1.Thyroid Hormone Network Regulation in MASLD: Mechanisms and Targeted Therapies
Wen-Ping XIAO ; Yang MA ; Heng GUAN ; Sha WAN ; Wen HAN ; Bing-Bing LUO ; Wu-Feng WANG ; Fang LIU
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(3):643-661
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) has become the most prevalent chronic liver disease worldwide, affecting approximately 32%-38% of the adult population and posing a growing public health burden. MASLD represents a continuous disease spectrum ranging from simple steatosis to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), progressive hepatic fibrosis, cirrhosis, and ultimately hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The pathological core of MASLD lies in disruption of hepatic lipid metabolic homeostasis, characterized by an imbalance among de novo lipogenesis, fatty acid β-oxidation, and very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL)-mediated lipid export. This metabolic disequilibrium subsequently drives inflammatory injury and fibrotic progression. Among the multiple regulatory pathways involved, thyroid hormone (TH) signaling has emerged as a central regulator of hepatic metabolic homeostasis. The liver is a major peripheral target organ of TH action, where TH predominantly exerts its metabolic effects through thyroid hormone receptor β (TRβ). Large-scale epidemiological studies and meta-analyses have demonstrated that hypothyroidism is significantly associated with increased MASLD prevalence, more severe histological injury, and advanced hepatic fibrosis, suggesting that dysregulation of TH signaling may participate throughout the entire MASLD disease spectrum. At the molecular level, TH regulates hepatic lipid metabolism by coordinating suppression of lipogenesis, enhancement of mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation, and promotion of VLDL assembly and secretion through integrated genomic actions of the T3-TRβ axis and non-genomic signaling pathways. Across different stages of MASLD, TH signaling exerts stage-dependent protective effects. In the steatosis stage, TH improves metabolic flexibility by modulating insulin sensitivity, glucose metabolism, and lipid droplet clearance, thereby alleviating early lipotoxic stress. During progression to MASH, TH attenuates inflammatory amplification by improving mitochondrial homeostasis, suppressing activation of the NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, and modulating the gut-liver axis microenvironment. In advanced stages, TH signaling influences hepatic stellate cell activation and extracellular matrix deposition, partly through interaction with the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)/SMAD pathway, while alterations in intrahepatic TH availability, mediated by dynamic changes in iodothyronine deiodinase 1 (DIO1), contribute to fibrosis progression and hepatocellular dedifferentiation. In hepatocellular carcinoma, coordinated downregulation of TRβ and DIO1 establishes a tumor-associated hypothyroid state that promotes metabolic reprogramming and tumor progression. The clinical relevance of TH signaling in MASLD has been underscored by the recent approval of Resmetirom, a liver-targeted TRβ‑selective agonist, for the treatment of non-cirrhotic MASH with moderate-to-severe fibrosis (F2-F3). This approval represents a landmark transition from mechanistic understanding to metabolism-centered precision therapy in MASLD. Clinical trials have demonstrated that Resmetirom not only improves key histological endpoints, including MASH resolution and fibrosis regression, but also favorably modulates atherogenic lipid profiles, highlighting the therapeutic potential of selectively targeting hepatic TH pathways. This review systematically summarizes the multidimensional regulatory roles of TH across the MASLD disease spectrum and discusses emerging diagnostic and therapeutic implications of TH-based interventions, aiming to inform future mechanistic research and optimize clinical management strategies.
2.Effect of human milk on serum bilirubin and intestinal microbiota in neonatal jaundice rats
Qian PENG ; Heng ZHANG ; Shicheng JIANG ; Keyong LUO ; Miao DUAN
Chinese Journal of Comparative Medicine 2025;35(10):39-47
Objective To investigate the effects of human milk on serum bilirubin levels and gut microbiota in neonatal rats with hyperbilirubinemia.Methods A total of 24 7-day-old specific-pathogen-free Sprague-Dawley rats were injected with bilirubin or normal saline,respectively,and human milk or formula milk was administered 24 hours later for intervention.The rats were divided randomly into four groups:human milk-normal saline group(HN),human milk-bilirubin group(HB),formula milk-normal saline group(FN),and formula milk-bilirubin group(FB).Samples were taken 72 hours later,and serum bilirubin values were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.The intestinal microbiota were analyzed using 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing.Results There was no significant difference in bilirubin values among the groups.Pseudomonas was negatively correlated with indirect bilirubin value(P<0.05).The composition of the intestinal microbiota differed significantly between human milk and formula milk after gastric administration,with Firmicutes(P<0.01),Enterococci(P<0.05),being the main microbiota in the HN and HB groups,and Proteobacteria(P<0.001),Escherichia Shigella(P<0.01)and Acinetobacter(P<0.01)being the main in the FN and FB groups.Conclusions Pseudomonas may be negatively associated with bilirubin,and the structure of the intestinal microbiota may differ in relation to human milk and formula feeding.
3.A preliminary study on the consonant articulation of patients with submucous cleft palate
Heng YIN ; Yiting TSAI ; Boyu CHANG ; Lokman CHEUNG ; Min WU ; Xiao LUO ; Bing SHI
Journal of Audiology and Speech Pathology 2025;33(2):130-133
Objective To study the consonant articulation performance and speech intelligibility of patients with submucous cleft palate(SMCP)and to provide a reference for clinical speech evaluation and subsequent speech rehabilitation.Methods A total of 333 preoperative SMCP patients aged 4.5 years and older participated in this study.The accuracy,type of error,and error rates were assessed across participant genders and their varying levels of velopharyngeal closure function.Results Among the 333 patients,196 had complete velopharyngeal closure,while 137 had incomplete closure.A total of 145 patients(43.54%)demonstrated normal articulation of all conso-nants,while 188 patients(56.46%)displayed various degrees of articulation disorders.Compensatory articulation behaviors were observed in 66 patients(19.82%).No significant differences in articulation errors were found be-tween male and female patients.The accuracy ranking for consonants was from high to low as follows:nasal sounds,lateral sounds,fricatives,plosives,and affricates.Substitution was the most common error type with an incidence of 35.93%,followed by omission at 34.62%and compensatory errors at 25.51%.The average accuracy rates for plosives,fricatives,affricates,lateral/nasal sounds were 73.27%,78.20%,69.29%,and 93.39%,re-spectively.Substitution was the most common error for plosives and fricatives,while omission was most frequent for affricates.Compensatory errors occurred most often with affricates,and no compensatory errors were found in nasal or lateral sounds.Conclusion Substitution,omission,and compensatory errors are the most common articula-tion errors in SMCP patients,occurring across plosives,fricatives,and affricates.The severity of articulation disor-ders is related to velopharyngeal closure function but is independent of gender.
4.A preliminary study on the consonant articulation of patients with submucous cleft palate
Heng YIN ; Yiting TSAI ; Boyu CHANG ; Lokman CHEUNG ; Min WU ; Xiao LUO ; Bing SHI
Journal of Audiology and Speech Pathology 2025;33(2):130-133
Objective To study the consonant articulation performance and speech intelligibility of patients with submucous cleft palate(SMCP)and to provide a reference for clinical speech evaluation and subsequent speech rehabilitation.Methods A total of 333 preoperative SMCP patients aged 4.5 years and older participated in this study.The accuracy,type of error,and error rates were assessed across participant genders and their varying levels of velopharyngeal closure function.Results Among the 333 patients,196 had complete velopharyngeal closure,while 137 had incomplete closure.A total of 145 patients(43.54%)demonstrated normal articulation of all conso-nants,while 188 patients(56.46%)displayed various degrees of articulation disorders.Compensatory articulation behaviors were observed in 66 patients(19.82%).No significant differences in articulation errors were found be-tween male and female patients.The accuracy ranking for consonants was from high to low as follows:nasal sounds,lateral sounds,fricatives,plosives,and affricates.Substitution was the most common error type with an incidence of 35.93%,followed by omission at 34.62%and compensatory errors at 25.51%.The average accuracy rates for plosives,fricatives,affricates,lateral/nasal sounds were 73.27%,78.20%,69.29%,and 93.39%,re-spectively.Substitution was the most common error for plosives and fricatives,while omission was most frequent for affricates.Compensatory errors occurred most often with affricates,and no compensatory errors were found in nasal or lateral sounds.Conclusion Substitution,omission,and compensatory errors are the most common articula-tion errors in SMCP patients,occurring across plosives,fricatives,and affricates.The severity of articulation disor-ders is related to velopharyngeal closure function but is independent of gender.
5.A multicenter clinical study on intramedullary vancomycin injection for preventing periprosthetic joint infection in total knee arthroplasty
Te LIU ; Jun FU ; Shiguang LAI ; Zhuo ZHANG ; Chi XU ; Lei GENG ; Yang LUO ; Peng REN ; Xin ZHI ; Quanbo JI ; Heng ZHANG ; Runkai ZHAO ; Haichao REN ; Ye TAO ; Qingyuan ZHENG ; Zeyu FENG ; Jianfeng YANG ; Yiming WANG ; Pengcheng LI ; Shuai LIU ; Wei CHAI ; Xiang LI ; Huiwu LI ; Xiaogang ZHANG ; Baochao JI ; Xianzhe LIU ; Xinzhan MAO ; Jianbing MA ; Xiangxiang SUN ; Jiying CHEN ; Yonggang ZHOU ; Jinliang WANG ; Weijun WANG ; Guoqiang ZHANG ; Ming NI
Chinese Journal of Orthopaedics 2025;45(12):803-811
Objective:To explore the safety and efficacy of intraosseous regional administration (IORA) of vancomycin for preventing infection in primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA).Methods:A total of 124 patients with knee osteoarthritis undergoing TKA between February 2024 and May 2024 at nine hospitals were enrolled. Preoperative infection prophylaxis involved either IORA (0.5 g vancomycin administered via intraosseous regional infusion before incision) or intravenous infusion (1 g vancomycin via peripheral vein). The IORA group included 15 males and 47 females with a median age of 66.5 years (range, 60.0-70.0 years), while the intravenous group included 14 males and 48 females with a median age of 66.0 years (range, 61.8-70.3 years) years. Intraoperative samples were collected including fat and synovium tissues after incision, before prosthesis placement, and after tourniquet release; distal femoral cancellous bone during femoral osteotomy; proximal tibial cancellous bone during tibial osteotomy; proximal intercondylar cancellous bone before prosthesis placement; and peripheral blood from non-infused arms at surgery initiation and after tourniquet release. Vancomycin concentrations were measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Vital sign changes were recorded from admission to 5~10 minutes post-IORA (IORA group) or post-incision (intravenous group). Follow-ups were conducted on postoperative day 1 and 3, and at 1 and 3 months, to document complications including IORA-related adverse events, periprosthetic joint infections, surgical site infections, red man syndrome, acute kidney injury, deep vein thrombosis and so on.Results:Vancomycin concentrations in bone, fat, and synovial tissue samples were significantly higher in the IORA group than in the intravenous group ( P<0.05), while vancomycin concentrations in blood samples were significantly lower in the IORA group than in the intravenous group ( P<0.05). Only 7.3%(41/558) of tissue samples in the IORA group had vancomycin concentrations below 2.0 μg/g (the minimum inhibitory concentration of vancomycin against coagulase-negative staphylococcus), compared to 59.3%(331/558) in the intravenous group (χ 2=11.285, P<0.001). In the intravenous group, 16.9%(21/124) of blood samples had vancomycin concentrations exceeding 15.0 mg/L (the threshold associated with a significantly increased risk of nephrotoxicity), while all concentrations in the IORA group were below this threshold, the difference was statistically significant (χ 2=22.943, P<0.001). There were no statistically significant difference ( P>0.05) in vital signs changes before and after vancomycin administration between the two groups. Two patients in the intravenous group experienced incision exudate, while no other related complications occurred in either group. Conclusions:Compared to the traditional intravenous infusion of 1 g vancomycin, intraosseous injection of a low dose (0.5 g) of vancomycin achieves higher local tissue concentrations in the knee joint with a lower incidence of adverse reactions and is safe for infection prophylaxis. Despite guidelines not recommending the routine use of vancomycin for preventing infection after primary TKA, intraosseous injection of 0.5 g vancomycin may be considered intraoperatively for primary TKA in the following scenarios: patients in medical institutions with a high prevalence of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections, patients with potential preoperative MRSA colonization, or patients with cephalosporin allergy.
6.A multicenter clinical study on intramedullary vancomycin injection for preventing periprosthetic joint infection in total knee arthroplasty
Te LIU ; Jun FU ; Shiguang LAI ; Zhuo ZHANG ; Chi XU ; Lei GENG ; Yang LUO ; Peng REN ; Xin ZHI ; Quanbo JI ; Heng ZHANG ; Runkai ZHAO ; Haichao REN ; Ye TAO ; Qingyuan ZHENG ; Zeyu FENG ; Jianfeng YANG ; Yiming WANG ; Pengcheng LI ; Shuai LIU ; Wei CHAI ; Xiang LI ; Huiwu LI ; Xiaogang ZHANG ; Baochao JI ; Xianzhe LIU ; Xinzhan MAO ; Jianbing MA ; Xiangxiang SUN ; Jiying CHEN ; Yonggang ZHOU ; Jinliang WANG ; Weijun WANG ; Guoqiang ZHANG ; Ming NI
Chinese Journal of Orthopaedics 2025;45(12):803-811
Objective:To explore the safety and efficacy of intraosseous regional administration (IORA) of vancomycin for preventing infection in primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA).Methods:A total of 124 patients with knee osteoarthritis undergoing TKA between February 2024 and May 2024 at nine hospitals were enrolled. Preoperative infection prophylaxis involved either IORA (0.5 g vancomycin administered via intraosseous regional infusion before incision) or intravenous infusion (1 g vancomycin via peripheral vein). The IORA group included 15 males and 47 females with a median age of 66.5 years (range, 60.0-70.0 years), while the intravenous group included 14 males and 48 females with a median age of 66.0 years (range, 61.8-70.3 years) years. Intraoperative samples were collected including fat and synovium tissues after incision, before prosthesis placement, and after tourniquet release; distal femoral cancellous bone during femoral osteotomy; proximal tibial cancellous bone during tibial osteotomy; proximal intercondylar cancellous bone before prosthesis placement; and peripheral blood from non-infused arms at surgery initiation and after tourniquet release. Vancomycin concentrations were measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Vital sign changes were recorded from admission to 5~10 minutes post-IORA (IORA group) or post-incision (intravenous group). Follow-ups were conducted on postoperative day 1 and 3, and at 1 and 3 months, to document complications including IORA-related adverse events, periprosthetic joint infections, surgical site infections, red man syndrome, acute kidney injury, deep vein thrombosis and so on.Results:Vancomycin concentrations in bone, fat, and synovial tissue samples were significantly higher in the IORA group than in the intravenous group ( P<0.05), while vancomycin concentrations in blood samples were significantly lower in the IORA group than in the intravenous group ( P<0.05). Only 7.3%(41/558) of tissue samples in the IORA group had vancomycin concentrations below 2.0 μg/g (the minimum inhibitory concentration of vancomycin against coagulase-negative staphylococcus), compared to 59.3%(331/558) in the intravenous group (χ 2=11.285, P<0.001). In the intravenous group, 16.9%(21/124) of blood samples had vancomycin concentrations exceeding 15.0 mg/L (the threshold associated with a significantly increased risk of nephrotoxicity), while all concentrations in the IORA group were below this threshold, the difference was statistically significant (χ 2=22.943, P<0.001). There were no statistically significant difference ( P>0.05) in vital signs changes before and after vancomycin administration between the two groups. Two patients in the intravenous group experienced incision exudate, while no other related complications occurred in either group. Conclusions:Compared to the traditional intravenous infusion of 1 g vancomycin, intraosseous injection of a low dose (0.5 g) of vancomycin achieves higher local tissue concentrations in the knee joint with a lower incidence of adverse reactions and is safe for infection prophylaxis. Despite guidelines not recommending the routine use of vancomycin for preventing infection after primary TKA, intraosseous injection of 0.5 g vancomycin may be considered intraoperatively for primary TKA in the following scenarios: patients in medical institutions with a high prevalence of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections, patients with potential preoperative MRSA colonization, or patients with cephalosporin allergy.
7.Application of platelet-rich plasma combined with Xianling Gubao Capsule in treatment of rats with knee osteoarthritis
Zhenhua CAI ; Muzhou XIAO ; Heng LUO ; Zhilan WU ; Li LI ; Cong LÜ
Journal of Chongqing Medical University 2025;50(5):623-629
Objective:To investigate the therapeutic effect of platelet-rich plasma(PRP)combined with Xianling Gubao Capsule on rats with osteoarthritis(OA)and the changes in the levels of related factors.Methods:Anterior cruciate ligament transection was performed to establish a rat model of OA,and after modeling,the rats were randomly divided into control group,model group,Xianling Gubao Capsule group,PRP group,and Xianling Gubao Capsule+PRP group,with 10 rats in each group.After intervention,ELISA was used to measure the serum levels of IL-1β and TNF-α;knee articular cartilage was collected,and qPCR and Western blot were used to measure the mRNA and protein expression levels of MMP3,MMP13,Col2,Aggrecan,and p-p38;Micro-CT was used to assess the changes in bones around the knee joint;HE staining and SF staining were used to observe the changes in knee articular cartilage.Results:ELISA showed that PRP combined with Xianling Gubao Capsule significantly reduced the serum levels of the inflammatory factors such as IL-1β and TNF-α(P<0.05).The results of qPCR and Western blot showed that PRP combined with Xianling Gubao Capsule significantly reduced the expression levels of MMP3,MMP13,and p-p38 and increased the expression levels of Col2 and Ag-grecan in knee articular cartilage(P<0.05).Micro-CT,HE staining,and SF staining showed a certain degree of improvement in knee articular cartilage degeneration in the Xianling Gubao Capsule+PRP group(P<0.05).Conclusion:PRP combined with Xianling Gubao Capsule exerts a therapeutic effect on rats with OA,possibly by regulating the p38MAPK signaling pathway.
8.Application of metagene next-generation sequencing of alveolar lavage fluid in the detection of pathogenic bacteria of pulmonary infection
He Zhang ; Xinyue Luo ; Xin Heng ; Yun Zhang ; Songping Wang ; Jun Deng
Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2025;60(10):1917-1923,1931
Objective:
To investigate the value of metagene next⁃generation sequencing ( mNGS) in the detection of pathogens in patients with pulmonary infection.
Methods:
A retrospective analysis was performed on clinical data from 434 patients with pulmonary infections admitted over the past four years. Based on the presence of underlying comorbidities , patients were divided into underlying disease group (n = 262) and non⁃underlying disease group (n = 172) . Pathogen detection was conducted using both mNGS and conventional tests. Clinical and laboratory parameters , radiographic findings , and pathogen detection results were systematically analyzed. The diagnostic performance of the two methods in identifying causative pathogens of pulmonary infections was compared.
Results:
The positive rate of mNGS in 434 patients was higher than that of conventional tests , and the difference was statisti⁃cally significant (P < 0. 05) . The efficacy of mNGS in detecting bacteria and viruses was significantly higher than that of conventional tests , and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0. 05) . Although the fungal detection rate of mNGS was higher than that of conventional tests , the difference was not statistically significant. Among them , the detection rates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis , Mycoplasma pneumoniae , Haemophilus influenzae , Strepto⁃ coccus pneumoniae , Streptococcus constellation , Staphylococcus aureus and Aspergillus fumigatus were significantly higher than those of conventional tests , and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0. 05) . Subgroup analy- sis showed that the proportion of males , hospital stay , smoking prevalence and average age in the underlying dis- ease group were higher than those in the non-underlying disease group , and the difference was statistically signifi- cant (P < 0. 05) , while there were no significant differences in antibiotic use and endotracheal intubation rate be- tween the two groups. The most common pathogens detected by mNGS in the underlying disease group were Myco⁃ bacterium tuberculosis , Haemophilus influenzae , Streptococcus pneumoniae , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , human herpes⁃ virus type 4 and Aspergillus fumigatus , while the most common pathogens in the non-underlying disease group were Mycobacterium tuberculosis , Haemophilus influenzae , Streptococcus pneumoniae , Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Kleb⁃ siella pneumoniae. The positive rate of mNGS in the two groups was significantly higher than that of conventional tests , and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0. 05) , while the difference in the positive rate of mNGS between the two groups was not statistically significant.
Conclusion
mNGS has significant advantages over con- ventional tests of pathogen in lung infection , and is less affected by underlying diseases , which can provide an etio- logical basis for lung infection.
9.Augmentation of PRDX1-DOK3 interaction alleviates rheumatoid arthritis progression by suppressing plasma cell differentiation.
Wenzhen DANG ; Xiaomin WANG ; Huaying LI ; Yixuan XU ; Xinyu LI ; Siqi HUANG ; Hongru TAO ; Xiao LI ; Yulin YANG ; Lijiang XUAN ; Weilie XIAO ; Dean GUO ; Hao ZHANG ; Qiong WU ; Jie ZHENG ; Xiaoyan SHEN ; Kaixian CHEN ; Heng XU ; Yuanyuan ZHANG ; Cheng LUO
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(8):3997-4013
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by persistent inflammation and joint damage, accompanied by the accumulation of plasma cells, which contributes to its pathogenesis. Understanding the genetic alterations occurring during plasma cell differentiation in RA can deepen our comprehension of its pathogenesis and guide the development of targeted therapeutic interventions. Here, our study elucidates the intricate molecular mechanisms underlying plasma cell differentiation by demonstrating that PRDX1 interacts with DOK3 and modulates its degradation by the autophagy-lysosome pathway. This interaction results in the inhibition of plasma cell differentiation, thereby alleviating the progression of collagen-induced arthritis. Additionally, our investigation identifies Salvianolic acid B (SAB) as a potent small molecular glue-like compound that enhances the interaction between PRDX1 and DOK3, consequently impeding the progression of collagen-induced arthritis by inhibiting plasma cell differentiation. Collectively, these findings underscore the therapeutic potential of developing chemical stabilizers for the PRDX1-DOK3 complex in suppressing plasma cell differentiation for RA treatment and establish a theoretical basis for targeting PRDX1-protein interactions as specific therapeutic targets in various diseases.
10.Structural insights into the distinct ligand recognition and signaling of the chemerin receptors CMKLR1 and GPR1.
Xiaowen LIN ; Lechen ZHAO ; Heng CAI ; Xiaohua CHANG ; Yuxuan TANG ; Tianyu LUO ; Mengdan WU ; Cuiying YI ; Limin MA ; Xiaojing CHU ; Shuo HAN ; Qiang ZHAO ; Beili WU ; Maozhou HE ; Ya ZHU
Protein & Cell 2025;16(5):381-385


Result Analysis
Print
Save
E-mail