1.Immune function regulation and tumor-suppressive effects of Shenqi Erpi Granules on S_(180) tumor-bearing mice.
Xiong-Wei ZHANG ; Yan-Ning JIANG ; Hu QI ; Bin LI ; Yuan-Lin GAO ; Ze-Yang ZHANG ; Jian-An FENG ; Xi LI ; Nan ZENG
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(13):3753-3764
This study aims to establish the S_(180) tumor-bearing mice model, and to investigate the influence of Shenqi Erpi Granules(SQEPG) on immune function, as well as the drug's tumor-suppressive effect and mechanism. SPF grade KM mice(half male and half female) were randomly divided into 6 groups: a control group, a model group, a cyclophosphamide group(50 mg·kg~(-1)), as well as SQEPG groups in low-, medium-, and high-dose(5.25, 10.5, 21 g·kg~(-1)). The control group and the model group were given distilled water, and the other 4 groups were given the corresponding drugs by gavage. The administration continued for 10 days before the mice were sacrificed. The antitumor and immune regulation effects of SQEPG were evaluated. The effect of SQEPG on delayed type hypersensitivity reaction(DTH), carbon clearance index, and serum hemolysin antibody level was observed to reflect the effect on the immune function of tumor-bearing mice. Tumor weight was recorded to calculate the tumor suppression rate and the immune organ index. Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining was used to detect morphological changes in tumor tissues. Flow cytometry was employed to detect the percentage of CD4~+ and CD8~+ T-cells in the spleen tissues and the tumor tissue apoptosis levels. Immunohistochemistry was conducted to detect the KI67 protein expression level of tumor tissues. ELISA resorted to the detection of the following expression levels in tumor tissues: tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), interleukin-2(IL-2), interferon-γ(IFN-γ). Western blot was performed to detect the expression levels of caspase-3, B-cell lymphoma-2(Bcl-2), Bcl-2-associated X protein(Bax), cyclin-dependent kinases 4(CDK4), G_1/S-specific cyclin D1(cyclin D1), and vascular endothelial growth factor A(VEGFA). The results showed that, compared with the model group, the SQEPG could increase the swelling of the auricle of the tumor-bearing mice; significantly increase the phagocytic index of carbon granule contour(P<0.05 or P<0.01), and the middle dose of SQEPG could significantly increase the antibody level of hemolysin(P<0.05); different doses of SQEPG significantly inhibit the growth of the tumor, and decrease the mass of the tumor tissues(P<0.05 or P<0.01); the low dose of SQEPG significantly decreased spleen index(P<0.05), low and high doses of SQEPG increased thymus index, while medium doses of SQEPG decreased thymus index. High doses of SQEPG significantly elevated the levels of CD4~+ and CD8~+ T-cells in the spleens of the homozygous mice(P<0.01 or P<0.001), and increased the apoptosis rate of the cells of the tumor tissues(P<0.05); Meanwhile, high-dose SQEPG elevated the levels of immunity factors such as IL-2, IFN-γ and TNF-α in the serum of tumor-bearing mice(P<0.01); medium-and high-dose SQEPG significantly lowered the rate of positive expression of KI67 protein in tumor tissues(P<0.01). Compared with the model group, high-dose SQEPG significantly up-regulated the expression of caspase-3 and Bax proteins in tumor tissues(P<0.05), and significantly down-regulated the expression of CDK4, cyclin D1, and VEGFA proteins(P<0.05 or P<0.01). In conclusion, SQEPG has the effect of improving immune function and inhibiting tumor growth in tumor-bearing mice. Its mechanism of tumor-suppressive effects may be related to apoptosis promotion, cell cycle progression block, and tumor cell proliferation inhibition.
Animals
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Mice
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Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology*
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Male
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Female
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Apoptosis/drug effects*
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Sarcoma 180/genetics*
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Humans
2.A Novel Mouse Model Unveils Protein Deficiency in Truncated CDKL5 Mutations.
Xue FENG ; Zi-Ai ZHU ; Hong-Tao WANG ; Hui-Wen ZHOU ; Ji-Wei LIU ; Ya SHEN ; Yu-Xian ZHANG ; Zhi-Qi XIONG
Neuroscience Bulletin 2025;41(5):805-820
Mutations in the cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 gene (CDKL5) cause a severe neurodevelopmental disorder, yet the impact of truncating mutations remains unclear. Here, we introduce the Cdkl5492stop mouse model, mimicking C-terminal truncating mutations in patients. 492stop/Y mice exhibit altered dendritic spine morphology and spontaneous seizure-like behaviors, alongside other behavioral deficits. After creating cell lines with various Cdkl5 truncating mutations, we found that these mutations are regulated by the nonsense-mediated RNA decay pathway. Most truncating mutations result in CDKL5 protein loss, leading to multiple disease phenotypes, and offering new insights into the pathogenesis of CDKL5 disorder.
Animals
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Disease Models, Animal
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Mice
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Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases/deficiency*
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Mutation/genetics*
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Epileptic Syndromes/genetics*
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Humans
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Dendritic Spines/pathology*
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Spasms, Infantile/genetics*
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Male
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Seizures/genetics*
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Mice, Inbred C57BL
3.Interleukin-33 Knockout Promotes High Mobility Group Box 1 Release from Astrocytes by Acetylation Mediated by P300/CBP-Associated Factor in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis.
Yifan XIAO ; Liyan HAO ; Xinyi CAO ; Yibo ZHANG ; Qingqing XU ; Luyao QIN ; Yixuan ZHANG ; Yangxingzi WU ; Hongyan ZHOU ; Mengjuan WU ; Mingshan PI ; Qi XIONG ; Youhua YANG ; Yuran GUI ; Wei LIU ; Fang ZHENG ; Xiji SHU ; Yiyuan XIA
Neuroscience Bulletin 2025;41(7):1181-1197
High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), when released extracellularly, plays a pivotal role in the development of spinal cord synapses and exacerbates autoimmune diseases within the central nervous system. In experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a condition that models multiple sclerosis, the levels of extracellular HMGB1 and interleukin-33 (IL-33) have been found to be inversely correlated. However, the mechanism by which IL-33 deficiency enhances HMGB1 release during EAE remains elusive. Our study elucidates a potential signaling pathway whereby the absence of IL-33 leads to increased binding of P300/CBP-associated factor with HMGB1 in the nuclei of astrocytes, upregulating HMGB1 acetylation and promoting its release from astrocyte nuclei in the spinal cord of EAE mice. Conversely, the addition of IL-33 counteracts the TNF-α-induced increase in HMGB1 and acetylated HMGB1 levels in primary astrocytes. These findings underscore the potential of IL-33-associated signaling pathways as a therapeutic target for EAE treatment.
Animals
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Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental/metabolism*
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Astrocytes/metabolism*
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Interleukin-33/metabolism*
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HMGB1 Protein/metabolism*
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Acetylation
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Mice, Knockout
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Mice, Inbred C57BL
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p300-CBP Transcription Factors/metabolism*
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Mice
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Spinal Cord/metabolism*
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Cells, Cultured
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Female
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Signal Transduction
4.Mechanism of Myocardial Protection by Electroacupuncture at PC6 Attenuates TRPV1 Pathway-Mediated Dorsal Root Ganglion Sympathetic Sprouting on Myocardial Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in Rats
Liyuan YANG ; Jinqun HU ; Jian XIONG ; Xiao LI ; Yu LIU ; Ying WEI ; Qianhua ZHENG ; Wenchuan QI ; Fanrong LIANG ; Hong ZHANG
World Science and Technology-Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;27(6):1616-1627
Objective To explore the mechanism of electroacupuncture improving myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury(MIRI),electroacupuncture PC6 Attenuates TRPV1 pathway in spinal cord C5-T6 dorsal root ganglion(DRG)on MIRI rats was observed.Methods After one week of experimental feeding,30 SD rats with normal electrocardiogram were randomly divided into sham-operated group and model group,PC6 group,non-meridian and non-acupuncture group,and PC6+capsaicin(TRPV1 receptor agonist)group,with 6 rats in each group.The MIRI model was prepared by ligation of the left anterior descending(LAD)coronary artery in the other groups.The next day after modeling,electroacupuncture of the"PC6"point in the EA group,electroacupuncture of the caudal"non-meridian non-points"in the the non-meridian non-acupuncture point group,and electroacupuncture of the"PC6"point after intraperitoneal injection of capsaicin in the PC6+capsaicin group,20 min/d for 7 days.ECG was used to record the changes of ST level and LF/HF ratio in rats.Evans blue-TTC double staining and HE staining was used to observe the myocardial infarction area and the changes of myocardial tissue morphology.ELISA was used to detect the levels of serum CK-MB and cTnI.Immunofluorescence staining was used to the phenomenon of sympathetic-sensory coupling with TH-CGRP positive labeling in the DRG of rats.qPCR was to detect the mRNA expression of TRPV1,TH,CGRP,SP,ERK and AKT in rat DRG.Results Compared with the sham-operated group,rats in the model group showed significant higher ST level and LF/HF ratio(both P<0.001),and IA/AAR ratio increased significantly(P<0.0001).Massive inflammatory cell infiltration,serum CK-MB,cTnI levels up-regulated significantly(both P<0.0001).The formation of TH-CGRP-labeled sympathetic budding phenomenon in the DRG and the TRPV1,TH,CGRP in the DRG,SP,ERK,and AKT mRNA expression levels increased significantly(both P<0.01).Compared with the model group,the ECG of the endograft group was significantly improved(both P<0.001).The IA/AAR ratio decreased significantly in PC6 group(P<0.001).The myocardial infarction area reduced significantly(P<0.0001).The levels of serum CK-MB and cTnI down-regulated significantly(both P<0.0001),and the phenomenon of sympathetic sprouting within DRG was not evident,and the DRG of the 6 corresponding mRNA expression decreased significantly(both P<0.01).Compared with the PC6 group,the effect of treatment was not obvious in the non-meridian and non-acupuncture group and PC6+capsaicin group,and the electrocardiogram,IA/AAR ratio,myocardial infarcted area,and serum CK-MB,and cTnI levels did not improve(both P<0.01),and a large number of sympathetic budding phenomena were seen in the DRG.The expression of the mRNA corresponding to the phase of 6 increased significantly(both P<0.01).Conculsion Electroacupuncture PC6 may reduce myocardial injury by inhibiting TRPV1 pathway-mediated sympatheticsprouting in dorsal root ganglia.
5.Dynamic Analysis of Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Feature Tracking in Different Heart Failure Rat Models
Qi ZHU ; Rui XIA ; Boshen LIANG ; Haichen LI ; Lei XIONG ; Lei WANG ; Bojun CHEN ; Fabao GAO
Chinese Journal of Medical Imaging 2025;33(5):493-500
Purpose To explore the application value of magnetic resonance feature tracking to assess early heart failure in different rat models.Materials and Methods Fifty male SD rats were randomly divided into four groups:the control group(8 rats),the isoproterenol high dose(ISO-H)group(14 rats),the isoproterenol low dose(ISO-L)group(14 rats)and the coronary artery ligation surgery(myocardial infarction,MI)group(14 rats).The ISO-H group received intraperitoneal injections of ISO at 100 mg/kg once a week for two consecutive weeks.The ISO-L group received continuous intraperitoneal injections of ISO at 5 mg/(kg·d)for 14 days.The MI group underwent coronary ligation to establish a heart failure rat model.Scans using a 7T cardiac MRI cine sequence were performed after two weeks and four weeks.Heart function parameters and myocardial strain parameters were obtained using CVI 42 software.Serum markers of myocardial injury,including creatine kinase,creatine kinase-MB,lactate dehydrogenase and α-hydroxybutyric dehydrogenase levels,were measured.HE staining and Masson staining were used to detect myocardial pathological changes.Results Compared with the control group,the ISO-H group,ISO-L group and MI group showed significant changes in left ventricular ejection fraction(t=-2.387,P=0.04;t=5.622,P<0.001;t=17.715,P<0.001)and overall radial strain(t=-4.570,P=0.001;t=6.587,P<0.001;t=10.649,P<0.001)after two weeks.Compared with the control group,the ISO-H group,ISO-L group and MI group showed varying degrees of reduction in left ventricular ejection fraction(t=4.834,P=0.001;t=10.325,P<0.001;t=26.286,P<0.001)and overall radial strain(t=3.890,P=0.003;t=9.547,P<0.001;t=13.751,P<0.001)after four weeks.The serum markers of myocardial injury,including creatine kinase,creatine kinase-MB,lactate dehydrogenase and α-hydroxybutyric dehydrogenase levels,were significantly elevated(t=-93.373--11.019,P<0.001),and pathological staining revealed that all model groups exhibited varying degrees of myocardial cell hypertrophy,necrosis and interstitial fibrosis compared with the control group.Conclusion Magnetic resonance feature tracking has guiding significance for the dynamic monitoring,early diagnosis and prognosis assessment of heart failure in different rat models.
6.Analysis of Clinical Characteristics and Risk Factors of Severe and Critical Influenza in Children
Shufan LIU ; Qi DAI ; Peng XIONG
Acta Medicinae Universitatis Scientiae et Technologiae Huazhong 2025;54(2):228-233
Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics of severe and critical influenza children and analyze the risk factors affecting the prognosis of children.Methods Clinical data from children diagnosed with severe and critical influenza who were hospitalized in the pediatric intensive care unit of Tongji hospital,Tongji Medical College,Huazhong University of Science and Technology from January 2020 to December 2023 were retrospectively collected and analyzed.Results Among the 121 children,86 cases had severe influenza and 35 cases had critical influenza.There were 102 children in the good prognosis group and 19 children in the poor prognosis group.In all,93 cases(76.9%)were infected with influenza A,27 cases(22.3%)were in-fected with influenza B,and 1 case(0.8%)was infected with both influenza A and B.Sixty-seven cases(55.4%)were under 5 years old.The main clinical manifestations were fever,cough and convulsions.Seventy-five cases(62.0%)were complicated with pneumonia,65 cases(53.7%)were diagnosed with influenza-associated encephalopathy,and 22 cases(18.2%)developed multiple organ dysfunction syndrome.Fifty-five cases(45.5%)were infected with other pathogens,21 cases(17.4%)had bacterial infec-tion.The incidence of bacterial infection in children with critical influenza(31.4%)was higher than that in children with severe influenza(11.6%)(P<0.05).Bacterial infection,neurological symptoms and elevated PCT were independent risk factors for poor prognosis(P<0.05).Conclusion Children under 5 years old are more likely to develop severe and critical influen-za.Bacterial co-infection increases the risk of poor prognosis.Poor-prognostic severe or critical influenza is often accompanied by neurological manifestations and residual neurological sequelae.
7.Characteristics and related factors of quality of life in college students
Hongyu SU ; Jie REN ; Nana XIONG ; Qi LIU
Chinese Mental Health Journal 2025;39(4):378-384
Objective:To assess the quality of life in college students and to explore its related factors.Met-hods:A sample of 1 423 college students were recruited and assessed with the short form Quality of Life Scale-12(SF-12),Patient Health Questionnaire-9(PHQ-9),Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7(GAD-7),Insomnia Severity Index(ISI),Somatic Symptom Scale-8(SSS-8),Sick,Control,One,Fat and Food(SCOFF),Perceived Stress Scale(PSS-10),and Brief Version of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale(DERS-16)to evaluate quality of life,depressive,anxiety,insomnia severity,somatic symptoms,eating disorders,stress perception,and emotion regulation abilities,respectively.A self-made self-injury risk screening questionnaire was used to screen self-harm thoughts and behaviors.Results:In the sample,the rates of college students with SF-12 mental and physical quality of life scores below 50 were 81.7%and 47.8%,respectively.Multiple linear regression analysis showed that there was a positive association between family per capita monthly income and SF-12 mental quality of life scores(β=0.04,P<0.05),while PSS-10(β=-0.27,P<0.001),PHQ-9(β=-0.25,P<0.001),DERS-16(β=-0.23,P<0.001),and GAD-7(β=-0.11,P<0.001)scores were negatively associated with SF-12 mental quality of life scores.The SSS-8 scores were negatively associated with SF-12 physical quality of life scores(β=-0.45,P<0.001).Conclusion:The study shows that a higher percentage of college students have a lower quality of life;the higher the levels of perceived stress,depression,emotional regulation difficulties,and anxiety,the lower the mental quality of life,and the more severe the physical discomfort symptoms,the lower the physical quality of life.
8.Research on the association between tetracyclines use during pregnancy and congenital malformations in offspring
Jin GUO ; Peng ZHAO ; Chunrong LIU ; Mingyu LIAO ; Jingwen CHEN ; Jianru WU ; Yan REN ; Biao RONG ; Huanyang QI ; Moliang CHEN ; Xin SUN ; Jing TAN ; Yiquan XIONG
Adverse Drug Reactions Journal 2025;27(9):530-536
Objective:To explore the association between the use of tetracyclines during pregnancy and congenital malformations, with the aim of providing evidence-based guidance for the rational use of antibiotics during pregnancy.Methods:Data from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) and the Canada Vigilance Adverse Reaction (CVAR) database from January 2015 to September 2024 were collected. Five methods including Tree-based scan statistic (TreeScan), proportional reporting ratio (PRR), reporting odds ratio (ROR), the UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) comprehensive standard, and the Bayesian confidence propagation neural network (BCPNN) were used to detect signals of risk for congenital malformations in offspring following maternal use of tetracyclines during pregnancy. A signal that met the threshold criteria of all above 5 methods was considered as a risk signal. Based on population-based cohort of the drug exposures and adverse pregnancy outcomes (DEEP) data from January 2013 to December 2021 in Xiamen City, propensity score matching (PSM)-based Poisson regression was applied to evaluate the association between the first-trimester tetracyclines exposure and congenital malformations in offspring. Adjusted relative risk (a RR) and its 95% confidence interval ( CI) were calculated. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to validate the reliability of the results. Results:A total of 304 098 reports of adverse events during pregnancy were obtained from the FAERS and CVAR databases. Among them, 5 028 reports were related to tetracyclines, including 1 026 reports of congenital malformations in offspring, involving congenital malformations of musculoskeletal system, other digestive system, and other congenital malformations. Signal detection results suggested that tetracyclines may be a risk signal for above congenital malformations in offspring. The DEEP data included 411 936 pregnant women. After PSM, 240 pregnant women exposed to tetracyclines were included. The results showed no significant association between the first-trimester tetracyclines exposure and congenital malformations in offspring (a RR=0.75, 95% CI: 0.26-2.17), sensitivity analysis also showed no correlation. Conclusions:Data mining from the FAERS and CVAR databases suggests a potential association between tetracyclines use during pregnancy and congenital malformations in offspring. However, the DEEP data study shows no significant correlation.
9.Dosimetric study on different bladder filling status in cervical cancer radiotherapy based on artificial intelligence-assisted segmentation
Yingnan QI ; Xuemei CHEN ; Foping CHEN ; Zhanlin CHEN ; Xiaobo JIANG ; Senkui XU ; Yu LUO ; Xiaoyue XIONG ; Feng CHI
Chinese Journal of Medical Physics 2025;42(7):847-852
Objective To evaluate the dosimetric impact of interfractional bladder fullness variation in volumetric modulated arc therapy for cervical cancer using artificial intelligence-assisted cone-beam CT(CBCT)image segmentation,and propose an imaging-based quantitative assessment criterion for bladder fullness,providing an objective basis for assessing bladder filling status during clinical treatment.Methods Fifty patients receiving volumetric modulated arc therapy for cervical cancer were selected.The criterion for determining bladder fullness was as follow:if the bladder longitudinal diameter measured on the CBCT mid-sagittal plane was greater than half of the bladder longitudinal diameter measured on the localizable CT,it was defined as≥50%bladder fullness;otherwise,it was defined as<50%bladder fullness.Based on this criterion,two CBCT images were selected for each patient(representing fractions with≥50%and<50%fullness,respectively).Borui auto-contouring system was applied to re-contour the target areas and organs at risk,followed by dose recalculation.Results Compared with≥50%bladder fullness group,<50%bladder fullness group had significantly increased bladder V40,and small bowel Dmax,Dmean,V55,V45,V40(P<0.05),indicating that during interfractional radiotherapy,a CBCT-measured bladder longitudinal diameter less than half of the bladder longitudinal diameter measured on the localizable CT could serve as a predictor for significantly increased radiation dose to the bladder and small bowel.Correlation analysis revealed that bladder volume change showed a positive correlation with bladder Dmax change(R=0.45),a significant negative correlation with bladder V30(R=-0.37),and negative correlations with small bowel Dmax,Dmean,V55,V45,V40(R=-0.31,-0.41,-0.39,-0.49,-0.61).The correlation results indicate that increasing bladder fullness could reduce the radiation dose to the bladder and small bowel.Conclusion Artificial intelligence-assisted segmentation confirms that in interfractional radiotherapy for cervical cancer,when the CBCT-measured bladder longitudinal diameter is less than half of the longitudinal diameter measured on the localizable CT,there is a significant increase in radiation dose to OAR.Maintaining an ideal state of bladder fullness contributes to reducing the radiation dose to the bladder and small bowel.It is crucial to provide patients with adequate bladder management education before treatment and implement strict bladder volume management strategies during treatment fractions.
10.Establishment of premature ovarian insufficiency mouse model
Xianglei XIONG ; Manfei SI ; Mengyu LIU ; Xinyu QI
Chinese Journal of Reproduction and Contraception 2025;45(1):103-108
Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) leads to reproductive aging in young women, such as reduced fertility and reduced hormone levels, which seriously affects women's physical and mental health and quality of life. The pathogenesis of POI is still unclear, and there is a large unknown space. In-depth exploration of its etiology and mechanism using animal models has important clinical significance, which can help identify and avoid risk factors in advance, and formulate targeted prevention and treatment strategies. Through the analysis and study of different POI mouse models, this paper can provide a reference for the basic research of POI and a new idea for improving the fertility of women of childbearing age.

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