1.A Mechanistic Framework of Exercise-induced Amelioration of Autism Spectrum Disorder via miR-132, miR-34a, and miR-146a
Xiao YANG ; Ya-Qi XUE ; Xin-Jian SHU ; Yan-Yan WANG ; Niu LIU
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(8):2210-2219
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition with a steadily rising global prevalence, yet effective pharmacological interventions remain notably limited, highlighting an urgent need for safe, accessible, and mechanism-based therapeutic strategies. Physical exercise has emerged as a promising non-pharmacological intervention that ameliorates both core symptoms—social communication deficits and restricted repetitive behaviors—and associated features including cognitive dysfunction and motor impairments, in children and adolescents with ASD. However, the molecular mechanisms mediating these beneficial effects remain incompletely defined, impeding the development of evidence-based exercise prescriptions and biomarker-driven rehabilitation protocols. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are evolutionarily conserved small non-coding RNAs that post-transcriptionally regulate approximately 60% of protein-coding genes. Within the central nervous system, miRNAs orchestrate diverse neurobiological processes including neural progenitor proliferation, neuronal differentiation, dendritic spine morphogenesis, synaptic plasticity, and neuroinflammatory homeostasis. Notably, miRNAs are remarkably stable in biological fluids and can be packaged into extracellular vesicles, rendering them attractive candidates as both mechanistic mediators and non-invasive peripheral biomarkers. Among the hundreds of miRNAs expressed in the brain, three—miR-132, miR-34a, and miR-146a—have emerged as particularly relevant to ASD pathophysiology. This review focuses on these three miRNAs for the following reasons: miR-132 is a master regulator of activity-dependent synaptic plasticity through its modulation of BDNF/MeCP2/PTEN signaling and has been consistently downregulated in ASD prefrontal cortex; miR-34a functions as a pro-apoptotic factor that suppresses Bcl-2-mediated neuronal survival pathways and is upregulated in ASD cerebellum; and miR-146a serves as a key brake on neuroinflammation via TLR7/IRAK1 signaling and shows region-specific dysregulation in ASD temporal lobe. We first summarize evidence from human post-mortem brain tissues and ASD animal models demonstrating the consistent dysregulation of these three miRNAs. Notably, the pathological consequences of these miRNA alterations—impaired synaptic plasticity, excessive neuronal apoptosis, and sustained neuroinflammation—are interconnected and collectively contribute to the heterogeneous symptomatology of ASD. We then present a synthesis of emerging evidence demonstrating that various exercise modalities, including swimming, treadmill running, and voluntary wheel running, can concurrently reverse these ASD-like behavioral phenotypes and normalize the expression of the three key miRNAs. These data provide the first direct experimental evidence linking exercise-induced miRNA modulation to ASD symptom improvement. On the basis of these findings, we propose an integrative “exercise-miRNA-ASD” framework wherein exercise functions as a multi-targeted modulator—simultaneously enhancing synaptic plasticity, promoting neuronal survival, and attenuating neuroinflammation—through coordinated regulation of the three miRNAs. Importantly, this framework is not merely descriptive but offers testable predictions: exercise-induced miRNA changes should be dose-dependent, show temporal correlation with behavioral improvements, and be blunted by miRNA-specific antagonists or CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout. Beyond its specific application to ASD, this framework has broader implications. The miR-132/BDNF, miR-34a/Bcl-2, and miR-146a/TLR7 pathways are not ASD-specific but represent fundamental neural stress and repair mechanisms that are dysregulated across Alzheimer’s disease (AD), traumatic brain injury, Parkinson’s disease (PD), and major depressive disorder. Exercise has been shown to modulate these same miRNAs in several of these conditions, suggesting that the “exercise-miRNA-neural function” axis may represent a conserved neuroprotective mechanism that transcends diagnostic boundaries. Thus, we propose that ASD serves as an ideal model disease for elucidating this universal mechanism, with findings potentially generalizable to other neurological disorders. We also critically evaluate current translational barriers: the near-absence of human clinical trials with serial miRNA profiling; the undefined dose-response relationships between exercise parameters and miRNA expression; the unresolved causality issue (current evidence demonstrates association, not causation); and the uncertain correlation between peripheral exosomal miRNA levels and brain miRNA dynamics. We argue that future research must prioritize CRISPR/Cas9-based miRNA manipulation in animal models combined with longitudinal exercise interventions to establish causality, and that cross-disease validation studies are essential to determine whether exercise-induced miRNA changes represent a shared neuroprotective signature or disease-specific responses. Ultimately, we envision a paradigm where a simple blood test measuring exosomal miR-132, miR-34a, and miR-146a levels could guide personalized exercise prescriptions, enabling precision rehabilitation for individuals with ASD and potentially other neurological conditions.
2.Erratum: Author correction to "PRMT6 promotes tumorigenicity and cisplatin response of lung cancer through triggering 6PGD/ENO1 mediated cell metabolism" Acta Pharm Sin B 13 (2023) 157-173.
Mingming SUN ; Leilei LI ; Yujia NIU ; Yingzhi WANG ; Qi YAN ; Fei XIE ; Yaya QIAO ; Jiaqi SONG ; Huanran SUN ; Zhen LI ; Sizhen LAI ; Hongkai CHANG ; Han ZHANG ; Jiyan WANG ; Chenxin YANG ; Huifang ZHAO ; Junzhen TAN ; Yanping LI ; Shuangping LIU ; Bin LU ; Min LIU ; Guangyao KONG ; Yujun ZHAO ; Chunze ZHANG ; Shu-Hai LIN ; Cheng LUO ; Shuai ZHANG ; Changliang SHAN
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(4):2297-2299
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2022.05.019.].
3.Ursodeoxycholic acid inhibits the uptake of cystine through SLC7A11 and impairs de novo synthesis of glutathione.
Fu'an XIE ; Yujia NIU ; Xiaobing CHEN ; Xu KONG ; Guangting YAN ; Aobo ZHUANG ; Xi LI ; Lanlan LIAN ; Dongmei QIN ; Quan ZHANG ; Ruyi ZHANG ; Kunrong YANG ; Xiaogang XIA ; Kun CHEN ; Mengmeng XIAO ; Chunkang YANG ; Ting WU ; Ye SHEN ; Chundong YU ; Chenghua LUO ; Shu-Hai LIN ; Wengang LI
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2025;15(1):101068-101068
Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is a naturally occurring, low-toxicity, and hydrophilic bile acid (BA) in the human body that is converted by intestinal flora using primary BA. Solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11) functions to uptake extracellular cystine in exchange for glutamate, and is highly expressed in a variety of human cancers. Retroperitoneal liposarcoma (RLPS) refers to liposarcoma originating from the retroperitoneal area. Lipidomics analysis revealed that UDCA was one of the most significantly downregulated metabolites in sera of RLPS patients compared with healthy subjects. The augmentation of UDCA concentration (≥25 μg/mL) demonstrated a suppressive effect on the proliferation of liposarcoma cells. [15N2]-cystine and [13C5]-glutamine isotope tracing revealed that UDCA impairs cystine uptake and glutathione (GSH) synthesis. Mechanistically, UDCA binds to the cystine transporter SLC7A11 to inhibit cystine uptake and impair GSH de novo synthesis, leading to reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and mitochondrial oxidative damage. Furthermore, UDCA can promote the anti-cancer effects of ferroptosis inducers (Erastin, RSL3), the murine double minute 2 (MDM2) inhibitors (Nutlin 3a, RG7112), cyclin dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) inhibitor (Abemaciclib), and glutaminase inhibitor (CB839). Together, UDCA functions as a cystine exchange factor that binds to SLC7A11 for antitumor activity, and SLC7A11 is not only a new transporter for BA but also a clinically applicable target for UDCA. More importantly, in combination with other antitumor chemotherapy or physiotherapy treatments, UDCA may provide effective and promising treatment strategies for RLPS or other types of tumors in a ROS-dependent manner.
4.Ursodeoxycholic acid inhibits the uptake of cystine through SLC7A11 and impairs de novo synthesis of glutathione
Fu'an XIE ; Yujia NIU ; Xiaobing CHEN ; Xu KONG ; Guangting YAN ; Aobo ZHUANG ; Xi LI ; Lanlan LIAN ; Dongmei QIN ; Quan ZHANG ; Ruyi ZHANG ; Kunrong YANG ; Xiaogang XIA ; Kun CHEN ; Mengmeng XIAO ; Chunkang YANG ; Ting WU ; Ye SHEN ; Chundong YU ; Chenghua LUO ; Shu-Hai LIN ; Wengang LI
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2025;15(1):189-207
Ursodeoxycholic acid(UDCA)is a naturally occurring,low-toxicity,and hydrophilic bile acid(BA)in the human body that is converted by intestinal flora using primary BA.Solute carrier family 7 member 11(SLC7A11)functions to uptake extracellular cystine in exchange for glutamate,and is highly expressed in a variety of human cancers.Retroperitoneal liposarcoma(RLPS)refers to liposarcoma originating from the retroperitoneal area.Lipidomics analysis revealed that UDCA was one of the most significantly down-regulated metabolites in sera of RIPS patients compared with healthy subjects.The augmentation of UDCA concentration(≥25 μg/mL)demonstrated a suppressive effect on the proliferation of liposarcoma cells.[15N2]-cystine and[13Cs]-glutamine isotope tracing revealed that UDCA impairs cystine uptake and glutathione(GSH)synthesis.Mechanistically,UDCA binds to the cystine transporter SLC7A11 to inhibit cystine uptake and impair GSH de novo synthesis,leading to reactive oxygen species(ROS)accumulation and mitochondrial oxidative damage.Furthermore,UDCA can promote the anti-cancer effects of ferroptosis inducers(Erastin,RSL3),the murine double minute 2(MDM2)inhibitors(Nutlin 3a,RG7112),cyclin dependent kinase 4(CDK4)inhibitor(Abemaciclib),and glutaminase inhibitor(CB839).Together,UDCA functions as a cystine exchange factor that binds to SLC7A11 for antitumor activity,and SLC7A11 is not only a new transporter for BA but also a clinically applicable target for UDCA.More importantly,in combination with other antitumor chemotherapy or physiotherapy treatments,UDCA may provide effective and promising treatment strategies for RLPS or other types of tumors in a ROS-dependent manner.
5.Update on the treatment navigation for functional cure of chronic hepatitis B: Expert consensus 2.0
Di WU ; Jia-Horng KAO ; Teerha PIRATVISUTH ; Xiaojing WANG ; Patrick T.F. KENNEDY ; Motoyuki OTSUKA ; Sang Hoon AHN ; Yasuhito TANAKA ; Guiqiang WANG ; Zhenghong YUAN ; Wenhui LI ; Young-Suk LIM ; Junqi NIU ; Fengmin LU ; Wenhong ZHANG ; Zhiliang GAO ; Apichat KAEWDECH ; Meifang HAN ; Weiming YAN ; Hong REN ; Peng HU ; Sainan SHU ; Paul Yien KWO ; Fu-sheng WANG ; Man-Fung YUEN ; Qin NING
Clinical and Molecular Hepatology 2025;31(Suppl):S134-S164
As new evidence emerges, treatment strategies toward the functional cure of chronic hepatitis B are evolving. In 2019, a panel of national hepatologists published a Consensus Statement on the functional cure of chronic hepatitis B. Currently, an international group of hepatologists has been assembled to evaluate research since the publication of the original consensus, and to collaboratively develop the updated statements. The 2.0 Consensus was aimed to update the original consensus with the latest available studies, and provide a comprehensive overview of the current relevant scientific literatures regarding functional cure of hepatitis B, with a particular focus on issues that are not yet fully clarified. These cover the definition of functional cure of hepatitis B, its mechanisms and barriers, the effective strategies and treatment roadmap to achieve this endpoint, in particular new surrogate biomarkers used to measure efficacy or to predict response, and the appropriate approach to pursuing a functional cure in special populations, the development of emerging antivirals and immunomodulators with potential for curing hepatitis B. The statements are primarily intended to offer international guidance for clinicians in their practice to enhance the functional cure rate of chronic hepatitis B.
6.Molecular characterization of Cronobacter sakazakii in patients with diarrhea in a hospital in Changping District, Beijing, 2019
Yang ZHANG ; Dongxun LI ; Weijun WANG ; Huancai NIU ; Tian GU ; Gaolin SHU
Shanghai Journal of Preventive Medicine 2025;37(1):29-33
ObjectiveTo understand the current status of Cronobacter sakazakii (Cronobacter spp.) infection and its molecular epidemiological characteristics among patients with diarrhea, so as to provide evidence for the prevention and control of diarrhea disease caused by infection with Cronobacter spp. in Changping District, Beijing. Methods760 stool samples were collected from the diarrhea patients in a sentinel hospital in 2019, for the detection of Cronobacter spp., Salmonella, diarrheogenic Escherichia coli (DEC), and Vibrio Parahaemolyticus. Meanwhile, drug sensitivity experiment and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) typing analysis were conducted on the Cronobacter spp. strains isolated. ResultsA total of 20 Cronobacter spp. strains (2.63%) were isolated, with a lower detection rate than that of Salmonella and Vibrio Parahaemolyticus (χ2=9.052, P=0.011). However, there were no statistically significant differences between the detection rates in Cronobacter spp. and DEC (χ2=1.076, P=0.300). Seasonal characterization analysis showed that Cronobacter spp. could be detected in spring (1.00%), summer (4.17%), autumn (3.00%) and winter (1.67%), and the differences were statistically significant (χ2=662.700, P<0.001). The PFGE analysis showed that 20 PFGE banding patterns were found in 20 Cronobacter spp. strains, with a similarity coefficient ranging from 56.30% to 90.09% and a diverse PFGE banding pattern. The drug sensitivity experiment results showed that 18 (90.00%) strains were resistant to cefazolin, and2 (10.00%) strains were intermediate. While, as for cefoxitin, 2 (10.00%) strains were resistant to it, and 5 (25.00%) strains were intermediate. All the 20 strains were 100.00% sensitive to the other 11 antibiotics. ConclusionIn the study, Cronobacter spp. is detected in all seasons through the year, with a high resistance rate to cefazolin, no multi-drug resistant bacteria appeared, and diverse PFGE banding patterns.
7.Update on the treatment navigation for functional cure of chronic hepatitis B: Expert consensus 2.0
Di WU ; Jia-Horng KAO ; Teerha PIRATVISUTH ; Xiaojing WANG ; Patrick T.F. KENNEDY ; Motoyuki OTSUKA ; Sang Hoon AHN ; Yasuhito TANAKA ; Guiqiang WANG ; Zhenghong YUAN ; Wenhui LI ; Young-Suk LIM ; Junqi NIU ; Fengmin LU ; Wenhong ZHANG ; Zhiliang GAO ; Apichat KAEWDECH ; Meifang HAN ; Weiming YAN ; Hong REN ; Peng HU ; Sainan SHU ; Paul Yien KWO ; Fu-sheng WANG ; Man-Fung YUEN ; Qin NING
Clinical and Molecular Hepatology 2025;31(Suppl):S134-S164
As new evidence emerges, treatment strategies toward the functional cure of chronic hepatitis B are evolving. In 2019, a panel of national hepatologists published a Consensus Statement on the functional cure of chronic hepatitis B. Currently, an international group of hepatologists has been assembled to evaluate research since the publication of the original consensus, and to collaboratively develop the updated statements. The 2.0 Consensus was aimed to update the original consensus with the latest available studies, and provide a comprehensive overview of the current relevant scientific literatures regarding functional cure of hepatitis B, with a particular focus on issues that are not yet fully clarified. These cover the definition of functional cure of hepatitis B, its mechanisms and barriers, the effective strategies and treatment roadmap to achieve this endpoint, in particular new surrogate biomarkers used to measure efficacy or to predict response, and the appropriate approach to pursuing a functional cure in special populations, the development of emerging antivirals and immunomodulators with potential for curing hepatitis B. The statements are primarily intended to offer international guidance for clinicians in their practice to enhance the functional cure rate of chronic hepatitis B.
8.Update on the treatment navigation for functional cure of chronic hepatitis B: Expert consensus 2.0
Di WU ; Jia-Horng KAO ; Teerha PIRATVISUTH ; Xiaojing WANG ; Patrick T.F. KENNEDY ; Motoyuki OTSUKA ; Sang Hoon AHN ; Yasuhito TANAKA ; Guiqiang WANG ; Zhenghong YUAN ; Wenhui LI ; Young-Suk LIM ; Junqi NIU ; Fengmin LU ; Wenhong ZHANG ; Zhiliang GAO ; Apichat KAEWDECH ; Meifang HAN ; Weiming YAN ; Hong REN ; Peng HU ; Sainan SHU ; Paul Yien KWO ; Fu-sheng WANG ; Man-Fung YUEN ; Qin NING
Clinical and Molecular Hepatology 2025;31(Suppl):S134-S164
As new evidence emerges, treatment strategies toward the functional cure of chronic hepatitis B are evolving. In 2019, a panel of national hepatologists published a Consensus Statement on the functional cure of chronic hepatitis B. Currently, an international group of hepatologists has been assembled to evaluate research since the publication of the original consensus, and to collaboratively develop the updated statements. The 2.0 Consensus was aimed to update the original consensus with the latest available studies, and provide a comprehensive overview of the current relevant scientific literatures regarding functional cure of hepatitis B, with a particular focus on issues that are not yet fully clarified. These cover the definition of functional cure of hepatitis B, its mechanisms and barriers, the effective strategies and treatment roadmap to achieve this endpoint, in particular new surrogate biomarkers used to measure efficacy or to predict response, and the appropriate approach to pursuing a functional cure in special populations, the development of emerging antivirals and immunomodulators with potential for curing hepatitis B. The statements are primarily intended to offer international guidance for clinicians in their practice to enhance the functional cure rate of chronic hepatitis B.
9.Ventral Hippocampal CA1 GADD45B Regulates Susceptibility to Social Stress by Influencing NMDA Receptor-Mediated Synaptic Plasticity.
Mengbing HUANG ; Jian BAO ; Xiaoqing TAO ; Yifan NIU ; Kaiwei LI ; Ji WANG ; Xiaokang GONG ; Rong YANG ; Yuran GUI ; Hongyan ZHOU ; Yiyuan XIA ; Youhua YANG ; Binlian SUN ; Wei LIU ; Xiji SHU
Neuroscience Bulletin 2025;41(3):406-420
Growth arrest DNA damage-inducible protein 45 β (GADD45B) has been reported to be a regulatory factor for active DNA demethylation and is implicated in the modulation of synaptic plasticity and chronic stress-related psychopathological processes. However, its precise role and mechanism of action in stress susceptibility remain elusive. In this study, we found a significant reduction in GADD45B expression specifically in the ventral, but not the dorsal hippocampal CA1 (dCA1) of stress-susceptible mice. Furthermore, we demonstrated that GADD45B negatively regulates susceptibility to social stress and NMDA receptor-dependent long-term potentiation (LTP) in the ventral hippocampal CA1 (vCA1). Importantly, through pharmacological inhibition using the NMDA receptor antagonist MK801, we provided further evidence supporting the hypothesis that GADD45B potentially modulates susceptibility to social stress by influencing NMDA receptor-mediated LTP. Collectively, these results suggested that modulation of NMDA receptor-mediated synaptic plasticity is a pivotal mechanism underlying the regulation of susceptibility to social stress by GADD45B.
Animals
;
Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate/antagonists & inhibitors*
;
CA1 Region, Hippocampal/drug effects*
;
Male
;
Stress, Psychological/physiopathology*
;
Mice
;
Neuronal Plasticity/drug effects*
;
Long-Term Potentiation/drug effects*
;
Mice, Inbred C57BL
;
Antigens, Differentiation/metabolism*
;
Dizocilpine Maleate/pharmacology*
;
Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists/pharmacology*
;
GADD45 Proteins
10.Establishment of an atopic dermatitis model in tumor-bearing BALB/c mice induced by 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene
Xiaotao NIU ; Jiaqian ZUO ; Yujie HUANG ; Wenqin REN ; Xinyan SHU ; Peng SHU
Acta Laboratorium Animalis Scientia Sinica 2025;33(2):216-224
Objective In this study,2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene(DNCB)was used to induce the establishment of an atopic dermatitis(AD)model in BALB/c homozygous mice to simulate the skin inflammatory complications in patients with clinical malignancies.Methods BALB/c mice were divided into different groups:negative control group(NC group),model group(MODEL group),atopic dermatitis group(AD group),and dexamethasone group(DEX group).After the mice in MODEL group and DEX group were inoculated with S-180 tumor cells in the axilla,MODEL group,AD group and DEX group were stimulated with DNCB on the dorsal skin and the ear to establish an animal model of atopic dermatitis in tumor-bearing mice.Changes in body weight were observed and recorded,the dorsal skin condition of mice was assessed after the last administration of the drug,the spleen was taken to calculate the spleen coefficient,the difference in the mass of mouse ear slices was determined to calculate the degree of auricular swelling and the rate of inhibition of swelling,and histopathological tests were performed on the dorsal skin tissues to detect the levels of IgE,TNF-α,IL-4,and IL-17 in the serum using an ELISA assay.Results Compared with the NC group,the skin of mice in the MODEL and AD groups showed erythematous,papular,scaly and mossy changes,accompanied by weight loss,and a significant increase in splenic coefficient and auricular swelling.Pathologic findings showed an incomplete skin structure,a significant increase in skin thickness,a large infiltration of inflammatory cells,and an increase in the number of mast cells.Serum levels of IgE,TNF-α,IL-4 and IL-17 were increased.Compared with the MODEL group,the DEX group showed an improvement in all the assays.Conclusions DNCB excitation can successfully establish an animal model of AD in hormonal mice,which is drug-controllable,which provides a useful scientific tool for conducting scientific research related to malignant tumors and skin inflammation.

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