1.Molecular classification of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma based on hypoxia-related genes and clinical significance of STC2
ZHU Jianing ; WANG Tiantian ; ZHANG Rui ; SONG Hongquan
Journal of Prevention and Treatment for Stomatological Diseases 2025;33(5):345-358
Objective :
To construct a molecular classification system for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) utilizing hypoxia-related gene (HAG) expression profiles, and to comprehensively examine the clinicopathological significance and biological functions of the hypoxia gene stanniocalcin 2 (STC2) in HNSCC.
Methods :
Transcriptomic data and clinical information of 546 HNSCC samples were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, and based on the expression profiles of 200 HRGs, HNSCC was classified subclasses using non-negative matrix factorization (NMF). HNSCC was classified into three subclasses (C1, C2, and C3), and the molecular characteristics and prognostic differences of the subclasses were assessed by comparing the tumor mutation load, functional enrichment analysis, drug sensitivity, and clinical features among the subclasses. LASSO-Cox regression was used to screen prognosis-related genes and construct prognostic models. Using oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC)-related data in the TCGA database, we analyzed the expression differences of STC2 in OSCC and control samples, and detected the mRNA and protein expression of STC2 in oral squamous carcinoma samples using qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. We knocked down STC2 in CAL-27 cells and verified the knockdown efficiency by qRT-PCR and Western blot. CCK-8 assay and cell scratch assay were used to assess the effect of STC2 on cell proliferation and migration ability.
Results:
Based on HRGs expression profiles, HNSCC was categorized into three subclasses (C1, C2, and C3). Subclass C1 had moderate hypoxic activity and good prognosis; subclass C2 had the highest hypoxic activity, poor prognosis, and poor sensitivity to CTLA-4 inhibitors (P<0.05); subclass C3 had the lowest hypoxic activity and moderate prognosis, and STC2 belonged to subclass C3. The frequency of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2A (CDKN2A), phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase catalytic subunit alpha (PIK3CA), and tumor protein p53 (TP 53) mutations was higher in HNSCC. C1 genomic gain and deletion burden were significantly higher than C3 subclass (P<0.05) and C2 genomic gain than C3 subclass (P<0.05). The C2 subclass was significantly enriched in hypoxia-associated pathways, such as glycine metabolism and base excision repair (P<0.05). The C1, C2, and C3 subclasses were significantly positively correlated in terms of sex (male) (Cramer’s V=0.15), radiation exposure (Cramer’s V=0.12), medication (Cramer’s V=0.18), and pathological grading (G1/G2) (Cramer’s V=0.25) (P<0.05). Nine prognosis-related genes were screened by LASSO-Cox regression, among which high expression of STC2 was positively correlated with poorer overall survival (OS) in HNSCC patients (P<0.01). Bioinformatics analysis showed that STC2 mRNA expression was higher in OSCC than in normal controls (P<0.05). qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry confirmed that both mRNA and protein expression of STC2 were significantly upregulated in OSCC tissues and cells (P<0.01). In vitro experiments showed that STC2 expression was knocked down to approximately 80% in CAL-27 cells (P<0.001), and the STC2 knockdown group had a reduced value-added rate (P<0.001) and a reduced percentage of scratch closure (P<0.05) compared with the control group.
Conclusion
We successfully constructed a molecular typing system for HNSCC based on the expression profiles of HRGs and categorized HNSCC into three subclasses with significant prognostic differences, among which the C2 subclass had the highest hypoxic activity and the poorest prognosis. STC2 was highly expressed in HNSCC and suggested a poor prognosis, demonstrating that it may be a potential target for HNSCC treatment.
2.To evaluate the awakening effect of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in patients with chronic consciousness disturbance after brain injury based on magnetic resonance spectroscopy
Chaoyu WU ; Yi'an OUYANG ; Zhengbiao XUE ; Jiying LAI ; Songmao OUYANG ; Shusheng WANG ; Zihui SU ; Hongquan ZHU
The Journal of Practical Medicine 2024;40(4):554-560
Objective Evaluation of the efficacy of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for chronic disturbance of consciousness after severe craniocerebral injury based on magnetic resonance spectroscopy.Methods The clinical data of 106 patients with chronic disturbance of consciousness after severe craniocerebral injury from January 2018 to December 2022 were retrospectively analyzed,and they were divided into control group(conventional rehabilitation treatment)and observation group(high frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment)by propensity score matching method(1∶1),with 53 cases in each group.Both groups were examined by magnetic resonance spectroscopy(MRS)before and after treatment.The brain metabolic indexes[N-acetyl aspartate(NAA)/creatine(Cr)value,choline complex(Cho)/Cr value],Glasgow coma scale(GCS)score,electroencephalogram(EEG)grading,coma recovery scale(CRS-R)score,brainstem auditory evoked potential(BAEP)grading,upper limb sensory evoked potential(SSEP)grading and Cerebral blood flow perfusion index[cerebral blood volume(CBV),mean transit time(MTT),cerebral blood flow(CBF)]were compared between the two groups.Results After treatment,the NAA/Cr values of the thalamus and brainstem in the two groups increased,while the Cho/Cr values decreased,and the levels of brain metabolic indexes in the observation group were signifi-cantly better than those in the control group(P<0.05).The two groups'GCS score and CRS-R score increased,and the improvement of the observation group was better than that of the control group(P<0.05).The BAEP grading,EEG grading,and SSEP grading of the two groups improved,and those of the observation group were better than the control group(P<0.05).The CBF and CBV of the two groups increased,and MTT decreased,and the level of cere-bral blood perfusion index in the observation group was better than that in the control group(P<0.05).Conclusion High frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation has a significant effect on the recovery of patients with chronic consciousness disorders after severe craniocerebral injury.The mechanism may be related to improving the blood flow velocity of brain tissue and metabolism in the brain.
3.Exploring effect of Grifola frondosa extract on inflammatory response of colonic tissue in rats with ulcerative colitis based on IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway
Xue JIN ; Xiande MA ; Zhuo ZHAO ; Ming XU ; Jianguang WANG ; Han DU ; Hongquan GUAN ; Xiaowei HAN
Chinese Journal of Immunology 2024;40(3):456-460,465
Objective:To investigate the effect and mechanism of Grifola frondosa extract on inflammatory response of colon tissue in rats with ulcerative colitis(UC)by regulating interleukin-6(IL-6)/Janus kinase 2(JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3)signaling pathway.Methods:Forty SD rats were randomly divided into blank control group,UC model group,Grifola frondosa treatment group,western medicine treatment group and combined treatment group,with 8 rats in each group.After UC rats were established by free drinking 3%DSS for 7 days,the treatment group were given Grifola frondosa extract 10 mg/(kg·d),sulfasalazine 0.3 g/(kg·d),and the same amount of two drugs,for 14 consecutive days.During the experiment,general state of rats were observed,and the disease activity index(DAI)score was calculated;pathological changes of rats colon tissue were observed by HE staining;protein expression levels of IL-6,JAK2,STAT3 and p-STAT3 in rats colon tissue were detected by Western blot;content of IL-6 in rats serum was detected by ELISA;protein contents and expressions of IL-6R and MPO in rats colon tissue were determined by immunohistochemistry.Results:Compared with blank control group,general state of rats in UC model group was poor,DAI score was increased,obvious tissue mucosal defects and inflammatory cell infiltration were observed by HE staining;protein expression levels of IL-6,JAK2,STAT3 and p-STAT3 in rats colon tissue and contents of IL-6R and MPO were significantly increased(P<0.01);content of IL-6 in rats serum was significantly increased(P<0.01),the difference was statistically significant.Compared with UC model group,general condition of rats in each treatment group was improved,DAI score was decreased,HE staining showed that mucosal defects were improved to varying degrees,and occasionally inflammatory cell infiltration was observed;protein expression levels of IL-6,JAK2,STAT3 and p-STAT3 in colon tissue were significantly decreased(P<0.01),contents of IL-6R and MPO in colon tissue and content of IL-6 in serum were significantly decreased(P<0.01 or P<0.05),the differences were statistically significant.Conclusion:Grifola frondosa extract can reduce the inflammatory response in colon tissue of UC rats by regulating expressions of IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway related factors.
4.Inhibition of zona incerta GABAergic neurons regulates lipopolysaccharide induced motor dysfunction in mice
Hongquan ZHANG ; Xinyi WANG ; Kun TONG ; Jie HAN ; Can GAO
Chinese Journal of Neuroanatomy 2024;40(3):347-352
Objective:By activating gamma-aminobutyric acid(GABA)neurons in zona incerta(ZI),we observed the alleviation of motor ability impairment in mice treated with lipopolysaccharide(LPS),and investigate the function of GABA neurons in the process of motor function impairment in mice with neuroinflammation.Methods:The central nervous system infection model of C57BU6 mice was eatablished by intraperitoneal injection of LPS.The motor function were detected by open field test and running wheel test in mice.The expression of c-Fos in ZI neurons and ionized calci-um binding adaptor molecule 1(Iba-1)in glial cells were detected by immunofluorescence staining.rAAV-DIO-hM3Dq-mCherry was bilaterally injected into ZI of adult male VGAT-Cre mice through the stereotaxic technique.After three weeks with the virus sufficiently expressing in the neurons,the neuroinflammation model was made by intrabitoneal injection of LPS,and GABAergic neurons were activated by intrabitoneal injection of N-oxyclozapine(CNO)30 min before behavioral tests.The motor ability in mice were detected by open field test and running wheel test.Results:The results of open field experiment and wheel experiment showed that the activity of mice in LPS group was significantly decreased(P<0.05)compared with the control group.The expression of ZI c-Fos positive protein in the brain of mice was significantly down-regulated with Iba-1 positive protein up-regulating in the ZI.The chemogenetic results showed that the activity of LPS mice was relieved with ZI GABAergic neurons being activated(P<0.05).Conclusion:The activity of ZI GABAergic neurons was significantly decreased and the motor ability was impaired in mice with neuroin-flammation in the brain.Chemogenetic activation of ZI GABAergic neurons significantly improved the motor ability of inflammatory mice.
5.Imaging Findings of Phosphaturic Mesenchymal Tumor
Juan WANG ; Ying XIONG ; Weijia WAN ; Hongquan ZHU ; Wenzhen ZHU
Chinese Journal of Medical Imaging 2024;32(10):1058-1062
Purpose To analyze the multimodal imaging manifestations of phosphaturic mesenchymal tumor.Materials and Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on ten patients with phosphaturic mesenchymal tumor confirmed by pathology and molecular imaging from November 2012 to June 2022 in Tongji Hospital,Tongji Medical College,Huazhong University of Science and Technology.The imaging features of CT in four cases,of MRI in seven cases,and of nuclear medicine in ten cases were reviewed,along with the clinical characteristics of all patients.Results The main clinical symptoms of ten patients,eight cases had pain,four cases had weakness,and nine cases had multiple fractures.Laboratory tests results:ten cases showed decreased blood phosphorus,six cases showed decreased blood 25-hydroxyvitamin D and ten cases showed elevated blood alkaline phosphatase.The lesions were heterogeneous in four cases on CT scans and in six cases on MRI scans.Calcification was common,and some had cysts and fatty components.After enhancement,seven cases showed moderate to obvious uneven enhancement.99Tcm-MDP SPECT showed increased uptake of multiple bones and joints in eight cases,18F-FDG PET/CT showed no or slight increase in lesion metabolism in eight cases,68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT showed significantly high uptake at the lesion site in ten cases.Conclusion Phosphaturic mesenchymal tumor patients typically present with pain,fractures and hypophosphatemia.The conventional imaging features are characterized by small and concealed lesions and complex components.Particularly,68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT imaging exhibits high sensitivity for the tumor detection.
6.FERM domain-containing protein FRMD6 activates the mTOR signaling pathway and promotes lung cancer progression.
Tianzhuo WANG ; Huiying GUO ; Lei ZHANG ; Miao YU ; Qianchen LI ; Jing ZHANG ; Yan TANG ; Hongquan ZHANG ; Jun ZHAN
Frontiers of Medicine 2023;17(4):714-728
FRMD6, a member of the 4.1 ezrin-radixin-moesin domain-containing protein family, has been reported to inhibit tumor progression in multiple cancers. Here, we demonstrate the involvement of FRMD6 in lung cancer progression. We find that FRMD6 is overexpressed in lung cancer tissues relative to in normal lung tissues. In addition, the enhanced expression of FRMD6 is associated with poor outcomes in patients with lung squamous cell carcinoma (n = 75, P = 0.0054) and lung adenocarcinoma (n = 94, P = 0.0330). Cell migration and proliferation in vitro and tumor formation in vivo are promoted by FRMD6 but are suppressed by the depletion of FRMD6. Mechanistically, FRMD6 interacts and colocalizes with mTOR and S6K, which are the key molecules of the mTOR signaling pathway. FRMD6 markedly enhances the interaction between mTOR and S6K, subsequently increasing the levels of endogenous pS6K and downstream pS6 in lung cancer cells. Furthermore, knocking out FRMD6 inhibits the activation of the mTOR signaling pathway in Frmd6-/- gene KO MEFs and mice. Altogether, our results show that FRMD6 contributes to lung cancer progression by activating the mTOR signaling pathway.
7. Recent progress in understanding the neuroprotective mechanism of carnosic acid in Parkinson's disease
Jingang WANG ; Qiang LI ; Huiyan SUN ; Hongquan WANG
Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics 2023;28(9):1073-1080
Carnosic acid (CA) is a natural phenolic diterpene compound found in rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) characterized as an ortho-dihydroquinone - type molecule. Multiple lines of studies have shown that CA has potent neuroprotective effects in vitro and in vivo in Parkinson's disease (PD). The aim of the present review is to summarize the pharmacological neuroprotective actions of CA, and provide a comprehensive review of the molecular mechanism by which CA exert neuroprotective effect in PD. The current review highlights CA is a therapeutic potential for PD.
8.Radiomics based on three-dimensional high-resolution MR vessel wall imaging for identification of culprit plaques in symptomatic patients with middle cerebral artery atherosclerosis
Guiling ZHANG ; Jicheng FANG ; Zhenxiong WANG ; Yiran ZHOU ; Di WU ; Jun LU ; Su YAN ; Hongquan ZHU ; Shun ZHANG ; Wenzhen ZHU
Chinese Journal of Radiology 2023;57(1):27-33
Objective:To investigate the value of radiomics based on three-dimensional high resolution MR vessel wall imaging (3D HRMR-VWI) for identifying culprit plaques in symptomatic patients with middle cerebral atherosclerosis.Methods:The clinical and imaging features of 117 patients (139 middle cerebral artery plaques) with cerebrovascular diseases in Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology from October 2018 to October 2020 were respectively reviewed. Stratified random sampling was used to divide 139 plaques into training set (97 plaques) and validation set (42 plaque) at the ratio of 7∶3. The plaques were divided into 69 culprit plaques and 70 non-culprit plaques based on plaque MR features and clinical symptoms. The clinical and imaging characteristics of culprit plaques and non-culprit plaques were compared by independent sample t-test, Mann-Whitney U test and χ 2 test, and factors with significant difference between two groups in univariate analysis were further analyzed by multivariate logistic regression to find out the independent predictors of culprit plaques. Radiomics features were extracted, screened and radiomics model was constructed using pre-and post-contrast 3D HRMR-VWI based on the training set. The combined model was constructed by combining the independent predictors and radiomics model. Receiver operating characteristic curve and area under curve (AUC) were used to evaluate the efficacy of each model, and DeLong test was used to compare the efficacy of different models. Results:Significant difference was found in intraplaque hemorrhage, lumen area of stenosis, stenosis diameter, stenosis rate, plaque burden and enhancement rate between culprit and non-culprit plaques (all P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis confirmed that only intraplaque hemorrhage was the independent predictor for culprit plaques (OR=7.045,95%CI 1.402-35.397, P=0.018). In the validation set, the AUC of the pre-contrast 3D HRMR-VWI model was lower than that of the post-contrast 3D HRMR-VWI model ( Z=-2.01, P=0.044). The AUC of pre+post-contrast 3D HRMR-VWI model was not significantly different from that of post-contrast 3D HRMR-VWI model ( Z=0.79, P=0.427). The AUC showed no significant difference between combined model and pre+post-contrast 3D HRMR-VWI model ( Z=-0.59, P>0.05). The combined model showed the best performance in predicting culprit plaques of middle cerebral artery (AUC=0.939), with the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of 95.24%, 76.19% and 85.71%. Conclusion:Radiomics based on 3D HRMR-VWI has potential values in identifying culprit plaques in symptomatic patients with middle cerebral atherosclerosis.
9.Apply ultra-thin lobulated anterolateral thigh perforator flap in repairing of large soft tissue defect in foot: a report of 8 cases
Huanwei SUN ; Yiming ZHONG ; Yi SU ; Bin GAO ; Chunsheng WANG ; Xiaowei ZOU ; Yang SUN ; Hongquan ZHANG ; Weidong YANG ; Xin TANG
Chinese Journal of Microsurgery 2023;46(3):260-266
Objective:Exploring the clinical efficacy of using ultra-thin lobulated anterolateral thigh perforator flap(ALTPF) with retrograde separation of perforating vessels from the superficial and deep junction layer of the superficial fascia to repair large soft tissue defects in the foot.Methods:From August 2021 to November 2022, 8 patients (5 males and 3 females) were admitted to the Second Department of Hand and Foot Surgery, the Affiliated Central Hospital of Dalian University of Technology. The patients were 28 to 52 years old in age. The soft tissue defects were located in dorsal and plantar foot. At the plantar foot, the wound involved the weight-bearing area with explosion of bone, tendon or internal fixtures. The area of soft tissue defects was 6.0 cm × 5.0 cm - 16.0 cm × 8.0 cm, and the sizes of ALTPF were 8.0 cm ×5.5 cm - 18.0 cm × 8.5 cm. Preoperative high frequency CUD combined with CTA angiography were employed to locate the 2 flap perforator vessels. By keeping the perforator vessels at center and according to the soft tissue defect area and the wound shape, an ALTPF with a proper size and shape was designed in anterolateral thigh. The perforator were separated in the boundary layer between superficial and deep fascia, where it helped to obviously thin the flap. After the flap was harvested, it was further lobulated between the 2 perforators into 2 lobes after having confirmed the effective blood supply. Finally the lobulated ALTPF was transferred to covered the defect in foot. Cautions should be taken to ensure that the flap covered the weight-bearing area of foot. All the donor sites were directly sutured. Postoperative follow-up was conducted to observe the survival of flaps and the functional recovery of the reconstructed site, also to evaluate the clinical effect. Postoperative follow-up included outpatient visits and reviews over WeChat or telephone. Recovery of the ankle motor function was evaluated according to the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Societ (AOFAS) ankle-hind foot score scale.Results:All 8 ALTPF survived. Over 6 to 18 months (10.8 months in average) of follow-up, the transferred flaps had good blood supply, soft in texture, with good elasticity and thin in appearance. Appearance and function of donor sites recovered well, except 1 patient who had mild scar hyperplasia. The plantar flap had good abrasion resistance. No flap damage, bleeding or granulation tissue hyperplasia occurred when walking. The mean score of AOFAS ankle-hind foot score achieved 95.6.Conclusion:The application of ultra-thin lobulated ALTPF with retrograde separation of perforating vessels from the superficial fascia at the junction layer for repairing large soft tissue defects in the foot has good clinical efficacy.
10.Role of Oxidative Stress in Ulcerative Colitis and Traditional Chinese Medicine Prevention and Treatment: A Review
Bo CHEN ; Xitong SUN ; Xinqian DONG ; Wei WANG ; Hongquan SONG ; Jiting ZHAO ; Ya ZHENG ; Honghao ZHANG ; Qingxin LUAN ; Kangning ZHAO ; Hualiang DENG ; Zhen SUN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2023;29(16):264-273
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a commonly seen digestive system disease with unclear pathogenesis. The condition is complex and variable, often chronic, and has a long treatment period with no specific cure. Currently, the treatment of UC often involves the use of corticosteroids, aminosalicylates, and biologics in western medicine, which provide fast-acting and definite efficacy in the short term. However, with prolonged medication, some patients may develop drug resistance and worsening of the disease, leading to the occurrence of colon cancer. Research has found that oxidative stress is one of the important pathogenic factors in UC and influences its onset and development. Oxidative stress is a state of imbalance between oxidative products and the antioxidant system in the body, characterized by overexpression of oxidative products such as malondialdehyde (MDA), reactive oxygen species (ROS), nitric oxide (NO), or deficiency of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione (GSH). It is worth noting that traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), as a unique characteristic medicine of China, has achieved significant efficacy in the treatment of UC. Studies have shown that TCM effectively inhibits the occurrence of UC by suppressing the accumulation of metabolites and antagonizes the development of UC by enhancing the antioxidant system. Therefore, using TCM to regulate the oxidative balance as a diagnostic and therapeutic approach may be a new method and direction for the treatment of UC in the future. Based on the above research, this article summarized the mechanisms of key pathogenic proteins in oxidative stress and the occurrence and development of UC, and compiled the effective ingredients of Chinese medicine, single drugs, prescriptions, and acupuncture and moxibustion in regulating upstream and downstream target proteins of oxidative stress. These interventions can reduce pathological damage to the intestinal mucosa, lower the colon injury index, enrich the intestinal microbiota, increase colon length, and improve clinical symptoms of UC. The article is expected to expand the application of TCM in the treatment of UC and provide a reliable scientific theoretical basis.


Result Analysis
Print
Save
E-mail