1.Effects of long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 on proliferation and apoptosis of acute myeloid leukemia U937 cells
Huali HU ; Fahua DENG ; Yuancheng LIU ; Siqi WANG ; Jingxin ZHANG ; Tingting LU ; Hai HUANG ; Sixi WEI
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2025;29(19):3983-3991
BACKGROUND:U937 cells can be used as a cell model for studying the biological characteristics,signaling pathways,and therapeutic targets of acute myeloid leukemia.Although it has been reported that long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 is highly expressed in acute myeloid leukemia,its biological function in U937 cells remains unclear,and its mechanism of action in the occurrence and development of acute myeloid leukemia needs to be further clarified. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the expression level of long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 in peripheral blood of patients with acute myeloid leukemia and its effect on the proliferation and apoptosis of U937 cells. METHODS:RNA-sequencing was used to analyze the bone marrow monocyte samples from acute myeloid leukemia patients,and the differentially expressed gene long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 was screened.The expression of long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 in peripheral blood of patients with acute myeloid leukemia was detected by qRT-PCR.The relationship between long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 mRNA expression and prognosis in bone marrow cells of 173 acute myeloid leukemia patients and 70 healthy people was statistically analyzed by GEPIA database.Subsequently,recombinant lentivirus technology and CRISPR/Cas9-SAM technology were used to construct U937 cell lines with knockdown/overexpression of long non-coding RNA KIAA0125.qRT-PCR was used to detect the knockdown/overexpression efficiency of long non-coding RNA KIAA0125.Next,CCK-8 assay,flow cytometry,and western blot assay were used to detect the effects of knockdown/overexpression of long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 on the proliferation and apoptosis of U937 cells.Finally,western blot assay was used to detect the effect of knockdown/overexpressed long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 on Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway-related proteins. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The results of qRT-PCR showed that long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 was highly expressed in peripheral blood of acute myeloid leukemia patients.The results of GEPIA database showed that long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 was highly expressed in bone marrow cells of acute myeloid leukemia patients,and the high expression group had worse overall survival.(2)The knockdown efficiency of long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 in knockdown group was 70%,and the U937 cells that stably down-regulated long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 expression were successfully constructed.The expression of long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 in overexpression group was four times that of vector group,and stable U937 cells were successfully constructed.(3)Knockdown of long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 inhibited the proliferation of U937 cells and promoted their apoptosis.Overexpression of long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 promoted the proliferation of U937 cells but had no significant effect on the apoptosis of U937 cells.(4)Knockdown of long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 inhibited the activity of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway,while overexpression of long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 activated Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.These results confirm that long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 is highly expressed in acute myeloid leukemia peripheral blood.Long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 may affect the proliferation and apoptosis of U937 cells by regulating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway,and may be a potential prognostic marker for acute myeloid leukemia.
2.Analysis of factors influencing immune checkpoint inhibitor-related thyroid adverse reactions
Jiayu LI ; Qianqian ZHANG ; Meng HOU ; Siqi ZHANG ; Keke WANG
China Pharmacy 2025;36(3):341-345
OBJECTIVE To provide reference for rational clinical use of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI). METHODS Electronic medical record information of patients who received ICI treatment from January 1st 2020 to December 31st 2023 at a certain hospital was collected. Patients were divided into thyroid immune-related adverse event (irAE) group (subdivided into clinical hypothyroidism, clinical hyperthyroidism, subclinical hypothyroidism, and subclinical hyperthyroidism subgroups) and non- thyroid irAE group based on whether they experienced immune-induced thyroid irAE. Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses were employed to analyze the influencing factors of ICI-related thyroid adverse events. RESULTS A total of 382 patients who received ICI treatment were included, with 137 cases in the thyroid irAE group (accounting for 35.9%) and 245 cases in the non-thyroid irAE group (accounting for 64.1%). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis, following univariate screening, revealed that ICI combined with radiotherapy was positively associated with the occurrence of thyroid irAE [odds ratio (OR)=2.157, 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.144, 4.066), P<0.05], while lung squamous cell carcinoma was negatively associated with the occurrence of thyroid irAE [OR=0.600, 95%CI (0.369, 0.975), P<0.05]. Among various thyroid irAE, nasopharyngeal malignancy was positively associated with the occurrence of immune-related clinical hyperthyroidism [OR=4.678, 95%CI (1.149, 19.042), P<0.05]; ICI combined with radiotherapy [OR=2.622, 95%CI (1.227, 5.603), P<0.05] and lung adenocarcinoma [OR=2.013, 95%CI (1.078, 3.759), P<0.05] were positively associated with the occurrence of immune-related subclinical hyperthyroidism. Age was negatively associated with the occurrence of immune-related clinical hypothyroidism [OR=0.944, 95%CI (0.896, 0.995), P<0.05]; age [OR=0.963, 95%CI (0.932, 0.994), P<0.05] and ICI combined with chemotherapy [OR=0.332, 95%CI (0.137, 0.802), P<0.05] were negatively associated with the occurrence of immune-related subclinical hypothyroidism. CONCLUSIONS Among patients receiving ICI treatment, younger patients are more prone to thyroid irAE. Patients receiving ICI combined with chemotherapy are less likely to experience subclinical hypothyroidism, while ICI combined with radiotherapy significantly increases the risk of thyroid adverse events.
3.Mechanism of IGF2BP2 regulation of PPAR-γ/GLUT4 pathway in insulin resistance induced by sodium arsenite exposure in HepG2 cells
Shiqing XU ; Zhida HU ; Qiyao ZHANG ; Siqi ZHAO ; Yujie WANG ; Xiaohui WANG ; Teng MA ; Li WANG
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2025;42(4):400-407
Background Arsenic is an environmentally harmful substance that causes hepatic insulin resistance and liver damage, increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Objective To explore whether the insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA binding protein 2 (IGF2BP2) is involved in insulin resistance in HepG2 cells after arsenic exposure through the peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPAR-γ) / glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) pathway. Methods Cell viability was determined using cell counting kit 8 (CCK8) and an appropriate NaAsO2 infection dose was determined. A cellular arsenic exposure model of HepG2 cells was established by four concentrations of NaAsO2 solution for 24 h (the experiment was divided into four groups: 0, 2, 4, and 8 μmol·L−1); HepG2 cells were firstly treated with pcDNA3.1-IGF2BP2 and pcDNA3.1-NC respectively for 6 h, then with 8 μmol·L−1 NaAsO2 for 24 h to establish a IGF2BP2 overexpression cell model (the experiment was divided into 4 groups: control, NaAsO2, NaAsO2+pcDNA3.1-IGF2BP2, and NaAsO2+pcDNA3.1-NC); finally the cells were subject to 100 nmol·L−1 insulin stimulation for 30 min. Glycogen and glucose in HepG2 cells were determined by glycogen and glucose assay kits; mRNA expression levels of IGF2BP2 were measured by quantitative real-time PCR; protein expression levels of IGF2BP2, PPAR-γ, and GLUT4 in HepG2 were detected by Western blot (WB); and the binding of IGF2BP2 to PPAR-γ and PPAR-γ to GLUT4 was verified by co-immunoprecipitation (CO-IP) experiment. Results The results of CCK8 experiment showed a dose-effect relationship between NaAsO2 concentration and cell viability. When the concentration of NaAsO2 was ≥4 μmol·L−1 , the cell viabilities were lower than that of the control group (P <0.05). With the increasing dose of NaAsO2 infection, reduced glucose consumption and glycogen levels in HepG2 cells were found in the 2, 4, and 8 μmol·L−1 NaAsO2 treatment groups compared to the control group (P <0.05). The difference between the mRNA expression level of IGF2BP2 in the HepG2 cells treated with 4 or 8 μmol L−1 NaAsO2 and the control group was significant (P <0.05). In the IGF2BP2 overexpression cell model, compared with the control group, glucose consumption and glycogen levels were lowered in the NaAsO2 group (P <0.05), the mRNA expression level of IGF2BP2 and the protein expression levels of IGF2BP2, PPAR-γ, and GLUT4 in the cell membrane were all decreased (P <0.05). Compared with the NaAsO2 group, the glucose consumption and glycogen levels were increased in the NaAsO2+pcDNA3.1-IGF2BP2 group (P <0.05), and the mRNA expression level of IGF2BP2 and the protein expression levels of IGF2BP2, PPAR-γ, and GLUT4 in the cell membrane were all increased (P <0.05). The results of CO-IP experiments showed that IGF2BP2 interacted with PPAR-γ as well as PPAR-γ with GLUT4 protein. Conclusion IGF2BP2 is involved in arsenic exposure-induced insulin resistance in HepG2 cells by acting on the PPAR-γ/GLUT4 pathway.
4.Study on Compatibility and Efficacy of Blood-activating Herb Pairs Based on Graph Convolution Network
Jingai WANG ; Qikai NIU ; Wenjing ZONG ; Ziling ZENG ; Siwei TIAN ; Siqi ZHANG ; Yuwen ZHAO ; Huamin ZHANG ; Bingjie HUO ; Bing LI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(8):228-234
ObjectiveThis study aims to develop a prediction model for the compatibility of Chinese medicinal pairs based on Graph Convolutional Networks (GCN), named HC-GCN. The model integrates the properties of herbs with modern pharmacological mechanisms to predict pairs with specific therapeutic effects. It serves as a demonstration by applying the model to predict and validate the efficacy of blood-activating herb pairs. MethodsThe training dataset for herb pair prediction was constructed by systematically collecting commonly used herb pairs along with their characteristic data, including Qi, flavor, meridian tropism, and target genes. Integrating traditional characteristics of herb with modern bioinformatics, we developed an efficacy-oriented herb pair compatibility prediction model (HC-GCN) using graph convolutional networks (GCN). This model leverages machine learning to capture the complex relationships in herb pair compatibility, weighted by efficacy features. The performance of the HC-GCN model was evaluated using accuracy (ACC), recall, precision, F1 score (F1), and area under the ROC curve (AUC). Its predictive effectiveness was then compared to five other machine learning models: eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), logistic regression (LR), Naive Bayes, K-nearest neighbor (KNN), and support vector machine (SVM). ResultsUsing herb pairs with blood-activating effects as a demonstration, a prediction model was constructed based on a foundational dataset of 46 blood-activating herb pairs, incorporating their Qi, flavor, meridian tropism, and target gene characteristics. The HC-GCN model outperforms other commonly used machine learning models in key performance metrics, including ACC, recall, precision, F1 score, and AUC. Through the predictive analysis of the HC-GCN model, 60 herb pairs with blood-activating effects were successfully identified. Among of these potential herb pairs, 44 include at least one herb with blood-activating effects. ConclusionIn this study, we established an efficacy-oriented compatibility prediction model for herb pairs based on GCN by integrating the unique characteristics of traditional herbs with modern pharmacological mechanisms. This model demonstrated high predictive performance, offering a novel approach for the intelligent screening and optimization of traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions, as well as their clinical applications.
5.Establishment and validation of a risk prediction model for 90-day mortality in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure based on sarcopenia
Huina CHEN ; Ming KONG ; Siqi ZHANG ; Manman XU ; Yu CHEN ; Zhongping DUAN
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2025;41(6):1135-1142
ObjectiveTo establish and validate a new prediction model for the risk of death in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) based on sarcopenia and other clinical indicators, and to improve the accuracy of prognostic assessment for ACLF patients. MethodsA total of 380 patients with ACLF who were admitted to Beijing YouAn Hospital, Capital Medical University, from January 2019 to January 2022 were enrolled, and they were divided into training group with 228 patients and testing group with 152 patients in a ratio of 6∶4 using the stratified random sampling method. For the training group, CT images were used to measure the cross-sectional area of the skeletal muscle at the third lumbar vertebra (L3), and L3 skeletal muscle index (L3-SMI) was calculated. Sarcopenia was diagnosed based on the previously established L3-SMI reference values for healthy adults in northern China. Univariate and multivariable Cox regression analyses were used to establish a sarcopenia-ACLF model which integrated sarcopenia and clinical risk factors, and a nomogram was developed for presentation. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was used to assess the predictive performance of the model, the calibration curve was used to assess the degree of calibration, and a decision curve analysis was used to investigate the clinical application value of the model. The independent-samples t test or the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of continuous data between two groups, and the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to plot survival curves, and the Log-rank test was used for comparison between groups. The DeLong test was used for comparison of AUC between different models. ResultsThe multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that sarcopenia (hazard ratio [HR]=1.962, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.185 — 3.250, P=0.009), total bilirubin (HR=1.003, 95%CI: 1.002 — 1.005, P<0.001), international normalized ratio (HR=1.997, 95%CI: 1.674 — 2.382, P<0.001), and lactic acid (HR=1.382, 95%CI: 1.170 — 1.632, P<0.001) were included in the sarcopenia-ACLF model. In the training cohort, the sarcopenia-ACLF model had a larger AUC than MELD-Na score in predicting 90-day mortality in patients with ACLF (0.80 vs 0.73, Z=1.97, P=0.049). In the test cohort, the sarcopenia-ACLF model had a significantly larger AUC than MELD score (0.79 vs 0.69, Z=2.70, P=0.007) and MELD-Na score (0.79 vs 0.68, Z=2.92, P=0.004). The calibration curve showed that the model had good calibration ability, with a relatively good consistency between the predicted risk of mortality and the observed results. The DCA results showed that within a reasonable range of threshold probabilities, the sarcopenia-ACLF model showed a greater net benefit than MELD and MELD-Na scores in both the training cohort and the test cohort. ConclusionThe sarcopenia-ACLF model developed in this study provides a more accurate tool for predicting the risk of 90-day mortality in ACLF patients, which provides support for clinical decision-making and helps to optimize treatment strategies.
6.Sishenwan Restores Intestinal Barrier in Rat Model of Diarrhea-predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome Due to Spleen-kidney Yang Deficiency by Regulating Intestinal Flora and Short-chain Fatty Acids
Qian ZHANG ; Siqi LI ; HUYUNLIAN ; Na WEN ; Chaoqun HUANG ; Binbin LIU ; Chengxia SU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(21):80-89
ObjectiveTo investigate the effect and mechanism of Sishenwan in restoring the intestinal barrier function in the rat model of diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) due to spleen-kidney Yang deficiency based on intestinal flora and short-chain fatty acids. MethodsAfter the delivery of 10 SPF-grade pregnant rats, 4 male suckling rats were kept in each litter for the experiment. The male suckling rats were randomly allocated into blank, model, low-dose (3.51 g·kg-1) Sishenwan, high-dose (7.02 g·kg-1) Sishenwan, and Peifeikang (0.54 g·kg-1) groups, with 8 rats in each group. The blank group was fed conventionally, and the other groups were subjected to mother-child separation and Sennae Folium gavage (1 g·mL-1, 10 mL·kg-1) for the modeling of IBS-D due to spleen-kidney Yang deficiency. After the modeling was completed, the rats in Sishenwan groups were administrated with the corresponding dose of Sishenwan decoction by gavage, and the Peifeikang group with bifidobacterium triple live powder+normal saline suspension. The blank and model groups were treated with an equal volume of normal saline by gavage. The general conditions and fecal characteristics of rats were observed. After 2 weeks of administration, the rats were anesthetized for sample collection. The pathological changes of the colon tissue in rats were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to measure the levels of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), interleukin-10 (IL-10), and interleukin-22 (IL-22). Immumohistochemical staining (IHC) was performed to detect the positive expression of zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) and occludin in the colon tissue. Western blot was employed to determine the protein levels of ZO-1 and occludin in the colon tissue of rats, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing was performed for intestinal flora. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was employed to determine the content of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the cecum contents of rats. ResultsThe colon tissue in the blank group presented a clear structure, neat glands, and no inflammatory cell infiltration. In the model group, the colon tissue showcased a disorganized structure, irregular arrangement of glands, and inflammatory cell infiltration. Compared with the model group, the low-dose and high-dose Sishenwan groups and the Peifeikang group exhibited an intact colon tissue structure, regular arrangement of glands, and reduced inflammatory cell infiltration. Compared with the blank group, the modeling lowered the levels of TGF-β, IL-10, and IL-22 in the serum (P<0.01), down-regulated the protein levels of ZO-1 and occludin in the colon tissue (P<0.01), and decreased the content of acetic acid and propionic acid and increased the content of butyric acid in cecum contents (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, low-dose and high-dose Sishenwan raised the levels of TGF-β, IL-10, and IL-22 in the serum (P<0.05, P<0.01), and Peifeikang elevated the levels of TGF-β and IL-10 in the serum (P<0.01). High-dose Sishenwan and Peifeikang up-regulated the protein levels of ZO-1 and occludin (P<0.05, P<0.01), increased the content of acetic acid and propionic acid in cecum contents (P<0.05), and decreased the content of butyric acid (P<0.05). The 16S rRNA gene sequencing results showed that the intestinal flora structure of the model group changed compared with that of the blank group. Compared with the model group, Sishenwan and Peifeikang increased the relative abundance of Lachnospiraceae, Muribaculaceae, Akkermansiaceae, Ligilactobacillus, UBA3282, Akkermansia, and Corynebacterium while reducing the relative abundance of Oscillospiraceae, Desulfovibrionaceae, Lactobacillus, Romboutsia, and Desulfovibrio. They can restore the intestinal flora structure similar to that in the blank group. ConclusionSishenwan can alleviate diarrhea symptoms and colonic mucosal inflammation, increase the expression of tight junction proteins in the colonic mucosa, and strengthen the intestinal barrier in IBS-D rats with the syndrome of spleen-kidney Yang deficiency. The mechanism of action may be related to optimizing the structure and balance of intestinal flora and regulating the SCFAs, and the effect of high-dose Sishenwan is obvious.
7.Sishenwan Restores Intestinal Barrier in Rat Model of Diarrhea-predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome Due to Spleen-kidney Yang Deficiency by Regulating Intestinal Flora and Short-chain Fatty Acids
Qian ZHANG ; Siqi LI ; HUYUNLIAN ; Na WEN ; Chaoqun HUANG ; Binbin LIU ; Chengxia SU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(21):80-89
ObjectiveTo investigate the effect and mechanism of Sishenwan in restoring the intestinal barrier function in the rat model of diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) due to spleen-kidney Yang deficiency based on intestinal flora and short-chain fatty acids. MethodsAfter the delivery of 10 SPF-grade pregnant rats, 4 male suckling rats were kept in each litter for the experiment. The male suckling rats were randomly allocated into blank, model, low-dose (3.51 g·kg-1) Sishenwan, high-dose (7.02 g·kg-1) Sishenwan, and Peifeikang (0.54 g·kg-1) groups, with 8 rats in each group. The blank group was fed conventionally, and the other groups were subjected to mother-child separation and Sennae Folium gavage (1 g·mL-1, 10 mL·kg-1) for the modeling of IBS-D due to spleen-kidney Yang deficiency. After the modeling was completed, the rats in Sishenwan groups were administrated with the corresponding dose of Sishenwan decoction by gavage, and the Peifeikang group with bifidobacterium triple live powder+normal saline suspension. The blank and model groups were treated with an equal volume of normal saline by gavage. The general conditions and fecal characteristics of rats were observed. After 2 weeks of administration, the rats were anesthetized for sample collection. The pathological changes of the colon tissue in rats were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to measure the levels of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), interleukin-10 (IL-10), and interleukin-22 (IL-22). Immumohistochemical staining (IHC) was performed to detect the positive expression of zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) and occludin in the colon tissue. Western blot was employed to determine the protein levels of ZO-1 and occludin in the colon tissue of rats, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing was performed for intestinal flora. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was employed to determine the content of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the cecum contents of rats. ResultsThe colon tissue in the blank group presented a clear structure, neat glands, and no inflammatory cell infiltration. In the model group, the colon tissue showcased a disorganized structure, irregular arrangement of glands, and inflammatory cell infiltration. Compared with the model group, the low-dose and high-dose Sishenwan groups and the Peifeikang group exhibited an intact colon tissue structure, regular arrangement of glands, and reduced inflammatory cell infiltration. Compared with the blank group, the modeling lowered the levels of TGF-β, IL-10, and IL-22 in the serum (P<0.01), down-regulated the protein levels of ZO-1 and occludin in the colon tissue (P<0.01), and decreased the content of acetic acid and propionic acid and increased the content of butyric acid in cecum contents (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, low-dose and high-dose Sishenwan raised the levels of TGF-β, IL-10, and IL-22 in the serum (P<0.05, P<0.01), and Peifeikang elevated the levels of TGF-β and IL-10 in the serum (P<0.01). High-dose Sishenwan and Peifeikang up-regulated the protein levels of ZO-1 and occludin (P<0.05, P<0.01), increased the content of acetic acid and propionic acid in cecum contents (P<0.05), and decreased the content of butyric acid (P<0.05). The 16S rRNA gene sequencing results showed that the intestinal flora structure of the model group changed compared with that of the blank group. Compared with the model group, Sishenwan and Peifeikang increased the relative abundance of Lachnospiraceae, Muribaculaceae, Akkermansiaceae, Ligilactobacillus, UBA3282, Akkermansia, and Corynebacterium while reducing the relative abundance of Oscillospiraceae, Desulfovibrionaceae, Lactobacillus, Romboutsia, and Desulfovibrio. They can restore the intestinal flora structure similar to that in the blank group. ConclusionSishenwan can alleviate diarrhea symptoms and colonic mucosal inflammation, increase the expression of tight junction proteins in the colonic mucosa, and strengthen the intestinal barrier in IBS-D rats with the syndrome of spleen-kidney Yang deficiency. The mechanism of action may be related to optimizing the structure and balance of intestinal flora and regulating the SCFAs, and the effect of high-dose Sishenwan is obvious.
8.Salidroside alleviates PM2.5-induced pulmonary fibrosis through PINK1/Parkin
Ruixi ZHOU ; Wenbo WU ; Limin ZHANG ; Meina WU ; Chen LIU ; Siqi LI ; Xiaohong LI ; Mengxiao LUAN ; Qin WANG ; Li YU ; Yumei LIU ; Wanwei LI
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2025;42(10):1240-1246
Background Existing studies have confirmed that fine particulate matter (PM2.5)is one of the important factors inducing pulmonary fibrosis. Pulmonary fibrosis is the terminal stage of a major category of lung diseases characterized by the destruction of tissue structure, and eventually leading lung ventilation and ventilation dysfunction. No effective pulmonary fibrosis treatment is available yet. Objective To investigate the protective effect of salidroside on pulmonary fibrosis induced by the exposure of PM2.5 and its molecular mechanism. Methods Seventy 7-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into four groups: control group (intratracheal instillation of normal saline + saline by gavage, n=25), Sal group (intratracheal instillation of normal saline + Sal 60 mg·kg−1 by gavage, n=10), PM2.5 group (intratracheal instillation of PM2.5 5 mg·kg−1 + saline by gavage, n=10), and Sal + PM2.5 group (intratracheal instillation of PM2.5 5 mg·kg−1 +Sal 60 mg·kg−1 by gavage, n=10). The mice were administered by gavage once daily, intratracheal instillation once every 3 d, and every 3 d constituted an experimental cycle. At the end of the 26-30th cycles, 3 mice in the control group and 3 mice in the PM2.5 group were randomly sacrificed, and the lung tissues were collected for Masson staining to verify whether the pulmonary fibrosis model was successfully established. After 30 cycles, the model was successfully constructed. After 1 week of continuous observation, the mice were sacrificed, and the blood and lung tissues of the mice were collected to make lung tissue sections. Assay kits were correspondingly employed to detect oxidative stress indicators such as serum malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Western blotting was used to detect the expression of fibrosis-related proteins (Collagen-III, α-SMA), mitochondrial dynamics-related proteins (MFN1, Drp1), and mitophagy-related proteins (PINK1, Parkin, and LC3). Results Compared with the control group, the weight gain rate of the PM2.5 group was slowed down (P<0.05), which was alleviated by the Sal intervention (P<0.05). The lung coefficient increased after the PM2.5 exposure (P<0.05), which was alleviated by Sal intervention. Compared with the control group, the PM2.5 group showed severe alveolar structure damage, inflammatory cell infiltration, and blue collagen deposition, and significantly increased the lung injury score, collagen volume fraction (CVF), Szapiel score, and Ashcroft score (P<0.05), as well as serum oxidative stress levels (P<0.05). The protein expression levels of Collagen-III, α-SMA, Drp1, PINK1, Parkin, and LC3 II/I were increased (P<0.05), and the expression of MFN1 was decreased (P<0.05). Compared with the PM2.5 group, the Sal intervention alleviated lung injury, reduced inflammatory cell infiltration and collagen deposition, showing decreased lung injury score, CVF, Szapiel score, and Ashcroft score (P<0.05), and decreased serum oxidative stress levels (P<0.05); the protein expression levels of Collagen-III, α-SMA, PINK1, Parkin, and LC3 II/I were decreased (P<0.05), the expression level of Drp1 was decreased, and the expression level of MFN1 was increased. Conclusion In the process of pulmonary fibrosis induced by PM2.5 exposure in mice, Sal may affect mitochondrial autophagy through PINK1/Parkin pathway and play a protective role. The specific mechanism needs to be further verified.
9.Pulmonary function condition and influencing factors among occupational populations in Wuhan
Hong ZHANG ; Zhaomin CHEN ; Kaiji LANG ; Shuo YANG ; Siqi CHEN ; Yong YAO ; Zhenlong CHEN ; Dongming WANG
Journal of Public Health and Preventive Medicine 2025;36(6):30-34
Objective To analyze the lung function condition and the prevalence of pulmonary ventilation disorders in the occupational population of Wuhan, and to explore their influencing factors. Methods Physical examination data from the Wuhan Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases were used in this study, and finally 9499 people were selected as the study subjects. The linear regression model and logistic regression model were used to analyze the influencing factors of pulmonary ventilation function and pulmonary dysfunction. The restricted cubic spline was used to explore the nonlinear relationship. Results The prevalence of pulmonary ventilation disorders was 1.7%, and the lung function indexes FVC, FEV1, and FEV1/FVC were significantly lower in the population aged >27 years than in the population aged <27 years (P<0.001). The lung function indexes FVC and FEV1 were significantly lower in females than in males (P<0.001). The lung function indexes FVC and FEV1 were significantly lower in underweight occupational groups than in normal-weight groups (P<0.001), and FVC and FEV1 were significantly lower in dust-exposed occupational groups than in groups without dust exposure(P<0.05). Restricted cubic spline plots showed a nonlinear relationship between age and lung function indexes FVC and FEV1 (Pnonlinear< 0.05). Age and BMI were the risk factors for pulmonary ventilation disorders. Conclusion Age, gender, BMI, and dust exposure are risk factors for decreased FVC and FEV1. Age is the risk factor for decreased FEV1/FVC. Age and BMI are the risk factors for pulmonary ventilation disorders.
10.Emerging roles of Piezo1 channels in bone: Cells and diseases.
Siqi ZHANG ; Chengfei LI ; Yafei FENG ; Wei LEI ; Xiqing SUN
Chinese Medical Journal 2025;138(5):625-627


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