1.Erk Signaling Pathway in Striatal D2-MSNs: an Essential Pathway for Exercise-induced Improvement in Parkinson’s Disease
Bo GAO ; Yi-Ning LAI ; Yi-Tong GE ; Wei CHEN
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(1):61-71
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the progressive loss of dopamine (DA) neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc), primarily manifesting as motor dysfunctions such as resting tremor, muscle rigidity, and bradykinesia. According to the classical model of basal ganglia motor control, approximately half of the medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the striatum are D1-MSNs, which constitute the direct pathway. These neurons express D1-dopamine receptor (D1R) and substance P, and they mainly participate in the selection, initiation, and execution of movements. The other half are D2-MSNs, which constitute the indirect pathway. These neurons express D2-dopamine receptor (D2R) and adenosine 2A receptors and are involved in inhibiting unnecessary movements or terminating ongoing movements, thereby adjusting movement sequences to perform more precise motor behaviors. The direct pathway in the striatum modulates the activity of motor cortex neurons by exciting D1-MSNs through neurotransmitters such as glutamate (Glu), allowing the motor cortex to send signals more freely to the motor system, thus facilitating the generation and execution of specific motor behaviors. Studies using D1-Cre and D2-Cre mice with neurons labeled for D1R and D2R have shown that both types of neurons are involved in the execution of movements, with D1-MSNs participating in movement initiation and D2-MSNs in inhibiting actions unrelated to the target movement. These findings suggest that the structural and functional plasticity of D1-MSNs and D2-MSNs in the basal ganglia circuitry enables motor learning and behavioral regulation. Additionally, when SNpc DA neurons begin to degenerate, D1-MSNs are initially affected but do not immediately cause motor impairments. In contrast, when D2-MSNs undergo pathological changes, they are first activated by upstream projecting neurons, leading to the inhibition of most motor behaviors and resulting in motor dysfunction. Therefore, it is hypothesized that motor impairments such as bradykinesia and initiation difficulties are more closely related to the functional activity of D2-MSNs. The extracellular signal-regulated kinase (Erk)/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway has been identified as a critical modulator in the pathophysiology of PD. Recent findings indicate that Erk/MAPK signaling pathway can mediate DA and Glu signaling in the central nervous system, maintaining normal functional activity of striatal MSNs and influencing the transmission of motor control signals. Within this complex regulatory network, the Erk/MAPK signaling pathway plays a key role in transmitting motor information to downstream neurons, regulating normal movements, avoiding unnecessary movements, and finely tuning motor behaviors. Our laboratory’s previous research found that 4 weeks of aerobic exercise intervention improved motor dysfunction in PD mice by inhibiting the Erk1/2 signaling upstream of striatal MSNs, primarily involving the Erk1/2 signaling in D2-MSNs rather than D1-MSNs. This review summarizes the neurobiological mechanisms of Erk/MAPK signaling pathway in D2-MSNs for the prevention and treatment of motor dysfunction in PD. By exploring the role of this signaling pathway in regulating motor abnormalities and preventing motor dysfunction in the central nervous system of PD, this review provides new theoretical perspectives for related mechanistic research and therapeutic strategies.
2.Research progress in pharmacological activities and pharmacokinetics of geniposidic acid.
Zi-Wei LI ; Sheng-Lan QI ; Qing-Guang ZHANG ; Ling CHEN ; Jing HU ; Guang-Bo GE ; Feng HUANG
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(13):3679-3691
Geniposidic acid(GA), a natural iridoid, exists in the roots, stems, leaves, flowers, bark, fruits, and seeds of medicinal plants of Rubiaceae, Eucommiaceae, and Plantaginaceae. Modern pharmacological studies have revealed that GA has multiple pharmacological activities, including organ-protective, anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, anti-osteoporosis, anti-neurodegenerative, and anti-cardiovascular effects. GA can enhance cell/organism defenses by upregulating key anti-inflammatory and antioxidant cytokines, while downregulating key node proteins in pro-inflammatory signaling pathways such as AhR and TLR4/MyD88, thereby exerting pharmacological effects such as organ protection. Pharmacokinetic investigations have suggested that after oral administration, GA can be distributed in multiple organs(kidney, liver, heart, spleen, lung, etc.). In addition, the pharmacokinetic behavior of GA could be significantly altered under disease conditions, as demonstrated by a marked increase in systematic exposure. This article comprehensively summarizes the reported pharmacological activities and mechanisms and systematically analyzes the pharmacokinetic characteristics and key parameters of GA, with the aim of providing a theoretical basis and scientific reference for the precise clinical application of GA-related Chinese patent medicines, as well as for the investigation and development of innovative drugs based on GA.
Humans
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Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry*
;
Animals
;
Iridoid Glucosides/chemistry*
;
Plants, Medicinal/chemistry*
;
Anti-Inflammatory Agents/pharmacology*
3.Multi-Phase Contrast-Enhanced CT Clinical-Radiomics Model for Predicting Prognosis of Extrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma After Surgery: A Single-Center Retrospective Study.
Shen-Bo ZHANG ; Zheng WANG ; Ge HU ; Si-Hang CHENG ; Zhi-Wei WANG ; Zheng-Yu JIN
Chinese Medical Sciences Journal 2025;40(3):161-170
OBJECTIVES:
To develop and validate a preoperative clinical-radiomics model for predicting overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) in patients with extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (eCCA) undergoing radical resection.
METHODS:
In this retrospective study, consecutive patients with pathologically-confirmed eCCA who underwent radical resection at our institution from 2015 to 2022 were included. The patients were divided into a training cohort and a validation cohort according to the chronological order of their CT examinations. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO)-Cox regression was employed to select predictive radiomic features and clinical variables. The selected features and variables were incorporated into a Cox regression model. Model performance for 1-year OS and DFS prediction was assessed using calibration curves, area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), and concordance index (C-index).
RESULTS:
This study included 123 patients (mean age 64.0 ± 8.4 years, 85 males/38 females), with 86 in the training cohort and 37 in the validation cohort. The OS-predicting model included four clinical variables and four radiomic features. It achieved a training cohort AUC of 0.858 (C-index = 0.800) and a validation cohort AUC of 0.649 (C-index = 0.605). The DFS-predicting model included four clinical variables and four other radiomic features. It achieved a training cohort AUC of 0.830 (C-index = 0.760) and a validation cohort AUC of 0.717 (C-index = 0.616).
CONCLUSIONS
The preoperative clinical-radiomics models show promise as a tool for predicting 1-year OS and DFS in eCCA patients after radical surgery.
Humans
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Male
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Female
;
Retrospective Studies
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Middle Aged
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Cholangiocarcinoma/mortality*
;
Prognosis
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Bile Duct Neoplasms/mortality*
;
Tomography, X-Ray Computed/methods*
;
Aged
;
Radiomics
4.Sperm tRNA-derived fragments expression is potentially linked to abstinence-related improvement of sperm quality.
Xi-Ren JI ; Rui-Jun WANG ; Zeng-Hui HUANG ; Hui-Lan WU ; Xiu-Hai HUANG ; Hao BO ; Ge LIN ; Wen-Bing ZHU ; Chuan HUANG
Asian Journal of Andrology 2025;27(5):638-645
Recent studies have shown that shorter periods of ejaculatory abstinence may enhance certain sperm parameters, but the molecular mechanisms underlying these improvements are still unclear. This study explored whether reduced abstinence periods could improve semen quality, particularly for use in assisted reproductive technologies (ART). We analyzed semen samples from men with normal sperm counts ( n = 101) and those with low sperm motility or concentration ( n = 53) after 3-7 days of abstinence and then after 1-3 h of abstinence, obtained from the Reproductive & Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya (Changsha, China). Physiological and biochemical sperm parameters were evaluated, and the dynamics of transfer RNA (tRNA)-derived fragments (tRFs) were analyzed using deep RNA sequencing in five consecutive samples from men with normal sperm counts. Our results revealed significant improvement in sperm motility and a decrease in the DNA fragmentation index after the 1- to 3-h abstinence period. Additionally, we identified 245 differentially expressed tRFs, and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway was the most enriched. Further investigations showed significant changes in tRF-Lys-TTT and its target gene mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 2 ( MAP2K2 ), which indicates a role of tRFs in improving sperm function. These findings provide new insights into how shorter abstinence periods influence sperm quality and suggest that tRFs may serve as biomarkers for male fertility. This research highlights the potential for optimizing ART protocols and improving reproductive outcomes through molecular approaches that target sperm function.
Male
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Humans
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Spermatozoa/metabolism*
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RNA, Transfer/genetics*
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Sperm Motility/genetics*
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Adult
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Semen Analysis
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Sexual Abstinence/physiology*
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Sperm Count
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DNA Fragmentation
5.Influencing factors and predictive model construction for occupational burnout among take-away deliveryman based on restricted cubic spline analysis
Bo GE ; Zhuolin SHEN ; Yongtao ZHENG ; Diwei XU ; Zuowei NI ; Longfang JIANG ; Yanmei WANG
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2025;42(11):1336-1341
Background With the rapid development of the food delivery industry, take-away deliverymen become an essential component of urban logistics. However, high labor intensity, unstable income, and extended working hours place them at considerable risk of occupational burnout. Available studies have paid insufficient attention to the mental health of this population, and effective predictive or preventive approaches remain limited. Objective To understand the status of occupational burnout among take-away deliverymen, identify influencing factors based on restricted cubic spline analysis, and develop a predictive model to provide a theoretical basis for improving their mental health. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among full-time take-away deliverymen registered to the "Ele.me" and "Meituan" platforms in Hangzhou between September 1 and November 30, 2024, using both online and offline approaches. A questionnaire covered sociodemographic, household, and occupational information, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory–General Survey were used in this survey. Univariate analyses and logistic regression were used to identify factors associated with burnout and to construct a predictive model. Model performance was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and calibration curve. Furthermore, restricted cubic spline was used to further explore the relationship between age, working hours, and occupational burnout. Results Among the
6.Thermal Ablation of Pulmonary Nodules by Electromagnetic Navigation Bronchoscopy Combined With Real-Time CT-Based 3D Fusion Navigation:Report of One Case.
Yuan XU ; Qun LIU ; Chao GUO ; Yi-Bo WANG ; Xiao-Fang WU ; Chen-Xi MA ; Gui-Ge WANG ; Qian-Shu LIU ; Nai-Xin LIANG ; Shan-Qing LI
Acta Academiae Medicinae Sinicae 2025;47(1):137-141
A nodule in the right middle lobe of the lung was treated by a combination of cone-beam CT,three-dimensional registration for fusion imaging,and electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy-guided thermal ablation.The procedure lasted for 90 min,with no significant bleeding observed under the bronchoscope.The total radiation dose during the operation was 384 mGy.The patient recovered well postoperatively,with only a small amount of blood in the sputum and no pneumothorax or other complications.A follow-up chest CT on the first day post operation showed that the ablation area completely covered the lesion,and the patient was discharged successfully.
Humans
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Bronchoscopy/methods*
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Catheter Ablation/methods*
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Cone-Beam Computed Tomography
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Electromagnetic Phenomena
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Imaging, Three-Dimensional
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Lung Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging*
;
Tomography, X-Ray Computed
7.Clinical and Intestinal Ultrasound Findings in Mitochondrial Neurogastrointestinal Encephalomyopathy:Report of One Case.
Xiao-Yan ZHANG ; Qing-Li ZHU ; Ge-Chong RUAN ; Wen-Bo LI
Acta Academiae Medicinae Sinicae 2025;47(5):758-761
Mitochondrial neurogastrointestinal encephalomyopathy(MNGIE),a rare mitochondrial disorder caused by TYMP gene mutations,is characterized by severe gastrointestinal dysmotility,peripheral neuropathy,and leukodystrophy.This article summarizes the clinical data and intestinal ultrasound findings of a MNGIE case,aiming to provide insights for clinical diagnosis and treatment.
Humans
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Mitochondrial Encephalomyopathies/diagnostic imaging*
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Ultrasonography
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Intestines/diagnostic imaging*
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Male
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Female
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Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction/diagnostic imaging*
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Ophthalmoplegia/congenital*
;
Muscular Dystrophy, Oculopharyngeal
8.Coronary Computed Tomographic Angiography-Derived Radiomics Combing CT-Fractional Flow Reserve for Detecting Hemodynamically Significant Coronary Artery Disease.
Yan YI ; Cheng XU ; Wei WU ; Ying-Qian GE ; Ke-Ting XU ; Xian-Bo YU ; Yi-Ning WANG
Acta Academiae Medicinae Sinicae 2025;47(4):542-549
Objective To develop a diagnostic model combining the CT angiography(CCTA)-derived myocardial radiomics signatures with the CT-derived fractional flow reserve(CT-FFR)based on coronary CCTA and investigate the diagnostic accuracy of the hybrid model for hemodynamically significant coronary artery disease(CAD).Methods The patients presenting stable angina pectoris,diagnosed with CAD,and clinically referred for CCTA examination and invasive coronary angiography were prospectively recruited.Radiomics features of the left ventricular myocardium were extracted from the three main perfusion territories demarcated according to the coronary blood supply.The extracted features were first selected by the minimum redundancy maximum relevance feature ranking method.A least absolute shrinkage and selection operator Logistic regression algorithm with leave-one-out cross-validation was then employed to construct a radiomics model.The CT-FFR value was generated for each blood vessel.The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve(AUC_ROC),sensitivity,and specificity were adopted to evaluate the performance of each model against the reference standard invasive coronary angiography/FFR.Results A total of 70 patients[42 men and 28 women;(61±10) years old] were included in this study and complemented CCTA examination,with 175 vessels and the corresponding myocardial territories undergoing invasive coronary angiography/FFR.A total of 1 656 specific radiomics parameters were extracted,from which 14 features were selected to establish the radiomics model.The AUC_ROC,sensitivity,and specificity were 0.797(95%CI=0.732-0.861),77.1%,and 73.7%for the radiomics model,0.892(95%CI=0.841-0.943),81.4%,and 88.8%for the CT-FFR model,and 0.928(95%CI=0.890-0.965),83.3%,and 88.4%for the hybrid model,respectively.The hybrid model outperformed the radiomics model and CT-FFR alone(P=0.040).Conclusions The radiomics signatures of the vessel-related myocardium from CCTA could provide incremental value to the diagnostic performance of CT-FFR and improve vessel-specific ischemia detection.The hybrid model combining CT-FFR with radiomics signatures is potentially feasible for improving the diagnostic accuracy for hemodynamically significant CAD.
Coronary Angiography/methods*
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Tomography, X-Ray Computed
;
Humans
;
Hemodynamics
;
Coronary Artery Disease/diagnostic imaging*
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Male
;
Female
;
Middle Aged
;
Aged
;
Radiomics
;
Angina Pectoris/diagnostic imaging*
;
China
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Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
;
Coronary Vessels/diagnostic imaging*
9.Construction and Testing of Health LifeStyle Evidence (HLSE)
Chen TIAN ; Yong WANG ; Yilong YAN ; Yafei LIU ; Yao LU ; Mingyao SUN ; Jianing LIU ; Yan MA ; Jinling NING ; Ziying YE ; Qianji CHENG ; Ying LI ; Jiajie HUANG ; Shuihua YANG ; Yiyun WANG ; Bo TONG ; Jiale LU ; Long GE
Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital 2024;15(6):1413-1421
Healthy lifestyles and good living habits are effective strategies and important approaches to prevent chronic non-communicable diseases. With the development of evidence-based medicine, the evidence translation system has made some achievements in clinical practice. There is, however, no comprehensive, professional and efficient system for translating lifestyle evidence globally. Therefore, the Health Lifestyle Evidence (HLSE) Group of Lanzhou University constructed the HLSE Evidence Translation System (
10.Analysis of cases of reinfection of past SARS-CoV-2 patients in Pudong New Area of Shanghai
Ge ZHANG ; Anran ZHANG ; Yilin JIA ; Li ZHANG ; Lipeng HAO ; Hongmei XU ; Yuanping WANG ; Chuchu YE ; Bo LIU ; Weiping ZHU ; Yixin ZHOU
Shanghai Journal of Preventive Medicine 2024;36(2):117-122
ObjectiveTo identify the rate, population characteristics, and vaccination history of repeat infections among previously infected people in the current epidemic based on the rate of repeat infection and population characteristics of different mutant strains at different times in Pudong New Area of Shanghai, and to provide reference for the prevention and control strategies of novel coronavirus repeat infections. MethodsA total of 9 250 investigated subjects were randomly selected from the new cases of asymptomatic infection and confirmed cases reported by Pudong New Area from March to May 2022. The investigation mainly focused on demographic characteristics, nucleic acid or antigen test results, and symptoms after infection. The repeat infection rates among different populations were compared, and logistic regression was used to analyze the impact of gender, age, and vaccination status on repeat infections. ResultsThe survey sample of 9 250 people had a response rate of 81.85%. There were 4 043 males (53.40%) and 3 528 females (46.60%), with a median age of 34 years old (P25, P75: 7, 61). The overall vaccine uptake rate was 59.44% (4 500/7 571). In December of 2022, there were 563 cases of repeat infection, with an infection rate of 7.44%. The lowest rate of repeat infection was seen in the 3‒ year-old group (2.86%) and the highest rate in the 30‒ year-old group (12.42%), with significant differences between different age groups. The repeated infection rate for those who had completed their vaccinations was significantly lower (6.57%) compared to those who had not (7.11%). The age groups of 3‒ years, 70‒79 years, as well as individuals who completed full vaccination and received booster shots were protective factors against repeat infections. ConclusionThe overall rate of reinfection among the infected in Shanghai during the spring of 2022 was low in the outbreak of the Omicron variant, and the rate of reinfection in the 3‒ year-old group was significantly lower than in other age groups. Completing the full course of vaccination significantly reduces the risk of reinfection. Although the reinfection rate is high in individuals who received booster shots, it remains a mitigating factor compared to those who do not receive the vaccine. It is recommended to continue monitoring reinfections in key populations and further strengthen immunization efforts.

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