1.The Role of NEAT1 in Bone and Cartilage Metabolism and Bone Diseases
Rui-Ming WEN ; Rui-Qi HUANG ; Yi-Xing CHANG ; Ke XU ; Xue-Jie YI
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(4):930-945
In the process of maintaining the steady state of bone tissue, the transcription network and signal pathway of the body play a vital role. These complex regulatory mechanisms need precise coordination to ensure the balance between bone formation and bone absorption. Once this balance is broken, it may lead to pathological changes of bone and cartilage, and then lead to various bone diseases. Therefore, it is of great significance to understand these regulatory mechanisms for the prevention and treatment of bone diseases. In recent years, with the deepening of research, more and more lncRNA has been found to be closely related to bone health. Among them, nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1 (NEAT1), as an extremely abundant RNA molecule in mammalian nuclei, has attracted extensive attention. NEAT1 is mainly transcribed from a specific site in human chromosome 11 by RNA polymerase II (RNaseP), which can form two different subtypes NEAT1_1 and NEAT1_2. These two subtypes are different in intracellular distribution and function, but they participate in many biological processes together. Studies have shown that NEAT1 plays a specific role in the process of cell growth and stress response. For example, it can regulate the development of osteoblasts (OB), osteoclasts (OC) and chondrocytes by balancing the differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), thus maintaining the steady state of bone metabolism. This discovery reveals the important role of NEAT1 in bone development and remodeling. In addition, NEAT1 is closely related to a variety of bone diseases. In patients with bone diseases such as osteoporosis (OP), osteoarthritis (OA) and osteosarcoma (OS), the expression level of NEAT1 is different. These differential expressions may be closely related to the pathogenesis and progression of bone diseases. By regulating the level of NEAT1, it can affect a variety of signal transduction pathways, and then affect the development of bone diseases. For example, some studies show that by regulating the expression level of NEAT1, the activity of osteoclasts can be inhibited, and the proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts can be promoted, thus improving the symptoms of osteoporosis. It is worth noting that NEAT1 can also be used as a key sensor for the prevention and treatment of bone diseases. When exercising or receiving some natural products, the expression level of NEAT1 will change, thus reflecting the response of bones to external stimuli. This feature makes NEAT1 an important target for studying the prevention and treatment strategies of bone diseases. However, although the role of NEAT1 in bone biology and bone diseases has been initially recognized, its specific mechanism and regulatory relationship are still controversial. For example, the expression level, mode of action and interaction with other molecules of NEAT1 in different bone diseases still need further in-depth study. This paper reviews the role of NEAT1 in maintaining bone and cartilage metabolism, and discusses its expression and function in various bone diseases. By combing the existing research results and controversial points, this paper aims to provide new perspectives and ideas for the prevention and treatment of bone diseases, and provide useful reference and enlightenment for future research.
2.Roles and mechanisms of TRIM family proteins in the regulation of bone metabolism.
Jing YANG ; Rui-Qi HUANG ; Ke XU ; Mian-Mian YANG ; Xue-Jie YI ; Bo CHANG ; Ting-Ting YAO
Acta Physiologica Sinica 2025;77(3):472-482
Tripartite motif-containing (TRIM) family proteins are crucial E3 ubiquitin ligases that have garnered significant attention for their regulatory roles in bone metabolism in recent years. This article reviews the function and regulatory mechanisms of TRIM family proteins in bone metabolism, focusing on their dual roles in bone formation and resorption. It also provides a detailed analysis of signaling pathways and molecular mechanisms by which TRIM family members regulate the activities of osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Research findings suggest that modulating the expression or activity of TRIM family proteins could be beneficial for treating bone diseases such as osteoporosis. This review highlights the molecular mechanisms of TRIM family members in bone physiology and pathology, aiming to provide theoretical basis and scientific guidance for developing novel therapeutic strategies for bone diseases.
Humans
;
Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases/physiology*
;
Bone and Bones/metabolism*
;
Animals
;
Tripartite Motif Proteins/physiology*
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Osteoclasts/metabolism*
;
Osteoblasts/metabolism*
;
Signal Transduction/physiology*
;
Osteogenesis/physiology*
3.Study on the efficacy of automatic-controlled pressure cupping for lumbar disc herniation.
Bo-Chen PENG ; Min-Shan FENG ; Li LI ; Gui-Ju REN ; Yi-Zhen YUAN ; Li-Jie CHANG ; Shu-Ying REN ; Liu ZENG ; Guang-Wei LIU ; Li-Guo ZHU ; Na YUAN
China Journal of Orthopaedics and Traumatology 2025;38(11):1133-1138
OBJECTIVE:
To observe the clinical efficacy and safety of automatic pressure-controlled pressure cupping in patients with lumbar disc herniation, and compare it with traditional cupping.
METHODS:
A total of 100 patients diagnosed with lumbar disc herniation from January 2022 to August 2024 were selected and divided into two groups:the automatic pressure-controlled pressure cupping group (controlled pressure cupping group) and the traditional cupping group (control group), 50 cases in each group. In the controlled pressure cupping group, there were 18 males and 32 females, with an age of (51.98±12.69) years;in the control group, there were 16 males and 34 females, with an age of (51.32±12.05) years. The visual analogue scale(VAS), comfort score, and lumbar range of motion were observed before treatment and after the 1st, 3rd, and 7th treatments to evaluate the efficacy and safety.
RESULTS:
All patients completed the treatment intervention, with complete follow-up data collected. No adverse reactions or complications occurred during treatment and follow-up. After the 3rd treatment, the VAS score of the controlled pressure cupping group was (2.38±0.49), which was lower than that of the control group (2.94±0.68), with a statistically significant difference (P<0.001). In the controlled pressure cupping group, the VAS scores after the 1st, 3rd, and 7th treatments were significantly better than those before treatment (P=0.026);in the control group, the VAS scores after the 3rd and 7th treatments were better than those before treatment, but the difference was not statistically significant(P=0.182). Repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) on VAS scores at different time points in both groups showed that there were statistically significant differences in inter-group, time, and interaction effects (P<0.05). After the 1st treatment, in the controlled pressure cupping group, 0 patients felt comfortable, 42 patients (84%) felt mild discomfort, and 8 patients (16%) felt moderate discomfort;in the control group, 0 patients felt comfortable, 28 patients (56%) felt mild discomfort, and 22 patients(44%) felt moderate discomfort;the difference between the two groups was statistically significant(P=0.005). After the 3rd treatment, in the controlled pressure cupping group, 30 patients(60%) felt comfortable, 20 patients (40%) felt mild discomfort, and 0 patients felt moderate discomfort; in the control group, 9 patients (18%) felt comfortable, 41 patients (82%) felt mild discomfort, and 0 patients felt moderate discomfort;the difference between the two groups was statistically significant(P<0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in comfort between the two groups after the 7th treatment(P>0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in lumbar range of motion between the two groups before and after treatment(P>0.05);compared with before treatment, the lumbar range of motion of both groups after treatment was significantly improved, with statistically significant differences (P<0.001).
CONCLUSION
Automatic pressure-controlled pressure cupping can effectively relieve symptoms in patients with lumbar disc herniation, with excellent safety.
Humans
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Female
;
Male
;
Intervertebral Disc Displacement/physiopathology*
;
Middle Aged
;
Adult
;
Lumbar Vertebrae/physiopathology*
;
Cupping Therapy/methods*
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Pressure
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Aged
;
Treatment Outcome
4.Integrated-omics analysis defines subtypes of hepatocellular carcinoma based on circadian rhythm.
Xiao-Jie LI ; Le CHANG ; Yang MI ; Ge ZHANG ; Shan-Shan ZHU ; Yue-Xiao ZHANG ; Hao-Yu WANG ; Yi-Shuang LU ; Ye-Xuan PING ; Peng-Yuan ZHENG ; Xia XUE
Journal of Integrative Medicine 2025;23(4):445-456
OBJECTIVE:
Circadian rhythm disruption (CRD) is a risk factor that correlates with poor prognosis across multiple tumor types, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, its mechanism remains unclear. This study aimed to define HCC subtypes based on CRD and explore their individual heterogeneity.
METHODS:
To quantify CRD, the HCC CRD score (HCCcrds) was developed. Using machine learning algorithms, we identified CRD module genes and defined CRD-related HCC subtypes in The Cancer Genome Atlas liver HCC cohort (n = 369), and the robustness of this method was validated. Furthermore, we used bioinformatics tools to investigate the cellular heterogeneity across these CRD subtypes.
RESULTS:
We defined three distinct HCC subtypes that exhibit significant heterogeneity in prognosis. The CRD-related subtype with high HCCcrds was significantly correlated with worse prognosis, higher pathological grade, and advanced clinical stages, while the CRD-related subtype with low HCCcrds had better clinical outcomes. We also identified novel biomarkers for each subtype, such as nicotinamide n-methyltransferase and myristoylated alanine-rich protein kinase C substrate-like 1.
CONCLUSION
We classify the HCC patients into three distinct groups based on circadian rhythm and identify their specific biomarkers. Within these groups greater HCCcrds was associated with worse prognosis. This approach has the potential to improve prediction of an individual's prognosis, guide precision treatments, and assist clinical decision making for HCC patients. Please cite this article as: Li XJ, Chang L, Mi Y, Zhang G, Zhu SS, Zhang YX, et al. Integrated-omics analysis defines subtypes of hepatocellular carcinoma based on circadian rhythm. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(4): 445-456.
Humans
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Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/pathology*
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Liver Neoplasms/pathology*
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Circadian Rhythm/genetics*
;
Prognosis
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Male
;
Female
;
Biomarkers, Tumor/genetics*
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Middle Aged
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Machine Learning
;
Computational Biology
5.Comprehensive Analysis of Proteins and Their Phosphorylation in Milk-derived Exosomes From Different Species
Chang-Mei LIU ; Yi-Fan HU ; Wen-Yan CHEN ; Dan LIU ; Jie SHI ; Gang-Long YANG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2024;51(7):1697-1710
ObjectiveExosomes are microvesicles which could be secreted by all cell types with diameters between 30 and 150 nm. It was widely distributed in body fluids including blood, urine, and breast milk. Exosomes are considered as potential biomarkers and drug carriers by reason of containing nucleic acids, lipids, proteins and other bioactive molecules. Milk-derived exosomes have been widely used as drug delivery carriers to treat targeted diseases with a lower cost, higher biocompatibility and lower immunogenicity. Until now, there is no research about the milk-derived exosomes phosphorylation to reveal the difference of protein phosphorylation in different species of milk. To investigate the pathways and proteins with specific functions, phosphorylated proteomic analysis of milk-derived exosomes from different species is performed, and provide new ideas for exploring diversified treatments of disease. MethodsWhey and exosomes derived from bovine, porcine and caprine milk were performed for proteomics and phosphoproteomics analysis. The relationship between milk exosome proteins from different species and signaling pathways were analyzed using bioinformatics tools. ResultsA total of 4 191 global proteins, 1 640 phosphoproteins and 4 064 phosphosites were identified from 3 species of milk-derived exosomes, and the exosome proteins and phosphoproteins from different species were significantly higher than those of whey. Meanwhile, some special pathways were enriched like Fcγ-mediated phagocytosis from bovine exosomes, pathways related with neural and immune system from caprine exosomes, positive and negative regulation of multiple activities from porcine exosomes. ConclusionIn this study, the proteomic and phosphoproteomic analyses of exosomes and whey from bovine, porcine and caprine milk were carried out to reveal the difference of composition and related signaling pathways of milk exosome from different species. These results provided powerful support for the application of exosomes from different milk sources in the field of disease treatment.
6.Age Estimation by Machine Learning and CT-Multiplanar Reformation of Cra-nial Sutures in Northern Chinese Han Adults
Xuan WEI ; Yu-Shan CHEN ; Jie DING ; Chang-Xing SONG ; Jun-Jing WANG ; Zhao PENG ; Zhen-Hua DENG ; Xu YI ; Fei FAN
Journal of Forensic Medicine 2024;40(2):128-134,142
Objective To establish age estimation models of northern Chinese Han adults using cranial suture images obtained by CT and multiplanar reformation(MPR),and to explore the applicability of cranial suture closure rule in age estimation of northern Chinese Han population.Methods The head CT samples of 132 northern Chinese Han adults aged 29-80 years were retrospectively collected.Volume reconstruction(VR)and MPR were performed on the skull,and 160 cranial suture tomography images were generated for each sample.Then the MPR images of cranial sutures were scored according to the closure grading criteria,and the mean closure grades of sagittal suture,coronal sutures(both left and right)and lambdoid sutures(both left and right)were calculated respectively.Finally taking the above grades as independent variables,the linear regression model and four machine learning models for age estimation(gradient boosting regression,support vector regression,decision tree regression and Bayesian ridge regression)were established for northern Chinese Han adults age estimation.The accu-racy of each model was evaluated.Results Each cranial suture closure grade was positively correlated with age and the correlation of sagittal suture was the highest.All four machine learning models had higher age estimation accuracy than linear regression model.The support vector regression model had the highest accuracy among the machine learning models with a mean absolute error of 9.542 years.Conclusion The combination of skull CT-MPR and machine learning model can be used for age esti-mation in northern Chinese Han adults,but it is still necessary to combine with other adult age estima-tion indicators in forensic practice.
7.Association of expression recognition abnormalities with deficits in theory of mind and empathy in patients with schizophrenia
Jie GU ; Chang LIU ; Lijun WANG ; Tianhua CHENG ; Yi WANG ; Yanyu WANG
Chinese Mental Health Journal 2024;38(8):648-653
Objective:To explore the deficits of facial expression recognition,theory of mind and empathy in patients with schizophrenia and to examine the association of facial expression recognition with theory of mind and empathy.Methods:Totally 47 patients with schizophrenia who met the diagnostic criteria of the Diagnostic and Sta-tistical Manual of Mental Disorders,Fifth Edition(DSM-5)and 35 normal participants were selected.The Facial E-motion Identification Test(FEIT),Yoni task,and the Questionnaire of Cognitive and Affective Empathy(QCAE)were used to measure expression recognition,theory of mind,and empathy.The main indicators were task accuracy and questionnaire scores.Results:Compared to normal controls,patient group showed significantly poorer perform-ance on facial expression recognition accuracy and the Yoni task,and lower scores on cognitive empathy and pe-ripheral responsivity subscale of the QCAE(Ps<0.05).Regression analyses showed that performance on cognitive theory of mind(β=0.33,P<0.01)and affective theory of mind(β=0.33,P<0.01)of the Yoni task were posi-tively associated with accuracy in recognizing happy expressions.Cognitive empathy scores of the QCAE were neg-atively associated with accuracy in recognizing neutral expressions(β=-0.23,P<0.05).Patients had lower af-fective theory of mind accuracy(β=-0.23,P<0.05)and QCAE cognitive empathy scores(β=-0.34,P<0.01).Conclusion:Patients with schizophrenia have deficits in expression recognition,theory of mind,and empa-thy,and that their abnormal expression recognition may be associated with deficits in theory of mind and empathy.
8.Advances in inhibitory ion channel glycine receptors.
Xu-Ke PANG ; Si CHEN ; Xiang-Xian MA ; Yi-Nuo XU ; Wei-Jie BAI ; Chong-Lei FU ; Gui-Chang ZOU
Acta Physiologica Sinica 2024;76(6):908-916
Glycine receptors (GlyRs) belong to the ligand-gated ion channel receptor superfamily and are widely distributed throughout the central nervous system. GlyRs are essential for maintaining visual, auditory, sensory and motor functions, and abnormalities in its structure and function can lead to various neurological disorders. This review aims to provide an extensive analysis of the structure, function and regulatory mechanisms of GlyRs, and evaluate its role in various central nervous system diseases. Ultimately, this review will provide theoretical support for the development of novel drugs specifically targeting GlyRs.
Receptors, Glycine/physiology*
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Humans
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Animals
;
Central Nervous System Diseases/metabolism*
9.A control study of steroid withdrawal protection strategy after kidney transplantation in children.
Jie Yi LU ; Miao ZHANG ; Jin Ai LIN ; Huan Ru CHEN ; Ying Jie LI ; Xia GAO ; Chang Xi WANG ; Long Shan LIU ; Xin LIAO
Chinese Journal of Pediatrics 2023;61(9):799-804
Objective: To study the influence of steroid withdrawal protection strategy on height growth in pediatric patients after kidney transplantation. Methods: The prospective cohort study enrolled 40 stage 5 chronic kidney disease children receiving kidney transplantation from July 2017 to September 2022 at Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center. Based on the primary preoperative disease, patients with immune abnormality-associated glomerular diseases or unknown causes were assigned to the steroid maintenance group, in which patients received steroid tapering within 3 months after surgery to a maintenance dose of 2.5 to 5.0 mg/d. While patients with hereditary kidney disease or congenital urinary malformations were assigned to the steroid withdrawal group, in which patients had steroids tapered off within 3 months. The characteristics of height catch-up growth and clinical data were compared between the 2 groups at baseline, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months after kidney transplantation. T-test, repeated measurement of variance analysis, Mann-Whitney U test, and Fisher exact test were used for the comparison between the 2 groups. Results: Among the 40 children, 17 were males, 23 were females, 25 were in the steroid withdraw group ((7.8±2.8) years old when receiving kidney transplantation) and 15 cases were in the steroid maintenance group ((7.6±3.5) years old when receiving kidney transplantation). The study population was followed up for (26±12) months. The total dose per unit body weight of steroids in the steroid withdrawal group was lower than that in the steroid maintenance group ((0.13±0.06) vs. (0.36±0.19) mg/(kg·d), t=5.83, P<0.001). The height catch-up rate (ΔHtSDS) in the first year after kidney transplantation in the steroid withdraw and steroid maintenance groups was 1.0 (0.7, 1.4) and 0.4 (0.1, 1.0), respectively; in the second year, the ΔHtSDS in the steroid withdraw group was significantly higher than that in the steroid maintenance group (1.1 (0.2, 1.7) vs. 0.3 (0, 0.8), U=28.00, P=0.039). The HtSDS in the steroid withdrawal group at the five follow-up time points was -2.5±0.8, -2.0±0.8, -1.5±0.8, -1.3±0.9 and -0.5±0.3, respectively, while in the steroid maintenance was -2.4±1.3, -2.2±1.1, -2.0±1.0, -1.8±1.0 and -1.6±1.0, respectively. There were statistically significant differences in HtSDS at different follow-up time points in both 2 groups (F=19.81, P<0.01), but no statistical differences in overall impact between the 2 groups (F=1.13, P=0.204). The steroid treatment was interaction with the increase of follow-up time (F=3.62, P=0.009). At the 24th month after transplantation, the HtSDS in the steroid withdrawal group was significantly higher than that in the steroid maintenance group (P=0.047). Six patients in the steroid withdrawal group experienced antibody-mediated immune rejection (AMR), while 3 did in the steroid maintenance group. Moreover, there was no significant difference in AMR between the two groups (χ2=0.06, P=0.814). Conclusion: The steroid withdrawal protection strategy favors the height catch-up growth in pediatric patients after kidney transplantation and does not increase the risk of postoperative antibody-mediated immune rejection.
Male
;
Humans
;
Child
;
Female
;
Child, Preschool
;
Kidney Transplantation
;
Prospective Studies
;
Steroids/therapeutic use*
;
Antibodies
;
Body Weight
10.Role of NLRP3 inflammasome in diabetes mellitus and exercise intervention.
Rui-Ming WEN ; Hong-Yan LYU ; Bo CHANG ; Xue-Jie YI
Acta Physiologica Sinica 2023;75(6):788-798
Chronic inflammatory reaction has been established as an important sign of the occurrence and development of diabetes mellitus (DM), accompanied by the production of a large number of inflammatory factors, thus aggravating the disease progression. As an important non-invasive intervention measure to inhibit inflammation, exercise plays a very important role in the amelioration of DM. NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, a regulatory factor of inflammatory response, can induce a variety of inflammatory cascades and cell death, which are closely related to glucose uptake and dyslipidemia regulation. The development of DM can be postponed with exercise. Previous studies have reported the effects of NLRP3 inflammasome on DM, but the crucial role of exercise in this process remains unclear. Therefore, this paper reviews the research progress on the improving effects of exercise intervention on the symptoms of DM by mediating NLRP3 inflammasome, providing a novel theoretical foundation for understanding the prevention and treatment of DM through exercise.
Humans
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Inflammasomes/metabolism*
;
NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/metabolism*
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NLR Proteins
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Diabetes Mellitus
;
Inflammation
;
Exercise Therapy

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