1.Fibroblast Growth Factors in Parkinson’s Disease: Multi-target Neuroprotective Mechanisms Involving Neuroinflammation, Cellular Stress, and Ferroptosis
Hui WANG ; Zi-Gui ZHOU ; Teng-Teng HAN ; Chang-Zhi YANG ; Xue-Wen TIAN
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(4):855-874
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the selective loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta and the pathological accumulation ofα‑synuclein. Although extensive progress has been made in elucidating its pathogenesis, current therapeutic approaches remain largely symptomatic, and effective disease-modifying treatments are still unavailable. Increasing evidence indicates that PD is driven by the interaction of multiple pathological processes, including neuroinflammation, iron homeostasis dysregulation and ferroptosis, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and impaired protein homeostasis, which together contribute to neuronal vulnerability and degeneration. Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) comprise a family of 22 ligands that play important roles in neural development, stress responses, metabolic regulation, and the maintenance of nervous system homeostasis. Recent studies have shown that several FGF family members, such as FGF1, FGF2, FGF9, and FGF21, exert neuroprotective effects in cellular and animal models of PD. These effects include the regulation of inflammatory responses, oxidative stress, iron homeostasis, cellular stress adaptation, and neuronal survival. Compared with therapeutic strategies targeting a single pathogenic pathway, FGFs appear to influence multiple disease-related processes, suggesting their potential relevance to the complex pathophysiology of PD. Experimental evidence indicates that altered FGF signaling may contribute to dopaminergic neuron dysfunction through the coordinated regulation of several interconnected mechanisms. FGFs have been reported to modulate neuroinflammation by affecting the activation of microglia and astrocytes, thereby influencing the inflammatory environment in the central nervous system. In addition, FGFs are involved in the regulation of iron homeostasis and ferroptosis, partly through antioxidant signaling pathways associated with NRF2, SLC7A11, and GPX4. Moreover, FGFs can alleviate ER stress and mitochondrial dysfunction by activating intracellular signaling pathways such as PI3K/AKT, AMPK-PGC-1α, as well as SIRT1-dependent programs, which support cellular energy metabolism and redox balance. Recent advances in single-cell and spatial transcriptomic studies further suggest that FGF signaling is not limited to neuron-intrinsic mechanisms but also involves interactions among different glial cell types. Altered FGF ligand-receptor communication between astrocytes and oligodendrocytes has been observed in PD models and is associated with increased susceptibility of dopaminergic neurons to oxidative stress and ferroptosis. These findings indicate that the biological effects of FGFs are influenced by cell type and disease stage and may vary under different pathological conditions. In this review, we summarize recent progress in understanding the roles of FGF family members in PD, with a focus on their involvement in iron homeostasis dysregulation and ferroptosis, neuroinflammation, cellular stress responses, and neuronal protection and regeneration. By integrating current evidence, this review aims to provide a clearer understanding of how FGFs participate in PD pathogenesis and to offer a theoretical basis for future studies exploring their potential value in disease-modifying therapeutic strategies.
2.Effect of timing of minimally invasive puncture and drainage on the outcome of patients with hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage in basal ganglia region
Yanhua WANG ; Teng XIE ; Xiaoping YU ; Zhijun HUANG ; Wen LIU
International Journal of Cerebrovascular Diseases 2025;33(2):108-112
Objective:To investigate the correlation between the timing of minimally invasive puncture drainage and the outcome of patients with hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage (HICH) in the basal ganglia region.Methods:Patients with HICH in the basal ganglia region underwent minimally invasive puncture and drainage at Hanchuan People's Hospital from January 2019 to September 2023 were selected. According to the timing of surgery, the patients were divided into onset to surgery time ≤12-hour group and >12-hour group. According to the modified Rankin Scale score at 90 days after onset, they were divided into a good outcome group (0-2) and a poor outcome group (>2). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the independent influencing factors of functional outcome. Results:A total of 150 patients were included, with 78 males (52.00%), aged 53.15±4.35 years (range, 40-75 years). Eighty-six patients (57.33%) underwent surgery within 12 hours after onset, while 64 (42.67%) underwent surgery after 12 hours; 97 patients (64.67%) had good outcome, while 53 (35.33%) had poor outcome. Univariate analysis showed that compared with the onset to surgery time ≤12-hour group, the onset to surgery time >12-hour group had a longer time from onset to admission, a larger postoperative hematoma volume, longer hospitalization time, lower postoperative hematoma clearance rate, and a higher proportion of patients with poor outcome and deaths within 90 days (all P<0.05). Compared with the good outcome group, the poor outcome group had a longer time from onset to admission, higher baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores, larger baseline and postoperative hematoma volumes, and a higher proportion of patients with onset to surgery time >12 hours. However, the postoperative hematoma clearance rate, baseline Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, and the proportion of patients with baseline GCS score >8 was lower in the poor outcome group (all P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the higher baseline NIHSS score (odds ratio [ OR] 1.847, 95% confidence interval [ CI] 1.362-2.503; P=0.001) and the time from onset to surgery >12 hours (compared with ≤12 hours: OR 1.347, 95% CI 1.058-1.715; P=0.016) were the independent risk factors for poor outcome, while higher baseline GCS scores ( OR 0.723, 95% CI 0.558-0.937; P=0.006) and higher postoperative hematoma clearance rates ( OR 0.615, 95% CI 0.462-0.819; P=0.004) were the independent protective factors for good outcome. Conclusion:In patients with HICH in basal ganglia, it is ideal to perform minimally invasive puncture and drainage within 12 h after onset, and the postoperative recovery is relatively better.
3.Dispersion effect of bone cement after vertebroplasty using individualized unilateral external pedicle approach and bilateral pedicle approach
Lichuang ZHANG ; Wen YANG ; Guangjiang DING ; Peikun LI ; Zhongyu XIAO ; Ying CHEN ; Xue FANG ; Teng ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2025;29(4):800-808
BACKGROUND:According to existing clinical studies,vertebroplasty treatment with both the external pedicle approach and the pedicle approach can improve the pain and quality of life of patients with spinal compression fractures.Compared with the pedicle approach,the external pedicle approach has a freer puncture angle,and good bone cement dispersion effect can be obtained by adjusting the puncture angle. OBJECTIVE:To compare the impact of vertebroplasty through individualized unilateral external pedicle approach and bilateral pedicle approach on the treatment of spinal compression fractures by quantifying the dispersion effect of bone cement. METHODS:A total of 80 patients with thoracolumbar compression fracture were divided into two groups by random number table method.The bilateral pedicle group(n=40)underwent vertebroplasty through a bilateral pedicle approach,while the unilateral external pedicle group(n=40)underwent individualized vertebroplasty through a unilateral external pedicle approach.Anteroposterior and lateral X-rays of the affected vertebrae from two groups of patients were photographed to assess effect and type of bone cement dispersion within 3 days after surgery.Visual analog scale score,tenderness threshold around fracture,and Oswestry dysfunction index were assessed before,1,7 days,and 1 month after surgery. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Dispersion effect of bone cement in unilateral external pedicle group was better than that in bilateral pedicle group(P<0.001),and the amount of bone cement perfusion was higher than that in bilateral pedicle group(P<0.001).In the bilateral pedicle group,the bone cement dispersion types were mainly concentrated in type Ⅰ and type Ⅲ,while in the unilateral external pedicle group,the bone cement dispersion types were mainly concentrated in type I and type Ⅱ,and there was a significant difference in bone cement dispersion types between the two groups(P<0.001).(2)Postoperative visual analog scale scores and Oswestry disability index of both groups were lower than those before surgery(P<0.001),and postoperative tenderness threshold around fracture showed a trend of decreasing first and then increasing.At the same time point after treatment,there were no significant differences in visual analog scale score,Oswestry disability index,and tenderness threshold around fracture between the two groups(P>0.05).(3)The results indicate that individualized vertebroplasty via unilateral external pedicle approach can achieve better bone cement dispersion,and the treatment effect is consistent with the vertebroplasty via classical bilateral pedicle approach.
4.Huotan Jiedu Tongluo Decoction inhibits ferroptosis by regulating Nrf2/GPX4 pathway to ameliorate atherosclerotic lesions in ApoE~(-/-) mice.
Di GAO ; Teng-Hui TIAN ; Ke-Ying YU ; Xiao SHAO ; Wen XUE ; Zhi-Xuan ZHAO ; Yue DENG
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(7):1908-1919
The purpose of this study was to clarify the effect of Huotan Jiedu Tongluo Decoction on atherosclerosis(AS) injury in ApoE~(-/-) mice by regulating the ferroptosis pathway. Seventy-five ApoE~(-/-) mice were randomly divided into model group, low-, medium-, and high-dose of Huotan Jiedu Tongluo Decoction groups, and evolocumab group(n=15), and 15 C57BL/6J mice were selected as the blank group. Mice in the blank group were fed with a normal diet, and those in the other groups were fed with a high-fat diet to induce AS. From the 9th week, mice in Huotan Jiedu Tongluo Decoction groups were administrated with Huotan Jiedu Tongluo Decoction at corresponding doses by gavage, and those in the blank group and the model group were given an equal volume of distilled water. Mice in the evolocumab group were treated with evolocumab 18.2 mg·kg~(-1 )by subcutaneous injection every 2 weeks. After 8 weeks of continuous intervention, oil red O staining and hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining were employed to observe the lipid deposition and plaque formation in the aortic root. Masson staining was used to evaluate the collagen content in the aortic root. The serum levels of total cholesterol(TC), triglycerides(TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C) were determined by biochemical kits. The levels of Fe~(2+), superoxide dismutase(SOD), malondialdehyde(MDA), and glutathione(GSH) in the aorta were measured by colorimetry. The protein and mRNA levels of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2(Nrf2), glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4), solute carrier family 7 member 11(SLC7A11), and acyl-CoA synthetase long chain family member 4(ACSL4) in the aorta were detected by Western blot and RT-qPCR, respectively. The expression of Nrf2, GPX4, and SLC7A11 was localized by immunofluorescence. The results showed that low-, medium-, and high-dose Huotan Jiedu Tongluo Decoction reduced the plaque formation of aortic root and increased the collagen content in AS mice. At the same time, Huotan Jiedu Tongluo Decoction improved the lipid metabolism by lowering the levels of TC, LDL-C, and TG and elevating the level of HDL-C in the serum. Huotan Jiedu Tongluo Decoction enhanced the antioxidant capacity by elevating the levels of GSH and SOD and lowering the level of MDA in the aorta and inhibiting the accumulation of Fe~(2+) in the aorta. In addition, Huotan Jiedu Tongluo Decoction up-regulated the protein and mRNA levels of Nrf2, GPX4, and SLC7A11, while down-regulating the protein and mRNA levels of ACSL4. In summary, Huotan Jiedu Tongluo Decoction can effectively alleviate AS lesions in ApoE~(-/-) mice by activating the Nrf2/GPX4 pathway, reducing lipid peroxidation, and inhibiting ferroptosis.
Animals
;
Ferroptosis/drug effects*
;
Atherosclerosis/metabolism*
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage*
;
NF-E2-Related Factor 2/genetics*
;
Mice
;
Mice, Inbred C57BL
;
Apolipoproteins E/metabolism*
;
Male
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Phospholipid Hydroperoxide Glutathione Peroxidase/genetics*
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Signal Transduction/drug effects*
;
Humans
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Mice, Knockout
5.Optimal harvesting period of cultivated Notopterygium incisum based on HPLC specific chromatogram combined with chemometrics and entropy weight-gray correlation analysis.
Jing-Cheng WANG ; Hong-Bing SUN ; Teng LIU ; Wen-Tao ZHU ; Hong-Lan WANG ; Yi ZHOU ; Wei-Yan WANG ; Ping YANG ; Shun-Yuan JIANG
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(14):3878-3886
To determine the optimal cultivation duration and harvest period for cultivated Notopterygium incisum and promote its industrial development, this study established a characteristic chromatographic profile of cultivated N. incisum and employed chemometrics combined with entropy-weighted grey correlation analysis to assess differences in agronomic traits and quality indicators across different cultivation years and harvest periods. By comparing with reference substances, ten common peaks were identified, including chlorogenic acid, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, marmesinin, nodakenin, isochlorogenic acid B, notopterol, phenethyl ferulate, isoimperatorin, and falcarindiol. The similarity between the characteristic chromatographic profiles of N. incisum at different cultivation years and the reference profile was all above 0.932. Principal component analysis(PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA) revealed that the quality of 1-to 3-year-old cultivated N. incisum was highly dispersed and unstable, whereas the quality of 4-year-old cultivated N. incisum remained relatively stable across different harvest periods. This suggests that the accumulation of relevant compounds in the medicinal material had reached a plateau, confirming that the optimal cultivation period for N. incisum is four years. Entropy-weighted grey correlation analysis indicated that the quality of 4-year-old cultivated N. incisum across different harvest periods ranked from highest to lowest as follows: November, December, October, August, July, and September, demonstrating that November is the optimal harvest time. The findings of this study establish the suitable cultivation duration and optimal harvest period for N. incisum, providing a scientific basis for cultivation guidance and quality standardization.
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods*
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Apiaceae/chemistry*
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Entropy
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Chemometrics/methods*
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Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry*
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Principal Component Analysis
;
Quality Control
6.Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Dementia: Evidence Triangulation from a Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies and Mendelian Randomization Study.
Di LIU ; Mei Ling CAO ; Shan Shan WU ; Bing Li LI ; Yi Wen JIANG ; Teng Fei LIN ; Fu Xiao LI ; Wei Jie CAO ; Jin Qiu YUAN ; Feng SHA ; Zhi Rong YANG ; Jin Ling TANG
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2025;38(1):56-66
OBJECTIVE:
Observational studies have found associations between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and the risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's dementia (AD) and vascular dementia (VD); however, these findings are inconsistent. It remains unclear whether these associations are causal.
METHODS:
We conducted a meta-analysis by systematically searching for observational studies on the association between IBD and dementia. Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis based on summary genome-wide association studies (GWASs) was performed. Genetic correlation and Bayesian co-localization analyses were used to provide robust genetic evidence.
RESULTS:
Ten observational studies involving 80,565,688 participants were included in this meta-analysis. IBD was significantly associated with dementia (risk ratio [ RR] =1.36, 95% CI = 1.04-1.78; I 2 = 84.8%) and VD ( RR = 2.60, 95% CI = 1.18-5.70; only one study), but not with AD ( RR = 2.00, 95% CI = 0.96-4.13; I 2 = 99.8%). MR analyses did not supported significant causal associations of IBD with dementia (dementia: odds ratio [ OR] = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.98-1.03; AD: OR = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.95-1.01; VD: OR = 1.02, 95% CI = 0.97-1.07). In addition, genetic correlation and co-localization analyses did not reveal any genetic associations between IBD and dementia.
CONCLUSION
Our study did not provide genetic evidence for a causal association between IBD and dementia risk. The increased risk of dementia observed in observational studies may be attributed to unobserved confounding factors or detection bias.
Humans
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Mendelian Randomization Analysis
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Inflammatory Bowel Diseases/complications*
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Dementia/etiology*
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Observational Studies as Topic
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Genome-Wide Association Study
7.Clinical Applications of Circulating Tumor DNA in Response Evaluation and Relapse Monitoring of Primary Mediastinal Large B-Cell Lymphoma.
Lu PAN ; Xin-Miao JIANG ; Yan TENG ; Ning WANG ; Ling HUANG ; Han-Guo GUO ; Si-Chu LIU ; Xiao-Juan WEI ; Fei-Li CHEN ; Zhan-Li LIANG ; Wen-Yu LI
Journal of Experimental Hematology 2025;33(2):407-415
OBJECTIVE:
To explore the clinical significance of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in response evaluation and relapse monitoring for patients with primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL).
METHODS:
The clinical characteristics, efficacy and survival of 38 PMBCL patients in our hospital from January 2010 to April 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. The ctDNA monitoring was conducted by targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS).
RESULTS:
Among the 38 patients, 26 cases were female, and 32 cases were diagnosed with Ann Arbor stage I-II. The 5-year overall survival (OS) rate and progression-free survival (PFS) rate were 74.7% and 61.7%, respectively. Males and those with high aaIPI scores (3 points) had a relatively poor prognosis. The NGS results of 23 patients showed that STAT6 (65.2%), SOCS1 (56.5%), and TNFAIP3 (56.5%) were the most common mutated genes. Patients with stable disease (SD)/progressive disease (PD) exhibited enrichment in cell cycle, FoxO, and TNF signaling pathways. A total of 29 patients underwent end-of-treatment PET/CT (EOT PET/CT), and 16 of them received ctDNA monitoring with 12 negative. Among 6 patients with EOT PET/CT positive (Deauville 4), 4 underwent ctDNA monitoring, and 3 of them were negative, being still in continuous remission without any subsequent anti-tumor therapy.
CONCLUSION
CtDNA may be combined with PET/CT to assess efficacy, monitor relapse, and guide treatment of PMBCL.
Humans
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Circulating Tumor DNA/blood*
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Female
;
Mediastinal Neoplasms
;
Male
;
Retrospective Studies
;
High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing
;
Prognosis
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Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse/genetics*
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Middle Aged
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Adult
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Aged
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Neoplasm Recurrence, Local
;
Mutation
8.A preclinical and first-in-human study of superstable homogeneous radiolipiodol for revolutionizing interventional diagnosis and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.
Hu CHEN ; Yongfu XIONG ; Minglei TENG ; Yesen LI ; Deliang ZHANG ; Yongjun REN ; Zheng LI ; Hui LIU ; Xiaofei WEN ; Zhenjie LI ; Yang ZHANG ; Syed Faheem ASKARI RIZVI ; Rongqiang ZHUANG ; Jinxiong HUANG ; Suping LI ; Jingsong MAO ; Hongwei CHENG ; Gang LIU
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(10):5022-5035
Transarterial radioembolization (TARE) is a widely utilized therapeutic approach for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), however, the clinical implementation is constrained by the stringent preparation conditions of radioembolization agents. Herein, we incorporated the superstable homogeneous iodinated formulation technology (SHIFT), simultaneously utilizing an enhanced solvent form in a carbon dioxide supercritical fluid environment, to encapsulate radionuclides (such as 131I,177Lu, or 18F) with lipiodol for the preparation of radiolipiodol. The resulting radiolipiodol exhibited exceptional stability and ultra-high labeling efficiency (≥99%) and displayed notable intratumoral radionuclide retention and in vivo stability more than 2 weeks following locoregional injection in subcutaneous tumors in mice and orthotopic liver tumors in rats and rabbits. Given these encouraging findings, 18F was authorized as a radiotracer in radiolipiodol for clinical trials in HCC patients, and showed a favorable tumor accumulation, with a tumor-to-liver uptake ratio of ≥50 and minimal radionuclide leakage, confirming the feasibility of SHIFT for TARE applications. In the context of transforming from preclinical to clinical screening, the preparation of radiolipiodol by SHIFT represents an innovative physical strategy for radionuclide encapsulation. Hence, this work offers a reliable and efficient approach for TARE in HCC, showing considerable promise for clinical application (ChiCTR2400087731).
9.Advances in the application of dual-task training in older adults with cognitive frailty
Chunhao DAI ; Wen LI ; Teng YANG ; Minmin LENG ; Luyao YAN ; Ziting XU ; Haoyuan LI ; Lijuan YANG
Chinese Journal of Modern Nursing 2025;31(28):3915-3920
Cognitive frailty, a novel concept in geriatric medicine, has become a focal point of recent research. Dual-task training, which innovatively integrates physical activity with cognitive rehabilitation, has shown promise in simultaneously enhancing motor function and cognitive performance in older adults with cognitive frailty. This review summarizes the concept of dual-task training, its application modalities, and its effectiveness in this population. It also proposes strategies for further implementation, aiming to provide a reference for future research and practical applications of dual-task training in cognitively frail older adults.
10.Mechanisms and intervention strategies of aging based on epigenetics
Li-yuan ZHANG ; Hao-nan SHI ; Wen-feng ZHANG ; Ming-qian ZHANG ; Zi-yang ZHAO ; Zhen-zhen CHENG ; Ti ZHANG ; Zhen-teng YAN ; Jian-ning SUN ; Shi-fen DONG
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2025;41(12):2230-2235
Aging is comprehensively influenced by multiple fac-tors such as internal genes,cellular metabolism,external envi-ronment,and lifestyle habits.Among them,epigenetic regula-tion plays a core role.Epigenetic modifications,including DNA methylation,histone modification,heterochromatin remodeling,and non-coding RNA regulation,act in concert with the three-di-mensional genome architecture to precisely regulate gene expres-sion.This review elaborates on the factors influencing epigenetic regulation,as well as the mechanisms of how epigenetics affects the occurrence of organismal aging and the corresponding inter-vention strategies,providing relevant insights for uncovering the mechanisms of aging and preventing/treating aging-related disea-ses.

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