1.Brain Aperiodic Dynamics
Zhi-Cai HU ; Zhen ZHANG ; Jiang WANG ; Gui-Ping LI ; Shan LIU ; Hai-Tao YU
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(1):99-118
Brain’s neural activities encompass both periodic rhythmic oscillations and aperiodic neural fluctuations. Rhythmic oscillations manifest as spectral peaks of neural signals, directly reflecting the synchronized activities of neural populations and closely tied to cognitive and behavioral states. In contrast, aperiodic fluctuations exhibit a power-law decaying spectral trend, revealing the multiscale dynamics of brain neural activity. In recent years, researchers have made notable progress in studying brain aperiodic dynamics. These studies demonstrate that aperiodic activity holds significant physiological relevance, correlating with various physiological states such as external stimuli, drug induction, sleep states, and aging. Aperiodic activity serves as a reflection of the brain’s sensory capacity, consciousness level, and cognitive ability. In clinical research, the aperiodic exponent has emerged as a significant potential biomarker, capable of reflecting the progression and trends of brain diseases while being intricately intertwined with the excitation-inhibition balance of neural system. The physiological mechanisms underlying aperiodic dynamics span multiple neural scales, with activities at the levels of individual neurons, neuronal ensembles, and neural networks collectively influencing the frequency, oscillatory patterns, and spatiotemporal characteristics of aperiodic signals. Aperiodic dynamics currently boasts broad application prospects. It not only provides a novel perspective for investigating brain neural dynamics but also holds immense potential as a neural marker in neuromodulation or brain-computer interface technologies. This paper summarizes methods for extracting characteristic parameters of aperiodic activity, analyzes its physiological relevance and potential as a biomarker in brain diseases, summarizes its physiological mechanisms, and based on these findings, elaborates on the research prospects of aperiodic dynamics.
2.Identification and functional analysis of β-amyrin synthase gene in Dipsacus asper.
Huan LEI ; Hua HE ; Jiao XU ; Chang-Gui YANG ; Wei-Ke JIANG ; Tao ZHOU ; Lan-Ping GUO
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(4):1043-1050
Dipsaci Radix is a commonly used Chinese herbal medicine in China, with triterpenoid saponins as the main active components. β-Amyrin synthase, a member of the oxidosqualene cyclase superfamily, plays a crucial role in the biosynthesis of oleanane-type triterpenoid saponins. Asperosaponin Ⅵ is an oleanane-type triterpenoid saponin. To explore the β-amyrin synthase genes involved in the biosynthesis of asperosaponin Ⅵ in Dipsacus asper, this study screened the candidate genes from the transcriptome data of D. asper. Two β-amyrin synthase genes, Da OSC1 and Da OSC2, were identified by phylogenetic analysis and correlation analysis. The coding sequences of Da OSC1 and Da OSC2 were 2 286 bp and 2 295 bp in length, encoding 761 and 764 amino acids,respectively. Multiple sequence alignments showed that Da OSC1 and Da OSC2 had three conserved motifs( DCTAE, QW, and MWCYCR) unique to the oxidosqualene cyclase family. Real-time quantitative PCR results showed that Da OSC1 and Da OSC2 had the highest expression levels in the roots. Compared with normal growth conditions, the low-temperature treatment significantly upregulated the expression of Da OSC1 and Da OSC2. Agrobacterium-mediated transient expression of Da OSC1 and Da OSC2 in Nicotiana benthamiana resulted in the production of β-amyrin, which suggested that Da OSC1 and Da OSC2 were able to catalyze the synthesis of β-amyrin. This study clarified the catalytic functions of two β-amyrin synthases in D. asper, analyzed their expression patterns in different tissue and at low temperatures. The findings provide a foundation for further studying the biosynthetic pathway and regulatory mechanism of asperosaponin Ⅵ in D. asper.
Intramolecular Transferases/chemistry*
;
Phylogeny
;
Plant Proteins/chemistry*
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Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
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Dipsacaceae/classification*
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Saponins/metabolism*
;
Oleanolic Acid/metabolism*
3.Clinical efficacy of autologous apheresis platelet-rich plasma combined with adjustable titanium plate fixation in the treatment of Rockwood type Ⅲ acromioclavicular joint dislocation.
Wei CAI ; An-Ping WU ; Hai-Tao TAN ; Gao-Bing XU ; Zhuo-Yi FU ; Yong PENG ; Di-Shi GUI ; Qiao-Mei PU
China Journal of Orthopaedics and Traumatology 2025;38(6):587-593
OBJECTIVE:
To explore clinical efficacy of autologous platelet-rich plasma(PRP) in treating Rockwood type Ⅲ acromioclavicular dislocation.
METHODS:
From January 2019 to July 2021, 32 patients with Rockwood type Ⅲ acromioclavicular dislocation were treated with minimally invasive adjustable titanium plate internal fixation, and were divided into PRP group and control group according to whether PRP treatment was performed, with 16 patients in each group. In PRP group, there were 10 males and 6 females, aged from 28 to 47 years old with an average of (36.75±7.14) years old;the time from injury to surgery ranged from 1 to 31 h with an average of (26.13±3.98) h;5 patients on the left side and 11 patients on the right side;PRP was injected once during operation and the 4th and 8th weeks after operation respectively. In control group, there were 8 males and 8 females, aged from 30 to 52 years old with an average of (38.50±5.48) years old; the time from injury to surgery ranged from 1 to 29 h with an average of (25.48±3.11) h;7 patients on the left side and 9 patients on the right side; minimally invasive surgical treatment was performed. Visual analogue scale(VAS) was used to evaluate pain and Constant-Murley score for shoulder joint function was used to evaluate the recovery of shoulder joint movement function before operation and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after operation respectively.
RESULTS:
All patients were followed up for 12 to 28 months with an average of (18.3±5.2) months. All incisions patients healed well without adverse events such as infection. Postoperative VAS of PRP group at 1, 3, and 6 months were (5.5±1.2), (3.7±1.6), and (2.4±1.2), respectively, while were lower than those of control group (6.6±1.4), (4.9±1.1), and (3.7±1.3), respectively;and had statistical differences between two groups (P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in VAS between two groups before operation and 12 months after operation (P>0.05). Postoperative Constant-Murley scores of PRP group at 1, 3, and 6 months were (64.09±11.61), (73.19±12.89), and (82.61±14.81) points, respectively, which were higher than those of control group were (52.32±17.42), (61.65±14.43), and (72.52±11.04) respectively;and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in Constant-Murley scores at 12 months after operation between two groups (P>0.05). In PRP group, there was no statistically significant difference at 6 months and 12 months after operation (P>0.05), while there were statistically significant differences at the other time points (1 month after operation compared with before operation, 3 months after operation compared with 6 months after operation, and 3 months after operation compared with 1 month after operation) (P<0.05). In control group, there was no statistically significant difference when comparing 1 month and 3 months after operation (P>0.05), while at the other time points (1 month after operation with before operation, 3 months after operation with 6 months after operation, and 6 months after operation with 12 months after operation), the differences were all statistically significant (P<0.05).
CONCLUSION
Adjustable titanium plate fixation combined with postoperative injection of PRP for the treatment of Rockwood type III acromioclavicular joint dislocation has effect of promoting the recovery of shoulder joint function and reducing pain.
Humans
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Male
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Female
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Adult
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Middle Aged
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Platelet-Rich Plasma
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Acromioclavicular Joint/surgery*
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Bone Plates
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Titanium
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Joint Dislocations/therapy*
;
Fracture Fixation, Internal/methods*
4.Antagonistic effect of Lactobacillus reuteri on testicular reproductive toxicity of neonicotinoid insecticides in mice.
Zhen-Han XU ; Pei-Gen CHEN ; Jin-Tao GUO ; Lin-Yan LÜ ; Hai-Cheng CHEN ; Gui-Hua LIU
National Journal of Andrology 2025;31(2):131-137
OBJECTIVE:
To explore the effect of Lactobacillus reuteri on testicular injury in mice exposed to neonicotinoid insecticides (NNI).
METHODS:
Fifteen C57BL/6 male mice were randomly divided into control group (CTRL group), exposure group (NNI group) and Lactobacillus intervention group (NNI-L group). The mice in CTRL group were given 0.02ml/g of 0.5% carboxymethyl cellulose sodium solution by gavage for 14 days. The mice in NNI group were given 0.02 ml/g of NNI mixture by gavage for 14 days. The mice in NNI-L group were given 0.02 ml/g of NNI mixture by gavage and 5×108cfu/ml of Lactobacillus reuteri powder solution for 14 days. Then, the histomorphology and function of testicle were evaluated by hematoxylin-eosin staining, immunofluorescence staining and RNA sequencing.
RESULTS:
Compared with CTRL group, the thickness of testicular seminiferous epithelium in the NNI group was significantly thinner. And the decline in the number of spermatogenic cells and sperm was observed. And the expression of spermatogonial stem cell marker UCHL1 was down-regulated which was significantly improved in NNI-L group compared with the NNI group. The abnormal expressions of hormone and sperm methylation related genes in testis of NNI group were detected by RNA sequencing, with significant down-regulation being found in NPFF and IGF2. While the expression of HSD3B8 was significantly up-regulated. The abnormal expression of these genes could be significantly improved after oral administration of Lactobacillus reuteri.
CONCLUSION
Testicular spermatogenesis and endocrine function can be damaged by NNI exposure. And oral administration of Lactobacillus reuteri protects testis from the adverse effects of NNI toxicity.
Animals
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Male
;
Limosilactobacillus reuteri
;
Testis/pathology*
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Mice
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Mice, Inbred C57BL
;
Insecticides/toxicity*
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Neonicotinoids/toxicity*
;
Probiotics
;
Spermatogenesis/drug effects*
5.Ventral Hippocampal CA1 GADD45B Regulates Susceptibility to Social Stress by Influencing NMDA Receptor-Mediated Synaptic Plasticity.
Mengbing HUANG ; Jian BAO ; Xiaoqing TAO ; Yifan NIU ; Kaiwei LI ; Ji WANG ; Xiaokang GONG ; Rong YANG ; Yuran GUI ; Hongyan ZHOU ; Yiyuan XIA ; Youhua YANG ; Binlian SUN ; Wei LIU ; Xiji SHU
Neuroscience Bulletin 2025;41(3):406-420
Growth arrest DNA damage-inducible protein 45 β (GADD45B) has been reported to be a regulatory factor for active DNA demethylation and is implicated in the modulation of synaptic plasticity and chronic stress-related psychopathological processes. However, its precise role and mechanism of action in stress susceptibility remain elusive. In this study, we found a significant reduction in GADD45B expression specifically in the ventral, but not the dorsal hippocampal CA1 (dCA1) of stress-susceptible mice. Furthermore, we demonstrated that GADD45B negatively regulates susceptibility to social stress and NMDA receptor-dependent long-term potentiation (LTP) in the ventral hippocampal CA1 (vCA1). Importantly, through pharmacological inhibition using the NMDA receptor antagonist MK801, we provided further evidence supporting the hypothesis that GADD45B potentially modulates susceptibility to social stress by influencing NMDA receptor-mediated LTP. Collectively, these results suggested that modulation of NMDA receptor-mediated synaptic plasticity is a pivotal mechanism underlying the regulation of susceptibility to social stress by GADD45B.
Animals
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Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate/antagonists & inhibitors*
;
CA1 Region, Hippocampal/drug effects*
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Male
;
Stress, Psychological/physiopathology*
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Mice
;
Neuronal Plasticity/drug effects*
;
Long-Term Potentiation/drug effects*
;
Mice, Inbred C57BL
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Antigens, Differentiation/metabolism*
;
Dizocilpine Maleate/pharmacology*
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Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists/pharmacology*
;
GADD45 Proteins
6.Influence of Outdoor Light at Night on Early Reproductive Outcomes of In Vitro Fertilization and Its Threshold Effect: Evidence from a Couple-Based Preconception Cohort Study.
Wen Bin FANG ; Ying TANG ; Ya Ning SUN ; Yan Lan TANG ; Yin Yin CHEN ; Ya Wen CAO ; Ji Qi FANG ; Kun Jing HE ; Yu Shan LI ; Ya Ning DAI ; Shuang Shuang BAO ; Peng ZHU ; Shan Shan SHAO ; Fang Biao TAO ; Gui Xia PAN
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2025;38(8):1009-1015
7.Simultaneous Determination of 50 Kinds of Steroid Hormones in Surface Water by Online Solid Phase Extraction Coupled with Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography-Triple Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry
Fang-Xi XU ; He NIU ; Yu-Tao GE ; Guo-Hua ZHU ; Hang-Bin LYU ; Jin-Song LI ; Lang-Sha YI ; Jian-Jie FU ; Gui-Bin JIANG
Chinese Journal of Analytical Chemistry 2025;53(6):998-1009,中插22-中插41
A novel analytical method was developed in this study by combining online solid phase extraction with ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(Online SPE-UPLC-MS/MS)for simultaneous determination of 50 kinds of steroid hormones in surface water.Specifically,after high-speed centrifugation of 4 mL water samples,the supernatant was directly injected into an Oasis HLB online SPE column for enrichment and purification.Subsequently,the target compounds were transferred to the analytical column via valve switching for separation and analysis.The chromatographic separation was performed on a Thermo Acclaim RSLC C18 column(100 mm×2.1 mm,2.2 μm),using a mobile phase composed of 5 mmol/L ammonium fluoride aqueous solution and acetonitrile.Mass spectrometric detection was conducted in positive ion mode,utilizing multiple reaction monitoring(MRM)with quantification achieved by the internal standard method.The method validation demonstrated that the limits of detection(LOD)for the 50 kinds of steroid hormones ranged from 0.02 to 0.50 ng/L,while the limits of quantification(LOQ)were between 0.08 and 1.67 ng/L.The average recoveries in surface water samples at spiked concentrations of 5,20 and 200 ng/L were between 74.1%and 119%,with relative standard deviations(RSDs)of 0.2%to 9.9%.This method was applied to analyze 11 surface water samples collected from sites surrounding a pharmaceutical and chemical industrial park.A total of 44 kinds of steroid hormones were detected,with concentrations ranging from 0.11 to 88.6 ng/L,revealing the presence of hormone contamination in the environmental waters surrounding industrial areas.Compared with the traditional offline SPE methods,the proposed online SPE technique significantly reduced sample volume requirements and pretreatment time,while minimizing the loss of target compounds during the pretreatment process.Moreover,compared to reported online SPE techniques,this method achieved high-throughput analysis of multiple classes of steroid hormones,with lower detection limits and higher recoveries.Overall,this method provided rapid sample preparation,high sensitivity,and excellent stability,making it suitable for the direct analysis of trace steroid hormones in surface water.
8.Clinical characteristics,polysomnographic features,and efficacy of non-invasive positive pressure ventilation in children with sleep related hypoventilation disorder
Tao TAO ; Gui-Min HUANG ; Li CHANG
Medical Journal of Chinese People's Liberation Army 2025;50(10):1284-1289
Objective To analyze the clinical characteristics and polysomnographic(PSG)features of children with sleep-related hypoventilation disorder(SRHD),facilitate its auxiliary diagnosis,and explore the therapeutic effects of non-invasive positive pressure ventilation(NPPV)on SRHD children.Methods A retrospective study was conducted on the medical records of 16 children diagnosed with SRHD who were admitted and treated in the Department of Respiratory Diseases,Children's Hospital Affiliated to Capital Institute of Pediatrics,from July 2016 to June 2024.Additionally,69 children with severe obstructive sleep apnea(OSA)who visited the Department of Respiratory Diseases and Otolaryngology at the same hospital from July 2021 to June 2022 and met the inclusion criteria were enrolled to compare clinical and PSG characteristics between SRHD and OSA children.The therapeutic effects of NPPV were evaluated.Results(1)Among 16 SRHD children,4(25.0%)presented with cyanosis,9(56.3%)with dyspnea,and 5(31.3%)with convulsions.(2)Eleven SRHD children completed PSG+PetCO2,showing PSG characteristics consistent with severe OSA.(3)Compared with severe OSA children,SRHD children had lower proportion of rapid eye movement(REM)sleep,mean and minimum oxygen saturation,and higher obstructive hypopnea index,obstructive apnea-hypopnea index(OAHI),and apnea-hypopnea index(AHI)(P<0.05).(4)When compared with 25 severe OSA children with OAHI>25,the ratio of obstructive apnea to hypoventilation was approximately 1:30 in SRHD children,with more significant decrease in pulse oxygen saturation(P<0.05).(5)After NPPV treatment for 12 SRHD children,clinical symptoms and PSG indicators significantly improved(P<0.05).Conclusions The 3 main symptoms in SRHD children are dyspnea,convulsions,and cyanosis.For children with unexplained cyanosis and PSG meeting severe OSA criteria,especially those with predominantly obstructive hypoventilation events and significant SpO2 reduction,PetCO2 monitoring should be performed to detect SRHD early.NPPV improves clinical symptoms,reduces sleep-related events,increases sleep-time SpO2,and enhances sleep safety in SRHD children.
9.Preliminary identification of the cloning, expression, and function of Marmota himalayana type I interferon receptor β subunit
Ying TAO ; Dongliang YANG ; Baoju WANG ; Yi LIU ; Wenjia GUI ; Zhi LI ; Hebin FAN
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2024;40(2):278-283
ObjectiveTo clone the gene of Marmota himalayana type Ⅰ interferon receptor β subunit (mhIFNAR2), and to perform antibody preparation and functional identification. MethodsRT-PCR was used for amplification in the spleen tissue of Marmota himalayana to obtain the sequence, which was cloned to the prokaryotic expression vector pRSET-B to express the recombinant protein. Electrophoresis and Western blot were used for identification. BALB/c mice were immunized with the recombinant protein to prepare the polyclonal antibody of its extracellular domain; immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence assay, and Western Blot were used for identification, and the method of siRNA blockade was used to investigate its function. An analysis of variance was used for comparison of continuous data between multiple groups, and the least significant difference t-test was used for comparison between two groups. ResultsA fragment of mhIFNAR2 (149 — 1 300 bp) was obtained from spleen tissue, which showed the highest homology of 98.05% in marmot. A prokaryotic expression plasmid was successfully constructed for expression of the extracellular domain of the mhIFNAR2(50-181aa) and was named pRSET-B.mhIFNAR2, and the recombinant protein expressed by this plasmid had a molecular weight of 27 kD, a purity of about 95% after purification, and a concentration of 160 μg/mL. After BALB/c mice were immunized with the purified recombinant protein, 1∶1 000 specific polyclonal antibodies were obtained, and immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence assay showed the expression in cell membrane and cytoplasm. Among the three siRNAs synthesized, the siRNA starting from the 277 locus (siRNA277) could silence the expression of target genes and weaken the interferon signaling pathway compared with the blank control group and the negative control group (both P<0.05). ConclusionThe fragment of mhIFNAR2 is obtained, and the polyclonal antibody for the extracellular domain of mhIFNAR2 is successfully prepared, with relatively high titer and specificity, and can be used for immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence assay, and Western blot.
10.Correlation between the Expression of Serum P2X7R and CTGF Levels and Clinical Symptom Scores and Cognitive Function in Patients with Schizophrenia
Xiu GUI ; Lina TAO ; Juan QIAO ; Fen CHEN
Journal of Modern Laboratory Medicine 2024;39(1):61-66
Objective To investigate the correlation between the expression of purinergic ligand-gated ion channel 7 receptor(P2X7R)and connective tissue growth factor(CTGF)in serum and cognitive function and clinical symptoms in patients with schizophrenia.Methods A total of 160 patients with schizophrenia who were diagnosed and treated in Department of Mental Intensive Care of Wuhan Wudong Hospital from January 2021 to January 2023 were collected as the observation group,and 160 healthy volunteers who underwent physical examinations were collected as the control group for the study.According to the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale(PANSS),patients were evaluated for their clinical and psychiatric symptoms(positive and negative symptoms,general pathological symptoms,and additional symptoms).The patients were grouped into a high score group(PANSS total score≥70 points,n=72)and a low score group(PANSS total score<70 points,n=88).MATRICS consensus cognitive battery(MCCB)was applied to evaluate the cognitive abilities of patients;enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was applied to detect serum P2X7R and CTGF levels.Spearman method was applied to analyze the correlation between serum P2X7R,CTGF levels and PANSS scores,and MCCB scores in patients with schizophrenia.Results Compared with the control group,the serum levels of P2X7R(610.71±107.83ng/L vs 384.78±80.62 ng/L)and CTGF(1.85±0.36μg/L vs 1.40±0.21μg/L)in the observation group were increased,with differences of statistical significance(t=21.226,13.658,all P<0.05).The scores of variety items of MCBB of patients with schizophrenia in the observation group were lower than those in the control group,with differences of statistical significance(t=14.845~24.862,all P<0.05),the positive symptom score(21.10±3.42score),negative symptom score(23.37±5.03 score),general pathological symptom score(39.48±8.11score),additional symptom score(8.26±1.22 score),and PANSS total score(92.21±12.50score)of schizophrenia patients in the high group were higher than those in the low group(13.65±3.04,15.62±3.91 score,30.14±6.15 score,5.20±0.94score,64.61±5.30score),with differences of statistical significance(t=14.576,10.964,8.280,17.915,18.764,all P<0.05).The serum levels of P2X7R and CTGF in patients with schizophrenia in the high group were higher than those in the low group,with differences of statistical significance(t=12.233,5.923,all P<0.05).The levels of serum P2X7R and CTGF in patients with schizophrenia were positively correlated with PANSS score(r=0.464~0.580,all P<0.05),and negatively correlated with MCCB score[r=-0.603~-0.439,all P<0.05].Conclusion The serum levels of P2X7R and CTGF in patients with schizophrenia are elevated,they are closely related to the clinical symptoms and cognitive function of patients.

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