1.Heterogeneity of Adipose Tissue From a Single-cell Transcriptomics Perspective
Yong-Lang WANG ; Si-Si CHEN ; Qi-Long LI ; Yu GONG ; Xin-Yue DUAN ; Ye-Hui DUAN ; Qiu-Ping GUO ; Feng-Na LI
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(4):820-835
Adipose tissue is a critical energy reservoir in animals and humans, with multifaceted roles in endocrine regulation, immune response, and providing mechanical protection. Based on anatomical location and functional characteristics, adipose tissue can be categorized into distinct types, including white adipose tissue (WAT), brown adipose tissue (BAT), beige adipose tissue, and pink adipose tissue. Traditionally, adipose tissue research has centered on its morphological and functional properties as a whole. However, with the advent of single-cell transcriptomics, a new level of complexity in adipose tissue has been unveiled, showing that even under identical conditions, cells of the same type may exhibit significant variation in morphology, structure, function, and gene expression——phenomena collectively referred to as cellular heterogeneity. Single-cell transcriptomics, including techniques like single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq), enables in-depth analysis of the diversity and heterogeneity of adipocytes at the single-cell level. This high-resolution approach has not only deepened our understanding of adipocyte functionality but also facilitated the discovery of previously unidentified cell types and gene expression patterns that may play key roles in adipose tissue function. This review delves into the latest advances in the application of single-cell transcriptomics in elucidating the heterogeneity and diversity within adipose tissue, highlighting how these findings have redefined the understanding of cell subpopulations within different adipose depots. Moreover, the review explores how single-cell transcriptomic technologies have enabled the study of cellular communication pathways and differentiation trajectories among adipose cell subgroups. By mapping these interactions and differentiation processes, researchers gain insights into how distinct cellular subpopulations coordinate within adipose tissues, which is crucial for maintaining tissue homeostasis and function. Understanding these mechanisms is essential, as dysregulation in adipose cell interactions and differentiation underlies a range of metabolic disorders, including obesity and diabetes mellitus type 2. Furthermore, single-cell transcriptomics holds promising implications for identifying therapeutic targets; by pinpointing specific cell types and gene pathways involved in adipose tissue dysfunction, these technologies pave the way for developing targeted interventions aimed at modulating specific adipose subpopulations. In summary, this review provides a comprehensive analysis of the role of single-cell transcriptomic technologies in uncovering the heterogeneity and functional diversity of adipose tissues.
2.Analysis of T7 RNA Polymerase: From Structure-function Relationship to dsRNA Challenge and Biotechnological Applications
Wei-Chen NING ; Yu HUA ; Hui-Ling YOU ; Qiu-Shi LI ; Yao WU ; Yun-Long LIU ; Zhen-Xin HU
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(9):2280-2294
T7 RNA polymerase (T7 RNAP) is one of the simplest known RNA polymerases. Its unique structural features make it a critical model for studying the mechanisms of RNA synthesis. This review systematically examines the static crystal structure of T7 RNAP, beginning with an in-depth examination of its characteristic “thumb”, “palm”, and “finger” domains, which form the classic “right-hand-like” architecture. By detailing these structural elements, this review establishes a foundation for understanding the overall organization of T7 RNAP. This review systematically maps the functional roles of secondary structural elements and their subdomains in transcriptional catalysis, progressively elucidating the fundamental relationships between structure and function. Further, the intrinsic flexibility of T7 RNAP and its applications in research are also discussed. Additionally, the review presents the structural diagrams of the enzyme at different stages of the transcription process, and through these diagrams, it provides a detailed description of the complete transcription process of T7 RNAP. By integrating structural dynamics and kinetics analyses, the review constructs a comprehensive framework that bridges static structure to dynamic processes. Despite its advantages, T7 RNAP has a notable limitation: it generates double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) as a byproduct. The presence of dsRNA not only compromises the purity of mRNA products but also elicits nonspecific immune responses, which pose significant challenges for biotechnological and therapeutic applications. The review provides a detailed exploration of the mechanisms underlying dsRNA formation during T7 RNAP catalysis, reviews current strategies to mitigate this issue, and highlights recent progress in the field. A key focus is the semi-rational design of T7 RNAP mutants engineered to minimize dsRNA generation and enhance catalytic performance. Beyond its role in transcription, T7 RNAP exhibits rapid development and extensive application in fields, including gene editing, biosensing, and mRNA vaccines. This review systematically examines the structure-function relationships of T7 RNAP, elucidates the mechanisms of dsRNA formation, and discusses engineering strategies to optimize its performance. It further explores the engineering optimization and functional expansion of T7 RNAP. Furthermore, this review also addresses the pressing issues that currently need resolution, discusses the major challenges in the practical application of T7 RNAP, and provides an outlook on potential future research directions. In summary, this review provides a comprehensive analysis of T7 RNAP, ranging from its structural architecture to cutting-edge applications. We systematically examine: (1) the characteristic right-hand domains (thumb, palm, fingers) that define its minimalistic structure; (2) the structure-function relationships underlying transcriptional catalysis; and (3) the dynamic transitions during the complete transcription cycle. While highlighting T7 RNAP’s versatility in gene editing, biosensing, and mRNA vaccine production, we critically address its major limitation—dsRNA byproduct formation—and evaluate engineering solutions including semi-rationally designed mutants. By synthesizing current knowledge and identifying key challenges, this work aims to provide novel insights for the development and application of T7 RNAP and to foster further thought and progress in related fields.
3.Design and finite element analysis of experimental device for simulating interface micro motion of bone trabecular prosthesis
Guang-Hui SHI ; Xiao-Guang ZHANG ; Xuan LI ; Lin-Wei LYU ; Chun-Qiu ZHANG
Chinese Medical Equipment Journal 2024;45(1):25-30
Objective To design an experimental device for simulating the interface micro motion of bone trabecular prosthesis and carry out the finite element analysis.Methods The experimental device was composed of a screw-in cylinder with threads,a flexible hinge,a micro-motion rod,a trabecular prosthesis,a connecting rod and a fixation post.A model of the experimental device was constructed with SolidWorks software,and then imported into ABAQUS software to establish a finite element model.An axial displacement load was applied to the femur to analyze the effects of the position of the flexible hinge,the gap between the prosthesis and the femur and the length of the connecting rod on the micro motion.Results The interface micro motion produced by the experimental device increased with the distance of the flexible hinge from the lower end of the screwed-in cylinder;the gap between the prosthesis and the femur did not affect the interface micro motion when the gap was not lower than 20 μm;the interface micro motion rose with the length of the connecting rod.Conclusion The experimental device can accurately simulate the micro motion of different bone trabecular prosthesis interfaces,and can be used for studying the effect of the interface micro motion on osseointegration.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2024,45(1):25-30]
4.A multicenter retrospective cohort study on the attributable risk of patients with Acinetobacter baumannii sterile body fluid infection
Lei HE ; Dao-Bin JIANG ; Ding LIU ; Xiao-Fang ZHENG ; He-Yu QIU ; Shu-Mei WU ; Xiao-Ying WU ; Jin-Lan CUI ; Shou-Jia XIE ; Qin XIA ; Li HE ; Xi-Zhao LIU ; Chang-Hui SHU ; Rong-Qin LI ; Hong-Ying TAO ; Ze-Fen CHEN
Chinese Journal of Infection Control 2024;23(1):42-48
Objective To investigate the attributable risk(AR)of Acinetobacter baumannii(AB)infection in criti-cally ill patients.Methods A multicenter retrospective cohort study was conducted among adult patients in inten-sive care unit(ICU).Patients with AB isolated from sterile body fluid and confirmed with AB infection in each cen-ter were selected as the infected group.According to the matching criteria that patients should be from the same pe-riod,in the same ICU,as well as with similar APACHE Ⅱ score(±5 points)and primary diagnosis,patients who did not infect with AB were selected as the non-infected group in a 1:2 ratio.The AR was calculated.Results The in-hospital mortality of patients with AB infection in sterile body fluid was 33.3%,and that of non-infected group was 23.1%,with no statistically significant difference between the two groups(P=0.069).The AR was 10.2%(95%CI:-2.3%-22.8%).There is no statistically significant difference in mortality between non-infected pa-tients and infected patients from whose blood,cerebrospinal fluid and other specimen sources AB were isolated(P>0.05).After infected with AB,critically ill patients with the major diagnosis of pulmonary infection had the high-est AR.There was no statistically significant difference in mortality between patients in the infected and non-infec-ted groups(P>0.05),or between other diagnostic classifications.Conclusion The prognosis of AB infection in critically ill patients is highly overestimated,but active healthcare-associated infection control for AB in the ICU should still be carried out.
5.Study on the toxicity characteristics of a clinical bloodstream isolate of Salmonella Telelkebir
En-Hui ZHENG ; Yu-Feng QIU ; Jian-Hui CHEN ; Ya-Dong GAO ; Meng-Ying HUANG ; Qu-Wen LI ; Jie LIN ; Shun-Tai WENG
Chinese Journal of Zoonoses 2024;40(1):31-39
The ICR(Institute of Cancer Research)mouse infection model was constructed to study the pathogenicity of Sal-monella Telelkebir serotype,and the pathogenic identification of mouse isolates was carried out.Observe the bacterial excretion cycle,evaluate the pathogenicity of Salmonella serotype to mice,and calculate the LD50 by the changes in clinical characteris-tics,histopathology and tissue bacterial load of infected mice;by flight mass spectrometry,biochemical identification,serotype identification,molecular typing and other experiments,compared with human isolates;virulence gene analysis was carried out by PCR experiment and whole genome sequencing.The LD50 of Salmonella Telelkebir is 2.67 × 108 CFU/mL;curling and fluffing may occur 0.5 h after infection;autopsy of dead mice showed that the small intestine was severely congested,with more bubbles and fluid accumulation,cecal necrosis,liver apical degeneration and necrosis,necrotic foci on the surface of the kidney and spleen atrophy;the bacterial load of spleen,kidney,lung,liver and jejunum in mice reached its peak at 3 days after infection,while that of heart at 6 days;the bacterial excretion time of the high-dose group exceeded 100 days;The level of CD3 in tissues increased with increasing dose,with inflammatory cell infiltration,myocardial capillary dilation and hyperemia,large area of vacuoles,degeneration and necrosis of hepatocytes,obvious enlargement of splenic sinus,blurred zoning,thickening of glomerular basement membrane,partial exfoliation of ciliated epithelium,atrophy and exfoliation of jejunal villi;PCR and whole genome sequencing revealed Salmonella-related virulence genes such as cdtB,plt A and pltB.This study was the first to successfully establish the ICR mouse model of Salmonella Telelkebir,demonstrating that this serotype of Salmonella has some pathogenicity.
6.Effects of emodin modulation of the HIF-1α/VEGF pathway on vascular endothelial cells damage in diabetic macroangiopathy rats
Qiu-Xiao ZHU ; Hui-Yao HAO ; Zi-Bo LIU ; Ming GAO ; Fang ZHANG ; Jing ZHOU ; Zhi-Hua HAO ; Li-Hui ZHANG ; Yong-Mei HAO
The Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 2024;40(6):859-863
Objective To investigate the impact of emodin(EM)on vascular endothelial cell injury in rats with diabetes macroangiopathy by regulating hypoxia inducible factor-1α(HIF-1α)/vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)signaling pathway.Methods SD rats were divided into blank group and modeling group,the rats in the modeling group were fed with high fat and high sugar combined with N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester to build the diabetes macroangiopathy model,and the blank group was fed with ordinary diet.The vascular endothelial cells successfully isolated from the thoracic aorta of rats in blank group and modeling group were named control group and model group,respectively.The vascular endothelial cells in the modeling group were divided into model group,dimethyloxallyl glycine(DMOG)group(10 μmol·L-1DMOG),combined group(80 mg·L-1EM+10 μmol·L-1 DMOG)and experimental-L,-M,-H groups(20,40,80 mg·L-1 EM).The apoptosis of rat vascular endothelial cells was detected by flow cytometry;Western blot was applied to detect the expression of HIF-1αand VEGF proteins in rat vascular endothelial cells.Results The apoptosis rates of vascular endothelial cells in experimental-M,-H groups,DMOG group,combined group,model group and control group were(10.18±0.36)%,(6.28±0.20)%,(24.96±1.18)%,(12.36±0.49)%,(18.76±0.68)%and(4.59±0.26)%;HIF-1α protein levels were 0.96±0.07,0.78±0.06,2.03±0.12,1.05±0.13,1.58±0.12 and 0.69±0.05;VEGF protein levels were 0.59±0.05,0.23±0.02,0.98±0.06,0.63±0.04,0.86±0.07 and 0.11±0.01.The above indexes in the model group were compared with the control,DMOG,experimental-M and experimental-H groups,and the above indexes in the combined group were compared with the experimental-H group,and the differences were statistically significant(all P<0.05).Conclusion EM may inhibit HIF-1α/VEGF pathway to improve vascular endothelial cell injury in rats with diabetes macroangiopathy.
7.Correlation between Combined Urinary Metal Exposure and Grip Strength under Three Statistical Models: A Cross-sectional Study in Rural Guangxi
Jian Yu LIANG ; Hui Jia RONG ; Xiu Xue WANG ; Sheng Jian CAI ; Dong Li QIN ; Mei Qiu LIU ; Xu TANG ; Ting Xiao MO ; Fei Yan WEI ; Xia Yin LIN ; Xiang Shen HUANG ; Yu Ting LUO ; Yu Ruo GOU ; Jing Jie CAO ; Wu Chu HUANG ; Fu Yu LU ; Jian QIN ; Yong Zhi ZHANG
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2024;37(1):3-18
Objective This study aimed to investigate the potential relationship between urinary metals copper (Cu), arsenic (As), strontium (Sr), barium (Ba), iron (Fe), lead (Pb) and manganese (Mn) and grip strength. Methods We used linear regression models, quantile g-computation and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) to assess the relationship between metals and grip strength.Results In the multimetal linear regression, Cu (β=-2.119), As (β=-1.318), Sr (β=-2.480), Ba (β=0.781), Fe (β= 1.130) and Mn (β=-0.404) were significantly correlated with grip strength (P < 0.05). The results of the quantile g-computation showed that the risk of occurrence of grip strength reduction was -1.007 (95% confidence interval:-1.362, -0.652; P < 0.001) when each quartile of the mixture of the seven metals was increased. Bayesian kernel function regression model analysis showed that mixtures of the seven metals had a negative overall effect on grip strength, with Cu, As and Sr being negatively associated with grip strength levels. In the total population, potential interactions were observed between As and Mn and between Cu and Mn (Pinteractions of 0.003 and 0.018, respectively).Conclusion In summary, this study suggests that combined exposure to metal mixtures is negatively associated with grip strength. Cu, Sr and As were negatively correlated with grip strength levels, and there were potential interactions between As and Mn and between Cu and Mn.
8.Expert consensus on digital intraoral scanning technology
Jie YOU ; Wenjuan YAN ; Liting LIN ; Wen-Zhen GU ; Yarong HOU ; Wei XIAO ; Hui YAO ; Yaner LI ; Lihui MA ; Ruini ZHAO ; Junqi QIU ; Jianzhang LIU ; Yi ZHOU
Journal of Prevention and Treatment for Stomatological Diseases 2024;32(8):569-577
Digital intraoral scanning is a hot topic in the field of oral digital technology.In recent years,digital intra-oral scanning has gradually become the mainstream technology in orthodontics,prosthodontics,and implant dentistry.The precision of digital intraoral scanning and the accuracy and stitching of data collection are the keys to the success of the impression.However,the operators are less familiar with the intraoral scanning characteristics,imaging process-ing,operator scanning method,oral tissue specificity of the scanned object,and restoration design.Thus far,no unified standard and consensus on digital intraoral scanning technology has been achieved at home or abroad.To deal with the problems encountered in oral scanning and improve the quality of digital scanning,we collected common expert opin-ions and sought to expound the causes of scanning errors and countermeasures by summarizing the existing evidence.We also describe the scanning strategies under different oral impression requirements.The expert consensus is that due to various factors affecting the accuracy of digital intraoral scanning and the reproducibility of scanned images,adopting the correct scanning trajectory can shorten clinical operation time and improve scanning accuracy.The scanning trajec-tories mainly include the E-shaped,segmented,and S-shaped methods.When performing fixed denture restoration,it is recommended to first scan the abutment and adjacent teeth.When performing fixed denture restoration,it is recommend-ed to scan the abutment and adjacent teeth first.Then the cavity in the abutment area is excavated.Lastly,the cavity gap was scanned after completing the abutment preparation.This method not only meets clinical needs but also achieves the most reliable accuracy.When performing full denture restoration in edentulous jaws,setting markers on the mucosal tissue at the bottom of the alveolar ridge,simultaneously capturing images of the vestibular area,using different types of scanning paths such as Z-shaped,S-shaped,buccal-palatal and palatal-buccal pathways,segmented scanning of dental arches,and other strategies can reduce scanning errors and improve image stitching and overlap.For implant restora-tion,when a single crown restoration is supported by implants and a small span upper structure restoration,it is recom-mended to first pre-scan the required dental arch.Then the cavity in the abutment area is excavated.Lastly,scanning the cavity gap after installing the implant scanning rod.When repairing a bone level implant crown,an improved indi-rect scanning method can be used.The scanning process includes three steps:First,the temporary restoration,adjacent teeth,and gingival tissue in the mouth are scanned;second,the entire dental arch is scanned after installing a standard scanning rod on the implant;and third,the temporary restoration outside the mouth is scanned to obtain the three-di-mensional shape of the gingival contour of the implant neck,thereby increasing the stability of soft tissue scanning around the implant and improving scanning restoration.For dental implant fixed bridge repair with missing teeth,the mobility of the mucosa increases the difficulty of scanning,making it difficult for scanners to distinguish scanning rods of the same shape and size,which can easily cause image stacking errors.Higher accuracy of digital implant impres-sions can be achieved by changing the geometric shape of the scanning rods to change the optical curvature radius.The consensus confirms that as the range of scanned dental arches and the number of data concatenations increases,the scanning accuracy decreases accordingly,especially when performing full mouth implant restoration impressions.The difficulty of image stitching processing can easily be increased by the presence of unstable and uneven mucosal mor-phology inside the mouth and the lack of relatively obvious and fixed reference objects,which results in insufficient ac-curacy.When designing restorations of this type,it is advisable to carefully choose digital intraoral scanning methods to obtain model data.It is not recommended to use digital impressions when there are more than five missing teeth.
9.Trends in age-, period- and cohort-specific incidence of hepatitis C in Chifeng City from 2008 to 2022
LI Wenjun ; LI Hui ; YANG Jingyuan ; YANG Hong ; GAO Ya ; GAO Baicheng ; LI Yao ; ZHANG Qiyue ; QIU Yafei
Journal of Preventive Medicine 2024;36(6):514-517,522
Objective:
To explore incidence trend of hepatitis C in Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region from 2008 to 2022, so as to provide the basis for formulating prevention and control measures for hepatitis C.
Methods:
Data of reported hepatitis C cases in Chifeng City from 2008 to 2022 was collected through the Infectious Disease Information Reporting Management System. Trends in incidence of hepatitis C were analyzed using annual percent change (APC) and average annual percent change (AAPC). Impact of age, period and birth cohort on the risk of developing hepatitis C were analyzed by an age-period-cohort model.
Results:
The annual average reported incidence rate of hepatitis C in Chifeng City was 59.13/105 from 2008 to 2022. The incidence showed an upward trend from 2008 to 2018 (APC=9.405%, P<0.05) and a downward trend from 2018 to 2022 (APC=-17.475%, P<0.05), but the overall trend was not statistically significant (AAPC=0.937%, P>0.05). The age-period-cohort model analysis showed that the incidence risks of hepatitis C in the residents aged 0 to 4 years and 45 to 84 years were higher than those in the residents aged 40 to 44 years (the control group). The incidence risk of hepatitis C increased with age from 40 to 79 years. Compared with 2008-2012, the incidence risk of hepatitis C showed an increasing trend followed by a decline in 2008-2022. The incidence risk was higher in 2013-2017 and lower in 2018-2022 than in 2008-2012. The incidence risk of hepatitis C showed an increasing trend followed by a decreasing trend by using the birth cohort from 1968 to 1972 as the control. The birth cohort from 1953 to 1977 had a higher incidence risk of hepatitis C than other birth cohorts.
Conclusions
The overall incidence of hepatitis C in Chifeng City from 2008 to 2022 appeared a tendency towards a decline, and the incidence risk increased with age. Screening and health education for the elderly and high-risk birth cohorts should be strengthened.
10.Study on the relationship between HBV gene mutation and disease progression in patients with hepatitis B virus infection
Suya HAN ; Shuang ZHANG ; Lin TANG ; Qudong SU ; Fuzhen WANG ; Feng WANG ; Hui ZHENG ; Feng QIU ; Hongyi LI ; Yu WANG ; Liping SHEN
Chinese Journal of Experimental and Clinical Virology 2024;38(1):21-28
Objective:To analyze the whole genome sequence and key site mutations of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in patients with different stages of disease progression, and to understand the relationship between HBV genetic characteristics and disease progression.Methods:Serum samples and basic information of hepatitis B patients with asymptomatic HBV carrier, chronic hepatitis B patients, cirrhosis patients and primary hepatocellular carcinoma patients were collected. Nested PCR was used to amplify the samples to obtain HBV whole gene sequences. Phylogenetic trees were constructed to determine the genotype of the samples, and gene mutations of the samples were analyzed combined with reference sequences of each type.Results:A total of 256 samples were successfully amplified, including 68 asymptomatic HBV carrier patients, 118 CHB patients, 15 LC patients and 55 HCC patients, and five genotypes (B, C, D, I and C/D) were detected. The result of comparative analysis showed that the mutation rate of 56 nucleotide sites was significantly different among the four groups ( P<0.05). In addition to the discovery of C105T, A1762T/G1764A and G1899A and other previously reported key site mutations, the mutation rates of T53A, C1485T and C1628T in newly diagnosed HCC group were significantly higher than those in other groups, and the mutation rates of T2150G and T2151C in asymptomatic HBV infection group were significantly higher than those in other groups. A total of 26 sequences were deleted, mainly distributed in the pre-C and pre-S regions. The deletion mutation rate in the HCC group was significantly higher than that in the other groups. Conclusions:The data of this study indicate that some nucleotide substitution mutations and deletion mutations may be closely related to the occurrence and development of HBV-related diseases, and HCC patients are more likely to have gene mutations than non-HCC patients. These result provide a reference for understanding the relationship between viral mutation and the progression of HBV infection-related diseases.


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