Biomedical subjects

Xi Yang

Publications and source records attributed to Xi Yang.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2026

Therapeutic potential of a novel virulent bacteriophage XQ-1 against avian pathogenic Escherichia coli infection in broiler chickens.

Avian Pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) represents a significant subgroup within extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli strains and constitutes a substantial threat to the global poultry industry. Although the negative impacts of APEC have been mitigated considerably through antibiotic use, this practice has concurrently facilitated the widespread emergence and dissemination of antibiotic-resistant APEC strains worldwide. Consequently, bacteriophage has emerged as a promising alternative to antibiotics. In the current study, a novel virulent bacteriophage, designated XQ-1, was isolated from a sewage sample collected at a broiler chickens farm in Hubei Province, China. Notably, this bacteriophage exhibited the capability to lyse multiple APEC strains, including O1, O2, and O78 serotypes. The optimal multiplicity of infection (MOI) for bacteriophage XQ-1 was determined to be 0.001, yielding a maximum viral titer of 4.73 ± 0.31 × 1011 plaque-forming units (PFU) per milliliter. This bacteriophage displayed a latent period of 30 min, and a burst period of 80 minutes, corresponding to a burst size of 348 PFU per infected cell. Additionally, bacteriophage XQ-1 retained high lytic activity across a temperature range of 4-50 °C and maintained tolerance with a pH range of 3-11. Further in vitro studies demonstrated that bacteriophage XQ-1 holds potential as an effective disinfectant capable of directly lysing APEC strain JZ-1. In chick models subjected to intraperitoneal injection, exposure to APEC resulted in 100% mortality in chicks. However, treatment with bacteriophage XQ-1 significantly improved the survival rates of infected broiler chickens, reduced organ indexes, decreased bacterial loads in the liver and heart organs, and mitigated intestinal damage caused by APEC infection. Collectively, these findings suggest that bacteriophage XQ-1 represents a promising candidate for the prevention and treatment of APEC infections in poultry.

APEC↗

PubMed2026

Remodeling of host lipid metabolism by Wolbachia strain wAlbB is associated with lipid accumulation and cardiolipin dysregulation in the Aedes aegypti fat body.

BACKGROUND: The intracellular symbiont Wolbachia, particularly the wAlbB strain, is a promising biocontrol agent against mosquito-borne diseases. Although Wolbachia infection is known to perturb host metabolism, the underlying mechanisms, especially those related to lipid metabolism, remain poorly understood. METHODS: We performed an integrated multi-level analysis of the Aedes aegypti fat body in uninfected and wAlbB-infected mosquitoes, combining histology, biochemistry, untargeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) lipidomics, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways enrichment analysis, reverse transcription quantitative PCR of key metabolic genes, and quantification of acetyl-coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) and reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) levels. RESULTS: wAlbB infection increased fat body wet weight and thickness, accompanied by accumulation of triglyceride and of lipid droplets. Lipidomic analysis further revealed extensive lipidome remodeling, with elevated free fatty acid, diglyceride, and triglyceride, but broad depletion of glycerophospholipids, particularly cardiolipin. These changes were supported by transcriptional alterations: upregulation of fatty acid synthase 1 and glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase 1, and downregulation of adipose triglyceride lipase and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1. Cardiolipin depletion correlated with downregulation of genes involved in its synthesis and remodeling, including phosphatidylglycerophosphate synthase and calcium-independent phospholipase A2γ. These lipid changes were also associated with accumulation of acetyl-CoA and NADH. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that wAlbB infection is associated with extensive lipid metabolic remodeling in the Aedes aegypti fat body, characterized by accumulation of neutral lipids and cardiolipin depletion, accompanied by transcriptional remodeling of key metabolic enzymes. This study establishes the fat body as a primary tissue-level hub for Wolbachia-associated lipid remodeling and provides a foundational framework for future mechanistic investigations into host-symbiont metabolic interactions.

Animals↗

PubMed2025

Effect of transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation in hemodialysis patients: A randomized controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) has shown potential in neurological, autoimmune, and cardiovascular disorders, but its effects on HD patients remain unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tVNS in HD patients. METHODS: We conducted a randomized controlled clinical trial on patients receiving HD ≥6 months. The tVNS group received stimulation for 1 h during the first 2 h of HD sessions, three times weekly for 8 weeks, while the control group received standard care. The primary outcomes were dialysis efficiency (Single-pool Kt/V, Sp Kt/V) and dialysis-related symptoms (Dialysis Symptom Index, DSI), assessed every 4 weeks. Secondary outcomes included pain and fatigue scores, physical performance, Hemodialysis Comfort Scale, hemoglobin levels, Mini-Mental State Examination, and anxiety and depression scores, measured at baseline and 8 weeks after intervention. RESULTS: A total of 63 patients were enrolled in the study, with 32 patients assigned to the tVNS group and 31 patients to the control group. At 8 weeks, the tVNS group showed significant improvements in Sp Kt/V (1.31 ± 0.11 vs. 1.25 ± 0.10, p = 0.02), and DSI (12.09 ± 5.84 vs. 16.26 ± 5.27, p = 0.004), as well as reductions in pain and fatigue, and increases in physical function, comfort, and hemoglobin. However, there were no statistically significant changes observed in cognitive function, anxiety, or depression. CONCLUSIONS: tVNS could improve dialysis efficiency, symptoms, and physical function in HD patients, indicating it may have a role as a complementary therapy.

Humans↗

PubMed2024

Exploring correlations between immune cell phenotypes and the risk of epilepsy: A bidirectional Mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND: Neuroinflammation plays an important pathophysiological role in epilepsy; however, the precise connection between immune cells and epilepsy remains unclear. This study used Mendelian randomization (MR) to analyze the causal relationship between 731 immune cell traits and epilepsy. METHODS: Based on data from a genome-wide association study (GWAS), a bidirectional two-sample MR analysis was conducted to investigate the potential influence of immune cell phenotypes on epilepsy. Five MR methods were used to analyze the results, with the inverse variance weighted (IVW) method as the primary method, and the results were corrected using the false discovery rate (FDR) method. Sensitivity analyses were performed to test for heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy. RESULTS: After correction for FDR, four immune traits remained significantly associated with epilepsy risk: CD25 expression on memory (OR = 1.04, 95 % CI = 1.02 ∼ 1.06,P = 2.55 × 10-4), IgD+CD38dim (OR = 1.05, 95 % CI = 1.02 ∼ 1.08, P = 4.73 × 10-4), CD24+CD27+ (OR = 1.04, 95 % CI = 1.02 ∼ 1.06, P = 4.82 × 10-4), and IgD-CD38dim (OR = 1.04, 95 % CI = 1.02 ∼ 1.06, P = 1.04 × 10-3) B cells. The risk of generalized epilepsy was significantly associated with two immune cell traits, whereas that of focal epilepsy was significantly associated with seven immune cell traits. Furthermore, immune cell phenotypes are not affected by genetically predicted epilepsy. CONCLUSION: This MR study affirms the causal connection between circulating immune cells and epilepsy, offering guidance for further understanding of the immune mechanisms that underlie epilepsy and the discovery of novel targets for therapy.

Humans↗

PubMed2023

A systematic CRISPR screen reveals redundant and specific roles for Dscam1 isoform diversity in neuronal wiring.

Drosophila melanogaster Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule 1 (Dscam1) encodes 19,008 diverse ectodomain isoforms via the alternative splicing of exon 4, 6, and 9 clusters. However, whether individual isoforms or exon clusters have specific significance is unclear. Here, using phenotype-diversity correlation analysis, we reveal the redundant and specific roles of Dscam1 diversity in neuronal wiring. A series of deletion mutations were performed from the endogenous locus harboring exon 4, 6, or 9 clusters, reducing to 396 to 18,612 potential ectodomain isoforms. Of the 3 types of neurons assessed, dendrite self/non-self discrimination required a minimum number of isoforms (approximately 2,000), independent of exon clusters or isoforms. In contrast, normal axon patterning in the mushroom body and mechanosensory neurons requires many more isoforms that tend to associate with specific exon clusters or isoforms. We conclude that the role of the Dscam1 diversity in dendrite self/non-self discrimination is nonspecifically mediated by its isoform diversity. In contrast, a separate role requires variable domain- or isoform-related functions and is essential for other neurodevelopmental contexts, such as axonal growth and branching. Our findings shed new light on a general principle for the role of Dscam1 diversity in neuronal wiring.

Animals↗