1.Structure and Function of GPR126/ADGRG6
Ting-Ting WU ; Si-Qi JIA ; Shu-Zhu CAO ; De-Xin ZHU ; Guo-Chao TANG ; Zhi-Hua SUN ; Xing-Mei DENG ; Hui ZHANG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(2):299-309
GPR126, also known as ADGRG6, is one of the most deeply studied aGPCRs. Initially, GPR126 was thought to be a receptor associated with muscle development and was primarily expressed in the muscular and skeletal systems. With the deepening of research, it was found that GPR126 is expressed in multiple mammalian tissues and organs, and is involved in many biological processes such as embryonic development, nervous system development, and extracellular matrix interactions. Compared with other aGPCRs proteins, GPR126 has a longer N-terminal domain, which can bind to ligands one-to-one and one-to-many. Its N-terminus contains five domains, a CUB (complement C1r/C1s, Uegf, Bmp1) domain, a PTX (Pentraxin) domain, a SEA (Sperm protein, Enterokinase, and Agrin) domain, a hormone binding (HormR) domain, and a conserved GAIN domain. The GAIN domain has a self-shearing function, which is essential for the maturation, stability, transport and function of aGPCRs. Different SEA domains constitute different GPR126 isomers, which can regulate the activation and closure of downstream signaling pathways through conformational changes. GPR126 has a typical aGPCRs seven-transmembrane helical structure, which can be coupled to Gs and Gi, causing cAMP to up- or down-regulation, mediating transmembrane signaling and participating in the regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation and migration. GPR126 is activated in a tethered-stalk peptide agonism or orthosteric agonism, which is mainly manifested by self-proteolysis or conformational changes in the GAIN domain, which mediates the rapid activation or closure of downstream pathways by tethered agonists. In addition to the tethered short stem peptide activation mode, GPR126 also has another allosteric agonism or tunable agonism mode, which is specifically expressed as the GAIN domain does not have self-shearing function in the physiological state, NTF and CTF always maintain the binding state, and the NTF binds to the ligand to cause conformational changes of the receptor, which somehow transmits signals to the GAIN domain in a spatial structure. The GAIN domain can cause the 7TM domain to produce an activated or inhibited signal for signal transduction, For example, type IV collagen interacts with the CUB and PTX domains of GPR126 to activate GPR126 downstream signal transduction. GPR126 has homology of 51.6%-86.9% among different species, with 10 conserved regions between different species, which can be traced back to the oldest metazoans as well as unicellular animals.In terms of diseases, GPR126 dysfunction involves the pathological process of bone, myelin, embryo and other related diseases, and is also closely related to the occurrence and development of malignant tumors such as breast cancer and colon cancer. However, the biological function of GPR126 in various diseases and its potential as a therapeutic target still needs further research. This paper focuses on the structure, interspecies differences and conservatism, signal transduction and biological functions of GPR126, which provides ideas and references for future research on GPR126.
2.Gadopiclenol,a new radiological diagnostic drug used in magnetic resonance imaging
Lu ZHENG ; Ting YANG ; Chao-Yang CHEN ; Ran WEI ; Xuan-Ling ZHANG ; Jing-Zhong DENG ; Ying ZHOU
The Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 2024;40(11):1661-1664
Gadopiclenol was used in adults and pediatric patients 2 years of age and older during magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)to detect and view lesions of the central nervous system(brain,spine,and associated tissues)and body(head and neck,chest,abdomen,pelvis,and musculoskeletal system)with abnormal vascular properties.Gadopiclenol is a new type of macrocyclic gadolinium-based contrast agent(GBCA).In this article,the molecular structure,principle of action,pharmacodynamics,pharmacokinetics,clinical studies,safety and other aspects of Gadopiclenol were reviewed,in order to introduce the current research status and existing achievements of Gadopiclenol.
3.lncRNA LINC02859 mediates Wnt pathway in N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine-induced gastric cancer
Xueling ZHANG ; Yong ZENG ; Ting WANG ; Jianding WANG ; Deng XIAO ; Junling WANG ; Chengyun LI
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2024;41(10):1136-1143
Background Gastric carcinogenesis is a multifactorial and complex process, in which long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles as oncogenes or antioncogenes. Research has found that the expression of lncRNA LINC02859 is down-regulated in gastric cancer tissues and correlated with the degree of tumor differentiation and TNM stage, and also plays an important role in the development of malignant transformation of cells induced by environmental carcinogen N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG), but its mechanism of action is still unclear. Objective To explore the role and potential regulatory mechanism of gastric cancer-associated lncRNA LINC02859 in MNNG-induced malignant transformation of human normal gastric mucosal cells (GES-1). Methods A total of 110 gastric cancer patients from a high incidence area of gastric cancer in Gansu Province were selected, and their cancer tissues and normal gastric mucosa tissues adjacent to the cancer were collected to detect the expression level of LINC02859 by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). High-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics analysis of the tissues were used to identify the potential signaling pathways regulated by the genes co-expressed with LINC02859. GES-1 cells at 70%-80% cell fusion with low cell passage number and normal morphology were incubated with 0, 0.25 and 0.5 μmol·L−1 MNNG solution for 48 h and the LINC02859 expression level was detected. Cell proliferation activity was detected by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), clone formation was detected by plate clone formation assay, and cell migration ability was detected by scratch assay to evaluate the effects of MNNG on cell morphology and function. The expression levels of key proteins of Wnt signaling pathway were detected by RT-qPCR and Western blotting. Results The RT-qPCR results showed that LINC02859 was lowly expressed in the gastric cancer tissues compared with the paracancerous tissues, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The pathway enrichment analysis showed that LINC02859 potentially regulated the Wnt pathway. The in vitro malignant transformation assay suggested that after the MNNG exposure, the malignant cells of passage 5 (MC-5) had altered morphology, increased number of colony formation, and higher proliferation and migration ability than the control cells; compared with the normal GES-1 cells, LINC02859 gene expression levels were reduced in the 0.25 μmol·L−1 and the 0.5 μmol·L−1 MNNG-exposed GES-1 cells; the expression levels of key proteins of the Wnt pathway, transcription factor 7 (TCF7), Axis inhibitor (Axin1), phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (p-GSK-3β), casein kinase 1 (CK1), and β-catenin, were elevated in the cells after 0.5 μmol·L−1 MNNG exposure (P < 0.05); whereas, overexpression of LINC02859 suppressed the activating effect of MNNG on the Wnt pathway. Conclusion LINC02859 is lowly expressed in the cancer tissues of gastric cancer patients. MNNG exposure induces morphological and functional changes in GES-1 cells, down-regulated expression of LINC02859, and activation of the Wnt signaling pathway; overexpression of LINC02859 inhibits the activation of the Wnt signaling pathway in the gastric carcinogenesis induced by MNNG exposure.
4.Discovery of the targets and lead compounds of traditional Chinese medicine based on the molecular trajectory of diabetes evolution
Yu ZHANG ; Jiang-lan LONG ; Ai-ting WANG ; Hao LÜ ; Ke-jun DENG ; Hao LIN ; Dan YAN
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica 2024;59(8):2199-2204
Exploring the action targets (groups) of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an important proposition to promote the innovation and development of TCM, but it has attracted a lot of attention as to whether it is related to the efficacy or the disease. Our team found that the metabolomic signature molecules in the development of diabetes mellitus (DM) were significantly associated with the clinical efficacy of Yuquan Pill through a large clinical sample study. Taking this as a clue, our team intends to expand the information on the omics features of DM development, and discover the key targets (groups) and their lead compounds for the hypoglycemic effect of Yuquan Pill. The project includes: ① Based on the retrospective clinical trials, using omics technology integrated with generative artificial intelligence, mining the characteristic information of proteome and microbiome, forming driving factors together with metabolome characteristic molecules, and characterizing the molecular trajectories of diabetes evolution and their interference by Yuquan Pill; ② Taking the evolving molecular trajectories as a link and pointer, using anthropomorphic modeling and molecular biology techniques such as chemical proteomics to discover the key targets (groups) of Yuquan Pill's hypoglycemic effect, with the prospective clinical samples for validation; ③ Evaluate the overall response of key targets (groups) using graph neural network technology, and search for drug-derived/endogenous lead compounds with proven clinical pathologies and clear mechanisms of action, so as to provide a new paradigm and technology for the discovery of complex active ingredient targets (groups) of TCM that are related to their clinical efficacy, as well as for the discovery of innovative medicines.
5.Osteopontin activates the PI3K/AKT pathway by upregulating LGALS3BP in promotion of hepatoma cell migration
Linlin DENG ; Riwen AN ; Fangxin ZHAO ; Ting LIN ; Cuihua LIU ; Mei HONG ; Jianqiang WU ; Xuan ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Comparative Medicine 2024;34(2):9-15
Objective To investigate the effect and mechanism of osteopontin(OPN)in hepatoma cell migration through galectin-3 binding protein(LGALS3BP).Methods Human hepatoma cell lines SMMC-7721,SMMC-P(stably transfected with empty eukaryotic expression vectors),and SMMC-OPN(stably transfected with the OPN gene)were cultured.mRNA expression levels of OPN and LGALS3BP were measured by RT-qPCR.Western blot assays were used to analyze the relative protein expression of OPN and LGALS3BP and PI3K/AKT pathway.Wound healing assays were performed to explore the cell migration ability.After transfection with LGALS3BP-targeting small interfering RNA(si-LGALS3BP)or negative control small RNA(si-NC)into SMMC-OPN cells,cell migration and relative expression of PI3K/AKT pathway-related proteins were assessed.Results Compared with SMMC-7721 and SMMC-P,the migratory ability of SMMC-OPN cells was significantly reinforced,and expression of LGALS3BP was obviously upregulated at both mRNA and protein levels.Moreover,relative expression of p-PI3K/PI3K and p-AKT/AKT proteins was significantly increased.Wound healing assays showed that the si-LGALS3BP obviously suppressed the migratory ability of SMMC-OPN cells.Furthermore,relative expression of p-PI3K/PI3K and p-AKT/AKT proteins in SMMC-OPN cells was significantly decreased after transfection of si-LGALS3BP.Conclusions OPN activates the PI3K/AKT pathway by upregulating LGALS3BP expression to promote hepatoma cell migration.
6.Relationship between Phenotypic Changes of Dendritic Cell Subsets and the Onset of Plateau Phase during Intermittent Interferon Therapy in Patients with CHB
Liu YANG ; Yu Shi WANG ; Ting Ting JIANG ; Wen DENG ; Min CHANG ; Ling Shu WU ; Hua Wei CAO ; Yao LU ; Ge SHEN ; Yu Ru LIU ; Jiao Yuan GAO ; Jiao Meng XU ; Ping Lei HU ; Lu ZHANG ; Yao XIE ; Hui Ming LI
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2024;37(3):303-314
Objective This study aimed to evaluate whether the onset of the plateau phase of slow hepatitis B surface antigen decline in patients with chronic hepatitis B treated with intermittent interferon therapy is related to the frequency of dendritic cell subsets and expression of the costimulatory molecules CD40,CD80,CD83,and CD86. Method This was a cross-sectional study in which patients were divided into a natural history group(namely NH group),a long-term oral nucleoside analogs treatment group(namely NA group),and a plateau-arriving group(namely P group).The percentage of plasmacytoid dendritic cell and myeloid dendritic cell subsets in peripheral blood lymphocytes and monocytes and the mean fluorescence intensity of their surface costimulatory molecules were detected using a flow cytometer. Results In total,143 patients were enrolled(NH group,n = 49;NA group,n = 47;P group,n = 47).The results demonstrated that CD141/CD1c double negative myeloid dendritic cell(DNmDC)/lymphocytes and monocytes(%)in P group(0.041[0.024,0.069])was significantly lower than that in NH group(0.270[0.135,0.407])and NA group(0.273[0.150,0.443]),and CD86 mean fluorescence intensity of DNmDCs in P group(1832.0[1484.0,2793.0])was significantly lower than that in NH group(4316.0[2958.0,5169.0])and NA group(3299.0[2534.0,4371.0]),Adjusted P all<0.001. Conclusion Reduced DNmDCs and impaired maturation may be associated with the onset of the plateau phase during intermittent interferon therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis B.
7.Barley Protein LFBEP-C1 from Lactiplantibacillus plantarum dy-1 Fermented Barley Extracts by Inhibiting Lipid Accumulation in a Caenorhabditis elegans Model
Yan Jia ZHANG ; Ting Meng LIU ; Hao Yu LIU ; Huan DENG ; Juan BAI ; Hua Jian XIE ; Xiang XIAO
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2024;37(4):377-386
Objective This study aimed to investigate the lipid-lowering activity of LFBEP-C1 in high glucose-fed Caenorhabditis elegans(C.elegans). Methods In this study,the fermented barley protein LFBEP-C1 was prepared and tested for its potential anti-obesity effects on C.elegans.The worms were fed Escherichia coli OP50(E.coli OP50),glucose,and different concentrations of LFBEP-C1.Body size,lifespan,movement,triglyceride content,and gene expression were analyzed.The results were analyzed using ANOVA and Tukey's multiple comparison test. Results Compared with the model group,the head-swing frequency of C.elegans in the group of LFBEP-C1 at 20 μg/mL increased by 33.88%,and the body-bending frequency increased by 27.09%.This indicated that LFBEP-C1 improved the locomotive ability of C.elegans.The average lifespan of C.elegans reached 13.55 days,and the body length and width of the C.elegans decreased after LFBEP-C1 intake.Additionally,LFBEP-C1 reduced the content of lipid accumulation and triglyceride levels.The expression levels of sbp-1,daf-2,and mdt-15 significantly decreased,while those of daf-16,tph-1,mod-1,and ser-4 significantly increased after LFBEP-C1 intake.Changes in these genes explain the signaling pathways that regulate lipid metabolism. Conclusion LFBEP-C1 significantly reduced lipid deposition in C.elegans fed a high-glucose diet and alleviated the adverse effects of a high-glucose diet on the development,lifespan,and exercise behavior of C.elegans.In addition,LFBEP-C1 regulated lipid metabolism mainly by mediating the expression of genes in the sterol regulatory element-binding protein,insulin,and 5-hydroxytryptamine signaling pathways.
8.Association of Cytokines with Clinical Indicators in Patients with Drug-Induced Liver Injury
Hua Wei CAO ; Ting Ting JIANG ; Ge SHEN ; Wen DENG ; Yu Shi WANG ; Yu Zi ZHANG ; Xin Xin LI ; Yao LU ; Lu ZHANG ; Yu Ru LIU ; Min CHANG ; Ling Shu WU ; Jiao Yuan GAO ; Xiao Hong HAO ; Xue Xiao CHEN ; Ping Lei HU ; Jiao Meng XU ; Wei YI ; Yao XIE ; Hui Ming LI
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2024;37(5):494-502
Objective To explore characteristics of clinical parameters and cytokines in patients with drug-induced liver injury(DILI)caused by different drugs and their correlation with clinical indicators. Method The study was conducted on patients who were up to Review of Uncertainties in Confidence Assessment for Medical Tests(RUCAM)scoring criteria and clinically diagnosed with DILI.Based on Chinese herbal medicine,cardiovascular drugs,non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAIDs),anti-infective drugs,and other drugs,patients were divided into five groups.Cytokines were measured by Luminex technology.Baseline characteristics of clinical biochemical indicators and cytokines in DILI patients and their correlation were analyzed. Results 73 patients were enrolled.Age among five groups was statistically different(P=0.032).Alanine aminotransferase(ALT)(P=0.033)and aspartate aminotransferase(AST)(P=0.007)in NSAIDs group were higher than those in chinese herbal medicine group.Interleukin-6(IL-6)and tumor necrosis factor alpha(TNF-α)in patients with Chinese herbal medicine(IL-6:P<0.001;TNF-α:P<0.001)and cardiovascular medicine(IL-6:P=0.020;TNF-α:P=0.001)were lower than those in NSAIDs group.There was a positive correlation between ALT(r=0.697,P=0.025),AST(r=0.721,P=0.019),and IL-6 in NSAIDs group. Conclusion Older age may be more prone to DILI.Patients with NSAIDs have more severe liver damage in early stages of DILI,TNF-α and IL-6 may partake the inflammatory process of DILI.
9.Relationship between serum CXCL16,CCL20 and inflammatory factors and mucosal healing in patients with ulcerative colitis
Tao CAI ; Ting ZHANG ; Yinkui LIU ; Shuang DENG ; Chuang TANG
International Journal of Laboratory Medicine 2024;45(15):1799-1804,1810
Objective To investigate the relationship between serum chemokine C-X-C-motif ligand 16(CXCL16),CC chemokine ligand 20(CCL20)and inflammatory factors and mucosal healing in patients with ulcerative colitis(UC).Methods A total of 170 UC patients admitted to Chengdu Shuangliu District First People's Hospital/West China Airport Hospital of Sichuan University from January 2021 to October 2022 were selected as the study group,and 100 healthy subjects who underwent physical examination in the hospital during the same period were selected as the control group.The levels of serum CXCL16,CCL20 and inflamma-tory factors[interleukin-1β(IL-1β),interleukin-6(IL-6),interleukin-17(IL-17),tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),C-reactive protein(CRP)]in the two groups were compared.The correlation between serum CX-CL16,CCL20 and inflammatory factors in UC patients was analyzed.According to the prognosis of mucosal healing after treatment,UC patients were divided into good healing group and poor healing group.Serum CX-CL16 and CCL20 levels of patients with different prognosis were compared.Univariate and multivariate Logis-tic regression analysis models were used to analyze the risk factors of poor mucosal healing in UC patients af-ter treatment,and the predictive value of serum CXCL16 and CCL20 in poor mucosal healing in UC patients after treatment was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve.Results The levels of serum CXCL16,CCL20,IL-1β,IL-6,TNF-α,IL-17 and CRP in the study group were significantly higher than those in the control group,with statistical significance(P<0.05).Pearson correlation analysis showed that serum CX-CL16 and CCL20 were positively correlated with IL-1β,IL-6,TNF-α,IL-17 and CRP in UC patients,respec-tively(P<0.05),and serum CXCL16 was positively correlated with CCL20(P<0.05).The levels of CX-CL16 and CCL20 in poor healing group were significantly higher than those in good healing group,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).Multifactor Logistic regression analysis showed that in-creased CXCL16 level,CCL20 level,drinking history,severity of disease classification,erythrocyte sedimenta-tion rate(ESR)level and CRP level were risk factors for poor mucosal healing in UC patients after treatment(P<0.05).ROC curve results showed that the combined detection of serum CXCL16 and CCL20 predicted a larger area under the curve(AUC)for poor mucosal healing after treatment in UC patients,and the combined detection of serum CXCL16 and CCL20 with ESR and CRP predicted the largest AUC for poor mucosal heal-ing after treatment in UC patients.Conclusion The serum levels of CXCL16 and CCL20 in UC patients are closely related to inflammatory factors,and the combined detection have high predictive value for poor muco-sal healing in UC patients after treatment.
10.Relationship of uric acid metabolism and brain injury post-cardiopulmonary bypass in rats
Ting-Ting YU ; Tian YU ; Hai-Ying WANG ; Sheng-Li DENG ; Lin ZHANG ; Chi CHENG
Medical Journal of Chinese People's Liberation Army 2024;49(10):1123-1133
Objective To investigate the relationship between uric acid metabolism and brain injury following cardiopulmonary bypass(CPB)in rats.Methods Healthy male SD rats were randomly assigned to either a Sham group or a CPB group,each comprising 12 rats.The Sham group only underwent vascular puncture and did not perform CPB conversion,while the CPB group was subjected to a CPB procedure with a perfusion duration of 110 min,and the brain tissue was collected post-procedure.Microdialysate was collected 1 h before and after CPB initiation.Apoptosis in the paraventricular nucleus(PVN)was assessed using TUNEL staining,and the expression of Bax mRNA in cerebral cortex and hypothalamus was determined via real-time quantitative PCR.Apoptosis-related protein expression was analyzed by Western blotting.Differentially expressed genes(DEGs)were identified through RNA-sequencing between brain tissues of two groups,and Gene Ontology(GO)analysis was performed to identify enriched pathways among the DEGs.Protein-protein interaction(PPI)networks were constructed using String and Cytoscape softwares to identify key genes.Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry(LC-MS/MS)was employed to analyze differential metabolites in the PVN before and after CPB,with Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)enrichment analysis constructed subsequently.Uric acid levels in the hypothalamus was measured using a uric acid assay kit,and the expression of key enzymes of uric acid metabolism[xanthine reductase(XDH),adenosine deaminase(ADA)]and uric acid transporter[organic anion transporter family protein 1(OAT1),organic anion transporter family protein 3(OAT3),ATP-binding cassette transporter subfamily G member 2(ABCG2),glucose transporter 9(GLUT9)]genes in the hypothalamus was evaluated by real-time quantitative PCR.Results Real-time quantitative PCR revealed a significant upregulation of Bax mRNA in the cerebral cortex and hypothalamus of CPB group compared to Sham group(P<0.05).TUNEL staining indicated a significantly higher apoptosis rate of cells in PVN region in CPB group than that in Sham group(19.0%±5.0%vs.7.6%±0.8%,P=0.01).Western blotting showed a significantly increased Bcl-2/Bax ratio in the hypothalamus of CPB group compared to Sham group(P<0.05).A total of 2829 DEGs were identified between Sham group and CPB group,with 1374 upregulated genes and 1455 downregulated genes.Uric acid metabolism-related pathways were predominantly enriched in purine nucleoside metabolism and biosynthesis,purine nucleoside monophosphate metabolism,purine nucleoside triphosphate metabolism,purine ribonucleotide metabolism and biosynthesis,purine ribonucleoside monophosphate metabolism and biosynthesis,purine ribonucleoside triphosphate metabolism and biosynthesis,and reaction to purine compounds.Eighteen differential metabolites were identified in the microdialysate,with 13 upregulated and 5 downregulated metabolites.KEGG enrichment analysis identified 7 significantly enriched metabolic pathways,among which the nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism pathways were closely related to uric acid metabolism.Both RNA-sequencing and LC-MS/MS analysis suggested alterations in uric acid metabolism in CPB groups.Post-CPB,uric acid concentration in the hypothalamic tissue significantly increased(P<0.01),and the expression of XDH and ADA mRNA in the hypothalamus were significantly increased(P<0.05),while the expression of ABCG2,OAT1,OAT3 and GLUT9 mRNA significantly decreased(P<0.001).Conclusion Uric acid metabolism in brain is altered during CPB,which may be an important mechanism for brain injury following CPB.

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