1.Causal association of obesity and chronic pain mediated by educational attainment and smoking: a mediation Mendelian randomization study
Yunshu LYU ; Qingxing LU ; Yane LIU ; Mengtong XIE ; Lintong JIANG ; Junnan LI ; Ning WANG ; Xianglong DAI ; Yuqi YANG ; Peiming JIANG ; Qiong YU
The Korean Journal of Pain 2025;38(2):177-186
Background:
Obesity and chronic pain are related in both directions, according to earlier observational research.This research aimed to analyze the causal association between obesity and chronic pain at the genetic level, as well as to assess whether common factors mediate this relationship.
Methods:
This study used bidirectional two sample Mendelian randomization (MR) technique to analyze the association between obesity and chronic pain. Obesity's summary genome-wide association data were obtained from European ancestry groups, as measured by body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio, waist circumference (WC), and hip circumference (HC), genome-wide association study data for chronic pain also came from the UK population, including chronic pain at three different sites (back, hip, and headache), chronic widespread pain (CWP), and multisite chronic pain (MCP). Secondly, a two-step MR and multivariate MR investigation was performed to evaluate the mediating effects of several proposed confounders.
Results:
The authors discovered a link between chronic pain and obesity. More specifically, a sensitivity analysis was done to confirm the associations between greater BMI, WC, and HC with an increased risk of CWP and MCP.Importantly, the intermediate MR results suggest that education levels and smoking initiation may mediate the causal relationship between BMI on CWP, with a mediation effect of 23.08% and 15.38%, respectively.
Conclusions
The authors’ findings demonstrate that the importance of education and smoking in understanding chronic pain’s pathogenesis, which is important for the primary prevention and prognosis of chronic pain.
2.Causal association of obesity and chronic pain mediated by educational attainment and smoking: a mediation Mendelian randomization study
Yunshu LYU ; Qingxing LU ; Yane LIU ; Mengtong XIE ; Lintong JIANG ; Junnan LI ; Ning WANG ; Xianglong DAI ; Yuqi YANG ; Peiming JIANG ; Qiong YU
The Korean Journal of Pain 2025;38(2):177-186
Background:
Obesity and chronic pain are related in both directions, according to earlier observational research.This research aimed to analyze the causal association between obesity and chronic pain at the genetic level, as well as to assess whether common factors mediate this relationship.
Methods:
This study used bidirectional two sample Mendelian randomization (MR) technique to analyze the association between obesity and chronic pain. Obesity's summary genome-wide association data were obtained from European ancestry groups, as measured by body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio, waist circumference (WC), and hip circumference (HC), genome-wide association study data for chronic pain also came from the UK population, including chronic pain at three different sites (back, hip, and headache), chronic widespread pain (CWP), and multisite chronic pain (MCP). Secondly, a two-step MR and multivariate MR investigation was performed to evaluate the mediating effects of several proposed confounders.
Results:
The authors discovered a link between chronic pain and obesity. More specifically, a sensitivity analysis was done to confirm the associations between greater BMI, WC, and HC with an increased risk of CWP and MCP.Importantly, the intermediate MR results suggest that education levels and smoking initiation may mediate the causal relationship between BMI on CWP, with a mediation effect of 23.08% and 15.38%, respectively.
Conclusions
The authors’ findings demonstrate that the importance of education and smoking in understanding chronic pain’s pathogenesis, which is important for the primary prevention and prognosis of chronic pain.
3.Causal association of obesity and chronic pain mediated by educational attainment and smoking: a mediation Mendelian randomization study
Yunshu LYU ; Qingxing LU ; Yane LIU ; Mengtong XIE ; Lintong JIANG ; Junnan LI ; Ning WANG ; Xianglong DAI ; Yuqi YANG ; Peiming JIANG ; Qiong YU
The Korean Journal of Pain 2025;38(2):177-186
Background:
Obesity and chronic pain are related in both directions, according to earlier observational research.This research aimed to analyze the causal association between obesity and chronic pain at the genetic level, as well as to assess whether common factors mediate this relationship.
Methods:
This study used bidirectional two sample Mendelian randomization (MR) technique to analyze the association between obesity and chronic pain. Obesity's summary genome-wide association data were obtained from European ancestry groups, as measured by body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio, waist circumference (WC), and hip circumference (HC), genome-wide association study data for chronic pain also came from the UK population, including chronic pain at three different sites (back, hip, and headache), chronic widespread pain (CWP), and multisite chronic pain (MCP). Secondly, a two-step MR and multivariate MR investigation was performed to evaluate the mediating effects of several proposed confounders.
Results:
The authors discovered a link between chronic pain and obesity. More specifically, a sensitivity analysis was done to confirm the associations between greater BMI, WC, and HC with an increased risk of CWP and MCP.Importantly, the intermediate MR results suggest that education levels and smoking initiation may mediate the causal relationship between BMI on CWP, with a mediation effect of 23.08% and 15.38%, respectively.
Conclusions
The authors’ findings demonstrate that the importance of education and smoking in understanding chronic pain’s pathogenesis, which is important for the primary prevention and prognosis of chronic pain.
4.Causal association of obesity and chronic pain mediated by educational attainment and smoking: a mediation Mendelian randomization study
Yunshu LYU ; Qingxing LU ; Yane LIU ; Mengtong XIE ; Lintong JIANG ; Junnan LI ; Ning WANG ; Xianglong DAI ; Yuqi YANG ; Peiming JIANG ; Qiong YU
The Korean Journal of Pain 2025;38(2):177-186
Background:
Obesity and chronic pain are related in both directions, according to earlier observational research.This research aimed to analyze the causal association between obesity and chronic pain at the genetic level, as well as to assess whether common factors mediate this relationship.
Methods:
This study used bidirectional two sample Mendelian randomization (MR) technique to analyze the association between obesity and chronic pain. Obesity's summary genome-wide association data were obtained from European ancestry groups, as measured by body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio, waist circumference (WC), and hip circumference (HC), genome-wide association study data for chronic pain also came from the UK population, including chronic pain at three different sites (back, hip, and headache), chronic widespread pain (CWP), and multisite chronic pain (MCP). Secondly, a two-step MR and multivariate MR investigation was performed to evaluate the mediating effects of several proposed confounders.
Results:
The authors discovered a link between chronic pain and obesity. More specifically, a sensitivity analysis was done to confirm the associations between greater BMI, WC, and HC with an increased risk of CWP and MCP.Importantly, the intermediate MR results suggest that education levels and smoking initiation may mediate the causal relationship between BMI on CWP, with a mediation effect of 23.08% and 15.38%, respectively.
Conclusions
The authors’ findings demonstrate that the importance of education and smoking in understanding chronic pain’s pathogenesis, which is important for the primary prevention and prognosis of chronic pain.
5.Causal association of obesity and chronic pain mediated by educational attainment and smoking: a mediation Mendelian randomization study
Yunshu LYU ; Qingxing LU ; Yane LIU ; Mengtong XIE ; Lintong JIANG ; Junnan LI ; Ning WANG ; Xianglong DAI ; Yuqi YANG ; Peiming JIANG ; Qiong YU
The Korean Journal of Pain 2025;38(2):177-186
Background:
Obesity and chronic pain are related in both directions, according to earlier observational research.This research aimed to analyze the causal association between obesity and chronic pain at the genetic level, as well as to assess whether common factors mediate this relationship.
Methods:
This study used bidirectional two sample Mendelian randomization (MR) technique to analyze the association between obesity and chronic pain. Obesity's summary genome-wide association data were obtained from European ancestry groups, as measured by body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio, waist circumference (WC), and hip circumference (HC), genome-wide association study data for chronic pain also came from the UK population, including chronic pain at three different sites (back, hip, and headache), chronic widespread pain (CWP), and multisite chronic pain (MCP). Secondly, a two-step MR and multivariate MR investigation was performed to evaluate the mediating effects of several proposed confounders.
Results:
The authors discovered a link between chronic pain and obesity. More specifically, a sensitivity analysis was done to confirm the associations between greater BMI, WC, and HC with an increased risk of CWP and MCP.Importantly, the intermediate MR results suggest that education levels and smoking initiation may mediate the causal relationship between BMI on CWP, with a mediation effect of 23.08% and 15.38%, respectively.
Conclusions
The authors’ findings demonstrate that the importance of education and smoking in understanding chronic pain’s pathogenesis, which is important for the primary prevention and prognosis of chronic pain.
6.RXRα modulates hepatic stellate cell activation and liver fibrosis by targeting CaMKKβ-AMPKα axis.
Lijun CAI ; Meimei YIN ; Shuangzhou PENG ; Fen LIN ; Liangliang LAI ; Xindao ZHANG ; Lei XIE ; Chuanying WANG ; Huiying ZHOU ; Yunfeng ZHAN ; Gulimiran ALITONGBIEKE ; Baohuan LIAN ; Zhibin SU ; Tenghui LIU ; Yuqi ZHOU ; Zongxi LI ; Xiaohui CHEN ; Qi ZHAO ; Ting DENG ; Lulu CHEN ; Jingwei SU ; Luoyan SHENG ; Ying SU ; Ling-Juan ZHANG ; Fu-Quan JIANG ; Xiao-Kun ZHANG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(7):3611-3631
Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are the primary fibrogenic cells in the liver, and their activation plays a crucial role in the development and progression of hepatic fibrosis. Here, we report that retinoid X receptor-alpha (RXRα), a unique member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, is a key modulator of HSC activation and liver fibrosis. RXRα exerts its effects by modulating calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase β (CaMKKβ)-mediated activation of AMP-activated protein kinase-alpha (AMPKα). In addition, we demonstrate that K-80003, which binds RXRα by a unique mechanism, effectively suppresses HSC activation, proliferation, and migration, thereby inhibiting liver fibrosis in the CCl4 and amylin liver NASH (AMLN) diet animal models. The effect is mediated by AMPKα activation, promoting mitophagy in HSCs. Mechanistically, K-80003 activates AMPKα by inducing RXRα to form condensates with CaMKKβ and AMPKα via a two-phase process. The formation of RXRα condensates is driven by its N-terminal intrinsic disorder region and requires phosphorylation by CaMKKβ. Our results reveal a crucial role of RXRα in liver fibrosis regulation through modulating mitochondrial activities in HSCs. Furthermore, they suggest that K-80003 and related RXRα modulators hold promise as therapeutic agents for fibrosis-related diseases.
7.A proteomic landscape of pharmacologic perturbations for functional relevance
Zhiwei LIU ; Shangwen JIANG ; Bingbing HAO ; Shuyu XIE ; Yingluo LIU ; Yuqi HUANG ; Heng XU ; Cheng LUO ; Min HUANG ; Minjia TAN ; Jun-Yu XU
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2024;14(1):128-139
Pharmacological perturbation studies based on protein-level signatures are fundamental for drug dis-covery.In the present study,we used a mass spectrometry(MS)-based proteomic platform to profile the whole proteome of the breast cancer MCF7 cell line under stress induced by 78 bioactive compounds.The integrated analysis of perturbed signal abundance revealed the connectivity between phenotypic behaviors and molecular features in cancer cells.Our data showed functional relevance in exploring the novel pharmacological activity of phenolic xanthohumol,as well as the noncanonical targets of clinically approved tamoxifen,lovastatin,and their derivatives.Furthermore,the rational design of synergistic inhibition using a combination of histone methyltransferase and topoisomerase was identified based on their complementary drug fingerprints.This study provides rich resources for the proteomic landscape of drug responses for precision therapeutic medicine.
8.Application of Cardiac Magnetic Resonance in the Evaluation of Left Atrium
Xinna ZHANG ; Weishu HOU ; Honglin YU ; Lingling ZHAO ; Panpan YANG ; Yuqi JIANG ; Xiaohu LI
Chinese Journal of Medical Imaging 2024;32(1):100-104
As the continuation of the left ventricle,the left atrium and left ventricle interact and play an important role in the function of the whole heart.At present,there are many techniques to evaluate the atrial structure and function,but the left atrial structure is complex and the myocardium is thin,which brings some challenges to the relevant evaluation.This paper introduces the parameters,precautions and relevant clinical applications in the process of left atrial evaluation from the aspects of myocardial strain and delayed enhancement.
9.Identification of sulfakinin and its receptor gene in Aedes aegypti and transcriptomic changes in genes knockdown strains
JIANG Linlong ; ZHU XiaoJing ; ZHANG Lei ; HUANG Yuqi ; XU Jingyun ; HAN Qian
China Tropical Medicine 2024;24(1):75-
Objective By exploring the function of sulfakinin (SK) and sulfakinin receptor (SKR) of Aedes aegypti, it laid a certain experimental basis and theoretical basis for the research and development of new insecticides targeting neuropeptides and their receptors. Methods This study investigated the roles of SK and its receptor gene in Ae. aegypti using bioinformatics analysis and Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats(CRISPR)/Cas9 knockout technology. Subsequently, RNA interference technology was employed to suppress the expression of SK or its receptor in adult mosquitoes. Lastly, transcriptome sequencing technology was utilized to identify and analyze differentially expressed genes between the interference group and the control group in order to gain insights into their functions. Results It was found that there is only one SK receptor in Ae. aegypti. In addition, during the construction of mutant strains of Ae. aegypti SK and its receptor gene, it was found that only 2% of the G0 generation mutant strains mutated to form chimeras, with a large number of male chimeras dying, and only 14% of female chimeras being able to lay eggs, ultimately resulting in no effective G1 generation mutants. Transcriptome data showed, compared to the control group, 181 genes were significantly differentially expressed after interfering with the SK gene, with 62 genes significantly upregulated and 119 genes significantly downregulated. In addition, after interference with the sulfakinin receptor, 110 genes exhibited significant differential expression, including 20 upregulated and 90 downregulated genes. Cross-analysis of the two datasets identified 46 genes with significant expression changes after interference with sulfakinin or its receptor, with only 4 genes upregulated and the remaining 42 genes significantly downregulated, and the differentially expressed genes were mainly enriched in the metabolic pathway, endocrine system, and digestive system. Conclusions The SK and its receptor gene are highly conserved and may primarily play roles in regulating the energy metabolism and digestion functions in Ae. aegypti, thus playing an important role in regulating insect growth and development.
10.In vitro experimental study on relationship between bone texture parameters in sheep lumbar CT and osteoporosis
Yujie GAO ; Wei ZHANG ; Xiaotong JIANG ; Xu SI ; Yuqi LI
Chongqing Medicine 2024;53(14):2085-2091
Objective To establish the sheep model of lumbar spine osteoporosis in vitro,and to search the texture parameters with identification significance and establish its regression formula relation with DXA measured bone mineral density,bone ash density and bone ash degree.Methods The L1-L3 trigeminy verte-bral body in 120 sheep conducted the immersion and decalcification by EDTA-Na2 solution (0.4916 mmol/L) immersion method,the muscles and attachment bone were removed.Then they were randomly divided into 4 groups (group A,B,C and D),30 cases in each group.They were immersed in 10% formaldehyde solution for anticorrosion.The group A,B,C and D were immersed in the prepared EDTA-Na2 solution for decalcification 0,4,9,15 d to prepare the in vitro osteoporosis models.Thin-slice CT scan and DXA bone density measure-ment on the above-mentioned lumbar vertebrae were performed,and the volume and dry weight of each verte-bral body were measured,and then calcined at a constant temperature of 1100 ℃ in a muffle furnace for 6 h to measure the weight of ashes.The bone ash weight,bone ash density and bone ash degree were measured.The MaZda texture analysis software was used to conduct the texture analysis on the cancellous substance of the vertebral body in the above CT images,and the texture features were screened by the Fisher coefficient,classi-fication error probability combined with average correlation coefficient,interactive information and the three combined method.The 4 groups of bone mineral density conducted the classification analysis by the original data analysis (ODA),principal component analysis (PCA),linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and nonlinear discriminant analysis (NDA).The correlation analysis between the texture parameters screened by the above method with the bone density,bone grey degree and bone ash density for searching the texture parameters with strongest correlation.The texture parameters with strongest correlation served as the independent varia-bles,the bone density,bone grey degree and bone ash density as the dependent variables,and the unitary and binary linear regression analyses were performed for obtaining the regression equation.Results With the pro-longation of decalcification time,the CT images showed that the bone cortex gradually thinned,the cancellous bone density was decreased,and the trabecular bone became sparse.The identification ability of FPM com-bined with NDA was strongest,and the false judgment rate was only 2.5%.Among them,the contrast in the gray symbiosis matrix had strongly negative correlation with the bone gray degree (r=-0.938).The entropy in the gray co-occurrence matrix had strongly negative correlation with the bone ash density and bone mineral density (r=-0.927,-0.896).The unitary linear regression equation was expressed as bone grey degree=0.692-0.002×Contrast,bone ash density=0.802-0.121×Entropy,bone density=1.301-0.200×Entro-py.Conclusion The significant correlation exists between some texture parameters and bone mineral density related parameters in thin slice CT images of sheep lumbar spine,which could establish a regression formula relationship.

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