1.The Near-infrared II Emission of Gold Clusters and Their Applications in Biomedicine
Zhen-Hua LI ; Hui-Zhen MA ; Hao WANG ; Chang-Long LIU ; Xiao-Dong ZHANG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(8):2068-2086
Optical imaging is highly valued for its superior temporal and spatial resolution. This is particularly important in near-infrared II (NIR-II, 1 000-3 000 nm) imaging, which offers advantages such as reduced tissue absorption, minimal scattering, and low autofluorescence. These characteristics make NIR-II imaging especially suitable for deep tissue visualization, where high contrast and minimal background interference are critical for accurate diagnosis and monitoring. Currently, inorganic fluorescent probes—such as carbon nanotubes, rare earth nanoparticles, and quantum dots—offer high brightness and stability. However, they are hindered by ambiguous structures, larger sizes, and potential accumulation toxicity in vivo. In contrast, organic fluorescent probes, including small molecules and polymers, demonstrate higher biocompatibility but are limited by shorter emission wavelengths, lower quantum yields, and reduced stability. Recently, gold clusters have emerged as a promising class of nanomaterials with potential applications in biocatalysis, fluorescence sensing, biological imaging, and more. Water-soluble gold clusters are particularly attractive as fluorescent probes due to their remarkable optical properties, including strong photoluminescence, large Stokes shifts, and excellent photostability. Furthermore, their outstanding biocompatibility—attributed to good aqueous stability, ultra-small hydrodynamic size, and high renal clearance efficiency—makes them especially suitable for biomedical applications. Gold clusters hold significant potential for NIR-II fluorescence imaging. Atomic-precision gold clusters, typically composed of tens to hundreds of gold atoms and measuring only a few nanometers in diameter, possess well-defined three-dimensional structures and clear spatial coordination. This atomic-level precision enables fine-tuned structural regulation, further enhancing their fluorescence properties. Variations in cluster size, surface ligands, and alloying elements can result in distinct physicochemical characteristics. The incorporation of different atoms can modulate the atomic and electronic structures of gold clusters, while diverse ligands can influence surface polarity and steric hindrance. As such, strategies like alloying and ligand engineering are effective in enhancing both fluorescence and catalytic performance, thereby meeting a broader range of clinical needs. In recent years, gold clusters have attracted growing attention in the biomedical field. Their application in NIR-II imaging has led to significant progress in vascular, organ, and tumor imaging. The resulting high-resolution, high signal-to-noise imaging provides powerful tools for clinical diagnostics. Moreover, biologically active gold clusters can aid in drug delivery and disease diagnosis and treatment, offering new opportunities for clinical therapeutics. Despite the notable achievements in fundamental research and clinical translation, further studies are required to address challenges related to the standardized synthesis and complex metabolic behavior of gold clusters. Resolving these issues will help accelerate their clinical adoption and broaden their biomedical applications.
2.The Regulatory Mechanisms of Dopamine Homeostasis in Behavioral Functions Under Microgravity
Xin YANG ; Ke LI ; Ran LIU ; Xu-Dong ZHAO ; Hua-Lin WANG ; Lan-Qun MAO ; Li-Juan HOU
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(8):2087-2102
As China accelerates its efforts in deep space exploration and long-duration space missions, including the operationalization of the Tiangong Space Station and the development of manned lunar missions, safeguarding astronauts’ physiological and cognitive functions under extreme space conditions becomes a pressing scientific imperative. Among the multifactorial stressors of spaceflight, microgravity emerges as a particularly potent disruptor of neurobehavioral homeostasis. Dopamine (DA) plays a central role in regulating behavior under space microgravity by influencing reward processing, motivation, executive function and sensorimotor integration. Changes in gravity disrupt dopaminergic signaling at multiple levels, leading to impairments in motor coordination, cognitive flexibility, and emotional stability. Microgravity exposure induces a cascade of neurobiological changes that challenge dopaminergic stability at multiple levels: from the transcriptional regulation of DA synthesis enzymes and the excitability of DA neurons, to receptor distribution dynamics and the efficiency of downstream signaling pathways. These changes involve downregulation of tyrosine hydroxylase in the substantia nigra, reduced phosphorylation of DA receptors, and alterations in vesicular monoamine transporter expression, all of which compromise synaptic DA availability. Experimental findings from space analog studies and simulated microgravity models suggest that gravitational unloading alters striatal and mesocorticolimbic DA circuitry, resulting in diminished motor coordination, impaired vestibular compensation, and decreased cognitive flexibility. These alterations not only compromise astronauts’ operational performance but also elevate the risk of mood disturbances and motivational deficits during prolonged missions. The review systematically synthesizes current findings across multiple domains: molecular neurobiology, behavioral neuroscience, and gravitational physiology. It highlights that maintaining DA homeostasis is pivotal in preserving neuroplasticity, particularly within brain regions critical to adaptation, such as the basal ganglia, prefrontal cortex, and cerebellum. The paper also discusses the dual-edged nature of DA plasticity: while adaptive remodeling of synapses and receptor sensitivity can serve as compensatory mechanisms under stress, chronic dopaminergic imbalance may lead to maladaptive outcomes, such as cognitive rigidity and motor dysregulation. Furthermore, we propose a conceptual framework that integrates homeostatic neuroregulation with the demands of space environmental adaptation. By drawing from interdisciplinary research, the review underscores the potential of multiple intervention strategies including pharmacological treatment, nutritional support, neural stimulation techniques, and most importantly, structured physical exercise. Recent rodent studies demonstrate that treadmill exercise upregulates DA transporter expression in the dorsal striatum, enhances tyrosine hydroxylase activity, and increases DA release during cognitive tasks, indicating both protective and restorative effects on dopaminergic networks. Thus, exercise is highlighted as a key approach because of its sustained effects on DA production, receptor function, and brain plasticity, making it a strong candidate for developing effective measures to support astronauts in maintaining cognitive and emotional stability during space missions. In conclusion, the paper not only underscores the centrality of DA homeostasis in space neuroscience but also reflects the authors’ broader academic viewpoint: understanding the neurochemical substrates of behavior under microgravity is fundamental to both space health and terrestrial neuroscience. By bridging basic neurobiology with applied space medicine, this work contributes to the emerging field of gravitational neurobiology and provides a foundation for future research into individualized performance optimization in extreme environments.
3.Adolescent Smoking Addiction Diagnosis Based on TI-GNN
Xu-Wen WANG ; Da-Hua YU ; Ting XUE ; Xiao-Jiao LI ; Zhen-Zhen MAI ; Fang DONG ; Yu-Xin MA ; Juan WANG ; Kai YUAN
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(9):2393-2405
ObjectiveTobacco-related diseases remain one of the leading preventable public health challenges worldwide and are among the primary causes of premature death. In recent years, accumulating evidence has supported the classification of nicotine addiction as a chronic brain disease, profoundly affecting both brain structure and function. Despite the urgency, effective diagnostic methods for smoking addiction remain lacking, posing significant challenges for early intervention and treatment. To address this issue and gain deeper insights into the neural mechanisms underlying nicotine dependence, this study proposes a novel graph neural network framework, termed TI-GNN. This model leverages functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data to identify complex and subtle abnormalities in brain connectivity patterns associated with smoking addiction. MethodsThe study utilizes fMRI data to construct functional connectivity matrices that represent interaction patterns among brain regions. These matrices are interpreted as graphs, where brain regions are nodes and the strength of functional connectivity between them serves as edges. The proposed TI-GNN model integrates a Transformer module to effectively capture global interactions across the entire brain network, enabling a comprehensive understanding of high-level connectivity patterns. Additionally, a spatial attention mechanism is employed to selectively focus on informative inter-regional connections while filtering out irrelevant or noisy features. This design enhances the model’s ability to learn meaningful neural representations crucial for classification tasks. A key innovation of TI-GNN lies in its built-in causal interpretation module, which aims to infer directional and potentially causal relationships among brain regions. This not only improves predictive performance but also enhances model interpretability—an essential attribute for clinical applications. The identification of causal links provides valuable insights into the neuropathological basis of addiction and contributes to the development of biologically plausible and trustworthy diagnostic tools. ResultsExperimental results demonstrate that the TI-GNN model achieves superior classification performance on the smoking addiction dataset, outperforming several state-of-the-art baseline models. Specifically, TI-GNN attains an accuracy of 0.91, an F1-score of 0.91, and a Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC) of 0.83, indicating strong robustness and reliability. Beyond performance metrics, TI-GNN identifies critical abnormal connectivity patterns in several brain regions implicated in addiction. Notably, it highlights dysregulations in the amygdala and the anterior cingulate cortex, consistent with prior clinical and neuroimaging findings. These regions are well known for their roles in emotional regulation, reward processing, and impulse control—functions that are frequently disrupted in nicotine dependence. ConclusionThe TI-GNN framework offers a powerful and interpretable tool for the objective diagnosis of smoking addiction. By integrating advanced graph learning techniques with causal inference capabilities, the model not only achieves high diagnostic accuracy but also elucidates the neurobiological underpinnings of addiction. The identification of specific abnormal brain networks and their causal interactions deepens our understanding of addiction pathophysiology and lays the groundwork for developing targeted intervention strategies and personalized treatment approaches in the future.
4.Advances in Salmonella -mediated targeted tumor therapy
Zhao-rui LÜ ; Dong-yi LI ; Yu-yang ZHU ; He-qi HUANG ; Hao-nan LI ; Zi-chun HUA
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica 2024;59(1):17-24
italic>Salmonella has emerged as a promising tumor-targeting strategy in recent years due to its good tumor targeting ability and certain safety. In order to further optimize its therapeutic effect, scientists have tried to modify
5.Myricetin attenuates renal fibrosis by activating Nrf2/HO-1 pathway to inhibit oxidative stress
Dong-xue LI ; Zhou HUANG ; Han-yu WANG ; Zhi-hao ZHANG ; Ning-hua TAN ; Xue-yang DENG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica 2024;59(2):359-367
This paper investigates the effect of myricetin (MYR) on renal fibrosis induced by unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) and common bile duct ligation (CBDL) in mice and its mechanism. The animal experiment has been approved by the Ethics Committee of China Pharmaceutical University (NO: 2022-10-020). Thirty-five ICR mice were divided into control, UUO, UUO+MYR, CBDL and CBDL+MYR groups. H&E and Masson staining were used to detect pathological changes in kidney tissues. Western blot (WB) was used to detect the expression of fibrosis-related proteins in renal tissue, and total superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity detection kit (WST-8) was used to detect the changes of total SOD in renal tissue of CBDL mice.
6.Discussion on the Evolution of the Traditional Preparation Process of Pinelliae Rhizoma Fermentata
Da-Meng YU ; Hui-Fang LI ; Chun MA ; Guo-Dong HUA ; Qiang LI ; Xue-Yun YU ; Li-Wei LIU
Journal of Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2024;41(3):790-797
This article discussed the evolution of the traditional preparation process of Pinelliae Rhizoma Fermentata.The production methods for Pinelliae Rhizoma Fermentata in Song Dynasty include cake-making of Pinelliae Rhizoma together with ginger juice and fermentation after cake-making,and the former method of cake-making was the mainstream.The process technology in Jin and Yuan Dynasties inherited from that in Song Dynasty,and the application of Pinelliae Rhizoma Fermentata had certain limitations.The medical practitioners of Ming Dynasty elucidated the mechanism of processing of Pinelliae Rhizoma Fermentata,and proposed the view of"sliced Pinelliae Rhizoma being potent while fermented Pinelliae Rhizoma being mild".In the Ming Dynasty,LI Shi-Zhen defined the cake-making process and fermentation process for Pinelliae Rhizoma,and HAN Mao's Han Shi Yi Tong(Han's Clear View of Medicine)contained five prescriptions for the processing of Pinelliae Rhizoma Fermentata,which had the epoch-making signficance in the expansion of prescriptions for the processing of Pinelliae Rhizoma Fermentata.In the Qing Dynasty,HAN Fei-Xia's ten methods for making Pinelliae Rhizoma Fermentata were summarized on the basis of the methods recorded in Han Shi Yi Tong,and at that time,the processing of Pinelliae Rhizoma Fermentata and the preparation of Massa Medicata Fermentata interacted with each other.After the founding of the People's Republic of China,the local experience in the preparation of Pinelliae Rhizoma Fermentata was deeply influenced by the methods in the Qing Dynasty,and the local preparation technical standards gradually became the same.Moreover,this article also explored the issues of the importance of"Pinelliae Rhizoma"and"ingredients for fermentation",the pre-treatment of Pinelliae Rhizoma,the distinction between cake-making process and fermentation process for Pinelliae Rhizoma,the amount of flour added as well as the timing of adding,the addition of Massa Medicata Fermentata powder,the role of Alum in Pinelliae Rhizoma Fermentata and so on.
7.Clock genes regulate the browning of white fat in obese rats undergoing hypoxia exercise
Dongzi SHI ; Hua ZHANG ; Chang MENG ; Xinrui LI ; Panpan DONG ; Xuewen TIAN ; Qinglu WANG
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2024;28(16):2473-2480
BACKGROUND:Hypoxic exercise can promote the degradation of body fat,and changes in the external environment can affect the circadian rhythm of animals,but the mechanisms by which changes in circadian rhythm regulate adipose tissue browning and fat degradation are unclear. OBJECTIVE:To elucidate the mechanism of clock gene regulation on epididymal adipose tissue Browning in obese rats undergoing hypoxia exercise. METHODS:Forty obese rats were randomly selected and divided into four groups(n=10 per group):normoxic sedentary group,hypoxic sedentary group,normoxic exercise group,and hypoxic exercise group for 4 weeks of intervention.The rats in the sedentary groups were not intervened,while those in the hypoxic groups lived in a hypoxic chamber with an oxygen concentration of 13.6%for the whole day.In the exercise groups,adaptive training was performed in the 1st week,and the speed and length of training remained unchanged for the last 3 weeks.The body mass,body length and perirenal fat mass of obese rats were measured.Serum levels of triacylglycerol,total cholesterol,low-density lipoprotein cholesterol,and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in obese rats were detected by a biochemical assay kit.Liver fat content was observed by oil red O staining.Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to evaluate the browning of epididymal adipose tissue of rats in different groups.RNA sequencing combined with bioinformatics analysis was used to analyze transcriptome changes in adipose tissue.The mRNA expressions of PGC-1α,Beclin 1,KLF 2 and Perilipin 1 in epididymal adipose tissue were detected by RT-PCR. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Hypoxic exercise intervention significantly decreased body mass,body fat percentage,Lee's index,serum triacylglycerol,total cholesterol,and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels(P<0.01),and significantly increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level(P<0.01).Oil red O staining and hematoxylin-eosin staining results showed that hypoxic exercise was more effective in promoting fat mobilization in liver tissue and promoting the browning of parepididymal adipose tissue compared with normoxic sedentary group,hypoxic sedentary group,and normoxic exercise group.RNA-seq results showed that hypoxic exercise significantly upregulated the expression of clock genes Dbp,Nr1d1,Sik1 and adipose tissue browning gene Ppargc1a(PGC-1α)and downregulated the expression of Arntl(Bmal1),accompanied by the enhanced expression of genes related to substance metabolism.qRT-PCR indicated that hypoxic exercise significantly increased the mRNA expression levels of PGC-1α and Perilipin1(P<0.01).Therefore,these findings indicate that clock genes play an important role in promoting adipose tissue browning during hypoxic exercise.
8.Efficacy and safety of recombinant human anti-SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibody injection(F61 injection)in the treatment of patients with COVID-19 combined with renal damage:a randomized controlled exploratory clinical study
Ding-Hua CHEN ; Chao-Fan LI ; Yue NIU ; Li ZHANG ; Yong WANG ; Zhe FENG ; Han-Yu ZHU ; Jian-Hui ZHOU ; Zhe-Yi DONG ; Shu-Wei DUAN ; Hong WANG ; Meng-Jie HUANG ; Yuan-Da WANG ; Shuo-Yuan CONG ; Sai PAN ; Jing ZHOU ; Xue-Feng SUN ; Guang-Yan CAI ; Ping LI ; Xiang-Mei CHEN
Chinese Journal of Infection Control 2024;23(3):257-264
Objective To explore the efficacy and safety of recombinant human anti-severe acute respiratory syn-drome coronavirus 2(anti-SARS-CoV-2)monoclonal antibody injection(F61 injection)in the treatment of patients with coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)combined with renal damage.Methods Patients with COVID-19 and renal damage who visited the PLA General Hospital from January to February 2023 were selected.Subjects were randomly divided into two groups.Control group was treated with conventional anti-COVID-19 therapy,while trial group was treated with conventional anti-COVID-19 therapy combined with F61 injection.A 15-day follow-up was conducted after drug administration.Clinical symptoms,laboratory tests,electrocardiogram,and chest CT of pa-tients were performed to analyze the efficacy and safety of F61 injection.Results Twelve subjects(7 in trial group and 5 in control group)were included in study.Neither group had any clinical progression or death cases.The ave-rage time for negative conversion of nucleic acid of SARS-CoV-2 in control group and trial group were 3.2 days and 1.57 days(P=0.046),respectively.The scores of COVID-19 related target symptom in the trial group on the 3rd and 5th day after medication were both lower than those of the control group(both P<0.05).According to the clinical staging and World Health Organization 10-point graded disease progression scale,both groups of subjects improved but didn't show statistical differences(P>0.05).For safety,trial group didn't present any infusion-re-lated adverse event.Subjects in both groups demonstrated varying degrees of elevated blood glucose,elevated urine glucose,elevated urobilinogen,positive urine casts,and cardiac arrhythmia,but the differences were not statistica-lly significant(all P>0.05).Conclusion F61 injection has initially demonstrated safety and clinical benefit in trea-ting patients with COVID-19 combined with renal damage.As the domestically produced drug,it has good clinical accessibility and may provide more options for clinical practice.
9.Clinical guidelines for the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis combined with lower cervical fracture in adults (version 2024)
Qingde WANG ; Yuan HE ; Bohua CHEN ; Tongwei CHU ; Jinpeng DU ; Jian DONG ; Haoyu FENG ; Shunwu FAN ; Shiqing FENG ; Yanzheng GAO ; Zhong GUAN ; Hua GUO ; Yong HAI ; Lijun HE ; Dianming JIANG ; Jianyuan JIANG ; Bin LIN ; Bin LIU ; Baoge LIU ; Chunde LI ; Fang LI ; Feng LI ; Guohua LYU ; Li LI ; Qi LIAO ; Weishi LI ; Xiaoguang LIU ; Hongjian LIU ; Yong LIU ; Zhongjun LIU ; Shibao LU ; Yong QIU ; Limin RONG ; Yong SHEN ; Huiyong SHEN ; Jun SHU ; Yueming SONG ; Tiansheng SUN ; Yan WANG ; Zhe WANG ; Zheng WANG ; Hong XIA ; Guoyong YIN ; Jinglong YAN ; Wen YUAN ; Zhaoming YE ; Jie ZHAO ; Jianguo ZHANG ; Yue ZHU ; Yingjie ZHOU ; Zhongmin ZHANG ; Wei MEI ; Dingjun HAO ; Baorong HE
Chinese Journal of Trauma 2024;40(2):97-106
Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) combined with lower cervical fracture is often categorized into unstable fracture, with a high incidence of neurological injury and a high rate of disability and morbidity. As factors such as shoulder occlusion may affect the accuracy of X-ray imaging diagnosis, it is often easily misdiagnosed at the primary diagnosis. Non-operative treatment has complications such as bone nonunion and the possibility of secondary neurological damage, while the timing, access and choice of surgical treatment are still controversial. Currently, there are no clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of AS combined with lower cervical fracture with or without dislocation. To this end, the Spinal Trauma Group of Orthopedics Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association organized experts to formulate Clinical guidelines for the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis combined with lower cervical fracture in adults ( version 2024) in accordance with the principles of evidence-based medicine, scientificity and practicality, in which 11 recommendations were put forward in terms of the diagnosis, imaging evaluation, typing and treatment, etc, to provide guidance for the diagnosis and treatment of AS combined with lower cervical fracture.
10.Association between preoperative serum β 2-microglobulin concentrations and postoperative delirium in elderly patients
Yuanlong WANG ; Qian HE ; Shuhui HUA ; Shanling XU ; Jian KONG ; Hongyan GONG ; Rui DONG ; Yanan LIN ; Chuan LI ; Yanlin BI ; Bin WANG ; Xu LIN
Chinese Journal of Anesthesiology 2024;44(2):145-149
Objective:To evaluate the association between preoperative serum β 2-microglobulin (β 2MG) concentrations and postoperative delirium (POD) in elderly patients. Methods:The study selected patients who underwent knee or hip arthroplasty under spinal-epidural anesthesia on an elective basis at Qingdao Municipal Hospital from May 2021 to November 2022. The patients were divided into a POD group and a non-POD group based on the occurrence of POD. The study was conducted as part of the Perioperative Neurocognitive Impairment and Biomarkers Lifestyle Cohort, which was a nested case-control study. The study collected baseline data from two groups of patients and analyzed the differences between them. Logistic regression was used to identify the risk factors for POD. The stability of the regression model was tested using sensitivity analysis. The mediation model was used to examine whether cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers mediated the relationship between β 2MG and POD. The receiver operating characteristic curve was drawn and the area under the curve was calculated to evaluate the accuracy of preoperative β 2MG concentrations and CSF biomarker concentration in predicting POD. Results:There were 57 cases in POD group and 449 cases in non-POD group. The results of logistic regression analysis showed that the increased β 2MG and CSF total tau protein (t-tau) concentrations were risk factors for POD, and the increased CSF β-amyloid 42 concentration was a protective factor for POD after adjustment for multiple confounders such as age, gender, education, Mini-Mental State Examination, history of hypertension and infusion volume ( P<0.05). The results of mediation analysis showed that the serum β 2MG′s effect on POD was partly mediated by t-tau (18.1%). The results of the receiver operating characteristic curve showed that the area under the curve of the β 2MG concentration combined with the CSF biomarker concentration was 0.742. Conclusions:Elevated preoperative serum β 2MG concentration is a risk factor for POD in elderly patients, and the relationship may be partly mediated by CSF t-tau.

Result Analysis
Print
Save
E-mail