1.Pseudolaric Acid B-linked Double-network Hydrogel Alleviates Pruritus by Inhibiting The Growth of Staphylococcus aureus
Ye YOU ; Yan YANG ; Tong-Yu LI ; Cheng-Long CAI ; Ting WANG ; Chan ZHU ; Zong-Xiang TANG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(6):1734-1745
ObjectiveThis study aimed to elucidate the mechanistic role of Staphylococcus aureus in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD), a chronic inflammatory skin disorder characterized by pruritus and barrier dysfunction. A key focus was screening traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) active components with dual antibacterial and antipruritic efficacy, followed by systematic evaluation of their in vitro antibacterial activity. Additionally, a novel drug delivery system was constructed to enable localized efficient drug delivery, inhibiting S. aureus proliferation and alleviating its induced pruritus, thereby providing new strategies for targeted AD therapy. MethodsMale C57BL/6J mice aged 6-8 weeks (body weight 18-22 g) were used to establish an AD model via repeated oxazolone sensitization. On day 14, microbial samples were collected from the lesional area (1 cm²) using sterile cotton swabs, followed by vortex mixing, serial dilution, and plating on 5% sheep blood agar plates (incubated at 37°C for 24 h). Single colonies with complete transparent β-hemolytic zones were isolated and identified as vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus (VISA) via 16S rRNA sequencing. An S. aureus mono-infection animal model was then established by applying gauze saturated with bacterial suspension (McFarland turbidity 0.1) to the nape and back skin of mice. The pruritic phenotype and inflammatory cell infiltration induced by S. aureus were evaluated using comprehensive approaches including behavioral assays (e.g., scratching frequency recording), hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, and toluidine blue staining. The in vitro antibacterial efficacy of the TCM monomer pseudolaric acid B (PAB) and double network hydrogel (DN) was separately assessed by disk diffusion assay, while the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of PAB was determined via broth dilution method. Further validation of the pharmacodynamic characteristics of the composite system (PAB@DN, composed of PAB and DN) was conducted through behavioral assays, HE staining, and dermatitis scoring, with its drug release profile evaluated by mass spectrometry analysis. Based on scratching behavioral analysis and dermatitis scoring, the optimal ratio and concentration of PAB@DN were optimized. ResultsThe S. aureus load in AD lesional tissues was significantly higher than in normal skin ((5.3±0.33)×10⁶ CFU vs. (3.6±0.26)×10⁷ CFU, P<0.001). In the S. aureus mono-infection group, mice exhibited a 6.7-fold increase in scratching frequency compared to the control group. HE staining revealed marked epidermal thickening ((10.4±2.39) μm vs. (85.6±1.95) μm, P<0.000 1), and toluidine blue staining showed a 23-fold increase in mast cell degranulation. Pseudolaric acid B exhibited a significant concentration-dependent inhibitory effect onS. aureus growth, with its in vitro antibacterial effect being 57% that of the antibiotic cefepime (inhibition zone diameter: PAB (1.885±0.036) cm vs. cefepime (3.636±0.005) cm, P<0.000 1) and a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 1 g/L. The carrier double network hydrogel (DN) itself lacked direct antibacterial activity (no significant difference in inhibition zone diameter compared to the control) but effectively ameliorated the dry symptoms of AD-like lesions. The PAB@DN composite system demonstrated a synergistic effect compared to individual components, resulting in a 50% reduction in scratching behavior, an 86% decrease in dermatitis score, and a 60% reduction in epidermal thickening. It also reduced the S. aureus load in mouse skin by approximately 34%, with the optimal effective formulation being PAB at 1 g/L loaded onto DN. ConclusionS. aureus colonization plays a critical driving role in the onset and progression of AD. Using an S. aureus infection model, this study confirmed that the pseudolaric acidB-hydrogel composite delivery system (PAB@DN) can effectively alleviate S. aureus-induced pruritus and skin damage, providing experimental evidence for microbiota-targeted therapy of AD.
2.Rapid On-site Analysis of Four Prohibited Sex Hormones in Cosmetics Using Online Derivatization Reaction and A Miniature Mass Spectrometer
Li-Li TONG ; Yan-Hong HU ; Ren-You YANG ; Yue-Guang LYU ; Yu-Han SHANG ; Qing LYU ; Qing ZHANG ; Qiang WANG ; Xiang-Yu GUO
Chinese Journal of Analytical Chemistry 2025;53(10):1623-1630
Due to the poor ionization efficiency and the weak mass spectrometry(MS)intensity of weakly polar substances,direct analysis using the traditional electrospray ionization mass spectrometry(ESI-MS)is a big challenge.In this study,a novel rapid on-site detection method of four prohibited sex hormones in cosmetics was proposed using online derivatization strategy coupled with a miniature mass spectrometer.The target substances in the samples were extracted by a custom-made polyaniline/multi-walled carbon nanotube solid-phase microextraction(SPME)probe.The stirring speed was 200 r/min,the extraction temperature was 40℃,and the extraction time was 2 min.A pulled dual-channel θ borosilicate glass capillary emitter was used as the nano-ESI ion source.The SPME probe was inserted into the channel containing methanol in theθborosilicate glass capillary.When the spray voltage was applied,the four sex hormones were desorbed and formed spray microdroplets,which then collided with the hydroxylamine microdroplets generated from the other channel.The microdroplets of reaction product entered into the miniature mass spectrometer for direct analysis.The limits of detection(LOD)and limits of quantification(LOQ)for the four sex hormones were 10-20 ng/mL and 20-50 ng/mL,respectively.The recoveries were from 84.6%to 107.8%with the relative standard deviations(RSD)from 4.1%to 11.6%.Compared to detection without derivatization,the MS signals of the four target substances were increased by 3 to 15 times.This method was simple,rapid,highly efficient and sensitive,and suitable for on-site rapid analysis of weakly polar sex hormones in cosmetics.
3.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.
4.ADAR1 Regulates the ERK/c-FOS/MMP-9 Pathway to Drive the Proliferation and Migration of Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Cells.
Li ZHANG ; Xue PAN ; Wenqing YAN ; Shuilian ZHANG ; Chiyu MA ; Chenpeng LI ; Kexin ZHU ; Nijia LI ; Zizhong YOU ; Xueying ZHONG ; Zhi XIE ; Zhiyi LV ; Weibang GUO ; Yu CHEN ; Danxia LU ; Xuchao ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Lung Cancer 2025;28(9):647-657
BACKGROUND:
Double-stranded RNA-specific adenosine deaminase 1 (ADAR1) binds to double-stranded RNA and catalyzes the deamination of adenosine (A) to inosine (I). The functional mechanism of ADAR1 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains incompletely understood. This study aimed to investigate the prognostic significance of ADAR1 in NSCLC and to elucidate its potential role in regulating tumor cell proliferation and migration.
METHODS:
Data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and cBioPortal were analyzed to assess the correlation between high ADAR1 expression and clinicopathological features as well as prognosis in lung cancer. We performed Western blot (WB), cell proliferation assays, Transwell invasion/migration assays, and nude mouse xenograft modeling to examine the phenotypic changes and molecular mechanisms induced by ADAR1 knockdown. Furthermore, the ADAR1 p150 overexpression model was utilized to validate the proposed mechanism.
RESULTS:
ADAR1 expression was significantly elevated in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) tissues compared with adjacent non-tumor tissues (LUAD: P=3.70×10-15, LUSC: P=0.016). High ADAR1 expression was associated with poor prognosis (LUAD: P=2.03×10-2, LUSC: P=2.81×10-2) and distant metastasis (P=0.003). Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) indicated that elevated ADAR1 was associated with mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MAPK/ERK) pathway activation, matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) expression, and cell adhesion. ADAR1 and MMP-9 levels showed a strongly positive correlation (P=6.45×10-34) in 10 lung cancer cell lines, highest in H1581. Knockdown of ADAR1 in H1581 cells induced a rounded cellular morphology with reduced pseudopodia. Concomitantly, it suppressed cell proliferation, invasion, migration, and in vivo tumorigenesis. It also suppressed ERK phosphorylation and downregulated cellular Finkel-Biskis-Jinkins murine osteosarcoma viral oncogene homolog (c-FOS), MMP-9, N-cadherin, and Vimentin. Conversely, ADAR1 p150 overexpression in PC9 cells enhanced ERK phosphorylation and increased c-FOS and MMP-9 expression.
CONCLUSIONS
High ADAR1 expression is closely associated with poor prognosis and distant metastasis in NSCLC patients. Mechanistically, ADAR1 may promote proliferation, invasion, migration, and tumorigenesis in lung cancer cells via the ERK/c-FOS/MMP-9 axis.
Humans
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Lung Neoplasms/physiopathology*
;
Adenosine Deaminase/genetics*
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Matrix Metalloproteinase 9/genetics*
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Cell Proliferation
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Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/physiopathology*
;
Cell Movement
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Animals
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Mice
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RNA-Binding Proteins/genetics*
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Female
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Male
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Cell Line, Tumor
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos/genetics*
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Middle Aged
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MAP Kinase Signaling System
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Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
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Mice, Nude
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Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases/genetics*
5.Targeting IRG1 in tumor-associated macrophages for cancer therapy.
Shuang LIU ; Lin-Xing WEI ; Qian YU ; Zhi-Wei GUO ; Chang-You ZHAN ; Lei-Lei CHEN ; Yan LI ; Dan YE
Protein & Cell 2025;16(6):478-483
6.Exploration of the Prevention and Treatment of Peritoneal Dialysis-Related Peritoneal Fibrosis with Invigorating Qi,Detoxif-ying,and Resolving Stasis Method Based on Collateral Disease Theory
Yongqing YOU ; Manshu YU ; Yun SHAN ; Rong XU ; Jin YAN ; Jinyi SUN ; Meixiao SHENG
Journal of Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;41(8):1021-1026
Peritoneal fibrosis(PF)is an important reason that restricts long-term treatment of peritoneal dialysis(PD).Based on the theory of collateral disease,PF is considered to be an abdominal collateral disease,with dampness as the main pathogenic factor,and collateral qi deficiency and stagnation,toxicity and blood stasis as the core pathogenesis.The peritoneum is chronically exposed to an inflammatory microenvironment induced by non-biocompatible peritoneal dialysis fluid,reflecting the pathogenic mechanism of dampness-induced pathology.The resultant pathological processes,including damage of peritoneal mesothelial cells,accumulation of inflammatory mediators and metabolic products,and angiogenesis—elucidate the scientific connotation of dampness impairing collaterals and inducing deficiency,toxicity,and stasis.On this basis,the treatment principles of invigorating qi,detoxifying,resolving stasis and unblocking collaterals were proposed,and the Qixue Huazheng prescription was formed with Astragalus as the main ingredient and Centella asiatica and Ligusticum wallichii as the compatibility,which provides a reference for the prevention and treatment of PD-relat-ed PF by traditional Chinese medicine.
7.Research on trust enhancement pathway of essential public health services from the perspective of health risk governance
Yu ZHANG ; Rui-ke YOU ; Yang ZHAO ; Hai-ming FAN ; Yan-qing MIAO
Chinese Journal of Health Policy 2025;18(11):25-30
The essential public health services is an important component of China's health risk governance system.It possesses both institutional and emotional attributes and addresses potential risk factors in health risk governance by forming a rational pathway and an emotional pathway:essential public health services guide-trust in government enhancement-improve health risk governance capacity.The rational pathway strengthens calculative trust through institutional reinforcement mechanisms,fostering the public's cognitive trust in government departments.The emotional pathway follows the principle of satisfaction,strengthening non-calculative trust through emotional communication and cultivating the public's emotional trust in government departments.By reinforcing both cognitive and emotional trust among the public,essential public health services improved the level of health information reserves and the guidance of medical service order,thereby improving health risk governance capacity.
8.The efficacy of blinatumomab in the treatment of pediatric B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a multicenter study
Weiling YAN ; Jun LU ; Hua WANG ; Lihua YU ; Huidi FENG ; Bai LI ; Wenguang JIA ; Jian WANG ; Wenting HU ; Xue TANG ; Jing FAN ; Yujie GUAN ; Xiaolan LI ; Yalan YOU ; Yongmin TANG ; Xiaojun XU
Chinese Journal of Pediatrics 2025;63(11):1194-1200
Objective:To investigate the efficacy and toxicity of blinatumomab in the first-line and second-line treatment of pediatric B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL).Methods:A multi-center retrospective cohort study was conducted to analyze clinical data from 323 pediatric B-ALL patients treated with blinatumomab across 14 hospitals in China from May 2021 to July 2023. Patients were divided into four groups based on the treatment phase and disease status when blinatumomab was used: relapsed/refractory group, post-consolidation minimal residual disease (MRD)-positive group, early MRD-positive group, and MRD-negative group. Blinatumomab for the relapsed/refractory group was considered as second-line treatment, while the other 3 groups as first-line treatment. The MRD negativity rate after treatment, the survival rates and the incidence of severe adverse events were compared across these groups. Patients who received blinatumomab for more than 7 days were included in the efficacy analysis. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method, and Log-Rank test was used to compare the survival rates among groups.Results:Among the 323 patients, 191 (59.1%) were male, with the age of 6.2 (3.9, 10.5) years. There were 117 patients in the relapsed/refractory group, 62 cases in the post-consolidation MRD-positive group, 43 cases in the early MRD-positive group, and 101 cases in the MRD negative group. In the relapsed/refractory group, the complete remission rate and MRD negativity rate after one course of blinatumomab were 71.4% (35/49) and 81.5% (75/92) for the 49 children without complete remission and the 92 children with flow cytometry-positive MRD, respectively. In the post-consolidation MRD-positive group, the MRD negativity rates after one course of blinatumomab were 100.0% (27/27), 12/16 and 9/19 for patients with MRD positivity detected by flow cytometry, polymerase chain reaction and next-generation sequencing, respectively. In the early MRD-positive group, the MRD negativity rates were 96.7% (29/30) and 9/9 for flow cytometry and next-generation sequencing, respectively. The 2-year overall survival rate and event-free survival rate for the 319 children evaluable for efficacy were (90.6±1.7)% and (87.6±1.9)%, respectively, with the relapsed/refractory group showing significantly lower overall survival rates and event-free survival rate compared to the other groups ( χ2=21.40, 26.21,both P<0.001). Grade 3 or higher adverse events occurred in 128 cases (39.6%), with hematological toxicity observed in 101 cases, while cytokine release syndrome (CRS), infection, and neurotoxicity occurred in 11, 26 and 8 cases, respectively. In addition, there were statistically significant differences in the grade 3 or higher CRS among the four groups ( χ2=8.03, P<0.05). Conclusion:Blinatumomab can clear MRD more effectively and achieve superior survival outcomes when used as first-line treatment for pediatric B-ALL, with less CRS.
9.Expert Consensus on the Ethical Requirements for Generative AI-Assisted Academic Writing
You-Quan BU ; Yong-Fu CAO ; Zeng-Yi CHANG ; Hong-Yu CHEN ; Xiao-Wei CHEN ; Yuan-Yuan CHEN ; Zhu-Cheng CHEN ; Rui DENG ; Jie DING ; Zhong-Kai FAN ; Guo-Quan GAO ; Xu GAO ; Lan HU ; Xiao-Qing HU ; Hong-Ti JIA ; Ying KONG ; En-Min LI ; Ling LI ; Yu-Hua LI ; Jun-Rong LIU ; Zhi-Qiang LIU ; Ya-Ping LUO ; Xue-Mei LV ; Yan-Xi PEI ; Xiao-Zhong PENG ; Qi-Qun TANG ; You WAN ; Yong WANG ; Ming-Xu WANG ; Xian WANG ; Guang-Kuan XIE ; Jun XIE ; Xiao-Hua YAN ; Mei YIN ; Zhong-Shan YU ; Chun-Yan ZHOU ; Rui-Fang ZHU
Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2025;41(6):826-832
With the rapid development of generative artificial intelligence(GAI)technologies,their widespread application in academic research and writing is continuously expanding the boundaries of sci-entific inquiry.However,this trend has also raised a series of ethical and regulatory challenges,inclu-ding issues related to authorship,content authenticity,citation accuracy,and accountability.In light of the growing involvement of AI in generating academic content,establishing an open,controllable,and trustworthy ethical governance framework has become a key task for safeguarding research integrity and maintaining trust within the academic community.This expert consensus outlines ethical requirements across key stages of AI-assisted academic writing-including topic selection,data management,citation practices,and authorship attribution.It aims to clarify the boundaries and ethical obligations surrounding AI use in academic writing,ensuring that technological tools enhance efficiency without compromising in-tegrity.The goal is to provide guidance and institutional support for building a responsible and sustainable research ecosystem.
10.Clinical application of single-balloon and double-balloon enteroscopy in pediatric small bowel diseases: a retrospective study of 576 cases.
Can-Lin LI ; Jie-Yu YOU ; Yan-Hong LUO ; Hong-Juan OU-YANG ; Li LIU ; Wen-Ting ZHANG ; Jia-Qi DUAN ; Na JIANG ; Mei-Zheng ZHAN ; Chen-Xi LIU ; Juan ZHOU ; Ling-Zhi YUAN ; Hong-Mei ZHAO
Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics 2025;27(7):822-828
OBJECTIVES:
To evaluate the effectiveness of single-balloon and double-balloon enteroscopy in diagnosing pediatric small bowel diseases and assess the diagnostic efficacy of computed tomography enterography (CTE) for small bowel diseases using enteroscopy as the reference standard.
METHODS:
Clinical data from 576 children who underwent enteroscopy at Hunan Children's Hospital between January 2017 and December 2023 were retrospectively collected. The children were categorized based on enteroscopy type into the single-balloon enteroscopy (SBE) group (n=457) and double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) group (n=119), and the clinical data were compared between the two groups. The sensitivity and specificity of CTE for diagnosing small bowel diseases were evaluated using enteroscopy results as the standard.
RESULTS:
Among the 576 children, small bowel lesions were detected by enteroscopy in 274 children (47.6%).There was no significant difference in lesion detection rates or complication rates between the SBE and DBE groups (P>0.05), but the DBE group had deeper insertion, longer procedure time, and higher complete small bowel examination rate (P<0.05). The complication rate during enteroscopy was 4.3% (25/576), with 18 cases (3.1%) of mild complications and 7 cases (1.2%) of severe complications, which improved with symptomatic treatment, surgical, or endoscopic intervention. Among the 412 children who underwent CTE, the sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing small bowel diseases were 44.4% and 71.3%, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS
SBE and DBE have similar diagnostic efficacy for pediatric small bowel diseases, but DBE is preferred for suspected deep small bowel lesions and comprehensive small bowel examination. Enteroscopy in children demonstrates relatively good overall safety. CTE demonstrates relatively low sensitivity but comparatively high specificity for diagnosing small bowel diseases.
Retrospective Studies
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Treatment Outcome
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Double-Balloon Enteroscopy/statistics & numerical data*
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Single-Balloon Enteroscopy/statistics & numerical data*
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Humans
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Male
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Female
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Child
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Operative Time
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Tomography, X-Ray Computed/statistics & numerical data*
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Sensitivity and Specificity
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Intestine, Small/surgery*
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Intestinal Diseases/surgery*

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