1.Skeleton Binding Protein 1 of Plasmodium berghei Influences Deformability and Cytoskeletal Ultrastructure of Infected Erythrocyte
Xin-Yue GUO ; Huan-Qi ZHAO ; Yan-Xuan ZHONG ; Ru-Meng JIANG ; Yao-Xian LI ; Lei-Ting PAN ; Qian WANG ; Xiao-Yu SHI
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(4):1015-1027
ObjectiveThe malaria parasites remodel the host erythrocyte structure by exporting parasite proteins that interact with the membrane skeleton proteins of red blood cells (RBCs), facilitating their intracellular survival and pathogenicity. Skeleton-binding protein 1 (SBP1) is a conserved exported protein across Plasmodium species. In Plasmodium falciparum, SBP1 has been reported to interact with erythrocyte membrane skeleton proteins 4.1R and spectrin, while its contribution to erythrocyte remodeling and parasite virulence in Plasmodium berghei (Pb) remains unclear. This study aims to determine whether PbSBP1 associates with the host cytoskeletal protein 4.1R and to investigate its role in the remodeling of host RBCs and the pathogenicity of Plasmodium berghei. MethodsIn Plasmodium berghei, the relationship between PbSBP1 and the erythrocyte cytoskeletal protein 4.1R was examined using co-immunoprecipitation. A Pbsbp1 gene knockout mutant of Plasmodium berghei (Pbsbp1∆) was generated based on the principle of double crossover homologous recombination. The deformability of erythrocytes infected with Pbsbp1∆ parasites was assessed using microfluidic methods. Microchannels with an array of cylindrical pillars were used to detect modifications in infected RBC deformability. The infected RBCs were squashed between the rows and recovered between the columns and the transit velocity (μm/s) of infected RBCs travelling through the microchannel was recorded. The component of the erythrocyte membrane skeleton junctional complex, tropomodulin (TMOD), was fluorescently labeled, and the cytoskeletal network of infected erythrocytes was imaged using super-resolution stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM) to analyze ultrastructural changes in the cytoskeleton of wild-type (WT) and Pbsbp1∆-infected erythrocytes. Actin-based junctional complexes were displayed as individual clusters by the labeled TMOD in the STORM images, and the cluster densities and distances between adjacent clusters of infected RBCs were calculated. Additionally, rodent malaria models (BALB/c mice) and experimental cerebral malaria models (C57BL/6 mice) were employed to monitor the growth of Pbsbp1∆ and WT parasites during the intraerythrocytic stage and their capacity to induce cerebral malaria in mice. ResultsPbSBP1 may participate in the remodeling of infected erythrocytes through direct or indirect interaction with the erythrocyte cytoskeletal protein 4.1R. Microfluidic assays revealed that the deformability of erythrocytes infected with Pbsbp1∆ parasites was significantly enhanced compared to those infected with WT parasites. STORM imaging further demonstrated that the ultrastructure of the erythrocyte cytoskeleton in Pbsbp1∆-infected cells was altered relative to that in WT-infected erythrocytes. The distances between nearest neighbors of clusters had a tendency to increase while the cluster densities were decreased in Pbsbp1∆-infected RBCs compared to WT-infected RBCs. Subsequent phenotypic analysis indicated that the growth rate of Pbsbp1∆ parasites during the intraerythrocytic stage was significantly slower than that of WT parasites, and their ability to induce cerebral malaria in mice was also attenuated. These findings suggest that PbSBP1 is involved in the remodeling of the erythrocyte membrane skeleton, likely through its direct or indirect interaction with protein 4.1R, thereby regulating the deformability of infected erythrocytes and influencing the pathogenicity of the blood-stage parasites. ConclusionThis study establishes a role for PbSBP1 in host erythrocyte remodeling and parasite virulence, providing new research strategies for the prevention and treatment of malaria.
2.Plant-derived Exosome-like Nanovesicles in Biomedical Applications
Xu LIU ; Si-Rui LIU ; Jia-Yu MA ; Yu-Ting MOU ; Ting-Yu SHI ; Sheng HUANG ; Tian-Li SONG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(6):1609-1621
Plant-derived exosome-like nanovesicles (PELNs), characterized by a natural lipid bilayer membrane, have rapidly emerged as a prominent research frontier in medicine owing to their unique biological properties and robust therapeutic potential. This review comprehensively examines the biological profiles, mechanistic functions, and recent engineering advancements of PELNs. In terms of composition, PELNs are uniquely enriched in plant-specific glycolipids, phosphatidylserine, secondary metabolites, and highly stable 2'-O-methylated miRNAs. This distinct molecular makeup endows them with exceptional biocompatibility, negligible immunogenicity, and the capacity for cross-species molecular communication. Mechanistically, PELNs demonstrate profound anti-inflammatory efficacy by suppressing the NF-κB and NLRP3 inflammasome pathways. They also serve as potent immune modulators, driving macrophage M1/M2 polarization and regulating T cell activity. Additionally, PELNs exhibit promising antitumor capabilities, targeting malignancies via reactive oxygen species (ROS) induction, TRAIL pathway activation, and tumor microenvironment remodeling. Crucially, the plant miRNAs encapsulated within PELNs remain highly stable in the gastrointestinal tract, allowing them to selectively alter gene expression in specific gut microbiota communities. This interaction deeply influences host immunity and metabolism, highlighting the vital role in cross-species regulation. Advancements in bioengineering have further expanded the clinical utility of PELNs. Targeted delivery efficiency can be significantly amplified via surface functionalization (e.g., folate and RGD sequences) and state-of-the-art drug loading technologies such as sonication and electroporation. Consequently, engineered PELNs surpass traditional synthetic nanocarriers in penetrating natural physiological barriers, particularly for oral and transdermal drug administration. Despite these advantages, clinical translation is currently hindered by the lack of standardized isolation protocols, challenges in scalable manufacturing, and the need for robust quality control frameworks. Looking forward, the integration of multi-omics approaches and AI-driven “molecular fingerprinting”—coupled with the design of synthetic biomimetic vesicles—will be instrumental in overcoming these bottlenecks, ultimately establishing PELNs as a next-generation platform for precision medicine and targeted nanotherapeutic delivery.
3.Molecular mechanisms and prospects for disease treatment of ciliogenesis and autophagy
Hao-liang HU ; Jin WANG ; Jia-yan LIU ; Shi-fang HUANG ; Yu-ting LI ; Zhe CHEN ; Lin-xi CHEN
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2025;41(4):631-637
Cilia,as cellular sensory organelles,actively partici-pate in and regulate cellular processes such as autophagy and metabolic breakdown during their generation and transportation.Autophagy,on the other hand,is a cell self-protection mecha-nism that maintains cellular homeostasis by clearing aggregates and damaged organelles.Combining recent research findings,this review comprehensively elucidates the bidirectional crosstalk between primary cilia and autophagy.Specifically,it highlights the crucial role of cilia-dependent signaling pathways in activa-ting cellular autophagy and how autophagy regulates cilia genera-tion and length by degrading specific ciliary proteins.Moreover,the dysregulation of primary cilia and autophagy is closely asso-ciated with the clinical manifestations and pathogenesis of vari-ous ciliopathy-related diseases such as polycystic kidney disease and tuberous sclerosis.In terms of pharmacotherapy,this review provides a comprehensive and in-depth overview of small mole-cule inhibitors targeting ciliogenesis,including cytoskeletal drugs and Hedgehog signaling pathway inhibitors.Despite the current limitations in clinical use,these drugs lay the groundw-ork for developing highly specific targeted small molecule inhibi-tors of ciliogenesis and for the treatment of ciliopathies and canc-ers.By systematically discussing ciliogenesis,autophagy,disea-ses and drugs,this review offers new insights for further elucida-ting the crosstalk between ciliogenesis and autophagy,exploring their pathological mechanisms in disease development,and de-veloping therapeutic strategies in the future.
4.Leptin promotes breast cancer cell MCF-7 migration and invasion through inhibiting ACSL5
Tao ZENG ; Lan WEI ; Yong-zhu XU ; Shi-yu YANG ; Hao-li SUN ; Ting-ting DANG ; Yi-qing YOU ; Jia-feng TANG ; Yan ZHANG
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2025;41(4):654-660
Aim To explore the possible regulatory effect of leptin on acyl-CoA synthetase long chain fami-ly member ACSL5 and their effect on migration and in-vasion of breast cancer cell,and to explore the underly-ing mechanism.Methods The expression of leptin receptor was detected by immunofluorescence assay.The migration and invasion ability of MCF-7 cells were detected by wound healing assay and Transwell assay respectively.The downstream target gene of leptin was analyzed by PCR microarray data.The expression of ACSL5 in breast cancer and its correlation with the staging and prognosis of breast cancer patients were as-sessed uing bioinformatics methods.The expression of ACSL5 in MCF-7 cells treated with different concentra-tions of leptin was detected using real time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR).Overexpressing ACSL5 was constructed by lentiviral transfection;the expressions of EMT related proteins,AMPK-α and p-AMPK-α were detected by Western blot.Results Leptin promoted breast cancer cell mi-gration and invasion and EMT.ACSL5 was significant-ly low expressed in breast cancer and related to progno-sis.Leptin downregulated the expression of ACSL5 through OBR.Leptin activated AMPK pathway to downregulate ACSL5 and promote migration,invasion and EMT of breast cancer cells.Conclusions Leptin may promote the migration,invasion and EMT of breast cancer by downregulating ACSL5 through activating AMPK pathway.
5.Bufotaline Enhances the Sensitivity of Pancreatic Cancer Cells to Adriamycin Treatment by Inhibiting DNA Damage Repair
Ming-Wen YIN ; Shu-Ting HAN ; Jiao XUE ; Jun-Jie MIAO ; Shi-Ying ZHAO ; Ze YU ; Jing JIN
Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2025;41(10):1410-1420
Pancreatic cancer has emerged as one of the most challenging malignancies worldwide,with its high resistance to chemotherapy being the primary cause of treatment failure.Therefore,enhancing the chemosensitivity of pancreatic cancer has become a major focus of current research.In this study,we in-vestigated how Bufotaline,a bufadienolide extracted from the traditional Chinese medicine toad venom,exhibits its antitumor activity.Specifically,we explored the potential of Bufotaline to enhance the chemo-sensitivity of pancreatic cancer cells to Adriamycin and elucidated its underlying molecular mechanisms.Using CCK-8 and colony formation assays,we demonstrated that Bufotaline enhances the inhibitory effect of Adriamycin on the survival of pancreatic cancer cell lines Patu-8988T,Aspc-1,and Patu-8988S.No-tably,Bufotaline treatment reduced the IC50 of Adriamycin in drug-resistant pancreatic cancer cells to lev-els comparable to those in non-resistant cells.Results from Western blot,immunofluorescence,comet as-say,and TUNEL assays revealed that Bufotaline promotes Adriamycin-induced DNA damage in pancreatic cancer cells.RNA-seq analysis of Patu-8988T cells treated with Adriamycin alone or in combination with Bufotaline showed significant changes in gene expression,and qRT-PCR analysis further confirmed that Bu-fotaline downregulates the expression of DNA damage repair proteins NBS1 and RAD50.Moreover,Western blot analysis revealed that Bufotaline reduces the levels of DNA damage response repair proteins,and Im-munofluorescence experiments indicated that Bufotaline inhibits the activation of the ATM/CHK2 signaling pathway.Finally,in a subcutaneous xenograft mouse model,the combination of Adriamycin and Bufotaline treatment significantly suppressed pancreatic cancer cell growth.In conclusion,Bufotaline enhances Adria-mycin-induced chemosensitivity in pancreatic cancer cells;the combination of Adriamycin and Bufotaline downregulates the expression of DNA damage response repair proteins NBS1 and RAD50,and inhibits the ATM/CHK2-mediated DDR signaling pathway,thereby delaying DNA damage repair.
6.Research Progress on Chinese Herbal Medicine-derived Extracellular Vesicles in Wound Healing
Meng GENG ; Yu-Ting LU ; Hui SHI
Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2025;41(10):1489-1498
Wound healing is a dynamic physiological process involving haemostasis,inflammation,pro-liferation and tissue remodeling.Skin injuries,such as diabetic foot ulcers,venous ulcers,and pressure ulcers,are difficult to heal and impose a serious physical and psychological burden on patients,and tra-ditional treatments are difficult to address such problems.In recent years,Chinese herbal medicine-de-rived extracellular vesicles(CHMEVs)have shown promising potential in the field of wound repair and drug delivery due to their excellent biocompatibility,low immunogenicity and high safety.CHMEVs are nano-like particles enriched with herbal small molecule compounds,proteins and metabolites,and are a-ble to cross biological barriers and effectively regulate intercellular communication to promote tissue re-pair.In this review,the isolation and extraction methods of CHMEVs and their roles in wound repair are reviewed,and the prospects and challenges of their clinical applications are discussed.The combination of engineered modification and biomaterials of CHMEVs further expands their potential for application in precision medicine and provides a new idea for the treatment of hard-to-heal wounds in the future.
7.Effect of Guanxinning injection on myocardial infarction by regulating cardiac immunity through CCL21
Yu-xin BAI ; Ying-xue ZHANG ; Ting-ting SHI ; Si-nan ZHU ; Zhen-kun XU ; Hong WANG ; Lu CHEN
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2025;41(5):960-969
Aim To investigate the mechanism of Guanxinning injection regulating cardiac immune mi-croenvironment to improve myocardial infarction in mice.Methods In this study,MI model was estab-lished by permanent ligation of left anterior descending coronary artery in mice.The mice were divided into five groups:sham operation group,model group,Guanxinning injection low dose group,Guanxinning in-jection high dose group and positive drug captopril group.Hearts were weighed,heart tissues were collect-ed,and Masson staining was used for pathological anal-ysis of heart tissues;immunofluorescence staining was used to detect apoptosis and CCL21 expression in the infarct border zone;flow cytometry was used to detect the proportion of immune cells in myocardial ischemia tissues and lymph nodes;PCR was used to detect CCL21 expression in heart and in vitro human lymphat-ic endothelial cells(HLEC).Results Compared with the model group,the low and high dose groups of Guanxinning injection significantly improved cardiac hypertrophy.Apoptosis in the border zone of myocardi-al infarction was reduced in the low and high dose groups of Guanxinning injection and captopril group.Compared with the model group,the proportion of leu-kocytes in the infarct border zone was dreduced and the proportion of CD4+T cells,Treg cells,and CD8+T cells in the mediastinal lymph nodes and infarct border zone of the heart was regulated in the low and high dose groups of Guanxinning injection;CCL21 secretion by the heart and lymphatic vessels increased.Conclu-sions Guanxinning injection can significantly improve cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis in MI mice,reduce ap-optosis in the infarct border zone,and play a role in an-ti-myocardial ischemia injury by promoting CCL21 ex-pression in lymphatic vessels to regulate the proportion of mediastinal lymph nodes and cardiac T cells after myocardial infarction.
8.Assay for detection of toxigenic Clostridioides difficile with combined microfluidic chip and immunochromatography technology
Hong-rui CHENG ; Xiao-jun SONG ; Yu CHEN ; Meng ZHANG ; Meng-ting CAI ; Kun ZHU ; Yu-lei TAI ; Shi-bo YING ; Da-zhi JIN
Chinese Journal of Zoonoses 2025;41(2):142-149
An assay was established for detection of toxigenic Clostridioides difficile by combining microfluidic chip analysis with immunochromatography,and its performance was evaluated and compared with those of the Xpert C.difficile/Epi and VIDAS CD AB tests.Primer pairs were designed according to the tcdB and tpi genes in C.difficile.The specificity,limit of detection,reproducibility,and stability were evaluated.A total of 215 stool samples from patients with diarrhea were collected and tested in parallel with the Xpert C.difficile/Epi,VIDAS CDAB,and our assay.C.difficile was isolated from samples,and the tcdB gene was identified when discrepant results were obtained from the three above assays.Our assay showed no cross-reaction with other diarrhea-associated pathogens.Its reproducibility was 100%in testing of two standard plasmids containing tcdB and tpi genes at two concentrations(105 and 102 copies/μL).Two standard plasmids were detected after the PCR and immunochromatography reagents had been stored for 3,6,9,and 12 months,and all the results were posi-tive.The limit of detection was 10 copies/μL for toxigenic C.difficile.Testing of 33 samples positive for C.difficile with our assay(33/215,15.3%)yielded findings statistically coherent with those of the Xpert C.difficile/Epi test(kappa value=0.965).The sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value,and negative predictive value of our assay,with respect to Xpert C.difficile/Epi as the standard,were 94.3%,100.0%,100.0%,and 98.9%;these values were significantly higher than those of VIDAS CDAB(60.0%,98.9%,91.3%,and 92.7%)(Kappa=0.714,OR=157.50,95%CI:62.03-847.28,P=0.013).In conclusion,our newly developed assay is specific,stable,and reproducible,and may be used for rapid and accu-rate detection of toxigenic C.difficile.The assay could be used for C.difficile infection screening in outpatient and emergen-cy,community medical service center,and epidemiological settings.
9.Significance of basophil levels in prognostic evaluation of intra-abdominal infection
Ming-min PANG ; Shao-hua FAN ; Mei-chen YAN ; Bao LIU ; Ju YANG ; Ya-nan LI ; Shi-han ZHANG ; Ting-yu MENG ; Tao GAO
Chinese Journal of Current Advances in General Surgery 2025;28(5):367-372
Objective:To assess the relationship between basophil levels and mortality in patients with intra-abdominal infection.Methods:Information on patients with intraperitoneal infection admitted to the intensive care unit were extracted from the MIMIC database.A time-dependent Cox regression model was used to adjust for confounders associated with 28-day mortality.Propensity score matching(PSM)was used to balance the baseline differences be-tween groups with different basophil levels,and a restricted cube chart(RCS)was used to show the relationship between basophil count and 28-day mortality in patients with intra-abdominal infection.Results:A total of 4403 patients with intra-abdominal infection were enrolled in the MIMIC database.Patients with high basophil levels have lower mortality than those with low basophil levels.There was an L-shaped curve between basophil level and 28-day mortality,with a cut-off value of 0.47×109/L.Cox regression analysis showed that basophil levels were an independent protective factor for mortal-ity in patients with intra-abdominal infection after adjusting for potential confounders(HR=0.586,95%CI:0.443-0.769).Protective factors for death at basophil levels remained after PSM adjusted for potential confounders(HR=0.628,95%CI:0.470-0.832).Conclusion:Basophil level is an independent protective factor for mortality in patients with intra-abdominal infection,and basophil levels should be dynamically monitored to better evaluate the prognosis of patients.
10.Epidemiological characteristics and trends of postoperative pneumonia in 22 tertiary general hospitals in Jiangsu Province
Hui QIU ; Ping JIANG ; Ping WANG ; Tielin ZHU ; Yan XU ; Tingrui WANG ; Yan SUN ; Yu ZHANG ; Yujuan HOU ; Xiaoming KONG ; Xiaoxu CHEN ; Lanping SHI ; Xiuying LI ; Jing BAI ; Yan WANG ; Huili YUAN ; Bo WANG ; Ying ZHANG ; Jinxia XU ; Ting MA ; Minghua YAN ; Yanan CHEN
Chinese Journal of Infection Control 2025;24(11):1594-1600
Objective To understand the epidemiological characteristics and trends of postoperative pneumonia(POP)in tertiary general hospitals in Jiangsu Province,and provide theoretical basis for carrying out targeted pre-vention and control measures.Methods Surgery patients from 22 tertiary general hospitals in 12 cities in north,central,and south of Jiangsu Province from January 1,2022 to December 31,2023 were chosen as studied subjects,occurrence of POP was analyzed and compared.Results A total of 848 274 surgical procedures were performed in 22 hospitals,and 3 606 cases of POP occurred,with an incidence of 0.43%.The incidence in 2023 was 0.37%,which was lower than that in 2022(0.49%),with statistically significant difference(P<0.001).The top three de-partments with high incidence of POP were neurosurgery(6.71%),cardiothoracic surgery(2.91%),and general surgery(0.77%).Among hospitals of different grades,the incidence of POP in tertiary first-class hospitals was 0.44%,which was higher than that in other tertiary hospitals(0.37%).There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of POP between municipal and district/county hospitals(P>0.05).The incidence of POP in hospitals with a bed:infection control full-time staff ratio<200∶1 was lower than that in hospitals with the ratio ≥200∶1(0.39%vs 0.47%,P<0.001),while the incidence of POP in hospitals with a proportion ≥30%of full-time staff being doctors was higher than that in hospitals with a proportion<30%(0.45%vs 0.36%,P<0.001).The incidence of POP in male patients was higher than that in female patients(0.62%vs 0.26%,P<0.001).The incidence of POP in elderly patients aged≥65 was higher than that in patients aged<65(0.73%vs 0.26%,P<0.001).A total of 2 667 strains of infectious pathogens were detected,with the top three being Acine-tobacter baumannii,Klebsiella pneumoniae,and Pseudomonas aeruginosa,accounting for 28.95%,22.72%,and 15.45%,respectively.The detection rates of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii(CRAB),carba-penem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae(CRKP),and carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa(CRPA)were 60.75%,21.45%,and 32.28%,respectively.The detection rate of CRKP decreased in 2023 compared with 2022,with statistically significant difference(P<0.05).Conclusion The overall incidence of POP in tertiary general hos-pitals in Jiangsu Province is relatively low,but there are significant differences among different hospitals.There-fore,perioperative prevention and control measures should be carried out based on the epidemiological characteristics of patients.

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