1.Olfactory Receptors Expressed in The Intestine and Their Functions
Pei-Wen YANG ; Meng-Meng YUAN ; Ying ZHOU ; Peng LI ; Gui-Hong QI ; Ying YANG ; Zhong-Yi MAO ; Meng-Sha ZHOU ; Xiao-Shuang MAO ; Jian-Ping XIE ; Yi-Nan YANG ; Shi-Hao SUN
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(3):534-549
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.
2.A method of detecting IDH2 gene mutations in angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma based on droplet digital PCR
Xi HUANG ; Yi MIAO ; Xiao XIAO ; Jing LI ; Hui JIN ; Jianyong LI ; Wenyu SHI
Chinese Journal of Hematology 2025;46(6):544-550
Objective:To establish a method to detect IDH2 gene mutations in the cell-free DNA (cfDNA) sample of angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL) based on the digital droplet PCR (ddPCR) method. The performance of this method was evaluated.Methods:Specific primers and probes were designed for IDH2 p. R172K, IDH2 p. R172M, and IDH2 p. R172W mutations, and primer combinations were optimized to establish the optimal ddPCR reaction system. In addition, the accuracy, precision, specificity, and detection limit of the method were evaluated using clinical cfDNA samples obtained from 40 patients with AITL at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University.Results:The IDH2 R172K/M/W F2/R2 primer combination was selected to establish the ddPCR detection method for IDH2 R172K/M/W mutations. Specific standard samples showed no false-positive results. The accuracy test revealed that the relative deviation of the standard sample measurements was within ±10%. The detection limit test indicated that the method could detect 1 ng/μl with a 0.2% mutation rate for IDH2 R172K/M/W mutations. The precision measurements (inter-experimenter, inter-run, and inter-laboratory) all had a coefficient of variation of <5%. ddPCR was applied to 40 clinical samples with IDH2 R172K/M/W mutations, and the results were fully consistent with gene sequencing.Conclusion:ddPCR can detect IDH2 gene mutations in cfDNA from AITL with high sensitivity, specificity, and absolute quantification. This method offers a simple, rapid, and reliable approach for diagnosing and monitoring.
3.A new triterpenoid from Elephantopus scaber.
Zu-Xiao DING ; Hong-Xi XIE ; Lin CHEN ; Jun-Jie HAO ; Yan-Qiu LUO ; Zhi-Yong JIANG ; Shi-Kui XU
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(5):1224-1230
The chemical constituents of the petroleum ether extract derived from the 90% ethanol extract of Elephantopus scaber were investigated. By silica gel column chromatography, C_(18), MCI column chromatography and semi-preparative high performance liquid chromatography, ten compounds were isolated. Their structures were identified as 3β-hydroxy-6β,7β-epoxytaraxeran-14-ene(1), 3β-hydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid(2), D-friedoolean-14-ene-3β,7α-diol(3), 3β-hydroxy-11α-methoxyolean-12-ene(4), 3β-hydroxyolean-11,13(18)-diene(5), 11α-hydroxy-β-amyrin(6), betulinic acid(7), 3β-hydroxy-30-norlupan-20-one(8), 6-acetonylchelerythrine(9), and 4',5'-dehydrodiodictyonema A(10) by analysis of the 1D NMR, 2D NMR, MS, and IR spectral data. Among them, compound 1 was a new triterpene and other compounds except compounds 2 and 7 were isolated from this plant for the first time.
Triterpenes/isolation & purification*
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Drugs, Chinese Herbal/isolation & purification*
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Molecular Structure
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Asteraceae/chemistry*
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Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
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Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
4.Research progress on pentacyclic triterpenoids in medicinal Ilex species and their pharmacological activities.
Yu-Ling LIU ; Yi-Ran WU ; Bao-Lin WANG ; Xiao-Wei SU ; Qiu-Juan CHEN ; Yi RAO ; Shi-Lin YANG ; Li-Ni HUO ; Hong-Wei GAO
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(12):3252-3266
Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) capable of clearing heat and removing toxin is most commonly used in clinical practice and has the effect of removing fire-heat and toxin. Studies have shown that most of the Ilex plants have the effect of clearing heat and removing toxin, among which the varieties of I. cornuta, I. pubescens, I. rotunda, I. latifolia, and I. chinensis are most widely used. These plants generally contain triterpenoids and their glycosides, alkaloids, flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, and other chemical components, especially pentacyclic triterpenoids. According to their skeletons, pentacyclic triterpenoids can be divided into the oleanane type, the ursane type, the lupinane type, etc. Among them, ursane-type components are the most abundant, and 136 species have been found so far. These components have been proved to have pharmacological effects such as anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, hypolipidemic, anti-thrombosis, cardiomyocyte-protective, antibacterial, and hepatoprotective effects. Therefore, this paper systematically reviews the domestic and foreign literature on Ilex plants with a focus on the research progress on pentacyclic triterpenoids and their pharmacological activities, aiming to provide reference for the development of TCM resources with the effect of clearing heat and removing toxin.
Ilex/chemistry*
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Plants, Medicinal/chemistry*
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Pentacyclic Triterpenes/pharmacology*
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Medicine, Chinese Traditional
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Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology*
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Humans
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Animals
5.Machine learning-assisted microfluidic approach for broad-spectrum liposome size control
Yujie JIA ; Xiao LIANG ; Li ZHANG ; Jun ZHANG ; Hajra ZAFAR ; Shan HUANG ; Yi SHI ; Jian CHEN ; Qi SHEN
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2025;15(6):1238-1248
Liposomes serve as critical carriers for drugs and vaccines,with their biological effects influenced by their size.The microfluidic method,renowned for its precise control,reproducibility,and scalability,has been widely employed for liposome preparation.Although some studies have explored factors affecting liposomal size in microfluidic processes,most focus on small-sized liposomes,predominantly through experimental data analysis.However,the production of larger liposomes,which are equally significant,remains underexplored.In this work,we thoroughly investigate multiple variables influencing liposome size during microfluidic preparation and develop a machine learning(ML)model capable of accurately predicting liposomal size.Experimental validation was conducted using a staggered herringbone micromixer(SHM)chip.Our findings reveal that most investigated variables significantly influence liposomal size,often interrelating in complex ways.We evaluated the predictive performance of several widely-used ML algorithms,including ensemble methods,through cross-validation(CV)for both lipo-some size and polydispersity index(PDI).A standalone dataset was experimentally validated to assess the accuracy of the ML predictions,with results indicating that ensemble algorithms provided the most reliable predictions.Specifically,gradient boosting was selected for size prediction,while random forest was employed for PDI prediction.We successfully produced uniform large(600 nm)and small(100 nm)liposomes using the optimised experimental conditions derived from the ML models.In conclusion,this study presents a robust methodology that enables precise control over liposome size distribution,of-fering valuable insights for medicinal research applications.
6.Quality evaluation of"Sangdi"based on HPLC fingerprints combined with chemometrics
Ping LIU ; Shi-ying LUO ; Meng-jia LI ; Xiao-yan TAN ; Jian-bin SUN ; Wei-zao LUO ; Ce TANG ; Yi ZHANG
Chinese Traditional Patent Medicine 2025;47(1):14-21
AIM To evaluate the quality of Tibetan medicine"Sangdi"based on HPLC fingerprints combined with chemometrics.METHODS The analysis was performed on a 30 ℃ thermostatic Welch Ultimate AQ-C18 column(250 mm × 4.6 mm,5 μm),with the mobile phase comprising of acetonitrile-0.2%phosphoric acid flowing at 1 mL/min in a gradient elution manner,and the detection wavelength was set at 245 nm,after which cluster analysis,principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis were performed,the contents of gentiopicroside,sweroside,mangiferin,isoorientin,8-hydroxy-1,3,5-trimethoxyxanthone(R2)and 1,8-dihydroxy-3,7-dimethoxyxanthone(R3)were determined.RESULTS There were 18 common peaks in the fingerprints for 15 batches of samples with the similarities of more than 0.90.Six constituents showed good linear relationships within their own ranges(R 2 ≥ 0.999 2),whose average recoveries were 96.93%-103.58%with the RSDs of 0.82%-2.9%.Various batches of samples were clustered into 2 categories,4 principal components demonstrated the accumulative variance contribution rate of 86.404%,mangiferin,gentiopicroside and isoorientin were taken as quality difference markers.CONCLUSION This stable,reliable and reproducibe method can provide a reference for the comprehensive quality evaluation of"Sangdi".
7.Association of mental health literacy with advance care planning condition in elderly patients with coro-nary heart disease
Juan WANG ; Jiao YIN ; Min SHI ; Shu-min XUE ; Qian-yi YU ; Xiao-yang LIU
Chinese Journal of cardiovascular Rehabilitation Medicine 2025;34(1):114-119
Objective:To investigate mental health literacy and advance care planning(ACP)condition,their influencing fac-tors,and their correlation in elderly patients with coronary heart disease(CHD).Methods:General data of 500 elderly CHD patients admitted in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Chinese PLA Air Force Military Medical University between January 2020 and December 2021 were collected.Mental health literacy and ACP condition were assessed.Multivariate linear regres-sion was used to analyze their influencing factors,and Pearson method was used to analyze their association.Results:Total score of Multicomponent Mental Health Literacy(MHL)was(10.78±2.57)points,and total score of Advance Care Plan-ning Readiness Scale(ACPRS)was(71.41±4.84)points in the 500 elderly CHD patients.Multivariate linear regression a-nalysis indicated that level of disease uncertainty had negative impact on MHL score,presence of spouse and trust in medical care had positive impact on MHL score(P<0.05 or<0.01);number of complications had negative impact on ACPR score,while presence of spouse and family mean monthly income had positive impact on ACPRS score(P<0.05 or<0.01).Pearson correlation analysis indicated that MHL score was positively correlated with ACPRS score(r=0.476,P<0.001).Conclusion:Both mental health literacy and ACP status need to be improved in elderly CHD patients.They are posi-tively correlated with each other.Presence of spouse,number of complications and trust in medical care are the important influencing factors.Therefore,medical staff can take targeted measures to improve ACP readiness and mental health quality.
8.Rehabilitation effect of rehabilitation management mode based on Internet thinking on CHD patients after PCI
Qian-yi YU ; Juan WANG ; Jiao YIN ; Xiao-yang LIU ; Shu-min XUE ; Min SHI
Chinese Journal of cardiovascular Rehabilitation Medicine 2025;34(1):109-113
Objective:This study aims to explore the rehabilitation effect of continuous rehabilitation management based on Internet thinking on patients with coronary heart disease(CHD)after percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI).Methods:This randomized controlled study enrolled 100 CHD patients admitted in Second Affiliated Hospi-tal of Chinese PLA Air Force Military Medical University between October 2020 and December 2021.They were di-vided into control group(n=50)and intervention group(n=50).Patients in control group received routine reha-bilitation nursing mode,compared to those in intervention group applying"Internet+"continuous rehabilitation nursing intervention program,both groups were intervened for 3 months.Cardiac function,cardiopulmonary exer-cise test indexes,depression,medication compliance,quality of life and incidence of adverse cardiovascular events within 1-year follow-up were compared between two groups.Results:Compared with patients in control group after 3 months,those in intervention group had significant higher oxygen uptake at anaerobic threshold(VO2@AT)[(11.75±0.39)ml·kg-1·min-1 vs.(10.17±0.76)ml·kg-1·min-1],peak oxygen uptake(Peak VO2)[(17.87±0.72)ml·kg-1·min-1 vs.(16.66±0.24)ml·kg-1·min-1],left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)[(51.15±2.42)%vs.(44.09±1.94)%],scores of Morisky Medication Adherence Scale(MMAS-8)[(5.29±0.30)points vs.(4.11±0.27)points]and Seattle Angina Questionnaire(SAQ)[(85.50±4.37)points vs.(73.27±2.53)points],and significant lower left ventricular end-diastolic diameter(LVEDd)[(40.51±0.41)mm vs.(46.64±0.99)mm],score of Patient Health Questionnaire-9(PHQ-9)[(7.67±0.85)points vs.(9.66±1.43)points]and total incidence of adverse cardiovascular events within 1-year follow-up(4.00%vs.16.00%)(P<0.05 or<0.01).Conclusion:Internet continuous rehabilitation intervention could improve car-diopulmonary exercise capacity and cardiac function,help to improve their quality of life and relieve depression,and reduce the risk of adverse cardiovascular events in CHD patients after PCI.
9.Preferences for achievements transformation of Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM)Preparation among medical staff in TCM hospitals in Beijing
Yi-xuan CHEN ; Xue-feng SHI ; Wan-jin YANG ; Xin-qi GENG ; Han-lin NIE ; Ming-li MA ; Xiao-wei NIU ; Yao-qi WANG
Chinese Journal of Health Policy 2025;18(11):66-73
Objective:To analyze the preferences of medical staff in TCM hospitals in Beijing regarding the achievements transformation of hospital traditional Chinese medicine preparations,and to provide a reference for formulating incentive policies.Methods:233 medical staff from five TCM hospitals in Beijing were taken as the research objects,and surveyed with a questionnaire designed based on the discrete choice experiment(DCE).Mixed logit models and latent class models were then used to analyze their transformation preferences.Results:The mixed Logit model revealed that seven key attributes significantly influenced medical staff's preferences for the achievements transformation of traditional Chinese medicine preparations(P<0.05).Latent class analysis identified three distinct preference groups among respondents:an organization-dependent group(27.0%),a pro-transformation group(61.4%),and a conservative group(11.6%).Conclusions:Medical Staff preferred transformation conditions that increased monthly income;utilized"human use+re-experimentation";involved the hospital's achievements transformation department as the entity;were funded by the hospital;offered a 70%profit share;enabled promotion three years earlier,and assigned patents to the hospital.The study recommends implementing diverse incentive measures and developing differentiated strategies tailored to the distinct Medical Staff categories to facilitate the transformation of hospital traditional Chinese medicine preparations into new drugs.
10.Research on the development of entrustable professional activity indicators for residents in China: a systematic review
Jingyu ZHONG ; Yue XING ; Liangjing LÜ ; Qinghua MIN ; Zhengguang XIAO ; Caisong ZHU ; Dandan SHI ; Xiaoyu FAN ; Jingshen CHU ; Huan ZHANG ; Yi JIANG ; Weiwu YAO
Chinese Journal of Medical Education Research 2025;24(6):728-735
Objective:To systematically evaluate the current status of research on the development of indicators for entrustable professional activities (EPAs) of residents in China.Methods:We searched the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Data, Airiti Library, PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases for literature on the development of EPA indicators for residents in China published between January 1, 2005 and February 28, 2025. Two researchers independently screened the literature and extracted data, followed by descriptive analysis. The quality of the studies was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tool for expert opinion. Quantitative data were presented as medians (ranges) and qualitative data were presented as frequencies (percentages).Results:A total of eight articles were included, in which two general EPA indicator systems and six specialty-specific EPA indicator systems were developed for residents. The overall quality of the research was high, with the main shortcomings related to the methods used in the process of constructing the consensus indicators. The number of experts recruited ranged from 22 to 45, with 100.00% response rate, high authority coefficients (0.820-0.914), and high coordination coefficients (0.157-0.741). Most of the studies used literature reviews as one source for the indicator pool (8 studies, 100.00%), employed the Delphi method to reach consensus (6 studies, 75.00%), and provided inclusion criteria for the indicators (7 studies, 87.50%). However, only one study (12.50%) explored the practical application of the developed indicators, and none of the studies set indicator weights or conducted quality assessments. The number of EPA indicators developed ranged from 10 to 38 per study. The reporting of EPA indicators was included in most studies regarding titles (8 studies, 100.00%) and the expected levels of entrustment at various stages of training (6 studies, 75.00%), but the reporting on other aspects was lacking. Among the specialty-specific EPA indicators, 38.39% overlapped with the general EPAs indicators.Conclusions:The research on the development of EPA indicators for residents in China is still in its early stages, and there is room for improvement in methodological quality and reporting coverage. There is partial overlap between specialty-specific and general EPA indicators, failing to fully reflect the unique characteristics of different specialties.

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