1.Dimethyl fumarate alleviates nerve damage in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease
Ranran LU ; Xu ZHOU ; Lijie ZHANG ; Xinling YANG
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2025;29(5):989-994
BACKGROUND:Parkinson's disease is a multifactorial neurological disorder characterized by progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons,and dimethyl fumarate(DMF)has potent neuroprotective and immunomodulatory effects in neurodegenerative diseases. OBJECTIVE:To explore the neuroprotective mechanism of DMF in a mouse model of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine(MPTP)-induced Parkinson's disease. METHODS:Twenty-four C57BL/6 mice were selected and randomly divided into control group,model group,low-dose DMF,and high-dose DMF groups.An animal model of Parkinson's disease was established in the latter three groups by intraperitoneal injection of 30 mg/kg MPTP,once a day for 5 consecutive days.Intragastric administration was given 30 minutes after each injection of MPTP.Mice in the low-dose DMF group(30 mg/kg)and high-dose DMF group(50 mg/kg)were intragastrically administered once a day for 7 consecutive days.The control and model groups were initially administered the same dose of normal saline.Behavioral testing,western blot,oxidative stress marker detection,and immunohistochemical staining were used to analyze the regulatory effects of DMF on oxidative stress and Keap1/Nrf2 signaling pathway in MPTP-induced Parkinson's disease mice,as well as the protective mechanism of DMF on degeneration of dopamine neurons. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with the model group,mice in the low-dose DMF group exhibited significant improvements in motor retardation and postural imbalance(P<0.01),with even more remarkable improvements observed in the high-dose DMF group(P<0.01).Compared with the control group,the model group showed a significant increase in the oxidative stress marker malondialdehyde and a decrease in superoxide dismutase expression(P<0.01).Compared with the model group,the low-dose DMF group reduced malondialdehyde production and increased superoxide dismutase expression(P<0.01),and similar improvements were observed in the high-dose DMF group(P<0.01).Immunohistochemical and western blot assays demonstrated a significant decrease in the number of dopaminergic neurons and tyrosine hydroxylase protein expression in the substantia nigra of mice in the model group compared with the control group(P<0.01).However,in the low-dose DMF group,there was an increase in the number of dopaminergic neurons and tyrosine hydroxylase protein expression in the substantia nigra(P<0.01),with even more significant improvements in the high-dose DMF group(P<0.01).Western blot results revealed that the model group exhibited elevated Keap1 protein expression and decreased Nrf2 protein expression.In contrast,the DMF groups showed reduced Keap1 protein expression and increased Nrf2 protein expression compared to the model group(P<0.01).To conclude,DMF regulates the Keap1/Nrf2 pathway in the substantia nigra of mice with Parkinson's disease,and this regulatory effect is positively correlated with the dose of DMF(P<0.01).Therefore,we infer that DMF exerts neuroprotective effects through the Keap1/Nrf2 signaling pathway.
2.Status quo and influencing factors of substantial weight retention in early postpartum in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus
Jing CHEN ; Yetao XU ; Lijie QU ; Yingying YUAN ; Yi ZHOU ; Mengting YI ; Yongzhen MO
Chinese Journal of Health Management 2025;19(5):343-348
Objective:To investigate the status and influencing factors of substantial weight retention in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in early postpartum.Methods:This cross-sectional study employed a convenience sampling method to select 373 patients with GDM who underwent a 6-week postpartum health check at the Postpartum Health Clinic of Women′s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from February to July in 2023. According to postpartum weight retention (PPWR) on the survey day, the participants were divided into a substantial PPWR group (≥5 kg, 139 cases) and a non-substantial PPWR group (<5 kg, 234 cases). Independent sample t-tests and χ2 tests were used to compare differences in demographic data, clinical data, and biochemical indicators between the two groups. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of early substantial postpartum weight retention in patients with GDM. Results:A total of 37.27% (139/373) of GDM patients experienced substantial postpartum weight retention at 6 weeks postpartum. The rates of diabetes in family history, excessive gestational weight gain, gestational hypertension, and infant neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission in substantial PPWR group were all significantly higher than those in the non-substantial PPWR group (32.37% vs 23.08%, 73.38% vs 20.09%, 13.67% vs 5.56%, 21.58% vs 9.83%) (all P<0.05); but the proportion of overweight or obese before pregnancy and postpartum self-monitoring of blood glucose were both lower in the substantial PPWR group than those in the non-substantial PPWR group (25.18% vs 41.03%, 17.99% vs 27.78%)(all P<0.05). Binary logistic regression indicated that family history of diabetes ( OR=2.826, 95% CI: 1.517-5.265), excessive gestational weight gain ( OR=19.240, 95% CI: 10.360-35.732), and infant NICU admission ( OR=2.447, 95% CI: 1.150-5.205) were positively related to the occurrence of substantial weight retention in patients with GDM in early postpartum, whereas pre-pregnancy overweight or obesity ( OR=0.189, 95% CI: 0.100-0.360) was negatively correlated to substantial weight retention in patients with GDM in early postpartum (all P<0.05). Conclusion:Substantial weight retention is prevalent among GDM patients in early postpartum, which is significantly influenced by family history of diabetes, pre-pregnancy overweight or obesity, excessive gestational weight gain, and infant NICU admission history.
3.Research progress in mitochondrial regulation of osteogenic and odontogenic differentiation of dental-derived mesenchymal stem cells
Lijie WANG ; Jian ZHOU ; Chenchen ZHOU
Chinese Journal of Stomatology 2025;60(6):662-668
Dental-derived mesenchymal stem cells (DMSC), owing to their self-renewal capacity and multi-lineage differentiation potential, have demonstrated significant promise in the field of oral tissue regeneration. Mitochondria, as essential organelles within cells, can not only be responsible for energy metabolism but also influence the maintenance of stem cell stemness and the direction of differentiation by regulating cellular metabolic processes, apoptosis, and signal transduction pathways. In recent years, the mechanisms by which mitochondria participating in the osteogenic and odontogenic differentiation of DMSC have gradually become a research focus. This paper reviews the regulatory mechanisms of mitochondria in the osteogenic and odontogenic differentiation of DMSC, with emphasis on how mitochondrial energy metabolism (oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis) and quality control processes (namely biogenesis, dynamics as fission and fusion, and autophagy) modulate the differentiation of DMSC. The aim is to provide a theoretical basis and reference for the research and application of dental pulp regeneration, periodontal tissue regeneration, and other aspects of oral tissue engineering.
4.Ubiquitinome profiling of cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase-2 deficient cells under heat shock
Yi CHEN ; Yingwei GE ; Lijie ZHOU ; Siying WANG ; Lingqiang ZHANG
Military Medical Sciences 2025;49(8):561-568
Objective To profile ubiquitination in cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase-2(CASP2)deficient cells under heat shock and investigate the role of CASP2 in stress response.Methods Ubiquitination levels in subcellular fractions of control and C ASP2 knockout(KO)cells were detected via Western blotting.After 2 hours of heat shock treatment,Soluble Ⅱ and Pellet fractions were collected from both control and CASP2 KO cells for ubiquitinome analysis.Anti-di-glycine remnant(K-ε-GG)antibody-based proteomic analysis was performed to identify differentially ubiquitinated proteins and associated key signaling pathways.Proteins that displayed significantly upregulated ubiquitination in CASP2 KO cells under heat shock were subjected to His-tag pull-down assays to find out whether CASP2 regulated the ubiquitination of these proteins.Results Under heat shock,CASP2 KO cells displayed significantly higher accumulation of overloaded ubiquitinated conjugates in the Pellet fraction compared to controls.Ubiquitinomics analysis revealed substantial alterations in protein ubiquitination patterns following CASP2 KO.One hundred proteins exhibited significantly elevated ubiquitination levels while 36 proteins had their ubiquitination reduced relative to controls.Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)pathway enrichment analysis indicated that hyper-ubiquitinated proteins were primarily associated with Huntington disease,Alzheimer disease,bile secretion,carbon metabolism and autophagy.His-tag pull-down assays combined with Western blotting revealed increased ubiquitination of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide reduced-ubiquinone oxidoreductase 1 beta subcomplex subunit 3(NDUFB3)and autophagy-related protein 9A(ATG9A)in CASP2 KO cells under heat shock.Conclusion Overloaded ubiquitinated conjugates are accumulated due to CASP2 deficiency during heat shock.CASP2 modulates ubiquitination levels through multiple signaling pathways.
5.Latent tuberculosis infection among cattle farming and slaughterhouse workers in Hubei Province,China
Da XU ; Zhixiong SHU ; Xue LI ; Ni NI ; Feifei TIAN ; Yanlin ZHAO ; Lijie ZHANG ; Wei CHEN ; Liping ZHOU
Chinese Journal of Zoonoses 2025;41(10):1061-1068
This study was aimed at preliminarily assessing the prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection(LTBI)among cattle farming and slaughterhouse workers across Wuxue,Xianning,and Yichang Cities in Hubei Province,and exploring associated risk factors.Data on cattle farming and slaughterhouse workers were gathered via a questionnaire.LTBI detection was performed with a tu-berculin skin test and interferon-gamma release assay,and influencing factors were subsequently analyzed.The LTBI prevalence among cattle farming and slaughterhouse personnel in the three cities was 30.50%,and a higher rate was observed in slaughterhouse workers(39.01%)than cattle farmers(21.63%)(P<0.01).Multifactor analysis indicated that working in slaughterhouses(95%CI:1.582-3.878),having a history of tuberculosis(95%CI:1.377-25.057)or BCG vaccination(95%CI:1.229-3.285),and having a college education or above(95%CI:0.303-0.859)were significant factors influencing LTBI positivity in these personnel.Having more than 30 years of work experience(95%CI:1.303-18.782)was a risk factor for personnel at cattle breeding farms.Among slaugh-terhouse personnel,having a college education or above(95%CI:0.164-0.894),11-20 years of work experience(95%CI:0.122-0.994),or a history of tuberculosis(95%CI:1.661-64.397);performing logistics work(95%CI:3.234-126.424);and working in slaughter-related positions(95%CI:1.209-19.639)were associated with LTBI positivity.Therefore,the slaughterhouse workers in the three cities had higher LTBI rates than the cattle farming workers,thus underscoring the need for increased attention to personnel in logistics and slaughter-related positions.
6.Research progress in mitochondrial regulation of osteogenic and odontogenic differentiation of dental-derived mesenchymal stem cells
Lijie WANG ; Jian ZHOU ; Chenchen ZHOU
Chinese Journal of Stomatology 2025;60(6):662-668
Dental-derived mesenchymal stem cells (DMSC), owing to their self-renewal capacity and multi-lineage differentiation potential, have demonstrated significant promise in the field of oral tissue regeneration. Mitochondria, as essential organelles within cells, can not only be responsible for energy metabolism but also influence the maintenance of stem cell stemness and the direction of differentiation by regulating cellular metabolic processes, apoptosis, and signal transduction pathways. In recent years, the mechanisms by which mitochondria participating in the osteogenic and odontogenic differentiation of DMSC have gradually become a research focus. This paper reviews the regulatory mechanisms of mitochondria in the osteogenic and odontogenic differentiation of DMSC, with emphasis on how mitochondrial energy metabolism (oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis) and quality control processes (namely biogenesis, dynamics as fission and fusion, and autophagy) modulate the differentiation of DMSC. The aim is to provide a theoretical basis and reference for the research and application of dental pulp regeneration, periodontal tissue regeneration, and other aspects of oral tissue engineering.
7.Latent tuberculosis infection among cattle farming and slaughterhouse workers in Hubei Province,China
Da XU ; Zhixiong SHU ; Xue LI ; Ni NI ; Feifei TIAN ; Yanlin ZHAO ; Lijie ZHANG ; Wei CHEN ; Liping ZHOU
Chinese Journal of Zoonoses 2025;41(10):1061-1068
This study was aimed at preliminarily assessing the prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection(LTBI)among cattle farming and slaughterhouse workers across Wuxue,Xianning,and Yichang Cities in Hubei Province,and exploring associated risk factors.Data on cattle farming and slaughterhouse workers were gathered via a questionnaire.LTBI detection was performed with a tu-berculin skin test and interferon-gamma release assay,and influencing factors were subsequently analyzed.The LTBI prevalence among cattle farming and slaughterhouse personnel in the three cities was 30.50%,and a higher rate was observed in slaughterhouse workers(39.01%)than cattle farmers(21.63%)(P<0.01).Multifactor analysis indicated that working in slaughterhouses(95%CI:1.582-3.878),having a history of tuberculosis(95%CI:1.377-25.057)or BCG vaccination(95%CI:1.229-3.285),and having a college education or above(95%CI:0.303-0.859)were significant factors influencing LTBI positivity in these personnel.Having more than 30 years of work experience(95%CI:1.303-18.782)was a risk factor for personnel at cattle breeding farms.Among slaugh-terhouse personnel,having a college education or above(95%CI:0.164-0.894),11-20 years of work experience(95%CI:0.122-0.994),or a history of tuberculosis(95%CI:1.661-64.397);performing logistics work(95%CI:3.234-126.424);and working in slaughter-related positions(95%CI:1.209-19.639)were associated with LTBI positivity.Therefore,the slaughterhouse workers in the three cities had higher LTBI rates than the cattle farming workers,thus underscoring the need for increased attention to personnel in logistics and slaughter-related positions.
8.Status quo and influencing factors of substantial weight retention in early postpartum in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus
Jing CHEN ; Yetao XU ; Lijie QU ; Yingying YUAN ; Yi ZHOU ; Mengting YI ; Yongzhen MO
Chinese Journal of Health Management 2025;19(5):343-348
Objective:To investigate the status and influencing factors of substantial weight retention in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in early postpartum.Methods:This cross-sectional study employed a convenience sampling method to select 373 patients with GDM who underwent a 6-week postpartum health check at the Postpartum Health Clinic of Women′s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from February to July in 2023. According to postpartum weight retention (PPWR) on the survey day, the participants were divided into a substantial PPWR group (≥5 kg, 139 cases) and a non-substantial PPWR group (<5 kg, 234 cases). Independent sample t-tests and χ2 tests were used to compare differences in demographic data, clinical data, and biochemical indicators between the two groups. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of early substantial postpartum weight retention in patients with GDM. Results:A total of 37.27% (139/373) of GDM patients experienced substantial postpartum weight retention at 6 weeks postpartum. The rates of diabetes in family history, excessive gestational weight gain, gestational hypertension, and infant neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission in substantial PPWR group were all significantly higher than those in the non-substantial PPWR group (32.37% vs 23.08%, 73.38% vs 20.09%, 13.67% vs 5.56%, 21.58% vs 9.83%) (all P<0.05); but the proportion of overweight or obese before pregnancy and postpartum self-monitoring of blood glucose were both lower in the substantial PPWR group than those in the non-substantial PPWR group (25.18% vs 41.03%, 17.99% vs 27.78%)(all P<0.05). Binary logistic regression indicated that family history of diabetes ( OR=2.826, 95% CI: 1.517-5.265), excessive gestational weight gain ( OR=19.240, 95% CI: 10.360-35.732), and infant NICU admission ( OR=2.447, 95% CI: 1.150-5.205) were positively related to the occurrence of substantial weight retention in patients with GDM in early postpartum, whereas pre-pregnancy overweight or obesity ( OR=0.189, 95% CI: 0.100-0.360) was negatively correlated to substantial weight retention in patients with GDM in early postpartum (all P<0.05). Conclusion:Substantial weight retention is prevalent among GDM patients in early postpartum, which is significantly influenced by family history of diabetes, pre-pregnancy overweight or obesity, excessive gestational weight gain, and infant NICU admission history.
9.Mechanism of action and clinical research progress of iguratimod in connective tissue diseases
Xiaorong YANG ; Shuhong ZHOU ; Lijiang GUO ; Ying CHEN ; Yingying JI ; Lijie XU
China Pharmacy 2024;35(5):629-634
As a new type of immunosuppressant,iguratimod can mediate the anti-inflammatory signaling pathway by inhibiting the proliferation of inflammatory cells and reducing the release of inflammatory cytokines, and play the role of anti-inflammatory. It can affect the proliferation of immune cells and the expression of immune factors,reduce the production and deposition of immune complexes in the body,and play the role of immune regulation. It can regulate bone metabolism by mediating signaling pathways such as Wnt/β-catenin,Toll-like receptor 4/nuclear factor-κB and osteoprotegerin/nuclear factor-κB receptor activating factor ligand, and play a role in bone protection. It can inhibit pulmonary fibrosis by inhibiting the expression of transforming growth factor β1/ Smad2/3 signaling pathway,tumor necrosis factor-α,interleukin-1,interleukin-6,matrix metalloproteinase-9 and other inflammatory cytokines in lung tissue,and inhibiting the expression of collagen and fibronectin. Its efficacy and safety have been confirmed in the clinical application of rheumatoid arthritis and primary Sjogren syndrome and included in the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. It has also shown good efficacy in the clinical application of other connective tissue diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus and ankylosing spondylitis,and no obvious safety risks have been found.
10.Efficacy and safety of tislelizumab combined with zanubrutinib in treatment of refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
Lijie ZUO ; Yiqi YANG ; Rui LI ; Yijun DONG ; Yuehua WANG ; Shengyu ZHOU
Journal of Leukemia & Lymphoma 2024;33(2):110-114
Objective:To explore the efficacy and safety of tislelizumab combined with zanubrutinib in the treatment of refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).Methods:A prospective observational study was conducted. A total of 10 patients with refractory DLBCL admitted to Beijing Chaoyang District Third Ring Cancer Hospital, a specialist medical consortium of Cancer Hospital Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from November 2020 to February 2023 were prospectively collected. All the 10 refractory DLBCL patients at least received first-line systemic therapy containing rituximab; and they were given tislelizumab 200 mg, intravenous infusion, on day 1 and zanubrutinib 160 mg, orally, twice a day, day 1-day 21, with 21 days as 1 cycle; 6 patients received second-line therapy and 4 patients received ≥ third-line therapy. Subsequent regimens were added with rituximab (375 mg/m 2, intravenous infusion on day 1). The primary endpoint will be reached 12 months after enrollment if there was no disease progression or other events that were scheduled to withdraw from the study. The therapeutic efficacy was summarized at the end of the follow-up in March 2023. Kaplan-Meier method was used to make survival analysis and the adverse reactions were summed up. Results:There were 6 males and 4 females, all at stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ; and age [ M ( Q1, Q3)] was 55 years (50 years, 69 years). All 10 patients completed 90 cycles of treatment with tislelizumab and zanubrutinib, with the cycle number of 8 cycles (2 cycles, 24 cycles). The follow-up time was 19 months (11 months, 28 months); 4 cases achieved complete remission, 3 cases achieved partial remission and 1 case had the stable disease. The progression-free survival was 8.5 months (1.3 months, 27.0 months); the median remission duration time and median overall survival time were not reached. Treatment-related adverse reactions included 2 cases of neutropenia, 1 case of anemia, and 1 case of elevated alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase, all of which were grade 1-2. Conclusions:Tislelizumab combined with zanubrutinib has good clinical efficacy and safety in the treatment of refractory DLBCL.

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