1.Endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase: Possible Functions and Mechanisms
Xin-Rong LU ; Yong-Liang TONG ; Wei-Li KONG ; Lin ZOU ; Dan-Feng SHEN ; Shao-Xian LÜ ; Rui-Jie LIU ; Shao-Xing ZHANG ; Yu-Xin ZHANG ; Lin-Lin HOU ; Gui-Qin SUN ; Li CHEN
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2024;51(5):985-999
Endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase (ENGase) is widely distributed in various organisms. The first reported ENGase activity was detected in Diplococcus pneumoniae in 1971. The protein (Endo D) was purified and its peptide sequence was determined in 1974. Three ENGases (Endo F1-F3) were discovered in Flavobacterium meningosepticum from 1982 to 1993. After that, the activity was detected from different species of bacteria, yeast, fungal, plant, mice, human, etc. Multiple ENGases were detected in some species, such as Arabidopsis thaliana and Trichoderma atroviride. The first preliminary crystallographic analysis of ENGase was conducted in 1994. But to date, only a few ENGases structures have been obtained, and the structure of human ENGase is still missing. The currently identified ENGases were distributed in the GH18 or GH85 families in Carbohydrate-Active enZyme (CAZy) database. GH18 ENGase only has hydrolytic activity, but GH85 ENGase has both hydrolytic and transglycosylation activity. Although ENGases of the two families have similar (β/α)8-TIM barrel structures, the active sites are slightly different. ENGase is an effective tool for glycan detection andglycan editing. Biochemically, ENGase can specifically hydrolyze β‑1,4 glycosidic bond between the twoN-acetylglucosamines (GlcNAc) on core pentasaccharide presented on glycopeptides and/or glycoproteins. Different ENGases may have different substrate specificity. The hydrolysis products are oligosaccharide chains and a GlcNAc or glycopeptides or glycoproteins with a GlcNAc. Conditionally, it can use the two products to produce a new glycopeptides or glycoprotein. Although ENGase is a common presentation in cell, its biological function remains unclear. Accumulated evidences demonstrated that ENGase is a none essential gene for living and a key regulator for differentiation. No ENGase gene was detected in the genomes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and three other yeast species. Its expression was extremely low in lung. As glycoproteins are not produced by prokaryotic cells, a role for nutrition and/or microbial-host interaction was predicted for bacterium produced enzymes. In the embryonic lethality phenotype of the Ngly1-deficient mice can be partially rescued by Engase knockout, suggesting down regulation of Engase might be a solution for stress induced adaptation. Potential impacts of ENGase regulation on health and disease were presented. Rabeprazole, a drug used for stomach pain as a proton inhibitor, was identified as an inhibitor for ENGase. ENGases have been applied in vitro to produce antibodies with a designated glycan. The two step reactions were achieved by a pair of ENGase dominated for hydrolysis of substrate glycoprotein and synthesis of new glycoprotein with a free glycan of designed structure, respectively. In addition, ENGase was also been used in cell surface glycan editing. New application scenarios and new detection methods for glycobiological engineering are quickly opened up by the two functions of ENGase, especially in antibody remodeling and antibody drug conjugates. The discovery, distribution, structure property, enzymatic characteristics and recent researches in topical model organisms of ENGase were reviewed in this paper. Possible biological functions and mechanisms of ENGase, including differentiation, digestion of glycoproteins for nutrition and stress responding were hypothesised. In addition, the role of ENGase in glycan editing and synthetic biology was discussed. We hope this paper may provide insights for ENGase research and lay a solid foundation for applied and translational glycomics.
2.Honey-processed Hedysari Radix in treatment of spleen-Qi deficiency rats based on metabonomics of the cecum contents
Yu-Jing SUN ; Qin-Jie SONG ; Yan-Jun WANG ; Tian-Tian BIAN ; Yu-Gui ZHANG ; Xian-Wei LI ; Guo-Feng LI ; Yue-Feng LI
The Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 2024;40(4):584-588
Objective To find potential biomarkers and analyzing metabolic pathways of the treatment by honey-processed Hedysari Radix,the cecal contents of rats with spleen-Qi deficiency were used as samples for analysis.Methods Sixty male SD rats were randomly divided into blank,model,experimental and control groups.The rats in other groups except the control group were carried out by using the three-factor compound modeling method of bitter-cold diarrhea,excessive exertion and hunger and satiety disorders.Experimental group was given 12.60 g·kg-1 honey-processed Hedysari Radix;control group was given 0.63 g·kg-1 lactobacillus bifidum triplex tabletsa;control and model groups received with equal volume of distilled water for a total of 15 days.Measure body weight,anal temperature,immune organ index of rats.Ultra-pressure liquid chromatography-quadrupole-exactive-mass spectrometry technology was used to measure the levels of endogenous metabolites in cecum contents.Orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis and database"Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes"were used to identify potential differential metabolites and possible metabolic pathways.Results After the intervention,the average body weight of the experimental,control,model and blank groups was(216.87±7.85),(210.96±9.03),(159.47±5.18)and(293.51±22.98)g;anal temperature was(36.14±0.48),(35.40±0.64),(34.50±0.78)and(36.61±0.34)℃;the thymus indexes were(1.19±0.20),(1.24±0.25),(0.47±0.15)and(1.31±0.21)mg·g-1;the spleen indexes were(1.95±0.33),(2.18±0.28),(1.61±0.27)and(2.29±0.24)mg·g-1.Compared with the model group,the above indexes of the experimental group and the control group were significantly increased(all P<0.01).A total of 14 potential biomarkers of Honey-processed Hedysari Radix in treating spleen-Qi deficiency syndrome were screened out in this study,which mainly involved amino acid metabolism such as tryptophan and glutamate,riboflavin metabolism and adenosine 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase metabolism.Conclusion Honey-processed Hedysari Radix can further protect the intestinal mucosal barrier and reduce the intestinal inflammatory response by improving the metabolic level of cecum contents in rats with spleen-Qi deficiency in cecum contents,thus exerting the effect of strengthening the spleen and tonifying the Qi.
3.Clinical trial of Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides in the continuation treatment of adults with mild and moderate depression
Shu-Zhe ZHOU ; Zu-Cheng HAN ; Xiu-Zhen WANG ; Yan-Qing CHEN ; Ya-Ling HU ; Xue-Qin YU ; Bin-Hong WANG ; Guo-Zhen FAN ; Hong SANG ; Ying HAI ; Zhi-Jie JIA ; Zhan-Min WANG ; Yan WEI ; Jian-Guo ZHU ; Xue-Qin SONG ; Zhi-Dong LIU ; Li KUANG ; Hong-Ming WANG ; Feng TIAN ; Yu-Xin LI ; Ling ZHANG ; Hai LIN ; Bin WU ; Chao-Ying WANG ; Chang LIU ; Jia-Fan SUN ; Shao-Xiao YAN ; Jun LIU ; Shou-Fu XIE ; Mao-Sheng FANG ; Wei-Feng MI ; Hong-Yan ZHANG
The Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 2024;40(6):815-819
Objective To observe the efficacy and safety of Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides in the continuation treatment of mild and moderate depression.Methods An open,single-arm,multi-center design was adopted in our study.Adult patients with mild and moderate depression who had received acute treatment of Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides were enrolled and continue to receive Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides capsules for 24 weeks,the dose remained unchanged during continuation treatment.The remission rate,recurrence rate,recurrence time,and the change from baseline to endpoint of Hamilton Depression Scale(HAMD),Hamilton Anxiety Scale(HAMA),Clinical Global Impression-Severity(CGI-S)and Arizona Sexual Experience Scale(ASEX)were evaluated.The incidence of treatment-related adverse events was reported.Results The scores of HAMD-17 at baseline and after treatment were 6.60±1.87 and 5.85±4.18,scores of HAMA were 6.36±3.02 and 4.93±3.09,scores of CGI-S were 1.49±0.56 and 1.29±0.81,scores of ASEX were 15.92±4.72 and 15.57±5.26,with significant difference(P<0.05).After continuation treatment,the remission rate was 54.59%(202 cases/370 cases),and the recurrence rate was 6.49%(24 cases/370 cases),the recurrence time was(64.67±42.47)days.The incidence of treatment-related adverse events was 15.35%(64 cases/417 cases).Conclusion Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides capsules can be effectively used for the continuation treatment of mild and moderate depression,and are well tolerated and safe.
4.Establishment of HPLC characteristic chromatogram and quantitative transmission laws for Baqi Rougan Decoction reference sample
Sai-Long GENG ; Qin ZHOU ; Shui-Gen SUN ; Man LI ; Li-Jie ZHAO ; Ji-Quan ZHANG ; Yi FENG
Chinese Traditional Patent Medicine 2024;46(2):370-378
AIM To establish the HPLC characteristic chromatogram of Baqi Rougan Decoction reference sample,and to investigate its quantitative transmission laws.METHODS The contents of calycosin 7-O-glucoside,hesperidin,rosmarinic acid,curcumenol and nystose were determined.The transfer rates of decoction piece-aqueous decoction-reference sample were calculated,after which the paste-forming rate and pH value were recorded.RESULTS There were sixteen characteristic peaks in fifteen batches of reference samples with the similarities of 0.90,nine of which were identified.The average transfer rates of nystose and calycosin 7-O-glucoside in the reference sample were(83.14±6.25)%and(77.81±8.31)%,while those of rosmarinic acid and curcumenol in the aqueous decoction-reference sample were(81.71±6.27)%and(72.16±5.91)%,along with the average paste-forming rate and pH value of(38.91%±1.46%)and 5.13±0.08,respectively.CONCLUSION This stable and feasible method can provide a reference for the selection of preparation process and evaluation of key chemical properties for Baqi Rougan Decoction.
5.Effect of NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 knockdown on a mouse model of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis induced by high-fat high-carbohydrate diet
Qian HUANG ; Zhuoyuan WANG ; Ziming AN ; Xin XIN ; Qinmei SUN ; Xiaojun GOU ; Yiyang HU ; Qin FENG
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2024;40(5):952-960
Objective To investigate the effect of NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3(NLRP3)knockdown on a mouse model of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis(NASH)induced by high-fat high-carbohydrate(HFHC)diet.Methods A total of 44 mice were randomly divided into normal diet group(CON group)with 20 mice and HFHC group with 24 mice.At the end of week 14 of modeling,4 mice were randomly selected from the HFHC group for the pre-experiment of adeno-associated virus(AAV)by tail vein injection,and NLRP3 knockdown was verified after 4 weeks.After NLRP3 knockdown was verified at the end of week 18,the remaining 40 mice were given a single tail vein injection of AAV,and then they were divided into CON+NLRP3 knockdown negative control group(CON+NLRP3-NC group),CON+NLRP3 knockdown group(CON+NLRP3-KD group),HFHC+NLRP3-NC group,and HFHC+NLRP3-KD group,with 10 mice in each group.At the end of week 24,the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome was observed;related indicators were measured,including body weight,liver weight,liver index,and glucose metabolism(fasting blood glucose,fasting insulin,and Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance[HOMA-IR]index);the indicators of liver lipid content(liver triglyceride[TG]and oil red O staining),liver inflammation(serum alanine aminotransferase[ALT]activity,HE staining,and inflammation-related genes),and liver fibrosis(Sirius Red staining and fibrosis-related genes)were measured.A one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison of continuous data between multiple groups,and the least significant difference t-test was used for further comparison between two groups.Results Compared with the CON+NLRP3-NC group based on the results of Western Blot,the HFHC+NLRP3-NC group had significant increases in the protein expression levels of NLRP3,pro-Caspase1,Caspase1,ASC,and IL-1β,while the HFHC+NLRP3-KD group had significant reductions in these levels(all P<0.05).The HFHC+NLRP3-NC group showed varying degrees of increase in body weight,liver weight,liver index,and glucose metabolism indicators,while the HFHC+NLRP3-KD group showed significant improvements in these indicators(all P<0.05).As for hepatic fat deposition,compared with the CON+NLRP3-NC group,the HFHC+NLRP3-NC group had a significant increase in liver TG,with a large number of red lipid droplets shown by oil red O staining,and the HFHC+NLRP3-KD group had significant reductions in liver TG and the number of lipid droplets in the liver(all P<0.01).In terms of liver inflammation,compared with the CON+NLRP3-NC group,the HFHC+NLRP3-NC group had significant increases in serum ALT,NAFLD activity score,and inflammation-related genes,while the HFHC+NLRP3-KD group had significant reductions in these indicators(all P<0.01).As for liver fibrosis,compared with the CON+NLRP3-NC group,the HFHC+NLRP3-NC group had significant increases in collagen fiber area and fibrosis-related genes,and the HFHC+NLRP3-KD group had significant reductions in fibrosis-related genes(all P<0.05)and a tendency of reduction in collagen fiber area(P>0.05).Conclusion NLRP3 knockdown can significantly improve hepatic fat deposition and inflammation in a mouse model of HFHC-induced NASH.
6.TCM Guidelines for Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Cough in Children
Xi MING ; Liqun WU ; Ziwei WANG ; Bo WANG ; Jialin ZHENG ; Jingwei HUO ; Mei HAN ; Xiaochun FENG ; Baoqing ZHANG ; Xia ZHAO ; Mengqing WANG ; Zheng XUE ; Ke CHANG ; Youpeng WANG ; Yanhong QIN ; Bin YUAN ; Hua CHEN ; Lining WANG ; Xianqing REN ; Hua XU ; Liping SUN ; Zhenqi WU ; Yun ZHAO ; Xinmin LI ; Min LI ; Jian CHEN ; Junhong WANG ; Yonghong JIANG ; Yongbin YAN ; Hengmiao GAO ; Hongmin FU ; Yongkun HUANG ; Jinghui YANG ; Zhu CHEN ; Lei XIONG
Journal of Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2024;40(7):722-732
Following the principles of evidence-based medicine,in accordance with the structure and drafting rules of standardized documents,based on literature research,according to the characteristics of chronic cough in children and issues that need to form a consensus,the TCM Guidelines for Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Cough in Children was formulated based on the Delphi method,expert discussion meetings,and public solicitation of opinions.The guideline includes scope of application,terms and definitions,eti-ology and diagnosis,auxiliary examination,treatment,prevention and care.The aim is to clarify the optimal treatment plan of Chinese medicine in the diagnosis and treatment of this disease,and to provide guidance for improving the clinical diagnosis and treatment of chronic cough in children with Chinese medicine.
7.High expression of the stemness-associated molecule Nanog in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma tissues promotes tumor invasion and metastasis by activating the TGF-β signaling pathway
Chang SUN ; Shiyao ZHENG ; Mei LI ; Ming YANG ; Mengyuan QIN ; Yuan XU ; Weihua LIANG ; Jianmin HU ; Lianghai WANG ; Feng LI ; Hong ZHOU ; Lan YANG
Journal of Southern Medical University 2024;44(6):1209-1216
Objective To investigate the expression of Nanog and its regulatory relationship with MMP-2/MMP-9 proteins in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC).Methods We detected Nanog and MMP-2/MMP-9 protein expressions in 127 ESCC tissues and 82 adjacent normal tissues using immunohistochemistry and explored their correlations with the clinicopathological parameters and prognosis of the patients.GEO database was utilized to analyze the pathways enriched with the stemness-related molecules including Nanog,and TIMER online tool was used to analyze the correlations among TβR1,MMP-2,and MMP-9 in esophageal cancer.Results Nanog and MMP-2/MMP-9 proteins were significantly upregulated in ESCC tissues and positively intercorrelated.Their expression levels were closely correlated with infiltration depth and lymph node metastasis of ESCC but not with age,gender,or tumor differentiation.The patients with high expressions of Nanog and MMP-2/MMP-9 had significantly shorter survival time.Bioinformatics analysis showed enrichment of stemness-associated molecules in the TGF-β signaling pathway,and the expressions of MMP-2/MMP-9 and TβR1 were positively correlated.In cultured ESCC cells,Nanog knockdown significantly decreased the expression of TβR1,p-Smad2/3,MMP-2,and MMP-9 and strongly inhibited cell migration.Conclusion The high expressions of Nanog,MMP-2,and MMP-9,which are positively correlated,are closely related with invasion depth,lymph node metastasis,and prognosis of ESCC.Nanog regulates the expressions of MMP-2/MMP-9 proteins through the TGF-β signaling pathway,and its high expression promotes migration of ESCC cells.
8.Relationship between serum 25(OH)D3,RDW and retinopathy of prematurity
Feng SUN ; Xiaoliu QIN ; Huanli GUO ; Fanting JIA
International Journal of Laboratory Medicine 2024;45(22):2762-2766
Objective To investigate the relationship between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3[25(OH)D3],red blood cell distribution width(RDW)and retinopathy of prematurity(ROP).Methods Children with ROP admitted to the hospital from May 2018 to May 2023 were selected as the study group(n=202),and 200 premature infants without ROP were selected as the control group(n=200).According to the degree of ROP lesions,the 202 children with ROP were divided into a mild group(n=109)and a severe group(n=93).The serum 25(OH)D3 and RDW levels of all subjects were detected.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to evaluate the evaluation value of serum 25(OH)D3 and RDW on the severity of ROP in chil-dren,and the influencing factors of the severity of ROP in children were analyzed by multivariate Logistic re-gression.Results The serum 25(OH)D3 level in the study group was significantly lower than that in the con-trol group,and the RDW level in the study group was higher than that in the control group,and the differenc-ese were statistiacally significant(P<0.05).The serum 25(OH)D3 level in the severe group was significantly lower than that in the mild group,and the RDW level in the severe group was significantly higher than that in the mild group,and the differencese were statistiacally significant(P<0.05).The area under the curve(AUC)of serum 25(OH)D3 and RDW for predicting the severity of ROP children were 0.754(95%CI:0.703-0.804)and 0.813(95%CI:0.768-0.862),respectively,and the AUC of the combined prediction of the two was 0.901(95%CI:0.853-0.947).There were statistically significant differences in birth weight and mechanical ventilation ratio between the mild group and the severe group(P<0.05).Multivariate Logis-tic regression results showed that 25(OH)D3<18.08 ng/mL(OR=3.251,95%CI:1.689-6.257),RDW≥69.41%(OR=3.691,95%CI:1.830-7.446)were risk factors affecting the severity of ROP children(P<0.05).Conclusion The low expression of serum 25(OH)D3 and the high expression of RDW are closely related to the occurrence of ROP,and could be used as potential markers to evaluate the severity of ROP in children.
9.Overexpression of Hsp70 Promoted the Expression of Glycolysis-related Genes in C2C12 Cells
Lei QIN ; Ke XU ; Chun-Guang ZHANG ; Han CHU ; Shi-Fan DENG ; Jian-Bin ZHANG ; Hua YANG ; Liang HONG ; Gui-Feng ZHANG ; Chao SUN ; Lei PU
Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2024;40(10):1417-1425
The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of overexpressing 70-kD heat shock pro-teins(Hsp70)on glycolysis in C2C12 cells during myogenesis and adipogenesis.Using C2C12 cells as the research material,adenovirus was used to overexpress the Hsp70 gene,and changes in the expression of glycolytic genes were detected using fluorescence quantitative PCR and Western blotting techniques.The study indicated that during C2C12 cell myogenic differentiation,the expression trend of the Hsp70 gene was consistent with that of Gsk3β,Pkm,Prkag3,Pfkm,and Hk-2 genes,suggesting a relationship between Hsp70 and the glycolytic pathway during myogenic differentiation.Overexpression of Hsp70 in the later stages of myogenic differentiation significantly upregulated the expression of Gsk3β,Pkm,Prk-ag3,and Pfkm genes(P<0.05),with no significant impact on Hk-2 gene expression(P>0.05).Dur-ing C2C12 cell adipogenic induction,the expression trend of the Hsp70 gene was similar to that of Gsk3β,Pkm,Prkag3,Pfkm,and Hk-2 genes,indicating a relationship between Hsp70 and the glycolytic path-way during adipogenic induction.Following Hsp70 overexpression,in the later stages of adipogenic in-duction,the number of lipid droplets was significantly higher compared to the control group,with a sig-nificant upregulation of Gsk3β,Pkm,Prkag3,and Pfkm gene expression(P<0.05),while Hk-2 gene expression was not significantly affected(P>0.05).In conclusion,Hsp70 in C2C12 cells in myogenic and adipogenic states promoted the breakdown of glycogen into 6-phospho-glucose,thereby enhancing the glycolytic pathway,providing insights into the functional role of the Hsp70 gene in glycolysis in C2C12 cells.
10.Study on pathogenesis of PMDD liver-qi reversal syndrome mediated by GABAARsubunit in amygdala and hippocampus of rats based on tetrahydroprogesterone
Yu-Chen QI ; Dong-Mei GAO ; Ya SUN ; Tian-Tian GAO ; Qi SHEN ; Wei-Lin CUI ; Feng-Qin WEI ; Xiao-Li SONG ; Jie-Qiong WANG
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2024;40(11):2131-2140
Aim To observe the behavioral effects of exogenous allopregnanolone(ALLO)and its inhibitor finasteride on the receptive period(R)and non-recep-tive period(NR)of PMDD liver-qi inversion model rats and the expression of GABAARα4,GABAARδ mR-NA and protein effects to explore its pathogenesis.Methods The PMDD liver-qi reverse syndrome rat model was prepared.The rats were divided into the normal group R and NR(control-R,control-NR),model group R and NR(Model-R,Model-NR),nor-mal group R+ALLO and NR+ALLO(Control+A-R,Control+A-NR),and model group R+ALLO and NR+ALLO(Model+A-R,Model+A-NR),model group R+finasteride and NR+finasteride(Model+F-R,Model+F-NR).The elevated cross labyrinth ex-periment and social interaction experiment were used to detect the behaviors of rats;fluorescence quantitative PCR and immunofluorescence were used to detect the expression of GABAARα4 and 8 mRNA and protein in rat amygdala and hippocampus.Results In the be-havioral evaluation,in the NR period,in the elevated cross maze test and in the social interaction test,the rats in the model group had anxiety behavior and de-creased social communication ability(P<0.05),while the rats in the Model+A group could effectively relieve anxiety symptoms and improve their social com-munication ability(P<0.05),and the rats in the Model+F group had increased anxiety behavior and social disorder(P<0.05).In fluorescence quantita-tive PCR and immunofluorescence experiments,the ex-pression of GABAARα4 subunit in the model group was up-regulated in the hippocampus(P<0.01),and the expression of δ subunit was down-regulated(P<0.01);the expression of GABAARα4 subunit in the a-mygdala and hippocampus of the Model+A group de-creased(P<0.01),and the expression of δ subunit increased in the hippocampus(P<0.01).Conclu-sions The abnormal expression of GABAARα4 and 8 subunits mediated by ALLO improves the anxiety symptoms and social interaction ability of PMDD,which is the pathogenesis of PMDD liver-qi reverse syndrome,and provides basis and support for subse-quent exploration of the pathogenesis of PMDD liver-qi reverse syndrome.

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