1.From Bedside to Molecular Diagnosis-Multidisciplinary Treatment of a Rare Case of Autoinflammatory Disease Presenting with Skin Induration and Limb Weakness
Hanhui FU ; Wenjun WANG ; Yaping LIU ; Hui YOU ; Tao WANG ; Wen ZHANG ; Xuejun ZENG ; Liying CUI ; Huijuan ZHU ; Xiuli ZHAO ; Min SHEN ; Yicheng ZHU
JOURNAL OF RARE DISEASES 2026;5(2):207-213
This article reports a rare case of autoinflammatory disease presenting initially with skin induration and swelling after trauma as the initial manifestation, followed by progressive limb weakness. The patient was a middle-aged female who developed skin induration and swelling after trauma, which gradually progressed to limb weakness, dysarthria and bilateral facial paralysis, accompanied by livedo reticularis of the lower extremities, diffuse skin induration of the limbs, and beaded subcutaneous nodules in the right upper limb. The patient had a susceptibility to infection since childhood and a history of chronic livedo reticularis. Skin pathological examination revealed panniculitis. A comprehensive etiological screening for special infections and autoimmune diseases was completed with an unremarkable results, and whole-exome sequencing showed no abnormal findings. Following a multidisciplinary discussion combined with RNA sequencing results, the patient was diagnosed with an autoinflammatory disease, with a suspected type Ⅰ interferonopathy. Treatment with tofacitinib resulted in gradual improvement of clinical symptoms. This case highlights the importance of detailed medical history collection, systematic physical examination and multidisciplinary collaborative diagnosis and treatment, and underscores the pivotal role of molecular diagnosis in the confirmation of rare diseases. It can provide a reference for the clinical diagnosis and management of similar rare cases.
2.Relationship between autism spectrum disorder-like behaviors and resilience in adolescents
Longping ZENG ; Hui WANG ; Xinzhou TANG ; Xing SU ; Liyang ZHAO ; Zhaozheng JI ; Xiaoyun GONG ; Tingni YIN ; Qinyi LIU ; Bingxi SUN ; Xue LI ; Jing LIU
Chinese Mental Health Journal 2025;39(1):26-31
Objective:To discern the association between autism-like behaviors and resilience within the ado-lescent demographic.Methods:A total of 7 063 middle school students were selected to assess ASD-like behaviors and resilience in adolescents using the Autism Spectrum Screening Questionnaire(ASSQ)as well as the Resilience Scale for Chinese Adolescent(RSCA).Subgroups bounded by P5 and P95 of the total ASSQ score,a comparative analysis of the resilience scores between these groups was executed.A correlation evaluation and linear regression a-nalysis was carried out between ASSQ and RSCA scores from all participants.Results:The RSCA scores within the high ASSQ scoring group,were inferior to those in the low scoring group.ASSQ scores were negatively correlated with RSCA scores for the full sample(Ps<0.01);Social interaction scores on the ASSQ were negatively correlated with the five-factor RSCA scores(β=-0.23,-0.27,-0.11,-0.23,-0.37,Ps<0.05).Conclusion:There was a negative association between autism spectrum disorder-like behaviors and resilience in adolescents,with more severe social interaction symptoms being associated with poorer resilience.
3.The longitudinal effect of learning stress on learning burnout in vocational college students: mediating effect of academic procrastination
Hua WEI ; Yuejuan DONG ; Yanlei LIU ; Xinli CHEN ; Zi ZENG ; Shan YUE ; Wei WU ; Hui LIU
Chinese Journal of Behavioral Medicine and Brain Science 2025;34(9):840-845
Objective:To explore the longitudinal effect of learning stress on learning burnout in vocational college students, and the mediating role of academic procrastination.Methods:A total of 1 212 vocational college students were selected, and two follow-up surveys were conducted at 12-week intervals in September (T1) and November (T2) of 2024 using the basic situation questionnaire, the burnout inventory-student survey, the learning pressure questionnaire and the brief academic procrastination scale. SPSS 26.0 software was used to compare the demographic characteristics of students' depersonalization using t test and single factor analysis of variance. Bootstrap was used to analyze the relationship among learning stress, academic procrastination and learning burnout. Results:The scores of learning stress at T1 and T2 for vocational college students were 14.47±3.52 and 14.52 ±3.50, the scores of academic procrastination at T1 and T2 were 27.14±9.07 and 27.21±9.04, and the scores of learning burnout T1 and T2 were 39.38±8.76 and 39.69±8.79.The t-test showed that the score of learning burnout at T1 of students aged 18 and below (36.70±8.72) was lower than students aged 18 above (40.15±8.63, t=-5.81, P<0.01). The score of learning burnout for liberal arts students at T1(40.82±8.54) was higher than that of science students (37.68±8.72, t=6.31, P<0.01). Single factor analysis of variance showed that the score of learning burnout for grade 1 students at T1(35.19±8.45) was lower than that of grade 2 students (41.33±7.98) and grade 3 students (38.92±9.88), and learning burnout score of grade 2 students at T1 was higher than that of grades 3 students ( F=61.59, P<0.01). The score of learning burnout for high-achieving students at T1(36.23±8.34) was lower than that of middle-achieving students (39.82±8.52) and low-achieving students (45.42±9.14), and the score of learning burnout for middle-achieving students at T1 were lower than that of low-achieving students ( F=36.53, P<0.01). Bootstrap test showed that academic procrastination T2 played a partial mediating role in the relationship between learning stress T1 and learning burnout T2 (effect size=0.04, 95% CI=0.03-0.07). Academic procrastination T1 played a partial mediating role in the relationship between learning stress T1 and learning burnout T2 (effect size=0.05, 95% CI=0.04-0.07). Conclusion:Learning stress can directly affect learning burnout in vocational college students, and also can indirectly affect learning burnout through the mediating effect of academic procrastination.
4.Dual activation of GCGR/GLP1R signaling ameliorates intestinal fibrosis via metabolic regulation of histone H3K9 lactylation in epithelial cells.
Han LIU ; Yujie HONG ; Hui CHEN ; Xianggui WANG ; Jiale DONG ; Xiaoqian LI ; Zihan SHI ; Qian ZHAO ; Longyuan ZHOU ; JiaXin WANG ; Qiuling ZENG ; Qinglin TANG ; Qi LIU ; Florian RIEDER ; Baili CHEN ; Minhu CHEN ; Rui WANG ; Yao ZHANG ; Ren MAO ; Xianxing JIANG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(1):278-295
Intestinal fibrosis is a significant clinical challenge in inflammatory bowel diseases, but no effective anti-fibrotic therapy is currently available. Glucagon receptor (GCGR) and glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor (GLP1R) are both peptide hormone receptors involved in energy metabolism of epithelial cells. However, their role in intestinal fibrosis and the underlying mechanisms remain largely unexplored. Herein GCGR and GLP1R were found to be reduced in the stenotic ileum of patients with Crohn's disease as well as in the fibrotic colon of mice with chronic colitis. The downregulation of GCGR and GLP1R led to the accumulation of the metabolic byproduct lactate, resulting in histone H3K9 lactylation and exacerbated intestinal fibrosis through epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Dual activating GCGR and GLP1R by peptide 1907B reduced the H3K9 lactylation in epithelial cells and ameliorated intestinal fibrosis in vivo. We uncovered the role of GCGR/GLP1R in regulating EMT involved in intestinal fibrosis via histone lactylation. Simultaneously activating GCGR/GLP1R with the novel dual agonist peptide 1907B holds promise as a treatment strategy for alleviating intestinal fibrosis.
5.Endoplasmic reticulum membrane remodeling by targeting reticulon-4 induces pyroptosis to facilitate antitumor immune.
Mei-Mei ZHAO ; Ting-Ting REN ; Jing-Kang WANG ; Lu YAO ; Ting-Ting LIU ; Ji-Chao ZHANG ; Yang LIU ; Lan YUAN ; Dan LIU ; Jiu-Hui XU ; Peng-Fei TU ; Xiao-Dong TANG ; Ke-Wu ZENG
Protein & Cell 2025;16(2):121-135
Pyroptosis is an identified programmed cell death that has been highly linked to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) dynamics. However, the crucial proteins for modulating dynamic ER membrane curvature change that trigger pyroptosis are currently not well understood. In this study, a biotin-labeled chemical probe of potent pyroptosis inducer α-mangostin (α-MG) was synthesized. Through protein microarray analysis, reticulon-4 (RTN4/Nogo), a crucial regulator of ER membrane curvature, was identified as a target of α-MG. We observed that chemically induced proteasome degradation of RTN4 by α-MG through recruiting E3 ligase UBR5 significantly enhances the pyroptosis phenotype in cancer cells. Interestingly, the downregulation of RTN4 expression significantly facilitated a dynamic remodeling of ER membrane curvature through a transition from tubules to sheets, consequently leading to rapid fusion of the ER with the cell plasma membrane. In particular, the ER-to-plasma membrane fusion process is supported by the observed translocation of several crucial ER markers to the "bubble" structures of pyroptotic cells. Furthermore, α-MG-induced RTN4 knockdown leads to pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2)-dependent conventional caspase-3/gasdermin E (GSDME) cleavages for pyroptosis progression. In vivo, we observed that chemical or genetic RTN4 knockdown significantly inhibited cancer cells growth, which further exhibited an antitumor immune response with anti-programmed death-1 (anti-PD-1). In translational research, RTN4 high expression was closely correlated with the tumor metastasis and death of patients. Taken together, RTN4 plays a fundamental role in inducing pyroptosis through the modulation of ER membrane curvature remodeling, thus representing a prospective druggable target for anticancer immunotherapy.
Pyroptosis/immunology*
;
Humans
;
Endoplasmic Reticulum/immunology*
;
Animals
;
Nogo Proteins/antagonists & inhibitors*
;
Mice
;
Cell Line, Tumor
;
Xanthones/pharmacology*
;
Neoplasms/pathology*
;
Mice, Nude
6.Study of brain structure and functional connectivity changes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and mild cognitive impairment by multimodal magnetic resonance imaging
Hui ZENG ; Ying LIU ; Keranmu NUERBIYA
Chinese Journal of Diabetes 2025;33(9):660-666
Objective To investigate the changes of brain structure and functional connectivity by multimodal magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)and mild cognitive impairment(MCI).Methods A total of 120 patients with T2DM who were treated in the our hospital were enrolled in this study from April 2023 to April 2024.All the patients were divided into simple T2DM group(n=62)and MCI group(n=58)according to whether they were complicated with MCI.The general data and cognitive function related indicators were compared between the two groups,and the volume of MRI subcortical structures were analyzed.The fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation(fALFF)values were compared between the two groups,and the brain regions with different fALFF values were used as seed points for voxel-based functional connectivity analysis.Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between MRI subcortical structure volume and abnormal functional connectivity brain regions and cognitive function in T2DM patients with MCI.Results Connection test A(TMT-A),TMT-B scores and bilateral temporal angle width of ventricles were higher,while Dorsal number span test(FDST),dorsal number span test(BDST),Wechsler adult intelligence scale(WAIS-RC)arithmetic,WAIS-RC knowledge,Montreal cognitive assessment scale(MoCA)score,bilateral caudate nucleus,putamen,hippocampal volume and subcutaneous gray matter volume were lower in MCI group than in T2DM group(P<0.05).The fALFF values increased in the left pericallosal cortex,right lingual gyrus,corpus callosum and right medial and parascingulate gyrus,while fALFF values decreased in the right inferior temporal gyrus,fusiform gyrus,left suboccipital gyrus,left parietal gyrus,left anterior cuneiform lobe,left parietal lobule and left supplementary motor area.Whole brain voxel functional connectivity analysis showed that the functional connectivity of right inferior temporal gyrus and left inferior parietal gyrus was stronger,while the functional connectivity of right lingual gyrus was weaker in MCI group than in T2DM group.Pearson correlation analysis showed that FDST,BDST,WAIS-RC arithmetic,WAIS-RC knowledge,and MoCA score were positively correlated with bilateral caudate nucleus,putamen nucleus,hippocampus volume,subcortical gray matter volume,and right inferior temporal gyrus and left inferior parietal gyrus functions(P<0.05),and negatively correlated with temporal angle width of bilateral ventricles and right superior frontal gyrus function(P<0.05).TMT-a and TMT-B scores were positively correlated with bilateral temporal angle width and right superior frontal gyrus function(P<0.05),and negatively correlated with bilateral caudate nucleus,putamen nucleus,hippocampus volume,subcortical gray matter volume,right inferior temporal gyrus and left inferior parietal gyrus function(P<0.05).Conclusions The volume of subcortical structures is changed in patients with T2DM and MCI,and there are multiple brain regions with abnormal functional connectivity.These alterations demonstrate varying degrees of correlation with MCI,providing partial insight into its neuropathological basis.
7.A case of Gadolinium-based contrast agent combined with intravascular ultrasound for successful percutaneous coronary intervention in a patient with severe allergy to iodine contrast agent
Xin LIU ; Zhi-yuan WANG ; Guo-hui LIU ; Hong ZENG ; Xiang-dong LI
Chinese Journal of Interventional Cardiology 2025;33(5):295-300
Conventional X-ray coronary angiography using iodinated contrast media is the gold standard technique for diagnosing coronary artery disease and determining treatment strategies,including percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI).However,severe allergy to iodinated contrast agents and renal insufficiency,as well as severely hyperthyroid patients,limit the use of iodinated contrast agents,especially in the face of acute coronary syndromes requiring emergency PCI.Gadolinium-based contrast agent is mainly developed for use in magnetic resonance imaging examinations,and there are few studies on whether it can be used for coronary angiography.We report a case of a patient who had a severe allergic reaction to an iodine contrast agent,and ultimately had a successful complex coronary intervention guided by the application of Gadolinium-based contrast agent combined with intravascular ultrasound.This case and a review of the relevant literature provide new ideas for coronary artery examination and treatment in patients with contraindications to iodine.
8.Comparison of the effect of culturing human embryos between dry and humid incubators
Hua HUANG ; Yan HONG ; Rong LUO ; Hui HU ; Yan ZENG ; Kaize DING ; Minli LIU
Chinese Journal of Reproduction and Contraception 2025;45(3):247-254
Objective:To compare the the cultivation effects of human embryos in dry and humid incubators.Methods:A total of 479 infertile patients who underwent in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment at Reproductive Center of Guiyang Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital from October 2020 to April 2022. The study was divided into two stages. The first stage of the study was a self-comparative research with 95 cases from the same period and source. The embryos were divided into dry and humid incubator groups to compare the embryo development indicators. In the second stage of the study, the patients were divided into six groups, including 10 μL humid incubator group ( n=64), 20 μL humid incubator group ( n=64), 30 μL humid incubator group ( n=64), 10 μL dry incubator group ( n=64), 20 μL dry incubator group ( n=64), and 30 μL dry incubator group ( n=64). The general clinical data, embryo development indicators, pregnancy outcomes, and the osmotic pressure and pH values of each group at 24 h, 48 h and 72 h were detected and compared. Results:After cultivation of the same patient's embryos in dry and humid incubator, the total blastocyst formation rate [62.3% (162/260)] and high-quality blastocyst rate [24.6% (64/260)] in dry incubator were lower than those in the humid incubator [71.6% (252/352), P=0.015; 32.1% (113/352), P=0.043]. Compared with the other microdroplet groups, the osmotic pressure of cleavage culture medium in 10 μL group of dry incubator at 48 h and 72 h and blastocyst culture medium were significantly increased, the differences among the groups were significant (cleavage culture medium, all P<0.001; blastocyst culture medium, P=0.006, P=0.008). There was no significant difference in pH value among different microdroplet volume groups at the same period (all P>0.05). There were no significant differences in general data among the different microdroplet groups (all P>0.05). Compared with the other microdroplet groups, 10 μL dry incubator group exhibited significantly lower transferable embryo rate (all P<0.001). When compared with 20 μL and 30 μL groups in both dry and humid incubators, 10 μL dry incubator group showed a lower day 5 blastocyst formation rate, lower total blastocyst formation rate, and lower high-quality blastocyst formation rate, the differences among the groups were significant (all P<0.05). There were no significant differences in the number of transferred embryos, the ratio of cleavage-stage embryos and the ratio of high-quality embryos among different groups (all P>0.05). Compared with the other microdroplet groups, the clinical pregnancy rate, the embryo implantation rate, the live birth rate of fresh transplanted embryos and the cumulative pregnancy rate in 10 μL group in the dry incubator decreased, and the miscarriage rate increased, but all were not significant (all P>0.05). Conclusion:Compared with humid incubators, there are no significant differences in embryo development and pregnancy outcomes for droplet volumes of 20 μL or above in dry incubators. However, the 10 μL microdroplet culture in the dry incubator is not conducive to embryonic development, which may be related to the increased osmotic pressure of the microdroplet.
9.An Epithelial Senescence Model Induced by Doxorubicin in MCF 10A Cells
Zeng-Sheng WANG ; Zu-Biao NIU ; Bo ZHANG ; Jia-Hui HAO ; Yi-Chao ZHU ; Rui-Gang YANG ; He REN ; Chen-Yu LIU ; Qiang SUN ; Li-Cheng REN
Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2025;41(1):147-155
This research aims to construct a stable epithelial cell senescence model for screening and e-valuation of senolytics.We explored the optimal conditions for doxorubicin-induced senescence of non-transformed epithelial cells MCF 10A,including the optimal induction concentration,the optimal inter-vention time,and the optimal senescence duration,and confirmed the feasibility of MCF 10A as an epi-thelial senescence model by multiple ways.The optimal condition for Doxorubicin-induced senescence of MCF 10A cells was treatment with 0.6 μmol/L Doxorubicin for 16 h to achieve the best senescence state on the 8th day.Under the optimal induction conditions,the positive rate of senescence-associated β-gal-actosidase(SA-β-gal)staining in the treated group reached 97%.At the same time,biochemical results of detecting the expression of mRNA,proteins,and immunofluorescence demonstrated that the expression levels of senescence-associated secretory phenotype(SASP),p16,p21 and p53 in the treated group were significantly higher than those in the control cells,and Lamin B1 was significantly decreased(P<0.001),which were consistent with the specific characteristics of senescence.In summary,an epithelial senescence model was successfully induced in MCF 10A cells by Doxorubicin in this study,which will promote the screening of senolytics for senescent epithelial cells.
10.The longitudinal effect of learning stress on learning burnout in vocational college students: mediating effect of academic procrastination
Hua WEI ; Yuejuan DONG ; Yanlei LIU ; Xinli CHEN ; Zi ZENG ; Shan YUE ; Wei WU ; Hui LIU
Chinese Journal of Behavioral Medicine and Brain Science 2025;34(9):840-845
Objective:To explore the longitudinal effect of learning stress on learning burnout in vocational college students, and the mediating role of academic procrastination.Methods:A total of 1 212 vocational college students were selected, and two follow-up surveys were conducted at 12-week intervals in September (T1) and November (T2) of 2024 using the basic situation questionnaire, the burnout inventory-student survey, the learning pressure questionnaire and the brief academic procrastination scale. SPSS 26.0 software was used to compare the demographic characteristics of students' depersonalization using t test and single factor analysis of variance. Bootstrap was used to analyze the relationship among learning stress, academic procrastination and learning burnout. Results:The scores of learning stress at T1 and T2 for vocational college students were 14.47±3.52 and 14.52 ±3.50, the scores of academic procrastination at T1 and T2 were 27.14±9.07 and 27.21±9.04, and the scores of learning burnout T1 and T2 were 39.38±8.76 and 39.69±8.79.The t-test showed that the score of learning burnout at T1 of students aged 18 and below (36.70±8.72) was lower than students aged 18 above (40.15±8.63, t=-5.81, P<0.01). The score of learning burnout for liberal arts students at T1(40.82±8.54) was higher than that of science students (37.68±8.72, t=6.31, P<0.01). Single factor analysis of variance showed that the score of learning burnout for grade 1 students at T1(35.19±8.45) was lower than that of grade 2 students (41.33±7.98) and grade 3 students (38.92±9.88), and learning burnout score of grade 2 students at T1 was higher than that of grades 3 students ( F=61.59, P<0.01). The score of learning burnout for high-achieving students at T1(36.23±8.34) was lower than that of middle-achieving students (39.82±8.52) and low-achieving students (45.42±9.14), and the score of learning burnout for middle-achieving students at T1 were lower than that of low-achieving students ( F=36.53, P<0.01). Bootstrap test showed that academic procrastination T2 played a partial mediating role in the relationship between learning stress T1 and learning burnout T2 (effect size=0.04, 95% CI=0.03-0.07). Academic procrastination T1 played a partial mediating role in the relationship between learning stress T1 and learning burnout T2 (effect size=0.05, 95% CI=0.04-0.07). Conclusion:Learning stress can directly affect learning burnout in vocational college students, and also can indirectly affect learning burnout through the mediating effect of academic procrastination.

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