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.Research progress in laboratory artificial breeding technologies for ticks
Xiao-nan DONG ; Lian-yang SUN ; Hao CUI ; Jia-mei KANG ; Yu-lin DING ; Yong-hong LIU ; Li ZHAO
Chinese Journal of Zoonoses 2025;41(1):67-74
As the world's second largest vector of pathogens,ticks can spread a variety of pathogens by sucking the host's blood.Ticks not only threaten human life and health,but also cause great economic losses in animal husbandry.Artificial breeding of ticks can provide a stable environment for the growth and reproduction of ticks,thereby generating sufficient exper-imental materials for understanding ticks'biological characteristics,studying tick-borne pathogens,and developing anti-tick drugs and vaccines.Current methods of breeding ticks in the laboratory can be roughly divided into two categories:breeding methods using host animals or artificial membranes.The selection of breeding method must be comprehensively considered,ac-cording to tick types,blood-sucking habits,living environments,and other aspects.The development processes of the two methods,and their respective advantages and disadvantages,are described and discussed,to assist laboratories in artificial breeding of ticks.
3.Treating hyperuricemia from"returning the clear and the turbid to the original"based on the theory of"indigestion of spleen and stomach"
Qiwei ZHAO ; Yuzhuo LIU ; Mengzhen WANG ; Yue LUO ; Ziyu LIU ; Minghua NAN ; Changchuan BAI ; Xinyu LI ; Jia LI ; Xiao YANG
Journal of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;48(8):1134-1139
Hyperuricemia is a chronic metabolic disease resulting from purine metabolic dysfunction and is classified under the category of"blood turbidity"in traditional Chinese medicine.Our team termed it"acid turbidity,"and its pathogenesis is closely related to the dynamic evolution of the clear and the turbid components.With the change of modern people's diet structure,the incidence of hyperuricemia is increasing annually owing to the intake of fatty,sweet foods and alcohol.Therefore,this paper explores hyperuricemia from the"indigestion of spleen and stomach"theory.The core pathogenesis of hyperuricemia is indigestion of spleen and stomach,the inversion of clear and turbid substances,and endogenous acid turbidity.The initial manifestation of hyperuricemia is the internal retention of acid turbidity and ascending-descending disharmony;the gradual manifestation of this disease is that indigestion causes heat,and acid turbidity transforms into poison;the final manifestation of this disease is that secular indigestion causes deficiency and the inversion of clear and turbid substances.It can be summarized into three syndromes:syndromes of internal retention of dampness-turbidity,dampness-heat toxin amassment,and dampness-heat due to spleen deficiency.Therefore,this paper proposes to treat the disease according to different syndromes,with ascending the clear and descending the turbid as the core of treatment.And the therapeutic approach employs the flexible application of three methods:transportation,resolving,and transformation.For syndrome of internal retention of dampness-turbidity,treatment focuses on promoting spleen transportation to eliminate dampness;for syndrome of dampness-heat toxin amassment,the strategy is to resolve indigestion and purge heat;and for syndrome of dampness-heat due to spleen deficiency,the aim is to resolve turbidity and clear heat.By ascending the clear and descending the turbid,so that"returning the clear and the turbid to the original,"the spleen and stomach regain harmony,functions of ascending and descending are reestablished,and hyperuricemia can be effectively managed.
4.Exploration of the Pharmacological Substances Basis and Potential Mechanism of Anchang Formulation in the Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis Based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MS Technology and Network Pharmacology
Mingxia WU ; Nan WANG ; Yelin DING ; Mengsitong LI ; Yunqi CUI ; Zhenzhong WANG ; Yingbo YANG ; Wei XIAO
Journal of Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;41(5):622-636
OBJECTIVE To identify and characterize the chemical ingredients of Anchang formulation,further screen the active ingredients of this formulation treating ulcerative colitis by network pharmacology,and explore the potential targets and pathways,provi-ding scientific basis for its mechanism research and clinical application.METHODS Chemical ingredients in Anchang formulation were acquired by Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS)technology and literature retrieval.The potential active ingredients and key targets for the treatment were obtained from Swiss Target Prediction,GeneCards,STRING,and then Gene Ontology(GO)function and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)pathway enrichment were analyzed in the DAVID database.The interactions between the active ingredients and the core targets were verified by using the AutoDock software.The RAW 264.7 murine-derived macrophage inflammation model was also established to val-idate the anti-inflammatory activity of the pre-screened chemical ingredients and further explore the related mechanisms.RESULTS In this study,108 chemical ingredients of Anchang formulation were characterized by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS technology,and expanded to 134 through literature search.The component-target network where 39 core active components were screened was further constructed,and 15 key therapeutic targets were screened by the protein-protein interaction network constructed.The enrichment analysis of KEGG pathway indicated that Anchang formulation can regulate TNF,PI3K-Akt,MAPK,cancer and other related signaling pathways and ex-ert a therapeutic effect.The results of cell experiments showed that Anchang formulation and its active ingredients could inhibit the re-lease of NO,TNF-α and IL-6 in the LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cell inflammation model.CONCLUSION Based on the concept of"ingredient-target-pathway",this study evaluates the anti-inflammatory effect of Anchang formulation and its active ingredients,pre-dicts the potential mechanism of treatment for UC,and provides a theoretical basis and research ideas for the quality control of the for-mulation and its treatment for UC.
5.Study on the Correlation between Imaging Features of mGGN under Dual Lung Enhanced CT and Pathological Subtypes of Lung Adenocarcinoma
Jun WU ; Xiao-wei LIU ; Yang WANG ; Nan SHU ; Guan-ran LI ; Yong WANG ; Feng XU
Progress in Modern Biomedicine 2025;25(19):3048-3055
Objective:To investigate the correlation between imaging features of mixed ground-glass nodules(mGGNs)under dual lung enhanced CT and pathological subtypes of lung adenocarcinoma.Methods:Retrospective analysis of clinical data of 102 isolated mGGN lung adenocarcinoma patients admitted to Dalian Central Hospital from October 2016 to October 2018.The patients were divided into adenocarcinoma in situ(AIS)group,minimally invasive adenocarcinoma(MIA)group and invasive adenocarcinoma(IAC)group according to postoperative pathological examination results.Measure the maximum diameter lesions,the maximum diameter of solid components and the proportion of solid components to evaluate imaging features of three groups.The relationship between pathological subtypes of lung adenocarcinoma and baseline features,imaging features,mGGN lesions,maximum diameter of solid components and proportion of solid components were analyzed.The diagnostic value of the maximum diameter of lesions,the maximum diameter of solid components,and the proportion of solid components in IAC were analyzed by receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves.Results:102 patients were divided into AIS group(n=20),MIA group(n=29)and IAC group(n=53)based on postoperative pathological diagnosis.There was a statistically significant difference in age among the three groups(P<0.05).Tumor distribution locations:35 cases in the upper lobe of the right lung,10 cases in the middle lobe of the right lung,and 15 cases in the lower lobe of the right lung;23 cases in the upper lobe of the left lung and 19 cases in the lower lobe of the left lung,the tumor distribution locations in the upper lobe of the right lung was relatively high in various pathological subtypes.The lesions in AIS and MIA groups were mostly circular or elliptical in shape,whiile the lesions in the IAC group was mostly irregular in shape.There was a statistically significant difference in morphological comparisons among the three groups(P<0.05).There was a statistically significant difference in burr sign between MIA group and IAC group(P<0.05).There was a statistically significant difference in pleural indentation sign and bronchial inflation sign between MIA group and IAC group(P<0.05).There was a statistically significant difference in the maximum diameter of lesions and the maximum diameter of solid components among the three groups(P<0.05).The proportion of solid components in IAC group was higher than that in AIS and MIA groups,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).The ROC curve shows that,the area under curve(AUC)for diagnosing IAC based on the maximum diameter of the lesion,the maximum diameter of the solid component,and the proportion of the solid component were 0.840,0.966 and 0.816,respectively.The AUC of diagnosing IAC with the maximum diameter of the solid component was greater than the AUC of the maximum diameter of the lesion and the proportion of solid components(P<0.05).Conclusion:Dual lung enhanced CT can evaluate the imaging features of mGGN,and it can distinguish the pathological subtypes of lung adenocarcinoma,when the maximum diameter of the lesion is ≥ 16.5 mm,the maximum diameter of the solid component is ≥5.5 mm,or the proportion of solid component is ≥47.00%,it can effectively diagnose IAC,the maximum diameter of solid components has the best diagnostic efficiency for IAC.
6.Research progress in laboratory artificial breeding technologies for ticks
Xiao-nan DONG ; Lian-yang SUN ; Hao CUI ; Jia-mei KANG ; Yu-lin DING ; Yong-hong LIU ; Li ZHAO
Chinese Journal of Zoonoses 2025;41(1):67-74
As the world's second largest vector of pathogens,ticks can spread a variety of pathogens by sucking the host's blood.Ticks not only threaten human life and health,but also cause great economic losses in animal husbandry.Artificial breeding of ticks can provide a stable environment for the growth and reproduction of ticks,thereby generating sufficient exper-imental materials for understanding ticks'biological characteristics,studying tick-borne pathogens,and developing anti-tick drugs and vaccines.Current methods of breeding ticks in the laboratory can be roughly divided into two categories:breeding methods using host animals or artificial membranes.The selection of breeding method must be comprehensively considered,ac-cording to tick types,blood-sucking habits,living environments,and other aspects.The development processes of the two methods,and their respective advantages and disadvantages,are described and discussed,to assist laboratories in artificial breeding of ticks.
7.Exploration of the Pharmacological Substances Basis and Potential Mechanism of Anchang Formulation in the Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis Based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MS Technology and Network Pharmacology
Mingxia WU ; Nan WANG ; Yelin DING ; Mengsitong LI ; Yunqi CUI ; Zhenzhong WANG ; Yingbo YANG ; Wei XIAO
Journal of Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;41(5):622-636
OBJECTIVE To identify and characterize the chemical ingredients of Anchang formulation,further screen the active ingredients of this formulation treating ulcerative colitis by network pharmacology,and explore the potential targets and pathways,provi-ding scientific basis for its mechanism research and clinical application.METHODS Chemical ingredients in Anchang formulation were acquired by Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS)technology and literature retrieval.The potential active ingredients and key targets for the treatment were obtained from Swiss Target Prediction,GeneCards,STRING,and then Gene Ontology(GO)function and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)pathway enrichment were analyzed in the DAVID database.The interactions between the active ingredients and the core targets were verified by using the AutoDock software.The RAW 264.7 murine-derived macrophage inflammation model was also established to val-idate the anti-inflammatory activity of the pre-screened chemical ingredients and further explore the related mechanisms.RESULTS In this study,108 chemical ingredients of Anchang formulation were characterized by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS technology,and expanded to 134 through literature search.The component-target network where 39 core active components were screened was further constructed,and 15 key therapeutic targets were screened by the protein-protein interaction network constructed.The enrichment analysis of KEGG pathway indicated that Anchang formulation can regulate TNF,PI3K-Akt,MAPK,cancer and other related signaling pathways and ex-ert a therapeutic effect.The results of cell experiments showed that Anchang formulation and its active ingredients could inhibit the re-lease of NO,TNF-α and IL-6 in the LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cell inflammation model.CONCLUSION Based on the concept of"ingredient-target-pathway",this study evaluates the anti-inflammatory effect of Anchang formulation and its active ingredients,pre-dicts the potential mechanism of treatment for UC,and provides a theoretical basis and research ideas for the quality control of the for-mulation and its treatment for UC.
8.Treating hyperuricemia from"returning the clear and the turbid to the original"based on the theory of"indigestion of spleen and stomach"
Qiwei ZHAO ; Yuzhuo LIU ; Mengzhen WANG ; Yue LUO ; Ziyu LIU ; Minghua NAN ; Changchuan BAI ; Xinyu LI ; Jia LI ; Xiao YANG
Journal of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;48(8):1134-1139
Hyperuricemia is a chronic metabolic disease resulting from purine metabolic dysfunction and is classified under the category of"blood turbidity"in traditional Chinese medicine.Our team termed it"acid turbidity,"and its pathogenesis is closely related to the dynamic evolution of the clear and the turbid components.With the change of modern people's diet structure,the incidence of hyperuricemia is increasing annually owing to the intake of fatty,sweet foods and alcohol.Therefore,this paper explores hyperuricemia from the"indigestion of spleen and stomach"theory.The core pathogenesis of hyperuricemia is indigestion of spleen and stomach,the inversion of clear and turbid substances,and endogenous acid turbidity.The initial manifestation of hyperuricemia is the internal retention of acid turbidity and ascending-descending disharmony;the gradual manifestation of this disease is that indigestion causes heat,and acid turbidity transforms into poison;the final manifestation of this disease is that secular indigestion causes deficiency and the inversion of clear and turbid substances.It can be summarized into three syndromes:syndromes of internal retention of dampness-turbidity,dampness-heat toxin amassment,and dampness-heat due to spleen deficiency.Therefore,this paper proposes to treat the disease according to different syndromes,with ascending the clear and descending the turbid as the core of treatment.And the therapeutic approach employs the flexible application of three methods:transportation,resolving,and transformation.For syndrome of internal retention of dampness-turbidity,treatment focuses on promoting spleen transportation to eliminate dampness;for syndrome of dampness-heat toxin amassment,the strategy is to resolve indigestion and purge heat;and for syndrome of dampness-heat due to spleen deficiency,the aim is to resolve turbidity and clear heat.By ascending the clear and descending the turbid,so that"returning the clear and the turbid to the original,"the spleen and stomach regain harmony,functions of ascending and descending are reestablished,and hyperuricemia can be effectively managed.
9.A Case Report of Pachydermoperiostosis by Multidisciplinary Diagnosis and Treatment
Jie ZHANG ; Yan ZHANG ; Li HUO ; Ke LYU ; Tao WANG ; Ze'nan XIA ; Xiao LONG ; Kexin XU ; Nan WU ; Bo YANG ; Weibo XIA ; Rongrong HU ; Limeng CHEN ; Ji LI ; Xia HONG ; Yan ZHANG ; Yagang ZUO
JOURNAL OF RARE DISEASES 2025;4(1):75-82
A 20-year-old male patient presented to the Department of Dermatology of Peking Union Medical College Hospital with complaints of an 8-year history of facial scarring, swelling of the lower limbs, and a 4-year history of scalp thickening. Physical examination showed thickening furrowing wrinkling of the skin on the face and behind the ears, ciliary body hirsutism, blepharoptosis, and cutis verticis gyrate. Both lower limbs were swollen, especially the knees and ankles. The skin of the palms and soles of the feet was keratinized and thickened. Laboratory examination using bone and joint X-ray showed periostosis of the proximal middle phalanges and metacarpals of both hands, distal ulna and radius, tibia and fibula, distal femurs, and metatarsals.Genetic testing revealed two variants in
10.Study on the Correlation between Imaging Features of mGGN under Dual Lung Enhanced CT and Pathological Subtypes of Lung Adenocarcinoma
Jun WU ; Xiao-wei LIU ; Yang WANG ; Nan SHU ; Guan-ran LI ; Yong WANG ; Feng XU
Progress in Modern Biomedicine 2025;25(19):3048-3055
Objective:To investigate the correlation between imaging features of mixed ground-glass nodules(mGGNs)under dual lung enhanced CT and pathological subtypes of lung adenocarcinoma.Methods:Retrospective analysis of clinical data of 102 isolated mGGN lung adenocarcinoma patients admitted to Dalian Central Hospital from October 2016 to October 2018.The patients were divided into adenocarcinoma in situ(AIS)group,minimally invasive adenocarcinoma(MIA)group and invasive adenocarcinoma(IAC)group according to postoperative pathological examination results.Measure the maximum diameter lesions,the maximum diameter of solid components and the proportion of solid components to evaluate imaging features of three groups.The relationship between pathological subtypes of lung adenocarcinoma and baseline features,imaging features,mGGN lesions,maximum diameter of solid components and proportion of solid components were analyzed.The diagnostic value of the maximum diameter of lesions,the maximum diameter of solid components,and the proportion of solid components in IAC were analyzed by receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves.Results:102 patients were divided into AIS group(n=20),MIA group(n=29)and IAC group(n=53)based on postoperative pathological diagnosis.There was a statistically significant difference in age among the three groups(P<0.05).Tumor distribution locations:35 cases in the upper lobe of the right lung,10 cases in the middle lobe of the right lung,and 15 cases in the lower lobe of the right lung;23 cases in the upper lobe of the left lung and 19 cases in the lower lobe of the left lung,the tumor distribution locations in the upper lobe of the right lung was relatively high in various pathological subtypes.The lesions in AIS and MIA groups were mostly circular or elliptical in shape,whiile the lesions in the IAC group was mostly irregular in shape.There was a statistically significant difference in morphological comparisons among the three groups(P<0.05).There was a statistically significant difference in burr sign between MIA group and IAC group(P<0.05).There was a statistically significant difference in pleural indentation sign and bronchial inflation sign between MIA group and IAC group(P<0.05).There was a statistically significant difference in the maximum diameter of lesions and the maximum diameter of solid components among the three groups(P<0.05).The proportion of solid components in IAC group was higher than that in AIS and MIA groups,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).The ROC curve shows that,the area under curve(AUC)for diagnosing IAC based on the maximum diameter of the lesion,the maximum diameter of the solid component,and the proportion of the solid component were 0.840,0.966 and 0.816,respectively.The AUC of diagnosing IAC with the maximum diameter of the solid component was greater than the AUC of the maximum diameter of the lesion and the proportion of solid components(P<0.05).Conclusion:Dual lung enhanced CT can evaluate the imaging features of mGGN,and it can distinguish the pathological subtypes of lung adenocarcinoma,when the maximum diameter of the lesion is ≥ 16.5 mm,the maximum diameter of the solid component is ≥5.5 mm,or the proportion of solid component is ≥47.00%,it can effectively diagnose IAC,the maximum diameter of solid components has the best diagnostic efficiency for IAC.

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