1.Structure and Function of GPR126/ADGRG6
Ting-Ting WU ; Si-Qi JIA ; Shu-Zhu CAO ; De-Xin ZHU ; Guo-Chao TANG ; Zhi-Hua SUN ; Xing-Mei DENG ; Hui ZHANG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(2):299-309
GPR126, also known as ADGRG6, is one of the most deeply studied aGPCRs. Initially, GPR126 was thought to be a receptor associated with muscle development and was primarily expressed in the muscular and skeletal systems. With the deepening of research, it was found that GPR126 is expressed in multiple mammalian tissues and organs, and is involved in many biological processes such as embryonic development, nervous system development, and extracellular matrix interactions. Compared with other aGPCRs proteins, GPR126 has a longer N-terminal domain, which can bind to ligands one-to-one and one-to-many. Its N-terminus contains five domains, a CUB (complement C1r/C1s, Uegf, Bmp1) domain, a PTX (Pentraxin) domain, a SEA (Sperm protein, Enterokinase, and Agrin) domain, a hormone binding (HormR) domain, and a conserved GAIN domain. The GAIN domain has a self-shearing function, which is essential for the maturation, stability, transport and function of aGPCRs. Different SEA domains constitute different GPR126 isomers, which can regulate the activation and closure of downstream signaling pathways through conformational changes. GPR126 has a typical aGPCRs seven-transmembrane helical structure, which can be coupled to Gs and Gi, causing cAMP to up- or down-regulation, mediating transmembrane signaling and participating in the regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation and migration. GPR126 is activated in a tethered-stalk peptide agonism or orthosteric agonism, which is mainly manifested by self-proteolysis or conformational changes in the GAIN domain, which mediates the rapid activation or closure of downstream pathways by tethered agonists. In addition to the tethered short stem peptide activation mode, GPR126 also has another allosteric agonism or tunable agonism mode, which is specifically expressed as the GAIN domain does not have self-shearing function in the physiological state, NTF and CTF always maintain the binding state, and the NTF binds to the ligand to cause conformational changes of the receptor, which somehow transmits signals to the GAIN domain in a spatial structure. The GAIN domain can cause the 7TM domain to produce an activated or inhibited signal for signal transduction, For example, type IV collagen interacts with the CUB and PTX domains of GPR126 to activate GPR126 downstream signal transduction. GPR126 has homology of 51.6%-86.9% among different species, with 10 conserved regions between different species, which can be traced back to the oldest metazoans as well as unicellular animals.In terms of diseases, GPR126 dysfunction involves the pathological process of bone, myelin, embryo and other related diseases, and is also closely related to the occurrence and development of malignant tumors such as breast cancer and colon cancer. However, the biological function of GPR126 in various diseases and its potential as a therapeutic target still needs further research. This paper focuses on the structure, interspecies differences and conservatism, signal transduction and biological functions of GPR126, which provides ideas and references for future research on GPR126.
2.Emergency medical response strategy for the 2025 Dingri, Tibet Earthquake
Chenggong HU ; Xiaoyang DONG ; Hai HU ; Hui YAN ; Yaowen JIANG ; Qian HE ; Chang ZOU ; Si ZHANG ; Wei DONG ; Yan LIU ; Huanhuan ZHONG ; Ji DE ; Duoji MIMA ; Jin YANG ; Qiongda DAWA ; Lü ; JI ; La ZHA ; Qiongda JIBA ; Lunxu LIU ; Lei CHEN ; Dong WU
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2025;32(04):421-426
This paper systematically summarizes the practical experience of the 2025 Dingri earthquake emergency medical rescue in Tibet. It analyzes the requirements for earthquake medical rescue under conditions of high-altitude hypoxia, low temperature, and low air pressure. The paper provides a detailed discussion on the strategic layout of earthquake medical rescue at the national level, local government level, and through social participation. It covers the construction of rescue organizational systems, technical systems, material support systems, and information systems. The importance of building rescue teams is emphasized. In high-altitude and cold conditions, rapid response, scientific decision-making, and multi-party collaboration are identified as key elements to enhance rescue efficiency. By optimizing rescue organizational structures, strengthening the development of new equipment, and promoting telemedicine technologies, the precision and effectiveness of medical rescue can be significantly improved, providing important references for future similar disaster rescues.
3.Clinical application of an artificial intelligence system in predicting benign or malignant pulmonary nodules and pathological subtypes
Zhuowen YANG ; Zhizhong ZHENG ; Bin LI ; Yiming HUI ; Mingzhi LIN ; Jiying DANG ; Suiyang LI ; Chunjiao ZHANG ; Long YANG ; Liang SI ; Tieniu SONG ; Yuqi MENG
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2025;32(08):1086-1095
Objective To evaluate the predictive ability and clinical application value of artificial intelligence (AI) systems in the benign and malignant differentiation and pathological type of pulmonary nodules, and to summarize clinical application experience. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of patients with pulmonary nodules admitted to the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, from February 2016 to February 2025. Firstly, pulmonary nodules were divided into benign and non-benign groups, and the discriminative abilities of AI systems and clinicians were compared. Subsequently, lung nodules reported as precursor glandular lesions (PGL), microinvasive adenocarcinoma (MIA), and invasive adenocarcinoma (IAC) in postoperative pathological results were analyzed, comparing the efficacy of AI systems and clinicians in predicting the pathological type of pulmonary nodules. Results In the analysis of benign/non-benign pulmonary nodules, clinical data from a total of 638 patients with pulmonary nodules were included, of which there were 257 males (10 patients and 1 patient of double and triple primary lesions, respectively) and 381 females (18 patients and 1 patient of double and triple primary lesions, respectively), with a median age of 55.0 (47.0, 61.0) years. Different lesions in the same patient were analyzed as independent samples. Univariate analysis of the two groups of variables showed that, except for nodule location, the differences in the remaining variables were statistically significant (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age, nodule type (subsolid pulmonary nodule), average density, spicule sign, and vascular convergence sign were independent influencing factors for non-benign pulmonary nodules, among which age, nodule type (subsolid pulmonary nodule), spicule sign, and vascular convergence sign were positively correlated with non-benign pulmonary nodules, while average density was negatively correlated with the occurrence of non-benign pulmonary nodules. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of the malignancy risk value given by the AI system in predicting non-benign pulmonary nodules was 0.811, slightly lower than the 0.898 predicted by clinicians. In the PGL/MIA/IAC analysis, clinical data from a total of 411 patients with pulmonary nodules were included, of which there were 149 males (8 patients of double primary lesions) and 262 females (17 patients of double primary lesions), with a median age of 56.0 (50.0, 61.0) years. Different lesions in the same patient were analyzed as independent samples. Univariate analysis results showed that, except for gender, nodule location, and vascular convergence sign, the differences in the remaining variables among the three groups of PGL, MIA, and IAC patients were statistically significant (P<0.05). Multinomial multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the differences between the parameters in the PGL group and the MIA group were not statistically significant (P>0.05), and the maximum diameter and average density of the nodules were statistically different between the PGL and IAC groups (P<0.05), and were positively correlated with the occurrence of IAC as independent risk factors. The average AUC value, accuracy, recall rate, and F1 score of the AI system in predicting lung nodule pathological type were 0.807, 74.3%, 73.2%, and 68.5%, respectively, all better than the clinical physicians’ prediction of lung nodule pathological type indicators (0.782, 70.9%, 66.2%, and 63.7% respectively). The AUC value of the AI system in predicting IAC was 0.853, and the sensitivity, specificity, and optimal cutoff value were 0.643, 0.943, and 50.0%, respectively. Conclusion This AI system has demonstrated high clinical value in predicting the benign and malignant nature and pathological type of lung nodules, especially in predicting lung nodule pathological type, its ability has surpassed that of clinical physicians. With the optimization of algorithms and the adequate integration of multimodal data, it can better assist clinical physicians in formulating individualized diagnostic and treatment plans for patients with lung nodules.
4.Swyer syndrome with gonadal non-dysgerminoma malignant germ cell tumors: a report of 15 cases in a national medical center.
Huan LIANG ; Si Jie LI ; Jia Xin YANG ; Ming WU ; Dong Yan CAO ; Jin Hui WANG ; Tao WANG ; Xin Yue ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 2024;59(1):64-69
Objective: To evaluate the incidence, treatment, and survival outcomes of Swyer syndrome with gonadal non-dysgerminoma malignant germ cell tumor (MGCT-NDG). Methods: A retrospective study was performed on Swyer syndrome patients with MGCT-NDG between January 2011 and December 2022 in Peking Union Medical College Hospital to investigate their characteristics and outcomes. Results: A total of 15 patients (4.9%, 15/307) with Swyer syndrome were identified in 307 MGCT-NDG patients. The average age at diagnosis of MGCT-NDG and Swyer syndrome were (16.8±6.7) and (16.7±6.6) years, respectively. Six cases were preoperatively diagnosed as Swyer syndrome, of which 4 cases received bilateral gonadectomy with or without hysterectomy, while the other 2 cases underwent removal of gonadal tumor and unilateral gonadectomy with hysterectomy, respectively. Of the 9 patients postoperatively diagnosed as Swyer syndrome, unilateral gonadectomy, removal of gonadal tumor, and unilateral gonadectomy with hysterectomy were performed in 6 patients, 2 patients, and 1 patient, respectively. Mixed malignant germ cell tumor (MGCT;10 cases), yolk sac tumor (4 cases), and immature teratoma (1 case) were the pathological subtypes, in the descending order. There were International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage Ⅰ in 6 cases, stage Ⅱ in 3 cases, stage Ⅲ in 5 cases, and stage Ⅳ in 1 case, respectively. Eleven patients received reoperation for residual gonadectomy after a average delay of (7.9±6.2) months, including 8 MGCT-NDG patients and 1 gonadoblastoma patient, no tumor involved was seen in the remaining gonads in the other 2 cases. Ten patients experienced at least one recurrence, with a median event free survival of 9 months (5, 30 months), of which 2 patients received surgery only at the time of initial treatment. All patients with recurrence received surgery and combined with postoperative chemotherapy. After a median follow-up of 25 months (15, 42 months), 10 patients were disease-free, 3 patients died of the tumor, 1 died of side effects of leukemia chemotherapy, and 1 survived with disease. Conclusion: The incidence rate of Swyer syndrome in patients with MGCT-NDG is about 4.9%; timely diagnosis and bilateral gonadectomy should be emphasized to reduce the risk of reoperation and second carcinogenesis in this population.
Female
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Humans
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Retrospective Studies
;
Gonadal Dysgenesis, 46,XY/surgery*
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Gonadoblastoma/surgery*
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Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal/surgery*
;
Ovarian Neoplasms/pathology*
5.Human ESC-derived vascular cells promote vascular regeneration in a HIF-1α dependent manner.
Jinghui LEI ; Xiaoyu JIANG ; Daoyuan HUANG ; Ying JING ; Shanshan YANG ; Lingling GENG ; Yupeng YAN ; Fangshuo ZHENG ; Fang CHENG ; Weiqi ZHANG ; Juan Carlos Izpisua BELMONTE ; Guang-Hui LIU ; Si WANG ; Jing QU
Protein & Cell 2024;15(1):36-51
Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF-1α), a core transcription factor responding to changes in cellular oxygen levels, is closely associated with a wide range of physiological and pathological conditions. However, its differential impacts on vascular cell types and molecular programs modulating human vascular homeostasis and regeneration remain largely elusive. Here, we applied CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing of human embryonic stem cells and directed differentiation to generate HIF-1α-deficient human vascular cells including vascular endothelial cells, vascular smooth muscle cells, and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), as a platform for discovering cell type-specific hypoxia-induced response mechanisms. Through comparative molecular profiling across cell types under normoxic and hypoxic conditions, we provide insight into the indispensable role of HIF-1α in the promotion of ischemic vascular regeneration. We found human MSCs to be the vascular cell type most susceptible to HIF-1α deficiency, and that transcriptional inactivation of ANKZF1, an effector of HIF-1α, impaired pro-angiogenic processes. Altogether, our findings deepen the understanding of HIF-1α in human angiogenesis and support further explorations of novel therapeutic strategies of vascular regeneration against ischemic damage.
Humans
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Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/metabolism*
;
Endothelial Cells/metabolism*
;
Transcription Factors/metabolism*
;
Gene Expression Regulation
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Hypoxia/metabolism*
;
Cell Hypoxia/physiology*
6.Neuronal Microenvironment Dynamics Modeling Methods for Epilepsy
Duo LI ; Si-Hui LI ; Qiang LI ; Rui ZHANG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2024;51(8):1860-1872
Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder caused by hypersynchronous abnormal discharges of neurons in the brain. Extensive physiological experiments and neural computational modeling studies have found that abnormal neuronal discharges are the electrophysiological basis of epileptic seizures. In addition, alterations in neuronal microenvironment dynamics are potential causes of neuronal structural and functional changes that stimulate abnormal neuronal discharges, which in turn lead to the generation and development of epileptic seizures. Based on this point, this review paper first systematically elaborates and analyzes the four main factors influencing the alteration of neuronal microenvironment, including ion concentration, energy metabolism, neurotransmitters and cell volume, in terms of the neural mechanisms and modeling methods of their dynamics modeling. The main methods and processes of microenvironmental dynamics modeling for epilepsy are employing mathematical and biophysical expressions to model the dynamics of neuronal microenvironment alterations associated with epileptic seizures found in physiological experiments, and then analyzing and exploring the dynamic nature of neuronal epileptic discharges generation and transition through numerical simulations and bifurcation analysis. Among the epileptic discharge patterns mainly include epileptic seizure/bursting (SZ), spreading depolarizations (SD), hypoxic spreading depolarization (HSD), tonic firing (TF), and depolarization block (DB), etc. Existing works have revealed and verified that disruption of neuronal microenvironment homeostasis caused by loss of ionic homeostasis (e.g., excessive accumulation of intracellular Na+ and Cl- as well as extracellular K+), imbalance of excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters(e.g., excessively high concentration of Glu and low concentration of GABA in the extracellular space or synaptic clefts), depletion of energy metabolism substances (e.g., insufficient supply of O2 and ATP or excessive energy consumption due to abnormal neuronal discharges), cytotoxic swelling, etc., which can induce the generation and development of seizures. In combination with related works on the neuronal microenvironment dynamics modeling methods, we finally discuss and summarize the future research directions. It is expected to give a comprehensive perspective on the development trends and research progress in this field, and provide the favorable theoretical foundation for further research on the dynamic nature of epileptic discharge patterns and the neural mechanisms of epilepsy.
7.Preparation and in vitro-in vivo evaluation of suvorexant orodispersible films
Peng ZHAO ; Cong-hui LI ; Si-yi SHUAI ; Bing YANG ; Hui ZHANG ; Nan LIU ; Ai-ping ZHENG ; Yong-jun WANG ; Zeng-ming WANG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica 2024;59(9):2659-2664
Orodispersible films (oral dispersible films), a novel form of oral solid dosage forms, are widely used for patients with dysphagia and those with uncontrollable autonomic behavior. In this study, suvorexant orodispersible film was prepared by hot melt extrusion technology, and the disintegration time, mechanical properties,
8.Rheology guided the preparation of suvorexant-copovidone solid dispersions via hot melt extrusion technology
Peng ZHAO ; Cong-hui LI ; Si-yi SHUAI ; Bing YANG ; Hui ZHANG ; Nan LIU ; Zeng-ming WANG ; Yong-jun WANG ; Ai-ping ZHENG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica 2024;59(8):2396-2403
The rheological properties of drug and carrier materials have a wide range of guiding significance for the formulation and process development of solid dispersions. In this study, the rheological properties of materials with different drug carrier ratios were systematically studied with suvorexant as the model drug and copovidone as the carrier material, which provided a sufficient basis for determining the formulation and process of solid dispersions. The optimal suvorexant-copovidone ratio obtained by oscillating temperature scanning was 1∶4. If the ratio is greater than 1∶ 4, the glass transformation temperature of the material will increase significantly, and the solubilization effect of the solid dispersion will show a downward trend. The results of oscillation temperature scanning and oscillation temperature sweep can show that when the extrusion temperature is greater than 150 ℃, the viscosity of the material is less than 10 000 Pa·s, and the melt can be extruded smoothly, and the best extrusion temperature of 160-180 ℃ can be obtained by combining the dissolution results. Finally, the dissolution of suvorexant tablets guided by rheological property studies in multiple media is similar to that of the commercially available tablets Belsomra. Therefore, rheological studies can screen and optimize the formulation and process of suvorexant solid dispersions at the mechanism level, which is of great significance to improve the success rate of R&D and shorten the R&D cycle of solid dispersions prepared by hot melt extrusion.
9.A new furan α -butenolactones from Alisma orientale and their potential antifibrotic activities
Deng-hui ZHU ; Peng-li GUO ; Si-qi TAO ; Jing-ke ZHANG ; Meng-nan ZENG ; Xiao-ke ZHENG ; Wei-sheng FENG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica 2024;59(7):2058-2061
Four furan
10.A new suberin from roots of Ephedra sinica Stapf
Bo-wen ZHANG ; Meng LI ; Xiao-lan WANG ; Ying YANG ; Shi-qi ZHOU ; Si-qi TAO ; Meng YANG ; Deng-hui ZHU ; Ya-tong XU ; Wei-sheng FENG ; Xiao-ke ZHENG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica 2024;59(3):661-666
Six compounds were isolated from the roots of

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