1.Effect Analysis of Different Interventions to Improve Neuroinflammation in The Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease
Jiang-Hui SHAN ; Chao-Yang CHU ; Shi-Yu CHEN ; Zhi-Cheng LIN ; Yu-Yu ZHOU ; Tian-Yuan FANG ; Chu-Xia ZHANG ; Biao XIAO ; Kai XIE ; Qing-Juan WANG ; Zhi-Tao LIU ; Li-Ping LI
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(2):310-333
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a central neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive cognitive decline and memory impairment in clinical. Currently, there are no effective treatments for AD. In recent years, a variety of therapeutic approaches from different perspectives have been explored to treat AD. Although the drug therapies targeted at the clearance of amyloid β-protein (Aβ) had made a breakthrough in clinical trials, there were associated with adverse events. Neuroinflammation plays a crucial role in the onset and progression of AD. Continuous neuroinflammatory was considered to be the third major pathological feature of AD, which could promote the formation of extracellular amyloid plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles. At the same time, these toxic substances could accelerate the development of neuroinflammation, form a vicious cycle, and exacerbate disease progression. Reducing neuroinflammation could break the feedback loop pattern between neuroinflammation, Aβ plaque deposition and Tau tangles, which might be an effective therapeutic strategy for treating AD. Traditional Chinese herbs such as Polygonum multiflorum and Curcuma were utilized in the treatment of AD due to their ability to mitigate neuroinflammation. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and indomethacin had been shown to reduce the level of inflammasomes in the body, and taking these drugs was associated with a low incidence of AD. Biosynthetic nanomaterials loaded with oxytocin were demonstrated to have the capability to anti-inflammatory and penetrate the blood-brain barrier effectively, and they played an anti-inflammatory role via sustained-releasing oxytocin in the brain. Transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells could reduce neuroinflammation and inhibit the activation of microglia. The secretion of mesenchymal stem cells could not only improve neuroinflammation, but also exert a multi-target comprehensive therapeutic effect, making it potentially more suitable for the treatment of AD. Enhancing the level of TREM2 in microglial cells using gene editing technologies, or application of TREM2 antibodies such as Ab-T1, hT2AB could improve microglial cell function and reduce the level of neuroinflammation, which might be a potential treatment for AD. Probiotic therapy, fecal flora transplantation, antibiotic therapy, and dietary intervention could reshape the composition of the gut microbiota and alleviate neuroinflammation through the gut-brain axis. However, the drugs of sodium oligomannose remain controversial. Both exercise intervention and electromagnetic intervention had the potential to attenuate neuroinflammation, thereby delaying AD process. This article focuses on the role of drug therapy, gene therapy, stem cell therapy, gut microbiota therapy, exercise intervention, and brain stimulation in improving neuroinflammation in recent years, aiming to provide a novel insight for the treatment of AD by intervening neuroinflammation in the future.
2.Lanthanide Metal Organic Framework as A New Unlabeled Fluorescence Anisotropy Probe for Detection of Phosphate Ions
Kai MAO ; Xiao-Yan WANG ; Yu-Jie LUO ; Jia-Li XIE ; Tian-Jin XIE ; Yuan-Fang LI ; Cheng-Zhi HUANG ; Shu-Jun ZHEN
Chinese Journal of Analytical Chemistry 2024;52(1):35-44,中插1-中插4
Fluorescence anisotropy(FA)analysis has many advantages such as no requirement of separation,high throughput and real-time detection,and thus has been widely used in many fields,including biochemical analysis,food safety detection,environmental monitoring,etc.However,due to the small volume or mass of the target,its combination with the fluorescence probe cannot produce significant signal change.To solve this issue,researchers often use nanomaterials to enhance the mass or volume of fluorophore to improve the sensitivity.Nevertheless,this FA amplification strategy also has some disadvantages.Firstly,nanomaterials are easy to quench fluorescence.As a result,the FA value is easily influenced by light scattering,which reduces the detection accuracy.Secondly,fluorescent probes in most methods require complex modification steps.Therefore,it is necessary to develop new FA probes that do not require the amplification of volume and mass or modification.As a new kind of nanomaterials,luminescent metal-organic framework(MOF)has a large volume(or mass)and strong fluorescence emission.It does not require additional signal amplification materials.As a consequence,it can be used as a potential FA probe.This study successfully synthesized a lanthanide metal organic framework(Ce-TCPP MOF)using cerium ion(Ce3+)as the central ion and 5,10,15,20-tetra(4-carboxylphenyl)porphyrin(H2TCPP)as the ligand through microwave assisted method,and used it as a novel unmodified FA probe to detect phosphate ions(Pi).In the absence of Pi,Ce-TCPP MOF had a significant FA value(r).After addition of Pi,Pi reacted with Ce3+in MOF and destroyed the structure of MOF into the small pieces,resulting in a decrease in r.The experimental results indicated that with the increase of Pi concentration,the change of the r of Ce-TCPP MOF(Δr)gradually increased.The Δr and Pi concentration showed a good linear relationship within the range of 0.5-3.5 μmol/L(0.016-0.108 mg/L).The limit of detection(LOD,3σ/k)was 0.41 μmol/L.The concentration of Pi in the Jialing River water detected by this method was about 0.078 mg/L,and the Pi value detected by ammonium molybdate spectrophotometry was about 0.080 mg/L.The two detection results were consistent with each other,and the detection results also meet the ClassⅡwater quality standard,proving that this method could be used for the detection of Pi in complex water bodies.
3.Application Study of Enzyme Inhibitors and Their Conformational Optimization in The Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease
Chao-Yang CHU ; Biao XIAO ; Jiang-Hui SHAN ; Shi-Yu CHEN ; Chu-Xia ZHANG ; Yu-Yu ZHOU ; Tian-Yuan FANG ; Zhi-Cheng LIN ; Kai XIE ; Shu-Jun XU ; Li-Ping LI
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2024;51(7):1510-1529
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a central neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive cognitive dysfunction and behavioral impairment, and there is a lack of effective drugs to treat AD clinically. Existing medications for the treatment of AD, such as Tacrine, Donepezil, Rivastigmine, and Aducanumab, only serve to delay symptoms and but not cure disease. To add insult to injury, these medications are associated with very serious adverse effects. Therefore, it is urgent to explore effective therapeutic drugs for AD. Recently, studies have shown that a variety of enzyme inhibitors, such as cholinesterase inhibitors, monoamine oxidase (MAO)inhibitors, secretase inhibitors, can ameliorate cholinergic system dysfunction, Aβ production and deposition, Tau protein hyperphosphorylation, oxidative stress damage, and the decline of synaptic plasticity, thereby improving AD symptoms and cognitive function. Some plant extracts from natural sources, such as Umbelliferone, Aaptamine, Medha Plus, have the ability to inhibit cholinesterase activity and act to improve learning and cognition. Isochromanone derivatives incorporating the donepezil pharmacophore bind to the catalytic active site (CAS) and peripheral anionic site (PAS) sites of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), which can inhibit AChE activity and ameliorate cholinergic system disorders. A compound called Rosmarinic acid which is found in the Lamiaceae can inhibit monoamine oxidase, increase monoamine levels in the brain, and reduce Aβ deposition. Compounds obtained by hybridization of coumarin derivatives and hydroxypyridinones can inhibit MAO-B activity and attenuate oxidative stress damage. Quinoline derivatives which inhibit the activation of AChE and MAO-B can reduce Aβ burden and promote learning and memory of mice. The compound derived from the combination of propargyl and tacrine retains the inhibitory capacity of tacrine towards cholinesterase, and also inhibits the activity of MAO by binding to the FAD cofactor of monoamine oxidase. A series of hybrids, obtained by an amide linker of chromone in combine with the benzylpiperidine moieties of donepezil, have a favorable safety profile of both cholinesterase and monoamine oxidase inhibitory activity. Single domain antibodies (such as AAV-VHH) targeted the inhibition of BACE1 can reduce Aβ production and deposition as well as the levels of inflammatory cells, which ultimately improve synaptic plasticity. 3-O-trans-p-coumaroyl maslinic acid from the extract of Ligustrum lucidum can specifically inhibit the activity of γ-secretase, thereby rescuing the long-term potentiation and enhancing synaptic plasticity in APP/PS1 mice. Inhibiting γ-secretase activity which leads to the decline of inflammatory factors (such as IFN-γ, IL-8) not only directly improves the pathology of AD, but also reduces Aβ production. Melatonin reduces the transcriptional expression of GSK-3β mRNA, thereby decreasing the levels of GSK-3β and reducing the phosphorylation induced by GSK-3β. Hydrogen sulfide can inhibitGSK-3β activity via sulfhydration of the Cys218 site of GSK-3β, resulting in the suppression of Tau protein hyperphosphorylation, which ameliorate the motor deficits and cognitive impairment in mice with AD. This article reviews enzyme inhibitors and conformational optimization of enzyme inhibitors targeting the regulation of cholinesterase, monoamine oxidase, secretase, and GSK-3β. We are hoping to provide a comprehensive overview of drug development in the enzyme inhibitors, which may be useful in treating AD.
4.Single-cell level analysis of the immune microenvironment characteristics of dental follicle tissues from the human third molars
Jianing LIU ; Xiaohui ZHANG ; Yuan CAO ; Lu LIU ; Xiao LEI ; Jiongyi TIAN ; Junxi HE ; Fang JIN ; Bingdong SUI
Journal of Practical Stomatology 2024;40(6):747-752
Objective:To analyze the immune microenvironment characteristics of human dental follicle tissues from the third molars and to explore the mutual communication and the effects of innate immune cells and adaptive immune cells within the dental follicle.Methods:Sequencing data(GSA-Human:HRA008022)in the GSA database were analyzed.Bioinformatics tools were employed for gene identification and GO enrichment analysis was performed to define the biological function of innate and adaptive immune cells.CellChat analysis was used for explaining intercellular communication among immune cell populations.Results:Using t-SNE dimen-sionality reduction analysis for immune cell populations,innate immune cell populations were obtained,including innate lymphoid cells,dendritic cells,mast cells and macrophages,and adaptive immune cell populations including T cells and B cells.Pearson corre-lation analysis showed that innate immune cells,specifically innate lymphoid cells and macrophages,had a strong correlation with adap-tive immune cell populations.GO enrichment analysis revealed mutual coordination among innate immune cell populations and regulato-ry effects on adaptive immune cell populations.Further CellChat analysis indicated biological signal transmission between innate and a-daptive immune cell populations,with CLEC,MIF,ADGRE5,COLLAGEN and MIF signaling pathways is the most significant.Con-clusion:Dental follicle tissues are rich in immune cells and innate immune cell populations interact with adaptive immune cells to regulate immune responses and participate in maintaining the homeostasis of dental follicle.
5.Expert consensus on pediatric orthodontic therapies of malocclusions in children
Zhou CHENCHEN ; Duan PEIPEI ; He HONG ; Song JINLIN ; Hu MIN ; Liu YUEHUA ; Liu YAN ; Guo JIE ; Jin FANG ; Cao YANG ; Jiang LINGYONG ; Ye QINGSONG ; Zhu MIN ; Jiang BEIZHAN ; Ruan WENHUA ; Yuan XIAO ; Li HUANG ; Zou RUI ; Tian YULOU ; Gao LI ; Shu RUI ; Chen JIANWEI ; Liu RENKAI ; Zou SHUJUAN ; Li XIAOBING
International Journal of Oral Science 2024;16(2):186-196
Malocclusion,identified by the World Health Organization(WHO)as one of three major oral diseases,profoundly impacts the dental-maxillofacial functions,facial esthetics,and long-term development of~260 million children in China.Beyond its physical manifestations,malocclusion also significantly influences the psycho-social well-being of these children.Timely intervention in malocclusion can foster an environment conducive to dental-maxillofacial development and substantially decrease the incidence of malocclusion or reduce the severity and complexity of malocclusion in the permanent dentition,by mitigating the negative impact of abnormal environmental influences on the growth.Early orthodontic treatment encompasses accurate identification and treatment of dental and maxillofacial morphological and functional abnormalities during various stages of dental-maxillofacial development,ranging from fetal stages to the early permanent dentition phase.From an economic and societal standpoint,the urgency for effective early orthodontic treatments for malocclusions in childhood cannot be overstated,underlining its profound practical and social importance.This consensus paper discusses the characteristics and the detrimental effects of malocclusion in children,emphasizing critical need for early treatment.It elaborates on corresponding core principles and fundamental approaches in early orthodontics,proposing comprehensive guidance for preventive and interceptive orthodontic treatment,serving as a reference for clinicians engaged in early orthodontic treatment.
6.Sperm ultrastructure in patients with partial globozoospermia
Hao-Ran LIU ; Liu YANG ; Hui TIAN ; Yuan-Yuan JI ; Xiao-Fang HAN ; Xiang HUANG
National Journal of Andrology 2024;30(10):867-871
Objective:To investigate the morphological and ultrastructural differences between normal and round-headed sperm and the outcomes of assisted reproduction in patients with partial globozoospermia.Methods:We collected clinical information and semen samples from 6 cases of partial globozoospermia confirmed in our hosptials from March 2023 to March 2024,performed Diff-Quik staining of the samples,observed the sperm morphology under the light microscope and transmission electron microscope,compared the ultrastructures between round-headed and normal spermatozoa,and analyzed the clinical outcomes of assisted reproduction in the pa-tients.Results:Under the light microscope,the the round-headed sperm had no acrosomal structure,some with tail abnormalities;while under the transmission electron microscope,they exhibited dissolved plasma membrane,acrosomal absence,small acrosomes,nucleoplasmic granulation,huge central vacuoles,swelling,absence or irregular arrangement of mitochondria in the neck,and disor-ganized or missed 9+2 microtubules in the tail.All the 6 patients underwent intracytoplasmic sperm injection(ICSI),and 1 of them achieved pregnancy.Conclusion:The sperm organelle is morphologically damaged and ultrastructurally abnormal in some patients with partial globozoospermia,which may be a key factor for their infertility,and ICSI can help some of them to achieve fertility.
7.Protein-centric omics analysis reveals circulating complements linked to non-viral liver diseases as potential therapeutic targets
Yingzhou SHI ; Hang DONG ; Shiwei SUN ; Xiaoqin WU ; Jiansong FANG ; Jianbo ZHAO ; Junming HAN ; Zhongyue LI ; Huixiao WU ; Luna LIU ; Wanhong WU ; Yang TIAN ; Guandou YUAN ; Xiude FAN ; Chao XU
Clinical and Molecular Hepatology 2024;30(1):80-97
Background/Aims:
To evaluate the causal correlation between complement components and non-viral liver diseases and their potential use as druggable targets.
Methods:
We conducted Mendelian randomization (MR) to assess the causal role of circulating complements in the risk of non-viral liver diseases. A complement-centric protein interaction network was constructed to explore biological functions and identify potential therapeutic options.
Results:
In the MR analysis, genetically predicted levels of complement C1q C chain (C1QC) were positively associated with the risk of autoimmune hepatitis (odds ratio 1.125, 95% confidence interval 1.018–1.244), while complement factor H-related protein 5 (CFHR5) was positively associated with the risk of primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC;1.193, 1.048– 1.357). On the other hand, CFHR1 (0.621, 0.497–0.776) and CFHR2 (0.824, 0.703–0.965) were inversely associated with the risk of alcohol-related cirrhosis. There were also significant inverse associations between C8 gamma chain (C8G) and PSC (0.832, 0.707–0.979), as well as the risk of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (1.167, 1.036–1.314). Additionally, C1S (0.111, 0.018–0.672), C7 (1.631, 1.190–2.236), and CFHR2 (1.279, 1.059–1.546) were significantly associated with the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma. Proteins from the complement regulatory networks and various liver diseaserelated proteins share common biological processes. Furthermore, potential therapeutic drugs for various liver diseases were identified through drug repurposing based on the complement regulatory network.
Conclusions
Our study suggests that certain complement components, including C1S, C1QC, CFHR1, CFHR2, CFHR5, C7, and C8G, might play a role in non-viral liver diseases and could be potential targets for drug development.
8.Nitro-oleic acid ameliorates erectile dysfunction in a streptozotocin-induced rat model of diabetes by inhibiting oxidative stress and apoptosis and activating the NO/cGMP pathway.
Chang-Bo ZHAO ; Wei-Bo CHEN ; Wen-Zhen WANG ; Fang-Xin GONG ; Cui-Qin FAN ; Ye LI ; Tian LAN ; Wen-Jing WANG ; Ming-Zhen YUAN
Asian Journal of Andrology 2023;26(1):57-66
The major vascular complications associated with diabetes make the management of diabetic mellitus erectile dysfunction (DMED) a challenging endeavor. Notable factors contributing to DMED include oxidative stress, nitric oxide (NO)/cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) pathway activation, and apoptosis, while nitro-oleic acid (NO2-OA) has been shown to be beneficial in treating these aspects of this condition. We, herein, investigated the effects and possible mechanisms of NO2-OA on erectile function as assessed in a streptozotocin-induced rat model of diabetes. Our results revealed that the erectile function of DMED rats was significantly impaired compared with that of the control group. However, in response to 4 weeks of NO2-OA treatment, there was an improvement in erectile function. The expression of oxidative stress-related indicators was significantly increased and the NO/cGMP pathway was impaired in the DMED group. The expression of proapoptotic factors was increased, while that of antiapoptotic factors was decreased in the DMED group. Moreover, the cell morphology in the cavernous tissue of the DMED group also changed adversely. NO2-OA treatment significantly reversed all these changes observed in the DMED group. In conclusion, NO2-OA treatment partially improved erectile function in DMED rats through mechanisms that included inhibition of oxidative stress, activation of the NO/cGMP pathway, and a reduction in apoptosis.
9.Effect of Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Dose in Grafts on CMV Infection after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.
Di YAO ; Yuan-Yuan TIAN ; Jun LU ; Pei-Fang XIAO ; Jing LING ; De-Fei ZHENG ; Jing GAO ; Li-Yan FAN ; Jia-Jia ZHENG ; Jie LI ; Shao-Yan HU
Journal of Experimental Hematology 2023;31(4):1184-1191
OBJECTIVE:
To investigate the correlation between plasmacytoid dendritic cell (pDC) dose in grafts and the occurrence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT).
METHODS:
The clinical data of 80 children who received allo-HSCT in Children's Hospital of Soochow University from August 20, 2020 to June 11, 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Proportions of DC subsets and T-cell subsets in grafts were detected by flow cytometry in order to calculate infused cell dose of each cell. Weekly monitoring of CMV-DNA copies in peripheral blood for each child were performed after transplantation. The last follow-up date was December 31, 2021.
RESULTS:
All the children gained hematopoietic reconstitution. CMV infection was observed in 51 children (63.8%±5.4%) within the first 100 days after transplantation, including 2 cases developing CMV disease. Univariate analysis indicated that infused doses of DC and pDC were significantly associated with CMV infection within 100 days after allo-HSCT (P <0.05). Multivariate analysis indicated that a high dose infusion of pDC was an independent protective factor for CMV infection within 100 days after allo-HSCT (P <0.05). By the end of follow-up, 7 children died of transplantation-related complications, including 2 deaths from CMV disease, 2 deaths from extensive chronic graft-versus-host disease, and 3 deaths from capillary leak syndrome. The overall survival rate was 91.2%.
CONCLUSION
The pDC in grafts may be associated with early infection of CMV after allo-HSCT, while a high infused pDC dose may serve as a protective factor for CMV infection after transplantation.
Child
;
Humans
;
Retrospective Studies
;
Graft vs Host Disease/complications*
;
Cytomegalovirus Infections
;
Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation/adverse effects*
;
Dendritic Cells
10.Discordance analysis for apolipoprotein and lipid measures for predicting myocardial infarction in statin-treated patients with coronary artery disease: a cohort study.
Tian-Yu LI ; Pei ZHU ; Ying SONG ; Xiao-Fang TANG ; Zhan GAO ; Run-Lin GAO ; Jin-Qing YUAN
Journal of Geriatric Cardiology 2023;20(12):845-854
BACKGROUND:
The optimal apolipoprotein or lipid measures for identifying statin-treated patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) at residual cardiovascular risk remain controversial. This study aimed to compare the predictive powers of apolipoprotein B (apoB), non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), apoB/apolipoprotein A-1 (apoA-1) and non-HDL-C/HDL-C for myocardial infarction (MI) in CAD patients treated with statins in the setting of secondary prevention.
METHODS:
The study included 9191 statin-treated CAD patients with a five-year median follow-up. All measures were analyzed as continuous variables and concordance/discordance groups by medians. The hazard ratio (HR) with 95% CI was estimated by Cox proportional hazards regression. Patients were classified by the clinical presentation of CAD for further analysis.
RESULTS:
The high-apoB-low-LDL-C and the high-non-HDL-C-low-LDL-C categories yielded HR of 1.40 (95% CI: 1.04-1.88) and 1.51 (95% CI: 1.07-2.13) for MI, respectively, whereas discordant high LDL-C with low apoB or non-HDL-C was not associated with the risk of MI. No association of MI with discordant apoB versus non-HDL-C, apoB/apoA-1 versus apoB, non-HDL-C/HDL-C versus non-HDL-C, or apoB/apoA-1 versus non-HDL-C/HDL-C was observed. Similar patterns were found in patients with acute coronary syndrome. In contrast, no association was observed between any concordance/discordance category and the risk of MI in patients with chronic coronary syndrome.
CONCLUSIONS
ApoB and non-HDL-C better predict MI in statin-treated CAD patients than LDL-C, especially in patients with acute coronary syndrome. ApoB/apoA-1 and non-HDL-C/HDL-C show no superiority to apoB and non-HDL-C for predicting MI.

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