1.Reactive and Enzyme-activated Probe Strategies for Imaging Acute Kidney Injury
Ru-Long CHEN ; Ting-Fei XIE ; Jin-Xin ZHANG ; Jia-Ting CHEN ; Jie LI ; Peng-Fei ZHANG ; Ji-Hong CHEN ; Lin-Tao CAI
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(6):1622-1637
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a prevalent and life-threatening clinical syndrome characterised by a rapid decline in renal function and diverse pathological etiologies. The condition has been demonstrated to be associated with elevated mortality rates and an increased risk of progression to chronic kidney disease. At present, clinicians depend heavily on conventional functional markers, such as serum creatinine and urine output, for the diagnosis and staging of the disease. It is evident that these conventional indicators characteristically manifest a considerable temporal delay and only undergo modification subsequent to considerable tissue damage. This severely restricts the timeframe for early detection and timely therapeutic intervention. Furthermore, standard markers fail to provide specific biological information regarding the underlying cellular injury mechanisms. The utilisation of advanced probe technologies in molecular imaging offers a robust alternative to overcome these inherent diagnostic limitations.This comprehensive review systematically evaluates recent progress in the design and application of two primary categories of molecular imaging tools for acute kidney disease, specifically reactive probes and enzyme-activated probes. Reactive probes are engineered to specifically interact with redox-active chemical species, including hydrogen peroxide, peroxynitrite, hypochlorous acid, and sulfur dioxide. Because oxidative stress constitutes a primary early event in acute renal tubular damage, these probes enable researchers and clinicians to visualize early cellular injury and radical accumulation well before global renal functional decline becomes evident. We discuss the application of these reactive probes across multiple imaging modalities including fluorescence imaging, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), and photoacoustic techniques. Photoacoustic imaging combines high spatial resolution with deep tissue penetration and has successfully demonstrated the ability to provide diagnostic alerts up to 12 h before any detectable rise in serum creatinine levels. Additionally, specific reactive probes have shown promising translational potential when tested by high-throughput screening in clinical human urine samples. Enzyme-activated probes target the specific catalytic activity of disease-relevant enzymes. These include well-documented renal tubular structural biomarkers such as NAG, GGT, and ALP, along with apoptosis-related caspases and specific nitroreductases. By responding only to enzymatic cleavage, these tools provide highly specific and pathology-directed imaging readouts. Recent structural design strategies in this field have advanced significantly beyond single-enzyme detection. Researchers are now focusing on sophisticated dual-target recognition to minimize background noise, multimodal integration to cross-validate imaging signals, and theranostic applications where probes simultaneously deliver diagnostic feedback and therapeutic agents to injured tissues. Nanotechnology serves as a fundamental enabler for realizing these advanced probe functions. By precisely optimizing nanoparticle parameters such as hydrodynamic size, surface charge, and targeting ligands, researchers can achieve amplified signal output, highly precise kidney delivery, and protection against premature degradation in the systemic circulation. For example, modifying surface charges can significantly enhance the active uptake of nanoprobes by damaged renal tubular epithelial cells.While preclinical probe development has progressed rapidly, moving these technologies into routine clinical practice remains a major challenge. We analyze the translational feasibility and current obstacles from biological, technological, and regulatory perspectives. Although biological targets such as KIM-1, FAP, and ALP have been validated in extensive patient cohorts, practical barriers severely limit their immediate clinical application. These obstacles involve complex changes in in vivo pharmacokinetics. During an acute injury episode, the extreme drop in the glomerular filtration rate alters probe clearance and can cause unwanted systemic accumulation or confusing background imaging signals. Other major hurdles include a lack of comprehensive long-term toxicity data and the absence of standardized manufacturing protocols to ensure batch-to-batch consistency. Future successful translation will require rigorous multi-center clinical studies to confirm the true diagnostic value of these probes over traditional markers. Researchers must also establish strict standardization of imaging procedures and comprehensive safety evaluations. Ultimately, this review provides a thorough reference framework for designing clinically translatable molecular probes and building a precision diagnostic imaging system for acute kidney injury.
2.Protective Effect of MiR-193a-5p on Cardiac Function in Rats with Chronic Heart Failure by Regulating IL-33/ST2 Signaling Pathway
Peng DING ; Jia LI ; Xiaodan ZHAO ; Jie ZHAO ; Changrong MIAO
Journal of Kunming Medical University 2025;46(5):48-54
Objective To investigate the protective effect of miR-193a-5p on cardiac function and the regulation of IL-33/ST2 signaling pathway in rats with chronic heart failure(CHF).Methods Forty SPF-grade Wistar rats were randomly divided to four groups:Sham group,CHF group,NC group,and miR-193a-5p group,10 rats in each group.The model of chronic heart failure was duplicated in the CHF group,NC group,and miR-193a-5p group.Subsequently,the rats in the NC group and miR-193a-5p group were received 5 nmol/L of NC-agomiR or miR-193a-5p-agomiR,respectively,via tail vein injection every 3 days for 4 weeks.In contrast,the rats in the Sham and CHF groups were received an equal amount of saline injection.At the endpoint of the experiment,doppler color ultrasonography was used to detect the left ventricular posterior wall thicknesses(LVPWs),left ventricular posterior wall thickness at end-diastole(LVPWd),systolic interventricular septal thicknesses IVSs,end-diastolic interventricular septal thicknesses(IVSd),and left ventricular ejection fractions(LVEFs)in the above rats,and the changes in the cardiac phenotypic indices of HW/BW vs.LVW/BW in the 4 groups,and cardiac tissues of the rats of the 4 groups were selected.Histomorphological analysis was performed,and the expression levels of miR-193a-5p in the cardiac tissues of the four groups of the rats were detected by qPCR;apoptosis was detected by Tunel staining;the levels of the inflammatory factors interleukin-6(IL-6)and tumor necrosis factor alpha(TNF-alpha)in the myocardial tissues were measured by Elisa;Western blot was used to detect the expression levels of IL-33 and ST2 protein in myocardial tissues.Results Compared with the Sham group,the hearts in the CHF and NC groups showed increased volume,altered geometry,thinning of the myocardium,and pallor in the infarcted area,whereas the miR-193a-5p group showed partial remission.In addition,the expression levels of miR-193a-5p in cardiac tissues of the CHF and NC groups showed a decreasing trend,whereas showed a significant increase in the miR-193a-5p group(P<0.01).In CHF group and NC group,LVPWs,LVPWd,IVSS,IVSD HW/BW and LVW/BW increased significantly,and LVEF decreased significantly(P<0.01).In miR-193a-5p group,LVPWs,LVPWd,IVSs,IVSd,HW/BW and LVW/BW decreased significantly but higher than sham group,and LVEF increased significantly but lower than sham group(P<0.01).The expression of miR-193a-5p increased significantly in CHF group and NC group,decreased significantly in miR-193a-5p group but still higher than sham group(P<0.01).The expression of IL-33 and ST2 protein increased significantly in CHF group and NC group,and decreased significantly in miR-193a-5p group(P<0.01).Conclusion miR-193a-5p has a protective effect on cardiac function in the rats with chronic heart failure.The mechanism might be related to inhibiting the release of inflammatory factors,reducing cardiomyocyte apoptosis and the inhibition of IL-33/ST2 signaling pathway.
3.A preclinical evaluation and first-in-man case for transcatheter edge-to-edge mitral valve repair using PulveClip® transcatheter repair device.
Gang-Jun ZONG ; Jie-Wen DENG ; Ke-Yu CHEN ; Hua WANG ; Fei-Fei DONG ; Xing-Hua SHAN ; Jia-Feng WANG ; Ni ZHU ; Fei LUO ; Peng-Fei DAI ; Zhi-Fu GUO ; Yong-Wen QIN ; Yuan BAI
Journal of Geriatric Cardiology 2025;22(2):265-269
4.Comparative Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Analyses Reveal the Mechanism by Which Foam Macrophages Restrict Survival of Intracellular Mycobacterium Tuberculosis.
Xiao PENG ; Yuan Yuan LIU ; Li Yao CHEN ; Hui YANG ; Yan CHANG ; Ye Ran YANG ; Xuan ZHANG ; An Na JIA ; Yong Bo YU ; Yong Li GUO ; Jie LU
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2025;38(7):781-791
OBJECTIVES:
This study aimed to investigate the impact of foam macrophages (FMs) on the intracellular survival of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and identify the molecular mechanisms influencing MTB survival.
METHODS:
An in vitro FM model was established using oleic acid induction. Transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses were conducted to identify the key molecular pathways involved in FM-mediated MTB survival.
RESULTS:
Induced FMs effectively restricted MTB survival. Transcriptomic and metabolomic profiling revealed distinct changes in gene and metabolite expression in FMs during MTB infection compared with normal macrophages. Integrated analyses identified significant alterations in the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) signaling pathway, indicating that its activation contributes to the FM-mediated restriction of MTB survival.
CONCLUSIONS
FMs inhibit MTB survival. The cAMP signaling pathway is a key contributor. These findings enhance the understanding of the role of FMs in tuberculosis progression, suggest potential targets for host-directed therapies, and offer new directions for developing diagnostic and therapeutic strategies against tuberculosis.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis/physiology*
;
Transcriptome
;
Metabolomics
;
Foam Cells/microbiology*
;
Humans
;
Metabolome
;
Tuberculosis/microbiology*
;
Gene Expression Profiling
5.Atherosclerotic vascular remodeling induced by phenotypic switching of vascular smooth muscle cell
Jia WANG ; Mengna PENG ; Jie GAO ; Gelin XU
Chinese Journal of Arteriosclerosis 2025;33(3):269-276
Atherosclerosis is a chronic vascular disease,whose early manifestations are vascular intimal hyperplasia and plaque formation,and the late vascular events can be caused by plaque rupture after erosion.In the process of ather-osclerosis,vascular smooth muscle cell(VSMC)in the arterial media play a key role in vascular remodeling,and their phe-notype conversion has an important impact on maintaining vascular homeostasis.Due to methodological limitations,the previous understanding of VSMC function is limited;With the rapid development of lineage tracing and single-cell sequen-cing technology,the role of VSMC in atherosclerosis has been deeply explored in recent years.This paper summarizes the emerging research methods of VSMC in recent years,and reviews the literature on the roles and mechanisms of phenotypic switching of VSMC in vascular remodeling.
6.Hydrogen sulfide ameliorates hypoxic pulmonary hypertension in rats by inhibiting aerobic glycolysis-pyroptosis.
Yuan CHENG ; Yun-Na TIAN ; Man HUANG ; Jun-Peng XU ; Wen-Jie CAO ; Xu-Guang JIA ; Li-Yi YOU ; Wan-Tie WANG
Acta Physiologica Sinica 2025;77(3):465-471
The present study aimed to explore whether hydrogen sulfide (H2S) improved hypoxic pulmonary hypertension (HPH) in rats by inhibiting aerobic glycolysis-pyroptosis. Male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into normal group, normal+NaHS group, hypoxia group, and hypoxia+NaHS group, with 6 rats in each group. The control group rats were placed in a normoxic (21% O2) environment and received daily intraperitoneal injections of an equal volume of normal saline. The normal+NaHS group rats were placed in a normoxic environment and intraperitoneally injected with 14 μmol/kg NaHS daily. The hypoxia group rats were placed in a hypoxia chamber, and the oxygen controller inside the chamber maintained the oxygen concentration at 9% to 10% by controlling the N2 flow rate. An equal volume of normal saline was injected intraperitoneally every day. The hypoxia+NaHS group rats were also placed in an hypoxia chamber and intraperitoneally injected with 14 μmol/kg NaHS daily. After the completion of the four-week modeling, the mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) of each group was measured using right heart catheterization technique, and the right ventricular hypertrophy index (RVHI) was weighed and calculated. HE staining was used to observe pathological changes in lung tissue, Masson staining was used to observe fibrosis of lung tissue, and Western blot was used to detect protein expression levels of hexokinase 2 (HK2), pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH), pyruvate kinase isozyme type M2 (PKM2), nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3), GSDMD-N-terminal domain (GSDMD-N), Caspase-1, interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and IL-18 in lung tissue. ELISA was used to detect contents of IL-1β and IL-18 in lung tissue. The results showed that, compared with the normal control group, there were no significant changes in all indexes in the normal+NaHS group, while the hypoxia group exhibited significantly increased mPAP and RVHI, thickened pulmonary vascular wall, narrowed lumen, increased collagen fibers, up-regulated expression levels of aerobic glycolysis-related proteins (HK2 and PKM2), up-regulated expression levels of pyroptosis-related proteins (NLRP3, GSDMD-N, Caspase-1, IL-1β, and IL-18), and increased contents of IL-1β and IL-18. These changes of the above indexes in the hypoxia group were significantly reversed by NaHS. These results suggest that H2S can improve rat HPH by inhibiting aerobic glycolysis-pyroptosis.
Animals
;
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
;
Male
;
Hypertension, Pulmonary/metabolism*
;
Glycolysis/drug effects*
;
Hydrogen Sulfide/therapeutic use*
;
Hypoxia/complications*
;
Rats
;
Pyroptosis/drug effects*
7.Molecular Mechanisms of Angiogenesis in Mg-Based Biodegradable Bone Implants
Jun-jie HUANG ; Jia-long WU ; Di LIU ; Peng GAO
Progress in Modern Biomedicine 2025;25(16):2705-2714
Magnesium(Mg)-based bone implants have emerged as a promising candidate in bone regeneration due to their elastic modulus matching natural bone,favorable biodegradability,and biocompatibility.The degradation-derived magnesium ions(Mg2+)promote angiogenesis through multifaceted molecular mechanisms,thereby accelerating bone healing.This review systematically elucidates key pathways by which Mg2+regulates vascularization:① Activation of the CGRP-FAK-VEGF signaling axis via dorsal root ganglia-mediated neurovascular coupling;② Stabilization of HIF-1α through inhibiting VHL-mediated ubiquitination degradation and activating MagT1/TRPM7 ion channels,thereby enhancing VEGF transcription;③ Modulation of Notch signaling to drive vascular endothelial differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells(BMSCs);④The activation of PI3K/AKT signaling pathway enhances endothelial nitric oxide synthase(eNOS)activity,leading to increased nitric oxide(NO)production which subsequently promotes endothelial cell proliferation and migration;⑤Immunomodulatory effects via macrophage M2 polarization and subsequent secretion of angiogenic factors;⑥stimulation of PDGF-BB secretion from MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblasts.Notably,Mg2+exhibits concentration-dependent pro-angiogenic effects(optimal range:1-10 mM)and specifically enhances type H vessel formation,which critically couples angiogenesis with osteogenesis to boost bone regeneration efficiency.
8.Thoughts on Development Path of Traditional Chinese Medicine Processing Technology from Perspective of Traditional Medicine and Techniques
Ying LIU ; Yun WANG ; Zhe JIA ; Peng ZHANG ; Jie ZOU ; Cun ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(20):233-240
As an important part of Chinese traditional culture, the processing technology of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) carries the wisdom of TCM for thousands of years, and its process is complex and rigorous. With the popularization of modern production technology, traditional processing techiques are facing the dual pressures from technological innovation and production standardization under the perspective of intangible cultural heritage. The modernization of TCM processing technology is an inevitable trend for industrial upgrading, but it cannot be separated from the foundation of traditional skills and ignore the core concepts and cultural values it embodies. Therefore, by analyzing the core characteristics of TCM processing technology and its differences with modern production, this paper discusses the establishment of a synergistic innovation mechanism between traditional techniques and modern technologies, the promotion of joint research and development between scientific research institutes and the industry, the strengthening of standardization of processing techniques, and the enhancement of social education and industry training to improve the recognition and inheritance of processing techniques in order to achieve the goal of innovation and protection of TCM processing technologies in the context of modernization, and to promote the high-quality development of the TCM processing industry.
9.Complete genomic sequence analysis of the G6P1bovine rotavirus BLL strain
Jin-hua ZHANG ; Xia-fei LIU ; Jun-jie YU ; Jia-xin FAN ; Ming-yue WANG ; Guang-ping XIONG ; Yi-peng WANG ; Dan-di LI ; Xiao-man SUN ; Li-li PANG ; Zhao-jun DUAN
Chinese Journal of Zoonoses 2025;41(1):8-14
Bovine rotavirus(BRV)is an important pathogen causing diarrhea in calves.To understand the genomic charac-teristics and genetic variations in bovine rotavirus,and to further enrich data on the biological characteristics of rotavirus,we aimed to amplify 11 gene segments of the isolated and cultured G6P[1]bovine rotavirus BLL strain,perform whole genome se-quencing,and analyze the molecular characteristics.MEGA7.0 and DNAMAN software were used for homology and typing a-nalysis,and the whole genome phylogenetic tree was constructed to analyze genetic evolution relationships.The complete geno-type of the BLL strain was G6-P[1]-I2-R2-C2-M2-A3-N2-T6-E2-H3.Phylogenetic analysis of the VP7 and VP4 genes of the BLL strain showed that the VP7 gene had the highest homology with RVA/Cow-wt/HB01/China/2021,and the VP4 gene of the BLL strain was in the same branch as RVA/Human-tc/ISR/Ro8059/1995.From the sequence alignment of VP8*amino acids,the sialic acid domain of the BLL strain was found to be similar to that in other P[1]strains,but different from those in other types of strains,except for residue 189,which was the same as that in Ro8059 but different from that in other strains.The results suggested that the BLL strain might potentially infect humans.Therefore,continued monitoring and study of the biological characteristics of this strain are necessary to provide more information and evidence supporting further research on the cross-species transmission of group A rotavirus in China.
10.Characteristics of gastric hepatoid adenocarcinoma: a clinicopathological and molecular analysis
Jie WANG ; Lulu SHEN ; Xin ZHANG ; Hongxia LU ; Yi JIA ; Jing LIU ; Peng BU ; Likun ZAN
Chinese Journal of Pathology 2025;54(7):748-754
Objective:To investigate the clinical, pathological, and molecular biological characteristics of gastric hepatoid adenocarcinoma (HAS) in order to provide reference for clinical treatment.Methods:Thirty-two patients diagnosed with hepatoid adenocarcinoma after radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer at Shanxi Cancer Hospital were included from January 2019 to December 2021. Immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, and next-generation sequencing (NGS) methods were used to analyze immune markers and molecular characteristics in the pathological tissues from 32 patients with HAS. Cox regression analysis and Kaplan-Meier method were used to analyze the prognostic factors of overall survival and disease-free survival.Results:Among the 32 patients with HAS, 26 were male, 6 were female; aged 28-77 years, with an median age 62.0 (53.8, 67.2) years. Fifteen cases of HAS were located in the cardia, 10 cases in the antrum, and 7 cases in the body of the stomach. The maximum diameter of the mass was 3-10 cm, and mainly ulcerative in gross. The immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization results showed that the positive rates of AFP, SALLA4, and Glypican-3 were 68.8% (22/32), 68.8% (22/32), 78.1% (25/32), respectively; Seven patients had microsatellite status of dMMR. Two cases of HER2 gene amplification and 2 cases of EB virus positivity. The NGS results showed that HAS was often accompanied by multiple gene mutations, with 23 cases having ≥ 2 gene mutations and 6 cases having ≥10 gene mutations. The TP53 gene had the highest mutation frequency; 4 cases had genetic structural variations; 28 cases had copy number variation. In addition, there were 7 cases of MSI-H and 9 cases of TMB-H. Follow-up results showed that 12 cases died, 9 cases developed metastasis, and the shortest survival time was 5 months.Conclusions:Gastric HAS is a type of tumor with high invasiveness and poor prognosis. The combined detection of AFP, SALLA4 and Glypican-3 can improve the diagnostic rate of tumors. dMMR/MSI-H and TMB-H patients in HAS are significantly higher than those in ordinary gastric cancer, and the high frequency mutation genes in HAS are often accompanied by multiple potential therapeutic targets. Immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy and targeted therapy are expected to become the treatment direction of HAS.

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