuroendocrine markers (chromogranin A, synaptophysin, and neuron-specific enolase) was 100%, while the negativity rate for prostate-specific markers (prostate-specific antigen and prostate-specific acid phosphatase) was also 100%.Treatment and prognosis: surgical intervention was performed in 96.0% (24/25) of the patients, including radical prostatectomy (37.5%), precision tumor excision (25.0%), and transurethral resection (12.5%).Favorable outcomes without recurrence were observed in 89.5% (17/19) of the total cohort. Conclusion PPG is clinically exceedingly rare.The disease should be highly suspected in patients presenting with a prostatic mass, normal prostate-specific antigen level, and micturition-associated cardiovascular symptoms.Testing for catecholamine metabolites is the key screening tool.Robot-assisted surgery facilitates precise tumor excision while ensuring optimal functional preservation.Given the malignant potential and genetic correlations of PPG, lifelong follow-up is recommended.
3.Validation of a predictive model for platelet transfusion refractoriness in patients with hematological diseases
Xiulan HUANG ; Shuhan YUE ; Qun CAI ; Liqi LU ; Mengzhen HE ; Qiao LEI ; Caoyi LIU ; Jingwei ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Blood Transfusion 2025;38(4):537-545
[Objective] To validate and optimize the platelet transfusion refractoriness (PTR) prediction model for patients with hematological disorders established by our center. [Methods] The data of patients with hematological diseases who received platelet transfusions from December 2021 to December 2022 were used as the training set, and data from January 2023 to December 2023 as the validation set. The validation set data was used to validate the predictive model constructed on the training set. Relevant risk factors for PTR were collected through literature review and preliminary studies。 The patients were divided into effective and ineffective groups according to the corrected count increment (CCI) of platelet counts. Predictive factors were screened using univariate and multivariate logistic regression. The calibration of the model were assessed via calibration curves, while discrimination, accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves Clinical utility was further analyzed with decision curve analysis (DCA). [Results] The Hosmer-Lemeshow (H-L) goodness-of-fit test for the validation set yielded S: P=0.000, indicating that the original model needs optimization. Baseline comparisons and logistic regression identified the number of red blood cell units (RBCU) and platelet units (PLT-U) transfused as key predictors for the optimized model. The H-L goodness-of-fit test S: P values for the training and validation sets were 0.930 and 0.056, respectively; the ROC areas were 0.793 5 and 0.809 4, specificities 90.95% and 84.21%, sensitivities 59.26% and 70.04%, and accuracies 78.14% and 74.10%, respectively. DCA demonstrated clinical net benefit within a prediction probability threshold range of 0.2-0.8. [Conclusion] Transfusion volumes of RBC-U and PLT-U were inversely associated with PTR in hematological patients. The resulting PTR prediction model exhibits moderate predictive efficacy and clinical benefit.
4.Residual cell types,molecular expression profiles and quality assessment of in vitro cultured human thymic slices
Wanqing GUAN ; Guihua LUO ; Jingxuan HAN ; Qun XIANG ; Yunfei AN ; Lu ZHAO ; Jianhong MI ; Zeqing FENG ; Yuzhang WU
Journal of Army Medical University 2025;47(9):893-903
Objective To analyze the composition and function of residual cells in pre-transplantation human thymic slices by single-cell transcriptomics sequencing(scRNA-seq),and established a quality assessment method for thymic slices based on the expression levels of molecular markers in the culture supernatant.Methods The discarded thymus from 18 patients with congenital heart disease undergoing surgical treatment in Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery of Children's Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing Medical University from May 2023 to January 2024 were collected and prepared into thymic slices.After the slices were cultured in vitro for 14 d,scRNA-seq was employed to identify the residual cell types,and gene ontology(GO)and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes(KEGG)enrichment analysis was performed to analyze the biological function of the residual cells.Then based on the literature concerning thymic slice culture,the molecular markers indicating thymocyte function were screened out.ELISA was applied to detect the changes in protein levels of molecular markers in the supernatant.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was plotted and assess the value of the molecular markers in the supernatant in evaluating the quality of thymic slices with area under the curve(AUC).Then,the qualified and unqualified thymic slices determined by our obtained molecular markers were transplanted subcutaneously into male nude mice(6~8 weeks old,weighing 14~17 g),respectively,and the male nude mice without transplantation of the thymic slices served as control group.Flow cytometry and histologic analysis were utilized to observe the immune reconstitution after transplantation.Results ① scRNA-seq identified 11 cell types in thymic slices,dominated with epithelial cells,fibroblasts,and T cells.GO and KEGG enrichment analysis showed that epithelial cells were involved in enrichment entries related to chemotaxis,epithelial cell development,cell matrix adhesion and tight junction;fibroblasts were involved in enrichment entries related to extracellular matrix,epithelial cell proliferation,negative regulation of cell migration,and regulation of actin cytoskeleton;T cells were mainly related to T cell differentiation,regulation of T cell activation,T cell apoptosis,and T cell receptor signaling.② Molecular markers,CCL19,CCL21,CXCL12,CXCL16,IL16 and SELL were identified to indicate thymocyte function.Compared with the levels of the first day,the protein secretions of CCL19,CCL21,CXCL12 and CXCL16 were significantly increased during in vitro culture(P<0.05),while the protein secretions of IL16 and L-selectin(protein form of SELL)were significantly decreased(P<0.05).The combined predictor Pre1 from subset of cytokines(IL16 and L-selectin)had the highest value in the quality assessment of thymic slices after 1 d of culture(AUC=0.883),and the combined predictor Pre2 from subset of cytokines(CCL19,CCL21,CXCL12 and CXCL16)had the highest value in the quality assessment after 14 d of culture(AUC=0.948).③ Transplantation in nude mice indicated that the qualified thymic slices could develop to thymus structure in vivo,and effectively increase the proportion of T cells in peripheral blood(P<0.01),while the unqualified thymic slices could not obtain the reconstitution of T cell development.Conclusion The main residual component cells in thymic slices are epithelial cells,fibroblasts and T cells.IL16 and L-selectin can be used as potential indicators to determine the quality of donor thymic samples.CCL19,CCL21,CXCL12 and CXCL16 can effectively evaluate the quality of thymic slices before transplantation.
5.Expert consensus on the application of nasal cavity filling substances in nasal surgery patients(2025, Shanghai).
Keqing ZHAO ; Shaoqing YU ; Hongquan WEI ; Chenjie YU ; Guangke WANG ; Shijie QIU ; Yanjun WANG ; Hongtao ZHEN ; Yucheng YANG ; Yurong GU ; Tao GUO ; Feng LIU ; Meiping LU ; Bin SUN ; Yanli YANG ; Yuzhu WAN ; Cuida MENG ; Yanan SUN ; Yi ZHAO ; Qun LI ; An LI ; Luo BA ; Linli TIAN ; Guodong YU ; Xin FENG ; Wen LIU ; Yongtuan LI ; Jian WU ; De HUAI ; Dongsheng GU ; Hanqiang LU ; Xinyi SHI ; Huiping YE ; Yan JIANG ; Weitian ZHANG ; Yu XU ; Zhenxiao HUANG ; Huabin LI
Journal of Clinical Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery 2025;39(4):285-291
This consensus will introduce the characteristics of fillers used in the surgical cavities of domestic nasal surgery patients based on relevant literature and expert opinions. It will also provide recommendations for the selection of cavity fillers for different nasal diseases, with chronic sinusitis as a representative example.
Humans
;
Nasal Cavity/surgery*
;
Nasal Surgical Procedures
;
China
;
Consensus
;
Sinusitis/surgery*
;
Dermal Fillers
6.GSFM: A genome-scale functional module transformation to represent drug efficacy for in silico drug discovery.
Saisai TIAN ; Xuyang LIAO ; Wen CAO ; Xinyi WU ; Zexi CHEN ; Jinyuan LU ; Qun WANG ; Jinbo ZHANG ; Luonan CHEN ; Weidong ZHANG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(1):133-150
Pharmacotranscriptomic profiles, which capture drug-induced changes in gene expression, offer vast potential for computational drug discovery and are widely used in modern medicine. However, current computational approaches neglected the associations within gene‒gene functional networks and unrevealed the systematic relationship between drug efficacy and the reversal effect. Here, we developed a new genome-scale functional module (GSFM) transformation framework to quantitatively evaluate drug efficacy for in silico drug discovery. GSFM employs four biologically interpretable quantifiers: GSFM_Up, GSFM_Down, GSFM_ssGSEA, and GSFM_TF to comprehensively evaluate the multi-dimension activities of each functional module (FM) at gene-level, pathway-level, and transcriptional regulatory network-level. Through a data transformation strategy, GSFM effectively converts noisy and potentially unreliable gene expression data into a more dependable FM active matrix, significantly outperforming other methods in terms of both robustness and accuracy. Besides, we found a positive correlation between RSGSFM and drug efficacy, suggesting that RSGSFM could serve as representative measure of drug efficacy. Furthermore, we identified WYE-354, perhexiline, and NTNCB as candidate therapeutic agents for the treatment of breast-invasive carcinoma, lung adenocarcinoma, and castration-resistant prostate cancer, respectively. The results from in vitro and in vivo experiments have validated that all identified compounds exhibit potent anti-tumor effects, providing proof-of-concept for our computational approach.
7.Ablation of macrophage transcriptional factor FoxO1 protects against ischemia-reperfusion injury-induced acute kidney injury.
Yao HE ; Xue YANG ; Chenyu ZHANG ; Min DENG ; Bin TU ; Qian LIU ; Jiaying CAI ; Ying ZHANG ; Li SU ; Zhiwen YANG ; Hongfeng XU ; Zhongyuan ZHENG ; Qun MA ; Xi WANG ; Xuejun LI ; Linlin LI ; Long ZHANG ; Yongzhuo HUANG ; Lu TIE
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(6):3107-3124
Acute kidney injury (AKI) has high morbidity and mortality, but effective clinical drugs and management are lacking. Previous studies have suggested that macrophages play a crucial role in the inflammatory response to AKI and may serve as potential therapeutic targets. Emerging evidence has highlighted the importance of forkhead box protein O1 (FoxO1) in mediating macrophage activation and polarization in various diseases, but the specific mechanisms by which FoxO1 regulates macrophages during AKI remain unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the role of FoxO1 in macrophages in the pathogenesis of AKI. We observed a significant upregulation of FoxO1 in kidney macrophages following ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. Additionally, our findings demonstrated that the administration of FoxO1 inhibitor AS1842856-encapsulated liposome (AS-Lipo), mainly acting on macrophages, effectively mitigated renal injury induced by I/R injury in mice. By generating myeloid-specific FoxO1-knockout mice, we further observed that the deficiency of FoxO1 in myeloid cells protected against I/R injury-induced AKI. Furthermore, our study provided evidence of FoxO1's pivotal role in macrophage chemotaxis, inflammation, and migration. Moreover, the impact of FoxO1 on the regulation of macrophage migration was mediated through RhoA guanine nucleotide exchange factor 1 (ARHGEF1), indicating that ARHGEF1 may serve as a potential intermediary between FoxO1 and the activity of the RhoA pathway. Consequently, our findings propose that FoxO1 plays a crucial role as a mediator and biomarker in the context of AKI. Targeting macrophage FoxO1 pharmacologically could potentially offer a promising therapeutic approach for AKI.
8.The 5-HT Descending Facilitation System Contributes to the Disinhibition of Spinal PKCγ Neurons and Neuropathic Allodynia via 5-HT2C Receptors.
Xiao ZHANG ; Xiao-Lan HE ; Zhen-Hua JIANG ; Jing QI ; Chen-Chen HUANG ; Jian-Shuai ZHAO ; Nan GU ; Yan LU ; Qun WANG
Neuroscience Bulletin 2025;41(7):1161-1180
Neuropathic pain, often featuring allodynia, imposes significant physical and psychological burdens on patients, with limited treatments due to unclear central mechanisms. Addressing this challenge remains a crucial unsolved issue in pain medicine. Our previous study, using protein kinase C gamma (PKCγ)-tdTomato mice, highlights the spinal feedforward inhibitory circuit involving PKCγ neurons in gating neuropathic allodynia. However, the regulatory mechanisms governing this circuit necessitate further elucidation. We used diverse transgenic mice and advanced techniques to uncover the regulatory role of the descending serotonin (5-HT) facilitation system on spinal PKCγ neurons. Our findings revealed that 5-HT neurons from the rostral ventromedial medulla hyperpolarize spinal inhibitory interneurons via 5-HT2C receptors, disinhibiting the feedforward inhibitory circuit involving PKCγ neurons and exacerbating allodynia. Inhibiting spinal 5-HT2C receptors restored the feedforward inhibitory circuit, effectively preventing neuropathic allodynia. These insights offer promising therapeutic targets for neuropathic allodynia management, emphasizing the potential of spinal 5-HT2C receptors as a novel avenue for intervention.
Animals
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Neuralgia/physiopathology*
;
Protein Kinase C/metabolism*
;
Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2C/metabolism*
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Hyperalgesia/physiopathology*
;
Mice, Transgenic
;
Mice
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Spinal Cord/metabolism*
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Serotonin/metabolism*
;
Male
;
Neurons/metabolism*
;
Mice, Inbred C57BL
9.Identifying High-Risk Areas for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Mortality in Guangdong, China: Spatiotemporal Clustering and Socioenvironmental Determinants.
Hai Ming LUO ; Wen Biao HU ; Yan Jun XU ; Xue Yan ZHENG ; Qun HE ; Lu LYU ; Rui Lin MENG ; Xiao Jun XU ; Fei ZOU
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2025;38(5):585-597
OBJECTIVE:
This study aimed to identify high-risk areas for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) mortality to provide relevant evidence for interventions in emerging economies.
METHODS:
Empirical Bayesian Kriging and a discrete Poisson space-time scan statistic were applied to identify the spatiotemporal clusters of T2DM mortality. The relationships between economic factors, air pollutants, and the mortality risk of T2DM were assessed using regression analysis and the Poisson Log-linear Model.
RESULTS:
A coastal district in East Guangdong, China, had the highest risk (Relative Risk [RR] = 4.58, P < 0.01), followed by the 10 coastal districts/counties in West Guangdong, China (RR = 2.88, P < 0.01). The coastal county in the Pearl River Delta, China (RR = 2.24, P < 0.01), had the third-highest risk. The remaining risk areas were two coastal counties in East Guangdong, 16 districts/counties in the Pearl River Delta, and two counties in North Guangdong, China. Mortality due to T2DM was associated with gross domestic product per capita (GDP per capita). In pilot assessments, T2DM mortality was significantly associated with carbon monoxide.
CONCLUSION
High mortality from T2DM occurred in the coastal areas of East and West Guangdong, especially where the economy was progressing towards the upper middle-income level.
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/epidemiology*
;
China/epidemiology*
;
Humans
;
Risk Factors
;
Spatio-Temporal Analysis
;
Air Pollutants/analysis*
;
Socioeconomic Factors
;
Bayes Theorem
;
Female
;
Male
;
Middle Aged
10.CT examination big data based on the Ningbo City Medical Imaging Cloud Platform
ZHANG Qun ; ZHANG Dandan ; WANG Yong ; ZHANG Liang ; ZOU Yuanjie ; LU Beibei ; TANG Sheng
Journal of Preventive Medicine 2025;37(12):1257-1260,1265
Objective:
To evaluate the radiation dose, operational standardization, and image quality of computed tomography (CT) Ningbo City Medical Imaging Cloud Platform, so as to provide references for optimizing the quality of CT examinations.
Methods:
Six CT devices were randomly selected from the Ningbo City Medical Imaging Cloud Platform. Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine (DICOM) image data from CT examinations of the head, neck, chest, and abdomen in males aged 36 to 60 years were collected from January 2023 to December 2024. The radiation dose levels were evaluated using the volume CT dose index (CTDIvol) and dose length product (DLP). The coefficient of variation (CV) of CTDIvol and scan length were calculated to assess scan stability. Operational standardization was evaluated using the redundancy rate of scan length and protocol matching degree. Imaging quality was assessed using the signal to noise ratio (SNR) and contrast to noise ratio (CNR).
Results:
A total of 28 897 DICOM images were collected, including 6 730 axial scans of the skull, 2 778 plain scans of the neck, 15 496 plain scans of the chest, and 3 893 plain scans of the abdomen. The typical values of CTDIvol and DLP radiation doses for the head, neck, and chest were all lower than the diagnostic reference levels. The maximum typical values of CTDIvol and DLP for the abdomen were 22.49 mGy and 941.45 mGy·cm, respectively, which were higher than the diagnostic reference levels. The CV values of CTDIvol and scan length ranged from 14.59% to 37.88% and from 8.27% to 44.96%, respectively. The scan stability of head CT was relatively poor, with CV values ranging from 21.74% to 37.88% and from 12.66% to 44.96%, respectively. The redundancy rate of scan length ranged from 6.02% to 74.40%, and the protocol matching degree ranged from 79.80% to 100.00%. The operational standardization of neck CT was relatively poor, with redundancy rates ranging from 45.70% to 74.40% and protocol matching degrees ranging from 79.80% to 95.36%. The mean SNR and mean CNR of the pulmonary arteries in the chest were relatively high, ranging from 15.81 to 17.65 and from 6.33 to 7.41, respectively.
Conclusions
The radiation doses from abdominal CT examinations on some CT devices exceed the diagnostic reference levels. The scan stability of head CT examinations and the operational standardization of neck CT examinations represent weak points in quality control. It is recommended to carry out targeted quality control training to enhance the overall quality level of CT examinations.


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