1.Effect of fluoride exposure on endoplasmic reticulum-mitochondrial calcium transfer and apoptosis in primary nerve cells
Yongheng LU ; Shuang ZHU ; Feiyan ZHAO ; Fujun AI ; Yanjie LIU ; Yangting DONG ; Zhizhong GUAN ; Na WEI
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2026;30(1):111-119
BACKGROUND:Previous studies have found that neuronal damage caused by continuous excessive fluoride exposure is related to Ca2+overload,but the mechanism of Ca2+flow conversion between intracellular calcium stores and cell apoptosis damage is still unclear.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of fluoride exposure on Ca2+transport channel proteins and apoptosis levels in the mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum membrane of primary cultured neural cells.METHODS:Primary nerve cells of neonatal SD rats were cultured in vitro and identified by immunofluorescence staining with neuronal nucleus-specific antibody up to day 7.The nerve cells were divided into control group(containing 0 mmol/L sodium fluoride),low fluoride group(containing 0.5 mmol/L sodium fluoride),and high fluoride group(containing 1 mmol/L sodium fluoride).The cell morphological changes were observed by light microscope 24 hours after fluorine exposure.The expression levels of apoptosis-related protein BAX/BCL-2 and calcium transfer-related pathways VDAC1,GRP 75,and IP3R were detected using western blot assay.The expression levels of VDAC1,GRP 75,and IP3R mRNA were detected by RT-PCR.Ca2+levels were detected by Rhood-2AM Ca2+probe.Mitochondrial membrane potential detection kit was used to detect the change in mitochondrial membrane potential.The level of apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry and TUNEL staining.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The purity of neurons cultured on day 7 had been determined to be over 90%,with few impurities,good growth status,and tight cell network connections,meeting the requirements of subsequent experiments.(2)Compared with the control group,growth of neural cell clusters in the low-fluoride group and the high-fluoride group increased;the processes were broken;the cell body was rounded,and the connection network between cells was destroyed.Compared with the low-fluoride group,the cell damage changes in the high-fluoride group were more obvious.(3)Compared with the control group,the protein expressions of VDAC1,GRP75,and IP3R were increased in the low-fluoride group and the high-fluoride group(P<0.05),and the ratio of apoptosis-related protein BAX/BCL-2 was increased(P<0.05).Compared with the control group,the expression of VDAC1 and GRP75 mRNA in the low-fluoride group was significantly increased(P<0.05);the expression levels of VDAC1,GRP75,and IP3R mRNA in the high-fluoride group were significantly increased(P<0.01).(4)The level of cell apoptosis increased significantly after fluoride exposure,and the high-fluoride group was significantly higher than the control and low-fluoride groups(P<0.01).(5)After fluoride exposure,the concentration of mitochondrial Ca2+in nerve cells increased significantly(P<0.05),the mitochondrial membrane potential decreased(P<0.01),and the degree of damage in the high-fluoride group was more obvious(P<0.05).The results show that fluoride exposure impairs the morphological structure of primary neural cells,resulting in upregulation of Ca2+transfer pathway protein expression between the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria,mitochondrial Ca2+overload,mitochondrial damage,and increased levels of apoptosis.
2.Effect of fluoride exposure on endoplasmic reticulum-mitochondrial calcium transfer and apoptosis in primary nerve cells
Yongheng LU ; Shuang ZHU ; Feiyan ZHAO ; Fujun AI ; Yanjie LIU ; Yangting DONG ; Zhizhong GUAN ; Na WEI
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2026;30(1):111-119
BACKGROUND:Previous studies have found that neuronal damage caused by continuous excessive fluoride exposure is related to Ca2+overload,but the mechanism of Ca2+flow conversion between intracellular calcium stores and cell apoptosis damage is still unclear.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of fluoride exposure on Ca2+transport channel proteins and apoptosis levels in the mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum membrane of primary cultured neural cells.METHODS:Primary nerve cells of neonatal SD rats were cultured in vitro and identified by immunofluorescence staining with neuronal nucleus-specific antibody up to day 7.The nerve cells were divided into control group(containing 0 mmol/L sodium fluoride),low fluoride group(containing 0.5 mmol/L sodium fluoride),and high fluoride group(containing 1 mmol/L sodium fluoride).The cell morphological changes were observed by light microscope 24 hours after fluorine exposure.The expression levels of apoptosis-related protein BAX/BCL-2 and calcium transfer-related pathways VDAC1,GRP 75,and IP3R were detected using western blot assay.The expression levels of VDAC1,GRP 75,and IP3R mRNA were detected by RT-PCR.Ca2+levels were detected by Rhood-2AM Ca2+probe.Mitochondrial membrane potential detection kit was used to detect the change in mitochondrial membrane potential.The level of apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry and TUNEL staining.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The purity of neurons cultured on day 7 had been determined to be over 90%,with few impurities,good growth status,and tight cell network connections,meeting the requirements of subsequent experiments.(2)Compared with the control group,growth of neural cell clusters in the low-fluoride group and the high-fluoride group increased;the processes were broken;the cell body was rounded,and the connection network between cells was destroyed.Compared with the low-fluoride group,the cell damage changes in the high-fluoride group were more obvious.(3)Compared with the control group,the protein expressions of VDAC1,GRP75,and IP3R were increased in the low-fluoride group and the high-fluoride group(P<0.05),and the ratio of apoptosis-related protein BAX/BCL-2 was increased(P<0.05).Compared with the control group,the expression of VDAC1 and GRP75 mRNA in the low-fluoride group was significantly increased(P<0.05);the expression levels of VDAC1,GRP75,and IP3R mRNA in the high-fluoride group were significantly increased(P<0.01).(4)The level of cell apoptosis increased significantly after fluoride exposure,and the high-fluoride group was significantly higher than the control and low-fluoride groups(P<0.01).(5)After fluoride exposure,the concentration of mitochondrial Ca2+in nerve cells increased significantly(P<0.05),the mitochondrial membrane potential decreased(P<0.01),and the degree of damage in the high-fluoride group was more obvious(P<0.05).The results show that fluoride exposure impairs the morphological structure of primary neural cells,resulting in upregulation of Ca2+transfer pathway protein expression between the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria,mitochondrial Ca2+overload,mitochondrial damage,and increased levels of apoptosis.
3.MRI findings of spinal cord atrophy after spinal cord injury in children and their injury level
Yingxin ZHANG ; Genlin LIU ; Di CHEN ; Hongxia ZHANG ; Yifan TIAN ; Yiji WANG ; Yang JING ; Ruidong CHENG ; Shaomin ZHANG ; Jiafeng YAO ; Bo SUN ; Xiaomeng SUN
Chinese Journal of Rehabilitation Theory and Practice 2026;32(4):387-392
ObjectiveTo delineate imaging findings using an imaging platform and investigate the correlation between MRI characteristics of spinal cord atrophy and clinical diagnosis in children with spinal cord injury (SCI). MethodsImaging data of 150 children with SCI admitted to Beijing Bo'ai Hospital, China Rehabilitation Research Center, from January, 2002 to March, 2024 were collected and imported into the imaging platform. The anteroposterior and transverse diameters of the middle part of the spinal cord at the cross-section with the most severe atrophy were measured, and the relevant indicators of the previous normal spinal cord segment were measured as controls; the radiomic features were extracted. Clinical data of the children including gender, age, cause of injury, sensory level, motor level, spinal cord injury level, injury severity and disease course were collected. ResultsSpinal cord atrophy was identified in 81 cases (54%), among which 78 cases (96%) were American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) grade A and 3 cases (4%) were AIS grade C. The upper boundary of the spinal cord atrophy site strongly correlated with the injury level, motor level and sensory level (r > 0.8, P < 0.001). ConclusionMore than half of children with SCI may develop secondary spinal cord atrophy, the vast majority of whom suffer from complete spinal cord injury; the upper boundary of spinal cord atrophy is correlated with the injury level.
4.Exploration on the collaborative education paths of ideological and political course teaching and medical humanities in military medical universities
Juan LIU ; Yi ZHENG ; Ai ZHAO ; Haiming PANG
Chinese Medical Ethics 2026;39(6):804-810
The collaborative education of ideological and political course teaching and medical humanities represents an inevitable trend in the cultivation of military medical talents. “Military doctors” are both soldiers and clinicians. The military spirit constitutes their spiritual backbone, while the medical ethics form their professional foundation. The “military” and “medical” dimensions share both unity and specificity. The professional particularity of military doctors determines that the cultivation of their humanistic literacy must be grounded in the demands of future battlefields and the developmental trends of military medicine, so as to effectively enhance their comprehensive medical support capabilities adapted to the characteristics of modern warfare. In response to the current status of humanistic educational cultivation in military medical universities, this study clarified the logical connections and value manifestations of the collaborative education between the two fields, assisted in addressing practical problems existing in the cultivation process, and explored three innovative paths. The paths encompassed integrating humanistic educational resources to promote the integrated cultivation of dual competencies in “military medicine and humanities,” innovating teaching contents and forms to improve the professional identity of military medical cadets, and reforming evaluation mechanisms to focus on the shaping and cultivation of humanistic practical abilities.
5.Aerobic exercise relieves glucose and lipid metabolism disorder after immune stimulation in IR mice by inducing tolerance of trained immunity
Wei LUO ; Wenyue GAO ; Yuhang WANG ; Yansong LIU ; Yue ZHOU ; Lei AI
Chinese Journal of Sports Medicine 2025;44(5):394-404
Objective To explore the regulatory effect of moderate intensity aerobic exercise on glu-cose and lipid metabolism disordersafter immune stimulation in high-fat diet induced insulin resistance(IR)mice by inducing tolerance of trained immunity.Methods Eighteen of 70 male C57BL/6 male mice were randomly selected as the control group(CON group),while the remaining mice were subjected to high-fat diet intervention(HFD group)for 8 weeks.After modeling,six of the CON group and HFD group were measured their glucose and lipid metabolism and inflammation levels.The remaining mice in the HFD group were randomly divided into HFD sedentary group(HS group)and HFD exer-cise group(HE group),each of 16.The HE groups underwent a daily 60-minute running on a hori-zontal treadmill at 12 m/min,5 days a week for 8 weeks.After that,the CON,HS and HE groups were randomly divided into an immune stimulation group(lipopolysaccharides,LPS group)and a con-trol group(phosphate buffered saline,PBS group),with 6 in CON-PBS and CON-LPS groups,and 8 in HS-PBS,HS-LPS,HE-PBS and HE-LPS groups.The LPS group received intraperitoneal injec-tion of LPS as an immune stimulus,and were taken samples 24 hours after intervention.During the intervention period,the body weight,food intake,fasting blood glucose(FBG),glucose tolerance,and insulin tolerance were tested for all groups.Then,the serum blood lipid level was tested.More-over,the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),interleukin-1 β(IL-1β)and interleukin-10(IL-10)in serum were detected by using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay,while the protein expression of IL-1β,IL-10,induciblenitricoxidesynthase(iNOS)andarginase-1(Arg-1)were measured by using Western Blot.Results(1)After 8 weeks of high-fat diet intervention,compared with the CON group,there was a significant increase in the body weight,food intake,and FBG,the level of TNF-α and IL-1β in serum and expressions of IL-1β and iNOS in liver,skeletal muscle and adipose tissue,but a significant decrease in glucose and insulin tolerance,the level of anti-in-flammatory factor IL-10,as well as IL-10 and Arg-1 in liver and Arg-1 in adipose tissues in group HFD(P<0.01,P<0.05).(2)After 8 weeks of diet intervention,the body weight of group HS-PBS was still significantly higher than group CON-PBS(P<0.01).However,no significant differences were found between group CON-PBS and HS-PBS in other indicators(P>0.05).After LPS intervention,the food intake of both CON-LPS and HS-LPS groups was significantly lower than the corresponding PBS group(P<0.05).However,the levels of FBG,TG,TC,LDL-C,TNF-α and IL-1β in serum,IL-1β and iNOS in liver and adipose tissues,and iNOS in skeletal muscles of group HS-LPS were signif-icantly higher compared with group HS-PBS and CON-LPS(P<0.05).Meanwhile,the levels of IL-10 in serum,skeletal muscles and adipose tissues,and Arg-1 in skeletal muscles and adipose tissues of group HS-LPS decreased significantly compared with group HS-PBS and CON-LPS(P<0.05).(3)Af-ter simultaneous aerobic exercise intervention,there were no significant differences between group HE-LPS and HE-PBS in FBG,TC,LDL-C,TNF-α,IL-1β and IL-10 in serum,as well as IL-1β,iN-OS and IL-10 in the liver,skeletal muscles and adipose tissues(P>0.05).Moreover,thelevels of FBG,TG,TC,TNF-α,IL-1β in serum,and IL-1β and iNOS in the liver,skeletal muscle and adi-pose tissue decreased significantly in group HE-LPS compared with group HS-LPS(P<0.05).Howev-er,the levels of IL-10 in the serum and liver,and IL-10 and Arg-1 in skeletal muscles and adi-pose tissues increased significantly in group HE-LPS compared with group HS-LPS(P<0.05).Conclu-sion Eight-week aerobic exercise can effectively relieve the glucose and lipid metabolism disorder after immune stimulation in IR mice,which may be related to the stimulation of immunologic tolerance in innate immune cells,thereby reducing the excessive inflammatory response caused by secondary im-mune stimulation.
6.Progress in animal models of radiation-induced heart disease
Jiakun LIU ; Hugang JIANG ; Ai LIU ; Xiaying WANG ; Jing MA ; Yangyang SHI ; Xinke ZHAO ; Yingdong LI
Acta Laboratorium Animalis Scientia Sinica 2025;33(8):1178-1197
Radiation-induced heart disease(RIHD)is a severe complication in patients with thoracic cancer undergoing radiotherapy,with important impacts on long-term survival among cancer survivors.There is an urgent need to investigate the pathogenesis of RIHD and to develop effective therapeutic agents,and the establishment of high-quality RIHD animal models is pivotal to addressing these issues.This review summarizes the critical factors to consider in establishing RIHD animal models,including species selection,radiation type,dosage,fractionation,and target fields,and modeling timeline,along with the evaluation method and success criteria.We also consider the potential pathogenic mechanisms underlying RIHD,including DNA damage,oxidative stress,inflammatory responses,mitochondrial dysfunction,renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system activation,and myocardial fibrosis,as well as their interrelationships.These insights provide a comprehensive reference framework for constructing RIHD animal models and advancing mechanistic investigations into this condition.
7.Detection of the Level of Sperm Flagellar Tubulin Glycosylation in Asthenospermia and Evaluate the Clinical Value
Jing LI ; Jifang SUN ; Miao LIU ; Erdaini AI ; Zhiyong WANG ; Ruijun LIU ; Yan WU ; Zhuoyun TONG
Journal of Modern Laboratory Medicine 2025;40(5):145-148,166
Objective To examine the level of sperm flagellar tubulin glycosylation(Gly-Tubulin)in asthenospermia patients(AP)and discuss its significance.Methods According to the principle of inclusion and exclusion criteria,108 patients treated in the Department of Andrology in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Maternal and Child Health Hospital from June 2021 to May 2022 were rolled in this study.According to the results of semen examine,they were divided into group AP(n=74),and normal control(NC)group(n=34).Colleced the clinical date of both group,such as the age,the sterility period.The levels of sex hormones were detected by chemiluminescence method.The glycosylated Tubulin levels of the sperm were detected by Western blot and immunofluorescence was used for localization analysis,and the relationship between the Gly-Tubulin of sperm flagellar and asthenospermia was analyzed by Multivariate Logistic regression analysis.Results Compared to NC group,the sterility period of group AP was prolong(3.98±0.30 vs 0.78±0.08),the percent of forward sperm motility was decreased(18.55±0.97 vs 46.24±1.89)and the expression level of Gly-Tubulin in the sperm flagellar was decreased(0.64±0.11 vs 1.00±0.00),the differences with statistical significance(t=62.038,χ2=14.394,3.148,all P<0.05).There were no significant differences in follicle-stimulating hormone(FSH),luteinizing hormone(LH),prolactin(PRL),estradiol(E2),testosterone,semen volume,sperm concentration and total sperm between the two groups(t/χ2=0.043~1.503,all P>0.05).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that the percent of forward sperm motility and the sperm flagellar Gly-Tubulin expression level were independent risk factors for male asthenospermia(Wald χ2=4.406,7.492,P<0.05).Conclusion Abnormal level of Gly Tubulin in sperm flagella may be closely related to the occurrence and development of asthenospermia.
8.Early predictive value of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI radiomics combined with Magee equation 3 for pathological response of HR+/HER2-breast cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy
Siye LIU ; Ming YANG ; Huiling LI ; Zhaodong AI ; Xiaorong OU ; Jun LIU
Journal of Practical Radiology 2025;41(9):1487-1493
Objective To investigate the predictive value of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging(DCE-MRI)radiomics combined with Magee equation 3(ME3)for pathological response following neoadjuvant chemotherapy(NAC)in patients with hormone receptor-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative(HR+/HER2-)breast cancer.Methods A ret-rospective analysis was performed on 325 breast cancer patients diagnosed with HR+/HER2-in two hospitals.Patients from the first hospital were randomly divided into training and internal validation sets at a ratio of 7∶3.Patients from the second hospital served as external validation set.The volume of interest(VOI)of breast cancer was delineated on DCE-MRI images.Then the rele-vant radiomics features were extracted and selected,and the Radiomics score(Radscore)was calculated.The statistically significant clinical and pathological features and Radscore were incorporated into a multivariate analysis.The combined radiomics-clinical model and nomogram were established,and the prediction performance was evaluated by using the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve,calibration curve,and decision curve analysis(DCA).Results In the training set,seven radiomics features were selected to construct the radiomics model.ME3 score emerged as the independent factor for pathological complete response(pCR)(P<0.001).By integrating ME3 score and Radscore,a combined radiomics-clinical model was developed.This model demonstrated robust predictive accuracy,with area under the curve(AUC)of 0.88[95%confidence interval(CI)0.80-0.95],0.90(95%CI 0.82-0.98),and 0.82(95%CI 0.70-0.93)in the training,internal validation,and external validation sets,respectively.The nomogram construc-ted from the combined model exhibited excellent discrimination and calibration,with P-values of 0.455,0.312 and 0.062 in the train-ing,internal validation,and external validation sets.Conclusion DCE-MRI radiomics combined with ME3 can be used to predict the pathological response of NAC in HR+/HER2-breast cancer.
9.Research progress on effects of orexin and its receptor antagonists on epilepsy
Chen-shuo JIA ; Yuan-yuan LIU ; Jing ZHANG ; Ai-ping ZHENG ; Zeng-ming WANG ; Qiao WANG
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2025;41(10):1823-1830
Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder caused by an imbalance between excitation and inhibition in the central nervous system.Recently,the role of the orexin system in the pathogenesis of epilepsy has garnered significant attention.Orex-in primarily regulates arousal states and enhances neuronal excit-ability through activation of OX1-R/OX2-R receptors.Studies have shown that elevated orexin levels lower the seizure thresh-old,while orexin receptor antagonists(ORAs)exhibit potential antiepileptic effects.ORAs suppress epileptiform discharges by reducing glutamate release,enhancing GABAergic inhibitory effects,and modulating the thalamocortical circuit.Animal ex-periments and preliminary clinical studies demonstrate that OX1R antagonists decrease excitatory synaptic transmission,whereas OX2 R antagonists primarily strengthen GABA-mediated inhibition.With the widespread application of ORAs in sleep disorders,exploring their clinical value as antiepileptic drugs will become a key focus for future research.This review summa-rizes the role of the orexin system in epileptogenesis and discus-ses the research progress and future directions of ORAs as poten-tial antiepileptic agents.
10.Advances in PSMA-targeted radioligands for the treatment of mCRPC
Yu ZHAO ; Chong MA ; Jingfei TENG ; Dongshan LIU ; Xing AI
Chinese Journal of Urology 2025;46(3):237-240
Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) is often resistant to conventional therapies, and prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeted radionuclide therapy has emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy. Ligands such as 177Lu-PSMA and 225Ac-PSMA have demonstrated clinical benefits in ongoing studies and show potential when combined with endocrine therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiotherapy. Additionally, novel therapeutic approaches, including PSMA-targeted antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy, and bispecific T-cell engagers (BiTEs), are being actively explored. This review summarizes the recent advancements in PSMA-targeted treatment and their clinical applications.

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