1.Role and mechanism of Lck/Yes-related novel tyrosine kinases in macrophage M1 polarization
Xin YU ; Zhensheng GAO ; Weihua BIAN ; Xiangyong LIU ; Yeying SUN
Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2026;61(2):209-216
ObjectiveTo investigate the role and mechanism of Lck/Yes-related novel protein tyrosine kinase (Lyn) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced M1-type polarization of macrophage. MethodsThe LentiCRISPR-V2 plasmid was digested with the restriction endonuclease BSMBI-V2, and the digested DNA fragments were recovered. The digested plasmid was ligated with Lyn-sgRNA using T4 ligase to generate the Lenti-Lyn-gRNA lentivirus. THP-1 cells were infected with the Lenti-Lyn-gRNA lentivirus to obtain a stable cell line with Lyn knockout, and a monoclonal THP-1 cell line with complete Lyn knockout (Lyn⁻/⁻) was established subsequently. Wild-type Lyn (LynWT) and Lyn⁻/⁻ THP-1 cells were induced with 100 ng/mL phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) for 48 h to differentiate into M0 macrophages, which were further polarized into M1 macrophages by stimulation with 100 ng/mL LPS for 24 h. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was performed to detect the expression of M0 macrophage markers, including integrin αM (CD11b), macrophage antigen (CD68), and monocyte differentiation antigen (CD14). The expression of Lyn in M1 macrophages differentiated from wild-type THP-1 cells (LynWT-M1) was measured by qPCR, and the ratio of phosphorylated Lyn to total Lyn (P-Lyn/Lyn) in LynWT-M1 cells was determined by Western blot. In M1 macrophages differentiated from Lyn-knockout THP-1 cells (Lyn⁻/⁻-M1), qPCR was used to detect the mRNA expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 10 (CXCL-10). Western blot was conducted to assess the protein expression of iNOS, as well as the protein levels of molecules related to the Janus kinase 1 (JAK1)-signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1)signaling pathway, including JAK1, phosphorylated JAK1 (P-JAK1), STAT1, and phosphorylated STAT1 (P-STAT1). Additionally, the expression of the M1 macrophage marker cluster of differentiation 80 (CD80) was analyzed by flow cytometry. ResultsThe Lyn-/- monoclonal cell line was successfully constructed. The expression of CD11b was significantly elevated in Lyn-/- M0 macrophages, and the differentiation of M1 macrophages was successful. Knockdown of Lyn inhibited mRNA expression of iNOS, IL⁃6, CXCL⁃10, protein expression of iNOS and CD80 expression in M1 macrophages (P<0.05). Western blot assay showed that Lyn knockdown inhibited protein expression of JAK1 and P-STAT1 (P<0.01). ConclusionAfter CRISPR/Cas9-mediated Lyn knockout, the expression levels of JAK1 and P-STAT1, the key molecules in the JAK/STAT signaling pathway of M1 macrophages, are significantly downregulated; concomitantly, the expression of M1 macrophage-specific secretory factors (iNOS, IL⁃6, CXCL⁃10 mRNA) and CD80 is also downregulated, which may be achieved via targeted regulation of the JAK1/P-STAT1-mediated JAK/STAT signaling pathway.
2.Availability and use of child safety seats among children aged 0-3 years
CHEN Bo ; WANG Xihui ; QIU Fengqian ; YU Yan ; GAO Shuna ; HE Lihua ; LI Weiyi ; JI Yunfang ; CHEN Weihua
Journal of Preventive Medicine 2025;37(1):21-25
Objective:
To investigate the availability and use of child safety seats among children aged 0-3 years, so as to provide the basis for improving riding safety for children.
Methods:
Parents of children aged 0-3 years in Huangpu District, Shanghai Municipality, were recruited using the stratified multistage random sampling method from May to July 2024. Demographic information, family travel patterns, the use of child safety seat and related health beliefs were collected using questionnaire surveys. Factors affecting the use of child safety seats were identified using a multivariable logistic regression model.
Results:
Totally 514 valid questionnaires were recovered, with an effective rate of 96.98%. The respondents included 122 fathers (23.74%) and 392 mothers (76.26%), with a median age of 34.00 (interquartile range, 5.00) years. There were 446 families equipping with child safety seats, accounting for 86.77%; and 169 families using child safety seats, accounting for 32.88%. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that the parents who had children aged >1-2 years (OR=0.597, 95%CI: 0.366-0.973), travelled 2-4 times per month (OR=0.359, 95%CI: 0.213-0.607) or once per month or less (OR=0.384, 95%CI: 0.202-0.729), and scored high in perceived barrier (OR=0.634, 95%CI: 0.486-0.827) were less likely to use child safety seats; the parents who had children with local household registration (OR=2.506, 95%CI: 1.356-4.633), travelled 5-<10 km (OR=1.887, 95%CI: 1.148-3.101) or ≥10 km (OR=2.319, 95%CI: 1.355-3.967), always wore seat belts (OR=2.342, 95%CI: 1.212-4.524), scored high in perceived susceptibility (OR=1.392, 95%CI: 1.091-1.778) and self-efficacy (OR=1.413, 95%CI: 1.156-1.727) were more likely to use child safety seats.
Conclusions
Equipping family cars with child safety seats and using them can prevent and reduce traffic injuries among children aged 0-3 years. It is recommended to strengthen publicity to promote the use of child safety seats.
3.Nafamostat Mesylate Alleviates Renal Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in a Rat Model Through HMGB1 Modulation:An Omics Analysis-Based Study of the Protective Effect and the Mechanisms Involved
Yuxuan WU ; Hongqian LI ; Linfeng LIU ; Yu WANG ; Bo CHEN ; Jiang LIU ; Jianhua QIN ; Santao OU ; Weihua WU
Journal of Sichuan University (Medical Sciences) 2025;56(1):175-182
Objective To investigate the organ protective role and the underlying mechanism of nafamostat mesylate(NM)in a renal ischemia-reperfusion injury(RIRI)model.Methods A total of 21 healthy male Sprague-Dawley(SD)rats were randomly assigned to 3 groups(n=7 in each group),including the sham operation group(Sham group),the RIRI group,and the NM intervention group(NM group).The RIRI and NM groups underwent ischemia-reperfusion injury(IRI)modeling.The NM group was given an intraperitoneal injection of NM at 0.75 mg/kg before modeling.Venous blood and renal tissue samples were then collected from the rats 24 hours after modeling.The levels of serum creatinine,cystatin C,and serum inflammatory factors were determined using the serum samples.Hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining and TUNEL stainings were performed on the renal tissues to evaluate the damage of the renal tissues.The localization and expression of HMGB1 were analyzed by immunofluorescence and Western blotting,respectively.Single-cell RNA sequencing of the nuclei was performed to obtain the single-cell transcriptome of the kidneys from the rats in the RIRI and the NM groups and to acquire the RIRI cell profile.The cells were annotated according to the cell marker genes to explore the cell type composition in the disease model and the functional status of immune cells between the groups.Results 1)Compared with those of the Sham group,the levels of cystatin C,creatinine,and inflammatory factors in the RIRI and NM groups were significantly increased,and the expression levels in the NM group were lower than those in the RIRI group(P<0.05).Compared with those of the RIRI group,the tubular injury score and apoptosis rate in the NM group were significantly decreased(P<0.05),but those of both the NM and RIRI groups were higher than those of the sham group.Compared with that in the RIRI group,the expression of HMGB1 in the NM group was significantly decreased(P<0.05),but the expression levels in both the RIRI and NM groups were higher than that in the sham group.Immunofluorescence showed that there was increased cytoplasmic expression of HMGB1 in both the NM and RIRI groups,with the increase being more prominent in the RIRI group.2)A total of 13 major cell populations were identified through the single-nucleus sequencing results.The proportion of tubular cells in the NM group was higher,with the HMGB1 gene being highly expressed in the damaged proximal convoluted tubular cells.The proportion of the polarized Macro3 cell subpopulation in the macrophages in the NM group was lower compared to that in the RIRI group.Conclusion NM may play a protective role in a rat model of RIRI,and its underlying mechanisms may be related to the regulation of the functional abnormalities of HMGB1-mediated macrophages.
4.Development and validation of a clinical prediction model for postoperative pulmonary complications in elderly patients following general anesthesia
Jingjun ZHANG ; Lili JIA ; Mingwei SHENG ; Ying SUN ; Mei DING ; Weihua LIU ; Hongxia LI ; Yiqi WENG ; Wenli YU
Chinese Journal of Emergency Medicine 2025;34(9):1237-1244
Objective:To develop and validate a clinical prediction model for assessing the risk of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) in elderly patients undergoing surgery with general anesthesia.Methods:This prospective observational study enrolled patients aged ≥65 years who underwent general anesthesia with mechanical ventilation duration >3 hours across six tertiary hospitals between December 2022 and August 2023. Based on follow-up outcomes (until discharge or postoperative day 7), patients were categorized into a non-PPCs group and a PPCs group. Detailed records included baseline patient characteristics, preoperative comorbidities, surgical information (type, duration), and bedside lung ultrasound scores (LUS) assessed within 24 hours postoperatively using a standardized 12-zone protocol. Predictor selection was performed using LASSO regression. Significant predictors identified were incorporated into a multivariate logistic regression analysis to build the prediction model, visualized as a nomogram. Internal validation was conducted via bootstrap resampling (1 000 repetitions). Model performance was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for discrimination, calibration curves for calibration accuracy, and decision curve analysis (DCA) for clinical utility.Results:A total of 130 eligible elderly surgical patients were included. PPCs occurred in 17 patients (incidence rate: 13.1%). Multivariate analysis identified LUS ( OR=1.248, 95% CI: 1.099-1.417, P=0.001) and elective surgery type ( OR=0.206, 95% CI: 0.043-0.988, P=0.048) as independent predictors of PPCs. The nomogram model demonstrated an AUC of 0.867 (95% CI: 0.775-0.959) upon initial testing. Internal validation confirmed good discrimination (AUC=0.863, 95% CI: 0.778-0.972). Calibration curves indicated excellent agreement between predicted probabilities and observed outcomes. Decision curve analysis demonstrated significant clinical net benefit across a wide range of threshold probabilities (0.03-0.89). Conclusions:The clinical prediction model, developed using early postoperative LUS scores and surgical type, effectively predicts the risk of postoperative pulmonary complications in elderly patients following surgery under general anesthesia. The model exhibits strong discrimination, calibration, and clinical utility, providing clinicians with a reliable tool for individualized risk assessment to support clinical decision-making and potentially reduce PPC incidence.
5.Daoqi acupuncture technique in Huangdi Neijing for moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome: a randomized controlled trial.
Guoqing ZHU ; Na ZHAO ; Lin TANG ; Weihua SONG ; Xintong YU ; Wenjia YANG ; Ruilong LIANG
Chinese Acupuncture & Moxibustion 2025;45(7):911-917
OBJECTIVE:
To observe the clinical efficacy of Daoqi (directing qi flowing) acupuncture technique in Huangdi Neijing (Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic) for moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS).
METHODS:
Sixty patients with moderate-to-severe OSAHS were randomly divided into a Daoqi acupuncture group (30 cases) and a conventional acupuncture group (30 cases, 1 case dropped out). In the Daoqi acupuncture group, Daoqi acupuncture technique in Huangdi Neijing was applied at Shanglianquan (Extra), Fengfu (GV16), and bilateral Lieque (LU7), Zhaohai (KI6); in the conventional acupuncture group, conventional acupuncture was applied at Shanglianquan (Extra), Fengfu (GV16), Yamen (GV15), and bilateral Lieque (LU7), Zhaohai (KI6), Zusanli (ST36), Fenglong (ST40). The treatment was adopted once every other day, 3 times a week, 4 weeks as one course and 3 courses were required totally in both groups. Before and after treatment, the polysomnography (PSG) indexes [apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), hypopnea index (HI), apnea index (AI), longest apnea duration, lowest nocturnal SaO2 (LSaO2)], and scores of Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS), Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), World Health Organization quality of life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) were observed, and the clinical efficacy was evaluated after treatment in the two groups.
RESULTS:
After treatment, the AHI, HI, AI and longest apnea duration were reduced compared with those before treatment in the two groups (P<0.01), the LSaO2 was increased in the Daoqi acupuncture group (P<0.01); in the Daoqi acupuncture group, the AHI, HI, AI and longest apnea duration were lower than those in the conventional acupuncture group (P<0.05), and the LSaO2 was higher than that in the conventional acupuncture group (P<0.05). After treatment, the ESS and PSQI scores were decreased compared with those before treatment (P<0.01), while the WHOQOL-BREF scores were increased compared with those before treatment (P<0.01) in the two groups; in the Daoqi acupuncture group, the ESS and PSQI scores were lower than those in the conventional acupuncture group (P<0.05, P<0.01), and the WHOQOL-BREF score was higher than that in the conventional acupuncture group (P<0.05). The total effective rate was 93.3% (28/30) in the Daoqi acupuncture group, which was higher than 82.8% (24/29) in the conventional acupuncture group (P<0.01).
CONCLUSION
Daoqi acupuncture technique in Huangdi Neijing can effectively treat moderate-to-severe OSAHS patients, improve the clinical symptoms and quality of life, and has the advantages i.e. simpler acupoints selection and gentler stimulation.
Humans
;
Sleep Apnea, Obstructive/physiopathology*
;
Male
;
Female
;
Middle Aged
;
Acupuncture Therapy
;
Adult
;
Acupuncture Points
;
Treatment Outcome
;
Aged
;
Quality of Life
6.ACtriplet: An improved deep learning model for activity cliffs prediction by in tegrating triplet loss and pre-training.
Xinxin YU ; Yimeng WANG ; Long CHEN ; Weihua LI ; Yun TANG ; Guixia LIU
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2025;15(8):101317-101317
Activity cliffs (ACs) are generally defined as pairs of similar compounds that only differ by a minor structural modification but exhibit a large difference in their binding affinity for a given target. ACs offer crucial insights that aid medicinal chemists in optimizing molecular structures. Nonetheless, they also form a major source of prediction error in structure-activity relationship (SAR) models. To date, several studies have demonstrated that deep neural networks based on molecular images or graphs might need to be improved further in predicting the potency of ACs. In this paper, we integrated the triplet loss in face recognition with pre-training strategy to develop a prediction model ACtriplet, tailored for ACs. Through extensive comparison with multiple baseline models on 30 benchmark datasets, the results showed that ACtriplet was significantly better than those deep learning (DL) models without pre-training. In addition, we explored the effect of pre-training on data representation. Finally, the case study demonstrated that our model's interpretability module could explain the prediction results reasonably. In the dilemma that the amount of data could not be increased rapidly, this innovative framework would better make use of the existing data, which would propel the potential of DL in the early stage of drug discovery and optimization.
7.Research progress on ferritinophagy in cancer intervention
Weihua ZHENG ; Zihang WANG ; Long XUA ; Caiyan AN ; Yali YAN ; Yu ZHANG ; Hongquan WANG ; Junjing ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Hepatobiliary Surgery 2025;31(7):549-552
Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent cell death modality triggered by the accumulation of lipid peroxides and is closely linked to tumor pathogenesis. Ferritinophagy refers to the selective autophagic degradation of ferritin, releasing intracellular stored iron to maintain iron metabolic homeostasis. This process is also significantly associated with tumor-targeted interventions. This review systematically elucidates the mechanisms of ferroptosis and ferritinophagy, their roles in tumor progression, and the therapeutic potential of pharmacologically induced ferritinophagy in anticancer strategies.
8.Association between uric acid and new-onset chronic kidney disease in middle-aged and elderly hypertensive patients
Haixin ZHOU ; Xiaolin WU ; Zeya LI ; Yu ZHAO ; Weihua CHEN ; Dongjie DU ; Xianzhong GU ; Rongchong HUANG
Chinese Journal of General Practitioners 2025;24(3):257-262
Objective:To explore the association between uric acid and new-onset chronic kidney disease (CKD) in middle-aged and elderly hypertensive patients.Methods:This was a retrospective cohort study. Middle-aged and elderly hypertensive patients who had attended at least two annual health examinations at Yongshun Community Health Service Center in Tongzhou District, Beijing, from June 2016 to December 2020 were enrolled. The time interval between the two physical examinations was three years. The first physical examination time served as the baseline, and the second as the end of follow-up. Based on the uric acid level at baseline, the participants were divided into the normal uric acid group and the hyperuricemia group. The relevant clinical data of the participants were collected. The endpoint of the study was new-onset CKD. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the association between uric acid and new-onset CKD in hypertensive patients.Results:A total of 2 472 middle-aged and elderly hypertensive patients with an average age of (62.43±7.02) years were included. Of these, 733(29.7%) were male. There were 710 patients with hyperuricemia (hyperuricemia group) and 1 762 patients with normal uric acid levels (normal uric acid group).After adjusting for age, sex, body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and uric acid-lowering treatment, multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that combined with hyperuricemia was an independent risk factor for new-onset CKD in middle-aged and elderly hypertensive patients ( OR=3.00, 95% CI: 1.87-4.80, P<0.001). The results of multivariate logistic analysis showed that elevated uric acid level was an independent risk factor for new-onset CKD in both male and female middle-aged and elderly hypertensive patients (both P<0.05), and there was no sex interaction ( P for interactio n>0.05). The results of multivariate logistic analysis showed that the combination of asymptomatic hyperuricemia was an independent risk factor for new-onset CKD in middle-aged and elderly hypertensive patients ( OR=3.00, 95% CI: 1.87-4.80, P<0.001), and there was no gender interaction ( P for interactio n>0.05). Conclusions:Hyperuricemia is an independent risk factor for new-onset CKD in middle-aged and elderly hypertensive patients, and elevated uric acid levels increase the risk of new-onset CKD in both male and female patients. Moreover, asymptomatic hyperuricemia may increase the risk of new-onset CKD.
9.The influence of titanium nanotopography on the mitochondrial metabolism and polarization of macro-phages
Meiqi ZHAO ; Weihua YU ; Li DING ; Yan ZHANG ; Wen SONG ; Yumei ZHANG
Journal of Practical Stomatology 2025;41(1):34-40
Objective:To explore the effects of different titanium(Ti)surfaces on mitochondria metabolism and polarization of mac-rophages.Methods:The anodic oxidation method prepared nanotubes with distinct morphologies(NT5 and NT20 groups)on smooth titanium surfaces(P group)were characterized by scanning electron microscopy(SEM).After 24 hours of culturing RAW264.7 cells on the samples,SEM was employed to observe the morphology of the cells of all groups.Levels of mitochondria ATP and ROS,as well as the activity of hexokinase(HK),were measured by fluorescence probes and luciferase assays.The expression of iNOS,Arg-1,TNF-α and CD206 mRNA was evaluated by RT-qPCR.Changes in mitochondria metabolism and macrophage polarization were studied following inhibition of cellular glycolysis by using 2-deoxy-D-glucose(2-DG)in groups P*and NT20*.Results:Compared with the P group,the NT5 group showed no significant changes in mitochondria ATP,ROS levels and HK activity,but an upregula-tion in M2-associated gene expression was observed.In the NT20 group,mitochondria ATP and ROS levels were increased,HK ac-tivity was elevated,and M1-associated gene expression was upregulated.After glycolysis inhibition,there was no significant differ-ence in mitochondria ATP,ROS levels,HK activity and polarization-related gene expression levels between the P*and NT20*groups compared with the P group.Conclusion:Large-diameter nanotubes may promote macrophage M1 polarization by regulating the metabolic reprogramming that occurs in macrophage mitochondria.
10.ACtriplet:An improved deep learning model for activity cliffs prediction by integrating triplet loss and pre-training
Xinxin YU ; Yimeng WANG ; Long CHEN ; Weihua LI ; Yun TANG ; Guixia LIU
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2025;15(8):1837-1847
Activity cliffs(ACs)are generally defined as pairs of similar compounds that only differ by a minor structural modification but exhibit a large difference in their binding affinity for a given target.ACs offer crucial insights that aid medicinal chemists in optimizing molecular structures.Nonetheless,they also form a major source of prediction error in structure-activity relationship(SAR)models.To date,several studies have demonstrated that deep neural networks based on molecular images or graphs might need to be improved further in predicting the potency of ACs.In this paper,we integrated the triplet loss in face recognition with pre-training strategy to develop a prediction model ACtriplet,tailored for ACs.Through extensive comparison with multiple baseline models on 30 benchmark datasets,the results showed that ACtriplet was significantly better than those deep learning(DL)models without pre-training.In addition,we explored the effect of pre-training on data representation.Finally,the case study demonstrated that our model's interpretability module could explain the prediction results reasonably.In the dilemma that the amount of data could not be increased rapidly,this innovative framework would better make use of the existing data,which would propel the potential of DL in the early stage of drug discovery and optimization.


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