Publications by authors named "HongFan Zhao"

Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates sex differences in podocyte cells, which are key for kidney function, particularly how these differences manifest under normal and stressed conditions caused by mTOR inhibition.
  • Using a specialized mouse model, researchers isolated podocytes and performed RNA sequencing, proteomics, and metabolomics to uncover distinct molecular signatures tied to biological sex.
  • Results showed significant sex-specific variations in gene expression and protein levels, with mTOR inhibition affecting male podocyte responses more prominently, highlighting potential transcription factors that govern these differences.
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  • Depression is a widespread issue, often treated with drugs that come with side effects; however, probiotics and goat milk, particularly Tibetan kefir, are being explored for their ability to improve mental health and immune function.
  • In experiments with mice facing chronic mild stress, Tibetan kefir significantly reduced signs of despair and inflammation, impacting the neuroendocrine system positively.
  • The findings suggest that Tibetan kefir can help restore gut microbiota and may serve as a promising dietary addition for people dealing with depression, revealing potential underlying mechanisms for its benefits.
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Article Synopsis
  • - Depression is a common psychiatric condition marked by a persistently low mood, and traditional medications often have low effectiveness and negative side effects due to unpredictable treatment responses.
  • - This study focused on selenium-enriched fermented goat milk and its effects on mice experiencing stress-induced depression, demonstrating that Se-Lactobacillus paracasei 20241 improved depressive symptoms and reduced inflammation and glucocorticoid resistance.
  • - The research also noted changes in gut bacteria diversity and oxidative stress levels in key brain and liver areas, suggesting that Se-20241 could pave the way for developing probiotic supplements to help treat depression.
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Introduction: Antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) and programmed death-1 (PD-1) inhibitors play crucial roles in the treatment of advanced urothelial cancer (aUC). Increasingly, combination treatment modalities are used in patients with aUC intolerant to platinum-based chemotherapy (PBC). However, clinical evidence on the efficacy and safety of disitamab vedotin plus PD-1 inhibitors for aUC is limited.

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Non-HLA-directed regulatory autoantibodies (RABs) are known to target G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) and thereby contribute to kidney transplant vasculopathy and failure. However, the detailed underlying signaling mechanisms in human microvascular endothelial cells (HMECs) and immune cells need to be clarified in more detail. In this study, we compared the immune stimulatory effects and concomitant intracellular and extracellular signaling mechanisms of immunoglobulin G (IgG)-fractions from kidney transplant patients with allograft vasculopathy (KTx-IgG), to that from patients without vasculopathy, or matched healthy controls (Con-IgG).

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Aims: Expanded hemodialysis (HDx) therapy with improved molecular cut-off dialyzers exerts beneficial effects on lowering uremia-associated chronic systemic microinflammation, a driver of endothelial dysfunction and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in hemodialysis (HD) patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). However, studies on the underlying molecular mechanisms are still at an early stage. Here, we identify the (endothelial) transcription factor Krüppel-like factor 2 (KLF2) and its associated molecular signalling pathways as key targets and regulators of uremia-induced endothelial micro-inflammation in the HD/ESRD setting, which is crucial for vascular homeostasis and controlling detrimental vascular inflammation.

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The survival of () in fruit juice after pasteurization results in high economic losses due to unpalatability. The present work addressed this issue by inhibiting the growth of in apple juice by the addition of MN@IDR-1018 composites formed of innate defense regulator 1018 (IDR-1018) antibacterial peptides that are coupled on the surfaces of magnetosomes (MN) via amidation reactions. MN@IDR-1018 was demonstrated to provide excellent antibacterial activity against with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 100 μg mL, which led to cell death via membrane dissolution and rupture.

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Early identification of allograft vasculopathy and the concomitant elimination of adverse risk factors is essential for improving the long-term prognosis of heart transplant (HTx) recipients with underlying cardiovascular disease (CVD). The major aim of this pilot study was to conduct a non-invasive imaging evaluation of the HTx patient microcirculation by employing nailfold video-capillaroscopy (NVC) in a well-characterized patient and control cohort, and to correlate these data with endothelial cell function, accompanied by studies of traditional cardiovascular risk factors and non-HLA antibodies in HTx recipients. Ten patients undergoing HTx (mean age of 38 ± 14 years) were recruited for the study and compared to a control group of 12 well-matched healthy volunteers (mean age 35 ± 5 years) with normal body mass index (BMI).

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Objectives: Scleroderma renal crisis (SRC) is a rare vascular complication of systemic sclerosis with substantial risks for end-stage renal disease and premature death. Activating autoantibodies (Abs) targeting the angiotensin II type 1 (AT1R) and the endothelin-1 type A receptor (ETAR) have been identified as predictors for SRC. Here, we sought to determine their pathogenic significance for acute renal vascular injury potentially triggering kidney failure and malignant hypertension.

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Background: Bladder cancer (BLCA) is one of the most common cancers and ranks ninth among all cancers. Extracellular matrix (ECM) genes activate a number of pathways that facilitate tumor development. This study is aimed at providing models to predict BLCA survival and recurrence by ECM genes.

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Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is a valuable 'home treatment' option, even more so during the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. However, the long-term use of PD is limited by unfavourable tissue remodelling in the peritoneal membrane, which is associated with inflammation-induced angiogenesis. This appears to be driven primarily through vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), while the involvement of other angiogenic signaling pathways is still poorly understood.

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Atherosclerotic artery disease is the major cause of death and an immense burden on healthcare systems worldwide. The formation of atherosclerotic plaques is promoted by high levels of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) in the blood, especially in the oxidized form. Circulating LDL is taken up by conventional and non-classical endothelial cell receptors and deposited in the vessel wall.

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Abstract: Systemic chronic microinflammation and altered cytokine signaling, with adjunct cardiovascular disease (CVD), endothelial maladaptation and dysfunction is common in dialysis patients suffering from end-stage renal disease and associated with increased morbidity and mortality. New hemodialysis filters might offer improvements. We here studied the impact of novel improved molecular cut-off hemodialysis filters on systemic microinflammation, uremia and endothelial dysfunction.

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Background: Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most common type of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Immunotherapy, especially anti-PD-1, is becoming a pillar of ccRCC treatment. However, precise biomarkers and robust models are needed to select the proper patients for immunotherapy.

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Background: Scleroderma renal crisis (SRC) is a life-threatening complication of systemic sclerosis (SSc). Autoantibodies (Abs) against endothelial cell antigens have been implicated in SSc and SRC. However, their detailed roles remain poorly defined.

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Article Synopsis
  • Thrombin activates the protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR1) in vascular endothelial cells, stimulating proangiogenic responses by inducing the production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).
  • Detailed studies revealed that the transcription factor c-FOS is essential for thrombin-induced VEGF synthesis and angiogenesis in human microvascular endothelial cells.
  • The activation of the PAR-1 receptor leads to ERK1/2 signaling, which in turn activates the AP-1/c-FOS complex, driving gene transcription and promoting angiogenic responses, providing insights into therapeutic strategies for conditions related to endothelial injury and thrombosis.
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Neutrophil infiltration is a hallmark of peritoneal inflammation, but mechanisms regulating neutrophil recruitment in patients with peritoneal dialysis (PD)-related peritonitis are not fully defined. We examined 104 samples of PD effluent collected during acute peritonitis for correspondence between a broad range of soluble parameters and neutrophil counts. We observed an association between peritoneal IL-17 and neutrophil levels.

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Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein F (hnRNP-F) is crucial for gene expression and signal transduction as a tumor-promoting molecule with the ability to promote cell proliferation in various cancers. However, the role and mechanism of hnRNP-F in bladder cancer (BC) remain unclear. Therefore, we investigated the effect of hnRNP-F on the proliferation of BC cells and the potential mechanism.

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Background: Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein F (hnRNP-F) has been implicated in multiple cancers, suggesting its role in tumourigenesis, but the potential oncogenic role and mechanism of hnRNP-F in bladder cancer (BC) remain incompletely understood.

Methods: HnRNP-F was identified by proteomic methods. A correlation of hnRNP-F expression with prognosis was analysed in 103 BC patients.

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Objective: To investigate the relationship between vitamin D status, using circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25 (OH) D], and renal cell carcinoma (RCC) risk in a case-control study, because the association between the two is unclear in China.

Materials And Methods: A total of 135 incident RCC cases were matched with 135 controls by age and sex. The blood samples were collected on the first day of hospitalization before surgery to measure plasma 25 (OH) D.

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Eliminating cancer stem cells (CSCs) is a key issue in eradicating tumor. The streptavidin-granulocyte-macrophage-colony stimulating factor (SA-GM-CSF) surface-modified bladder CSCs vaccine previously developed using our protein-anchor technology could effectively induce specific immune response for eliminating CSCs. However, program death receptor-1 (PD-1)/program death ligand 1 (PD-L1) signaling in tumor microenvironment results in tumor-adaptive immune resistance.

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Program death receptor-1 (PD-1)/program death ligand 1 (PD-L1) signaling plays an important role in tumor adaptive immune resistance. The streptavidin-granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (SA-GM-CSF) surface-modified tumor cells vaccine developed through our novel protein-anchor technology could significantly promote the activation of dendritic cells. Although GM-CSF vaccine could significantly increase the number of tumor-specific CD8T-cells, the majority of these CD8T-cells expressed PD-1.

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There is considerable controversy regarding the association between smoking and prognosis in surgically treated bladder cancer. The present meta-analysis was performed to quantify the role of smoking status in bladder cancer recurrence, progression and patient survival by pooling the available previous data. Pubmed, Embase and the Cochrane Library databases were searched for eligible studies published prior to April 2016.

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