1.Neuroprotective Effects of Transcranial Magneto-acoustic Stimulation on Parkinson’s Disease Model Mice by Regulating Mitophagy and Mitochondrial Homeostasis
Shuai ZHANG ; Yan-Bin WANG ; Yi-Hao XU ; Jin-Rui MI ; Xiao-Chao LU ; Yu-Chen AN ; Ji-Zhou LIU ; Jia-Qi SUN
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(5):1457-1470
ObjectiveTranscranial magneto-acoustic stimulation (TMAS) is an emerging non-invasive neuromodulation technique that may provide a novel non-pharmacological intervention strategy for Parkinson's disease (PD). PD is characterized by the progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc), leading to motor impairments such as bradykinesia, tremor, and rigidity. Increasing evidence indicates that mitochondrial dysfunction and impaired mitochondrial quality control are central mechanisms underlying dopaminergic neuronal loss. In particular, abnormalities in mitophagy and mitochondrial fission-fusion balance contribute substantially to oxidative stress, energy metabolic failure, and neuronal injury. At present, most clinical treatments for PD mainly alleviate symptoms but do not effectively halt disease progression. Therefore, exploring new interventions targeting the core pathological mechanisms is of considerable significance. This study aims to investigate whether TMAS can improve neural damage and motor dysfunction in PD mice by regulating mitophagy and the fission/fusion dynamic balance, thereby providing theoretical and experimental support for its application in PD treatment. MethodsMale C57BL/6 mice were used in this study. A PD model was established by intraperitoneal injection of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) for 7 consecutive days. After model induction, mice in the intervention group received TMAS once daily for 14 consecutive days, whereas the corresponding control group received sham stimulation. The stimulation target was positioned over the primary motor cortex (M1). Motor performance was evaluated using the pole test and the open-field test. To verify the activation effect of TMAS on the target cortical region, c-Fos immunohistochemistry was performed in the M1. To assess nigral dopaminergic neuronal injury, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunohistochemistry was used to quantify TH-positive neurons in the SNc. Mitochondrial function was evaluated by measuring reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content in the SNc. Western blot was further performed to determine the expression of mitophagy-related proteins, including PINK1, Parkin, LC3-II, and p62, as well as mitochondrial dynamics-related proteins, including Drp1 and Opa1. ResultsTMAS significantly increased the number of c-Fos-positive cells in M1 (P<0.000 1), indicating effective activation of neurons in the targeted cortical region. Compared with the control group, MPTP-treated mice exhibited marked motor dysfunction, including a significant reduction in total distance traveled in the open-field test (P<0.000 1) and mean speed (P=0.000 1), as well as significant prolongation of turn time and total climbing time in the pole test (P<0.000 1). These behavioral impairments were accompanied by a substantial loss of TH-positive dopaminergic neurons in the SNc, whereas TMAS significantly increased TH-positive neuron survival (P<0.000 1). In parallel, MPTP induced a pronounced increase in ROS levels and a significant reduction in ATP content, indicating severe mitochondrial dysfunction and energy metabolism impairment (P<0.01). TMAS treatment significantly improved motor performance, as reflected by the reversal of MPTP-induced impairment in the open-field and pole tests, and significantly reduced ROS accumulation (P<0.01) while restoring ATP production (P<0.001). At the molecular level, MPTP markedly downregulated PINK1 and Parkin, decreased p62 expression, increased LC3-II accumulation, elevated Drp1 expression, and reduced Opa1 expression, whereas TMAS significantly reversed these abnormalities, suggesting restoration of mitophagy-related mitochondrial quality control and re-establishment of mitochondrial fission-fusion balance. Collectively, these findings indicate that TMAS ameliorates MPTP-induced neurotoxicity and restores mitochondrial homeostasis and energy metabolism. ConclusionTMAS effectively attenuates neural damage and improves motor dysfunction in MPTP-induced PD mice. Its neuroprotective effects are closely associated with multidimensional regulation of the mitochondrial quality control system, including restoration of PINK1/Parkin-mediated mitophagy and rebalancing of Drp1/Opa1-related mitochondrial dynamics. Rather than acting only as a symptomatic neuromodulatory intervention, TMAS may influence a key pathological axis of PD by improving mitochondrial homeostasis in SNc and protecting nigral dopaminergic neurons. These findings provide experimental evidence supporting TMAS as a promising non-invasive physical intervention for PD.
2.Neuroprotective Effects of Transcranial Magneto-acoustic Stimulation on Parkinson’s Disease Model Mice by Regulating Mitophagy and Mitochondrial Homeostasis
Shuai ZHANG ; Yan-Bin WANG ; Yi-Hao XU ; Jin-Rui MI ; Xiao-Chao LU ; Yu-Chen AN ; Ji-Zhou LIU ; Jia-Qi SUN
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(5):1457-1470
ObjectiveTranscranial magneto-acoustic stimulation (TMAS) is an emerging non-invasive neuromodulation technique that may provide a novel non-pharmacological intervention strategy for Parkinson's disease (PD). PD is characterized by the progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc), leading to motor impairments such as bradykinesia, tremor, and rigidity. Increasing evidence indicates that mitochondrial dysfunction and impaired mitochondrial quality control are central mechanisms underlying dopaminergic neuronal loss. In particular, abnormalities in mitophagy and mitochondrial fission-fusion balance contribute substantially to oxidative stress, energy metabolic failure, and neuronal injury. At present, most clinical treatments for PD mainly alleviate symptoms but do not effectively halt disease progression. Therefore, exploring new interventions targeting the core pathological mechanisms is of considerable significance. This study aims to investigate whether TMAS can improve neural damage and motor dysfunction in PD mice by regulating mitophagy and the fission/fusion dynamic balance, thereby providing theoretical and experimental support for its application in PD treatment. MethodsMale C57BL/6 mice were used in this study. A PD model was established by intraperitoneal injection of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) for 7 consecutive days. After model induction, mice in the intervention group received TMAS once daily for 14 consecutive days, whereas the corresponding control group received sham stimulation. The stimulation target was positioned over the primary motor cortex (M1). Motor performance was evaluated using the pole test and the open-field test. To verify the activation effect of TMAS on the target cortical region, c-Fos immunohistochemistry was performed in the M1. To assess nigral dopaminergic neuronal injury, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunohistochemistry was used to quantify TH-positive neurons in the SNc. Mitochondrial function was evaluated by measuring reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content in the SNc. Western blot was further performed to determine the expression of mitophagy-related proteins, including PINK1, Parkin, LC3-II, and p62, as well as mitochondrial dynamics-related proteins, including Drp1 and Opa1. ResultsTMAS significantly increased the number of c-Fos-positive cells in M1 (P<0.000 1), indicating effective activation of neurons in the targeted cortical region. Compared with the control group, MPTP-treated mice exhibited marked motor dysfunction, including a significant reduction in total distance traveled in the open-field test (P<0.000 1) and mean speed (P=0.000 1), as well as significant prolongation of turn time and total climbing time in the pole test (P<0.000 1). These behavioral impairments were accompanied by a substantial loss of TH-positive dopaminergic neurons in the SNc, whereas TMAS significantly increased TH-positive neuron survival (P<0.000 1). In parallel, MPTP induced a pronounced increase in ROS levels and a significant reduction in ATP content, indicating severe mitochondrial dysfunction and energy metabolism impairment (P<0.01). TMAS treatment significantly improved motor performance, as reflected by the reversal of MPTP-induced impairment in the open-field and pole tests, and significantly reduced ROS accumulation (P<0.01) while restoring ATP production (P<0.001). At the molecular level, MPTP markedly downregulated PINK1 and Parkin, decreased p62 expression, increased LC3-II accumulation, elevated Drp1 expression, and reduced Opa1 expression, whereas TMAS significantly reversed these abnormalities, suggesting restoration of mitophagy-related mitochondrial quality control and re-establishment of mitochondrial fission-fusion balance. Collectively, these findings indicate that TMAS ameliorates MPTP-induced neurotoxicity and restores mitochondrial homeostasis and energy metabolism. ConclusionTMAS effectively attenuates neural damage and improves motor dysfunction in MPTP-induced PD mice. Its neuroprotective effects are closely associated with multidimensional regulation of the mitochondrial quality control system, including restoration of PINK1/Parkin-mediated mitophagy and rebalancing of Drp1/Opa1-related mitochondrial dynamics. Rather than acting only as a symptomatic neuromodulatory intervention, TMAS may influence a key pathological axis of PD by improving mitochondrial homeostasis in SNc and protecting nigral dopaminergic neurons. These findings provide experimental evidence supporting TMAS as a promising non-invasive physical intervention for PD.
3.Downregulated vascular endothelial growth factor A as a biomarker of immunosenescence in benign prostatic hyperplasia
Junduo WANG ; Jun ZHU ; Yanbo CHEN ; Meng GU ; Jiatai HE ; Bin XU ; Qi CHEN
Journal of Modern Urology 2026;31(1):67-77
Objective To identify potential immunosenescence markers in benign prostatic hyperplasia(BPH)and to explore BPH-related senescent phenotypes. Methods Three transcriptome datasets and one single-cell RNA-sequencing(scRNA-seq)dataset for BPH and normal prostate tissues were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO)database. The GSE7307 and GSE119195 were combined to analyze differentially expressed genes(DEGs). Enrichment analysis and immune infiltration analysis were used to explore aging-related changes in the immune microenvironment. Weighted gene coexpression network analysis(WGCNA)was applied to identify immune-related genes in GSE132714. ScRNA-seq data were employed to investigate the transcriptomic landscape, luminal cell heterogeneity, and aging-related alterations in BPH through cell-cell communication and pseudotime analysis. Finally, the results were validated with in vitro experiments. Results A total of 1202 DEGs and 627 immune-related genes were identified in BPH and normal prostate tissues. Enrichment analysis indicated that the vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)signaling pathway exhibited a downregulated aging phenotype in BPH. In scRNA-seq analysis, 9 cell types were identified. The VEGF signaling pathway in BPH exhibited an aging-related expression pattern, characterized by decreased vascular endothelial growth factor A(VEGFA)in luminal cells. Conclusion Our study identified VEGFA as a marker of immunosenescence in BPH, with changes of the VEGF pathway. Meanwhile, low expression of VEGFA, coupled with high expression of placental growth factor(PlGF)and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor(VEGFR), represented a senescent phenotype of the prostate.
4.Construction and reflections on massive open online courses: a case study of "clinical epidemiology" course at Southern Medical University
Qingmei HUANG ; Huan CHEN ; Qi FU ; Ziting CHEN ; Jiaxuan XIANG ; Di WANG ; Xiaoyu XU ; Jiahao XIE ; Bin WU ; Zhihao LI ; Chen MAO
Chinese Journal of Medical Education Research 2025;24(3):331-337
This paper reviews the current situation of massive open online course (MOOC) construction both domestically and internationally, highlighting the similarities, differences, and limitations of MOOC construction across nations. Based on the full-cycle MOOC construction of the "clinical epidemiology" course at Southern Medical University, including course design, resource integration, online deployment, and teaching evaluation, this study explored the significance, implementation path, and challenges of MOOC construction. This paper also reflects on the activation of teaching content, teacher-student interaction, and teaching mode, aiming to provide a reference for the construction and continuous enhancement of MOOC in China.
5.Comparison of clinical efficacy of different mucosal incision methods in endoscopic submucosal dissection for the treatment of gastric submucosal tumors
Xinglin CHEN ; Ke WEI ; Yuanyuan CAI ; Qinqin QI ; Zhemin WANG ; Liuyong CHEN ; Bin LIU
China Journal of Endoscopy 2025;31(3):7-12
Objective To explore the clinical efficacy of different mucosal incision methods in endoscopic submucosal dissection(ESD)for the treatment of gastric submucosal tumors.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 30 patients with gastric submucosal tumors treated with ESD from July 2022 to March 2024.They were divided into a circular group(n=15)and a longitudinal group(n=15)based on different mucosal incision methods.Then compare the pathological data,clinical efficacy,surgical outcomes,and complications between the two groups.Results There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in length of hospital stay,hospitalization costs,lesion diameter,lesion location and lesion nature(P>0.05).The surgical time of the longitudinal group was significantly shorter than that of the circular group,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05);There was no statistical significant in the incidence of intraoperative complications in the longitudinal group and the circular group(P>0.05);The complete resection rate of the longitudinal group was lower than that of the circular group,but the difference was not statistically significant(P>0.05).Conclusion ESD treatment for gastric submucosal tumors is safe and effective,and the longitudinal incision can shorten the surgical time compared to the circular incision.Both methods have the characteristics of low incidence of complications and high complete resection rate,and are worthy of clinical application.
6.Amorphous calcium phosphate bladder stone: a case report
He GONG ; Yijie XIE ; Qi ZHENG ; Zhiyuan SHI ; Tao WANG ; Peide BAI ; Bin CHEN
Chinese Journal of Urology 2025;46(10):784-785
Amorphous calcium phosphate(ACP)is a component of urinary stones,primarily forming mixed stones with calcium oxalate,while pure ACP stones are relatively rare. This article reports a case of a patient with an ACP bladder stone who was admitted due to progressive dysuria over 5 years,which had worsened in the past months. Upon admission,tPSA was 29.63 ng/ml. CT and enhanced MRI revealed multiple bladder stones and prostatic hyperplasia. The patient underwent ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy and transurethral cystolithotripsy with pneumatic lithotripsy. Postoperative infrared spectroscopy confirmed the stone composition as ACP,and prostatic adenocarcinoma was diagnosed by prostate biopsy pathology. Endocrine therapy was administered postoperatively,and follow-up imaging at 3 months showed no stone. This article presents the first reported case of an ACP bladder stone coexisting with prostate cancer,providing important clinical insights into the etiology of such stones and the rare local manifestations of prostate cancer.
7.Characteristics of systemic immune microenvironment of DSS-induced acute ulcerative colitis in mice revealed by Mass cytometry
Zongjing LYU ; Jing XUN ; Xiaolin JIANG ; Bin LIU ; Zehan LIU ; Xueliang WU ; Aimin ZHANG ; Yu WU ; Xiangyang YU ; Ximo WANG ; Qi ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Immunology 2025;41(9):2145-2152,中插1
Objective:To explore the characteristics of systemic immune microenvironment during the progression of dextran sulfate sodium(DSS)-induced acute ulcerative colitis(UC)induced in mice by Mass cytometry(CyTOF).Methods:Male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into control group and model group.The control group was given normal drinking water for 15 d.The mouse in the model group were given 5%DSS in drinking water,which was changed to normal drinking water after 7 days.In the model group,peripheral blood was collected on days 4,9 and 15,respectively.CyTOF was used to detect the expressions of 33 immune cell markers and changes in cell subsets in peripheral blood of mice,and the characteristics of systemic immune microenvironment in mice with acute UC were analyzed.Results:The cluster analysis of 33 kinds of immune cell markers showed that CD45+cells in peripheral blood of mice with DSS induced acute UC were divided into 23 fine subgroups,among which the proportions of B cell subgroup,T cell subgroup and neutrophil subgroup showed significant changes.A further dimensional reduction cluster analysis of T cell subsets found significant differences in the composition and proportion of the 10 identified T cell subsets.Conclusion:The systemic immune micro-environment map of mice with acute UC induced by DSS has been successfully constructed,and heterogeneity has been found in the systemic immune microenvironment of mice with acute UC.The changes and activation degree of T cell subpopulations are closely re-lated to disease progression and inflammation level.The results of this study provide theoretical basis for assisting the diagnosis,moni-toring the risk,progression,treatment and prognosis of acute UC.
8.Performance of Computer-Aided Detection Software in Tuberculosis Case Finding in Township Health Centers in China
Xuefang CAO ; Boxuan FENG ; Bin ZHANG ; Dakuan WANG ; Jiang DU ; Yijun HE ; Tonglei GUO ; Shouguo PAN ; Zisen LIU ; Jiaoxia YAN ; Qi JIN ; Lei GAO ; Henan XIN
Chronic Diseases and Translational Medicine 2025;11(2):140-147
Background::Computer-aided detection (CAD) software has been introduced to automatically interpret digital chest X-rays. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of CAD software (JF CXR-1 v3.0, which was developed by a domestic Hi-tech enterprise) in tuberculosis (TB) case finding in China.Methods::In 2019, we conducted an internal evaluation of the performance of JF CXR-1 v3.0 by reading standard images annotated by a panel of experts. In 2020, using the reading results of chest X-rays by a panel of experts as the reference standard, we conducted an on-site prospective study to evaluate the performance of JF CXR-1 v3.0 and local radiologists in TB case finding in 13 township health centers in Zhongmu County, Henan Province.Results::Internal assessment results based on 277 standard images showed that JF CXR-1 v3.0 had a sensitivity of 85.94% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 77.42%, 94.45%) and a specificity of 74.65% (95% CI: 68.81%, 80.49%) to distinguish active TB from other imaging conditions. In the on-site evaluation phase, images from 3705 outpatients who underwent chest X-ray detection were read by JF CXR-1 v3.0 and local radiologists in parallel. The imaging diagnosis of local radiologists for active TB had a sensitivity of 32.89% (95% CI: 22.33%, 43.46%) and a specificity of 99.28% (95% CI: 99.01%, 99.56%), while JF CXR-1 v3.0 showed a significantly higher sensitivity of 92.11% (95% CI: 86.04%, 98.17%) ( p < 0.05) and maintained high specificity at 94.54% (95% CI: 93.81%, 95.28%). Conclusions::CAD software could play a positive role in improving the TB case finding capability of township health centers.
9.Characteristics of systemic immune microenvironment of DSS-induced acute ulcerative colitis in mice revealed by Mass cytometry
Zongjing LYU ; Jing XUN ; Xiaolin JIANG ; Bin LIU ; Zehan LIU ; Xueliang WU ; Aimin ZHANG ; Yu WU ; Xiangyang YU ; Ximo WANG ; Qi ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Immunology 2025;41(9):2145-2152,中插1
Objective:To explore the characteristics of systemic immune microenvironment during the progression of dextran sulfate sodium(DSS)-induced acute ulcerative colitis(UC)induced in mice by Mass cytometry(CyTOF).Methods:Male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into control group and model group.The control group was given normal drinking water for 15 d.The mouse in the model group were given 5%DSS in drinking water,which was changed to normal drinking water after 7 days.In the model group,peripheral blood was collected on days 4,9 and 15,respectively.CyTOF was used to detect the expressions of 33 immune cell markers and changes in cell subsets in peripheral blood of mice,and the characteristics of systemic immune microenvironment in mice with acute UC were analyzed.Results:The cluster analysis of 33 kinds of immune cell markers showed that CD45+cells in peripheral blood of mice with DSS induced acute UC were divided into 23 fine subgroups,among which the proportions of B cell subgroup,T cell subgroup and neutrophil subgroup showed significant changes.A further dimensional reduction cluster analysis of T cell subsets found significant differences in the composition and proportion of the 10 identified T cell subsets.Conclusion:The systemic immune micro-environment map of mice with acute UC induced by DSS has been successfully constructed,and heterogeneity has been found in the systemic immune microenvironment of mice with acute UC.The changes and activation degree of T cell subpopulations are closely re-lated to disease progression and inflammation level.The results of this study provide theoretical basis for assisting the diagnosis,moni-toring the risk,progression,treatment and prognosis of acute UC.
10.Phenotype and genomic characterization of a mucoid-type Salmonella Saintpaul ST50 isolate from a urinary tract infection patient
Wen-qing WANG ; Na JIANG ; Yan-ru LIANG ; Shu-qi YOU ; Bo-wen YANG ; Li-peng HAO ; Xue-bin XU
Chinese Journal of Zoonoses 2025;41(1):53-60
To investigate the phenotype and genomic characterization of a mucoid-type Salmonella Saintpaul ST50 isolate from a urinary tract infection patient,promoting clinical diagnosis and treatment for urinary tract infections caused by Salmo-nella spp.Culture-based quantitative counts of midstream urine sample from the patient were conducted,and further biochemi-cal identification,mass spectrometry detection,serum agglutination test and antimicrobial susceptibility test(AST)were con-ducted on Salmonella isolate(2024JD5).Whole-genome sequencing(WGS)was performed on isolate 2024JD5 to predict sero-type,multilocus sequence type(MLST),resistance genes,and virulence genes.Two smooth-type of Salmonella Saintpaul ST50 were selected as comparative genomic reference strains from the Chinese local Salmonella genome database.The literature reviews of global Salmonella serotype of urinary tract infection were summarized.Specific serum agglutination confir-mation of isolate 2024JD5 failed due to characterization of the mucus type.The strain 2024JD5 was predicted as Salmonella Saintpaul(4,5,12:e,h:1,2)ST50 using WGS,and was resistant to ciprofloxacin,nalidixic acid,chloramphenicol and tetracy-cline with carrying aminoglycoside resistance genes aac(6')-Ⅰaa and aph(3)-Ⅱa,chloramphenicol resistance gene floR,tetra-cycline resistance gene tet,quinolone resistance gene qnrS1,and S83Y substitution in the gyrA gene was found in the quinolo-ne resistance determination region(QRDR).In addition,the strain 2024JD4 carried six types of non-plasmid-based mobile ge-netic elements and 144 virulence genes,including 71 secretion transporter genes and 58 fimbriae adhesion genes,respectively.Four types of fimbriae regulatory genes(csgB,csgC,fimW,fimY)were absent in comparison with smooth-type Salmonella Saintpaul.The literature reviews showed Salmonella Saintpaul was currently a rare Salmonella serotype in cases of urinary tract infections worldwide.Salmonella Saintpaul ST50 with mucoid-type is the pathogen of urinary tract infection with multi-drug resistant phenotypic and genotypic characteristics,and the high mucoid expression may be related to the compensatory mechanism of fimbriae regulatory genes absence in urinary tract colonization and adaptation.WGS combined with the Chinese local Salmonella genome database can effectively solve the diagnosis and biosafety assessments of rare Salmonella phenotypes.

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