1.Mammalian pluripotent stem cells:effects on creating disease models,pathogenesis,drug discovery and personalized treatment
Wenqiang XU ; Haolin CHEN ; Chang YAN ; Tao XU ; Yabin XIE ; Xueling LI
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2025;29(1):136-146
BACKGROUND:The self-renewal and multi-directional differentiation of pluripotent stem cells possess the potential to revolutionize people's understanding of biology,medicine,development,and disease.Stem cells play an important role in the early stage of embryonic development,and the study of them could be beneficial to understanding of the basic principles of biological development and tissue or organ formation,exploring the potential mechanisms of various diseases,studying the repair and regeneration of damaged tissues or organs,and promoting drug discovery and personalized treatment. OBJECTIVE:To review the research progress of pluripotent stem cells,summarize and categorize the fundamental types of pluripotent stem cells,and elucidate the lineage situations of various types of pluripotent stem cells in common mammals. METHODS:PubMed,Web of Science,CNKI,and WanFang databases were searched systematically,with the keywords"pluripotent stem cells;embryonic stem cells;induced pluripotent stem cells;expanded potential stem cells;livestock pluripotent stem cells"in English and Chinese.The 99 articles related to mammalian pluripotent stem cells were systematically screened according to inclusion and exclusion criteria,and then reviewed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)According to classical theory in mouse embryonic stem cell research,the pluripotent state of stem cells is divided into two forms:na?ve and primed.Na?ve state corresponds to the inner cell mass of pre-implantation embryos before attachment to the uterine wall,while primed state corresponds to the epiblast after implantation.These two states exhibit significant differences in epigenetic features,transcriptional activity,external signal dependency,and metabolic phenotype.It is later discovered that there is an intermediate state between na?ve and primed called formative pluripotency.Therefore,the pluripotency of pluripotent stem cells is a continuous developmental process rather than a unique cell state.(2)In addition to obtaining pluripotent stem cells from the inner cell mass,there are various methods and lineages for acquiring pluripotent stem cells,including embryonic germ cells established using primitive germ cells from mouse embryos,induced pluripotent stem cells created by the dedifferentiation of adult mouse and human fibroblasts with four factors—Oct3/4,Sox2,c-Myc,and Klf4;embryonic stem cell-like cell lines cultured from somatic cell nuclear transfer,parthenogenesis,neonatal or adult testicular or ovarian tissue,very small embryonic-like stem cells derived from various adult tissues and expanded pluripotent stem cells derived from pre-implantation stages.These pluripotent stem cells all share the common characteristics of continuous self-renewal,expressing core pluripotency factors and possessing the ability to differentiate into the three primary germ layers.(3)Currently,pluripotent stem cells are being used for disease modeling to study the mechanisms of various diseases and develop new drugs.Simultaneously,scientists are attempting to use pluripotent stem cells to cultivate various tissues and organs,offering new possibilities for regenerative medicine and transplantation.However,the clinical application of pluripotent stem cells faces safety challenges,including issues of cell mutations and immune rejection.Continual improvement in the methods of generating pluripotent stem cells will make them safer and more efficient for clinical applications.(4)Based on the methods of obtaining and lineage establishment of pluripotent stem cells in mice and humans,various types of pluripotent stem cells have been established in livestock,including embryonic stem cells,induced pluripotent stem cells,germ lineages of pluripotent stem cells,and expanded potential stem cells.Research on livestock pluripotent stem cells opens up new avenues for animal reproduction,breeding,genetic engineering,disease modeling,drug screening,and the conservation of endangered wildlife.
2.Internal tension relieving technique assisted anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction to promote ligamentization of Achilles tendon grafts in small ear pigs in southern Yunnan province
Bohan XIONG ; Guoliang WANG ; Yang YU ; Wenqiang XUE ; Hong YU ; Jinrui LIU ; Zhaohui RUAN ; Yajuan LI ; Haolong LIU ; Kaiyan DONG ; Dan LONG ; Zhao CHEN
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2025;29(4):713-720
BACKGROUND:We have successfully established an animal model of small ear pig in southern Yunnan province with internal tension relieving technique combined with autologous Achilles tendon for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction,and verified the stability and reliability of the model.However,whether internal tension relieving technique can promote the ligamentalization process of autologous Achilles tendon graft has not been studied. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the differences in the process of ligamentalization between conventional reconstruction and internal reduction reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament by gross view,histology and electron microscopy. METHODS:Thirty adult female small ear pigs in southern Yunnan province were selected.Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction was performed on the left knee joint with the ipsilateral knee Achilles tendon(n=30 in the normal group),and anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction was performed on the right knee joint with the ipsilateral knee Achilles tendon combined with the internal relaxation and enhancement system(n=30 in the relaxation group).The autogenous right forelimb was used as the control group;the anterior cruciate ligament was exposed but not severed or surgically treated.At 12,24,and 48 weeks after surgery,10 animals were sacrificed,respectively.The left and right knee joint specimens were taken for gross morphological observation to evaluate the graft morphology.MAS score was used to evaluate the excellent and good rate of the ligament at each time point.Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to evaluate the degree of ligament graft vascularization.Collagen fibers and nuclear morphology were observed,and nuclear morphology was scored.Ultrastructural remodeling was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The ligament healing shape of the relaxation group was better at various time points after surgery,and the excellent and good rate of MAS score was higher(P<0.05).Moreover,the relaxation group could obtain higher ligament vascularization score(P<0.05).(2)The arrangement of collagen bundles and fiber bundles in the two groups gradually tended to be orderly,and the transverse fiber connections between collagen gradually increased and thickened,suggesting that the strength and shape degree of the grafts were gradually improved,but the ligament remodeling in the relaxation group was always faster than that in the normal group at various time points after surgery.(3)The diameter,distribution density,and arrangement degree of collagen fibers in the relaxation group were better than those in the normal group at all time points,especially in the comparison of collagen fiber diameter between and within the relaxation group(P<0.05).
4.Protective effect of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction assisted by internal tension-reduction technique on the articular cartilage of southern Yunnan small-ear pigs
Bohan XIONG ; Xiaojun LU ; Wenqiang XUE ; Jinrui LIU ; Xianling GAO ; Hong YU ; Yajuan LI ; Haolong LIU ; Yanlin LI
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2024;28(14):2221-2226
BACKGROUND:Internal tension-reduction technique is to reconstruct the anterior cruciate ligament through high-strength suture system combined with tendon.It can effectively reduce graft relaxation and frets by sharing the internal load of the knee joint,and has achieved good biomechanical results and clinical efficacy.However,whether it can reduce cartilage degeneration after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction through stress sharing reduction has not been studied. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of internal tension-reduction technique on articular cartilage degeneration in southern Yunnan small-ear pigs undergoing anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. METHODS:Ten adult female Yunnan small-ear pigs were selected,and the ipsilateral knee Achilles tendon was taken from the left knee joint for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction(normal group,n=10),and the ipsilateral knee Achilles tendon from the right knee joint combined with internal tension-reduction and augmentation system for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction(tension-reduction group,n=10).One year after surgery,the experimental pigs were sacrificed,and the left and right knee cartilage was taken for hematoxylin-eosin staining,Safranin O-fast green staining,Osteoarthritis Research Society International scoring,and immunohistochemistry staining of type Ⅱ collagen,interleukin-1β,and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in the cartilage. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Hematoxylin-eosin staining showed that in the tension-reduction group,there were mild pathologic changes of osteoarthritis,with a low number of empty bone lacunae and no obvious pathological changes such as fibrosis or cell layer breakage;in the normal group,more severe cartilage damage,with an increased number of empty bone lacunae,loss of chondrocytes near the bone and even the formation of fissures.Safranin O-fast green staining indicated that the tension-reduction group had normal cartilage tissue thickness,flat cartilage surface,a neat cell arrangement in a polar pattern,and no swelling or apoptosis,while in the normal group,the thickness of cartilage tissue was obviously thinner,the cell arrangement was disordered with no polarity,the number of cells was reduced,obvious cartilage fractures and cartilage vacuoles formed,and the absence of cells near the central bone was obvious.The Osteoarthritis Research Society International score was significantly lower in the tension-reduction group than in the normal group(P<0.05).Immunohistochemical findings showed that the protein expression of type Ⅱ collagen in cartilage tissue of the tension-reducing group was higher than that of the normal group(P<0.05),and the protein expression of interleukin 1β and tumor necrosis factor ɑ in cartilage tissue was lower than that of normal group(P<0.05).To conclude,internal tension-reduction technique can delay the degeneration of articular cartilage in Yunnan small-eared pigs following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.
5.Role of histone deacetylase in the sensory gating impairment of offspring during puberty caused by immune activation in pregnant rats
Guanyu WANG ; Senqi LIU ; Yongfeng YANG ; Wenqiang LI ; Luxian LYU ; Xi SU
Journal of Xinxiang Medical College 2024;41(2):101-108
Objective To investigate the expression of histone deacetylase(HDAC)isoforms in the frontal lobe,hippo-campus and liver of offspring rats delivered by rats with maternal immune activation and their correlation with the efficiency of prepulse inhibition(PPI%).Methods Ten pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into the model group(n=5)and control group(n=5).The rats in the model group were injected with 10 mg·kg-1 polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid(Poly I:C)via the caudal vein on the 9th day of pregnancy,while rats in the control group were given the same volume of sterile physiological saline.After 3 h,blood was collected from the caudal vein,and the levels of interleukin(IL)-1 β,IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)in the plasma of pregnant rats were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to evaluate the immune activation status.The pregnant rats in the two groups were fed until natural delivery,the offspring rats were weaned on the 21st day after birth,and the male offspring rats were fed continuously.A prepulse inhibition test was performed at puberty(the 40th day after birth)to evaluate the spatial recognition memory and sensory gating function of the offspring rats.The expression levels of the HDAC gene family in the hippocampus,frontal lobe and liver of offspring rats were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction.Results The plasma IL-6,IL-1 β and TNF-α levels in the model group were significantly higher than those in the control group(P<0.05).When the prepulse stimulation was 75 dB,the PPI%of the offspring rats at puberty in the model group was significantly lower than that in the control group(P<0.05).When the prepulse stimulation was 80 and 85 dB,there was no significant difference in PPI%between the model group and the control group(P>0.05).In the frontal lobe,the expression levels of HDAC3,HDAC4,HDAC8,HDAC9,HDAC10 and Sirt mRNA in the offspring rats in the model group were significantly lower than those in the control group(P<0.05),while the expression level of HDAC5 mRNA was significantly higher than that in the control group(P<0.05);there were no significant differences in the expression levels of HDAC1,HDAC2,HDAC6,HDAC7 and HDAC11 mRNA between the model group and the control group(P>0.05).In the hippocampus,the offspring rats in the model group had significantly lower expression levels of HDAC1,HDAC8 and HDAC10 mRNA and significantly higher expression levels of HDAC2 and HDAC5 mRNA than those in the control group(P<0.05);there were no significant differences in the expression levels of HDAC3,HDAC4,HDAC6,HDAC7,HDAC9,HDAC11 and Sirt mRNA between the model group and control group(P>0.05).In the liver tissue,the expression levels of HDAC6 and HDAC10 mRNA of the offspring rats in the model group were significantly lower than those in the control group(P<0.05);there were no significant differences in the expression levels of HDAC1,HDAC2,HDAC3,HDAC4,HDAC5,HDAC7,HDAC8,HDAC9,HDAC11 and Sirt mRNA between the model group and the control group(P>0.05).The expression level of HDAC2 mRNA in the hippocampus of offspring rats in the two groups was negatively correlated with PPI%at 75 dB(r=-0.965,P<0.05),the expression levels of HDAC10 and Sirt mRNA in frontal lobe tissues were positively correlated with PPI%at 75dB(r=0.946,0.925;P<0.05).Conclusion Pregnancy Poly I:C infection has significant effects on the expression of HDAC family proteins in offspring rats,and which is related to the impairment of early sensory gating,this may provide new ideas for the research in pathogenesis and drug treatment of schizophrenia.
6.Macrophage polarization in calcium oxalate nephrolithiasis:unraveling its role and influencing factors
Weisheng LI ; Chuanguo ZHANG ; Yangdong LI ; Wenqiang HE
Chinese Journal of Pathophysiology 2024;40(1):180-186
The most prevalent kind of renal calculi,calcium oxalate(CaOx),is characterized by its propensi-ty for recurrence in the urinary system.The development of CaOx renal calculi is greatly affected by macrophage polariza-tion.Particular oxalate causes an imbalance in macrophage polarization,which skews the M1/M2 ratio and makes it easier for CaOx crystals to accumulate in the kidneys and grow into calcium plaques in the renal papilla.Notably,M2 macro-phages can prevent CaOx renal calculi by consuming crystals and reducing inflammatory stress.As a result,immunothera-peutic techniques that alter M1 and M2 macrophage polarization are extremely promising for preventing CaOx renal calcu-li.To clarify the respective roles of M1 and M2 macrophages in the formation of CaOx crystals and provide insights for de-veloping immunotherapeutic interventions against CaOx renal calculi,this review summarizes the mechanisms underlying macrophage polarization in the genesis of CaOx renal calculi.
7.Evaluation of right ventricular function in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction by the ratio of tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion to pulmonary artery systolic pressure
Tianyu HE ; Lina WU ; Wenqiang SHI ; Huican DUAN ; Haiyan LIU ; Haiyan GUO ; Weiqiang GAO ; Gang LI ; Yuan LIU ; Ruifang ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Ultrasonography 2024;33(2):126-133
Objective:To evaluate the value of the ratio of tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion to pulmonary artery systolic pressure (TAPSE/PASP) in evaluating right ventricular function of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).Methods:A total of 74 patients with HCM and HFpEF and 22 healthy individuals who visited the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2021 to January 2023 were included in this study. The HCM patients with HFpEF were divided into three groups based on the tertiles of the TAPSE/PASP (low group: <0.280 0 mm/mmHg; middle group: 0.280 0-0.476 2 mm/mmHg; high group: >0.476 2 mm/mmHg). Conventional echocardiographic parameters were collected, and two-dimensional speckle tracking technology was used to obtain right ventricular strain parameters. The differences in parameters among the groups were compared, and the correlations between TAPSE/PASP and clinical parameters and right ventricular function parameters were analyzed.Results:The results of difference analysis showed that there were significant differences in 6-minute walking test, New York Heart Association grade (NYHA grade), incidence of atrial fibrillation, left atrial area (LAA), left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LVGLS), TAPSE, PASP, right ventricular fractional area change (RVFAC), right ventricular global longitudinal strain (RVGLS), right ventricular free wall strain (RVFWST) and cardiac magnetic resonance right ventricular ejection fraction (CMR-RVEF) among the three groups. The results of correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analysis showed that the TAPSE/PASP was positively correlated with 6-minute walking distance, RVFAC, tricuspid annulus peak systolic velocity (RV s′), and CMR-RVEF ( r=0.449, 0.284, 0.358, 0.577; all P<0.05). It was negatively correlated with N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), NYHA grade, LAA, mitral early diastolic peak velocity / mitral annulus early diastolic peak velocity (LV E/e′), LVGLS, RVGLS, RVFWST and tricuspid early diastolic peak velocity / tricuspid annulus early diastolic peak velocity (RV E/e′) (r/ rs=-0.336, -0.349, -0.468, -0.452, -0.444, -0.339, -0.405, -0.320; all P<0.05). The LAA and CMR-RVEF correlated independently with TAPSE/PASP(all P<0.05). Conclusions:The TAPSE/PASP can provide an early, simple, rapid, and convenient evaluation of right ventricular function in patients with HCM and HFpEF, so as to guide clinical treatment and monitoring disease progression.
8.Changes in serum indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase and kynurenic acid levels in preterm infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia
Huijuan CHEN ; Wenqiang SUN ; Mengzhao LI ; Zihao YANG ; Xueping ZHU
Chinese Journal of Perinatal Medicine 2024;27(3):215-219
Objective:To explore the changes in serum indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase (IDO) and kynurenic acid (KYNA) levels in preterm infants diagnosed with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD).Methods:A nested case-control study was conducted. The inclusion criteria covered premature infants with less than 32 weeks of gestational age within 24 h post-birth, from December 1, 2021, to December 31, 2022, at Children's Hospital of Soochow University. Those diagnosed with BPD were allocated to the BPD group ( n=35). Non-BPD preterm infants matching the BPD cases in terms of gestational age (within one week difference) and birth weight (within a 150 g difference) were selected in a 1∶1 ratio for the control group ( n=35). Serum levels of IDO and KYNA were measured on days 1, 7, 14, and 28 postnatally. Differences in serum IDO and KYNA levels were analyzed between the BPD and control groups and among infants with mild BPD versus moderate-to-severe BPD. The association between serum IDO and KYNA levels with the severity of BPD was also assessed. Statistical analysis was conducted using independent samples t-tests and Spearman's correlation analysis. Results:Elevated levels of serum IDO on days 7, 14, and 28 postnatally [(60.68±9.37) vs. (50.66±10.46), (57.81±11.07) vs. (44.45±8.20), and (50.62±10.77) vs. (41.31±7.74) pg/ml; t=4.21, 5.73, and 4.15, respectively] as well as increased serum KYNA levels on days 14 and 28 [(439.31±41.22) vs. (368.99±68.79), (376.97±45.74) vs. (325.50±60.07) μmol/L; t=5.18 and 4.03, respectively] were observed in the BPD group compared to the control group, with all differences being statistically significant (all P<0.05). Furthermore, positive correlations were observed between serum IDO levels and BPD severity on the 7th, 14th, and 28th days ( r=0.546, 0.495, and 0.502, all P<0.05), as well as between serum KYNA levels and BPD severity on the 14th and 28th days ( r=0.536 and 0.458, both P<0.05). Conclusion:Elevated serum levels of IDO and KYNA in infants with BPD suggest these metabolites may play a role in the pathogenesis and progression of BPD.
9.Low disease activity and remission status of systemic lupus erythematosus in a real-world study
Limin REN ; Chuchu ZHAO ; Yi ZHAO ; Huiqiong ZHOU ; Liyun ZHANG ; Youlian WANG ; Lingxun SHEN ; Wenqiang FAN ; Yang LI ; Xiaomei LI ; Jibo WANG ; Yongjing CHENG ; Jiajing PENG ; Xiaozhen ZHAO ; Miao SHAO ; Ru LI
Journal of Peking University(Health Sciences) 2024;56(2):273-278
Objective:To investigate the rates of low disease activity and clinical remission in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE)in a real-world setting,and to analyze the related factors of low disease activity and clinical remission.Methods:One thousand patients with SLE were enrolled from 11 teaching hospitals.Demographic,clinical and laboratory data,as well as treatment regimes were collec-ted by self-completed questionnaire.The rates of low disease activity and remission were calculated based on the lupus low disease activity state(LLDAS)and definitions of remission in SLE(DORIS).Charac-teristics of patients with LLDAS and DORIS were analyzed.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the related factors of LLDAS and DORIS remission.Results:20.7%of patients met the criteria of LLDAS,while 10.4%of patients achieved remission defined by DORIS.Patients who met LLDAS or DORIS remission had significantly higher proportion of patients with high income and longer disease duration,compared with non-remission group.Moreover,the rates of anemia,creatinine eleva-tion,increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR)and hypoalbuminemia was significantly lower in the LLDAS or DORIS group than in the non-remission group.Patients who received hydroxychloroquine for more than 12 months or immunosuppressant therapy for no less than 6 months earned higher rates of LLDAS and DORIS remission.The results of Logistic regression analysis showed that increased ESR,positive anti-dsDNA antibodies,low level of complement(C3 and C4),proteinuria,low household in-come were negatively related with LLDAS and DORIS remission.However,hydroxychloroquine usage for longer than 12 months were positively related with LLDAS and DORIS remission.Conclusion:LLDAS and DORIS remission of SLE patients remain to be improved.Treatment-to-target strategy and standar-dized application of hydroxychloroquine and immunosuppressants in SLE are recommended.
10.Correlation between lumbar spine and pelvic parameters in Lenke type 5 adolescent idiopathic scoliosis
Yutong HOU ; Chenglan HUANG ; Yunxiao YANG ; Ya LI ; Peiwu GUO ; Wenqiang YU ; Yu ZHAO ; Zanbo WANG ; Hong ZENG ; Zhenjiang MA ; Dezhi LU ; Jinwu WANG
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2024;28(36):5753-5758
BACKGROUND:The study of the lumbar spine and pelvis in patients with Lenke type 5 lordosis is limited to the coronal and sagittal planes,and the three-dimensional relationship between the scoliosis and the pelvis has not yet been clarified. OBJECTIVE:To analyze the effect of lumbar scoliosis on the pelvis in patients with Lenke type 5 lordosis and to study the correlation between the lumbar spine and the three-dimensional spatial position of the pelvis. METHODS:Imaging data of 60 patients with Lenke type 5 lordosis scoliosis admitted to the 3D Printing Reception Center of Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital,Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from January 2019 to September 2023 were retrospectively analyzed,including Cobb angle,coronal pelvic tilt,lumbar lordosis,left and right pelvic hip width ratio(sacroiliac-anterior superior iliac spine),spinal rotation angle,pelvic tilt,sacral slope,pelvic incidence,coronal deformity angular ratio,sagittal deformity angular ratio,C7 plumb line-center sacral vertical line,apical vertebral translation,and coronal sacral inclination.The information was summarized as a database.SPSS 22.0 software was used to analyze the data related to the lumbar spine and pelvis of the patients with Lenke type 5 primary lumbar curvature adolescent idiopathic scoliosis using Spearman's correlation analysis and linear regression. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Cobb angle was highly positively correlated with coronal deformity angular ratio,apical vertebral translation,and spinal rotation angle(r=0.91,r=0.841,r=0.736).(2)Coronal deformity angular ratio was highly positively correlated with apical vertebral translation(r=0.737),moderately positively correlated with C7 plumb line-center sacral vertical line(r=0.514),and moderately negatively correlated with sagittal deformity angular ratio(r=-0.595).(3)There was a high positive correlation between lumbar lordosis and sagittal deformity angular ratio(r=0.942)and a moderate negative correlation with coronal deformity angular ratio(r=-0.554).(4)There was a moderate positive correlation between Cobb angle with coronal pelvic tilt and coronal sacral inclination(r=0.522,r=0.534)and a moderate positive correlation between C7 plumb line-center sacral vertical line and coronal pelvic tilt(r=0.507).Apical vertebral translation with coronal pelvic tilt and coronal sacral inclination showed a moderate positive correlation(r=0.507,r=0.506).Lumbar lordosis with sacral slope and pelvic incidence showed a moderate positive correlation(r=0.512,r=0.538).Sagittal deformity angular ratio was moderately positively correlated with sacral slope and pelvic incidence(r=0.614,r=0.621).(5)Studies have found that the relative position of the lumbar spine and the pelvis is closely related in the horizontal,sagittal and coronal planes.When the lumbar spine affects scoliosis and is rotated,the relative position of the pelvis will also change to compensate,which indicates that while correcting scoliosis,the correction of the pelvis cannot be ignored.

Result Analysis
Print
Save
E-mail