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.Evaluation and Regulation of Medical Artificial Intelligence Applications in China.
Mao YOU ; Yue XIAO ; Han YAO ; Xue-Qing TIAN ; Li-Wei SHI ; Ying-Peng QIU
Chinese Medical Sciences Journal 2025;40(1):3-8
Amid the global wave of digital economy, China's medical artificial intelligence applications are rapidly advancing through technological innovation and policy support, while facing multifaceted evaluation and regulatory challenges. The dynamic algorithm evolution undermines the consistency of assessment criteria, multimodal systems lack unified evaluation metrics, and conflicts persist between data sharing and privacy protection. To address these issues, the China National Health Development Research Center has established a value assessment framework for artificial intelligence medical technologies, formulated the country's first technical guideline for clinical evaluation, and validated their practicality through scenario-based pilot studies. Furthermore, this paper proposes introducing a "regulatory sandbox" model to test technical compliance in controlled environments, thereby balancing innovation incentives with risk governance.
Artificial Intelligence/legislation & jurisprudence*
;
China
;
Humans
;
Algorithms
4.Effects of MTHFR and GGH gene polymorphisms on plasma concentrations and toxicity following high-dose methotrexate therapy in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Lin-Xiao TENG ; Qi AN ; Lei WANG ; Nan WANG ; Qing-Ling KONG ; Rui HAN ; Yuan WANG ; Lu LIU ; Yan WANG ; Shu-Mei XU ; Kun-Peng SHI ; Fang-Shan QIU ; Xi-Xi DU ; Jin-Rui SHI
Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics 2025;27(7):802-807
OBJECTIVES:
To investigate the effects of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) rs1801133 and γ-glutamyl hydrolase (GGH) rs11545078 gene polymorphisms on plasma concentrations and toxicity following high-dose methotrexate (MTX) therapy in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
METHODS:
Children with ALL treated at the Xuzhou Children's Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from January 2021 to April 2024 were selected for this study. Genotypes of MTHFR rs1801133 and GGH rs11545078 were determined using multiplex polymerase chain reaction. MTX plasma concentrations were measured by enzyme-multiplied immunoassay technique, and toxicity was graded according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 5.0. The relationships between MTHFR rs1801133 and GGH rs11545078 genotypes and both MTX plasma concentrations and associated toxicities were analyzed.
RESULTS:
In the low-risk ALL group, the MTHFR rs1801133 genotype was associated with increased MTX plasma concentrations at 72 hours (P<0.05). In the intermediate- to high-risk group, the MTHFR rs1801133 genotype was associated with increased MTX plasma concentrations at 48 hours (P<0.05), and the GGH rs11545078 genotype was associated with increased MTX plasma concentrations at 48 hours (P<0.05). In the intermediate- to high-risk group, the MTHFR rs1801133 genotype was associated with the occurrence of reduced hemoglobin (P<0.05), and the GGH rs11545078 genotype was associated with the occurrence of thrombocytopenia (P<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
Detection of MTHFR rs1801133 and GGH rs11545078 genotypes can be used to predict increased MTX plasma concentrations and the occurrence of toxic reactions in high-dose MTX treatment of ALL, enabling timely interventions to enhance safety.
Humans
;
Methotrexate/toxicity*
;
Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2)/genetics*
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Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma/blood*
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Male
;
Female
;
Child
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Child, Preschool
;
gamma-Glutamyl Hydrolase/genetics*
;
Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic/adverse effects*
;
Infant
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Polymorphism, Genetic
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Adolescent
;
Genotype
;
Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
5.Triptolide Ameliorates Collagen-Induced Arthritis and Bleomycin-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis in Rats by Suppressing IGF1-Mediated Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition.
Pei-Pei LU ; Lan YAN ; Qi GENG ; Lin LIN ; Lu-Lu ZHANG ; Chang-Qi SHI ; Peng-Cheng ZHAO ; Xiao-Meng ZHANG ; Jian-Yu SHI ; Cheng LYU
Chinese journal of integrative medicine 2025;31(12):1069-1077
OBJECTIVE:
To investigate the common mechanisms among collagen-induced arthritis (CIA), bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis, and CIA+BLM to evaluate the therapeutic effect of triptolide (TP) on CIA+BLM.
METHODS:
Thirty-six male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to 6 groups according to a random number table (n=6 per group): normal control (NC), CIA, BLM, combined CIA+BLM model, TP low-dose (TP-L, 0.0931 mg/kg), and TP high-dose (TP-H, 0.1862 mg/kg) groups. The CIA model was induced by intradermal injection at the base of the tail with emulsion of bovine type II collagen and incomplete Freund's adjuvant (1:1), with 200 µL administered on day 0 and a booster of 100 µL on day 7. Pulmonary fibrosis was induced via a single intratracheal injection of BLM (5 mg/kg). The CIA+BLM model combined both protocols, and TP was administered orally from day 14 to 35. After successful modeling, arthritis scores were recorded every 3 days, and pulmonary function was assessed once at the end of the treatment period. Lung tissues were collected for histological analysis (hematoxylin eosin and Masson staining), immunohistochemistry, measurement of hydroxyproline (HYP) content, and calculation of lung coefficient. In addition, HE staining was performed on the ankle joint. Total RNA was extracted from lung tissues for transcriptomic analysis. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were compared with those from the RA-associated interstitial lung diseases patient dataset GSE199152 to identify overlapping genes, which were then used to construct a protein-protein interaction network. Hub genes were identified using multiple topological algorithms.
RESULTS:
The successfully established CIA+BLM rat model exhibited significantly increased arthritis scores and severe pulmonary fibrosis (P<0.01). By intersecting the DEGs obtained from transcriptomic analysis of lung tissues in CIA, BLM, and CIA+BLM rats with DEGs from rheumatoid arthritis-interstitial lung disease patients (GSE199152 dataset), 50 upregulated and 44 downregulated genes were identified. Through integrated PPI network analysis using multiple topological algorithms, IGF1 was identified as a central hub gene. TP intervention significantly improved pulmonary function by increasing peak inspiratory flow (P<0.01), and reduced lung index and HYP content (P<0.01). Histopathological analysis showed that TP alleviated alveolar collapse, interstitial thickening, and collagen deposition in the lung tissues (P<0.01). Moreover, TP treatment reduced the expression of collagen type I and α-SMA and increased E-cadherin levels (P<0.01). TP also significantly reduced arthritis scores and ameliorated synovial inflammation (P<0.05). Both transcriptomic and immunohistochemical analyses confirmed that IGF1 expression was elevated in the CIA+BLM group and downregulated following TP treatment (P<0.05).
CONCLUSION
TP exerts protective effects in the CIA+BLM model by alleviating arthritis and pulmonary fibrosis through the inhibition of IGF1-mediated EMT.
Animals
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Pulmonary Fibrosis/complications*
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Bleomycin/adverse effects*
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Phenanthrenes/pharmacology*
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Male
;
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
;
Diterpenes/pharmacology*
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Epoxy Compounds/therapeutic use*
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Arthritis, Experimental/complications*
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Insulin-Like Growth Factor I/metabolism*
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Rats
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Lung/physiopathology*
6.A clinical comparative study of domestic nasal packing sponge and imported nasopore sponge in post-sinusotomy care.
Shengyang LIU ; Tao LI ; Shujuan SUN ; Peng YU ; Yanyi TU ; Limian XIAO ; Yuzhu WAN ; Li SHI
Journal of Clinical Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery 2025;39(1):71-76
Objective:This study aims to investigate the differences in hemostatic efficacy and patient comfort between an innovative domestically produced biodegradable nasal packing sponge and a traditional absorbent sponge following endoscopic nasal surgery. Methods:A prospective, randomized controlled trial design was utilized, including 30 patients who were divided into two groups according to random allocation, each receiving one of the two types of nasal packing. The study assessed the hemostatic efficacy, comfort, and safety of the materials by comparing the rates of no bleeding within 24 hours after packing, re-bleeding rates after 48 hours, pain ratings in the head and nasal areas, scores on a visual analog scale for nasal ocular symptoms, and safety indicators between the two groups. Results:The rates of no bleeding within 24 hours post-packing were 73.33% for both the experimental and control groups, with a no-bleeding rate of 100% after 48 hours in both groups. The pain rating in the head and nasal areas at various times post-packing was Grade Ⅰ(100%) in both groups, with no statistically significant difference(P=1.000). The experimental groups sneezing score on the day of packing was(0.73±1.03), lower than the control groups(2.27±1.67), (P=0.007); after 48 hours, the experimental groups sneezing score was(0.67±0.98), also lower than the control groups(1.67±1.18), (P=0.019). There was no significant difference between the two groups in the Lund-Kennedy scoring during endoscopic examinations at the screening period, 7 days, 1 month, and 3 months post-packing(P>0.05). Laboratory tests for other examination indicators were normal in both groups. Conclusion:The innovative domestically produced biodegradable nasal packing sponge not only provides hemostatic efficacy comparable to imported materials but also significantly improves patient comfort after surgery. It represents an economical and effective choice for nasal packing materials.
Humans
;
Prospective Studies
;
Surgical Sponges
;
Endoscopy/methods*
;
Male
;
Female
;
Epistaxis/prevention & control*
;
Middle Aged
;
Nasal Surgical Procedures/methods*
;
Adult
7.Enhancement of Ca2+ Signal Strength in Astrocytes in the Lateral Septum Improves Cognitive Disorders in Mice After Hemorrhagic Shock and Resuscitation.
Wen-Guang LI ; Lan-Xin LI ; Rong-Xin SONG ; Xu-Peng WANG ; Shi-Yan JIA ; Xiao-Yi MA ; Jing-Yu ZHANG ; Gang-Feng YIN ; Xiao-Ming LI ; Li-Min ZHANG
Neuroscience Bulletin 2025;41(8):1403-1417
Hemorrhagic shock is a common clinical emergency that can aggravate cell injury after resuscitation. Astrocytes are crucial for the survival of neurons because they regulate the surrounding ionic microenvironment of neurons. Although hemorrhagic shock and resuscitation (HSR) injury can impair cognition, it remains unclear how this insult directly affects astrocytes. In this study, we established an HSR model by bleeding and re-transfusion in mice. The social interaction test and new object recognition test were applied to evaluate post-operative cognitive changes, and the results suggest that mice experience cognitive impairment following exposure to HSR. In the HSR group, the power spectral density of β and γ oscillations decreased, and the coupling of the θ oscillation phase and γ oscillation amplitude was abnormal, which indicated abnormal neuronal oscillation and cognitive impairment after HSR exposure. In brief, cognitive impairment in mice is strongly correlated with Ca2+ signal strength in lateral septum astrocytes following HSR.
Animals
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Astrocytes/metabolism*
;
Shock, Hemorrhagic/metabolism*
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Resuscitation/adverse effects*
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Male
;
Mice
;
Calcium Signaling/physiology*
;
Mice, Inbred C57BL
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Septal Nuclei/metabolism*
;
Cognitive Dysfunction/etiology*
;
Disease Models, Animal
;
Cognition Disorders/etiology*
8.Chinese expert consensus on pre-hospital and emergency diagnosis and treatment of adult traumatic brain injury
Yang YANG ; Xiao-Xi TIAN ; Zheng-Hua SHI ; Ji-Peng WANG ; Li-Hong LI ; Ming-Hua LIU ; Xiao-Dong ZHAO
Medical Journal of Chinese People's Liberation Army 2025;50(2):123-133
Traumatic brain injury(TBI)is a serious condition characterized by high rates of mortality and disability.Deaths caused by severe TBI usually occur within the first few hours after the injury.Timely and effective management of TBI during pre-hospital and emergency treatment phases is crucial for improving patients'prognosis.To address this issue,the Emergency Physicians Branch of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association,the Emergency Medicine Professional Committee of the People's Liberation Army,the Beijing Emergency Medicine Society,and the Chinese Emergency Medicine Specialist Association have jointly selected national experts in emergency medicine and neurosurgery to formulate the"Chinese Expert Consensus on the Pre-hospital and Emergency Diagnosis and Treatment of Adult Traumatic Brain Injury".This consensus consists of two parts focusing on pre-hospital and emergency diagnosis and treatment of TBI,with 24 recommendations put forward to guide relevant clinical practices in pre-hospital and emergency management.
9.Design of sinusoidal excitation phased array ultrasound focusing system
Shi-yu WANG ; Xu LIU ; Fang-xuan CHU ; Tao YIN ; Zhi-peng LIU ; Xiao-qing ZHOU
Chinese Medical Equipment Journal 2025;46(5):14-20
Objective To design a phased array ultrasonic focusing control system based on sinusoidal signal excitation in order to avoid the introduction of high-frequency interference components into the ultrasonic transducer and improve the electronic focusing performance of phased array ultrasound.Methods The system designed mainly used the high-speed field programmable gate array(FPGA)chip combined with the high-speed digital to analog converter(DAC)to realize synchronous output and control of multi-channel sinusoidal signals.There were 8 sinusoidal excitation emission modules based on FPGA and DAC and one sinusoidal ultrasonic excitation control module based on ZYNQ MPSoC involved in the hardware part of the system,in which the emission modules generated multi-channel sinusoidal excitations and timing control of sinusoidal signals within the module and the control module was responsible for controlling the triggering timing between each sinusoidal excitation transmitter module.The system developed had its software designed with MATLAB App Designer to improve the human-computer interaction experience.Performance verification was carried out for the system by testing the output waveform,inter-channel delay error and focused sound field of each channel.Results The system developed achieved generation and timing control of 64-channel sinusoidal ultrasound excitations,with the output channel main frequency being 0.5 MHz,amplitude within 0 and±12.5 V and the inter-channel delay errors not higher than 26.0 ns;a focused sound field with a focal spot diameter of 4.2 mm(-3 dB)at a depth of 50 mm was obtained when the system was applied to driving a 64-array phased-array transducer.Conclusion The system designed is capable of realizing ultrasonic electron focusing under sinusoidal excitation,which helps to improve the focusing resolution of non-invasive and precise deep brain stimulation techniques relying on the accuracy of ultrasonic focusing such as transcranial magneto-acoustic stimulation(TMAS)and transcranial ultrasonic stimulation(TUS).[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2025,46(5):14-20]
10.Determination of 238Pu,239Pu,240Pu and 241Pu in Soil by Tandem Quadrupole Inductively Coupled Plasmon-Mass Spectrometry
Yi-Chao GUO ; Chen-Yang PENG ; Xin-Yu DU ; Feng ZHANG ; Hao-Lin ZHOU ; Ke-Liang SHI ; Shan XING ; Xiao-Lin HOU
Chinese Journal of Analytical Chemistry 2025;53(3):397-406
Plutonium isotopes(238Pu,239Pu,240Pu and 241Pu)in the environment are important"fingerprint"nuclides in the study of nuclear activity traceability.The content of plutonium isotopes in the environmental metrics is usually very low,and the measurement of these isotopes,especially 238Pu,using mass spectrometry is seriously interfered with by the coexisting 238U.The analysis of several plutonium isotopes in soil usually requires combination of multiple measurement techniques,which leads to a long analysis time and large uncertainty in the isotope ratio.In this work,the hydrous titanium oxide(HTiO)precipitated by the hydrolysis of titanium oxydichloride(TiOCl2)under near-neutral condition was used to preconcentrate plutonium from the soil digestion solution,and the highly efficient decontamination of 238U in the sample was achieved by TK200 resin column chromatography with a decontamination factor of 108.Simulation resuts of density functional theory(DFT)showed that NH3 was considered as a promising reaction gas to eliminate the interference of 238U from 238Pu measurement using mass spectrometry due to the significant discrepancy of the chemical reactivity of U+and Pu+with the reactive gas NH3.Experiments confirmed that by optimizing the flow rates of collision gas(He)and reaction gas(NH3),the interference of 238U could be effectively suppressed,and the decontamination factor of 238U was 104.Combined with chemical separation,the overall decontamination factor of 238U could reach 1012 by using the developed method.By combining chemical separation and tandem quadrupole inductively coupled plasmon-mass spectrometry(ICP-MS/MS)measurement,the simultaneous determination of four ultra-trace plutonium isotopes in soil was realized,and the detection limit of plutonium isotopes was at the femtogram level.Analysis of the international standard reference materials(NIST-SRM-4357 and IAEA-384)showed that the established method could be successfully used for the accurate analysis of ultra-trace four plutonium isotopes(238Pu,239Pu,240Pu and 241Pu)in soil samples.

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