1.Body image disturbance status in AS patients and analysis of its influencing factors
Min NIU ; Jingman YUAN ; Liya MA ; Hao XU ; Jun LI ; Meixi YAN ; Xinru DU ; Hanhui MA ; Xichao YANG
Journal of Public Health and Preventive Medicine 2026;37(1):158-162
Objective To understand the status of body image disturbance and its influencing factors in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), so as to provide a scientific basis for the clinical management of AS. Methods A total of 353 AS patients admitted from January 2022 to December 2024 were selected as research subjects. Chinese version of Body Image Disturbance Questionnaire (BIDQ) was used to investigate the body image disturbance in AS patients. Single factor analysis was performed by t test and analysis of variance, and multiple factors were analyzed by multivariate linear regression. Results The total score of BIDQ in 342 AS patients was (25.01±4.22). Multivariate linear regression analysis results showed that self-paid medical expense, nighttime VAS score and negative emotion PANAS score could positively predict body image disturbance in AS patients (standardized regression coefficient=0.413, 0.413, 0.460, P<0.05), and PSSS score, positive emotion PANAS score and exercise management CDSSM score could negatively predict body image disturbance (standardized regression coefficient=-0.245, -0.134, -0.247, P<0.05). Conclusion The body image disturbance in AS patients is worthy of clinical attention. Nighttime pain, negative emotion and self-paid medical treatment can increase the risk of body image disturbance. Positive emotion, social support and high self-management level of exercise behavior can reduce the formation of body image disturbance, which can provide new ideas for clinical management of AS patients.
2.COLEC12high tumor-associated macrophages orchestrate lenvatinib resistance and cancer stemness in hepatocellular carcinoma via paracrine NRG1-HER2/HER3 signaling
Jianxing ZHANG ; Liang QIAO ; Zongfeng WU ; Dinglan ZUO ; Shanshan HUANG ; Shaoru LIU ; Zhenkun HUANG ; Yi ZENG ; Yu LI ; Yichuan YUAN ; Chenwei WANG ; Wei HE ; Jiliang QIU ; Yunfei YUAN ; Yi NIU ; Binkui LI
Clinical and Molecular Hepatology 2026;32(2):772-786
Background/Aims:
Lenvatinib resistance remains a critical barrier in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) therapy. However, the underlying mechanisms and strategies for reversing resistance remain incompletely understood.
Methods:
Integrated transcriptomics of lenvatinib-resistant patient tumors and an acquired-resistance murine model identified a novel macrophage subpopulation. Functional validation employed CRISPR-SAM screening, conditioned medium (CM) assays, subcutaneous/orthotopic xenografts, patient-derived organoids (PDOs), and patient-derived xenografts (PDXs). Mechanistic studies included ChIP-qPCR, co-immunoprecipitation, and pharmacologic targeting. Clinical relevance was assessed in a retrospective cohort.
Results:
Resistant HCC exhibited significant enrichment of a COLEC12high TAM subset , which correlated with poor survival and treatment response. These TAMs secreted neuregulin-1 (NRG1) , activating HER2/HER3-AKT signaling in tumor cells to drive cancer stemness and lenvatinib resistance. Mechanistically, in TAMs COLEC12 sequestered STAT1 in the cytoplasm, preventing its phosphorylation, and thereby derepressing STAT3-mediated NRG1 transcription. Depletion of NRG1 reversed the stemness phenotypes and resensitized tumors to lenvatinib both in vitro and in vivo. Clinically, high NRG1 expression predicted an inferior lenvatinib response and shorter survival. Crucially, the bispecific anti-HER2/HER3 antibody zenocutuzumab restored lenvatinib efficacy in PDOs, PDXs, and murine models.
Conclusions
Our work establishes the COLEC12high TAM/NRG1 axis as a master regulator of therapeutic resistance and identifies NRG1 as a predictive biomarker, providing a clinically actionable strategy to overcome lenvatinib resistance in HCC.
3.Effect of Setd2 knockout in dental germ mesenchymal cells on early tooth development
SHENG Jie ; NIU Jiaxin ; YUAN Guohua
Journal of Prevention and Treatment for Stomatological Diseases 2026;34(7):657-667
Objective:
To investigate the effect of specific deletion of SET-domain-containing 2 (Setd2) in dental germ mesenchymal cells on early tooth development and provide a research basis for exploring the etiology of dental developmental disorders.
Methods:
This study was approved by the Animal Care and Ethical Committee of Wuhan University. Wnt1Cre mice with a C57BL/6J background were crossed with Setd2flox/flox mice to generate the Setd2 knockout experimental group (Wnt1Cre; Setd2flox/flox) and the control group (Setd2flox/flox). Tail tissues of mouse embryos were collected at embryonic day (E) 13.5, E15.5, and E18.5 for polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based genotyping, and embryonic heads were collected for paraffin sectioning to observe the development of the first mandibular molar germs. Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining was performed to verify the specific knockout of Setd2 in dental germ mesenchymal cells; hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining and subrenal culture were used to evaluate the effect of Setd2 knockout in dental germ mesenchymal cells on tooth development; Ki67 staining and a terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay were employed to evaluate the effects of specific Setd2 knockout on the proliferation and apoptosis of dental germ mesenchymal cells; immunofluorescence (IF) staining was conducted to observe the impact of Setd2 knockout on the trimethylation of lysine 36 on histone 3 (H3K36me3).
Results:
PCR-based genotyping showed that the experimental group presented a single band (266 bp) for the Setd2flox/flox homozygote and a characteristic band for Wnt1Cre, while the control group only showed a single band (266 bp) for the Setd2flox/flox homozygote. IHC staining confirmed the successful knockout of Setd2 in dental germ mesenchymal cells of the experimental group; HE staining and subrenal culture demonstrated that specific knockout of Setd2 in the experimental group led to reduced size of tooth germs and increased condensation of mesenchymal cells at E15.5 and E18.5 (E15.5, P < 0.05; E18.5, P < 0.01); Ki67 staining showed no statistically significant effect on the proportion of division of dental germ mesenchymal cells between the experimental and control groups at E13.5 and E15.5 (E13.5, P = 0.694; E15.5, P = 0.503); the TUNEL assay demonstrated increased apoptosis of dental germ mesenchymal cells in the experimental group at both E13.5 and E15.5 (P < 0.001); IF staining revealed the absence of H3K36me3 modification in the dental germ mesenchymal cells of the experimental group across E13.5, E15.5, and E18.5 (P < 0.000 1).
Conclusion
Specific knockout of Setd2 in dental germ mesenchymal cells leads to increased cell apoptosis by impairing H3K36me3 modification, resulting in early developmental defects in mouse teeth characterized by reduced tooth germ volume.
4.Impact of an emotion management course on emotion regulation, coping strategies, and mental health among first-year university students
Yating NIU ; Ming QIAN ; Jinping ZHOU ; Qin YUAN ; Xiaoping XING
Shanghai Journal of Preventive Medicine 2025;37(3):265-270
ObjectiveTo develop an emotion management course and evaluate its effectiveness in improving emotion regulation, coping strategies, and anxiety and depression among first-year university students, so as to provide a basis for colleges to optimize mental health education courses. MethodsUsing a multi-stage cluster random sampling method, five classes of first-year students (n=169) from a university were randomly selected as participants, with three classes assigned to the experimental group (n=102) and two classes to the control group (n=67). The experimental group attended both the standard mental health education course and the emotion management course developed in this study, while the control group only attended the standard mental health education course. Pre- and post-intervention assessments were conducted using the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ), Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire (SCSQ), Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), and Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS). ResultsBefore the intervention, there were no significant differences between the experimental group and the control group in ERQ, SCSQ, SDS, and SAS scores (P>0.05). After the intervention, the experimental group demonstrated greater improvements than the control group in the ERQ expression inhibition subscale (14.42±5.05, 16.12±5.65), SCSQ positive coping tendency (1.97±0.51, 1.80±0.49) and negative coping tendency (1.26±0.55, 1.47±0.50), as well as in SDS (50.26±11.48, 53.86±8.21) and SAS (43.96±11.97, 47.59±9.50) scores (t value: 2.039, 2.144, 2.572; Z value: -2.214, -2.486; P<0.05). Compared with pre-intervention scores, the experimental group also showed improvements in the ERQ cognitive reappraisal subscale (32.19±5.76, 30.92±6.18), SCSQ positive coping tendency (1.97±0.51, 1.83±0.48), and SDS scores (50.26±11.48, 50.75±11.59) (t value: -2.654, -3.027; Z value: -2.100, P<0.05). ConclusionThe emotion management course effectively enhances students’ use of cognitive reappraisal strategies while reducing reliance on expressive suppression. It also contributes to improvements in coping strategies for life events and alleviates symptoms of depression and anxiety. Universities should consider integrating emotion management education into their curricula to enhance the mental well-being of first-year students.
5.Differential expression of plasma extracellular vesicle miRNAs as biomarkers for distinguishing psoriatic arthritis from psoriasis.
Kexiang YAN ; Jie ZHU ; Mengmeng ZHANG ; Fuxin ZHANG ; Bing WANG ; Ling HAN ; Qiong HUANG ; Yulong TANG ; Yuan LI ; Nikhil YAWALKAR ; Zhenghua ZHANG ; Zhenmin NIU
Chinese Medical Journal 2025;138(2):219-221
6.Innovative strategies for improving CAR-T cell therapy: A nanomedicine perspective.
Mengyao WANG ; Zhengyu YU ; Liping YUAN ; Peipei YANG ; Caixia JING ; Ying QU ; Zhiyong QIAN ; Ting NIU
Chinese Medical Journal 2025;138(21):2769-2782
Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cells have reshaped the treatment landscape of hematological malignancies, offering a potentially curative option for patients. Despite these major milestones in the field of immuno-oncology, growing experience with CAR-T cells has also highlighted several limitations of this strategy. The production process of CAR-T cells is complex, time-consuming, and costly, thus leading to poor drug accessibility. The potential carcinogenic risk of viral transfection systems remains a matter of controversy. Treatment-related side effects, such as cytokine release syndrome, can be life-threatening. And the biggest challenge is the inadequate efficacy related to poor infiltration and retention of CAR-T cells in tumor tissues and impaired T cell activation caused by the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Innovative strategies are urgently needed to address these problems, and nanomedicine offers good solutions to these challenges. In this review, we provide a comprehensive summary of recent advancements in the application of nanomaterials to enhance CAR-T cell therapy. We examine the role of innovative nanoparticle-based delivery systems in the production of CAR-T cells, with a particular focus on polymeric delivery systems and lipid nanoparticles (LNPs). Furthermore, we explore various strategies for delivering immune stimulators, which significantly enhance the efficacy of CAR-T cells by modulating T cell viability and functionality or by reprogramming the immunosuppressive TME. In addition, we discuss several novel therapeutic approaches aimed at mitigating the adverse effects associated with CAR-T therapies. Finally, we offer an integrated perspective on the future challenges and opportunities facing CAR-T therapies.
Humans
;
Nanomedicine/methods*
;
Receptors, Chimeric Antigen/metabolism*
;
Immunotherapy, Adoptive/methods*
;
T-Lymphocytes/immunology*
;
Nanoparticles/chemistry*
;
Animals
7.Phenylpropanoids from roots of Berberis polyantha.
Dong-Mei SHA ; Shuai-Cong NI ; Li-Niu SHA-MA ; Hai-Xiao-Lin-Mo MA ; Xiao-Yong HE ; Bin HE ; Shao-Shan ZHANG ; Ying LI ; Jing WEN ; Yuan LIU ; Xin-Jia YAN
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(6):1564-1568
The chemical constituents were systematically separated from the roots of Berberis polyantha by various chromatographic methods, including silica gel column chromatography, HP20 column chromatography, polyamide column chromatography, reversed-phase C_(18) column chromatography, and preparative high-performance liquid chromatography. The structures of the compounds were identified by physicochemical properties and spectroscopic techniques(1D NMR, 2D NMR, UV, MS, and CD). Four phenylpropanoids were isolated from the methanol extract of the roots of B. polyantha, and they were identified as(2R)-1-(4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-1-propanone-O-β-D-glucopyranoside(1), methyl 4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzoate(2),(+)-syringaresinol(3), and syringaresinol-4-O-β-D-glucopyranoside(4). Compound 1 was a new compound, and other compounds were isolated from this plant for the first time. The anti-inflammatory activity of these compounds was evaluated based on the release of nitric oxide(NO) in the culture of lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced RAW264.7 macrophages. At a concentration of 10 μmol·L~(-1), all the four compounds inhibited the LPS-induced release of NO in RAW264.7 cells, demonstrating potential anti-inflammatory properties.
Plant Roots/chemistry*
;
Animals
;
Mice
;
Berberis/chemistry*
;
RAW 264.7 Cells
;
Macrophages/immunology*
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/isolation & purification*
;
Nitric Oxide/metabolism*
;
Molecular Structure
;
Anti-Inflammatory Agents/isolation & purification*
8.Production Research and Risk Factor Analysis of Transfusion and Infusion Warmer Based on Real-World Data.
Hongfeng BI ; Yonggang WANG ; Zhendong WANG ; Yuan FU ; Huifang NIU
Chinese Journal of Medical Instrumentation 2025;49(4):466-472
OBJECTIVE:
To investigate the transfusion and infusion warmer manufacturers, combine the use failures to analyze adverse events, and provide support for enterprise risk management and clinical safe use.
METHODS:
The sentinels from 7 manufacturing enterprises and 11 medical institutions that participated in Shandong Province's key monitoring program during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period were targeted. This was done by understanding the equipment's principles, structures, and quality control. Additionally, real-world data from January 2019 to December 2023 were collected to count adverse events.
RESULTS:
During production, there are risks in switching power supply stability and solder joint firmness. Fifteen kinds of faults occurred during use, and common faults such as inability to heat, unable to turn on the machine, and bubbles in the infusion tube accounted for more than 80%.
CONCLUSION
There are many risk points and failures for transfusion and infusion warmers, so enterprises should improve processes and quality control to address risks, and medical institutions should formulate specifications and maintenance plans to provide targeted theoretical basis for supervision.
Blood Transfusion/instrumentation*
;
Risk Factors
;
Quality Control
;
Humans
;
Risk Management
;
Equipment Failure
9.Beneficial Effects of Dendrobium officinale Extract on Insomnia Rats Induced by Strong Light and Noise via Regulating GABA and GABAA Receptors.
Heng-Pu ZHOU ; Jie SU ; Ke-Jian WEI ; Su-Xiang WU ; Jing-Jing YU ; Yi-Kang YU ; Zhuang-Wei NIU ; Xiao-Hu JIN ; Mei-Qiu YAN ; Su-Hong CHEN ; Gui-Yuan LYU
Chinese journal of integrative medicine 2025;31(6):490-498
OBJECTIVE:
To explore the therapeutic effects and underlying mechanisms of Dendrobium officinale (Tiepi Shihu) extract (DOE) on insomnia.
METHODS:
Forty-two male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 6 groups (n=7 per group): normal control, model control, melatonin (MT, 40 mg/kg), and 3-dose DOE (0.25, 0.50, and 1.00 g/kg) groups. Rats were raised in a strong-light (10,000 LUX) and -noise (>80 db) environment (12 h/d) for 16 weeks to induce insomnia, and from week 10 to week 16, MT and DOE were correspondingly administered to rats. The behavior tests including sodium pentobarbital-induced sleep experiment, sucrose preference test, and autonomous activity test were used to evaluate changes in sleep and emotions of rats. The metabolic-related indicators such as blood pressure, blood viscosity, blood glucose, and uric acid in rats were measured. The pathological changes in the cornu ammonis 1 (CA1) region of rat brain were evaluated using hematoxylin and eosin staining and Nissl staining. Additionally, the sleep-related factors gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamate (GA), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were measured using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Finally, we screened potential sleep-improving receptors of DOE using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) array and validated the results with quantitative PCR and immunohistochemistry.
RESULTS:
DOE significantly improved rats' sleep and mood, increased the sodium pentobarbital-induced sleep time and sucrose preference index, and reduced autonomic activity times (P<0.05 or P<0.01). DOE also had a good effect on metabolic abnormalities, significantly reducing triglyceride, blood glucose, blood pressure, and blood viscosity indicators (P<0.05 or P<0.01). DOE significantly increased the GABA content in hippocampus and reduced the GA/GABA ratio and IL-6 level (P<0.05 or P<0.01). In addition, DOE improved the pathological changes such as the disorder of cell arrangement in the hippocampus and the decrease of Nissel bodies. Seven differential genes were screened by PCR array, and the GABAA receptors (Gabra5, Gabra6, Gabrq) were selected for verification. The results showed that DOE could up-regulate their expressions (P<0.05 or P<0.01).
CONCLUSION
DOE demonstrated remarkable potential for improving insomnia, which may be through regulating GABAA receptors expressions and GA/GABA ratio.
Animals
;
Dendrobium/chemistry*
;
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
;
Male
;
Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders/blood*
;
Plant Extracts/therapeutic use*
;
Receptors, GABA-A/metabolism*
;
Noise/adverse effects*
;
Light/adverse effects*
;
gamma-Aminobutyric Acid/metabolism*
;
Sleep/drug effects*
;
Rats
;
Receptors, GABA/metabolism*
10.Spermidine inactivates proteasome activity and enhances ferroptosis in prostate cancer.
Dan FENG ; Jian ZHANG ; Huanmin NIU ; Xiaoxue ZHENG ; Mengqi JIA ; Qiqi LU ; Jing WANG ; Wenxue GUO ; Qi SUN ; Huiqing YUAN ; Hongxiang LOU
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(4):2095-2113
The elevated polyamines, amine-rich molecules with diverse functions in pathophysiology processes, are implicated in contributing to tumorigenesis and progression. Whether and how they affect the efficacy of chemotherapy is incompletely understood. Our screening assays reveal that the supplement with a low dose of spermidine (Spd), one of the polyamines, enhances ferroptosis in prostate cancer cells as evidenced by increased lipid peroxidation and intracellular Fe2+ levels in vitro. Combination treatment with Spd and a low dose of ferroptosis inducer erastin synergistically augments anti-tumor efficacy with undetectable toxicity in mice. Analysis of RNA-seq data indicates that heme oxygenase 1 (HMOX1), an enzyme that catalyzes the cleavage of heme to release Fe2+, is significantly upregulated in response to Spd and erastin cotreatment. Spd mediated the hypusine modification of the eukaryotic initiation factor 5A (EIF5A) promotes the translation of the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2), subsequently leading to elevation of HMOX1. Moreover, Spd and erastin significantly inhibit proteasome activity which results in a decrease in proteasomal degradation of NRF2, although many proteasome-related genes are induced either by Spd or Spd plus erastin. Thus, in addition to its pro-oncogenic activity, the supplement of Spd improves antitumor activity in combination with ferroptosis inducers and offers an optional approach to cancer treatment.


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