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.

In the context of burgeoning economic trade, there has been a remarkable increase in the number of ships travelling between domestic and international ports. Inbound and outbound cargo ships, cruise liners, ferries, and other types of vessels have emerged as critical vehicles for the dispersal of vector organisms and the spread of infectious disease agents. Public health concerns associated with these vessels represent a significant threat to human welfare. In this paper, we comprehensively review the hazards posed by vector organisms on ships, the latest advances in prevention and control strategies, and proposes appropriate countermeasures. The aim is to provide effective guidance for the prevention and control of public health security issues caused by ship-borne vector organisms.

Objective This study reports on the obligatory parasitism of water mites Arrenurus sp. on Anopheles messeae at the Manzhouli Port, Inner Mongolia, China. Methods Duing July 2024, a survey on the mosquito diversity was conducted at the Manzhouli Port. Captured mosquitoes and their ectoparasites were identified to species level. Results A total of 1840 adult mosquitoes were collected, representing species from three genera: Culex(Cx. modestus, Cx. pipiens pallens), Aedes(Ae. dorsalis, Ae. flavidorsalis, Ae. flavescens), and Anopheles (An. messeae). Among all the mosqutioes specimens,3 out of 150 captured An. messeae were found to carry ectoparasitic mites, with number of 2,4,27 mites separately. Morphological and molecular identification reached the same result as water mites(Hydrachnidiae, Hydracrina). COI gene sequence showed 94% similarity with the closest species Arrenurus truncatellus. Conlusions Literature review suggests water mites are host-specific parasitism of mosquito species and herein with the first record of Arrenurus sp. parasiting on An. Messeae in the most high-latitude region globally.

Risks of food safety induced by small molecule drug residues in animal food and environment have become an increasing public concern,so it is necessary to develop highly sensitive and easy-to-operate techniques to detect small molecules.Herein,a metasurface plasma resonance(MetaSPR)sensor chip coupled with gold nanoparticles(AuNPs)was developed for detection of enrofloxacin(ENR)based on competitive immunoassay.The detection range of the sensor for ENR was 0.025-3.2 ng/mL,and the detection limit(3σ)was 20 pg/mL.The biosensor showed excellent performance including high selectivity,good stability,ease to operate and high throughput,etc.The developed method was applied to detection of ENR residues in real samples,with recoveies of 96.0% -105.0%.The proposed sensing strategy provided new technique reference for detection of other small molecules in the field of residue analysis in food safety and environment monitoring.

Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is one of common cancer that seriously endangers human health.Designing methods for early,rapid,and accurate diagnosis of HCC has become the key point.Golgi protein 73(GP73),a novel potential biomarker for HCC,is crucial for diagnosis and treatment of HCC.In this study,a colorimetric sensor with rapidity,smplicity and high specificity was established for detection of GP73 based on peroxidase-like activity of hemin-reduced graphene oxide-manganese dioxide(H-rGO-MnO2).The H-rGO-MnO2-GP73Apt1 signal probe was synthesized by carboxyl of H-rGO-MnO2 nanozyme and amination of GP73 aptamer(GP73Apt1)though amide reaction.In the presence of GP73,the sulfhydryl-modifed GP73 aptamer(GP73Apt2),as the capture probe,and the signal probe both specifically recognized GP73,forming a sandwich structure(GP73Apt2-GP73-H-rGO-MnO2-GP73Apt1).This structure could catalyze the oxidation of H2O2 to produce hydroxyl radical(·OH),thereby oxidizing the colorless phthalenediamine(OPD)into the yellow 2,3-diaminophenazine(DPA).The quantitative detection of GP73 was achieved by measuring the characteristic absorbance of DPA at 450 nm.In the GP73 concentration range of 10-150 ng/mL,there was a good linear relationship between the DPA absorbance at 450 nm(A450 nm)and the GP73 concentration under optimal conditions.The linear equation was A450 nm=0.00321CGP73+0.8988,with the correlation coefficient(R2)of 0.9960 and the detection limit(LOD)of 5.38 ng/mL.The colorimetric sensor was applied to detection of GP73 in human serum samples,with recoveries of 88.4%?98.8%.This sensor showed high specificity,sensitivity,and stability,and had potential for clinical detection of GP73,providing a new approach for the early diagnosis of HCC.

Malonylation is an important post-translational modification of proteins.In this work,a comprehensive malonylation proteomics study on hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)tumorous and non-tumorous tissues using antibody enrichment combined with high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry for discovery of early diagnostic biomarkers or potential new drug targets of HCC was performed.A total of 1299 malonylated peptides containing 1064 malonylated sites were identified from HCC tissues,corresponding to 511 malonylated proteins.Quantitative results showed that 56 and 80 malonylated proteins were up-regulated and down-regulated in HCC tissues,including 60 and 101 malonylated sites,respectively.Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes(KEGG)pathway analysis showed that these differentially modified proteins were involved in various important pathways such as metabolic pathways,fatty acid degradation,and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis.As a key enzyme in glycolysis/gluconeogenesis,phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase 1(PCK1)was malonylated at lysine 244(K244)and the malonylation was only detected in HCC tumorous tissues.More importantly,the K244 site served as a binding site for Mn2+and highly conserved across different species.Therefore,it could speculate that the malonylation of K244 would affect its activity and played a role in liver cancer by affecting its binding with Mn2+,which requied further verification through site mutation experiments.Western blot analysis by malonylation pan antibody showed that the malonylation level reduced markedly in HCC tumorous tissues compared with adjacent non-tumorous tissues,which was consistent with mass spectrometry data.In addition,the proliferation and invasion of PLC/PRF/5 cell was significantly inhibited and protein malonylation level was increased obviously when treated with sodium malonate.All the evidence indicated that protein malonylation played an important role in HCC pathogenesis,and its molecular mechanism deserved further investigation.Furthermore,the 136 differentially malonylated proteins provided rich source of candidate targets for further research on HCC pathogenesis.

In recent years,micro photoionization detectors(μPID),with their rapid response speed and excellent sensitivity,have attracted widespread attention in both scientific research and industry.This study developed a portable gas chromatograph based on μPID technology(GC-μPID),and examined its key performance characteristics such as reproducibility,sensitivity,and online analytical capability.The results showed that the method's relative standard deviation(RSD)was controlled within 2.7%,demonstrating good reproducibility;for the standard curves of 27 kinds of volatile organic compounds(VOCs),the linearity was excellent(R2≥0.99),with detection limits of≤10 μg/m3 and benzene series compounds reaching detection limits as low as 0.5 μg/m3.In field applications at an industrial park,this method successfully identified and quantified 17 kinds of VOCs,accurately capturing their diurnal concentration variations.The results above validated that the method developed here had the capability of onsite real-time monitoring and provided an effective tool for in situ monitoring atmospheric pollutants.

Objective To explore the correlation between gallbladder stones and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth(SIBO).Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 393 patients who attended the Department of Gastroenterology of the Sixth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from January 2021 to September 2023.They were divided into gallbladder stones group(n=190)and control group(n=203)based on the presence of gallbladder stones.Their general clinical data,laboratory test results,and abdominal symptoms were compared.Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors for gallbladder stones.Additionally,the total population was divided into SIBO-positive group(n=239)and SIBO-negative group(n=154),and their clinical characteristics were analyzed by logistic regression to explore the risk factors for SIBO.Results Univariate analysis revealed that gallbladder stones group had a higher rate of age,body mass index(BMI),fasting plasma glucose(FPG),glutaminase levels,prevalence of hypertension,diabetes,coronary heart disease,non-alcoholic fatty liver disease,gallbladder polyps,and SIBO,as well as a higher prevalence of CH4-positive and H2-positive in SIBO group than control group(P＜0.05).In terms of abdominal symptoms,the incidence of bad breath(48.4%vs.35.5%),dyspepsia(38.4%vs.28.6%),abdominal pain(30.5%vs.14.8%),bloating(42.1%vs.28.6%),diarrhea(20.5%vs.7.4%),and more exhaustion(46.8%vs.34.5%)were significantly higher in gallbladder stones group than those in control group(P＜0.05).Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that independent positive determinants for incident gallbladder stones were age,BMI,FPG,total bilirubin(TBIL),coronary heart disease,gallbladder polyps,and SIBO.Univariate analysis revealed that age,prevalence of gallbladder stones,proportion of single stones,triglycerides(TG),total cholesterol(TC),and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C)were significantly higher in SIBO-positive group than those in SIBO-negative group(P＜0.05).Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the risk factors for SIBO were age,coronary heart disease,and gallbladder stones,while the protective factor for SIBO was high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C).Conclusion There is a significant correlation between gallbladder stones and small SIBO;interventions on related factors of gallbladder stones and small SIBO may help reduce their incidence.

Objective To explore the influencing factors of different types of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth(SIBO).Methods A total of 539 patients who were hospitalized in the Department of Gastroenterology,the Sixth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital from June 2021 to December 2021 and who underwent methane-hydrogen breath test were retrospectively selected.Based on breath test results,patients were divided into SIBO-negative group(n=300)and SIBO-positive group(n=239).The clinical data were compared between two groups.According to the specific values of breath test results,SIBO-positive patients were further divided into hydrogen-producing bacterial overgrowth(hydrogen-positive,n=103),intestinal methanogen overgrowth(methanogen-positive,n=80),and simultaneous methanogen and hydrogen-producing bacterial overgrowth(double positive,n=56)groups.Multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed to identify influencing factors of different SIBO types.Additionally,SIBO-positive patients were categorized by age into<45 years(n=23),45-60 years(n=82),60-75 years(n=124),and≥75 years(n=10)to compare SIBO positivity rates across age groups.Results The patients in SIBO-positive and double positive groups were older and had a lower body mass index(BMI)than those in SIBO-negative group,with statistically significant differences(P<0.05).Compared with the patients in SIBO-negative group,those in hydrogen-positive group showed a higher proportion of history of coronary heart disease,those in methanogen-positive group were older,and higher proportion of statin use,with statistically significant differences(P<0.05).Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that,among different SIBO types,a history of coronary heart disease served as an independent risk factor for hydrogen-producing bacterial overgrowth(OR=2.728,95%CI 1.271-5.857,P=0.010).For methanogen overgrowth,increasing age was identified as an independent risk factor(OR=1.040,95%CI 1.009-1.063,P=0.010),while the application of statin played the role of an independent protective factor(OR=0.420,95%CI 0.236-0.754,P=0.003).As for the simultaneous overgrowth of methane-producing and hydrogen-producing bacteria,increased BMI was found to be an independent protective factor(OR=0.870,95%CI 0.786-0.964,P=0.008).In SIBO-positive group,it was found that for patients aged<45 years,both the methane-positive rate and the double-positive rate were significantly lower than the hydrogen positivity rate(P<0.05).Moreover,among patients aged 45-60 years,the double-positive rate was significantly lower than the hydrogen positivity rate(P<0.01).When it comes to the hydrogen-positive rate,it was significantly lower for patients aged 45-60 and 60-75 years compared with that of patients aged<45 years(P<0.05).In contrast,the methane-positive rate and the double-positive rate were significantly higher for patients aged 45-60 and 60-75 years than those of patients aged<45 years(P<0.01).Conclusion A history of coronary heart disease and increasing age are independent risk factors for intestinal hydrogen-producing bacterial overgrowth and methanogen overgrowth,respectively.The application of statins and increased BMI are independent protective factors for intestinal methanogen simultaneous overgrowth of methanogen and hydrogen-producing bacteria,respectively.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the mechanism of electroacupuncture (EA) in treating diabetic gastroparesis (DGP) by inhibiting the activation of Nod-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome and pyroptosis mediated via NLRP3/cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-1 (caspase-1)/gasdermin D (GSDMD) signaling pathway. METHODS: Forty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 4 groups including the control, DGP model, EA, and MCC950 groups. The DGP model was established by a one-time high-dose intraperitoneal injection of 2% streptozotocin and a high-glucose and high-fat diet for 8 weeks. EA intervention was conducted at Zusanli (ST 36), Liangmen (ST 21) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6) with sparse-dense wave for 15 min, and was administered for 3 courses of 5 days. After intervention, the blood glucose, urine glucose, gastric emptying, and intestinal propulsive rate were observed. Besides, HE staining was used to observe histopathological changes in gastric antrum tissues, and TUNEL staining was utilized to detect DNA damage. Protein expression levels of NLRP3, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing CARD (ASC), pro-caspase-1, caspase-1 and GSDMD were measured by Western blot. Immunofluorescence staining was employed to assess the activity of GSDMD-N. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels were detected by using a biochemical kit. RESULTS: DGP rats showed persistent hyperglycemia and a significant decrease in gastrointestinal motility (P<0.05 or P<0.01), accompanied by pathological damage in their gastric antrum tissues. Cellular DNA was obviously damaged, and the expressions of NLRP3, ASC, pro-caspase-1, caspase-1 and GSDMD proteins were significantly elevated, along with enhanced fluorescence signals of GSDMD-N and increased LDH release (P<0.01). EA mitigated hyperglycemia, improved gastrointestinal motility in DGP rats and alleviated their pathological injury (P<0.05). Furthermore, EA reduced cellular DNA damage, lowered the protein levels of NLRP3, ASC, pro-caspase-1, caspase-1 and GSDMD, suppressed GSDMD-N activity, and decreased LDH release (P<0.05 or P<0.01), demonstrating effects comparable to MCC950. CONCLUSION EA promotes gastrointestinal motility and repairs the pathological damage in DGP rats, and its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome and pyroptosis mediated by NLRP3/caspase-1/GSDMD pathway.
Animals ; Electroacupuncture ; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/metabolism* ; Pyroptosis ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Caspase 1/metabolism* ; Gastroparesis/physiopathology* ; Signal Transduction ; Male ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental/physiopathology* ; Phosphate-Binding Proteins/metabolism* ; Gastrointestinal Motility ; Rats ; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/metabolism* ; Diabetes Complications/physiopathology* ; Gasdermins