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.Expert Consensus on the Ethical Requirements for Generative AI-Assisted Academic Writing
You-Quan BU ; Yong-Fu CAO ; Zeng-Yi CHANG ; Hong-Yu CHEN ; Xiao-Wei CHEN ; Yuan-Yuan CHEN ; Zhu-Cheng CHEN ; Rui DENG ; Jie DING ; Zhong-Kai FAN ; Guo-Quan GAO ; Xu GAO ; Lan HU ; Xiao-Qing HU ; Hong-Ti JIA ; Ying KONG ; En-Min LI ; Ling LI ; Yu-Hua LI ; Jun-Rong LIU ; Zhi-Qiang LIU ; Ya-Ping LUO ; Xue-Mei LV ; Yan-Xi PEI ; Xiao-Zhong PENG ; Qi-Qun TANG ; You WAN ; Yong WANG ; Ming-Xu WANG ; Xian WANG ; Guang-Kuan XIE ; Jun XIE ; Xiao-Hua YAN ; Mei YIN ; Zhong-Shan YU ; Chun-Yan ZHOU ; Rui-Fang ZHU
Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2025;41(6):826-832
With the rapid development of generative artificial intelligence(GAI)technologies,their widespread application in academic research and writing is continuously expanding the boundaries of sci-entific inquiry.However,this trend has also raised a series of ethical and regulatory challenges,inclu-ding issues related to authorship,content authenticity,citation accuracy,and accountability.In light of the growing involvement of AI in generating academic content,establishing an open,controllable,and trustworthy ethical governance framework has become a key task for safeguarding research integrity and maintaining trust within the academic community.This expert consensus outlines ethical requirements across key stages of AI-assisted academic writing-including topic selection,data management,citation practices,and authorship attribution.It aims to clarify the boundaries and ethical obligations surrounding AI use in academic writing,ensuring that technological tools enhance efficiency without compromising in-tegrity.The goal is to provide guidance and institutional support for building a responsible and sustainable research ecosystem.
3.Clinical study of intracranial hypotension targeted body posture combined with pharmacotherapy in the treatment of chronic subdural hematoma
Jiayu CHEN ; Zhe WANG ; Di ZANG ; Ruizhe ZHENG ; Xiangru YE ; Zengxin QI ; Zeyu XU ; Zhiqiang LI ; Chengfeng SUN ; Liangjun SHEN ; Luoping SHENG ; Fulin XU ; Ruyong YE ; Kaiyu ZHOU ; Weijun TANG ; Yueqing HU ; Dapeng SHI ; Yuquan WANG ; Xizhen WU ; Ying WANG ; Qilin ZHANG ; Feili LIU ; Guo YU ; Yiping LU ; Yirui SUN ; Ning ZHANG ; Feng HUANG ; Xialong GU ; Han ZHANG ; Jian DING ; Yongyan BI ; Haolan DU ; Jing ZHANG ; Hailong JI ; Ding DING ; Wei ZHANG ; Xuehai WU
Chinese Journal of Surgery 2025;63(3):212-218
Objective:To compare the efficacy of body posture combined with pharmacotherapy and pharmacotherapy alone in the treatment of chronic subdural hematoma(CSDH).Methods:Firstly, retrospective case series study was conducted. Thirty cases of CSDH that had received body posture combined with pharmacotherapy at Department of Neurosurgery, Huashan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University from December 2016 to October 2020 were studied retrospectively. Twenty-seven patients were male, and 3 patients were female. The age of patients ( M(IQR)) was 66(16) years (range:28 to 84). Nineteen patients had unilateral hematoma, and 11 patients had bilateral hematoma. All patients received pharmacotherapy and body posture therapy that was to raise their lower limbs 20 to 30 cm with leg lift pad and get abdominal compressed with customized abdominal belt in supine position. Patients were required to maintain the body posture as much as possible, with the maximum to 16 to 18 hours per day. Patients with unilateral hematoma should tilt the head to the affected side and avoid tilting it to the opposite side. For patients with bilateral hematoma, there was no need for head lateralization. Patient were treated with oral dexamethasone and atorvastatin simultaneously. The preliminary efficacy of body posture combined with pharmacotherapy was determined by hematoma improvement rate which was analyzed by Clopper-Pearson method. Then, the multi-center, prospective, randomized controlled trial had carried out in 9 medical centers from August 2020 to November 2021. The stratified block randomization method was adopted. Patients were randomized in a ratio of 1∶1 to either receive pharmacotherapy alone(the control group) or body posture combined with pharmacotherapy(the experiment group) for 3 months and followed up for 6 months. Effective treatment was defined as complete absorption of hematoma, or the hematoma volume decreased by more than 10 ml and Markwalder grading scale score had improved by more than 1 point compared to the baseline. The efficacy rate and surgery conversion rate at 3 months and recurrence at 6 months were observed. Comparison between groups was performed with paired sample t test, Mann-Whitney U test, χ2 test, corrected χ2 test, or Fisher exact probability method. Logistic regression was used to compare the effective rate and operation rate between the two groups. Results:In the respective study, 30 patients completed follow-up 13 to 353 days after treatment. At the last follow-up, the incidence of almost complete absorption or significantly absorption of hematoma (hematoma volume was significantly reduced accompanied by symptom improvement) was 93.3%. The 95% CI for the incidence that analyzed by the Clopper-Pearson method was 77.9% to 99.2%. One hundred and six patients were enrolled in the multicenter study. Fifty-five patients underwent body posture combined with pharmacotherapy. The age was 74(17) years (range:26 to 92). Thirty-nine patients were males and 16 were females. Fifty-one patients underwent pharmacotherapy alone. The age was 69(12) years (range:48 to 84). Thirty-seven patients were males and 14 were females. The length of body posture recorded in diary card was (15.7±2.3) hours(range:7.6 to 19.3 hours). The efficacy rate in the body posture combined with pharmacotherapy group and pharmacotherapy alone group were 83.6% (46/55) and 56.9% (29/51), respectively at 3 months. The result of the logistic regression analysis showed that the efficacy of body posture combined with pharmacotherapy group was better than that of pharmacotherapy alone group ( OR=3.88,95% CI:1.57 to 9.58, P=0.003). Surgery rate in the body posture combined with pharmacotherapy group and pharmacotherapy alone group were 5.5% (3/55) and 21.6% (11/51) respectively. The result of Logistic regression showed that the pharmacotherapy alone group was more likely to be converted to surgery ( OR=0.21,95% CI:0.05 to 0.80, P=0.023). At the 6 months, no recurrence of cases was found in the body posture combined with pharmacotherapy group. However, the recurrence rate of pharmacotherapy alone group was 6.3% (3/48), there was no significant difference between the two groups ( P>0.05). Conclusion:The effect of body posture combined with pharmacotherapy for chronic subdural hematoma is better than that of pharmacotherapy alone.
4.The Role of Zinc Finger Structure Transcription Factors ZNF148 and SP5 on P53 Transcriptional Activity
Dai-Wei WANG ; Chen ZHOU ; Pin-Zheng ZHANG ; Xu-Ying WANG ; Jia-Wen LI ; Yu-Kai MA ; Jia-Qi YAN ; Zhi-Ting WANG ; Jia-Qi WANG ; Zhi-Yi GUO
Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2025;41(5):707-715
P53 is a key tumor suppressor gene,which is regulated in many ways.Zinc finger 148(ZNF148)and SP5,as zinc finger transcription factors(TFs),play important roles in tumor suppression and carcinogenesis.The regulatory relationship between these two TFs and p53 has not been reported.In this paper,Ishikawa and A549 cell lines with different p53 expression levels were used as research mod-els to explore the transcriptional regulation of the P53 gene by ZNF148 and SP5.The data showed that there were differences in the expression of ZNF148 and SP5 in the two cell lines.The mRNA expression of ZNF148 in Ishikawa was 1.9 times higher than that of A549,and the mRNA expression of SP5 in A549 was 802.4 times that of ZNF148.Data showed that in Ishikawa cells,the expression of P53 de-creased(81.8%)after ZNF148 knockdown,and increased(2.6 times)after SP5 overexpression.Transfection of si-SP5 and ZNF148 expression plasmids into A549 cells increased the mRNA expression of P53 by 6.6 times and 14.6 times,respectively.These results indicate that ZNF148 could activate,whereas SP5 could inhibit,P53 expression.The conserved cis-element of ZNF148 and SP5 TFs was found in the region of the P53 promoter by bioinformatics methods.The data from dual luciferase reporter gene assay showed that the luciferase activity of ZNF148 in Ishikawa and A549 cells was increased by 2.1-fold and 4.2-fold compared with the control group(P<0.05).Compared with the control group,the normalized relative luciferase activity of transfected SP5 decreased by 77.1%and 35.7%(P<0.05).However,when the cis-element of ZNF148 and SP5 was mutated,the effect disappeared.Further trans-fection of ZNF148 and SP5 with different ratios revealed that SP5 could reverse the transcriptional activa-tion of P53 by ZNF148.Studies have shown that ZNF148 shares a common site with SP5,and the ratio of the two TFs may influence the transcriptional activity of P53.The expression of the Wnt pathway and the cell proliferation rate after knockdown of ZNF148 and SP5 were further studied to explore the role of the two TFs.Our data show that ZNF148 and SP5 could regulate the transcriptional activity of P53,and their expression levels and interaction may be the key factors regulating P53 expression.
5.Impact of hemodynamic pattern of non-culprit vessel stenosis on the long-term prognosis in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction
Liang GENG ; Lin ZHOU ; Xingxu WANG ; Jieyun YOU ; Shuai YU ; Wei WEI ; Jiming LI ; Liming GAO ; Yunkai WANG ; Wei GUO ; Ying HUANG ; Qi ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Cardiology 2025;53(3):260-267
Objective:To investigate the correlation between the hemodynamic pattern of non-culprit vessel stenosis and long-term vessel-oriented composite outcome(VOCO) in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).Methods:From January 2019 to December 2021, 233 consecutive patients with STEMI and non-culprit vessel stenosis were prospectively enrolled at Shanghai East Hospital. The median follow-up duration was 3.9 years. The 367 non-culprit vessels of the 233 patients were divided into the VOCO group (33 vessels, 9.0%) and the non-VOCO group (334 vessels, 91.0%). Parameters pertaining to the hemodynamic pattern of non-culprit vessel stenosis between the two groups were compared. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to assess the correlation between hemodynamic pattern and VOCO, and Cox multivariate regression and logistic multivariate regression analyses were applied to identify independent predictors of VOCO.Results:The 233 enrolled patients were aged (62.5±12.9) years, with 193 males (82.8%). In the VOCO group, the maximum quantitative flow ratio (QFR) decreased within 20 mm of the QFR-assessed segment, the difference in QFR across the entire vessel, the length of functionally significant vessel, and the maximum gradient of QFR decrease (dQFR/dsmax) were significantly greater than those in the non-VOCO group. ROC curve analysis showed that the optimal threshold for predicting VOCO using dQFR/dsmax was 0.009 6 (area under the curve: 0.691, 95% CI: 0.606-0.775, P<0.001). Multivariable Cox regression analysis revealed that dQFR/dsmax was an independent predictor of VOCO ( HR=1.199, 95% CI: 1.070-1.343, P=0.002). When anatomical and functional stenosis severities were included in the model, a high pullback pressure gradient (PPG) index ( HR=1.572, 95% CI: 1.052-2.351, P=0.027) emerged as an independent predictor of VOCO. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that a low PPG index( OR=2.851, 95% CI: 1.945-4.178, P<0.001) was an independent predictor of QFR≤0.80 without long-term VOCO. Conclusion:In patients with STEMI, localized hemodynamic patterns of coronary artery stenosis, characterized by high dQFR/dsmax and high PPG index, are associated with long-term VOCO.
6.Chinese expert consensus on community-based three-level comprehensive prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease(2025 edition)
Ying WANG ; Liang SUN ; Gang WANG ; Chunbo LI ; Houguang ZHOU ; Yifeng DU ; Yunpeng CAO ; Kai WANG ; Jiewen ZHANG ; Yao YAO ; Shangfeng TANG ; Yurong JING ; Qihua XU ; Xizhe PENG ; Yu HU ; Haimei QI
Chinese Journal of Geriatrics 2025;44(3):227-237
Alzheimer's disease(AD), a neurodegenerative disorder associated with aging, is the most prevalent form of dementia.As the aging population continues to expand, AD presents significant health and caregiving challenges for families and society, making it a pressing international public health concern.In recent years, numerous countries have implemented dementia prevention and treatment strategies that emphasize community-based comprehensive approaches.Currently, the community-based AD prevention and treatment model in China is still in the exploratory phase, with community efforts lacking organization.In alignment with China's action plan for advancing dementia prevention and treatment, and to achieve the strategic objective of "healthy aging, " this consensus is based on the principle of three-level prevention and is tailored to the characteristics of AD disease progression.It aims to develop a comprehensive prevention and treatment strategy for AD that is suitable for communities in China, providing technical guidance and support to establish a scientific basis for formulating community AD prevention and treatment models.
7.Short-term efficacy of endoscopic submucosal dissection for early carcinoma in the remnant stomach
Ying ZHOU ; Qi JIANG ; Baisheng CHEN ; Xia WU ; Qiuli JIANG ; Nashan LI ; Xingyu WU ; Pinghong ZHOU ; Weifeng CHEN ; Jianwei HU
Chinese Journal of Clinical Medicine 2025;32(4):620-626
Objective To explore the short-term efficacy of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) in the treatment of early carcinoma in the remnant stomach. Methods A retrospective study was conducted on 45 patients with early residual gastric cancer underwent ESD at the Endoscopy Center of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University from December 2014 to April 2024, with a total of 45 lesions. The patients were divided into an anastomotic group (n=15) and a non-anastomotic group (n=30) based on the location of tumor occurrence, and their clinical data, endoscopic diagnosis and treatment, and histopathological conditions were compared between the two groups. Results All 45 patients had lesions with redness and erosion. There were 9 cases of poor lifting of submucosal injection in the anastomotic group and 2 cases in the non-anastomotic group, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). ESD surgery was performed on 13 lesions in the anastomotic group and 28 lesions in the non-anastomotic group, with surgery times of 80.00 (50.00, 100.00) min and 55.00 (43.75, 80.00) min, respectively. The difference in surgery time between the two groups was statistically significant (P=0.03). Among the 45 patients, ESD surgery achieved curative resection in 35 cases, including 11 cases in the anastomotic group and 24 cases in the non-anastomotic group, with no statistically significant difference. Conclusions Careful preoperative evaluation of early carcinoma in the remnant stomach is essential to prevent oversight. Lesions at anastomotic sites and suture lines present higher technical challenges for complete resection. ESD is safe and effective, with auxiliary traction technique available when necessary.
8.Efficacy of a self-locking zero-notch interbody fusion device for treating long-segment cervical spondylosis in elderly patients
Ying-kai ZHANG ; Kuo XIA ; Hou-lei WANG ; Jing WANG ; Jia-qi ZHOU ; Ming-dong ZHAO
Fudan University Journal of Medical Sciences 2025;52(1):38-43,62
Objective To compare the therapeutic efficacy of a self-locking zero-notch interbody fusion device for long-segment cervical spondylosis in elderly patients with traditional titanium plate combined with interbody fusion device.Methods From Jan 2019 to Jan 2021,elderly patients(>60 years)with 3-4 segments(C3-C7)radiculopathy,myelopathy,or mixed-type cervical spondylosis underwent anterior cervical discectomy and fusion(ACDF)using a zero-notch interbody fusion device(Group A,n=24)and ACDF using a titanium plate combined with an interbody fusion device(Group B,n=18).We recorded the surgery duration,blood loss,incision length and hospital stay,measure preoperative and postoperative intervertebral height,functional segment height and cervical lordosis,and also observe treatment outcomes and postoperative complications between the two groups.Results There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of gender,age,Japanese Orthopaedic Association(JOA)score,visual analogue scale(VAS)of upper limb,Neck Disability Index(NDI),preoperative intervertebral height,functional segment height and cervical lordosis.Blood loss,surgery time and hospital stay were similar in both groups,but Group A had shorter incision length(P<0.01)compared with Group B.There were no significant differences between the two groups in JOA scores,upper limb VAS and postoperative NDI,and even in postoperative intervertebral height,functional segment height and cervical lordosis recovery.Conclusion The zero-notch interbody fusion device is effective for treating long-segment cervical spondylosis.Compared with the traditional titanium plate combined with an interbody fusion device,it can avoid postoperative dysphagia with smaller incision and shorter surgery time,which makes it more suitable for elderly patients.
9.Shexiang Tongxin Dropping Pill Improves Stable Angina Patients with Phlegm-Heat and Blood-Stasis Syndrome: A Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.
Ying-Qiang ZHAO ; Yong-Fa XING ; Ke-Yong ZOU ; Wei-Dong JIANG ; Ting-Hai DU ; Bo CHEN ; Bao-Ping YANG ; Bai-Ming QU ; Li-Yue WANG ; Gui-Hong GONG ; Yan-Ling SUN ; Li-Qi WANG ; Gao-Feng ZHOU ; Yu-Gang DONG ; Min CHEN ; Xue-Juan ZHANG ; Tian-Lun YANG ; Min-Zhou ZHANG ; Ming-Jun ZHAO ; Yue DENG ; Chang-Jiang XIAO ; Lin WANG ; Bao-He WANG
Chinese journal of integrative medicine 2025;31(8):685-693
OBJECTIVE:
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Shexiang Tongxin Dropping Pill (STDP) in treating stable angina patients with phlegm-heat and blood-stasis syndrome by exercise duration and metabolic equivalents.
METHODS:
This multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial enrolled stable angina patients with phlegm-heat and blood-stasis syndrome from 22 hospitals. They were randomized 1:1 to STDP (35 mg/pill, 6 pills per day) or placebo for 56 days. The primary outcome was the exercise duration and metabolic equivalents (METs) assessed by the standard Bruce exercise treadmill test after 56 days of treatment. The secondary outcomes included the total angina symptom score, Chinese medicine (CM) symptom scores, Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) scores, changes in ST-T on electrocardiogram and adverse events (AEs).
RESULTS:
This trial enrolled 309 patients, including 155 and 154 in the STDP and placebo groups, respectively. STDP significantly prolonged exercise duration with an increase of 51.0 s, compared to a decrease of 12.0 s with placebo (change rate: -11.1% vs. 3.2%, P<0.01). The increase in METs was significantly greater in the STDP group than in the placebo group (change: -0.4 vs. 0.0, change rate: -5.0% vs. 0.0%, P<0.01). The improvement of total angina symptom scores (25.0% vs. 0.0%), CM symptom scores (38.7% vs. 11.8%), reduction of nitroglycerin consumption (100.0% vs. 11.3%), and all domains of SAQ, were significantly greater with STDP than placebo (all P<0.01). The changes in Q-T intervals at 28 and 56 days from baseline were similar between the two groups (both P>0.05). Twenty-five participants (16.3%) with STDP and 16 (10.5%) with placebo experienced AEs (P=0.131), with no serious AEs observed.
CONCLUSION
STDP could improve exercise tolerance in patients with stable angina and phlegm-heat and blood stasis syndrome, with a favorable safety profile. (Registration No. ChiCTR-IPR-15006020).
Humans
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Double-Blind Method
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Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects*
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Male
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Female
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Middle Aged
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Angina, Stable/physiopathology*
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Aged
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Syndrome
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Treatment Outcome
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Placebos
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Tablets
10.RXRα modulates hepatic stellate cell activation and liver fibrosis by targeting CaMKKβ-AMPKα axis.
Lijun CAI ; Meimei YIN ; Shuangzhou PENG ; Fen LIN ; Liangliang LAI ; Xindao ZHANG ; Lei XIE ; Chuanying WANG ; Huiying ZHOU ; Yunfeng ZHAN ; Gulimiran ALITONGBIEKE ; Baohuan LIAN ; Zhibin SU ; Tenghui LIU ; Yuqi ZHOU ; Zongxi LI ; Xiaohui CHEN ; Qi ZHAO ; Ting DENG ; Lulu CHEN ; Jingwei SU ; Luoyan SHENG ; Ying SU ; Ling-Juan ZHANG ; Fu-Quan JIANG ; Xiao-Kun ZHANG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(7):3611-3631
Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are the primary fibrogenic cells in the liver, and their activation plays a crucial role in the development and progression of hepatic fibrosis. Here, we report that retinoid X receptor-alpha (RXRα), a unique member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, is a key modulator of HSC activation and liver fibrosis. RXRα exerts its effects by modulating calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase β (CaMKKβ)-mediated activation of AMP-activated protein kinase-alpha (AMPKα). In addition, we demonstrate that K-80003, which binds RXRα by a unique mechanism, effectively suppresses HSC activation, proliferation, and migration, thereby inhibiting liver fibrosis in the CCl4 and amylin liver NASH (AMLN) diet animal models. The effect is mediated by AMPKα activation, promoting mitophagy in HSCs. Mechanistically, K-80003 activates AMPKα by inducing RXRα to form condensates with CaMKKβ and AMPKα via a two-phase process. The formation of RXRα condensates is driven by its N-terminal intrinsic disorder region and requires phosphorylation by CaMKKβ. Our results reveal a crucial role of RXRα in liver fibrosis regulation through modulating mitochondrial activities in HSCs. Furthermore, they suggest that K-80003 and related RXRα modulators hold promise as therapeutic agents for fibrosis-related diseases.

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