1.Association between thyroid function and osteoporosis:genome-wide data analysis of European populations
Hao ZENG ; Pengcheng SUN ; Yuan CHAI ; Yourong HUANG ; Chi ZHANG ; Xiaoyun ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2026;30(4):1019-1027
BACKGROUND:Several observational studies have found a strong association between thyroid function and its related disorders and osteoporosis,but the causal relationship is unclear.OBJECTIVE:To ascertain the causal relationship between genetically predicted thyroid function and its associated disorders,as well as osteoporosis,through the Mendelian randomization analysis with extensive pooled genetic data.METHODS:Pooled data from genome-wide association studies were employed to investigate the causal relationship between thyroid function and its associated disorders and osteoporosis.This was achieved through the utilization of the inverse variance weighting method as the primary Mendelian randomization analysis method,in conjunction with the MR-Egger method,weighted median method,simple model method,and weighted model method.A two-step mediated Mendelian randomization analysis was used to calculate the mediating effect of drug-mediated thyroid dysfunction on osteoporosis and the mediating proportion.Subsequently,sensitivity analyses were conducted using the MR-Egger intercept test and MR-PRESSO to detect multiplicity,Cochran's Q test to detect heterogeneity,and leave-one-out to perform sensitivity analyses.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The results of the inverse variance weighting method showed that thyroid function had an effect on bone mineral density,and that thyrotropin,free triiodothyronine on bone mineral density,free thyroxine,and subclinical hyperthyroidism all had a causal effect on bone mineral density.(2)In addition,mediation analyses revealed a potential mediating effect of carbimazole in the causal relationship between hyperthyroidism and the risk of developing osteoporosis,as well as a potential mediating effect of levothyroxine sodium in the causal relationship between hypothyroidism and the risk of developing osteoporosis.(3)In conclusion,thyrotropin,which is high in the normal range,has been demonstrated to increase bone mineral density.Conversely,free triiodothyronine and free thyroxine,which are also high within the normal range,as well as subclinical hyperthyroidism,have been shown to decrease bone mineral density.The risk of developing osteoporosis is partially mediated by the pathway of taking the therapeutic medication in the context of pharmacologic treatment of thyroid dysfunction.(4)The present study primarily focuses on European population data.However,given the commonality of the genetic background and the generalizability of genome-wide data analysis methods,it is of significant importance to explore the pathogenesis of osteoporosis in the Chinese population,develop effective interventions,and provide genetic counseling.
2.Association between thyroid function and osteoporosis:genome-wide data analysis of European populations
Hao ZENG ; Pengcheng SUN ; Yuan CHAI ; Yourong HUANG ; Chi ZHANG ; Xiaoyun ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2026;30(4):1019-1027
BACKGROUND:Several observational studies have found a strong association between thyroid function and its related disorders and osteoporosis,but the causal relationship is unclear.OBJECTIVE:To ascertain the causal relationship between genetically predicted thyroid function and its associated disorders,as well as osteoporosis,through the Mendelian randomization analysis with extensive pooled genetic data.METHODS:Pooled data from genome-wide association studies were employed to investigate the causal relationship between thyroid function and its associated disorders and osteoporosis.This was achieved through the utilization of the inverse variance weighting method as the primary Mendelian randomization analysis method,in conjunction with the MR-Egger method,weighted median method,simple model method,and weighted model method.A two-step mediated Mendelian randomization analysis was used to calculate the mediating effect of drug-mediated thyroid dysfunction on osteoporosis and the mediating proportion.Subsequently,sensitivity analyses were conducted using the MR-Egger intercept test and MR-PRESSO to detect multiplicity,Cochran's Q test to detect heterogeneity,and leave-one-out to perform sensitivity analyses.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The results of the inverse variance weighting method showed that thyroid function had an effect on bone mineral density,and that thyrotropin,free triiodothyronine on bone mineral density,free thyroxine,and subclinical hyperthyroidism all had a causal effect on bone mineral density.(2)In addition,mediation analyses revealed a potential mediating effect of carbimazole in the causal relationship between hyperthyroidism and the risk of developing osteoporosis,as well as a potential mediating effect of levothyroxine sodium in the causal relationship between hypothyroidism and the risk of developing osteoporosis.(3)In conclusion,thyrotropin,which is high in the normal range,has been demonstrated to increase bone mineral density.Conversely,free triiodothyronine and free thyroxine,which are also high within the normal range,as well as subclinical hyperthyroidism,have been shown to decrease bone mineral density.The risk of developing osteoporosis is partially mediated by the pathway of taking the therapeutic medication in the context of pharmacologic treatment of thyroid dysfunction.(4)The present study primarily focuses on European population data.However,given the commonality of the genetic background and the generalizability of genome-wide data analysis methods,it is of significant importance to explore the pathogenesis of osteoporosis in the Chinese population,develop effective interventions,and provide genetic counseling.
3.Analysis of follicular helper T cell percentage and expression levels of functionally related cytokines in a mouse model of incomplete embryo implantation disorders
Peng WANG ; Xiaoyun GONG ; Manli ZHANG ; Yunian ZHANG ; Xiaolin LA
Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2026;61(1):38-44
ObjectiveTo detect the proportion of splenic follicular helper T (Tfh) cells and their functionally related cytokine expression levels in the incomplete embryo implantation disorder (EID) model mice, and to explore the immunological mechanism of Tfh in infertility caused by embryo implantation disorder. MethodsSixteen female Kunming mice were randomly divided into two groups, with eight mice in each group. On day 4 of pregnancy, an incomplete EID mouse model was established by oral gavage of mifepristone suspension, while an equal volume of saline was administered to the control group. On day 8 of pregnancy, the mice were euthanized. Flow cytometry was used to detect the levels of Tfh cells in the spleen lymphocytes of both incomplete EID mice and normal control mice. qRT-PCR was performed to measure the mRNA levels of B-cell lymphoma 6 (Bcl-6) and C-X-C chemokine receptor type 5 protein (CXCR5) in the spleen lymphocytes of both groups. Western blot was employed to assess the protein expression levels of Bcl-6 and CXCR5 in the spleen lymphocytes of both groups. Serum levels of interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-6, and IL-21 were measured by ELISA. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to observe the expression levels of progesterone receptor (PR), Bcl-6, and CXCR5 proteins in the uterine endometrial tissue of mice in both groups. ResultsIncomplete-type EID mice had a reduced number of embryo implantation points and reduced endometrial PR expression. Flow assay results showed that the proportion of CD4+CXCR5+Tfh cells in splenic lymphocytes of incomplete-type EID mice was significantly higher than that of normal controls (P<0.05). Compared with the normal control group, Bcl-6 and CXCR5 mRNA levels and protein levels were elevated in splenic lymphocytes of incomplete EID mice, with statistically significant differences (P<0.05); serum IL-4, IL-6, and IL-21 levels were elevated in incomplete EID mice, and Bcl-6 and CXCR5 proteins in the endometrium were significantly elevated (P<0.05). ConclusionThe increase of Tfh cells and their associated cytokines Bcl-6 and CXCR5 is associated with the development of incomplete EID, and may be involved in the development of female immune infertility.
4.Biological functions of SMYD5 and its role in disease
Fangfang ZHANG ; Haodan LIU ; Ruirui YANG ; Xuan LI ; Changli WANG ; Guangbin YE ; Xiaoyun BIN
Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2026;61(4):782-788
SMYD5 is a ribosomal methyltransferase with SET and MYND structural domains, which is a member of the SMYD family and is expressed in a variety of tissues, including ovary and testis. This enzyme participates in biological processes such as gene expression regulation, cell development and differentiation, and maintenance of genomic stability through ribosomal protein methylation modification. In recent years, research on SMYD5 has increased in cancers including hepatocellular carcinoma, gastric adenocarcinoma, and lung cancer. Studies have revealed that SMYD5 exhibits high expression levels in various diseases including hepatocellular carcinoma, gastric adenocarcinoma, lung cancer, and inflammatory bowel disease, influencing the progression of these conditions. This review summarizes the role of SMYD5 in hepatocellular carcinoma, inflammatory bowel disease, and other biological functions, aiming to provide a reference for related disease research.
5.Application value of multi-slice spiral computed tomography in diagnosis of early-stage lung cancer
Desheng JIANG ; Xiaoyun ZHANG ; Jin WANG
Chinese Journal of Radiological Health 2026;35(3):421-426
Objective This study aims to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of multi-slice spiral CT in early lung cancer and provide evidence for clinical differentiation. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 86 patients with early-stage lung cancer admitted to our hospital between March 2020 and February 2025. All patients underwent MSCT examination. Using pathological examination as the gold standard, the consistency between MSCT and the gold standard was analyzed. CT sign differences among patients with different pathological types of lung cancer were compared. Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyze the relationships between CT signs and the degree of adenocarcinoma infiltration. Results MSCT examination showed positive findings in 75 cases of adenocarcinoma, with a sensitivity of 97.40%, a specificity of 88.89%, a positive predictive value of 98.68%, a negative predictive value of 80.00%, an accuracy of 96.51%, and a Kappa value of 0.823. Significant differences were found in the proportions of tumor maximum diameter > 2 cm, vacuole sign, ground-glass opacity sign, lobulation sign, spiculation sign, air bronchogram sign, pleural indentation sign, and vascular convergence sign (P<0.05), and these proportions increased progressively from carcinoma in situ to minimally invasive adenocarcinoma to invasive adenocarcinoma. Pearson correlation analysis showed that tumor maximum diameter, vacuole sign, ground-glass opacity sign, and pleural indentation sign were positively correlated with adenocarcinoma, while spiculation sign and vascular convergence sign were negatively correlated with adenocarcinoma (P<0.05). Conclusion MSCT demonstrates high diagnostic efficiency for early-stage lung adenocarcinoma and can provide a reference for early clinical evaluation.
6.MRI-based deep learning-radiomics ensemble model for predicting postpartum hemorrhage in high-risk pregnancies
Qi ZHANG ; Haijie WANG ; Xiaoyun LIANG ; Hao ZHU ; Guang YANG
Chinese Journal of Medical Physics 2025;42(11):1523-1531
Objective To develop a predictive model integrating clinical features,deep learning(DL),and radiomics based on T2-weighted imaging for prenatal assessment of postpartum hemorrhage(PPH)risk in high-risk pregnant women.Methods A total of 538 pregnant women with ultrasound-reported high-risk placenta accrete were retrospectively enrolled and divided into training,internal test,and external test cohorts.A nnUNet model was trained for automatic placental segmentation.Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted on clinical features to identify those associated with PPH.Quantitative radiomic features were extracted from the placental region,and a random forest model was developed to predict estimated blood loss(EBL)and PPH risk.A DenseNet-based multi-task DL model was trained to predict PPH risk,EBL,and placenta previa status.Finally,a DL-radiomics ensemble(DRE)model was constructed by integrating clinical features,DL outputs,and radiomics scores.Diagnostic performance was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUC)and DeLong test.Results The DRE model achieved AUC values of 0.874(95%CI:0.792-0.951)and 0.836(95%CI:0.648-0.974)in the internal and external test cohorts,respectively,significantly outperforming the standalone clinical,DL,and radiomics models.Incorporation of EBL regression improved the performance of the PPH classification model,with the external test AUC increasing from 0.261-0.788 to 0.836.Conclusion The DRE model integrating DL and radiomics can efficiently predict PPH risk and assist in the clinical management of high-risk pregnancies.
7.Effects of treadmill exercise on hippocampal autophagy-induced apoptosis in ovariectomized stressed rats
Yanli SONG ; Xi ZHANG ; Yangbo GUO ; Xiaomei LING ; Linhai LI ; Zixin YANG ; Xiaoyun SU ; Jianmei CUI
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2025;29(18):3848-3855
BACKGROUND:Apoptosis and autophagy imbalance in the hippocampal region of perimenopausal depressed rats are closely related to cognitive decline.Whether aerobic exercise can reduce apoptosis by promoting hippocampal autophagy and thus improve the learning and memory abilities of perimenopausal depressed rats is not clear.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the possible mechanism by which 4-week moderate-intensity treadmill exercise improves learning memory ability in ovariectomized stressed rats.METHODS:Forty Sprague-Dawely rats were randomly divided into four groups,namely,sham operation group(n=10),ovariectomized group(n=10),ovariectomized stress group(n=10)and ovariectomized stress exercise group(n=10).Except for the sham operation group,the ovaries were removed in the other three groups to establish a perimenopausal rat model,and then a depressed rat model was established by chronic unpredictable stress in the latter two groups.The rats in the ovariectomized stress exercise group underwent a 4-week moderate-intensity treadmill exercise.Tail suspension test and sucrose preference test were performed to text depression-like behaviors in rats after exercise and stress.The eight-arm maze experiment was used to test the learning and memory behaviors of rats after exercise and stress.Western blot was used to detect the protein levels of AMP-activated protein kinase/UNC-51 like autophagy activating kinase 1/mammalian target of rapamycin(AMPK/mTOR/ULK1),hippocampus apoptotic factor Caspase-3 and the protein expression of autophagy markers LC-3II/Beclin-1 in the hippocampus.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Compared with the sham operation group,rats in the ovariectomized and ovariectomized stress groups had prolonged resting time in the tail suspension test and decreased sugar-water intake and sugar-water preference in the sucrose preference test.(2)Ovary removal reduced the learning memory capacity of rats,as evidenced behaviorally by a significant increase in the number of working memory errors,the number of reference memory errors,and the completion time,and an even more pronounced increase in the above measures in the ovariectomized stress group.(3)Compared with the ovariectomized group,there was a significant reduction in the number of working memory errors,the number of reference memory errors,and the completion time in the ovariectomized stress group.(4)Compared with the sham operation group,in the ovariectomized and ovariectomized stress groups,the expression of hippocampal apoptotic factor Caspase 3 protein was significantly elevated,the expression of autophagy-related factors proteins Beclin-1 and LC3II,as well as the protein expression of AMPK and ULK1,was decreased,whereas the expression of mTOR protein was elevated.Changes in the above indicators were more significant in the ovariectomized stress group.(5)Compared with the ovariectomized stress group,in the ovariectomized stress exercise group,the protein expression of Caspase 3 was significantly decreased,the protein expression of Beclin-1 and LC3II was significantly increased,the protein expression of AMPK and ULK1 was significantly increased,and the protein expression of mTOR was significantly reduced.To conclude,4-week moderate-intensity treadmill exercise may promote cellular autophagy and reduce apoptosis through the AMPK/mTOR/ULK1 autophagy signaling pathway,thereby enhancing the learning and memory capacity of rats with ovariectomized depression
8.Current status and trends of research on animal models of postmenopausal osteoporosis:a bibliometric visualization analysis
Xiaoyun ZHANG ; Kunjian LI ; Jian MO ; Yuan CHAI ; Yourong HUANG
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2025;29(14):3070-3080
BACKGROUND:In recent years,postmenopausal osteoporosis has been widely concerned by the society.With the gradual deepening of the research on animal models,animal models have become an important means of modern traditional Chinese medicine research as well as the experimental basis.Therefore,it is particularly important to understand the current status,hotspots,and development trend of the research on animal models.OBJECTIVE:To analyze the research status,hotspots,and development trend of animal models of postmenopausal osteoporosis at home and abroad,and to provide a certain theoretical foundation and reference basis for subsequent research.METHODS:Using"Subject=Postmenopausal osteoporosis AND Subject line=Mouse+Rabbit+Dog+Pig+Sheep+Monkey+Fish+Laboratory animals+Animal experimentation"in Chinese as the search formula,we searched for relevant literature published from January 1,1999 to October 1,2023 in CNKI and WanFang databases.Meanwhile,the articles published from January 1,1999 to October 1,2023 in the Web of Science Core Collection database were searched using"TS=(Postmenopausal osteoporosis)AND TS=(mouse OR mice OR rat OR rabbit OR dog OR swine OR pig OR sheep OR monkey OR fish OR flies OR"laboratory animal"OR"experiment animal"as the search formula.CiteSpace software was applied to visualize and analyze the authors,institutions,countries,keywords,and literature co-citations.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)After analyzing and screening,1 238 documents were included in the CNKI and WanFang databases,and 3 419 documents were included in the Web of Science Core Collection database.The overall number of articles issued since 1999 has been on an upward trend,with the highest research centrality in the United States,the highest number of articles issued in China.Moreover,the institution with the highest research centrality is the University of California.(2)After removing the keywords directly related to the article topics and synthesizing the co-occurrence frequency and centrality,"biomechanics,""Zuo Gui Wan,""alendronate,""breast cancer,"and"biochemical indicators"are in the core of the research field.(3)According to the analysis of co-citations,among the top 10 cited documents,5 of them are related to the treatment measures and clinical efficacy of postmenopausal osteoporosis.(4)Based on the analysis of keywords and co-cited literature,investigations on osteoblast formation and the mechanism of bone formation,the mechanism of metabolomics,the treatment of traditional Chinese medicine,signaling pathway,parathyroid hormone treatment,and sclerostin antibody treatment are the hot research topics now and the future research trends.
9.Effects of treadmill exercise on hippocampal autophagy-induced apoptosis in ovariectomized stressed rats
Yanli SONG ; Xi ZHANG ; Yangbo GUO ; Xiaomei LING ; Linhai LI ; Zixin YANG ; Xiaoyun SU ; Jianmei CUI
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2025;29(18):3848-3855
BACKGROUND:Apoptosis and autophagy imbalance in the hippocampal region of perimenopausal depressed rats are closely related to cognitive decline.Whether aerobic exercise can reduce apoptosis by promoting hippocampal autophagy and thus improve the learning and memory abilities of perimenopausal depressed rats is not clear.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the possible mechanism by which 4-week moderate-intensity treadmill exercise improves learning memory ability in ovariectomized stressed rats.METHODS:Forty Sprague-Dawely rats were randomly divided into four groups,namely,sham operation group(n=10),ovariectomized group(n=10),ovariectomized stress group(n=10)and ovariectomized stress exercise group(n=10).Except for the sham operation group,the ovaries were removed in the other three groups to establish a perimenopausal rat model,and then a depressed rat model was established by chronic unpredictable stress in the latter two groups.The rats in the ovariectomized stress exercise group underwent a 4-week moderate-intensity treadmill exercise.Tail suspension test and sucrose preference test were performed to text depression-like behaviors in rats after exercise and stress.The eight-arm maze experiment was used to test the learning and memory behaviors of rats after exercise and stress.Western blot was used to detect the protein levels of AMP-activated protein kinase/UNC-51 like autophagy activating kinase 1/mammalian target of rapamycin(AMPK/mTOR/ULK1),hippocampus apoptotic factor Caspase-3 and the protein expression of autophagy markers LC-3II/Beclin-1 in the hippocampus.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Compared with the sham operation group,rats in the ovariectomized and ovariectomized stress groups had prolonged resting time in the tail suspension test and decreased sugar-water intake and sugar-water preference in the sucrose preference test.(2)Ovary removal reduced the learning memory capacity of rats,as evidenced behaviorally by a significant increase in the number of working memory errors,the number of reference memory errors,and the completion time,and an even more pronounced increase in the above measures in the ovariectomized stress group.(3)Compared with the ovariectomized group,there was a significant reduction in the number of working memory errors,the number of reference memory errors,and the completion time in the ovariectomized stress group.(4)Compared with the sham operation group,in the ovariectomized and ovariectomized stress groups,the expression of hippocampal apoptotic factor Caspase 3 protein was significantly elevated,the expression of autophagy-related factors proteins Beclin-1 and LC3II,as well as the protein expression of AMPK and ULK1,was decreased,whereas the expression of mTOR protein was elevated.Changes in the above indicators were more significant in the ovariectomized stress group.(5)Compared with the ovariectomized stress group,in the ovariectomized stress exercise group,the protein expression of Caspase 3 was significantly decreased,the protein expression of Beclin-1 and LC3II was significantly increased,the protein expression of AMPK and ULK1 was significantly increased,and the protein expression of mTOR was significantly reduced.To conclude,4-week moderate-intensity treadmill exercise may promote cellular autophagy and reduce apoptosis through the AMPK/mTOR/ULK1 autophagy signaling pathway,thereby enhancing the learning and memory capacity of rats with ovariectomized depression
10.Current status and trends of research on animal models of postmenopausal osteoporosis:a bibliometric visualization analysis
Xiaoyun ZHANG ; Kunjian LI ; Jian MO ; Yuan CHAI ; Yourong HUANG
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2025;29(14):3070-3080
BACKGROUND:In recent years,postmenopausal osteoporosis has been widely concerned by the society.With the gradual deepening of the research on animal models,animal models have become an important means of modern traditional Chinese medicine research as well as the experimental basis.Therefore,it is particularly important to understand the current status,hotspots,and development trend of the research on animal models.OBJECTIVE:To analyze the research status,hotspots,and development trend of animal models of postmenopausal osteoporosis at home and abroad,and to provide a certain theoretical foundation and reference basis for subsequent research.METHODS:Using"Subject=Postmenopausal osteoporosis AND Subject line=Mouse+Rabbit+Dog+Pig+Sheep+Monkey+Fish+Laboratory animals+Animal experimentation"in Chinese as the search formula,we searched for relevant literature published from January 1,1999 to October 1,2023 in CNKI and WanFang databases.Meanwhile,the articles published from January 1,1999 to October 1,2023 in the Web of Science Core Collection database were searched using"TS=(Postmenopausal osteoporosis)AND TS=(mouse OR mice OR rat OR rabbit OR dog OR swine OR pig OR sheep OR monkey OR fish OR flies OR"laboratory animal"OR"experiment animal"as the search formula.CiteSpace software was applied to visualize and analyze the authors,institutions,countries,keywords,and literature co-citations.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)After analyzing and screening,1 238 documents were included in the CNKI and WanFang databases,and 3 419 documents were included in the Web of Science Core Collection database.The overall number of articles issued since 1999 has been on an upward trend,with the highest research centrality in the United States,the highest number of articles issued in China.Moreover,the institution with the highest research centrality is the University of California.(2)After removing the keywords directly related to the article topics and synthesizing the co-occurrence frequency and centrality,"biomechanics,""Zuo Gui Wan,""alendronate,""breast cancer,"and"biochemical indicators"are in the core of the research field.(3)According to the analysis of co-citations,among the top 10 cited documents,5 of them are related to the treatment measures and clinical efficacy of postmenopausal osteoporosis.(4)Based on the analysis of keywords and co-cited literature,investigations on osteoblast formation and the mechanism of bone formation,the mechanism of metabolomics,the treatment of traditional Chinese medicine,signaling pathway,parathyroid hormone treatment,and sclerostin antibody treatment are the hot research topics now and the future research trends.

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