Olfactory receptors (ORs) form the largest superfamily of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Traditionally recognized for their role in the nasal olfactory epithelium, where they mediate the sense of smell, accumulating evidence has firmly established their ectopic expression in non-olfactory tissues, including the intestine, lungs, and kidneys. The intestine, as the primary site for nutrient digestion and absorption, harbors a highly complex chemical environment. To adapt to this environment, the gut employs a sophisticated network of “chemosensors” to monitor luminal contents and maintain homeostasis. Among these sensors, intestinal ORs have emerged as crucial functional components, serving as a molecular bridge that connects environmental chemical signals—such as food-derived odorants—to specific physiological responses. This discovery has significantly deepened our understanding of how dietary flavors and compounds influence intestinal physiology at the molecular level. This review systematically summarizes the expression profiles, ligand classification, and biological functions of ORs within the gastrointestinal tract. Studies indicate that intestinal ORs exhibit distinct spatial distribution patterns across different gut segments and display cell-type specificity, particularly within enterocytes and enteroendocrine cells. These receptors function as versatile sensors capable of recognizing a wide variety of ligands, including exogenous dietary components, gut microbiota metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids, and endogenous small molecules like azelaic acid. Upon activation by specific ligands, intestinal ORs trigger intracellular signaling cascades, primarily involving the AC-cAMP-PKA pathway or calcium influx channels. A major focus of this review is to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which these receptors regulate the secretion of gut hormones. Activation of specific ORs in enteroendocrine cells has been shown to stimulate the release of hormones such as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), peptide YY (PYY), and serotonin (5-HT), thereby modulating systemic energy metabolism, glucose homeostasis, and gastrointestinal motility. Furthermore, the review addresses the critical roles of ORs in immune regulation and pathology. Evidence suggests that specific ORs contribute to the maintenance of intestinal immune homeostasis and may offer protection against inflammation. Beyond their involvement in inflammatory responses, ORs such as Olfr78 have been shown to regulate the differentiation and function of intestinal endocrine cells. Similarly, Olfr544 has been demonstrated to alleviate intestinal inflammation by remodeling the gut microbiome and metabolome. These findings collectively suggest that specific ORs hold promise as therapeutic targets for mitigating intestinal inflammation and maintaining gut homeostasis. Additionally, the review explores the emerging role of ORs in cancer. Although OR expression is often downregulated in tumor tissues compared to normal mucosa, activation of specific ORs by certain ligands can inhibit tumor cell proliferation and migration and induce apoptosis via pathways such as MEK/ERK and p38 MAPK. Conversely, other receptors, such as OR7C1, may serve as biomarkers for cancer-initiating cells. In conclusion, intestinal ORs represent a vital component of the gut’s sensory network. The review also discusses the translational potential of these findings. By elucidating the precise pairing relationships between dietary components and specific ORs, novel therapeutic strategies could be developed. Intestinal ORs may thus emerge as promising targets for nutritional and pharmacological interventions in metabolic diseases, inflammatory bowel diseases, and malignancies.

Objective To investigate the role and potential mechanism of secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1)⁺ macrophages in the formation of chronic renal allograft fibrosis. Methods The expression features of SPP1⁺ macrophages in renal allografts of chronic allograft dysfunction (CAD) patients were analyzed based on single-cell transcriptome data of renal tissues from patients with CAD. Transcription factor VIPER analysis and DoRothEA transcription factor activity analysis were performed on the single-cell transcriptome data. Renal tissue samples were collected from kidney transplant recipients, including the CAD group (n=5) and the non-renal allograft fibrosis group (CTL group, n=5). A mouse model of chronic allograft rejection was established and divided into the allogeneic kidney transplantation group (CAD group, n=3) and the syngeneic kidney transplantation group (SYN group, n=3). Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to detect renal tissue injury in mice, and Masson staining was used to detect renal tissue fibrosis. Immunofluorescence staining was performed to detect SPP1 expression in renal tissues of transplant recipients and mouse renal allografts. Bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) were extracted from mice and subjected to hypoxia stimulation. The expression of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α and SPP1 was detected by Western blot, and SPP1 expression was detected by flow cytometry. BMDMs were transfected with HIF-1α overexpression plasmid and HIF-1α small interfering RNA (siRNA) followed by hypoxia intervention, and the expression of HIF-1α and SPP1 was detected by Western blot. Mouse aortic endothelial cells (MAECs) were co-cultured with the supernatant of BMDMs, and the expression of endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EndMT)-related markers was detected by Western blot and immunofluorescence. Results Single-cell transcriptome analysis showed that the proportion of SPP1⁺ macrophages in renal allograft tissues was significantly higher in the CAD group than in the CTL group (P<0.05). The renal injury score and the percentage of interstitial fibrotic area in the CAD group were significantly higher than those in the SYN group (both P<0.05). Immunofluorescence staining showed that the proportion of SPP1⁺ macrophages was increased in the CAD group compared with the CTL group, and also increased in the CAD group compared with the SYN group (both P<0.05). VIPER analysis and DoRothEA transcription factor activity analysis revealed activation of the hypoxia pathway and upregulated expression of transcription factors such as HIF-1α in SPP1⁺ macrophages. SPP1 expression was elevated in BMDMs under hypoxic conditions. Knockdown of HIF-1α inhibited hypoxia-induced SPP1 protein expression, whereas overexpression of HIF-1α upregulated SPP1 protein levels. After co-culture of hypoxia-induced BMDMs with MAECs, the expression levels of EndMT-related markers were increased. Conclusions SPP1⁺ macrophages differentiated under hypoxia are significantly infiltrated in the formation of chronic renal allograft fibrosis, and may promote renal allograft fibrosis by inducing EndMT in renal vascular endothelial cells.

ObjectiveAs a common lifestyle habit, alcohol consumption has a controversial association with the onset of Parkinson’s disease (PD). To demonstrate the correlation between alcohol consumption and PD and to identify associated genes, we integrated findings from clinical surveys, genomics, transcriptomics, and animal experiments. MethodsWe investigated the alcohol consumption rates (including both before and after disease onset) among 244 PD patients in China and 177 PD patients from the U.S. NHANES database. Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was performed using genome-wide association study (GWAS) data for three alcohol-related traits and seven PD-related datasets from the MRC IEU OpenGWAS database. Transcriptomic data from the substantia nigra of PD patients were obtained from three GEO datasets (GSE7621, GSE20141, and GSE49036) to analyze RIT2 gene transcription. Finally, three groups of animal experiments (water/20% ethanol/20% liquor, with 4 C57BL/6J mice per group) were conducted to examine changes in brain RIT2 gene expression and transcriptomic profiles following alcohol consumption. ResultsThe alcohol consumption rates among PD patients in China and the U.S. (9%-18.87%) were significantly lower than the general population rates of 15%-45% in their respective regions (P<0.001), suggesting a possible negative association between alcohol consumption and PD. Subsequently, in 21 bidirectional MR analyses using 3 alcohol-related GWAS datasets and 7 PD-related GWAS datasets, the forward MR analyses (alcohol intake as exposure, PD as outcome) yielded 12 negative associations (OR_IVW<1) and 9 positive associations (OR_IVW>1). Among these, only two negative associations reached statistical significance: alcohol intake frequency (OR_IVW=0.75, 95% CI: 0.60-0.93, P=0.010) and alcohol consumption (OR_IVW=0.20, 95% CI: 0.05-0.83, P=0.026). The forward MR analysis (alcohol intake→PD) identified 235 SNPs, annotated to 316 genes, while the reverse MR analyses (PD→alcohol intake) identified 37 SNPs, annotated to 53 genes. Notably, only the RIT2 gene appeared in both the forward and reverse MR analyses (alcohol intake→PD: rs28597806, rs8083110; PD→alcohol intake: rs4588066). RIT2 is selectively expressed in the human brain (FPKM: 5.259±2.103), with low or no expression in peripheral tissues (FPKM: <1). Analysis of three human substantia nigra transcriptomic datasets revealed a decreasing trend in RIT2 gene expression in PD patients (GSE20141 array signal: 3.49±1.23 vs. 2.33±0.87, P=0.044). Animal experiments demonstrated that administration of 20% ethanol or 20% liquor (approximately 8% ethanol) stimulated a >2-fold upregulation of RIT2 gene expression in the mouse brain. Furthermore, transcriptomic sequencing revealed that the two alcohol-treated groups exhibited 96 (20% ethanol vs. water control) and 4 (20% liquor vs. water control) differentially expressed genes, respectively, indicating that low-dose alcohol consumption can achieve RIT2 upregulation while minimizing impact on other brain genes. In addition to its anti-infective effects, low-dose alcohol consumption primarily influences signaling pathways related to neurodegenerative diseases such as PD and Prion diseases. ConclusionAlcohol consumption is generally considered as a harmful lifestyle habit. However, some studies have also shown a lower risk of mortality among individuals who consume low doses of alcohol (100 g/week of ethanol) or drink occasionally. Currently, one of the research focuses on alcohol consumption is whether the human body can benefit from low-dose alcohol intake. This study provides new evidence supporting a negative association between alcohol consumption and PD, and for the first time, through MR analysis, identifies the RIT2 gene as a potential mediator of the effect of alcohol consumption on PD. RIT2 is selectively expressed in the human brain. Building upon existing evidence indicating downregulated RIT2 gene expression in PD pathogenesis, our experiments confirm that low-dose alcohol consumption can upregulate RIT2 expression in the brain. In brief, alcohol consumption may suppress the pathogenesis of PD by upregulating RIT2 expression in the substantia nigra. China is facing a serious problem of population aging. This study offers important insights for long-term PD prevention and treatment strategies, with the aim of benefiting more potential PD patients through lifestyle modifications, thereby improving the quality of life of the aging population and reducing the economic burden on healthcare.

Objective To investigate the value of pre-treatment MRI features in predicting cachexia in hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 399 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma,recording their pre-treatment clinical and MRI data.All patients underwent MRI plain and enhanced scan,and their weight was followed up 6 months after the MRI examination.According to the diagnostic criteria for cachexia,patients were divided into cachexia group and non-cachexia group.They were randomly divided into the training set(n=279)and the validation set(n=120).Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to screen variables associated with cachexia in hepatocellular carcinoma and to establish a predictive model.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to evaluate the predictive performance of different models.The DeLong test was used to compare the AUC values of different models,and the best-performing model was used to establish a predictive nomogram for cachexia in hepatocellular carcinoma.Results Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that serum albumin<40 g/dL,serum alpha-fetoprotein>100 ng/mL,tumor diameter>5 cm,portal vein tumor thrombus,intratumoral arterial enhancement,and arterial phase peritumoral enhancement were independent predictors of cachexia in hepatocellular carcinoma.The clinical-imaging model showed the best predictive performance,with an AUC of 0.843 in the training set and 0.854 in the validation set.Conclusion The nomogram based on MRI features can predict cachexia in hepatocellular carcinoma 6 months earlier than clinical diagnosis,which has important clinical guidance significance.

The research investigated the characteristics of lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood of children with mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in different infection states. The retrospective cross-sectional study selected 194 children with pneumonia from October 2023 to January 2024 in Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University as the study objects, patients aged 7 months to 13 years old, including 91 female children and 103 male children. According to the types of pathogens, the children with pneumonia were divided into single MP infection group (80 cases), non-MP infection group (29 cases) and mixed pathogen infection group (85 cases). According to the mutation of MP23S rRNA gene, the MPP children were divided into drug-resistance group (112 cases) and non-drug-resistance group (53 cases). According to the results of bronchoscopy and imaging, the MPP children were divided into severe group (35 cases) and mild group (130 cases). Pathogen infection, the percentage and absolute count of lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood, hypersensitive CRP, interferon-γ, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-10, interleukin-4, interleukin-6 and interleukin-2 in each group were analyzed retrospectively. The levels of the test items in each group were compared. The value of peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets in the diagnosis of MPP in children was evaluated by ROC curve. The results showed that the co-infection rate of MPP children was 51.51% (85/165). Streptococcus pneumoniae was the most common co-infection (39/85, 45.88%), followed by Haemophilus influenzae (26/85, 30.89%). The mutation rate of MP resistance gene was 67.88% (112/165) in MPP children tested for tNGS in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. The absolute counts (cells/μl) of CD3 +, CD3 +CD4 +, CD3 +CD8 +, CD3 -CD19 +, CD3 -CD16 +CD56 +and CD3 +CD16 +CD56 + in the simple MP group (1 164, 612, 415, 242, 168, 50) and the mixed pathogen group (1 285, 694, 457, 313, 176, 52) were significantly lower than those in the non-MP group (2 092, 1 037, 660, 541, 295, 86) ( P<0.05). There was no significant difference between drug-resistant group and non-drug-resistant group ( P>0.05). The CD3 +CD4 +% (34.91) and the absolute counts of CD3 -CD16 +CD56 + (148 cells/μl) in severe group was significantly lower than that in mild group (37.91, 187 cells/μl), and CD3 -CD19 +% (19.48) was significantly higher than that in mild group (16.33) ( P<0.05). The median values (cells/μl) of CD3 + (1 093, 925), CD3 +CD4 + (576, 543), CD3 +CD8 + (401, 356), CD3 -CD19 + (238, 234) and CD3 -CD16 +CD56 + (181, 153) in MPP children aged 4 to 8 years and 9 to 12 years were lower than the reference range in corresponding age. ROC curve analysis showed that the AUC of peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets for MPP diagnosis was 0.813, and the sensitivity was 79.3%, the specificity was 75%. In conclusion, the co-infection rate of MPP children was higher than single MP infection. The characteristics of peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets in children with pneumonia were that the absolute count test value of MPP children was significantly lower than that of non-MP infection, and there are differences between MPP children clinical types.

Objective:To explore the value of ultrasound imaging characteristics combined with clinical indicators in assessing the prognosis of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted for patients who underwent pancreatic contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) from September 2017 to October 2023 at Peking Union Medical College Hospital and were diagnosed with PDAC based on pathological findings. Various parameters were recorded, including CA19-9 levels, tumor size, location, morphologic features, echogenicity, presence of internal cystic components, dilatation of the main pancreatic duct, peripheral vascular invasion, CEUS characteristics, presence or absence of liver metastasis, and treatment methods. In April 2024, patient survival information was obtained through telephone follow-up or review of medical records. Based on the results of the cox regression model analysis, a nomogram model of the risk of death was developed. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were applied to evaluate the predictive efficacy of the model. The calibration curves were plotted to evaluate the accuracy of the model, and clinical decision curves were used to evaluate the clinical benefit of the model.Results:This study included a total of 207 patients with PDAC. As of April 2024, 71 patients were alive and 136 died, with a median survival time of 14 months (95% CI: 12 -17). Multivariate analysis confirmed that the elevated CA19-9 ( HR=1.689, 95% CI: 1.102-2.588), tumor size >4 cm ( HR=1.641, 95% CI: 1.159-2.322), taller-than-wide shapes ( HR=1.450, 95% CI: 1.019-2.065), incomplete hypo-enhancement ( HR=1.618, 95% CI: 1.100-2.380), and liver metastasis ( HR=1.687, 95% CI: 1.175-2.423) were independent risk factors for survival in patients with PDAC. A nomogram model was further constructed for 6-month, 12-month and 3-year survival of patients with PDAC. The areas under the ROC curve were 0.679, 0.705 and 0.815, respectively. The calibration curves suggested that the model was more accurate, and the clinical decision curves showed that the model had a better clinical benefit. Conclusion:The combined use of ultrasound imaging characteristics and clinical indicators could effectively predict the prognosis of PDAC patients. Specifically, tumor size >4 cm, taller-than-wide shapes, incomplete hypo-enhancement, elevated CA19-9, and the presence of liver metastasis are correlated with poorer survival outcomes. The nomogram model constructed on the basis of these factors can be used to assess the survival of patients with PDAC.

This experiment was conducted to study the effects of replacing feed protein by Herme-tia illucens larvae meal on immune function,intestinal morphology and microflora of Sichuan white geese.A total of 64 healthy 1-day-old Sichuan white geese were randomly allocated into 4 groups with 4 replicates in each group and 4 geese in each replicate,namely the control group,the 2％HILM,4％HILM and 8％HILM groups fed diets contained 0％,2％,4％and 8％of HILM,re-spectively.The experimental period was 40 days.The results showed that compared with the con-trol group,8％HILM increased the levels of serum IgG1,IgG2a and complement C3,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.01).4％HILM significantly increased the expression level of CD4(P＜0.05),and 8％HILM significantly increased the expression level of IL-10(P＜0.05).The ratio of villus length to crypt depth(VH/CD)in the jejunum and ileum in 4％HILM group was significantly increased(P＜0.05).The SIgA level of jejunum was significantly increased in all HILM replacement groups(P＞0.05).The abundance of Bacteroides in 4％HILM group were extremely significantly increased(P＜0.01),and the abundance of Bilophila and Bilophila wadsworthia were significantly decreased in all HILM replacement groups(P＜0.05).In conclu-sion,HILM can enhance the immune function of Sichuan white geese,improve the intestinal mor-phology of jejunum and ileum,enhance the local mucosal immunity of jejunum,increase the abun-dance of beneficial bacteria in cecum and decrease the abundance of harmful bacteria in cecum,and protect intestinal health.

Danggui Buxue decoction(DBD)is a classic prescription with immunomodulatory and hematopoietic effects.Previous studies have shown the DBD has potential to be used as an oral im-mune booster.However,its immunomodulatory effects and mechanism of action have not been thoroughly studied,especially the protective mechanism of immunomodulatory regulation in the state of immunosuppressive is still unclear.The aim of this study was to explore the protective mechanism of DBD in the immunosuppressive state using network pharmacology combined with animal experiments verification.The active components,core targets and signaling pathways of DBD in treating immunosuppression were obtained using network pharmacology tools.On this ba-sis,the active components of DBD were identified using HPLC-MS,and in vivo studies were con-ducted at the same time.The key active components of DBD obtained using network pharmacology included quercetin,kaempferol and formononetin.The core targets included TP53,RELA,TNF,AKT1,and IL-6.KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that phosphoinositide 3-kinase(PI3K)-protein kinase B(AKT)may play an important role in the treatment of immunosuppres-sive diseases using DBD.Molecular docking confirmed that each core target had good binding activ-ity with its corresponding compounds.Animal experiments showed that after DBD intervention,the mRNA gene and protein expression of RELA,TNF,and IL-6 in the serum was significantly down-regulated.The mRNA expression of PI3K and AKT in the ileum and PI3K protein expression were also downregulated.In conclusion,DBD exerts its role in treating immunosuppressive diseases by regulating the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway.

To explore the effect of Macleaya cordata extract(MCE)on growth performance and serum biochemistry of Sichuan White Geese,and to analyze its mechanism of action by network pharmacology and molecular docking technology combined with animal experiments verification.A total of 90 1-day-old healthy goslings were randomly divided into 5 groups with 18 goslings per group after 5 d of adaptive feeding.The control group(CON)was fed with basal diet,the antibiotic group(CTC)was supplemented with 450 mg/kg chlortetracycline premix,and the low MCE group(MCEL),medium MCE group(MCEM)and high MCE group(MCEH)were supple-mented with 200,300 and 400 mg/kg MCE,respectively.The experimental period was 21 d.On the basis of the above experiments,Network pharmacology and molecular docking technology were used to predict the core targets and signaling pathways of MCE to promote geese growth from the levels of antioxidant,immune and apoptosis,and the expression levels of the core target genes were detected by Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR.The results showed that compared with the CON group,MCE supplementation could increase the average daily weight gain,decrease the ratio of feed to gain,significantly increase the contents of serum GH,T3,T4,TP and ALB(P＜0.05),and significantly decrease the contents of serum AST and TG(P＜0.05).Network pharmacology analysis predicted 2 active ingredient and 237 active ingredient targets,and concluded that the mechanism of MCE promoting the growth of Sichuan White Geese may be related to the role of 5 key targets such as SRC,HSP90AA1,CASP3,ESR1 and MAPK14,and the action of MAPK,apop-tosis and other signaling pathways.Molecular docking results showed that the active ingredients of sanguinarine and chelerythrine in MCE could act through MAPK14.The validation results of core targets showed that MCE could significantly reduce the mRNA expression levels of CytC,CASP2,CASP3 and CASP9 in spleen(P＜0.05)and significantly increase the mRNA expression levels of Mcl-1(P＜0.05).These results indicated that MCE could promote the growth performance of Si-chuan White Geese by regulating apoptosis,promoting the secretion of serum growth-related hor-mones and improving biochemical indicators.

To explore the effect of Macleaya cordata extract(MCE)on growth performance and serum biochemistry of Sichuan White Geese,and to analyze its mechanism of action by network pharmacology and molecular docking technology combined with animal experiments verification.A total of 90 1-day-old healthy goslings were randomly divided into 5 groups with 18 goslings per group after 5 d of adaptive feeding.The control group(CON)was fed with basal diet,the antibiotic group(CTC)was supplemented with 450 mg/kg chlortetracycline premix,and the low MCE group(MCEL),medium MCE group(MCEM)and high MCE group(MCEH)were supple-mented with 200,300 and 400 mg/kg MCE,respectively.The experimental period was 21 d.On the basis of the above experiments,Network pharmacology and molecular docking technology were used to predict the core targets and signaling pathways of MCE to promote geese growth from the levels of antioxidant,immune and apoptosis,and the expression levels of the core target genes were detected by Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR.The results showed that compared with the CON group,MCE supplementation could increase the average daily weight gain,decrease the ratio of feed to gain,significantly increase the contents of serum GH,T3,T4,TP and ALB(P＜0.05),and significantly decrease the contents of serum AST and TG(P＜0.05).Network pharmacology analysis predicted 2 active ingredient and 237 active ingredient targets,and concluded that the mechanism of MCE promoting the growth of Sichuan White Geese may be related to the role of 5 key targets such as SRC,HSP90AA1,CASP3,ESR1 and MAPK14,and the action of MAPK,apop-tosis and other signaling pathways.Molecular docking results showed that the active ingredients of sanguinarine and chelerythrine in MCE could act through MAPK14.The validation results of core targets showed that MCE could significantly reduce the mRNA expression levels of CytC,CASP2,CASP3 and CASP9 in spleen(P＜0.05)and significantly increase the mRNA expression levels of Mcl-1(P＜0.05).These results indicated that MCE could promote the growth performance of Si-chuan White Geese by regulating apoptosis,promoting the secretion of serum growth-related hor-mones and improving biochemical indicators.