1.Decision-making behavior in patients with depressive disorder and its relationship with depressive and anxiety symptoms
Yuxiang WANG ; Luoya ZHANG ; Maomao ZHANG ; Juan DENG ; Yanjie PENG ; Xiaotong CHENG ; Kezhi LIU ; Wei LEI ; Jing CHEN
Sichuan Mental Health 2025;38(1):22-27
BackgroundPatients with depressive disorder often exhibit impaired decision-making functions. However, the relationship between decision-making abilities and depressive and anxiety symptoms in these patients remains unclear. ObjectiveTo explore the characteristics of decision-making behavior in patients with depressive disorder, and to analyze its relationship with clinical symptoms. MethodsA total of 48 patients diagnosed with depressive disorder according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV) were recruited from the Department of Psychosomatic Medicine of the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University from October 2020 to May 2023. Concurrently, 52 healthy individuals matched for age and gender were recruited from Luzhou as the control group. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) were used for assessment, and decision-making behavior was evaluated using Probabilistic Reversal Learning (PRL) task. Indicators assessed included the number of trials to criterion, perseverative errors, win-stay rate and lose-shift rate. Spearman correlation analysis was used to assess the correlation between BDI and BAI scores and PRL task indicators. ResultsThe depression group showed a significantly higher lose-shift rate compared with the control group (t=3.684, P<0.01). There were no statistically significant differences between two groups in trials to criterion, perseverative errors and win-stay rate (t=0.329, 0.132, 0.609, P>0.05). In depression group, BDI and BAI scores were positively correlated with the win-stay rate(r=0.450, 0.398, P<0.01). ConclusionPatients with depressive disorder are more likely to change their decision-making strategies following negative outcomes. Furthermore, the severity of depressive and anxiety symptoms is associated with a greater propensity to maintain existing decisions after receiving positive feedback. [Funded by 2019 Joint Project of Luzhou Science and Technology Bureau-Southwest Medical University (number, 2019LZXNYDJ39]
2.Effect of laminin subunit α3 on epithelial-mesenchymal transition, invasion, and metastasis abilities of pancreatic cancer
Nenghong YANG ; Likun REN ; She TIAN ; Min HAN ; Zhu LI ; Yuxiang ZHAO ; Peng LIU
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2025;41(2):322-332
ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of laminin subunit α3 (LAMA3) on the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), invasion, and metastasis abilities of pancreatic cancer (PC). MethodsA comprehensive analysis was performed for tumor- and EMT-related databases to identify the EMT genes associated with PC, especially LAMA3. The methods of qRT-PCR and Western blot were used to measure the expression level of LAMA3 in PC tissue and cell lines; immunofluorescence assay was used to determine the localization of LAMA3 in PANC-1 cells; Transwell assay was used to investigate the effect of LAMA3 on the invasion and migration abilities of PC cells. The t-test was used for comparison of continuous data between groups. ResultsThe analysis of the TCGA database identified 3 EMT-related oncogenes for PC, i.e., LAMA3, AREG, and SDC1. The LASSO-Cox regression model showed that LAMA3 had the most significant impact on the prognosis of PC (risk score=0.256 1×LAMA3+0.043 1×SDC1+0.071 4×AREG). The Cox model and nomogram showed that the high expression of LAMA3 was an independent risk factor for the poor prognosis of PC (hazard ratio=1.32, 95% confidence interval: 1.07 — 1.62, P<0.01). Experimental results showed that there was a significant increase in the expression of LAMA3 in pancreatic cancer tissue compared with the normal pancreatic tissue. Compared with the HPDE cell line, there were varying degrees of increase in the expression of LAMA3 in pancreatic cancer AsPC-1, BxPC-3, PANC-1, MIA PaCa-2, and SW1990 cell lines, with the highest expression level in PANC-1 cells. The enrichment analysis showed that LAMA3 was associated with the biological processes and signaling pathways such as EMT, collagen metabolism, extracellular matrix degradation, the TGF-β pathway, and the PI3K pathway. After the knockdown of LAMA3, there were significant reductions in the expression levels of N-Cadherin, Vimentin, and Snail, while there was a significant increase in the expression level of E-Cadherin. Transwell assay showed that there were significant reductions in the invasion and migration abilities of PANC-1 cells after the knockdown of LAMA3. ConclusionLAMA3 is highly expressed in PC and can promote the EMT, invasion, and migration of PC cells, and therefore, LAMA3 may be used as a novel diagnostic marker and a new therapeutic target for PC.
3.Advances in the diagnosis and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma with bile duct tumor thrombus
Yuxiang GUO ; Maosen WANG ; Zhongyuan LIU ; Xudong ZHANG ; Pengfei MA ; Xiangkun WANG ; Renfeng LI
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2025;41(2):359-364
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with biliary duct tumor thrombus (BDTT) is currently not common in clinical practice and is easily misdiagnosed, and previously, it was often considered an advanced stage of the disease with a poor prognosis, making its treatment challenging. However, in-depth studies in recent years have gradually deepened our understanding of this disease, leading to significant changes in diagnostic and treatment concepts. Currently, comprehensive treatment, mainly surgery, is used for treatment, but there is still controversy over the selection of clinical treatment strategies. This article provides a detailed discussion on surgical methods and prognosis, in order to provide a reference for clinical treatment options.
4.Impact of childhood trauma on internet addiction in medical students: the mediating role of perceived stress
Xiaohong PENG ; Xiaoyuan LIAO ; Dantong WU ; Yanyin ZHOU ; Yelu LIU ; Yuxiang WANG ; Luoya ZHANG ; Juan DENG ; Yanjie PENG ; Kezhi LIU ; Jing CHEN ; Wei LEI
Sichuan Mental Health 2025;38(3):267-272
BackgroundWith the rapid development of the networking technologies, internet addiction has increasingly become a serious mental health issue. Previous studies have revealed the link between childhood trauma and internet addiction, while the mediating role of perceived stress in this link is not yet clear. ObjectiveTo investigate the role of medical students' perceived stress in the relationship between childhood trauma and internet addiction, so as to provide references for the intervention of internet addiction. MethodsFrom February to March 2023, a random sampling technique was used to select 1 232 undergraduate students from the School of Clinical Medical Sciences of Southwest Medical University as research subjects. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Internet Gaming Disorder Scale (IGDS), and Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) were used for assessment. Pearson's correlation coefficients were calculated. The mediation effect of perceived stress in the relationship between childhood trauma and internet addiction was tested using Model 4 in the SPSS Process 4.1, and Bootstrapping procedure involving 5 000 replicates was employed to confirm the statistical significance. ResultsA total of 1 016 (82.47%) valid completed questionnaires were gathered. The CTQ-SF scores of medical students were positively correlated with PSS scores, IGD scores, and BSMAS scores (r=0.583, 0.474, 0.465, P<0.01). PSS scores were positively correlated with IGD scores and BSMAS scores (r=0.369, 0.479, P<0.01). Childhood trauma in medical students was found to positively predict perceived stress (β=0.191, P<0.01), social media addiction (β=0.160, P<0.01), and internet gaming disorder (β=0.106, P<0.01). Perceived stress played a significant mediating role in the relationship between childhood trauma and internet gaming disorder, indirect effect value was 0.018 (95% CI: 0.009~0.027), accounting for 16.98%. Perceived stress also exhibited a significant mediating role in the relationship between childhood trauma and social media addiction, indirect effect value was 0.063 (95% CI: 0.048~0.079), accounting for 39.38%. ConclusionChildhood trauma in medical students may affect internet gaming disorder and social media addiction through perceived stress. [Funded by 2022 Annual Research Project of Sichuan Applied Psychology Research Center,(number,CSXL-22102)]
5.The correlation between abnormal metabolic indexes and the severity of coronary artery lesions in patients with acute coronary syndrome
Yajun ZHAO ; Ming LIU ; Yuxiang DAI ; Xiaopan LI ; Xuelin CHENG ; Qizhe WANG ; Ru LIU ; Yaxin XU ; Sunfang JIANG
Chinese Journal of Clinical Medicine 2025;32(3):441-448
Objective To explore the influencing factors of coronary artery lesion severity in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Methods Clinical data of ACS patients admitted to Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University from December 2017 to December 2019 were consecutively collected. The modified Gensini score was used to assess the severity of coronary artery lesions. Univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses were performed to identify independent factors associated with coronary artery lesion severity. Results A total of 1 689 ACS patients were included, with an average age of (64.04±11.45) years; 1 353 (80.11%) were male, and the mean modified Gensini score was (8.12±4.03). Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that sex (β=0.97, P=0.001), age (β=0.03, P=0.021), estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR; β=-0.03, P<0.001), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C; β=0.58, P<0.001), apolipoprotein A1 (Apo A1; β=-1.28, P=0.012), lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a); β=0.001, P=0.033], and glycated hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C; β=0.45, P<0.001) were independent influencing factors of the modified Gensini score. Conclusions Metabolic indicators, including Apo A1, LDL-C, HbA1C, and Lp(a), may serve as risk factors for coronary artery lesion severity in ACS patients, with Apo A1 demonstrating the strongest impact.
6.Research Progress in Gene Therapy for Hereditary Angioedema
Yuqi SHI ; Juan LIU ; Yuxiang ZHI
JOURNAL OF RARE DISEASES 2025;4(3):294-301
Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a rare autosomal dominant genetic disorder characterized by recurrent and unpredictable episodes of edema. Currently, there is no effective cure available, which seriously affects patients′ quality of life. Gene therapy intervenes in the disease at the genetic level, offering new perspectives for the treatment of HAE. This article summarizes the current research progress in gene therapy for HAE, including gene editing, transgenic therapy, and RNA therapy. It aims to draw the attention of researchers in this field, and provide references and insights for clinicians.
7.Circ_EPHB4 regulates temozolomide sensitivity in glioma cells through the miR-424-5p/Wnt3 axis.
Yuxiang LIAO ; Jingping LIU ; Bo LIU ; Xiyun FEI ; Chen JIN
Journal of Southern Medical University 2025;45(5):942-953
OBJECTIVES:
To investigate the mechanism by which circ_EPHB4 regulates temozolomide (TMZ) sensitivity of glioma cells through the miR-424-5p/Wnt3 signal axis.
METHODS:
We detected the expression levels of circ_EPHB4, miR-424-5p and Wnt3 mRNA in glioma specimens from 25 patients with primary glioma and 25 patients experiencing relapse following temozolomide-based chemotherapy and in TMZ-sensitive and -resistant glioma A172 and SHG44 cells with circ_EPHB4 knockdown using qRT-PCR, and Wnt3 protein expression level was detected with Western blotting. Cell viability, colony-forming ability, and apoptosis of the cells with circ_EPHB4 knockdown were assessed, and the targeted regulation relationship between circ_EPHB4, miR-424-5p, and Wnt3 was verified by dual luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) experiments. The effect of circ_EPHB4 knockdown on tumorigenesis of glioma cells was evaluated in subcutaneous tumor-bearing nude mouse models.
RESULTS:
The expression of circ_EPHB4 was significantly increased in glioma tissues and cells as compared with normal neural tissues and astrocytes (P=0.014). In TMZ-resistant glioma cells, circ_EPHB4 knockdown resulted in an obvious reduction of IC50 value of TMZ, inhibited cell colony formation, and promoted cell apoptosis, and these effects were reversed by miR-424-5p knockdown. The expressions of miR-424-5p and circ_EPHB4 were negatively correlated in glioma tissues (P=0.011). MiR-424-5p knockdown also attenuated the effect of circ_EPHB4 knockdown on expressions of PCNA, P-gp, MRP1 and bax.
CONCLUSIONS
Circ_EPHB4 regulates Wnt3 expression through "sponge adsorption" of miR-424-5p, thereby modulating TMZ-resistant glioblastoma cell clonogenesis, apoptosis, and TMZ sensitivity, suggesting the potential of circ_EPHB4 as a therapeutic target for reversing drug resistance of gliomas.
MicroRNAs/genetics*
;
Humans
;
Temozolomide
;
Glioma/genetics*
;
Animals
;
Mice, Nude
;
Cell Line, Tumor
;
Wnt3 Protein/metabolism*
;
Mice
;
Apoptosis
;
RNA, Circular
;
Drug Resistance, Neoplasm
;
Brain Neoplasms/pathology*
;
Signal Transduction
8.circ_EPHB4 synergizes with YTHDF3 to promote glioma progression via m6A-dependent stabilization of Wnt3.
Chen JIN ; Jingping LIU ; Bo LIU ; Xiyun FEI ; Yuxiang LIAO
Journal of Southern Medical University 2025;45(11):2320-2329
OBJECTIVES:
To investigate the oncogenic role of circular RNA circ_EPHB4 in glioma and its molecular mechanism.
METHODS:
Microarray analysis was performed to identify the differentially expressed circRNAs in glioma tissues. The effects of circ_EPHB4 on glioma cell migration, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in vitro and tumorigenicity in vivo were assessed using scratch wound healing assay, Transwell invasion assay and nude mouse models bearing subcutaneous tumors. RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), RNA stability assays, and gene overexpression and silencing techniques were employed to validate the synergistic regulatory effect of circ_EPHB4 and the N6-methyladenosine (m6A) reader protein YTHDF3 on Wnt3 expression.
RESULTS:
Circ_EPHB4 was significantly overexpressed by 2.3 folds (|log2FC|=1.2, P<0.01) in glioma tissues compared to the adjacent tissues, and by 2.5 folds in glioma cell line U373 compared to normal cells (P<0.001). Overexpression of circ_EPHB4 significantly enhanced migration and invasion of glioma cells, and promoted the expressions of EMT markers N-cadherin and vimentin. In the tumor-bearing mouse models, the tumor volume in circ_EPHB4 overexpression group was significantly greater than that in the control group, and the lung metastatic foci increased by 4.2 folds. Overexpression of circ_EPHB4 promoted oncogenesis by upregulating Wnt3 expression, while YTHDF3 extended the half-life of Wnt3 mRNA in an m6A-dependent manner. Simultaneous knockdown of circ_EPHB4 and YTHDF3 resulted in an obvious reduction of Wnt3 mRNA expression by up to 47% compared to its level following knocking down either circ_EPHB4 or YTHDF3 alone.
CONCLUSIONS
Circ_EPHB4 and YTHDF3 promote glioma progression by jointly targeting the Wnt3 signaling pathway, which may provide a new therapeutic strategy for gliomas.
Glioma/genetics*
;
Humans
;
Animals
;
Cell Line, Tumor
;
RNA-Binding Proteins/genetics*
;
RNA, Circular
;
Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition
;
Mice, Nude
;
Cell Movement
;
Wnt3 Protein/genetics*
;
Mice
;
Disease Progression
;
Adenosine/metabolism*
;
Brain Neoplasms/metabolism*
;
Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
9.Metacognitive capacities in relation to clinical symptoms in youth hospitalized adolescent patients with major depressive disorder
Maomao ZHANG ; Luoya ZHANG ; Yuxiang WANG ; Juan DENG ; Xiaotong CHENG ; Kezhi LIU ; Jing CHEN ; Wei LEI
Sichuan Mental Health 2024;37(5):433-438
Background Metacognition,the capacity to monitor and control one's cognitive processes,has been identified as a crucial component of effective decision-making and behavioral adaptation.Previous research has revealed cognitive deficits in patients with major depressive disorder(MDD),while findings about metacognitive capacities in patients with MDD have been inconsistent across studies,and the exact relationship between metacognitive capacities and clinical symptoms in MDD patients remains uncertain.Objective To examine the metacognitive capacities of adolescent hospitalized patients with MDD and to explore its relationship with depressive and anxiety symptoms,thus providing an unprecedented insight into the prevention of MDD.Methods A coherent 56 adolescent hospitalized patients with MDD in the Psychiatry Department at the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University from March 2022 to June 2023 and met the diagnostic criteria for depression as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,fourth edition(DSM-IV)were enrolled as MDD group.At the same time,62 healthy individuals matched with the age and sex of the MDD group residing in Luzhou were concurrently selected as control group.The metacognitive ability of the two groups was evaluated by perceptual decision-making task and confidence rating task,and the indicators included confidence deviation,reaction time of confidence evaluation and metacognitive efficiency.Additionally,the severity of depressive and anxiety symptoms was measured with Beck Depression Inventory(BDI)and Beck Anxiety Inventory(BAI).Pearson correlation analysis was utilized to examine the relationship between metacognitive capacities and clinical symptoms.Results MDD group scored higher on BDI and BAI when compared with control group(t=-13.722,-9.674,P<0.01).In terms of decision-making performance,no statistically significant difference was noted in accuracy and response time between two groups(t=-0.655,0.975,P>0.05).In terms of metacognitive performance,MDD group reported a reduction in overall confidence,confidence in correct decisions,confidence in incorrect decisions and metacognitive efficiency compared with control group(t=3.044,2.769,2.836,3.667,P<0.01).MDD group demonstrated significantly longer confidence evaluation response time than that of control group(t=-2.561,P<0.05).Correlation analysis revealed that among the MDD patients,overall confidence,confidence in correct decisions and confidence in incorrect decisions were negatively correlated with BDI score(r=-0.310,-0.307,-0.298,P<0.05),and the overall confidence and confidence in correct decisions were negatively correlated with BAI score(r=-0.284,-0.280,P<0.05),while no statistical significance existed in the correlation between confidence in incorrect decisions and BAI score(r=-0.229,P>0.05).Furthermore,metacognitive efficiency in MDD patients exhibited negative correlation with both BDI and BAI scores(r=-0.269,-0.290,P<0.05).Conclusion Hospitalized adolescent patients with MDD have impaired metacognition,and metacognitive capacity is found to be associated with severity of depressive and anxiety symptoms.
10.iTRAQ-based proteomics reveals the mechanism of action of Yinlai decoction in treating pneumonia in mice consuming a high-calorie diet
Qianqian Li ; Tiegang Liu ; Chen Bai ; Xueyan Ma ; Hui Liu ; Zi ; an Zheng ; Yuxiang Wan ; He Yu ; Yuling Ma ; Xiaohong Gu
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medical Sciences 2024;11(1):21-32
Objective:
To uncover the underlying mechanisms of action of the Yinlai decoction on high-calorie diet-induced pneumonia through proteomics analysis.
Methods:
Based on the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, lung tissue samples from normal and high-fat diet (HFD) fed mice in the GSE16377 dataset were selected as test cohorts to identify differentially expressed genes and conduct bioinformatics analyses. In the animal experiments, mice were randomly divided into the control (N), high-calorie diet pneumonia (M), and Yinlai decoction treatment (Y) groups. Mice in the M group received high-calorie feed and a 0.5 mg/mL lipopolysaccharide solution spray for 30 min for 3 d. The mice in the Y group were intragastrically administered 2 mL/10 g Yinlai decoction twice daily for 3 d. Pathological evaluation of the lung tissue was performed. Differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in the lung tissue were identified using quantitative proteomics and bioinformatics analyses. The drug-target relationships between Yinlai decoction and core DEPs in the lung tissue were verified using AutoDock Vina and Molecular Graphics Laboratory (MGL) Tools. DEPs were verified by western blot.
Results:
GEO data mining showed that an HFD altered oxidative phosphorylation in mouse lung tissue. The Yinlai decoction alleviated pathological damage to lung tissue and pneumonia in mice that were fed a high-calorie diet. A total of 47 DEPs were identified between the Y and M groups. Enrichment analysis revealed their association with energy metabolism pathways such as the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) and oxidative phosphorylation. The protein-protein interaction network revealed that Atp5a1, Pdha1, and Sdha were the target proteins mediating the therapeutic effects of Yinlai decoction. Molecular docking results suggested that the mechanism of the therapeutic effect of Yinlai decoction involves the binding of brassinolide, praeruptorin B, chrysoeriol, and other components in Yinlai decoction to Atp5a1.
Conclusion
The Yinlai decoction alleviated lung tissue damage and pneumonia in mice that were fed a high-calorie diet by regulating the TCA and oxidative phosphorylation. Our study highlights the importance of a healthy diet for patients with pneumonia and provides a scientific basis for the prevention and treatment of pneumonia through dietary adjustments.


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