1.Mechanism of Electroacupuncture Alleviating Inflammatory Pain in Rats by Regulating ErbB Subtypes in the Spinal Dorsal Horn
Yuxin WU ; Shuxin TIAN ; Zhengyi LYU ; Dingru JI ; Xingzhen LI ; Yue DONG ; Binyu ZHAO ; Yi LIANG ; Jianqiao FANG
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;67(1):69-78
ObjectiveTo observe the changes in the levels of different subtypes of epidermal growth factor receptor (ErbB), namely ErbB1, ErbB2, ErbB3, and ErbB4, in the spinal dorsal horn of inflammatory pain model rats, and to explore their mechanism of mediating hyperalgesia as well as the intervention mechanism of electroacupuncture at "Zusanli (ST 36)" and "Kunlun (BL 60)". MethodsThe study was divided into five parts. In experiment 1, 14 Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into control and inflammatory pain group (7 rats each group) to observe the pain behavior and the protein expression of different ErbB receptor subtypes in the spinal dorsal horn. In experiment 2, 30 rats were randomly divided into control group 1, inflammatory pain group 1, and low-, medium-, and high-concentration TX1-85-1 groups, with 6 rats in each group, to observe the effect of inhibiting spinal ErbB3 on inflammatory pain. In experiment 3, 12 rats were randomly divided into control virus group and ErbB3 knockdown virus group, with 6 rats in each group, to observe the effect of knocking down ErbB3 in the spinal dorsal horn on inflammatory pain. In experiment 4, 44 rats were randomly divided into control group 2, inflammatory pain group 2, electroacupuncture group, and sham electroacupuncture group, with 11 rats in each group, to observe the effect of electroacupuncture. In experiment 5, 40 rats were randomly divided into control group 3, inflammatory pain group 3, electroacupuncture group 1, and electroacupuncture + NRG1 group, with 10 rats in each group, to observe the effect of activating ErbB3 on electroacupuncture. A rat model of inflammatory pain was established by subcutaneous injection of 100 μl of complete Freund's adjuvant into the sole of the unilateral hind foot of SD rats. Rats in the low-, medium-, and high-concentration TX1-85-1 groups were intrathecally injected with ErbB3 inhibitor TX1-85-1 on day 5 to day 7 after modeling. Rats in the ErbB3 knockdown virus group were injected with ErbB3 knockdown virus packaged with adenovirus vector-based short hairpin RNA (shRNA) into the spinal dorsal horn in situ 3 weeks before modeling. Rats in each electroacupuncture group received electroacupuncture at bilateral "Zusanli (ST 36)" and "Kunlun (BL 60)" from day 1 to day 7 after modeling, with dense-sparse waves at a frequency of 2 Hz/100 Hz and a current of 0.5-1.5 mA for 30 minutes once a day. Rats in the electroacupuncture + NRG1 group were intrathecally injected with ErbB3 ligand recombinant human neuregulin-1 (NRG1) after electroacupuncture intervention from day 5 to day 7 after modeling. The mechanical withdrawal threshold and thermal withdrawal latency of rats were measured on day 1, 3, 5, and 7 after modeling to evaluate behavior, and Western Blot was used to detect the protein and phosphorylation levels of each ErbB subtype in the spinal dorsal horn. ResultsCompared with the control group, rats in the inflammatory pain group showed decreased mechanical withdrawal threshold and thermal withdrawal latency of rats, and increased expression of phosphorylated ErbB3 (p-ErbB3) protein in the spinal dorsal horn on days 1, 3, 5, and 7 after modeling (P<0.01). On day 5 and day 7 after modeling, compared with the inflammatory pain group 1, the mecha-nical withdrawal threshold and thermal withdrawal latency of rats in the medium- and high-concentration TX1-85-1 groups increased, and the expression of p-ErbB3 protein decreased (P<0.05). On day 1, 3, 5, and 7 after modeling, compared with the control virus group, the mechanical withdrawal threshold and thermal withdrawal latency of rats in the ErbB3 knockdown virus group increased (P<0.05). On day 5 and day 7 after modeling, compared with the inflammatory pain group 2 and the sham electroacupuncture group, the mechanical withdrawal threshold and thermal withdrawal latency of rats in the electroacupuncture group increased, and the expression of p-ErbB3 protein decreased (P<0.05). On day 5 and day 7 after modeling, compared with the electroacupuncture + NRG1 group, the mechanical withdrawal threshold and thermal withdrawal latency of rats in the electroacupuncture group 1 increased (P<0.05). ConclusionThe p-ErbB3 in the spinal dorsal horn involved in hyperalgesia in rats with inflammatory pain, and electroacupuncture at "Zusanli (ST 36)" and "Kunlun (BL 60)" can alleviate inflammatory pain by inhibiting the expression of p-ErbB3 protein in the spinal dorsal horn of rats.
2.Identification and validation of hub gene TNFAIP6 of fibroblast-like synoviocytes in rheumatoid arthritis
Lei LEI ; Yuxin LYU ; Jing ZHANG ; Ling CHEN
Journal of Army Medical University 2025;47(3):234-242
Objective To identify the hub gene of fibroblast-like synoviocytes in rheumatoid arthritis(RA)and verify its impact on proliferation,migration and invasion of the cells.Methods Four independent synovial tissue microarray transcriptome sequencing datasets and one single cell sequencing dataset were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO)database,and the hub gene of RA fibroblast-like synovial cells was identified by differential gene analysis,weighted gene co-expression network analysis(WGCNA)and single-cell sequencing data analysis.The expression of TNFAIP6 in human RA fibroblast-like synovial cell line MH7A was detected by RT-qPCR and Western blotting under simulated inflammatory environment.After MH7A cells were transfected with si-TNFAIP6,CCK-8 and Transwell assays were applied to detect the effects of silencing TNFAIP6 on the proliferation,migration and invasion abilities of MH7A cells.Results With the aid of differential gene expression analysis,WGCNA,and single-cell sequencing data,we identified TNFAIP6 as the characteristic gene of RA fibroblast-like synoviocytes.RT-qPCR and Western blot assay demonstrated that TNFAIP6 was significantly highly expressed at mRNA and protein levels in MH7A cells stimulated with 10 ng/mL TNF-α when compared to the cells treated with PBS(P<0.05).CCK-8 and Transwell assays indicated that the silencing of TNFAIP6 markedly inhibited the proliferation,migration and invasion abilities of MH7A cells when compared with the control cells(FAM-si-NC,P<0.05).Conclusion TNFAIP6 is highly expressed specifically in RA fibroblast synoviocytes,which promotes the proliferation,migration and invasion,and may be the main contributor to the abnormal activation of RA fibroblast synoviocytes.
3.Csde1 Mediates Neurogenesis via Post-transcriptional Regulation of the Cell Cycle.
Xiangbin JIA ; Wenqi XIE ; Bing DU ; Mei HE ; Jia CHEN ; Meilin CHEN ; Ge ZHANG ; Ke WANG ; Wanjing XU ; Yuxin LIAO ; Senwei TAN ; Yongqing LYU ; Bin YU ; Zihang ZHENG ; Xiaoyue SUN ; Yang LIAO ; Zhengmao HU ; Ling YUAN ; Jieqiong TAN ; Kun XIA ; Hui GUO
Neuroscience Bulletin 2025;41(11):1977-1990
Loss-of-function variants in CSDE1 have been strongly linked to neuropsychiatric disorders, yet the precise role of CSDE1 in neurogenesis remains elusive. In this study, we demonstrate that knockout of Csde1 during cortical development in mice results in impaired neural progenitor proliferation, leading to abnormal cortical lamination and embryonic lethality. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that Csde1 upregulates the transcription of genes involved in the cell cycle network. Applying a dual thymidine-labelling approach, we further revealed prolonged cell cycle durations of neuronal progenitors in Csde1-knockout mice, with a notable extension of the G1 phase. Intersection with CLIP-seq data demonstrated that Csde1 binds to the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of mRNA transcripts encoding cell cycle genes. Particularly, we uncovered that Csde1 directly binds to the 3' UTR of mRNA transcripts encoding Cdk6, a pivotal gene in regulating the transition from the G1 to S phases of the cell cycle, thereby maintaining its stability. Collectively, this study elucidates Csde1 as a novel regulator of Cdk6, sheds new light on its critical roles in orchestrating brain development, and underscores how mutations in Csde1 may contribute to the pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric disorders.
Animals
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Neurogenesis/genetics*
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Cell Cycle/genetics*
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Mice, Knockout
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Mice
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Neural Stem Cells/metabolism*
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DNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism*
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Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 6/genetics*
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Cell Proliferation
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3' Untranslated Regions
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Cerebral Cortex/embryology*
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RNA-Binding Proteins
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Mice, Inbred C57BL
4.Research advances in neutron shielding materials
Caixia MIAO ; Xiaohui DU ; Meng LIU ; Yuxin DOU ; Qi SUN ; Hailei LYU ; Hongchen HAN
Chinese Journal of Radiological Health 2025;34(4):607-613
With the extensive application of nuclear technology in industry, agriculture, and medicine, the safety issues associated with neutron radiation have become increasingly prominent. Due to their high penetrability and strong ionization effect, neutrons can cause serious health risks by directly damaging DNA or inducing secondary γ radiation. Therefore, the neutron radiation protection has become a core challenge in radiation protection, especially the research and development of neutron shielding materials. To ensure the safe development of nuclear technology, neutron shielding materials are indispensable and constitute a fundamental core technology for radiation protection. This paper reviews the theory of neutron radiation protection and the research progress of neutron shielding materials, with a focus on the current application status and existing problems of neutron shielding materials. This article also discusses the future development trends. This review aims to provide theoretical support and technical references for the safe application and development of nuclear technology.
5.Accuracy of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound Diagnostic Reports for 859 Cases of Pancreatic Space-occupying Lesions
Yang GUI ; Ke LYU ; Hua LIANG ; Xueqi CHEN ; Wanying JIA ; Tianjiao CHEN ; Yuxin JIANG
Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital 2024;15(4):825-830
To evaluate the accuracy of contrast-enhanced ultrasound diagnostic reports for pancreatic lesions. In this retrospective study, we included patients who underwent contrast-enhanced ultrasound examination of pancreatic lesions at Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 2017 to December 2022 and received a confirmed pathological diagnosis. Using pathological diagnosis as the gold standard, the study evaluated the accuracy of contrast-enhanced diagnostic ultrasound. It also analyzed the misdiagnosis of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in diagnosing various pathological types of pancreatic lesions. Of the 859 patients who met inclusion and exclusion criteria, 489 were male(56.9%) and 370 were female(43.1%).Their age ranged from 16 to 85 years, with a median age of 60(53, 66) years. Except for 47 pancreatic space-occupying lesions that were difficult to categorize as either benign or malignant, a total of 812 cases were included in the diagnostic efficacy analysis of benign and malignant lesions. The results suggested that the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of contrast-enhanced ultrasound for pancreatic malignant lesions were 98.3%(95% CI: 97.1%-99.1%) and 79.0%(95% CI: 70.1%-86.4%), AUC was 0.887(95% CI: 0.863-0.908), positive and negative predictive value were 96.9%(95% CI: 95.6%-97.9%) and 87.4%(95% CI: 79.6%-92.4%), positive and negative likelihood ratio were 4.69(95% CI: 3.24-6.80) and 0.02(95% CI: 0.01-0.04). The diagnostic accuracy rate of contrast-enhanced ultrasound for diagnosing benign and malignant pancreatic lesions was 95.8%. Of the 859 lesions examined, 48 cases were misdiagnosed by contrast-enhanced ultrasound, with a misdiagnosis rate of 5.6%(48/859), including 7 cases(0.8%) of undetermined diagnosis, while the diagnostic accuracy of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma was as high as 98.8%. No complications occurred in any of the patients. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound is a safe and effective imaging method for evaluating microvascular perfusion in various pancreatic lesions. It has significant clinical value in diagnosing both benign and malignant pancreatic lesions, particularly in diagnosing pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
6.Association between obesity and osteoporosis:a two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis
Qunzhang ZHAN ; Yuling ZHANG ; Yuxin HAN ; Jiazhen LYU ; Xiaoxia ZHENG ; Chongzheng QU
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2024;28(27):4319-4324
BACKGROUND:Numerous clinical studies have suggested a close relationship between obesity and osteoporosis,but whether there is a genetic causal effect between obesity and osteoporosis remains unclear. OBJECTIVE:To explore the association between obesity and osteoporosis using summary data from a large-scale genome-wide association study(GWAS)through Mendelian randomization analysis. METHODS:Obesity data were derived from summary statistics of the Genetic Investigation of Anthropometric Traits(GIANT)and the UK Biobank(UKBB).Osteoporosis data were obtained from the Genetic Factors for Osteoporosis(GeFOS)consortium,including two bone density phenotypes:total body bone mineral density(BMD)and heel BMD.The inverse variance-weighted method was the primary analysis,with the Mendelian randomization method based on Egger regression(MR-Egger)and weighted median method as supplementary approaches to calculate the causal association between genetic variations related to obesity and osteoporosis.Sensitivity analyses were conducted to validate the reliability of the results.Heterogeneity was assessed using Cochran's Q test.Horizontal pleiotropy was assessed through the MR-Egger intercept test.Leave-one-out analysis was performed to evaluate the potential influence of single nucleotide polymorphisms on the combined inverse variance-weighted estimates. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Impact of obesity on osteoporosis:In addition to body mass index and forearm BMD,body mass index,waist-to-hip ratio,body mass index-adjusted waist-to-hip ratio,and whole-body body mass index,heel BMD,forearm BMD,lumbar spine BMD,and femoral neck BMD were causally related to each other.Further Meta-analysis revealed that obesity increased the risk of BMD(odds ratio=1.07,95%confidence interval:1.03-1.12,P<0.01).(2)Impact of osteoporosis on obesity:Apart from arm BMD and lumbar spine BMD as exposure factors showing causal relationships with obesity,other datasets indicated no causal effect between total body BMD,heel BMD,femoral neck BMD,and obesity.Additional meta-analysis demonstrated that BMD did not increase the risk of obesity(odds rate=0.99,95%confidence interval:0.98-1.01,P<0.01).There is a causal relationship between obesity and osteoporosis,suggesting that obesity may be a risk factor for osteoporosis.However,no causal association is found between osteoporosis and obesity.
7.Visually amplification-free rapid detection of 2019-nCoV nucleic acid based on CRISPR/Cas13a
Nan ZHAO ; Yong QI ; Wei LI ; Yingqing MAO ; Wenjing LIU ; Yifang HAN ; Erxin ZHANG ; Yingjia XU ; Ruichen LYU ; Yuxin JIANG ; Yuzhen LAI ; Jiameng LI ; Wanpeng SHEN ; Yue SONG ; Yuexi LI
Chinese Journal of Laboratory Medicine 2024;47(6):658-666
Objective:Based on the specific cleavage and non-specific "trans-cleavage" activities of the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and CRISPR-associated protein(CRISPR/Cas13), we established a visually amplification-free rapid detection technique of 2019-nCoV nucleic acid. This technique is easily processed with a low detection limit and good specificity.Methods:According to the 2019-nCoV gene sequence, specific CRISPR RNAs were screened and designed by bioinformatics analysis, and then synthesized as universal signal-strained RNA transcription targets in vitro to establish and optimize the reaction system. Moreover, the 2019-nCoV pseudoviral nucleic acid was used as a standard substance to evaluate the detection limit. A total of 65 positive samples were collected from various 2019-nCoV variants, while 48 negative samples included other clinically common respiratory pathogens, such as influenza A virus, influenza B virus, human parainfluenza virus, Klebsiella pneumonia, etc. All samples were tested by quantitative PCR (qPCR), digital PCR, and the method established in this study. The sensitivity and specificity of the newly established method were analyzed and evaluated. Results:With the newly established technique, the detection time for 2019-nCoV nucleic acid could be minimized to 6 minutes. In addition, the detection limit was 14 copies/μl when assisted by the displaying instrument, whereas it increased to 28 copies/μl with the naked eye. This technique had a sensitivity and specificity of 98.5% (66/67) and 100% (46/46) respectively, showing no statistically significant difference compared to the gold standard qPCR( P=1). Conclusions:This study has successfully established a CRISPR/Cas13a-based visually rapid detection technique for 2019-nCoV nucleic acid. This technique offers the advantages of a simple process, convenient operation, low environmental operating requirements, a detection limit close to qPCR, and a strong potential for on-site testing applications.
8.Clinical Research Progress in Acupuncture for the Treatment of Tourette Syndrome
Mingyuan HAN ; Xiaolin LYU ; Zhongren SUN ; Shaopeng LIU ; Xinyuan CAO ; Yuxin WANG ; Ying FAN ; Xiangxin ZENG ; Hongna YIN
Chinese Journal of Information on Traditional Chinese Medicine 2024;31(2):181-185
Tourette syndrome(TS)is a chronic neurodevelopmental disorder.Acupuncture can effectively improve the clinical symptoms of TS patients.This article systematically summarized the clinical research status of acupuncture for the treatment of TS in recent years from the aspects of characteristic acupuncture methods,characteristic needles and comprehensive therapies,and put forward suggestions and prospects for systematically elaborating the peripheral-central mechanism of acupuncture for TS around the intestinal immunity and brain network mechanism in the future,so as to provide reference for optimizing clinical research and treatment.
9.Comparative analysis of cerebrospinal fluid laboratory test results between multiple sclerosis and Guillain-Barré syndrome
Ruimin MA ; Xinyi RAO ; Yuxin CHEN ; Hong LYU ; Guojun ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Laboratory Medicine 2024;47(2):136-141
Objective:To compare the characteristics of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) oligoclonal band electrophoresis examination results between patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), and to provide a basis for the differential diagnosis of the two types of neurological demyelinating diseases.Methods:Case analysis.The retrospective study method was used, and the patients who visited Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University from January 2020 to August 2023 were selected as the research subjects, including 70 MS patients[19 males and 51 females, aged 34 (28, 44) years] and 70 GBS patients [44 males and 26 females, aged 50 (36, 61) years]. The oligoclonal band electrophoresis and immunoglobulin G(IgG) index (IgG I) were performed on the clinical specimens from MS and GBS patients, and CSF routine, CSF biochemistry (glucose, chloride, protein), lactate, interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), antibodies to herpes simplex virus (HSV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), rubella virus (RV), toxoplasma gondii (TOX), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and coxsackievirus were detected simultaneously. The enumeration data were treated with the chi-square test. The measurement data didn′t accord with normal distribution, and were treated with the Mann-Whitney U test. Results:The positive rate of oligoclonal band (OCB) electrophoresis in MS and GBS patients were 80.00% (56/70) and 4.29% (3/70), respectively. The positive rate in MS patients was significantly higher than that in GBS patients (χ 2=82.289, P<0.001). The white blood cells count [5.50 (3.00, 11.00)/μl] and the level of chlorine [127 (125, 128) mmol/L] in CSF of MS patients was higher than that of GBS patients [3.50(2.00, 7.00)/μl, 126(124, 128) mmol/L] ( U=-2.245, P<0.05; U=-2.028, P<0.05), while the levels of CSF protein [33.40(27.61, 39.17)mg/L], glucose [3.59(3.36, 3.88) mmol/L], and lactate [1.55(1.40, 1.73) mmol/L] of MS patients were lower than those of GBS patients [6.71(43.78, 138.30) mg/L, 3.97(3.55, 4.54) mmol/L, 1.80(1.60, 2.00) mmol/L]( U=-6.747, P<0.001; U=-3.651, P<0.001; U=-4.531, P<0.001). The levels of IL-6 [3.36(2.34, 5.02) pg/ml], IL-8 [55.40(46.75, 66.40) pg/ml], and TNF-α [5.63(4.25, 6.63) pg/ml] in CSF of MS patients were lower than those of GBS patients [6.12(3.61, 11.73) pg/ml, 120.00(74.90, 187.80) pg/ml, 6.57(5.25, 8.03) pg/ml]( U=-3.463, P<0.05; U=-5.225, P<0.001; U=-2.785, P<0.05). The positive rates of CMV IgG, TOX IgG, and EBVCA IgG in CSF of MS patients were 36.36% (24/66), 0 and 0, respectively,and the positive rates of those of GBS patients were 85.71% (54/63), 30.16% (19/63), and 19.05% (12/63), respectively. The positive rates of CMV IgG, TOX IgG, and EBVCA IgG in CSF of MS patients were significantly lower than those of GBS patients (χ 2=32.839, P<0.001; χ 2=23.343, P<0.001; χ 2=13.861, P<0.001). Conclusions:The MS patients mainly showed the higher positive rates of OCB. The GBS patients showed elevated CSF protein levels but no significant increase in white blood cell count, namely albuminocytologic dissociation in CSF. Meanwhile, the GBS patients showed elevated levels of intrathecal immunity and inflammation indicators, and a higher positive rate of pathogen antibodies.
10.Research progress on the prevention and treatment of chemotherapy-induced ovarian damage
Yuxin ZHA ; Yang LI ; Weiguo LYU
Journal of Zhejiang University. Medical sciences 2024;53(3):288-296
Chemotherapy is a main treatment option for malignant tumors,but it may cause various adverse effects,including dysfunction of female endocrine system and fertility.Chemotherapy-induced ovarian damage has been concerned with ovarian preservation but also the prevention and treatment of ovarian dysfunction.In this article,the mechanisms of ovarian injury caused by chemotherapy,including apoptosis of the follicle and supporting cells,follicle"burn out",ovarian stromal and microvascular damage;and influencing factors,including age at diagnosis,initial low pre-treatment anti-Müllerian hormone levels,toxicity,dose and regimen of chemotherapy drugs are reviewed based on the latest research results and clinical practice.The article also discusses measures and frontier therapies for the prevention and treatment of ovarian injury,including the application of gonadotropin releasing hormone agonists or antagonists,tyrosine kinase inhibitors,antioxidants,sphingosine-1-phosphate,ceramide-1-phosphate,mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors,granulocyte-colony stimulating factor,stem cell therapy and artificial ovaries.

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