Publications by authors named "Meiqi Zhang"

Background: Myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is a common pathophysiological change after myocardial reperfusion therapy. Recent research confirmed that long non-coding RNA (IncRNAs) played an important role in many cardiovascular diseases. This study was carried out to explore the role of lncRNA XR008038 in the I/R progression.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

There has been an increase in the incidence and poor prognosis of colorectal cancer in recent years. In several studies, piperine has been shown to inhibit colon cancer cell growth and induce apoptosis. This study aimed to investigate whether a novel piperine-derived compound, HJ-23 (2,2-difluorobenzo[d][1,3]dioxol-5-yl)(4-(2,4-difluorophenyl)piperazin-1-yl)methanone), can effectively inhibit the development of colorectal cancer through specific molecular mechanisms.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The skin is the largest organ in the human body and is made up of various cells and structures. Over time, the skin will age, which is not only influenced by internal factors, but also by external environmental factors, especially ultraviolet radiation. Aging causes immune system weakening in the elderly, which makes them more susceptible to dermatosis, such as type 2 inflammatory mediated pruritus.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Colchicine is a widely prescribed anti-inflammatory drug for the treatment of gout, familial Mediterranean fever and pericarditis, but its narrow therapeutic window presents a significant risk of severe toxicity. Despite its clinical relevance, the molecular mechanisms underlying colchicine's pharmacological effects and associated toxicity and explored potential therapeutic interventions to mitigate its adverse effects. We showed the colchicine's impact on cellular morphology in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and HeLa cells including cell rounding and detachment following 24 h of exposure that revealed pronounced cytotoxic effects.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Currently, there is no comprehensive systematic review available to comprehensively assess the efficacy and safety of Empagliflozin and other sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors in the treatment of heart failure (HF). This study employed a meta-analysis approach to systematically evaluate the therapeutic effects of Empagliflozin in HF patients and its impact on cardiac function.

Method: The keywords including "heart failure," "HF," "cardiac failure," "cardiac disease," "Empagliflozin," and "sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors" were utilized to search for relevant clinical studies on Empagliflozin in the treatment of HF in various databases, such as China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, VIP Chinese Medical Journal Database, PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, Springer, and Science Direct.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The recycling and upcycling of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the most widely used polyester plastic globally, has attracted growing attention concerning its disposal as non-degradable waste in the natural environment. Transforming end-of-life PET into (bio)degradable polyester offers a novel approach to managing its waste. In this study, we introduce a simple process capable of converting waste PET into degradable polyester, polyethylene terephthalate-polyethylene-1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylate (PET-PECHD), by partly hydrogenating the aromatic rings (x) into aliphatic ones (y).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - The Usutu virus (USUV) is a rising concern as a mosquito-borne flavivirus leading to more human infections globally, prompting a need for better monitoring and understanding.
  • - Researchers created an extensive database to analyze USUV infections across vectors, animals, and humans, using boosted regression tree models to understand the virus's geographic spread and main vectors and hosts.
  • - Their findings indicate that about 1.04 billion people are at risk for USUV infection worldwide, with a large potential exposure area, emphasizing the need for enhanced surveillance, especially in high-risk regions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The incidence of brain injury is on the rise, primarily caused by falls and traffic accidents, leading to significant health challenges, including loss of consciousness in severe cases.!
  • The article evaluates the effectiveness of Xingnaojing injection in treating brain injuries by analyzing various medical metrics, such as Glasgow Coma Scale scores and intracranial pressure changes.!
  • Findings indicate a 27% chance of developing epilepsy post-injury, emphasizing the importance of proper treatment and management to assess brain damage and improve patient outcomes.!
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • A 30-year-old pregnant woman in Shandong Province, China, was diagnosed with a persistent high fever, and high-throughput sequencing identified the presence of the parasite Trypanosoma dionisii in her blood.
  • The patient showed symptoms like fever and respiratory issues but made a full recovery without long-term effects; genetic analysis revealed her infection was closely related to T. dionisii found in local bats.
  • This case highlights T. dionisii as a potential zoonotic pathogen, emphasizing the risk of its transmission from wildlife, particularly rodents and bats, to humans.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Inherited deficiency of zinc finger NFX1-type containing 1 (ZNFX1), a dsRNA virus sensor, is associated with severe familial immunodeficiency, multisystem inflammatory disease, increased susceptibility to viruses, and early mortality. However, limited treatments for patients with pathological variants of ZNFX1 exist due to an incomplete understanding of the diseases resulting from ZNFX1 mutations. Here, we demonstrate that ZNFX1 specifically inhibits the activation of the NLR family pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome in response to NLRP3 activators both in vitro and in vivo.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Bile acids (BAs) are natural metabolites in mammals and have the potential to function as drugs against viral infection. However, the limited understanding of chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) receptors and downstream signaling, along with its lower suppression efficiency in inhibiting virus infection limits its clinical application. In this study, we demonstrate that farnesoid X receptor (FXR), the receptor of CDCA, negatively regulates interferon signaling, thereby contributing to the reduced effectiveness of CDCA against virus replication.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • California hare coltivirus (CHCV) was first isolated in 1976, but its distribution and host range were unclear until recent studies in China expanded its known presence.
  • Using next-generation sequencing, researchers found CHCV RNA in 1.56% of tick samples collected from northeastern China, with the highest positivity rates in Inner Mongolia.
  • Genetic analysis showed that current CHCV strains have high identity with previously reported strains and are closely related to human pathogenic coltiviruses, therefore expanding our understanding of CHCV’s diversity and geographic scope.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Shrews being insectivores, serve as natural reservoirs for a wide array of zoonotic viruses, including the recently discovered Langya henipavirus (LayV) in China in 2018. It is crucial to understand the shrew-associated virome, viral diversity, and new viruses. In the current study, we conducted high-throughput sequencing on lung samples obtained from 398 shrews captured along the eastern coast of China, and characterized the high-depth virome of 6 common shrew species (Anourosorex squamipes, Crocidura lasiura, Crocidura shantungensis, Crocidura tanakae, Sorex caecutiens, and Suncus murinus).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The bile acid sodium symporter (BASS) family plays an important role in transporting substances and coordinating plants' salt tolerance. However, the function of in has not yet been elucidated. In this study, eight genes distributed on five chromosomes were identified that belonged to four subfamilies.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The kidney is the most vulnerable organ in severe patients. In severe cases, the fatality rate of acute kidney damage is as high as 30% ∼ 60%. Severe ultrasound is a non-invasive method to evaluate renal blood flow.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • * Fangchinoline (Fan), a natural compound, effectively reduces the replication of several viruses and improves survival by enhancing the antiviral response via STING.
  • * Fan prevents STING degradation, increasing the expression of interferons and antiviral genes, making it a strong candidate for antiviral therapy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) can cause a range of kidney diseases. HCV is the primary cause of mixed cryoglobulinaemia, which leads to cryoglobulinaemic vasculitis and cryoglobulinaemic glomerulonephritis (GN). Patients with acute cryoglobulinaemic vasculitis often exhibit acute kidney disease due to HCV infection, which typically progresses to acute kidney injury (AKI).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Post-transcriptional regulation of cytokine/chemokine mRNA turnover is critical for immune processes and contributes to the mammalian cellular response to diverse inflammatory stimuli. The ubiquitous RNA-binding protein human antigen R (HuR) is an integral regulator of inflammation-associated mRNA fate. HuR function is regulated by various post-translational modifications that alter its subcellular localization and ability to stabilize target mRNAs.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Ferroptosis, a newly recognized form of programmed cell death, is distinguished by its reliance on reactive oxygen species and iron-mediated lipid peroxidation, setting it apart from established types like apoptosis, cell necrosis, and autophagy. Recent studies suggest its role in exacerbating or mitigating diseases by influencing metabolic and signaling pathways in conditions such as tumors and ischemic organ damage. Evidence also links ferroptosis to various kidney diseases, prompting a review of its research status and potential breakthroughs in understanding and treating these conditions.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Ovarian cancer is hard to detect early and often resists treatment, making it a serious clinical issue.
  • FOXP4 is a gene that has been found to be highly expressed in ovarian cancer tissues and is linked to worse patient outcomes.
  • The study shows that FOXP4 activates the Wnt signaling pathway, which contributes to tumor growth and aggression, suggesting that targeting this pathway could offer new treatment options for ovarian cancer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study focuses on improving proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) by reducing the use of iridium (Ir) while maintaining effective catalytic activity for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER).
  • A new high-surface-area tantalum oxide (TaO) support was created to anchor IrRuO, which enhances the catalyst's performance and stability, showing a lower overpotential requirement for effective OER.
  • The results suggest that combining iridium with the less expensive ruthenium (Ru) and using a metal oxide support not only reduces reliance on rare materials but also improves the overall efficiency and stability of the catalyst for energy applications.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

() genes belong to the gene family and have been shown to play a role in diverse processes, such as flowering time and yield regulation, as well as responses to abiotic stresses. genes have not yet been identified in . A total of 25 genes were identified in this study, and these genes were distributed across eight chromosomes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Ovarian cancer stands as a formidable clinical challenge, with limited therapeutic options. This investigation delves into the intricate molecular mechanisms governing ovarian cancer progression and uncovers Centromere Protein K (CENPK) as a central figure in disease pathogenesis. Elevated CENPK levels within ovarian cancer tissues conspicuously align with adverse clinical outcomes, positioning CENPK as a promising prognostic biomarker.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

CXXC5, a zinc-finger protein, is known for its role in epigenetic regulation via binding to unmethylated CpG islands in gene promoters. As a transcription factor and epigenetic regulator, CXXC5 modulates various signaling processes and acts as a key coordinator. Altered expression or activity of CXXC5 has been linked to various pathological conditions, including tumorigenesis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

() genes play key roles in plant root and pollen tube growth, phytohormone responses, and abiotic stress responses. genes in have not yet been explored. Here, genes were found to be distributed across eight chromosomes in and were classified into three subfamilies.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF