1.The Regulatory Effects and Mechanisms of Piezo1 Channel on Chondrocytes and Bone Metabolic Dysregulation in Osteoarthritis
Yan LI ; Tao LIU ; Yu-Biao GU ; Hui-Qing TIAN ; Lei ZHANG ; Bi-Hui BAI ; Zhi-Jun HE ; Wen CHEN ; Jin-Peng LI ; Fei LI
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(3):564-576
Osteoarthritis (OA), a highly prevalent degenerative joint disease worldwide, is defined by articular cartilage degradation, abnormal bone remodeling, and persistent chronic inflammation. It severely compromises patients’ quality of life, and currently, there is no radical cure. Abnormal mechanical stress is widely regarded as a core driver of OA pathogenesis, and the exploration of mechanical signal perception and transduction mechanisms has become crucial for deciphering OA’s pathophysiological processes. Piezo1, a key mechanosensitive cation channel belonging to the Piezo protein family, has recently gained significant attention due to its pivotal role in mediating cellular responses to mechanical stimuli in joint tissues. This review systematically examines Piezo1’s expression patterns, regulatory mechanisms, and pathological functions in OA, with a particular focus on its dual roles in modulating chondrocyte homeostasis and bone metabolism disorders, while also delving into the underlying molecular signaling pathways and potential therapeutic implications. Piezo1, consisting of approximately 2 500 amino acids and forming a unique trimeric propeller-like structure, is widely expressed in chondrocytes, osteocytes, mesenchymal stem cells, and synovial cells. It exhibits permeability to cations such as Ca2+, K+, and Na+, and directly responds to membrane tension changes induced by mechanical stimuli like fluid shear stress and mechanical overload. In OA patients and animal models, Piezo1 expression is significantly upregulated, especially in cartilage regions subjected to abnormal mechanical stress (e.g., human temporomandibular joint cartilage). This overexpression is closely associated with aggravated cartilage degeneration, increased chondrocyte apoptosis, accelerated cellular senescence, and intensified inflammatory responses. Mechanical overload and pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-1β) are key inducers of Piezo1 upregulation: IL-1β activates the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway to enhance Piezo1 expression, forming a pathogenic positive feedback loop that inhibits chondrocyte autophagy, promotes apoptosis, and further accelerates joint degeneration. Mechanistically, Piezo1 mediates OA progression through multiple interconnected pathways. When activated by mechanical stress, Piezo1 triggers excessive Ca2+ influx, leading to endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) and mitochondrial dysfunction, which directly induce chondrocyte apoptosis. This process involves the activation of downstream signaling cascades such as cGAS-STING and YAP-MMP13/ADAMTS5. YAP, a transcriptional regulator, upregulates the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP13) and aggrecanase (ADAMTS5), thereby accelerating cartilage matrix degradation. Additionally, Piezo1-driven Ca2+ overload promotes the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and upregulates senescence markers (p16 and p21), accelerating chondrocyte senescence via the p38MAPK and NF-κB pathways. Senescent chondrocytes secrete senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) factors (e.g., IL-6, IL-1β), further amplifying joint inflammation. In terms of bone metabolism, Piezo1 maintains joint homeostasis by promoting the differentiation of fibrocartilage stem cells into chondrocytes and balancing bone formation and resorption through regulating the FoxC1/YAP axis and RANKL/OPG ratio. Therapeutically, targeting Piezo1 shows promising potential. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that Piezo1 inhibitors (e.g., GsMTx4) can reduce joint damage and alleviate pain in OA mice. Simultaneously, siRNA-mediated co-silencing of Piezo1 and TRPV4 (another mechanosensitive channel) decreases intracellular Ca2+ concentration, inhibits chondrocyte apoptosis, and promotes cartilage repair. Conditional knockout of Piezo1 using Gdf5-Cre transgenic mice alleviates cartilage degeneration in post-traumatic OA models by downregulating MMP13 and ADAMTS5 expression. Despite existing challenges, such as off-target effects of inhibitors, inefficient local drug delivery, and interindividual genetic variability, strategies like developing selective Piezo1 antagonists, optimizing targeted nanocarriers, and combining Piezo1-targeted therapy with physical therapy provide viable avenues for clinical translation. The authors propose that Piezo1 serves as a critical therapeutic target for OA, and future research should focus on deciphering its context-dependent regulatory networks, developing tissue-specific intervention strategies, and validating their efficacy and safety in clinical trials to address the unmet medical needs of OA patients.
2.Analysis of factors influencing temporary deferral and return to donation due to abnormal blood pressure in pre-donation screening
Jin YANG ; Li SUN ; Qiyong BI ; Jingyao WANG ; Yong WANG
Chinese Journal of Blood Transfusion 2026;39(1):56-61
Objective: To analyze the demographic characteristics, return donation patterns, and risk of adverse reactions among donors temporarily deferred due to blood pressure abnormalities, so as to provide an evidence-based foundation for optimizing pre-donation blood pressure screening strategies, enhancing donor retention, and ensuring blood supply safety. Methods: Data from 2.939 million donor instances were collected through the Information Management System at the Beijing Red Cross Blood Center between January 2015 and August 2025. The analysis specifically focused on the 11 600 instances of donors temporarily deferred due to abnormal blood pressure, examining demographic characteristics (age, and gender) and donation-related features (number of donations, donation site, and type of donation). Further analysis was conducted on the return donation patterns, including the return rate, time interval to return, and the incidence, type, and severity of adverse reactions among returned donors. Results: Distribution of abnormal blood pressure: Among the 11 600 instances of abnormal blood pressure, the prevalence was significantly higher in males (0.48%, 10 111/2 086 909) than in females (0.17%, 1 465/852 090). The 46-55 age group had the highest prevalence (0.88%, 2 925/329 235), and the differences across age groups were statistically significant. The prevalence was, higher among repeat donors (0.41%, 5 242/1 276 452) than first-time donors (0.38%, 6 334/1 662 547). The prevalence at mobile donation sites outside the blood center (0.06%, 350/596 104) was higher than fixed donor centers (0.50%, 10 225/2 052 290) and group donation drives (0.34%, 1 001/290 608). Return donations: A total of 19.49% (2 256 out of 11 576) deferred donors returner and successfully donated. Among these donors, 36.17% (816 out of 2 256) returned within 7 days, while the highest proportion of returns was observed within 31-182 days (25.44%, 574/2 256). A higher return rate was observed among male donors (20.17%, 2 039/1 0111) compared to female donors (14.81%, 217/1 465). The return rate for repeat donors (43.02%, 2 255/5 242) was significantly higher than that of first-time donors (0.02%, 1/6 334). Individual donors showed a higher return rate (20.95%, 1 986/9 479) than group donors (12.88%, 270/2 097), with all differences being statistically significant (P<0.05). The differences in return rates across age groups were not statistically significant (P>0.05). Adverse reactions: The incidence of adverse reactions after return was 0.09% (2/2 256), significantly lower than the overall adverse reaction incidence during the same period (0.20%, 5 981/2 938 999). Both adverse reactions were local reaction (category A1, pain or bruising at the puncture site), with no reported cases of systemic vasovagal reactions (VR) or severe adverse events. Conclusion: The current blood pressure screening criteria may lead to the unnecessary deferral of eligible donors. The risk of adverse reactions is extremely low among returned donors who were deferred for abnormal blood pressure. A relaxation of the blood pressure screening criteria is therefore suggested, coupled with the optimization of donation site environment and blood pressure measurement procedure with reference to expert consensus to enhance donor retention and blood supply safety.
3.Clinical Application of Harmonizing and Regulating Pivot Method in Pulmonary Fibrosis:Based on the Characteristics of Essence-Attribute-Function
Mingsheng LYU ; Hongsheng CUI ; Jia ZHU ; Weibo BI ; Ruifeng JIN ; Zhijie ZHANG ; Qiuyi CHEN ; Siyang YU
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;67(4):381-385
Based on the theory of "shaoyang(少阳) resembling the pivot" and collateral diseases, this article proposes that pulmonary fibrosis (PF) can be divided into three stages including wind bi (痹), constraint bi, and atrophy bi. The core pathogenesis of PF is the obstruction of the pivot and pulmonary collateral obstruction. In terms of treatment, the basic principles are to harmonize and regulate the pivot, and to promote the circulation of the lung collaterals. Depending on the different characteristics of the "essence-attribute-function", treatment methods such as harmonizing and regulating the pivot, resolving phlegm and removing stasis, supplementing deficiency and harmonizing collaterals are suggested. This approach ensures the regulation of the pivot, smooth circulation of qi and blood, unblocking of the lung collaterals and nourishing the lung body, achieving the goals of balancing the ascending and descending of qi, removing phlegm and stasis, and relieving cough and wheezing.
4.Application value of left ventricular global longitudinal strain in early cardiac function impairment in diabetes mellitus patients
Fangping BI ; Rui LIU ; Xiaoli LIU ; Zehong JIN
China Modern Doctor 2025;63(4):28-31
Objective The application value of left ventricular global longitudinal strain(LVGLS)in early cardiac function impairment in diabetes mellitus was analyzed by two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging.Methods A total of 45 patients with diabetes mellitus who were treated in Loudi Central Hospital from January 2023 to January 2024 were selected as study objects.Based on the levels of glycosylated hemoglobin(HbA1c),patients were divided into group A(HbA1c≤11.5%,20 cases)and group B(HbA1c>11.5%,25 cases).The clinical data and echocardiographic parameters of two groups were compared.The relationship between clinical data,echocardiographic parameters and LVGLS was analyzed by multifactor linear regression.Results Weight and LVGLS in group B were significantly lower than those in group A,HbA1c and interventricular septal thickness were significantly higher than those in group A(P<0.05).Multifactor linear regression analysis showed that there was a linear relationship between HbA1c and LVGLS(β=-0.511).Conclusion Increased HbA1c in diabetes mellitus patients is an independent risk factor for LVGLS.
5.Effects of Yiqi Jiedu Tongluo Formula on renal injury in a rat model of type 2 diabetes mellitus via TGF-β/SMAD and VEGF pathways
Wen-xuan XU ; Lei-lei MA ; Ming-yu SHEN ; Xiao-jin LA ; Bi-wei ZHANG ; Shuo WANG ; Chao LI ; Peng CUI ; Zhen CHEN ; Ji-an LI
Chinese Traditional Patent Medicine 2025;47(2):421-429
AIM To observe the effects of Yiqi Jiedu Tongluo Formula(YQJDTL)on renal microvascular endothelial function and prevention of renal injury in a rat model of type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM).METHODS The SD rats were randomly divided into a normal group and a model group.The model group was administered with high-fat diet combined with a single intraperitoneal injection of STZ to establish the T2DM model.The successfully modeled rats were randomly divided into the model group,the canagliflozin group(9 mg/kg),and the low-dose and high-dose YQJDTL groups(4.77,9.45 g/kg).The corresponding doses of the drug were administered by gavage for a total of 12 weeks,during which the rats underwent observation of their general condition and blood glucose changes.After the end of administration,the rats had their levels of renal index,24-hour UP,serum SCr,BUN,TC,TG,HDL-C,LDL-C,ET-1 and NOS measured;their changes in renal microvasculature and the degree of renal fibrosis observed using HE staining,Masson staining,PAS staining,and PASM staining;their ultrastructure of the glomeruli observed using transmission electron microscopy;their renal protein expressions of TGF-β,SMAD2,SMAD3,Col-1,VEGFA and PKC detected by immunohistochemical staining and Western blot;and their renal mRNA expressions of VEGFA,TGF-β,SMAD2 determined by RT-qPCR.RESULTS Compared with the model group,the high-dose YQJDTL group showed decreased levels of renal index,blood glucose,TG,TC,HDL,24 h UP,BUN,SCr and ET-1(P<0.05,P<0.01);increased LDL and NOS levels(P<0.05,P<0.01);reduced renal inflammatory infiltration and fibrosis degree,inhibited fusion of foot processes and thickening of basement membrane;decreased renal protein expressions of TGF-β,SMAD2,SMAD3,VEGFA,PKC and Col-1(P<0.05,P<0.01);and decreased mRNA expressions of VEGFA,TGF-β and SMAD2(P<0.01).CONCLUSION In the rat models of T2DM,YQJDTL can reduce their levels of blood glucose and lipids by improving the renal indices levels and the renal microvascular endothelial functions to alleviate renal fibrosis and microangiopathy as well,and the mechanism may be associated with the down-regulated expressions of TGF-β/SMAD and VEGF pathway-related proteins.
6.Prediction analysis of the number of pre-hospital emergency ambulance trips in Handan based on the LPro Ensemble Model
Feng TIAN ; Chengcheng BI ; Penghui LI ; Haifang ZHANG ; Tingting ZHAO ; Zhenjie YANG ; Xian WANG ; Jiaxuan GU ; Shitao ZHOU ; Zengjun JIN ; Zhen WANG ; Feifei ZHAO ; Xianhui SU ; Longqiang ZHANG ; Saicong LU
Chinese Journal of Emergency Medicine 2025;34(11):1530-1537
Objective:To investigate the application of time series models in forecasting pre-hospital emergency ambulance trips in Handan City and develop the LPro ensemble model for improved prediction accuracy to support emergency resource allocation.Methods:Pre-hospital emergency data from Handan Emergency Medical Command Center (2019-2023) were retrospectively analyzed. From 324 799 original records, 289 949 valid records were included after cleaning. The training set (2019-2022: 215 918 records) included 35 527 records in 2019, 52 015 in 2020, 61 836 in 2021, and 66 540 in 2022. The validation set (2023) contained 74 031 records. ARIMA, linear trend seasonal, exponential smoothing, and Prophet models were fitted to the training set. The LPro ensemble model was constructed using MAPE-based weighting (linear trend seasonal model: 0.38, Prophet: 0.62). Performance metrics included MAPE, RMSE, MAE, and R 2. Results:Data showed annual growth (compound annual growth rate 23.27%) and seasonal patterns (October peaks, February troughs). Ambulance dispatches increased annually with monthly cyclical patterns. For 2023 validation predictions: ARIMA (MAPE 8.76%, RMSE 619, MAE 491, R 2 0.4563), linear trend seasonal (MAPE 9.83%, RMSE 671, MAE 545, R 2 0.3608), Prophet (MAPE 8.43%, RMSE 562, MAE 503, R 2 0.5513), exponential smoothing (MAPE 8.08%, RMSE 643, MAE 410, R 2 0.4124). LPro model showed superior performance (MAPE 7.05%, RMSE 491, MAE 393, R 2 0.6570), with 16.37% lower MAPE, 12.63% lower RMSE, 21.87% lower MAE, and 19.17% higher R 2 versus Prophet. Conclusion:The LPro ensemble model substantially enhances prediction accuracy and reliability, offering scientific support for emergency resource optimization and dispatch scheduling in Handan City.
7.Regulatory effects of miR-205 on proliferation,migration,and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in colon cancer cells
MAIERDAN·SAILIMU ; Zhong JIN ; ALIDAN·AIERLKEN ; Yu-bi KE
Journal of Regional Anatomy and Operative Surgery 2025;34(8):663-668
Objective To investigate the expression of microRNA-205(miR-205)in colon cancer and its regulatory effects on the proliferation,migration,and epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)of colon cancer cells.Methods The expression levels of miR-205 in colon cancer tissues,adjacent normal tissues,and colon cancer cell HT-29 were detected by qRT-PCR.HT-29 cells were divided into three groups,cells transfected with miR-205 mimics were named the miR-205 mimic group,cells transfected with miR-205 inhibitors were named the miR-205 inhibitor group,and cells treated only with Lipo2000 transfection reagent were named the Buffer group.The proliferative activity of cells in each group was detected by CCK-8 assay and EDU assay;the migration invasion ability of cells was detected by Transwell assay;the expressions of EMT-related proteins N-cadherin,Vimentin,and E-cadherin in each group were detected by Western blot.Results Compared with adjacent normal tissues,the relative expression level of miR-205 in colon cancer tissues was significantly down-regulated(P<0.05).Compared with the Buffer group,the relative expression level of miR-205 in the cells of the miR-205 mimic group was up-regulated,while that in the miR-205 inhibitor group was down-regulated,the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).Overexpression of miR-205 significantly inhibited the proliferation activity and migration ability of colon cancer cells(P<0.05),while inhibition of miR-205 promoted the proliferation activity and migration ability of colon cancer cells(P<0.05).Compared with the Buffer group,the levels of N-cadherin and Vimentin were down-regulated and the level of E-cadherin was up-regulated in the cells of the miR-205 mimic group,while the levels of N-cadherin and Vimentin were up-regulated and the level of E-cadherin was down-regulated in the cells of the miR-205 inhibitor group,the differences were all statistically significant(P<0.05).Conclusion The expression of miR-205 in colon cancer tissues is significantly decreased,and miR-205 exerts its tumor-suppressive effects by downregulating the proliferation,migration,and EMT of colon cancer cells.
8.Acoustic characteristics of articulation movement and its correlation with articulation intelligibility in children with spastic cerebral palsy
Yongli WANG ; Siyu BI ; Jun QIAO ; Xinchun YU ; Xi WANG ; Xinyue JIN ; Tianhao NI
Journal of Audiology and Speech Pathology 2025;33(2):109-114
Objective To investigate the articulation acoustic characteristics of children with spastic cerebral palsy and their correlation with articulation intelligibility.Methods A total of 17 children with cerebral palsy and 17 ordinary children aged 6-12 years were included in the study,and the articulation acoustics and articulation intelligi-bility performance of the two types of children were compared by using three kinds of corpus:monophthong,single word and sentence,and the correlation between them was studied.Results The articulation intelligibility of the monophthong,single word and sentence corpus of children with spastic cerebral palsy was lower than that of ordina-ry children(P<0.01),as follows:monophthong>single word>sentence.In the monophthong corpus,only mandibular distance and tongue distance were significantly lower than that of ordinary children(P<0.05),and only mandibular distance and vowel space area(VSA)were significantly correlated with articulation intelligibility(P<0.05).In the single word corpus,mandibular distance,tongue distance and VSA were significantly lower than that of ordinary children,while vowel ellipse area(VEA)was significantly higher than that of ordinary children(P<0.05).All other indexes except VSA and formant centralization ratio(FCR)were significantly correlated with artic-ulation intelligibility(P<0.05).In the sentence corpus,all the other indexes except mandibular distance were sig-nificantly worse than those of ordinary children(P<0.05),and all the acoustic indexes were significantly correlated with articulation intelligibility(P<0.05).Conclusion Children with cerebral palsy have poor articulation acoustic cha-racteristics and articulation intelligibility,and the corpus complexity will affect the degree of correlation between the two.
9.Relationship between serum prolactin and mild cognitive impairment in postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Jiaxuan JIANG ; Zhou ZHANG ; Jin WANG ; Xiang XU ; Yingwen MIAO ; Qun DING ; Congcong YU ; Yinjiao HOU ; Shihua CHEN ; Yan BI
Chinese Journal of Diabetes 2025;33(9):673-677
Objective To investigate the relationship between prolactin and mild cognitive impairment(MCI)in postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM).Methods A total of 319 postmenopausal women with T2DM who were hospitalized in the Department of Endocrinology,Drum Tower Hospital,Affiliated Hospital of Medical School,Nanjing University were enrolled in this study from August 2016 to October 2023.All the patients were divided into two groups according whether they had MCI:T2DM group(n=161)and MCI group(n=158).Differences in clinical characteristics were compared between the two groups.Pearson correlation was used to analyze the correlation between sex hormones and cognitive domains,and Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the influencing factors for MCI development.Results Serum prolactin levels were significantly lower in the MCI group than in the T2DM group[(5.5±2.1)vs(7.2±2.9)μg/L,P<0.05].Serum prolactin level was positively correlated with mini-mental state examination score,Montreal cognitive assessment score,immediate memory score,visuopatial constructional score,attention score and hippocampal volume(P<0.05),and negatively correlated with processing speed test(time)and executive function test(time)(P<0.05).Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that serum prolactin level was an influencing factor for the risk of MCI in postmenopausal women with T2DM(OR 0.715,95%CI 0.605~0.845,P<0.01).Conclusions The decrease of serum prolactin level is associated with an increased risk of MCI in postmenopausal women with T2DM.
10.Role and mechanism of DPP4-nestin axis in liver fibrosis induced by Echinococcus alveolar infection
Jin GAO ; Tao SUN ; Mulati MUKEXINA ; Xiaolong HE ; Jing SHI ; Liang LI ; Ning YANG ; Jin CHU ; Xue ZHANG ; Hui LIU ; Guodong LYU ; Renyong LIN ; Xiaojuan BI ; Qingyong GUO
Chinese Journal of Veterinary Science 2025;45(2):298-304
To investigate the role of the DPP4-nestin axis in liver fibrosis induced by alveolar cyst infection,a murine model was established using C57BL/6 mice via hepatic portal vein injection.Liver histopathological changes were assessed using HE staining,while immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence were employed to evaluate the expression levels of nestin and DPP4 in infected mouse livers.In vitro,J S1 cell line was stimulated with recombinant DPP4 protein to es-tablish a cellular model,and qPCR,Western blot,and shRNA lentivirus interference techniques were utilized to examine the involvement of the DPP4-nestin axis in hepatic stellate cell activation.The findings demonstrated that compared to the Sham group,liver tissue structure disruption and collagen deposition were evident along with significantly increased expressions of nestin and DPP4(P<0.050 0),which colocalized with nesin and α-SMA.Furthermore,stimulation with recombi-nant DPP4 protein significantly enhanced JS1 cell activation(P<0.050 0)as well as upregulated nestin expression(P<0.050 0)when compared to control group cells.Notably,shRNA lentivirus-mediated inhibition of nestin expression effectively suppressed the activating effects exerted by re-combinant DPP4 protein on JS1 cells(P<0.050 0).Collectively,these results highlight the crucial regulatory role played by the DPP4-nestin axis in hepatic stellate cell activation triggered by alveo-lar infection;thus,targeting this axis may represent a novel therapeutic strategy for treating alveo-lar infection-induced liver fibrosis.

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