1.Research on BP Neural Network Method for Identifying Cell Suspension Concentration Based on GHz Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy
An ZHANG ; A-Long TAO ; Qi-Hang RAN ; Xia-Yi LIU ; Zhi-Long WANG ; Bo SUN ; Jia-Feng YAO ; Tong ZHAO
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(5):1302-1312
ObjectiveThe rapid advancement of bioanalytical technologies has heightened the demand for high-throughput, label-free, and real-time cellular analysis. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) operating in the GHz frequency range (GHz-EIS) has emerged as a promising tool for characterizing cell suspensions due to its ability to rapidly and non-invasively capture the dielectric properties of cells and their microenvironment. Although GHz-EIS enables rapid and label-free detection of cell suspensions, significant challenges remain in interpreting GHz impedance data for complex samples, limiting the broader application of this technique in cellular research. To address these challenges, this study presents a novel method that integrates GHz-EIS with deep learning algorithms, aiming to improve the precision of cell suspension concentration identification and quantification. This method provides a more efficient and accurate solution for the analysis of GHz impedance data. MethodsThe proposed method comprises two key components: dielectric property dataset construction and backpropagation (BP) neural network modeling. Yeast cell suspensions at varying concentrations were prepared and separately introduced into a coaxial sensor for impedance measurement. The dielectric properties of these suspensions were extracted using a GHz-EIS dielectric property extraction method applied to the measured impedance data. A dielectric properties dataset incorporating concentration labels was subsequently established and divided into training and testing subsets. A BP neural network model employing specific activation functions (ReLU and Leaky ReLU) was then designed. The model was trained and tested using the constructed dataset, and optimal model parameters were obtained through this process. This BP neural network enables automated extraction and analytical processing of dielectric properties, facilitating precise recognition of cell suspension concentrations through data-driven training. ResultsThrough comparative analysis with conventional centrifugal methods, the recognized concentration values of cell suspensions showed high consistency, with relative errors consistently below 5%. Notably, high-concentration samples exhibited even smaller deviations, further validating the precision and reliability of the proposed methodology. To benchmark the recognition performance against different algorithms, two typical approaches—support vector machines (SVM) and K-nearest neighbor (KNN)—were selected for comparison. The proposed method demonstrated superior performance in quantifying cell concentrations. Specifically, the BP neural network achieved a mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 2.06% and an R² value of 0.997 across the entire concentration range, demonstrating both high predictive accuracy and excellent model fit. ConclusionThis study demonstrates that the proposed method enables accurate and rapid determination of unknown sample concentrations. By combining GHz-EIS with BP neural network algorithms, efficient identification of cell concentrations is achieved, laying the foundation for the development of a convenient online cell analysis platform and showing significant application prospects. Compared to typical recognition approaches, the proposed method exhibits superior capabilities in recognizing cell suspension concentrations. Furthermore, this methodology not only accelerates research in cell biology and precision medicine but also paves the way for future EIS biosensors capable of intelligent, adaptive analysis in dynamic biological research.
2.Transcriptome Sequencing on Treatment of Kidney Deficiency and Blood Stasis-thin Endometrium in Rats with Bushen Huoxue Prescription Through Enema
Xuan ZHANG ; Wanting XIA ; Zhixing YIN ; Nana HAN ; Jinzhu HUANG ; Hang ZHOU ; Yi WANG ; Juan LI ; Qian ZENG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2024;30(2):79-90
ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism of Bushen Huoxue enema in treating the rat model of kidney deficiency and blood stasis-thin endometrium (KDBS-TE) by transcriptome sequencing. MethodThe rat model of KDBS-TE was established by administration of tripterygium polyglycosides tablets combined with subcutaneous injection of adrenaline. The pathological changes of rat endometrium in each group were then observed. Three uterine tissue specimens from each of the blank group, model group, and Bushen Huoxue enema group were randomly selected for transcriptome sequencing. The differentially expressed circRNAs, lncRNAs, and miRNAs were screened, and the disease-related specific competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory network was constructed. Furthermore, the gene ontology (GO) functional annotation and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment were performed for the mRNAs in the network. ResultCompared with the blank group, the model group showed endometrial dysplasia, decreased endometrial thickness and endometrial/total uterine wall thickness ratio (P<0.01), and differential expression of 18 circRNAs, 410 lncRNAs, and 7 miRNAs. Compared with the model group, the enema and estradiol valerate groups showed improved endometrial morphology and increased endometrial thickness and ratio of endometrial to total uterine wall thickness (P<0.05). In addition, 21 circRNAs, 518 lncRNAs, and 17 miRNAs were differentially expressed in the enema group. The disease-related specific circRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network composed of 629 nodes and 664 edges contained 2 circRNAs, 34 miRNAs, and 593 mRNAs. The lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network composed of 180 nodes and 212 edges contained 5 lncRNAs, 10 miRNAs, and 164 mRNAs. The mNRAs were mainly enriched in Hippo signaling pathway, autophagy-animal, axon guidance, etc. ConclusionBushen Huoxue enema can treat KDBS-TE in rats by regulating specific circRNAs, lncRNAs, and miRNAs in the uterus and the ceRNA network.
3.Real-time Analysis of Organic Composition of Oral and Nasal Breath Air by High Resolution Mass Spectrometry
Kang-Yi WANG ; Chen TAO ; Xin LUO ; Zhi-Feng TANG ; Te BAI ; Hang LI ; Li-Gang HU ; Wei ZHANG ; Xue LI
Chinese Journal of Analytical Chemistry 2024;52(1):72-79,中插14-中插37
Human exhaled breath has great application prospects,e.g.,monitoring pharmacokinetics,disease diagnosis,due to its advantages such as non-invasive and high-frequency sampling.Breath samples can be collected from the oral and nasal cavity.However,the oral and nasal environment affect the chemical composition of breath sample.Therefore,the investigation on the chemical composition of mouth-exhaled breath and nose-exhaled breath is crucial for selection of appropriate sampling strategy for individual studies.In this work,secondary electrospray ionization-high resolution mass spectrometry(SESI-HRMS)was applied to analysis of respiratory metabolomics in real time.A quantitative analysis approach was established for 9 kinds of volatile organic compounds(VOCs)e.g.2-butanone,2-pentanone,ethyl acetate,methyl methacrylate,toluene,styrene,mesitylene,isoprene and limonene.The limit of detection was 2.3?240.8 ng/m3.The intra-day(n=6)and inter-day(n=18)relative standard deviations were 0.6%?4.6%and 4.3%?12.2%,respectively.Nine healthy subjects were recruited to investigate the chemical composition of mouth-exhaled and nose-exhaled breath.The results showed the good performance in quantitative analysis of 9 VOCs in breath air.It was found that the number of unique component(m/z)detected in mouth-exhaled breath(167)was 2.2 times greater than that detected in nose-exhaled breath(76),which might result from the complex environment in oral cavity.The signal intensity of commun component(163)was significantly different between mouth-exhaled breath and nose-exhaled breath.Additionally,the elemental composition analysis showed that the proportion of polar compounds detected in nose-exhaled breath was higher than that in mouth-exhaled breath.This study demonstrated that there was significant differences in the chemical composition between mouth-exhaled and nose-exhaled breath,which provided a theoretical basis for selection of exhalation mode.
4.Epidemiological Investigation of Dampness Syndrome Manifestations in the Population at Risk of Cerebrovascular Disease
Xiao-Jia NI ; Hai-Yan HUANG ; Qing SU ; Yao XU ; Ling-Ling LIU ; Zhuo-Ran KUANG ; Yi-Hang LI ; Yi-Kai ZHANG ; Miao-Miao MENG ; Yi-Xin GUO ; Xiao-Bo YANG ; Ye-Feng CAI
Journal of Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2024;41(3):531-539
Objective To make an epidemiological investigation on traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)dampness syndrome manifestations in the population at risk of cerebrovascular diseases in Guangdong area.Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted to analyze the clinical data related to the risk of cerebrovascular diseases in 330 Guangdong permanent residents.The diagnosis of dampness syndrome,quantitative scoring of dampness syndrome and rating of the risk of stroke were performed for the investigation of the distribution pattern of dampness syndrome and its influencing factors.Results(1)A total of 306(92.73%)study subjects were diagnosed as dampness syndrome.The percentage of dampness syndrome in the risk group was 93.82%(258/275),which was slightly higher than that of the healthy group(48/55,87.27%),but the difference was not statistically significant(χ2 = 2.91,P = 0.112).The quantitative score of dampness syndrome in the risk group was higher than that of the healthy group,and the difference was statistically significance(Z =-2.24,P = 0.025).(2)Among the study subjects at risk of cerebrovascular disease,evaluation time(χ2 = 26.11,P = 0.001),stroke risk grading(χ2= 8.85,P = 0.031),and history of stroke or transient ischemic attack(TIA)(χ2 = 9.28,P = 0.015)were the factors influencing the grading of dampness syndrome in the population at risk of cerebrovascular disease.Conclusion Dampness syndrome is the common TCM syndrome in the population of Guangdong area.The manifestations of dampness syndrome are more obvious in the population with risk factors of cerebrovascular disease,especially in the population at high risk of stroke,and in the population with a history of stroke or TIA.The assessment and intervention of dampness syndrome should be taken into account for future project of stroke prevention in Guangdong.
5.Effectiveness of Acupoint Application in Patients with Pharyngeal Pain: Evidence from CHUNBO, A Prospective Real-World Study.
Hang-Kun MA ; Yi-Ming WANG ; Man-Ping GUO ; Chen-Fei LI ; Rui LI ; Rui GAO
Chinese journal of integrative medicine 2024;30(1):18-24
OBJECTIVE:
To assess the outcomes after acupoint application in patients with pharyngeal pain in a real-world settings, and analyze the characteristics of effective population and prescription characteristics of acupoint application.
METHODS:
Based on CHUNBO platform, patients with pharyngeal pain who were candidates for acupoint application on the basis of physician-evaluation, were enrolled in a nationwide, prospective, 69-week multicenter observational study from August 2020 to February 2022. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to match the confounding factors and the association rules were used to analyze the characteristics of effective population and prescription characteristics of acupoint application. Outcome assessments included the disappearance rate of pharyngeal pain (within 3, 7, and 14 days), disappearance time of pharyngeal pain, as well as adverse events.
RESULTS:
Of 7,699 enrolled participants, 6,693 (86.9%) received acupoint application and 1,450 (21.7%) with non-acupoint application. After PSM, there were 1,004 patients each in the application group (AG) and non-application group (NAG). The disappearance rate of pharyngeal pain in the AG at 3, 7, and 14 days were all higher than those in the NAG (P<0.05). The disappearance time of pharyngeal pain in the AG were shorter than that in the NAG (logrank P<0.001, hazard ratio=1.51, 95% confidence interval: 1.41-1.63). The median age of effective cases was 4 years, mainly 3-6 years old (40.21%). The disappearance rate of pharyngeal pain in the application group with tonsil diseases was 2.19 times higher than that in the NAG (P<0.05). The commonly used acupoints for the effective cases were Tiantu (RN 22), Shenque (RN 8) and Dazhui (DU 14). The commonly used herbs for the effective cases were Natrii sulfas, Radix et Rhizoma Rhei, and Herba Ephedrae. Among them, Natrii sulfas was applied to RN 8 most frequently (support 84.39%). A total of 1,324 (17.2%) patients experienced AEs, and mainly occurred in the AG, with significant difference in the incidence of AEs between goups (P<0.05). All AEs reported were the first grade, and the average regression days of AEs was 2.8 days.
CONCLUSIONS
Acupoint application in patients with pharyngeal pain resulted in improved effective rate and shortened duration, especially children aged 3-6 years old, and those with tonsil diseases. Acupoint of RN 22, RN 8 and DU 14, Natrii sulfas, Radix et Rhizoma Rhei, and Herba Ephedrae were the most commonly used herbs in the treatment of pharyngeal pain.
Child
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Humans
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Child, Preschool
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Acupuncture Points
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Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods*
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Prospective Studies
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Pain
6.Suggestions for revision of the epilepsy items in the military disability appraisal norms
Shu-Yi QU ; Ze CHEN ; Yuan-Hang PAN ; Ze-Zhi WANG ; Xin-Bo ZHANG ; Yong-Hong LIU
Medical Journal of Chinese People's Liberation Army 2024;49(1):6-9
Epilepsy is a common neurological disease,has the characteristics of recurrent attacks and long-term treatment,thus bringing great pressure to patients and their families.Therefore,it is particularly important to do a good job of disability assessment.In recent years,with the development of the discipline,academic organizations such as the International League Against Epilepsy(ILAE)and China Association Against Epilepsy(CAAE)have successively updated the definition and diagnostic criteria of epilepsy and seizures.However,some items of epilepsy in the current Criteria for Disability Rating of Military Personnel(Trial)issued by People's Liberation Army(PLA)in 2011 can no longer meet the latest guidelines at home and abroad.Therefore,we suggest that the items related to epilepsy in the Criteria for Disability Rating of Military Personnel(Trial)should be revised to ensure that the disability evaluation being completed fairly and successfully.
7.Research and Application of Nanozymes in Disease Treatment
Hang LIU ; Yi-Xuan LI ; Zi-Tong QIN ; Jia-Wen ZHAO ; Yue-Jie ZHOU ; Xiao-Fei LIU
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2024;51(3):575-589
Nanozyme is novel nanoparticle with enzyme-like activity, which can be classified into peroxidase-like nanozyme, catalase-like nanozyme, superoxide dismutase-like nanozyme, oxidase-like nanozyme and hydrolase-like nanozyme according to the type of reaction they catalyze. Since researchers first discovered Fe3O4 nanoparticles with peroxidase-like activity in 2007, a variety of nanoparticles have been successively found to have catalytic activity and applied in bioassays, inflammation control, antioxidant damage and tumor therapy, playing a key role in disease diagnosis and treatment. We summarize the use of nanozymes with different classes of enzymatic activity in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and describe the main factors influencing nanozyme activity. A Mn-based peroxidase-like nanozyme that induces the reduction of glutathione in tumors to produce glutathione disulfide and Mn2+, which induces the production of reative oxygen species (ROS) in tumor cells by breaking down H2O2 in physiological media through Fenton-like action, thereby inhibiting tumor cell growth. To address the limitation of tumor tissue hypoxia during photodynamic tumor therapy, the effect of photodynamic therapy is significantly enhanced by using hydrogen peroxide nanozymes to catalyze the production of oxygen from H2O2. In pathological states, where excess superoxide radicals are produced in the body, superoxide dismutase-like nanozymes are able to selectively regulate intracellular ROS levels, thereby protecting normal cells and slowing down the degradation of cellular function. Based on this principle, an engineered nanosponge has been designed to rapidly scavenge free radicals and deliver oxygen in time to save nerve cells before thrombolysis. Starvation therapy, in which glucose oxidase catalyzes the hydrolysis of glucose to gluconic acid and hydrogen peroxide in cancer cells with the involvement of oxygen, attenuates glycolysis and the production of intermediate metabolites such as nucleotides, lipids and amino acids, was used to synthesize an oxidase-like nanozyme that achieved effective inhibition of tumor growth. Furthermore, by fine-tuning the Lewis acidity of the metal cluster to improve the intrinsic activity of the hydrolase nanozyme and providing a shortened ligand length to increase the density of its active site, a hydrolase-like nanozyme was successfully synthesized that is capable of cleaving phosphate bonds, amide bonds, glycosidic bonds and even biofilms with high efficiency in hydrolyzing the substrate. All these effects depend on the size, morphology, composition, surface modification and environmental media of the nanozyme, which are important aspects to consider in order to improve the catalytic efficiency of the nanozyme and have important implications for the development of nanozyme. Although some progress has been made in the research of nanozymes in disease treatment and diagnosis, there are still some problems, for example, the catalytic rate of nanozymes is still difficult to reach the level of natural enzymes in vivo, and the toxic effects of some heavy metal nanozymes material itself. Therefore, the construction of nanozyme systems with multiple functions, good biocompatibility and high targeting efficiency, and their large-scale application in diagnosis and treatment is still an urgent problem to be solved. (1) To improve the selectivity and specificity of nanozymes. By using antibody coupling, the nanoparticles are able to specifically bind to antigens that are overexpressed in certain cancer cells. It also significantly improves cellular internalization through antigen-mediated endocytosis and enhances the enrichment of nanozymes in target tissues, thereby improving targeting during tumor therapy. Some exogenous stimuli such as laser and ultrasound are used as triggers to control the activation of nanozymes and achieve specific activation of nanozyme. (2) To explore more practical and safer nanozymes and their catalytic mechanisms: biocompatible, clinically proven material molecules can be used for the synthesis of nanoparticles. (3) To solve the problem of its standardization and promote the large-scale clinical application of nanozymes in biomonitoring. Thus, it can go out of the laboratory and face the market to serve human health in more fields, which is one of the future trends of nanozyme development.
8.Mechanism analysis of E7766 in the treatment of bladder cancer based on network pharmacology and bioinformatics
Tian-Tian QI ; Yu-Hang ZHANG ; Yi-Min CUI
The Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 2024;40(16):2409-2412
Objective This article aims to explore the target and mechanism of E7766 in the treatment of bladder cancer through network pharmacology and online biological analysis.Methods Relevant targets of E7766 and bladder cancer were obtained with the help of multiple drug and disease databases.The core target of E7766 in the treatment of bladder cancer was determined by using Cytoscape software.Perform gene ontology(GO)analysis and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes(KEGG)enrichment pathway analysis on the selected targets through the David database.The Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis(GEPIA)database was used to analyze the expression of core targets in bladder cancer and their relationship with patient prognosis.Perform immune infiltration analysis on core target genes using the Tumor Immune Estimation Resource(TIMER)database.Results Obtained drug disease core gene targets:caspase-3(CASP3),matrix metalloproteinase-9(MMP9),mammalian target of rapamycin(mTOR),prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase 2(PTGS2)and mitogen activated protein kinase 1(MAPK1).KEGG enrichment analysis showed that multiple pathways such as apoptosis pathway and tumor necrosis factor(TNF)signaling pathway had therapeutic effects on bladder cancer.GEPIA database analysis showed that MMP9 was highly expressed in bladder cancer tissues,while PTGS2 was low(P<0.05);the expression level of MAPK1 is negatively correlated with prognosis,and the lower the expression of MAPK,the better the prognosis of patients(P<0.05).The TIMER tumor immune database has found that core targets are closely related to the infiltration levels of various immune cells,playing an important role in the infiltration of dendritic cells and CD8+T cells.Conclusion E7766 influences biological processes such as apoptosis and inflammation of bladder cancer cells through multiple targets such as CASP3,MMP9,mTOR,PTGS2,MAPK1 and multiple pathways such as apoptosis and TNF signaling pathway.
9.Distinct molecular targets of ProEGCG from EGCG and superior inhibition of angiogenesis signaling pathways for treatment of endometriosis
Wan-Sze HUNG ; Massimiliano GAETANI ; Yiran LI ; Zhouyurong TAN ; Xu ZHENG ; Ruizhe ZHANG ; Yang DING ; Gene Chi Wai Man ; Tao ZHANG ; Yi SONG ; Yao WANG ; Jacqueline Pui Wah Chung ; Hang-Tak CHAN ; Roman A.ZUBAREV ; Chiu-Chi WANG
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2024;14(1):100-114
Endometriosis is a common chronic gynecological disease with endometrial cell implantation outside the uterus.Angiogenesis is a major pathophysiology in endometriosis.Our previous studies have demon-strated that the prodrug of epigallocatechin gallate(ProEGCG)exhibits superior anti-endometriotic and anti-angiogenic effects compared to epigallocatechin gallate(EGCG).However,their direct binding targets and underlying mechanisms for the differential effects remain unknown.In this study,we demonstrated that oral ProEGCG can be effective in preventing and treating endometriosis.Additionally,1D and 2D Proteome Integral Solubility Alteration assay-based chemical proteomics identified metadherin(MTDH)and PX domain containing serine/threonine kinase-like(PXK)as novel binding targets of EGCG and ProEGCG,respectively.Computational simulation and BioLayer interferometry were used to confirm their binding affinity.Our results showed that MTDH-EGCG inhibited protein kinase B(Akt)-mediated angiogenesis,while PXK-ProEGCG inhibited epidermal growth factor(EGF)-mediated angiogenesis via the EGF/hypoxia-inducible factor(HIF-1a)/vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)pathway.In vitro and in vivo knockdown assays and microvascular network imaging further confirmed the involvement of these signaling pathways.Moreover,our study demonstrated that ProEGCG has superior therapeutic effects than EGCG by targeting distinct signal transduction pathways and may act as a novel anti-angiogenic therapy for endometriosis.
10.Licorice-saponin A3 is a broad-spectrum inhibitor for COVID-19 by targeting viral spike and anti-inflammation
Yang YI ; Wenzhe LI ; Kefang LIU ; Heng XUE ; Rong YU ; Meng ZHANG ; Yang-Oujie BAO ; Xinyuan LAI ; Jingjing FAN ; Yuxi HUANG ; Jing WANG ; Xiaomeng SHI ; Junhua LI ; Hongping WEI ; Kuanhui XIANG ; Linjie LI ; Rong ZHANG ; Xin ZHAO ; Xue QIAO ; Hang YANG ; Min YE
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2024;14(1):115-127
Currently,human health due to corona virus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic has been seriously threatened.The coronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2)spike(S)protein plays a crucial role in virus transmission and several S-based therapeutic approaches have been approved for the treatment of COVID-19.However,the efficacy is compromised by the SARS-CoV-2 evolvement and mutation.Here we report the SARS-CoV-2 S protein receptor-binding domain(RBD)inhibitor licorice-saponin A3(A3)could widely inhibit RBD of SARS-CoV-2 variants,including Beta,Delta,and Omicron BA.1,XBB and BQ1.1.Furthermore,A3 could potently inhibit SARS-CoV-2 Omicron virus in Vero E6 cells,with EC50 of 1.016 pM.The mechanism was related to binding with Y453 of RBD deter-mined by hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry(HDX-MS)analysis combined with quan-tum mechanics/molecular mechanics(QM/MM)simulations.Interestingly,phosphoproteomics analysis and multi fluorescent immunohistochemistry(mIHC)respectively indicated that A3 also inhibits host inflammation by directly modulating the JNK and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK)path-ways and rebalancing the corresponding immune dysregulation.This work supports A3 as a promising broad-spectrum small molecule drug candidate for COVID-19.

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