1.G protein-coupled estrogen receptor alleviates lung injury in mice with exertional heat stroke by inhibiting ferroptosis.
Ziwei HAN ; Jiansong GUO ; Xiaochen WANG ; Zhi DAI ; Chao LIU ; Feihu ZHOU
Chinese Critical Care Medicine 2025;37(3):268-274
OBJECTIVE:
To investigate whether the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) can attenuates acute lung injury in mice with exertional heat stroke (EHS) by inhibiting ferroptosis.
METHODS:
Sixty SPF-grade male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into four groups: normal control group (control group), EHS model group (EHS group), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solvent group (EHS+DMSO group), and GPER-specific agonist G1 group (EHS+G1 group), with 15 mice in each group. All mice underwent 14 days of adaptive training at 24-26 centigrade before modeling, and the EHS model was established using a high-temperature treadmill device. After successful modeling, the mice were allowed to cool naturally at room temperature. In the EHS+G1 group, 40 μg/kg of the GPER-specific agonist G1 was slowly injected intraperitoneally immediately after modeling. In the EHS+DMSO group, 40 μg/kg of DMSO was slowly injected intraperitoneally immediately after modeling. The control group received no treatment. Five hours after modeling, abdominal aortic blood was collected, and lung tissues were harvested after euthanasia. The lung coefficient was calculated to evaluate lung injury. Lung histopathological changes were observed under a light microscope after hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, and a lung histopathological score was assigned. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), malondialdehyde (MDA), and Fe2+ in lung tissue. Immunofluorescence was used to detect the expression of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4). Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to detect the mRNA expression of GPX4, ferroportin 1 (FPN1), and ferritin heavy chain 1 (FTH1). Western blotting was performed to detect the protein expression of GPX4, FPN1, and FTH1.
RESULTS:
Compared with the control group, the lung coefficient and lung histopathological score were significantly increased in the EHS group. HE staining showed significant thickening and unevenness of the alveolar septa and alveolar walls, partial alveolar collapse, and extensive erythrocyte, inflammatory cell, and plasma-like material extravasation in the alveolar spaces. Serum levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, MDA, and Fe2+ were significantly elevated. Immunofluorescence staining showed a significant decrease in GPX4-positive expression in lung tissue. Western blotting and RT-PCR showed significantly reduced protein and mRNA expression of GPX4, FPN1, and FTH1 in lung tissue. Compared with the EHS group, the EHS+G1 group showed a significant reduction in lung coefficient and lung histopathological score [lung coefficient (mg/g): 3.9±0.1 vs. 4.6±0.3, lung histopathological score: 4.2±0.2 vs. 6.9±0.2, both P < 0.05]. HE staining revealed reduced severity of lung tissue fluid extravasation, inflammatory infiltration, decreased hemorrhage, and less severe alveolar structural damage. Serum levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, MDA, and Fe2+ were significantly reduced [TNF-α (ng/L): 44.3±0.2 vs. 64.6±0.3, IL-1β (ng/L): 69.3±0.4 vs. 97.8±0.2, MDA (nmol/L): 2.8±0.3 vs. 3.6±0.5, Fe2+ (nmol/L): 0.021±0.004 vs. 0.028±0.004, all P < 0.05]. Immunofluorescence staining showed a significant decrease in GPX4-positive expression in lung tissue (fluorescence intensity: 35.53±2.41 vs. 16.45±0.31, P < 0.05). RT-PCR and Western blotting showed significantly increased mRNA and protein expression of GPX4, FPN1, and FTH1 in lung tissue [mRNA expression: GPX4 mRNA (2-ΔΔCt): 0.44±0.05 vs. 0.09±0.01, FPN1 mRNA (2-ΔΔCt): 0.77±0.17 vs. 0.42±0.14, FTH1 mRNA (2-ΔΔCt): 0.75±0.04 vs. 0.58±0.01; protein expression: GPX4/β-actin: 0.96±0.11 vs. 0.24±0.04, FPN1/β-actin: 1.26±0.21 vs. 0.44±0.14, FTH1/β-actin: 0.27±0.12 vs. 0.15±0.07; all P < 0.05]. However, there were no statistically significant differences in any of the above indicators between the EHS+DMSO group and the EHS group.
CONCLUSION
Activation of GPER can attenuate EHS-related lung injury in mice, and its mechanism may be related to the activation of the GPX4 signaling pathway and inhibition of ferroptosis.
Animals
;
Mice, Inbred C57BL
;
Male
;
Mice
;
Heat Stroke/metabolism*
;
Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled
;
Ferroptosis
;
Receptors, Estrogen
;
Acute Lung Injury/metabolism*
;
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism*
;
Interleukin-1beta/metabolism*
;
Lung Injury
;
Lung/metabolism*
2.Recognition by the POTRA domain is an essential determinant to initiate the biogenesis of outer membrane proteins for Omp85 family proteins
Xiaochen HAN ; Qingrong LI ; Qing WANG ; Leyi ZHAO ; Hanqing ZHANG ; Youcai QIN ; Enguo FAN ; Yindi CHU
Chinese Journal of Microbiology and Immunology 2025;45(5):373-377
Objective:To investigate the essential determinants that are critical to initiating the assembly of outer membrane proteins by replacing the POTRA domains of the translocator protein FhaC and the insertase protein TtOmp85 of the Omp85 family. Methods:FhaC, TtOmp85 proteins and their recombinant chimeric proteins after replacing the POTRA domain were obtained by overexpression and purification in vitro. An in vitro reconstitution system was used to investigate the effects of the different domains on the transport efficiency of the substrate outer membrane protein FhaB and the membrane insertion efficiency of OmpA. Results:Replacing the POTRA domain of FhaC with that of TtOmp85 led to the loss of the transport function of FhaB. During the membrane insertion process of OmpA, the FhaC mutant containing the POTRA of TtOmp85 protein acquired the ability to assemble OmpA. Conclusion:The compositional differences in the POTRA domain of Omp85 family proteins determine their abilities to recognize their substrate proteins.
3.Gut microbiota and their metabolites in hemodialysis patients.
Junxia DU ; Xiaolin ZHAO ; Xiaonan DING ; Qinqin REN ; Haoran WANG ; Qiuxia HAN ; Chenwen SONG ; Xiaochen WANG ; Dong ZHANG ; Hanyu ZHU
Chinese Medical Journal 2025;138(4):502-504
4.Comparative study of five coma assessment scales in prognosis prediction of patients with severe stroke
Dongyang HU ; Xiaochen HAN ; Sheng YAO ; Jianguo LIU ; Hairong QIAN ; Jiatang ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Cerebrovascular Diseases 2025;22(1):15-22,37
Objective To compare the predictive effectiveness of the Glasgow coma scale(GCS),GCS-pupils scale(GCS-P),Glasgow-Pittsburgh coma scale(GPCS),full outline of unresponsiveness scale(FOUR),and coma recovery scale-revised(CRS-R)in forecasting the prognosis of severe stroke patients.Methods A prospective,consecutive cohort of severe stroke patients admitted to the Department of Neurology,First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from September 2021 to April 2024 was enrolled.Demographic and clinical data were collected,including age,sex,length of hospital stay,diagnosis(severe ischemic stroke,severe cerebral hemorrhage,aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage),medical history(hypertension,diabetes,coronary artery disease),smoking and drinking habits,vital signs upon admission(temperature,pulse,respiration,blood pressure),neurological examination findings(including speech and brainstem reflexes)at admission,head imaging results(CT,MRI)within 24 h of admission to assess the presence of brain herniation,and whether intubation occurred within 24 h of admission.Patients underwent GCS,GCS-P,GPCS,FOUR,and CRS-R scoring within 8h of admission.Telephone follow-up was conducted at 6 months post-stroke to assess outcomes using the modified Rankin scale(mRS),with mRS scores of 0-2 classified as the good prognosis group and 3-6 as the poor prognosis group.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to assess the prognostic prediction value of the five scales for poor outcomes at 6 months.The area under the ROC curve(AUC)was calculated,and pairwise comparisons of AUC were performed using the Delong test.Results A total of 179 severe stroke patients were enrolled,including 116 males and 63 females.The group consisted of 132 patients with severe ischemic stroke,30 with severe intracerebral hemorrhage,and 17 with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.At 6months,126patients had a poor prognosis and 53 had a good prognosis.(1)There were statistically significant differences in age,temperature,pulse,history of coronary artery disease,smoking and drinking habits,presence of speech impairment,abnormal brainstem reflexes,brain herniation,intubation within 24 h of admission,and GCS,GCS-P,GPCS,FOUR,and CRS-R scores between the poor and good prognosis groups(all P<0.05).(2)ROC analysis revealed that the AUC(95%CI)for predicting poor outcomes at 6 months in severe stroke patients for GCS,GCS-P,GPCS,FOUR,and CRS-R were 0.808(0.742-0.863),0.815(0.750-0.869),0.828(0.765-0.880),0.841(0.780-0.892),and 0.831(0.768-0.883),respectively.Sensitivities were 76.98%,78.57%,82.54%,84.13%,and 82.54%,and specificities were 73.58%,73.58%,67.92%,71.70%,and 73.58%,respectively.The FOUR had the highest AUC,with an optimal cutoff value of 13.(3)Pairwise comparisons of AUC showed a statistically significant difference between the FOUR and GCS(the difference value of AUC is 0.034,95%CI 0.004-0.064,Z=2.194,P=0.028),but no significant differences were observed between other scales(all P>0.05).Conclusion Compared to GCS,GCS-P,GPCS,and CRS-R,FOUR may provide more valuable prognostic information for severe stroke patients.
5.Investigation and analysis of hypocalcemia,production performance,diseases,and culling of dairy cows in large-scale dairy farms
Jipeng TANG ; Shengyu HAN ; Xiaochen JIA ; Guang SHAO ; Chuang XU ; Cheng XIA
Chinese Journal of Veterinary Science 2025;45(11):2507-2517
The purpose of this survey was to understand the occurrence of hypocalcemia in dairy cows in large-scale pasture and its relationship with production performance,disease and culling.Eighty-one large-scale pastures were selected in China to carry out a questionnaire survey on the lactation performance,reproductive performance,disease status and culling situations of dairy cows,and analyzed the production data of dairy farms by SPSS software.The survey results show that the incidence of hypocalcemia in dairy cows in pasture was different,the subclinical type was nearly twice as high as the clinical type,and the incidence rate of hypocalcemia was higher in about 30%of pasture.Hypocalcemia has no obvious effect on the lactation performance of dairy cows on dairy farms.However,a high incidence rate can reduce the conception rate,increase the incidence of subclinical mastitis,ketosis,and other common internal diseases,and raise the annual culling rate and culling rate of adult cows.Clinical,subclinical and total incidence of hypocalcemia have differ-ent effects on reproduction and diseases such as mastitis and ketosis,but clinical hypocalcemia is more harmful.Hypocalcemia is still an important metabolic disease that harms the health and pro-duction of dairy cows in large-scale pastures in China.For farms with a high incidence rate,it is recommended to conduct regular monitoring of blood calcium levels in dairy cows before and after calving,and to conduct in-depth investigations into the related pathogenic factors.This will provide a scientific basis for improving the prevention measures for hypocalcemia,reducing the incidence of the disease,increasing reproductive efficiency,and reducing culling rates.
6.A survey on ketosis in 79 large-scale dairy cattle farms in China
Wenxin QIAN ; Shucheng GAO ; Guangchang MA ; Shengyu HAN ; Xiaochen JIA ; Liany-ing WANG ; Yunlong BAI ; Chuang XU
Chinese Journal of Veterinary Science 2025;45(8):1792-1800
To clarify the current situation of ketosis in dairy cattle on large-scale pastures in China and provide new insights,a questionnaire survey was conducted to analyze the incidence,preven-tion,treatment methods,and associated costs of ketosis in 79 large-scale pastures.The results showed that the average incidence of ketosis in dairy cows was 3.97%,with a cure rate of 92.40%.The order of importance of methods for preventing and controlling ketosis was as follows:feed for-mulation optimization>blood ketone monitoring>negative energy balance monitoring>feed in-take monitoring>milk yield monitoring.The most important treatment methods are intravenous glucose>propylene glycol butyl phosphate>vitamins>choline.The most important diagnostic methods are blood ketone testing>milk ketone testing>negative energy balance testing>clinical symptoms>blood glucose testing.Economic analysis revealed that treatment costs were lower on larger farms and higher milk yields farms.Continuous optimization of feeding management,preven-tion,and control measures should be implemented on large-scale farms in China to reduce the oc-currence of ketosis in dairy cows.Additionally,more effective diagnostic and treatment methods should be employed to improve the cure rate and overall farm income.
7.Comparative study of five coma assessment scales in prognosis prediction of patients with severe stroke
Dongyang HU ; Xiaochen HAN ; Sheng YAO ; Jianguo LIU ; Hairong QIAN ; Jiatang ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Cerebrovascular Diseases 2025;22(1):15-22,37
Objective To compare the predictive effectiveness of the Glasgow coma scale(GCS),GCS-pupils scale(GCS-P),Glasgow-Pittsburgh coma scale(GPCS),full outline of unresponsiveness scale(FOUR),and coma recovery scale-revised(CRS-R)in forecasting the prognosis of severe stroke patients.Methods A prospective,consecutive cohort of severe stroke patients admitted to the Department of Neurology,First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from September 2021 to April 2024 was enrolled.Demographic and clinical data were collected,including age,sex,length of hospital stay,diagnosis(severe ischemic stroke,severe cerebral hemorrhage,aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage),medical history(hypertension,diabetes,coronary artery disease),smoking and drinking habits,vital signs upon admission(temperature,pulse,respiration,blood pressure),neurological examination findings(including speech and brainstem reflexes)at admission,head imaging results(CT,MRI)within 24 h of admission to assess the presence of brain herniation,and whether intubation occurred within 24 h of admission.Patients underwent GCS,GCS-P,GPCS,FOUR,and CRS-R scoring within 8h of admission.Telephone follow-up was conducted at 6 months post-stroke to assess outcomes using the modified Rankin scale(mRS),with mRS scores of 0-2 classified as the good prognosis group and 3-6 as the poor prognosis group.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to assess the prognostic prediction value of the five scales for poor outcomes at 6 months.The area under the ROC curve(AUC)was calculated,and pairwise comparisons of AUC were performed using the Delong test.Results A total of 179 severe stroke patients were enrolled,including 116 males and 63 females.The group consisted of 132 patients with severe ischemic stroke,30 with severe intracerebral hemorrhage,and 17 with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.At 6months,126patients had a poor prognosis and 53 had a good prognosis.(1)There were statistically significant differences in age,temperature,pulse,history of coronary artery disease,smoking and drinking habits,presence of speech impairment,abnormal brainstem reflexes,brain herniation,intubation within 24 h of admission,and GCS,GCS-P,GPCS,FOUR,and CRS-R scores between the poor and good prognosis groups(all P<0.05).(2)ROC analysis revealed that the AUC(95%CI)for predicting poor outcomes at 6 months in severe stroke patients for GCS,GCS-P,GPCS,FOUR,and CRS-R were 0.808(0.742-0.863),0.815(0.750-0.869),0.828(0.765-0.880),0.841(0.780-0.892),and 0.831(0.768-0.883),respectively.Sensitivities were 76.98%,78.57%,82.54%,84.13%,and 82.54%,and specificities were 73.58%,73.58%,67.92%,71.70%,and 73.58%,respectively.The FOUR had the highest AUC,with an optimal cutoff value of 13.(3)Pairwise comparisons of AUC showed a statistically significant difference between the FOUR and GCS(the difference value of AUC is 0.034,95%CI 0.004-0.064,Z=2.194,P=0.028),but no significant differences were observed between other scales(all P>0.05).Conclusion Compared to GCS,GCS-P,GPCS,and CRS-R,FOUR may provide more valuable prognostic information for severe stroke patients.
8.Expert consensus on holistic integrative management of oral squamous cell carcinoma
Moyi SUN ; Zongxuan HE ; Haoyue XU ; Xiaoying LI ; Jie ZHANG ; Haijun LU ; Xiaohong ZHAN ; Dapeng HAO ; Shizhu BAI ; Wei GUO ; Zhangui TANG ; Guoxin REN ; Jian MENG ; Zhijun SUN ; Jichen LI ; Yue HE ; Chunjie LI ; Lizheng QIN ; Kai YANG ; Qing XI ; Lin KONG ; Bing HAN ; Lingxue BU ; Yuanyong FENG ; Kai SONG ; Hongyu HAN ; Jieying LI ; Qianwei NI ; Yun LI ; Juan CHAI ; Xiaochen YANG ; Man HU ; Mingjin XU ; Wei SHANG
Journal of Practical Stomatology 2025;41(4):437-449
Oral squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC)is a malignant lesion originating from the oral mucosal squamous epithelium,account-ing for over 80%of oral and maxillofacial malignancies.Key etiological factors include tobacco,alcohol abuse,and betel quid chewing.In China,its incidence has shown an overall upward trend,posing a significant threat to public health.OSCC exhibits high local invasive-ness,making early diagnosis critical for improving prognosis.Its clinical management requires close multidisciplinary collaboration among oral and maxillofacial surgery,head and neck surgery,radiation oncology,medical oncology,reconstructive surgery,radiology,patholo-gy,and nutritional support teams.Given the increasing disease burden of OSCC and rapid development of multidisciplinary collaborative models,an expert panel has formulated this integrated management consensus based on evidence-based medicine and extensive deliber-ation.Centered on the'Prevention-Screening-Diagnosis-Treatment-Rehabilitation'framework,the consensus provides comprehensive guidance for the entire disease course of OSCC patients,aiming to standardize clinical practice.
9.A survey on ketosis in 79 large-scale dairy cattle farms in China
Wenxin QIAN ; Shucheng GAO ; Guangchang MA ; Shengyu HAN ; Xiaochen JIA ; Liany-ing WANG ; Yunlong BAI ; Chuang XU
Chinese Journal of Veterinary Science 2025;45(8):1792-1800
To clarify the current situation of ketosis in dairy cattle on large-scale pastures in China and provide new insights,a questionnaire survey was conducted to analyze the incidence,preven-tion,treatment methods,and associated costs of ketosis in 79 large-scale pastures.The results showed that the average incidence of ketosis in dairy cows was 3.97%,with a cure rate of 92.40%.The order of importance of methods for preventing and controlling ketosis was as follows:feed for-mulation optimization>blood ketone monitoring>negative energy balance monitoring>feed in-take monitoring>milk yield monitoring.The most important treatment methods are intravenous glucose>propylene glycol butyl phosphate>vitamins>choline.The most important diagnostic methods are blood ketone testing>milk ketone testing>negative energy balance testing>clinical symptoms>blood glucose testing.Economic analysis revealed that treatment costs were lower on larger farms and higher milk yields farms.Continuous optimization of feeding management,preven-tion,and control measures should be implemented on large-scale farms in China to reduce the oc-currence of ketosis in dairy cows.Additionally,more effective diagnostic and treatment methods should be employed to improve the cure rate and overall farm income.
10.Recognition by the POTRA domain is an essential determinant to initiate the biogenesis of outer membrane proteins for Omp85 family proteins
Xiaochen HAN ; Qingrong LI ; Qing WANG ; Leyi ZHAO ; Hanqing ZHANG ; Youcai QIN ; Enguo FAN ; Yindi CHU
Chinese Journal of Microbiology and Immunology 2025;45(5):373-377
Objective:To investigate the essential determinants that are critical to initiating the assembly of outer membrane proteins by replacing the POTRA domains of the translocator protein FhaC and the insertase protein TtOmp85 of the Omp85 family. Methods:FhaC, TtOmp85 proteins and their recombinant chimeric proteins after replacing the POTRA domain were obtained by overexpression and purification in vitro. An in vitro reconstitution system was used to investigate the effects of the different domains on the transport efficiency of the substrate outer membrane protein FhaB and the membrane insertion efficiency of OmpA. Results:Replacing the POTRA domain of FhaC with that of TtOmp85 led to the loss of the transport function of FhaB. During the membrane insertion process of OmpA, the FhaC mutant containing the POTRA of TtOmp85 protein acquired the ability to assemble OmpA. Conclusion:The compositional differences in the POTRA domain of Omp85 family proteins determine their abilities to recognize their substrate proteins.

Result Analysis
Print
Save
E-mail