1.Application of high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging in plaque diagnosis and pathogenesis identification for intracranial atherosclerosis-related stroke
Journal of Apoplexy and Nervous Diseases 2025;42(2):187-192
Intracranial atherosclerosis (ICAS) is the main cause of ischemic stroke in the world. In clinical practice, ICAS is mainly identified through imaging examinations. In recent years, high-resolution magnetic resonance vessel wall imaging (HRMR-VWI) has gradually become an important means for evaluating the characteristics of ICAS plaques. The application of HRMR-VWI has increased the accuracy in identifying the pathogenesis of acute ischemic stroke, providing a reference for the secondary prevention and clinical individualized treatment of stroke. This article systematically reviews the imaging manifestations of the main components of ICAS plaques on HRMR-VWI, summarizes the progress on HRMR technology, and discusses the relationship between intracranial arterial plaque characteristics and stroke occurrence and recurrence as well as the relationship between plaque characteristics and stroke mechanisms, aiming to provide a basis for the diagnosis and treatment of ICAS-related ischemic stroke.
Atherosclerosis
2.Development and validation of predictive models for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and its precancerous lesions using terminal motif analysis in circulating cell-free DNA
Siyao LIU ; Zhengqi LI ; Lizhou DOU ; Yueming ZHANG ; Yong LIU ; Yumeng LIU ; Yan KE ; Xudong LIU ; Hairui WU ; Jiangtao CHU ; Shun HE ; Guiqi WANG
Chinese Journal of Oncology 2024;46(6):549-565
Objectives:To develop and validate predictive models for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) using circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) terminal motif analysis. The goal was to improve the non-invasive detection of early-stage ESCC and its precancerous lesions.Methods:Between August 2021 and November 2022, we prospectively collected plasma samples from 448 individuals at the Department of Endoscopy, Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences for cfDNA extraction, library construction, and sequencing. We analyzed 201 cases of ESCC, 46 high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (HGIN), 46 low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (LGIN), 176 benign esophageal lesions, and 29 healthy controls. Participants, including ESCC patients and control subjects, were randomly assigned to a training set ( n=284) and a validation set ( n=122). The training cohort underwent z-score normalization of cfDNA terminal motif matrices and a selection of distinctive features differentiated ESCC cases from controls. The random forest classifier, Motif-1 (M1), was then developed through principal component analysis, ten-fold cross-validation, and recursive feature elimination. M1's efficacy was then validated in the validation and precancerous lesion sets. Subsequently, individuals with precancerous lesions were included in the dataset and participants were randomly allocated to newly formed training ( n=243), validation ( n=105), and test ( n=150) cohorts. Using the same procedure as M1, we trained the Motif-2 (M2) random forest model with the training cohort. The M2 model's accuracy was then confirmed in the validation cohort to establish the optimal threshold and further tested by performing validation in the test cohort. Results:We developed two cfDNA terminal motif-based predictive models for ESCC and associated precancerous conditions. The first model, M1, achieved a sensitivity of 90.0%, a specificity of 77.4%, and an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.884 in the validation cohort. For LGIN, HGIN, and T1aN0 stage ESCC, M1's sensitivities were 76.1%, 80.4%, and 91.2% respectively. Notably, the sensitivity for jointly predicting HGIN and T1aN0 ESCC reached 85.0%. Both the predictive accuracy and sensitivity increased in line with the cancer's progression ( P<0.001). The second model, M2, exhibited a sensitivity of 87.5%, a specificity of 77.4%, and an AUC of 0.857 in the test cohort. M2's sensitivities for detecting precancerous lesions and ESCC were 80.0% and 89.7%, respectively, and it showed a combined sensitivity of 89.4% for HGIN and T1aN0 stage ESCC. Conclusions:Two predictive models based on cfDNA terminal motif analysis for ESCC and its precancerous lesions are developed. They both show high sensitivity and specificity in identifying ESCC and its precancerous stages, indicating its potential for early ESCC detection.
3.Development and validation of predictive models for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and its precancerous lesions using terminal motif analysis in circulating cell-free DNA
Siyao LIU ; Zhengqi LI ; Lizhou DOU ; Yueming ZHANG ; Yong LIU ; Yumeng LIU ; Yan KE ; Xudong LIU ; Hairui WU ; Jiangtao CHU ; Shun HE ; Guiqi WANG
Chinese Journal of Oncology 2024;46(6):549-565
Objectives:To develop and validate predictive models for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) using circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) terminal motif analysis. The goal was to improve the non-invasive detection of early-stage ESCC and its precancerous lesions.Methods:Between August 2021 and November 2022, we prospectively collected plasma samples from 448 individuals at the Department of Endoscopy, Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences for cfDNA extraction, library construction, and sequencing. We analyzed 201 cases of ESCC, 46 high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (HGIN), 46 low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (LGIN), 176 benign esophageal lesions, and 29 healthy controls. Participants, including ESCC patients and control subjects, were randomly assigned to a training set ( n=284) and a validation set ( n=122). The training cohort underwent z-score normalization of cfDNA terminal motif matrices and a selection of distinctive features differentiated ESCC cases from controls. The random forest classifier, Motif-1 (M1), was then developed through principal component analysis, ten-fold cross-validation, and recursive feature elimination. M1's efficacy was then validated in the validation and precancerous lesion sets. Subsequently, individuals with precancerous lesions were included in the dataset and participants were randomly allocated to newly formed training ( n=243), validation ( n=105), and test ( n=150) cohorts. Using the same procedure as M1, we trained the Motif-2 (M2) random forest model with the training cohort. The M2 model's accuracy was then confirmed in the validation cohort to establish the optimal threshold and further tested by performing validation in the test cohort. Results:We developed two cfDNA terminal motif-based predictive models for ESCC and associated precancerous conditions. The first model, M1, achieved a sensitivity of 90.0%, a specificity of 77.4%, and an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.884 in the validation cohort. For LGIN, HGIN, and T1aN0 stage ESCC, M1's sensitivities were 76.1%, 80.4%, and 91.2% respectively. Notably, the sensitivity for jointly predicting HGIN and T1aN0 ESCC reached 85.0%. Both the predictive accuracy and sensitivity increased in line with the cancer's progression ( P<0.001). The second model, M2, exhibited a sensitivity of 87.5%, a specificity of 77.4%, and an AUC of 0.857 in the test cohort. M2's sensitivities for detecting precancerous lesions and ESCC were 80.0% and 89.7%, respectively, and it showed a combined sensitivity of 89.4% for HGIN and T1aN0 stage ESCC. Conclusions:Two predictive models based on cfDNA terminal motif analysis for ESCC and its precancerous lesions are developed. They both show high sensitivity and specificity in identifying ESCC and its precancerous stages, indicating its potential for early ESCC detection.
4.Vascular segmentation and reconstruction in diabetic retinopathy based on deep learning
Shiyi XU ; Minghui CHEN ; Yi SHAO ; Kaibo QIN ; Yuquan WU ; Zhijie YIN ; Zhengqi YANG
Chinese Journal of Medical Physics 2024;41(10):1256-1264
A method capable of retinal vessel segmentation and three-dimensional(3D)reconstruction is proposed for the early diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy.The 3D reconstruction can avoid the misjudgments of blood vessel length,curvature and branch angle after segmentation,which will affect the early diagnosis.IAAnet algorithm for retinal image segmentation combines traditional Unet with Inception V3,atrous spatial pyramid pooling and AttentionGates to reduce information loss and avoid over-fitting,thereby improving the network's ability to extract features.The projection reconstruction method is used to restore the 3D information of blood vessels,and supports the adjustments of brightness and contrast,so that doctors can better observe the real state of blood vessels.The proposed algorithm has an accuracy,recall rate,F1 score,intersection over union and area under ROC curve of 97.68%,96.07%,97.26%,92.79%and 94.00%,respectively.Compared with other networks,IAAnet algorithm exhibits higher segmentation accuracy,and can obtain more vascular information in 3D image after 3D projection reconstruction to assist in the early diagnosis.
5.Ferroptosis Is Crucial for Cisplatin Induced Sertoli Cell Injury via N6-Methyladenosine Dependent Manner
Zhongru FAN ; Peng XIN ; Lin ZHAO ; Chuize KONG ; Chiyuan PIAO ; Zhengqi WU ; Zhongkai QIU ; Wei ZHAO ; Zhe ZHANG
The World Journal of Men's Health 2024;42(4):865-880
Purpose:
This study aimed to investigate the effect of the N6-methyladenosine (m6A) dependent ferroptosis on cisplatininduced Sertoli cell injury.
Materials and Methods:
A cisplatin exposure mouse model was established by intraperitoneal injection of cisplatin in our study. TM4 cell lines was used for in vitro study. Ferroptosis was detected according to metabolomic analysis and a series of assays, including malondialdehyde, glutathione, and glutathione disulfide concentration detection, 2′,7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate and BODIPY 581/591 C11 probe detection, and transmission electron microscope imaging. Key ferroptosis-related genes were identified via transcriptomic analysis, western blot and immunohistochemistry. The m6A modification was demonstrated via m6A RNA immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter assays. Immune cell infiltration was detected by mass cytometry, and verified by flow cytometry and immunofluorescence.
Results:
Ferroptosis, but not other types of programmed cell death, is a significant phenomenon in cisplatin-induced testis damage and Sertoli cell loss. Ferroptosis induced by cisplatin in Sertoli cell/TM4 cell is GPX4 independent but is regulated by SLC7A11 and ALOX12. Both SLC7A11 and ALOX12 are regulated via m6A dependent manner by METTL3. Furthermore, overexpressed ALOX12-12HETE pathway may result in macrophage polarization and inflammatory response in cisplatin exposure testis.
Conclusions
Cisplatin-induced Sertoli cell injury via ferroptosis and promoted ferroptosis in an m6A dependent manner. m6A modification of both SLC7A11 and ALOX12 mRNA could result in ferroptosis in our in vitro model. Further, overexpressed ALOX12 can cause more production of 12-HETE, which may be responsible for testis inflammation caused by cisplatin.
6.Ferroptosis Is Crucial for Cisplatin Induced Sertoli Cell Injury via N6-Methyladenosine Dependent Manner
Zhongru FAN ; Peng XIN ; Lin ZHAO ; Chuize KONG ; Chiyuan PIAO ; Zhengqi WU ; Zhongkai QIU ; Wei ZHAO ; Zhe ZHANG
The World Journal of Men's Health 2024;42(4):865-880
Purpose:
This study aimed to investigate the effect of the N6-methyladenosine (m6A) dependent ferroptosis on cisplatininduced Sertoli cell injury.
Materials and Methods:
A cisplatin exposure mouse model was established by intraperitoneal injection of cisplatin in our study. TM4 cell lines was used for in vitro study. Ferroptosis was detected according to metabolomic analysis and a series of assays, including malondialdehyde, glutathione, and glutathione disulfide concentration detection, 2′,7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate and BODIPY 581/591 C11 probe detection, and transmission electron microscope imaging. Key ferroptosis-related genes were identified via transcriptomic analysis, western blot and immunohistochemistry. The m6A modification was demonstrated via m6A RNA immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter assays. Immune cell infiltration was detected by mass cytometry, and verified by flow cytometry and immunofluorescence.
Results:
Ferroptosis, but not other types of programmed cell death, is a significant phenomenon in cisplatin-induced testis damage and Sertoli cell loss. Ferroptosis induced by cisplatin in Sertoli cell/TM4 cell is GPX4 independent but is regulated by SLC7A11 and ALOX12. Both SLC7A11 and ALOX12 are regulated via m6A dependent manner by METTL3. Furthermore, overexpressed ALOX12-12HETE pathway may result in macrophage polarization and inflammatory response in cisplatin exposure testis.
Conclusions
Cisplatin-induced Sertoli cell injury via ferroptosis and promoted ferroptosis in an m6A dependent manner. m6A modification of both SLC7A11 and ALOX12 mRNA could result in ferroptosis in our in vitro model. Further, overexpressed ALOX12 can cause more production of 12-HETE, which may be responsible for testis inflammation caused by cisplatin.
7.Ferroptosis Is Crucial for Cisplatin Induced Sertoli Cell Injury via N6-Methyladenosine Dependent Manner
Zhongru FAN ; Peng XIN ; Lin ZHAO ; Chuize KONG ; Chiyuan PIAO ; Zhengqi WU ; Zhongkai QIU ; Wei ZHAO ; Zhe ZHANG
The World Journal of Men's Health 2024;42(4):865-880
Purpose:
This study aimed to investigate the effect of the N6-methyladenosine (m6A) dependent ferroptosis on cisplatininduced Sertoli cell injury.
Materials and Methods:
A cisplatin exposure mouse model was established by intraperitoneal injection of cisplatin in our study. TM4 cell lines was used for in vitro study. Ferroptosis was detected according to metabolomic analysis and a series of assays, including malondialdehyde, glutathione, and glutathione disulfide concentration detection, 2′,7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate and BODIPY 581/591 C11 probe detection, and transmission electron microscope imaging. Key ferroptosis-related genes were identified via transcriptomic analysis, western blot and immunohistochemistry. The m6A modification was demonstrated via m6A RNA immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter assays. Immune cell infiltration was detected by mass cytometry, and verified by flow cytometry and immunofluorescence.
Results:
Ferroptosis, but not other types of programmed cell death, is a significant phenomenon in cisplatin-induced testis damage and Sertoli cell loss. Ferroptosis induced by cisplatin in Sertoli cell/TM4 cell is GPX4 independent but is regulated by SLC7A11 and ALOX12. Both SLC7A11 and ALOX12 are regulated via m6A dependent manner by METTL3. Furthermore, overexpressed ALOX12-12HETE pathway may result in macrophage polarization and inflammatory response in cisplatin exposure testis.
Conclusions
Cisplatin-induced Sertoli cell injury via ferroptosis and promoted ferroptosis in an m6A dependent manner. m6A modification of both SLC7A11 and ALOX12 mRNA could result in ferroptosis in our in vitro model. Further, overexpressed ALOX12 can cause more production of 12-HETE, which may be responsible for testis inflammation caused by cisplatin.
8.Ferroptosis Is Crucial for Cisplatin Induced Sertoli Cell Injury via N6-Methyladenosine Dependent Manner
Zhongru FAN ; Peng XIN ; Lin ZHAO ; Chuize KONG ; Chiyuan PIAO ; Zhengqi WU ; Zhongkai QIU ; Wei ZHAO ; Zhe ZHANG
The World Journal of Men's Health 2024;42(4):865-880
Purpose:
This study aimed to investigate the effect of the N6-methyladenosine (m6A) dependent ferroptosis on cisplatininduced Sertoli cell injury.
Materials and Methods:
A cisplatin exposure mouse model was established by intraperitoneal injection of cisplatin in our study. TM4 cell lines was used for in vitro study. Ferroptosis was detected according to metabolomic analysis and a series of assays, including malondialdehyde, glutathione, and glutathione disulfide concentration detection, 2′,7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate and BODIPY 581/591 C11 probe detection, and transmission electron microscope imaging. Key ferroptosis-related genes were identified via transcriptomic analysis, western blot and immunohistochemistry. The m6A modification was demonstrated via m6A RNA immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter assays. Immune cell infiltration was detected by mass cytometry, and verified by flow cytometry and immunofluorescence.
Results:
Ferroptosis, but not other types of programmed cell death, is a significant phenomenon in cisplatin-induced testis damage and Sertoli cell loss. Ferroptosis induced by cisplatin in Sertoli cell/TM4 cell is GPX4 independent but is regulated by SLC7A11 and ALOX12. Both SLC7A11 and ALOX12 are regulated via m6A dependent manner by METTL3. Furthermore, overexpressed ALOX12-12HETE pathway may result in macrophage polarization and inflammatory response in cisplatin exposure testis.
Conclusions
Cisplatin-induced Sertoli cell injury via ferroptosis and promoted ferroptosis in an m6A dependent manner. m6A modification of both SLC7A11 and ALOX12 mRNA could result in ferroptosis in our in vitro model. Further, overexpressed ALOX12 can cause more production of 12-HETE, which may be responsible for testis inflammation caused by cisplatin.
9.Ferroptosis Is Crucial for Cisplatin Induced Sertoli Cell Injury via N6-Methyladenosine Dependent Manner
Zhongru FAN ; Peng XIN ; Lin ZHAO ; Chuize KONG ; Chiyuan PIAO ; Zhengqi WU ; Zhongkai QIU ; Wei ZHAO ; Zhe ZHANG
The World Journal of Men's Health 2024;42(4):865-880
Purpose:
This study aimed to investigate the effect of the N6-methyladenosine (m6A) dependent ferroptosis on cisplatininduced Sertoli cell injury.
Materials and Methods:
A cisplatin exposure mouse model was established by intraperitoneal injection of cisplatin in our study. TM4 cell lines was used for in vitro study. Ferroptosis was detected according to metabolomic analysis and a series of assays, including malondialdehyde, glutathione, and glutathione disulfide concentration detection, 2′,7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate and BODIPY 581/591 C11 probe detection, and transmission electron microscope imaging. Key ferroptosis-related genes were identified via transcriptomic analysis, western blot and immunohistochemistry. The m6A modification was demonstrated via m6A RNA immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter assays. Immune cell infiltration was detected by mass cytometry, and verified by flow cytometry and immunofluorescence.
Results:
Ferroptosis, but not other types of programmed cell death, is a significant phenomenon in cisplatin-induced testis damage and Sertoli cell loss. Ferroptosis induced by cisplatin in Sertoli cell/TM4 cell is GPX4 independent but is regulated by SLC7A11 and ALOX12. Both SLC7A11 and ALOX12 are regulated via m6A dependent manner by METTL3. Furthermore, overexpressed ALOX12-12HETE pathway may result in macrophage polarization and inflammatory response in cisplatin exposure testis.
Conclusions
Cisplatin-induced Sertoli cell injury via ferroptosis and promoted ferroptosis in an m6A dependent manner. m6A modification of both SLC7A11 and ALOX12 mRNA could result in ferroptosis in our in vitro model. Further, overexpressed ALOX12 can cause more production of 12-HETE, which may be responsible for testis inflammation caused by cisplatin.
10.The Porous SilMA Hydrogel Scaffolds Carrying Dual-Sensitive Paclitaxel Nanoparticles Promote Neuronal Differentiation for Spinal Cord Injury Repair
Zhixiang LI ; Tao ZHOU ; Zhengqi BAO ; Min WU ; Yingji MAO
Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine 2024;21(6):809-827
BACKGROUND:
In the intricate pathological milieu post-spinal cord injury (SCI), neural stem cells (NSCs) frequently differentiate into astrocytes rather than neurons, significantly limiting nerve repair. Hence, the utilization of biocompatible hydrogel scaffolds in conjunction with exogenous factors to foster the differentiation of NSCs into neurons has the potential for SCI repair.
METHODS:
In this study, we engineered a 3D-printed porous SilMA hydrogel scaffold (SM) supplemented with pH-/ temperature-responsive paclitaxel nanoparticles (PTX-NPs). We analyzed the biocompatibility of a specific concentration of PTX-NPs and its effect on NSC differentiation. We also established an SCI model to explore the ability of composite scaffolds for in vivo nerve repair.
RESULTS:
The physical adsorption of an optimal PTX-NPs dosage can simultaneously achieve pH/temperature-responsive release and commendable biocompatibility, primarily reflected in cell viability, morphology, and proliferation.An appropriate PTX-NPs concentration can steer NSC differentiation towards neurons over astrocytes, a phenomenon that is also efficacious in simulated injury settings. Immunoblotting analysis confirmed that PTX-NPs-induced NSC differentiation occurred via the MAPK/ERK signaling cascade. The repair of hemisected SCI in rats demonstrated that the composite scaffold augmented neuronal regeneration at the injury site, curtailed astrocyte and fibrotic scar production, and enhanced motor function recovery in rat hind limbs.
CONCLUSION
The scaffold’s porous architecture serves as a cellular and drug carrier, providing a favorable microenvironment for nerve regeneration. These findings corroborate that this strategy amplifies neuronal expression within the injury milieu, significantly aiding in SCI repair.

Result Analysis
Print
Save
E-mail