1.Neuroplasticity Mechanisms of Exercise-induced Brain Protection
Li-Juan HOU ; Lan-Qun MAO ; Wei CHEN ; Ke LI ; Xu-Dong ZHAO ; Yin-Hao WANG ; Zi-Zheng YANG ; Tian-He WEI
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(6):1435-1452
Neuroscience is a significant frontier discipline within the natural sciences and has become an important interdisciplinary frontier scientific field. Brain is one of the most complex organs in the human body, and its structural and functional analysis is considered the “ultimate frontier” of human self-awareness and exploration of nature. Driven by the strategic layout of “China Brain Project”, Chinese scientists have conducted systematic research focusing on “understanding the brain, simulating the brain, and protecting the brain”. They have made breakthrough progress in areas such as the principles of brain cognition, mechanisms and interventions for brain diseases, brain-like computation, and applications of brain-machine intelligence technology, aiming to enhance brain health through biomedical technology and improve the quality of human life. Due to limited understanding and comprehension of neuroscience, there are still many important unresolved issues in the field of neuroscience, resulting in a lack of effective measures to prevent and protect brain health. Therefore, in addition to actively developing new generation drugs, exploring non pharmacological treatment strategies with better health benefits and higher safety is particularly important. Epidemiological data shows that, exercise is not only an indispensable part of daily life but also an important non-pharmacological approach for protecting brain health and preventing neurodegenerative diseases, forming an emerging research field known as motor neuroscience. Basic research in motor neuroscience primarily focuses on analyzing the dynamic coding mechanisms of neural circuits involved in motor control, breakthroughs in motor neuroscience research depend on the construction of dynamic monitoring systems across temporal and spatial scales. Therefore, high spatiotemporal resolution detection of movement processes and movement-induced changes in brain structure and neural activity signals is an important technical foundation for conducting motor neuroscience research and has developed a set of tools based on traditional neuroscience methods combined with novel motor behavior decoding technologies, providing an innovative technical platform for motor neuroscience research. The protective effect of exercise in neurodegenerative diseases provides broad application prospects for its clinical translation. Applied research in motor neuroscience centers on deciphering the regulatory networks of neuroprotective molecules mediated by exercise. From the perspectives of exercise promoting neurogenesis and regeneration, enhancing synaptic plasticity, modulating neuronal functional activity, and remodeling the molecular homeostasis of the neuronal microenvironment, it aims to improve cognitive function and reduce the incidence of Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. This has also advanced research into the molecular regulatory networks mediating exercise-induced neuroprotection and facilitated the clinical application and promotion of exercise rehabilitation strategies. Multidimensional analysis of exercise-regulated neural plasticity is the theoretical basis for elucidating the brain-protective mechanisms mediated by exercise and developing intervention strategies for neurological diseases. Thus,real-time analysis of different neural signals during active exercise is needed to study the health effects of exercise throughout the entire life cycle and enhance lifelong sports awareness. Therefore, this article will systematically summarize the innovative technological developments in motor neuroscience research, review the mechanisms of neural plasticity that exercise utilizes to protect the brain, and explore the role of exercise in the prevention and treatment of major neurodegenerative diseases. This aims to provide new ideas for future theoretical innovations and clinical applications in the field of exercise-induced brain protection.
2.Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Ameliorates Cognitive Dysfunction in Alzheimer’s Disease Mice by Inhibiting Ferroptosis and Maintaining Cytoplasmic Calcium Homeostasis
Meng ZHANG ; Ze ZHANG ; Rui FU ; Zi-Hao REN ; Chong DING
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(8):2117-2130
ObjectiveRepetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), a non-invasive brain stimulation technique, offers a non-pharmacological therapeutic option for the management of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Studies have demonstrated that ferroptosis plays a pivotal role in the pathological onset and progression of AD, and the inhibition of neuronal ferroptosis can significantly ameliorate cognitive impairments associated with AD. The imbalance of calcium ion (Ca2+) homeostasis is intimately associated with the pathology of AD and serves as a catalyst for the induction of ferroptosis through various pathways. This study is designed to investigate whether rTMS can ameliorate AD by inhibiting neuronal ferroptosis or maintaining calcium homeostasis, ultimately establishing a theoretical and experimental framework for the utilization of rTMS in AD treatment. MethodsAPP/PS1 AD mice were subjected to both 0.5 Hz low-frequency and 20 Hz high-frequency rTMS treatments, and the efficacy of these treatments was evaluated using novel object recognition and Morris water maze tests. ELISA was employed to quantify the levels of glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), Fe2+ within the hippocampi of mice from each group. HT-22 cells were induced to undergo ferroptosis via Erastin treatment, and subsequent to high- and low-frequency magnetic stimulation, cell viability was assessed using CCK-8 assay, while intracellular calcium ion concentration fluctuations were monitored using Fluo-4 AM. ResultsThe findings revealed that, when compared to normal mice, AD mice displayed a notable decline in cognitive function, accompanied by a substantial increase in ferroptosis levels and intracellular calcium ion concentrations. Both high-frequency and low-frequency applications of rTMS were found to significantly ameliorate cognitive impairments in AD mice, while also effectively mitigating the abnormal augmentation of neuronal ferroptosis and intracellular calcium ion levels. ConclusionThe present study underscores that both high-frequency and low-frequency rTMS exhibit efficacy in alleviating cognitive dysfunction in AD mice, potentially through the modulation of ferroptosis and intracellular calcium ion homeostasis.
3.Preparation,characterization and tissue distribution of polyethylene glycol-modified Curcumin solid lipid nanoparticle inhalable micropowder
Nan LI ; Zi WANG ; Di HAO ; Lingyu KONG ; Xu LI
China Pharmacy 2025;36(19):2387-2392
OBJECTIVE To prepare polyethylene glycol (PEG)-modified flower lactose (FL) loaded Curcumin (Cur) solid lipid nanoparticle (SLN) inhalable micropowder (referred to as “PEG-Cur-FL”). METHODS PEG-Cur-FL was prepared by the solvent emulsification diffusion low-temperature solidification method, and its encapsulation efficiency, drug loading capacity, powder properties, aerodynamic particle size, in vitro deposition properties, and in vitro release characteristics were characterized. The mice were divided into Cur-SLN-FL (unmodified with PEG) group and PEG-Cur-FL group, with 55 mice in each group. Both groups of mice were given a single inhalation of 5 mg/kg (calculated as Cur) of the corresponding drug micropowder through an air tube. At 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 24, 48 and 72 hours after administration, eyeballs were removed to collect blood and tracheal, lung, liver and kidney tissues were separated. The mass concentration of Cur in mouse plasma and various tissue samples was measured, and the tissue distribution and retention of the drug were analyzed. RESULTS The encapsulation efficiency and drug loading capacity of PEG-Cur-FL were (86.2±1.8)% and (4.2±0.2)%, respectively; the bulk density and tap density were (0.24±0.01) g/cm3 and (0.30±0.01) g/cm3, respectively; the aerodynamic particle size was (2.74±0.64) μm; the in vitro effective site deposition rate (secondary drug deposition rate) was (45.07±2.79)%. Compared with Cur raw materials, Cur-SLN- FL and PEG-Cur-FL had sustained release effects under both leakage and non-leakage conditions, and PEG-Cur-FL had a smoother sustained release in artificial lung fluid, with release characteristics consistent with the Weibull model. The results of in vivo distribution showed that the drug concentration in the lung tissue of PEG-Cur-FL group was significantly lower than that of Cur- SLN-FL group during the same period after 1 hour of administration, while the drug concentration in the lung tissue at 4 to 48 hours was significantly higher than that of Cur-SLN-FL group during the same period (P<0.05); the plasma drug concentrations of the PEG-Cur-FL group at all time points from 0.25 to 12 hours were significantly lower than those of the Cur-SLN-FL group during the same period (P<0.05), and the drug concentrations in liver and kidney tissues were also lower than those of the Cur-SLN-FL group during the same period (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS PEG-Cur-FL is prepared successfully; the inhalable micropowder has good inhalability and release performance; after administration through the trachea, the effective concentration of Cur in lung tissue can be increased, while reducing its plasma drug concentration and drug distribution concentration in non-target organs.
4.Diagnostic imaging modeling of thyroid nodules based on contrast-enhanced ultrasound and cross-scale attention mechanisms
Chinese Medical Equipment Journal 2025;46(4):9-14
Objective To develop an image diagnosis model based on contrast-enhanced ultrasound and cross-scale attention mechanisms to improve the accuracy for diagnosing thyroid nodules.Methods Firstly,relevant data of thyroid nodules were obtained with contrast-enhanced ultrasound and then preprocessed.Secondly,ResNet-101 was selected as the backbone network for feature extraction of images,and feature enhancement was carried out with the modules of attention interaction across scale channels(AIAC)and spatial attention interaction across scales(SAIAC);finally,the generated high-dimensional feature vector was sent to K nearest neighbor(KNN)classifier for classification.To validate the performance of the proposed model,ablation and comparison experiments were performed using diffusion-weighted imaging,diffusion tensor imaging,and ultrasonography images as datasets.Results Ablation experiments showed the proposed model outperformed the baseline model with the average precision(AP),AP in case the intersection over union was 0.5(AP50)or 0.75(AP75)being 0.490,0.938 and 0.485,respectively.Comparison experiments indicated the proposed model behaved better than the models of bi-directional feature pyramid network(Bi-FPN)and feature pyramid network(FPN)with the prediction accuracy,recall rate and F1 score being 0.944,0.939 and 0.924,respectively.Conclusion The proposed model gains advantages in feature capture and image information enhancement,which can improve the accuracy and robustness of thyroid nodule diagnosis.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2025,46(4):9-14]
5.Therapeutic mechanism of Compound Xuanju Capsule on erectile dysfunction
Zi-jie LI ; Hao-xiang XU ; Wei WANG ; Yue YANG ; Cheng-lin YANG ; Zhi CAO ; Xiao-ming ZHANG
National Journal of Andrology 2025;31(8):675-683
Objective:To investigate the pharmacological mechanism of Compound Xuanju Capsule in the treatment of erectile dysfunction(ED)by using network pharmacology and molecular docking technology.Methods:The active ingredients and targets of Compound Xuanju Capsule were screened using Traditional Chinese Medicine Systematic Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP).TTD,OMIM,DrugBank and GeneCards databases were used to obtain genes related to ED,and the union of the results was taken as the disease genes of ED.The common target of drug and disease was taken as the potential target of Compound Xuanju Capsule in ED,and the drug-disease interaction network was constructed by using Cytoscape software.The protein-protein interaction(PPI)network was constructed by using String database,which was then imported into Cytoscape to identify the key target.Based on the drug-disease intersection genes,GO and KEGG enrichment analyses were performed to predict the relevant signaling pathways and molecular mechanisms of Compound Xuanju Capsule for the treatment of ED.Autodock software was used to perform molecular docking between the active ingredients and the core targets.Results:Forty chemical components of Compound Xuanju Capsule were screened,and 239 predicted targets were obtained.A total of 1 907 ED-related genes were screened,and 97 common targets were identified between Compound Xuanju Capsule and ED,among which the core targets included EGFR,ESR1,HIF1A,PTGS2,and STAT3.The signaling pathways obtained by KEGG enrichment analysis included calcium signaling pathway,HIF-1 signaling pathway,PI3K-Akt signaling pathway,cGMP-PKG signaling pathway,relaxin signaling pathway,Serotonergic synapse signaling pathway.The molecular docking results showed that there were molecular binding sites between the key active ingredients and the core targets with strong binding activity.Conclusion:Compound Xuanju Capsule may treat ED through multi-target pathways such as anti-inflamnmato-ry and improving cellular oxidative stress.
6.Comparative Experimental Study of Nd∶YAG Laser Ablation of Fresh Isolated Pig Liver
Ruo-yu LIU ; Mu YUAN ; Hao LI ; Zi-yi ZHU ; Yu-lin TAN
Progress in Modern Biomedicine 2025;25(10):1613-1619,1657
Objective:To compare the characteristics and temperature changes of single and double fiber Nd∶YAG laser in fresh isolated pig liver,and to provide reference for clinical ablation treatment.Methods:Single-needle single-point and double-needle double-point ablations were perf ormed on fresh isolated pig livers using a 5 W power laser,and the morphology,range,and surrounding temperature changes of the ablation lesions caused by the two in vitro liver tissues were observed.Results:The ablation lesions were divided into carbonized area,necrotic area and deformed area from inside to outside.The carbonized area in the center of the ablation lesion in the double-fiber group was larger and the cell necrosis was more thorough.The aspect ratio(LD/TD)of the laser ablation lesion in the single-fiber group was larger than that in the double fiber group(P<0.001).The transverse diameter(TD)and volume(V)of the ablation lesion in the double-fiber group were larger than those in the single-fiber group(P<0.001).There was no significant difference in the longitudinal diameter(LD)of the ablation lesion between the double-fiber group and the single-fiber group(P>0.05).There was no significant difference in the temperature of 20 s,40 s and 60 s at 5 mm and 10 mm beside the ablation center between the two groups(all P>0.05).Conclusion:Under the condition of 5 W,the temperature changes around the single and double fiber ablation are similar.The single fiber is suitable for small tumor ablation,and the double fiber ablation range is larger,which can be used for one-time full coverage ablation of larger cancer nodules.
7.Analysis of the Application Effect of Curved Incision Surgery in the Treatment of Hammock Finger Tendon
Huan LUO ; Hao PENG ; Wei-hao ZHENG ; Peng-yu XU ; Song-bai WANG ; Zi-yi GUO
Progress in Modern Biomedicine 2025;25(9):1542-1548
Objective:To investigate the application effect of curved incision surgery in the treatment of hammock finger tendon.Methods:45 patients with hammock finger tendon who were admitted to Pingle Orthopedics and Traumatology Hospital in Shenzhen were selected from May 2022 to May 2023,all of whom were treated with curved incision surgery.Wound healing,functional recovery and complication rate were observed after surgery.Results:In this study,45 patients with hammock finger tendon were successfully followed up for 3 to 18 months,with an average follow-up of 1 year.The results of follow-up showed that all the incisions healed in one stage,and there were no complications such as skin infection and necrosis,exposed knots and skin irritation.X-ray reexamination before and after the operation showed,no complications such as loosening of the Kirkner needle,redisplacement of bone mass and nonunion of bone.During the follow-up period,there was no significant recurrence of vertical deformity.Crawford grading showed that,35 cases were excellent,9 were good,and 1 was fair.Conclusion:Using curved incision surgery to treat hammock finger tendon,which has the advantages of less trauma,faster recovery and fewer complications,and the effect is good.
8.Mechanisms and intervention strategies of aging based on epigenetics
Li-yuan ZHANG ; Hao-nan SHI ; Wen-feng ZHANG ; Ming-qian ZHANG ; Zi-yang ZHAO ; Zhen-zhen CHENG ; Ti ZHANG ; Zhen-teng YAN ; Jian-ning SUN ; Shi-fen DONG
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2025;41(12):2230-2235
Aging is comprehensively influenced by multiple fac-tors such as internal genes,cellular metabolism,external envi-ronment,and lifestyle habits.Among them,epigenetic regula-tion plays a core role.Epigenetic modifications,including DNA methylation,histone modification,heterochromatin remodeling,and non-coding RNA regulation,act in concert with the three-di-mensional genome architecture to precisely regulate gene expres-sion.This review elaborates on the factors influencing epigenetic regulation,as well as the mechanisms of how epigenetics affects the occurrence of organismal aging and the corresponding inter-vention strategies,providing relevant insights for uncovering the mechanisms of aging and preventing/treating aging-related disea-ses.
9.Tanshinone ⅡA regulates cuproptosis-related proteins and affects lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory damage in H9c2 cardiomyocytes
Zi-hao XIE ; Hong-chun HU ; Hong-juan YAN ; Hua-ying WU
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2025;41(12):2275-2282
Aim To establish a lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced inflammatory injury model in H9c2 cardiomyocytes,and to investigate the anti-inflammato-ry effects of tanshinone ⅡA(Tan ⅡA)and its influ-ence on cuproptosis.Methods Cell viability was de-tected by CCK-8 method.The mRNA expression levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-α),interleukin-1 beta(IL-1β),and interleukin-6(IL-6)were meas-ured by RT-qPCR.Intracellular copper ion levels were detected via colorimetry.The protein expression levels of cuproptosis-related markers(CTR1,FDX1,DLAT,PD H α1)were determined using Western blot and im-munofluorescence techniques.Results Tan ⅡA sig-nificantly inhibited LPS-induced upregulation of in-flammatory cytokines(TNF-α,IL-1β,and IL-6)and Cu+accumulation in H9c2 cardiomyocytes.Moreover,Tan ⅡA reversed the exacerbated inflammatory re-sponse and elevated Cu+levels induced by the combi-nation of LPS and the copper ionophore Elesclomol-Cu(Ⅱ).Additionally,Tan ⅡA markedly downregulated the protein expression of CTR1,FDX1,DLAT,and PDHα1.Conclusion Tan ⅡA alleviates LPS-in-duced inflammatory injury in H9c2 cardiomyocytes by regulating intracellular Cu+levels and the expression of cuproptosis-related proteins.
10.Salvianolic acid B mediates Elovl6/Echs1/Acot1 pathway to regulate fatty acid metabolism and attenuates OGD/R injury in H9c2 cells
Ce CAO ; Jian-shu SONG ; Li-li YANG ; Hao-ran LI ; Zi-xin LIU ; Lei LI ; Jian-hua FU ; Jian-xun LIU
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2025;41(3):482-490
Aim To observe the mechanism of salvian-olic acid B(SalB)against oxygen glucose deprivation/re-oxygenation(OGD/R)injury in H9c2 cardiomyo-cytes.Methods The protective concentration of SalB against OGD/R-injured H9c2 cardiomyocytes was screened by CCK-8 assay.The levels of lactate dehy-drogenase(LDH),aspartate transaminase(AST)and creatine kinase(CK)were detected by ELISA kit.The mechanism of action of SalB on OGD/R-injured H9c2 cardiomyocytes was explored using high-through-put sequencing of the transcriptome.The binding of SalB to differential proteins was assessed using molecu-lar docking assays.Fatty acid content was determined using free fatty acid kits.The relative expressions of mRNA and protein of differential genes were verified by RT-qPCR and Western blot.The causal relationship between the target of action of SalB and heart failure was examined by Mendelian randomization experiment.Results SalB protected OGD/R-injured H9c2 cardio-myocytes and significantly reduced the levels of CK,LDH and AST compared with the blank control group.One hundred differential genes were screened by tran-scriptome sequencing,which were mainly involved in fatty acid elongation,central carbon metabolism of cancer,tryptophan metabolism pathways.Molecular docking showed that SalB had good binding energy to differential proteins.The mRNA and protein expression of core differential genes Elovl6,Echs1 and Acot1 were consistent with the transcriptome sequencing results.SalB reduced fatty acidsafter OGD/R injury.Mende-lian randomization experiments suggested that SalB might reduce the risk of heart failure through fatty acid metabolism,thereby reducing the risk of heart failure.Conclusion SalB can protect H9c2 cardiomyocytes after OGD/R injury by down-regulating Elovl6,Echs1 and Acot1 expression through the fatty acid metabolism pathway.

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