1.Direct reprogramming of fibroblasts into functional hepatocytes via CRISPRa activation of endogenous Gata4 and Foxa3
Jiacheng LI ; Ruopu LI ; Xue BAI ; Wenlong ZHANG ; Yu NIE ; Shengshou HU
Chinese Medical Journal 2024;137(11):1351-1359
Background::The ability to generate functional hepatocytes without relying on donor liver organs holds significant therapeutic promise in the fields of regenerative medicine and potential liver disease treatments. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) activator (CRISPRa) is a powerful tool that can conveniently and efficiently activate the expression of multiple endogenous genes simultaneously, providing a new strategy for cell fate determination. The main purpose of this study is to explore the feasibility of applying CRISPRa for hepatocyte reprogramming and its application in the treatment of mouse liver fibrosis.Method::The differentiation of mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) into functional induced hepatocyte-like cells (iHeps) was achieved by utilizing the CRISPRa synergistic activation mediator (SAM) system, which drove the combined expression of three endogenous transcription factors— Gata4, Foxa3, and Hnf1a—or alternatively, the expression of two transcription factors, Gata4 and Foxa3. In vivo, we injected adeno-associated virus serotype 6 (AAV6) carrying the CRISPRa SAM system into liver fibrotic Col1a1-Cre ER; Cas9 fl/fl mice, effectively activating the expression of endogenous Gata4 and Foxa3 in fibroblasts. The endogenous transcriptional activation of genes was confirmed using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and RNA-seq, and the morphology and characteristics of the induced hepatocytes were observed through microscopy. The level of hepatocyte reprogramming in vivo is detected by immunofluorescence staining, while the improvement of liver fibrosis is evaluated through Sirius red staining, alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) immunofluorescence staining, and blood alanine aminotransferase (ALT) examination. Results::Activation of only two factors, Gata4 and Foxa3, via CRISPRa was sufficient to successfully induce the transformation of MEFs into iHeps. These iHeps could be expanded in vitro and displayed functional characteristics similar to those of mature hepatocytes, such as drug metabolism and glycogen storage. Additionally, AAV6-based delivery of the CRISPRa SAM system effectively induced the hepatic reprogramming from fibroblasts in mice with live fibrosis. After 8 weeks of induction, the reprogrammed hepatocytes comprised 0.87% of the total hepatocyte population in the mice, significantly reducing liver fibrosis. Conclusion::CRISPRa-induced hepatocyte reprogramming may be a promising strategy for generating functional hepatocytes and treating liver fibrosis caused by hepatic diseases.
2.Mechanism of Xiyanping injection in treatment of acute lung injury using network pharmacology and molecular docking analysis
Shao-Yan NIE ; Su-Su FAN ; Yu-Shan ZHU ; Xue-Rong PENG ; Ying-Xia WANG ; Xuan ZHANG
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2024;40(6):1165-1171
Aim To explore the protective effects of Xiyanping injection against lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced acute lung injury(ALI)in mice,and investi-gate the underlying mechanism.Methods In the LPS-induced ALI mouse model,the protective effect of Xiyanping injection against ALI was evaluated by ob-serving the pathological indicators of lung tissue.Net-work pharmacology and molecular docking were used to explore its mechanism.Western blot method was used to validate the predicted target proteins.Results Xiy-anping injection significantly improved the pathological injury and alleviated inflammatory reactions in lungs of ALI mice.Four active ingredients were identified in Xiyanping injection,namely,14-deoxy-11-oxo-an-drographolide,14-deoxyandrographolide,14-deoxy-12-methoxyandrographolide,and andrographolide-19-β-D-glucoside.A total of 288 corresponding drug targets and 4 960 ALI-related targets were obtained,with 192 genes overlapping.The ten core targets associated with Xiyanping injection were identified as STAT3,EGFR,PIK3R1,MAPK1,PIK3CA,NFKB1,ESR1,MAPK8,JAK2,and FYN.GO enrichment analysis re-vealed 310 biological processes(BP),65 cellular components(CC),and 80 molecular functions(MF)associated with the overlapping genes.KEGG pathway enrichment analysis identified 141 pathways related to ALI,with the top 20 pathways including MAPK,TNF-α,VEGF,cAMP,mTOR,AMPK,NOD,JAK-STAT,IL-17,and NF-κB.Molecular docking results demonstrated strong binding affinity between core tar-gets(MAPK1,MAPK8,NFKB1)and active ingredi-ents(14-deoxy-12-methoxyandrographolide and 14-de-oxyandrographolide).Western blotting showed that medium and high doses of Xiyanping injection signifi-cantly downregulated p38,JNK,ERKl/2,NF-κB p65 protein expression in lung tissue of ALI mice(P<0.01).Conclusions Xiyanping injection has a cer-tain protective effect against ALI,and the mechanism is related to regulating MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways.
3.Establishment of an artificial intelligence assisted diagnosis model based on deep learning for recognizing gastric lesions and their locations under gastroscopy in real time
Xian GUO ; Ying-Yang WU ; Ai-Rui JIANG ; Chao-Qiang FAN ; Xue PENG ; Xu-Biao NIE ; Hui LIN ; Jian-Ying BAI
Journal of Regional Anatomy and Operative Surgery 2024;33(10):849-854
Objective To construct an artificial intelligence assisted diagnosis model based on deep learning for dynamically recognizing gastric lesions and their locations under gastroscopy in real time,and to evaluate its ability to detect and recognize gastric lesions and their locations.Methods The gastroscopy videos of 104 patients in our hospital was retrospectively analyzed,and the video frames were manually annotated.The annotated picture frames of lesion category were divided into the training set and the validation set according to the ratio of 8∶2,and the annotated picture frames of location category were divided into the training set and the validation set according to the patient sources at the ratio of 8∶2.These sets were utilized for training and validating the respective models.YoloV4 model was used for the training of lesion recognition,and ResNet152 model was used for the training of location recognition.The accuracy,sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value,negative predictive value and location recognition accuracy of the auxiliary diagnostic model were evaluated.Results A total of 68 351 image frames were annotated,with 54 872 frames used as the training set,including 41 692 frames for lesion categories and 13 180 frames for location categories.The validation set consisted of 13 479 frames,comprising 10 422 frames for lesion categories and 3 057 frames for location categories.The lesion recognition model achieved an overall accuracy of 98.8%,with a sensitivity of 96.6%,specificity of 99.3%,positive predictive value of 96.3%,and negative predictive value of 99.3% in validation set.Meanwhile,the location recognition model demonstrated an top-5 accuracy of 87.1% .Conclusion The artificial intelligence assisted diagnosis model based on deep learning for real-time dynamic recognition of gastric lesions and their locations under gastroscopy has good ability in lesion detection and location recognition,and has great clinical application prospects.
4.Research progress of molecular docking in screening anti-cervical cancer drugs
Dan WANG ; Wenyan ZHANG ; Renjie LUO ; Yuanjing CHEN ; Xue HAN ; Bo QU ; Shifang FENG ; Xiazi NIE ; Huiling LIU
Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics 2024;29(8):955-960
Cervical cancer is one of the most common gynecological malignant tumors,the five-year survival rate decreased significantly in the case of lymph node metastasis and distant metasta-sis,so the development of new anti-cervical cancer drugs is of great significance for the treatment of cervical cancer.Molecular docking technology is one of the most commonly used research methods in computer aided drug design,which is widely used in screening the effective components of drugs,finding the targets of drugs acting on tumors and exploring the mechanism of antineoplastic drugs.This paper reviews the molecular docking technology in the screening of anti-cervical cancer drugs,the determination of anti-tumor targets and the mechanism of anti-cervical cancer,in order to provide more sufficient theoretical basis for the screening of anti-cervical cancer drugs and new drug research and development.
5.Medical mobility analysis of discharged pediatric patients in Beijing between 2013 and 2022
Han-Lin NIE ; Xue-Feng SHI ; Zhao-Min DONG ; Bai ZANG ; Feng LU
Chinese Journal of Health Policy 2024;17(7):35-42
Objective:To analyze the mobile of pediatric discharged patients in Beijing from 2013 to 2022 and provide data support for rational planning of pediatric medical resource allocation.Methods:The number,source and flow of pediatric discharges from secondary and higher-level medical institutions in Beijing were described and compared and analyzed visually.Two indicators,the cross-district consultation rate,and the load share ratio,were measured to reflect the outflow rate of patients from the outflow areas and the pressure on the supply of healthcare services in the inflow areas.Results:The proportion of pediatric discharged patients from secondary and upper medical institutions in Beijing was 53.34%.Hebei,Shandong,Henan,Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region,and Shanxi were the main source provinces,with a cumulative proportion of 68.02%.Pediatric patients from other provinces mainly flowed to Xicheng District,tertiary hospitals,and children's hospitals,which was consistent with the main flow of patients in Beijing.There was an interactive flow of pediatric patients between the 16 administrative districts.Between 2020 and 2022,the average annual cross-regional consultation rate of pediatric patients in Fangshan District,Daxing District,Huairou District,Pinggu District,Miyun District,and Yanqing District all had relatively large increases.After considering patients from outlying provinces,the load share of each administrative district increased to varying degrees,with Xicheng District showing a high multiplier increase.Conclusions:The mobility of pediatric patients from other provinces and cross-regional visits in Beijing was relatively high,and both had high targeting and concentration in their choice of visits.It is recommended that a targeted work plan for the relocation of medical functions be formulated,and paediatric patients should be reasonably triaged according to their population and needs,so as to guide a reasonable flow of paediatric patients to seek medical treatment.
6.Relationship Between Social Determinants of Health and Stroke:a National Prospective Cohort Study
Zujiao NIE ; Congyi ZHENG ; Xin WANG ; Linfeng ZHANG ; Ye TIAN ; Jiayin CAI ; Zhen HU ; Xue CAO ; Yixin TIAN ; Runqing GU ; Mingzhi ZHANG ; Zengwu WANG
Chinese Circulation Journal 2024;39(6):599-605
Objectives:To investigate the association between social determinants of health(SDOH)and incident stroke and analyze the main risk factors for stroke among resident with different SDOH levels. Methods:From 2012 to 2015,30 036 residents(≥35 years old)from 30 districts in 14 provincial-level administrative divisions in China were enrolled this study based on stratified multi-stage-random-sampling method.The prevalence of cardiovascular diseases and related risk factors were investigated,and stroke events were followed up in 2018 to 2019.Principal component analysis was performed to establish SDOH scores based on 9 indicators related to socioeconomic and healthcare resources,participants were divided into low SDOH group(n=8 343)when it was≥-2.01 to<-1.14,middle SDOH group(n=7 257)when it was≥-1.14 to<0.10,and high SDOH group(n=8 457)when it was≥0.10 to≤5.79.Multivariate Cox regression was applied to estimate the association of SDOH levels with incident stroke.The random survival forest method was used to analyze the major risk factors in different SDOH levels. Results:A total of 24 057 participants were finally included,669(2.8%)participants developed stroke during a mean of(4.7±0.8)years follow-up.The incidence densities of stroke in the low,medium,and high SDOH groups were 468.39,628.85,and 700.39/100 000 person-years,respectively(Pdifference<0.05,Ptrend=0.01).Compared with individuals with low SDOH level group,fully HR for incident stroke among those with medium and high were 1.91(95%CI:1.54-2.36)and 1.59(95%CI:1.30-1.95),respectively(Ptrend<0.001).Advanced age is the primary risk factor for stroke in the population,especially in districts with high SDOH level.In districts with medium SDOH level,diabetes is an important risk factor for stroke.High blood pressure and alcohol consumption are important modifiable risk factors in low SDOH level districts. Conclusions:Present study shows that higher levels of SDOH are associated with increased risk of stroke.The main risk factors for stroke differ among participants with different SDOH level districts.Targeted interventions should be implemented to improve the prevention and treatment of stroke in populations with different levels of SDOH.
7.Genome sequences of H7N9 avian influenza virus in poultry-related environment in Henan Province in 2023
Bicong WU ; Xue LUO ; Shidong LU ; Yun SONG ; Baifan ZHANG ; Haiyan WEI ; Yifei NIE ; Hui XIA ; Sijia WAN ; Ying YE ; Xueyong HUANG ; Wanshen GUO ; Hongxia MA
Chinese Journal of Microbiology and Immunology 2024;44(5):377-381
Objective:To analyze the genetic evolution and molecular characteristics of H7N9 avian influenza virus (AIV) isolated in a live poultry market.Methods:Samples such as poultry feces, sewage, and hair removal machine and chopping board swabs were collected. Real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR was used to detect influenza A virus and H7N9 AIV in the samples. The whole genome of H7N9 AIV was amplified with influenza A virus universal primers and sequenced. BLAST and MEGA X were used for sequence alignment, phylogenetic analysis and molecular characterization.Results:Seven poultry-related environment samples were collected in the live poultry market in Xuchang city in February 2023, and four were positive for H7N9 AIV. The whole genome sequences of three H7N9 AIV isolates were successfully obtained, and the isolates shared high nucleotide identity in different genes (98.37%-100.00%). BLAST analysis showed they were highly identical to H7N9 strains isolated from domestic poultry in China from 2020 to 2021. Genetic evolution analysis showed that the three isolates clustered in the same branch and were closer to the recent environmental isolates than to the recent strains isolated from human or avian. Through comparison with the sequences of the representative strains in different periods, it was found that the isolated strains in this study showed high avian pathogenicity with four amino acids KRAA inserted at the cleavage site; the hemagglutinin receptor-binding site was QSG, which was an avian binding receptor; there was a G186I mutation in hemagglutinin. Mammalian-adaptive mutation E627K was not detected in polymerase basic protein 2. Mutations (R292K and I38T) associated with drug resistance to neuraminidase inhibitor (oseltamivir) and polymerase acidic protein inhibitor (baloshavir) were not detected, suggesting that these isolates remained susceptible to these drugs. A S31N mutation was found in M2 protein, indicating they were resistant to alkamines.Conclusions:The three H7N9 AIV strains isolated in the live poultry market have high avian pathogenicity, but there are no significant increase in mutations related to the binding ability to human receptors, mammalian pathogenicity, viral transmissibility, or drug resistance as compared with previous representative strains causing human or avian infection.
8.Small bowel capsule endoscopy image classification method based on Swin Transformer network and Adapt-RandAugment data augmentation approach
Rui NIE ; Xue-Si LIU ; Fei TONG ; Yuan-Yang DENG ; Xiang-Hua LIU ; Li YANG ; He-Hua ZHANG ; Ao-Wen DUAN
Chinese Medical Equipment Journal 2024;45(6):9-16
Objective To propose a method for classifying small bowel capsule endoscopy images by combining the Swin Transformer network with an improved Adapt-RandAugment data augmentation approach,aiming to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of small bowel lesion classification and recognition.Methods An Adapt-RandAugment data augmentation approach was formulated based on the RandAugment data enhancement sub-strategy and the principles of no feature loss and no distortion when enhancing small bowel capsule endoscopy images.In the publicly available Kvasir-Capsule dataset of small bowel capsule endoscopic images,the Adapt-RandAugment data augmentation approach was trained based on the Swin Transformer network,and the convolutional neural networks ResNet152 and DenseNet161 were used as the benchmarks to validate the combined Swin Transformer network and Adapt-RandAugment data augmentation approach for small bowel capsule endoscopy image classification.Results The proposed algorithm gained advantages over ResNet152 and DenseNet161 networks in the indicators,which had the macro average precision(MAC-PRE),macro average recall(MAC-REC),macro average F1 score(MAC-Fi-S)being 0.383 2,0.314 8 and 0.290 5 respectively,the micro average precision(MIC-PRE),micro average recall(MIC-REC)and micro average F1 score(MIC-Fi-S)all being 0.755 3,and the Matthews correlation coe-fficient(MCC)being 0.452 3.Conclusion The proposed small bowel capsule endoscopy image classification method based on Swin Transformer network and Adapt-RandAugment data augmentation approach behaves well in classified recognition efficiency and accuracy.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2024,45(6):9-16]
9.Clinical efficacy of carrellizumab combined with albumin-bound paclitaxel in patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer
Dingqian ZHANG ; Kefeng GAO ; Luyao XIONG ; Xue BAI ; Dengke NIE
Tianjin Medical Journal 2024;52(12):1256-1261
Objective To explore the clinical effect and safety of carrellizumab combined with albumin-bound paclitaxel on the treatment of patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer.Methods Ninety-eight patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer were randomly divided into the study group and the reference group,with 49 cases in each group.The reference group was treated with albumin-bound paclitaxel,while the study group was treated with camrelizumab+albumin-bound paclitaxel.After treatment,the overall efficacy was evaluated,and the disease control rate was calculated.Serum tumor markers[high mobility group protein B1(HMGB1),squamous cell carcinoma associated antigen(SCCA)],PD-1 and PD-L1 levels were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)before and after treatment.Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the microvascular density(MVD)and the expression levels of PD-1 and PD-L1 in esophageal carcinoma tissue.The percentages of CD3+,CD4+and CD8+cells were detected by flow cytometry.Patients were followed up and adverse reactions and survival were recorded.Results The disease control rate was higher in the study group than that of the control group(P<0.05).There were no significant differences in all indexes between the groups before treatment(P>0.05).After treatment,HMGB1 level,SCCA level,MVD,serum PD-1 level and tumor tissue high expression rate of PD-1 were all decreased in the two groups,while serum PD-L1 level,PD-L1 high expression rate and percentages of CD3+,CD4+and CD8+cells were all increased(P<0.05).Except there was no significant difference in MVD between groups,the other indexes were significantly changed in the study group compared with the control group(P<0.05).There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups(P>0.05).The progression-free survival rate was higher in the study group than that of the control group(P<0.05).Conclusion Carrellizumab combined with albumin-bound paclitaxel in the treatment of locally advanced esophageal cancer can help control lesion progression and inhibit angiogenesis,with good safety.
10.Investigation and disposal of a cluster of suspected neonatal bloodstream infection with carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae
Yu-Lin LI ; Wen-Ting CHEN ; Xue-Yun LI ; Chan NIE ; Song-Tao HAN ; Li-Yuan CHEN ; Lan TANG ; Zhen-Yu WANG ; Ya-Hui LI ; Yan XU ; Xia MU
Chinese Journal of Infection Control 2024;23(8):1031-1036
Objective To investigate the causes of a cluster of suspected neonatal carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae(CRKP)bloodstream infection(BSI)in the neonatal department of a hospital,and provide references for the effective control of the occurrence of healthcare-associated infection(HAI).Methods Epidemiological in-vestigation on 3 neonates with CRKP BSI in the neonatal department from January 31 to February 6,2023 was per-formed.Specimens from environmental object surfaces were taken for environmental hygiene monitoring,and effec-tive control measures were taken according to the risk factors.Results From January 31 to February 6,2023,a to-tal of 60 neonates were admitted in the neonatal department,including 16 with peripherally inserted central venous catheter(PICC).Three neonates had CRKP BSI,with a incidence of 5.00%.There were 33 hospitalized neonates on the day(February 7)when the cluster of HAI was reported,with a prevalence rate of 9.09%(3/33).CRKP BSI rate in the neonatal department of this hospital from January 31 to February 6,2023 was higher than that in 2022(P<0.001).The incubators of the 3 neonates with CRKP BSI were in the same ward and adjacent to each other.The first neonate with CRKP BSI(who developed BSI on January 31)underwent PICC maintenance on Feb-ruary 4,and the other 2 neonates with PICC maintenance immediately following the first one also developed CRKP BSI.CRKP were isolated from blood culture of all 3 neonates,and antimicrobial susceptibility testing results were consistent.Conclusion The occurrence of the cluster event of neonatal CRKP BSI may be related to the failure of strict implementation of aseptic procedures during PICC maintenance and cross contamination among items.

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