1.Inflammatory disorders that affect the cerebral small vessels.
Fei HAN ; Siyuan FAN ; Bo HOU ; Lixin ZHOU ; Ming YAO ; Min SHEN ; Yicheng ZHU ; Joanna M WARDLAW ; Jun NI
Chinese Medical Journal 2025;138(11):1301-1312
This comprehensive review synthesizes the latest advancements in understanding inflammatory disorders affecting cerebral small vessels, a distinct yet understudied category within cerebral small vessel diseases (SVD). Unlike classical SVD, these inflammatory conditions exhibit unique clinical presentations, imaging patterns, and pathophysiological mechanisms, posing significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Highlighting their heterogeneity, this review spans primary angiitis of the central nervous system, cerebral amyloid angiopathy-related inflammation, systemic vasculitis, secondary vasculitis, and vasculitis in autoinflammatory diseases. Key discussions focus on emerging insights into immune-mediated processes, neuroimaging characteristics, and histopathological distinctions. Furthermore, this review underscores the importance of standardized diagnostic frameworks, individualized immunomodulation approaches, and novel targeted therapies to address unmet clinical demands.
Humans
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Cerebral Small Vessel Diseases/pathology*
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Inflammation/pathology*
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Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy/pathology*
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Vasculitis, Central Nervous System/pathology*
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Vasculitis/pathology*
2.Identification of terpenoid synthases family in Perilla frutescens and functional analysis of germacrene D synthase.
Pei-Na ZHOU ; Zai-Biao ZHU ; Lei XIONG ; Ying ZHANG ; Peng CHEN ; Huang-Jin TONG ; Cheng-Hao FEI
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(10):2658-2673
Based on whole-genome identification of the TPS gene family in Perilla frutescens and screening, cloning, bioinformatics, and expression analysis of the synthetic enzyme for the insect-resistant component germacrene D, this study lays the foundation for understanding the biological function of the TPS gene family and the insect resistance mechanism in P. frutescens. This study used bioinformatics tools to identify the TPS gene family of P. frutescens based on its whole genome and predicted the physicochemical properties, systematic classification, and promoter cis-elements of the proteins. The relative content of germacrene D was detected in both normal and insect-infested leaves of P. frutescens, and the germacrene D synthase was screened and isolated. Gene cloning, bioinformatics analysis, and expression profiling were then performed. The results showed that a total of 99 TPS genes were identified in the genome, which were classified into the TPS-a, TPS-b, TPS-c, TPS-e/f, and TPS-g subfamilies. Conserved motif analysis showed that the TPS in P. frutescens has conserved structural characteristics within the same subfamily. Promoter cis-element analysis predicted the presence of light-responsive elements, multiple hormone-responsive elements, and stress-responsive elements in the TPS family of P. frutescens. Transcriptome data revealed that most of the TPS genes in P. frutescens were highly expressed in the leaves. GC-MS analysis showed that the relative content of germacrene D significantly increased in insect-damaged leaves, suggesting that it may act as an insect-resistant component. The germacrene D synthase gene was screened through homologous protein binding gene expression and was found to belong to the TPS-a subfamily, encoding a 64.89 kDa protein. This protein was hydrophilic, lacked a transmembrane structure and signal peptide, and was predominantly expressed in leaves, with significantly higher expression in insect-damaged leaves compared to normal leaves. In vitro expression results showed that germacrene D synthase tended to form inclusion bodies. Molecular docking showed that farnesyl pyrophosphate(FPP) fell into the active pocket of the protein and interacted strongly with six active sites. This study provides a foundation for further research on the biological functions of the TPS gene family in P. frutescens and the molecular mechanisms underlying its insect resistance.
Perilla frutescens/chemistry*
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Plant Proteins/chemistry*
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Multigene Family
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Sesquiterpenes, Germacrane/metabolism*
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Alkyl and Aryl Transferases/chemistry*
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Phylogeny
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Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
3.Effects of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cell therapy for cavernous nerve injury-induced erectile dysfunction in the rat model.
Wei WANG ; Ying LIU ; Zi-Hao ZHOU ; Kun PANG ; Jing-Kai WANG ; Peng-Fei HUAN ; Jing-Ru LU ; Tao ZHU ; Zuo-Bin ZHU ; Cong-Hui HAN
Asian Journal of Andrology 2025;27(4):508-515
Stem cell treatment may enhance erectile dysfunction (ED) in individuals with cavernous nerve injury (CNI). Nevertheless, no investigations have directly ascertained the implications of varying amounts of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (HUC-MSCs) on ED. We compare the efficacy of three various doses of HUC-MSCs as a therapeutic strategy for ED. Sprague-Dawley rats (total = 175) were randomly allocated into five groups. A total of 35 rats underwent sham surgery and 140 rats endured bilateral CNI and were treated with vehicles or doses of HUC-MSCs (1 × 10 6 cells, 5 × 10 6 cells, and 1 × 10 7 cells in 0.1 ml, respectively). Penile tissues were harvested for histological analysis on 1 day, 3 days, 7 days, 14 days, 28 days, 60 days, and 90 days postsurgery. It was found that varying dosages of HUC-MSCs enhanced the erectile function of rats with bilateral CNI and ED. Moreover, there was no significant disparity in the effectiveness of various dosages of HUC-MSCs. However, the expression of endothelial markers (rat endothelial cell antigen-1 [RECA-1] and endothelial nitric oxide synthase [eNOS]), smooth muscle markers (alpha smooth muscle actin [α-SMA] and desmin), and neural markers (neurofilament [RECA-1] and neurogenic nitric oxide synthase [nNOS]) increased significantly with prolonged treatment time. Masson's staining demonstrated an increased in the smooth muscle cell (SMC)/collagen ratio. Significant changes were detected in the microstructures of various types of cells. In vivo imaging system (IVIS) analysis showed that at the 1 st day, the HUC-MSCs implanted moved to the site of damage. Additionally, the oxidative stress levels were dramatically reduced in the penises of rats administered with HUC-MSCs.
Male
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Animals
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Erectile Dysfunction/metabolism*
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Rats, Sprague-Dawley
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Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation/methods*
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Rats
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Penis/pathology*
;
Humans
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Disease Models, Animal
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Umbilical Cord/cytology*
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Peripheral Nerve Injuries/complications*
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Mesenchymal Stem Cells
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Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III/metabolism*
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Actins/metabolism*
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Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I/metabolism*
4.Clinical implication of post-angioplasty quantitative flow ratio in the patients with coronary artery de novo lesions underwent drug-coated balloons treatment.
Yun-Hui ZHU ; Xu-Lin HONG ; Tian-Li HU ; Qian-Qian BIAN ; Yu-Fei CHEN ; Tian-Ping ZHOU ; Jing LI ; Guo-Sheng FU ; Wen-Bin ZHANG
Journal of Geriatric Cardiology 2025;22(3):332-343
BACKGROUND:
Quantitative flow ratio (QFR) holds significant value in guiding drug-coated balloon (DCB) treatment and enhancing outcomes. However, the predictive capability of post-angioplasty QFR for long-term clinical events in patients with de novo lesions who receive DCB treatment remains uncertain. The aim of this study was to explore the potential significance of post-angioplasty QFR measurements in predicting clinical outcomes in patients underwent DCB treatment for de novo lesions.
METHODS:
Patients who underwent DCB-only intervention for de novo lesions were enrolled. QFR was conducted after DCB treatment. The patients were then categorized based on post-angioplasty QFR. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac events (MACE), encompassing all-cause death, cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, stroke, and target vessel revascularization.
RESULTS:
A total of 553 patients with 561 lesions were included. The median follow-up period was 505 days, during which 66 (11.8%) MACEs occurred. Based on post-procedural QFR grouping, there were 259 cases in the high QFR group (QFR > 0.93) and 302 cases in the low QFR group (QFR ≤ 0.93). Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed a significantly higher cumulative incidence of MACE in the low QFR group (log-rank P = 0.004). The multivariate Cox proportional hazards model demonstrated a significant inverse correlation between QFR and the occurrence of MACEs (HR = 0.522, 95%CI: 0.289-0.942, P = 0.031). Landmark analysis indicated that high QFR had a significant reducing effect on the cumulative incidence of MACEs within 1 year (log-rank P = 0.016) and 1-5 years (log-rank P = 0.026).
CONCLUSIONS
In patients who underwent DCB-only treatment for de novo lesions, higher post-procedural QFR values (> 0.93) were identified as an independent protective factor against adverse prognosis.
5.Dimeric natural product panepocyclinol A inhibits STAT3 via di-covalent modification.
Li LI ; Yuezhou WANG ; Yiqiu WANG ; Xiaoyang LI ; Qihong DENG ; Fei GAO ; Wenhua LIAN ; Yunzhan LI ; Fu GUI ; Yanling WEI ; Su-Jie ZHU ; Cai-Hong YUN ; Lei ZHANG ; Zhiyu HU ; Qingyan XU ; Xiaobing WU ; Lanfen CHEN ; Dawang ZHOU ; Jianming ZHANG ; Fei XIA ; Xianming DENG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(1):409-423
Homo- or heterodimeric compounds that affect dimeric protein function through interaction between monomeric moieties and protein subunits can serve as valuable sources of potent and selective drug candidates. Here, we screened an in-house dimeric natural product collection, and panepocyclinol A (PecA) emerged as a selective and potent STAT3 inhibitor with profound anti-tumor efficacy. Through cross-linking C712/C718 residues in separate STAT3 monomers with two distinct Michael receptors, PecA inhibits STAT3 DNA binding affinity and transcription activity. Molecular dynamics simulation reveals the key conformation changes of STAT3 dimers upon the di-covalent binding with PecA that abolishes its DNA interactions. Furthermore, PecA exhibits high efficacy against anaplastic large T cell lymphoma in vitro and in vivo, especially those with constitutively activated STAT3 or STAT3Y640F. In summary, our study describes a distinct and effective di-covalent modification for the dimeric compound PecA to disrupt STAT3 function.
6.Perturbation response scanning of drug-target networks: Drug repurposing for multiple sclerosis.
Yitan LU ; Ziyun ZHOU ; Qi LI ; Bin YANG ; Xing XU ; Yu ZHU ; Mengjun XIE ; Yuwan QI ; Fei XIAO ; Wenying YAN ; Zhongjie LIANG ; Qifei CONG ; Guang HU
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2025;15(6):101295-101295
Combined with elastic network model (ENM), the perturbation response scanning (PRS) has emerged as a robust technique for pinpointing allosteric interactions within proteins. Here, we proposed the PRS analysis of drug-target networks (DTNs), which could provide a promising avenue in network medicine. We demonstrated the utility of the method by introducing a deep learning and network perturbation-based framework, for drug repurposing of multiple sclerosis (MS). First, the MS comorbidity network was constructed by performing a random walk with restart algorithm based on shared genes between MS and other diseases as seed nodes. Then, based on topological analysis and functional annotation, the neurotransmission module was identified as the "therapeutic module" of MS. Further, perturbation scores of drugs on the module were calculated by constructing the DTN and introducing the PRS analysis, giving a list of repurposable drugs for MS. Mechanism of action analysis both at pathway and structural levels screened dihydroergocristine as a candidate drug of MS by targeting a serotonin receptor of serotonin 2B receptor (HTR2B). Finally, we established a cuprizone-induced chronic mouse model to evaluate the alteration of HTR2B in mouse brain regions and observed that HTR2B was significantly reduced in the cuprizone-induced mouse cortex. These findings proved that the network perturbation modeling is a promising avenue for drug repurposing of MS. As a useful systematic method, our approach can also be used to discover the new molecular mechanism and provide effective candidate drugs for other complex diseases.
7.Exploring the feasibility of narrative medical records:from concept to clinical practice
Fei LI ; Jianli WANG ; Naishi LI ; Liming ZHU ; Jiaxin ZHOU ; Cuiwen FA ; Menglan LIN ; Yongqing HAN ; Chenyanwen ZHU ; Zhong HE ; Xiaohong NING
Chinese Medical Ethics 2024;37(11):1263-1269
Based on the theoretical reflection on the reflective function of medical records,the important findings in the practice of medical records writing in the field of palliative care,and conceptual analysis of narrative medicine tools,combined with empirical investigation materials and analysis,this paper focused on the practice of medical records writing for reflection and research.The main contents include defining the concept of narrative medical records,which are medical records used in clinical practice that incorporate narrative content;clarifying their characteristics and functions at different levels;and exploring practical paths for their application in clinical practice.Based on an in-depth exploration of the uniqueness of narrative medicine practice at Peking Union Medical College,it also emphasized the necessity of writing medical records with narrative thinking.Specifically,it focused on using narrative thinking and forms to enhance the improvement of current medical records writing,and further sought a general framework and multiple possibilities for narrative medicine clinical pathways.
8.Establishment and Exploration of Core Competency Oriented Training Program for Neurology Resident
Lixin ZHOU ; Ying TAN ; Fei HAN ; Ming YAO ; Linzhi LUO ; Jun NI ; Bin PENG ; Liying CUI ; Yicheng ZHU
Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital 2024;15(4):973-980
Resident training is a necessary path to cultivate excellent clinical doctors. Based on the
9.Construction of mouse intestinal organoid inflammation model
Hao CHEN ; Rui LI ; Fei YI ; Li ZHOU ; Jiaqi CHEN ; Fan ZHU ; Chengyan GUAN ; Na WU
Tianjin Medical Journal 2024;52(1):16-21
Objective To establish in vitro the small intestinal organoid culture system and to investigate the effect of lipopolysaccharide(LPS)on the growth of small intestinal organoids and the secretion of inflammatory factors.Methods In vitro,the small intestinal crypt cell mass of C57BL/6 mice was aseptically isolated,collected and embedded in organoid matrix.Under the support of complete medium,the small intestinal organoids with three-dimensional multi-leaf structure with small intestinal epithelioid structure were formed.The small intestinal organoids were subcultured after 5-7 d culture.On the third day after passage,the small intestinal organoids were randomly divided into different mass concentrations of LPS groups(0,150,175,200,225,250,275 and 300 mg/L).After 24 h and 48 h of LPS induction,morphological changes of small intestinal organoid growth and differentiation were observed.CCK-8 method was used to detect the effect of different time points and mass concentrations of LPS on the proliferative activity of small intestinal organoids after induction of inflammation.The effects of four different mass concentrations of LPS(0,175,200 and 225 mg/L)on expression levels of granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor(GM-CSF),interleukin(IL)-1α,IL-6 and IL-10 in organoid culture supernatant at different times were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Results The mouse small intestinal organoid culture system was preliminarily constructed.After different time and mass concentration of LPS induced inflammation of small intestinal organoids,it was observed by morphology that small intestinal organoids would have different degrees of expansion and apoptosis in lumen.The proliferation,differentiation and budding of damaged intestinal epithelial crypts or intestinal stem cells were also inhibited to varying degrees,indicating that the growth of small intestinal organoids would be limited to varying degrees after induced inflammation.The proliferation activity of small intestinal organoids decreased to varying degrees after 24 h and 48 h of LPS induction at 175-225 mg/L(P<0.05),but the cell viability was still greater than 50%.The levels of IL-1α,IL-6 and GM-CSF partially increased after induction with 200 mg/L and 225 mg/L LPS for 24 h and 48 h(P<0.05).The level of IL-10 decreased after induction with 200 mg/L LPS for 24 h and 48 h(P<0.05).Conclusion In this study,a model of intestinal inflammatory injury in vitro induced by LPS with different mass concentrations and time points is preliminarily constructed,which provides a more reliable research platform for the mechanism research of intestinal diseases and the screening of effective drugs in the future.
10.Study on Zhou Meisheng's moxibustion treatment for epidemic hemorrhagic fever based on data mining and knowledge map
Bingyuan ZHOU ; Caifeng ZHU ; Haiyang ZHAO ; Xiaofeng QIN ; Fei DAI ; Na ZHANG ; Yumei JIA ; Anqi WU
International Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2024;46(3):369-376
Objective:To explore the therapeutic law of moxibustion in Professor Zhou Meisheng's medical manuscripts for epidemic hemorrhagic fever (EHF) based on data mining and knowledge map technology.Methods:The manuscript data of Professor Zhou Meisheng's moxibustion treatment of EHFwere collected from Infectious Diseases Department of Dangshan County People's Hospital from December 16, 1985 to December 25, 1987. Graphpad Grism 8.0 software was used for descriptive analysis. PHP 5.4 program code was used for association rule analysis. SPSS Statistics 26.0 was used for clustering analysis. Neo4j Community 3.5.25 database was used to analyze the syndrome-weight graph.Results:205 prescriptions were included. There were 21 symptoms with frequency>40, in which the frequency of aversion to cold, fever, rash and irritability was 100%. The main types of moxibustion methods used in the treatment included moxibustion frame fumigation moxibustion, Wanying acupoint moxibustion pen moxibustion, and fire needle instead of moxibustion. There were 29 acupoints with a frequency of >25, including Zhongwan (CV12), Shenshu (BL23) and Mingmen (DU4), etc. Association rules showed that Sanyinjiao (SP6)-Zhongwan (CV12)-Feishu (BL13)-Shenshu (BL23)-Zhiyang (DU9) had the highest correlation. Six effective clustering combinations of moxibustion for EHF were summarized by clustering analysis. The weight graph can obtained the first 30 relationships with high correlation of target syndromes.Conclusions:Professor Zhou applied the idea of "moxibustion for heat syndrome" to the treatment of EHF, and took the method of "acupoint selection according to symptoms" as the main acupoint selection idea for moxibustion treatment of EHF. In clinical practice, moxibustion combined with auxiliary operation of TCM is often used to treat EHF, which can achieve good results.

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