1.Ferroptosis Susceptibility: a Metabolic Amplifier of Bone Remodeling
Kuo LIU ; Ran ZHANG ; Yu-Shuo LIU ; Rong-Yan ZHOU
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(10):2739-2752
Bone remodeling is essential for maintaining skeletal integrity and mineral homeostasis and depends on the coordinated activities of osteoclasts, osteoblasts, and osteocytes. Osteoclast-mediated bone resorption must remain closely coupled with osteoblast-mediated bone formation, while osteocytes continuously sense mechanical loading and changes in the local and systemic environment. Reactive oxygen species are involved in these physiological processes, particularly in the regulation of osteoclast differentiation and osteoblast function. Once oxidative stress exceeds the capacity of cellular antioxidant systems, however, this balance may be disturbed, leading to enhanced bone resorption, impaired bone formation, and deterioration of bone quality. In recent years, ferroptosis has attracted increasing attention in studies of bone metabolism. Ferroptosis is characterized by iron-dependent accumulation of lipid peroxides, but ferroptosis-related alterations in bone tissue may occur before obvious cell death becomes detectable. Changes in the labile iron pool, membrane lipid composition, antioxidant capacity, and mitochondrial metabolism can already influence the biological behavior of bone cells at an earlier stage. On this basis, ferroptosis susceptibility may provide a useful way to describe a reversible metabolic state in which cells become increasingly vulnerable to lipid peroxidation while widespread membrane damage and terminal cell death have not yet occurred. Such a state should not be identified by a single molecular marker. A more appropriate assessment would combine changes in intracellular iron handling, lipid peroxidation, antioxidant defense, cell viability, bone-cell function, and the response to ferroptosis-related interventions. Measurements of Fe2+ or the labile iron pool, C11-BODIPY oxidation, 4-HNE and MDA, GPX4 activity or expression, GSH/GSSG balance, LDH release, and PI staining may therefore provide complementary information when interpreted together with functional changes and rescue experiments. Several metabolic processes may contribute to the development of ferroptosis susceptibility in the bone. Disturbances in iron uptake, ferritin storage, ferritinophagy, and ferroportin-mediated iron export can increase the availability of redox-active iron. At the same time, ACSL4- and LPCAT3-dependent incorporation of polyunsaturated fatty acids into membrane phospholipids increases the pool of oxidizable lipid substrates. Reduced activity of the system Xc--GSH-GPX4 pathway further weakens the ability of cells to remove lipid hydroperoxides, while FSP1-CoQ and mitochondrial DHODH-CoQ systems provide additional antioxidant protection. Mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation, and abnormalities in calcium-phosphate and endocrine regulation may further increase this metabolic pressure. Importantly, the consequences are unlikely to be identical among bone-cell populations. In osteoclasts, increased iron availability and oxidative stress may strengthen RANKL-NFATc1-associated differentiation and resorptive activity. In osteoblasts, persistent lipid peroxidation may interfere with RUNX2-related differentiation, collagen synthesis, matrix production, and mineralization before extensive cell loss occurs. Osteocytes, because of their long lifespan and specialized location within the mineralized matrix, may be particularly sensitive to chronic metabolic stress, resulting in impaired mechanosensing and disturbed RANKL- or FGF23-related feedback. Evidence linking these changes with osteoporosis, diabetes-related bone disorders, chronic kidney disease-mineral and bone disorder, inflammatory bone loss, and particle-induced osteolysis is increasing, although the strength of evidence differs among disease models. Changes in ROS, MDA, GPX4, or other individual indicators alone are insufficient to demonstrate ferroptosis-related susceptibility, and stronger conclusions require evidence of iron dependence, lipid peroxidation, temporal sequence, and reversibility. Emerging single-cell, spatial, proteomic, lipidomic, and metabolomic approaches may help identify susceptible cell populations and bone-remodeling regions more precisely, although the mineralized matrix and the effects of sample processing remain important technical limitations. Overall, ferroptosis susceptibility may represent an intermediate metabolic state linking disturbances in iron and redox homeostasis with progressive uncoupling of bone resorption and formation. Clarifying its cell-specific features, temporal development, and reversible window may improve our understanding of how chronic metabolic stress contributes to bone remodeling disorders and may also provide a basis for earlier and more targeted intervention.
2.Evaluation of economic burden of ICU patients due to hospital-associated MDROs infection based on propensity score matching
Mengqi TANG ; Qian YU ; Zhenping SHA ; Xiaoqing LIU ; Furong GENG ; Shuo LI ; Zhongming CHEN
Chinese Journal of Nosocomiology 2025;35(21):3227-3231
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the economic burden of the intensive care unit(ICU)patients due to hospital-associated multidrug-resistant organisms(MDROs)infections based on propensity score matching(PSM)so as to provide evidence-based bases for prevention and control of hospital-associated MDROs infection and improvement of utilization efficiency of medical resources.METHODS A total of 2118 patients who were hospitalized in Zibo Central Hospital from Jan.1,2023 to Dec.31,2024 and conformed to the inclusion and exclusion criteria were re-cruited as the research subjects.The patients with hospital-associated MDROs infections were matched in a 1∶1 ratio by PSM(with the clamp value 0.02).Totally 309 pairs were successfully matched.The length of hospital stay and the costs were observed and compared between the MDROs group and the non-MDROs group.RESULTS The MDROs group was with the length of hospital stay 14.00 days longer than the non-MDROs group after the matching(Z=-5.750,P<0.001),with the total cost of hospitalization increased by 91,420.84 yuan(Z=-8.271,P<0.001).With the respect to the medical treatment expenses,the expenses of the MDROs group were higher than those of the non-MDROs group,covering the cost of medical service,therapeutic procedures,nursing,western medicine and TCM,and there were significant differences(P<0.05).Among the differences in the costs between the two groups,the difference in the cost of western medicine was the most signif-icant(22,182.91 yuan),followed by the cost of clinical laboratory test for diagnosis(19,529.60 yuan)and the cost of therapeutic procedures(16,333.50 yuan).CONCLUSIONS The hospital-associated MDROs infections may lead to the extension of hospital stay length of the ICU patients,which then increases the economic burden.There-fore,it is necessary to strengthen the multidisciplinary collaboration and formulate corresponding measures so as to reduce the risk of such infections among the ICU patients.
3.Study on mechanisms of abnormal mitosis and apoptosis induced by targeted inhibition of Polo-like kinase 1 in cervical cancer cells
Li ZHOU ; Fanjie MENG ; Sining XING ; Shuo LIU ; Lingyan SUN ; Huiying YU
Cancer Research and Clinic 2025;37(10):721-726
Objective:To investigate the effects and possible mechanisms of targeted inhibition of Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) on the proliferation, mitosis and apoptosis of cervical cancer cells.Methods:Logarithmically growing human cervical cancer cell lines HeLa and C-33A were selected, and cells treated with 10 and 20 nmol/L PLK1 inhibitor GSK461364 were used as different concentrations of GSK461364 groups, while cells not treated with GSK461364 were used as the control group. CCK-8 method was used to detect cell proliferation ability (represented by absorbance values at wavelength 450 nm), flow cytometry was used to detect chromosome ploidy (propidium iodide staining), mitochondrial membrane potential detected by flow cytometry was used to evaluate cell apoptosis status (JC-1 fluorescent probe, the cells where the JC-1 monomers emitting green fluorescence were located were apoptotic cells), and Western blotting was used to detect the expression levels of cell cycle and apoptosis-related proteins.Results:The results of CCK-8 method showed that the proliferation ability of HeLa cells was lower than that of the control group after 24 hours of treatment with 10 and 20 nmol/L GSK461364 and continued culture for 24, 48 and 72 hours without GSK461364. The proliferation ability of C-33A cells was lower than that of the control group after 24 hours of treatment with 10 and 20 nmol/L GSK461364 and continued culture for 48 and 72 hours without GSK461364, and the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). The results of flow cytometry analysis showed that after 24 hours of treatment with GSK461364 and continued culture for 72 hours without GSK461364, the proportions of polyploid cell subpopulations in HeLa cells of the 10 and 20 nmol/L GSK461364 groups and the control group were (13.89±3.73)%, (12.30±5.49)% and (9.86±1.15)%, respectively, with no statistically significant difference ( F = 0.82, P > 0.05); the proportions of polyploid cell subpopulations in C-33A cells of the 10 and 20 nmol/L GSK461364 groups and the control group were (8.45±2.20)%, (11.06±2.53)% and (5.42±1.36)%, respectively, with statistically significant difference ( F = 5.46, P = 0.045). Among them, the proportion of polyploid cell subpopulations in the 20 nmol/L GSK461364 group was higher than that in the control group, with statistically significant differences ( t = 3.40, P = 0.027). The results of flow cytometry detection of mitochondrial membrane potential showed that after 24 hours of treatment with GSK461364 and continued culture for 72 hours without GSK461364, the proportions of apoptotic cells in HeLa cells of the control group, 10 nmol/L GSK461364 group and 20 nmol/L GSK461364 group were (3.96±2.28)%, (24.38±4.89)%, and (46.24±4.38)%, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant ( F = 83.18, P < 0.000 1), the proportion of apoptotic cells in the 10 and 20 nmol/L GSK461364 groups was higher than that in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (both P < 0.01), and the proportion of apoptotic cells in the 20 nmol/L group was higher than that in the 10 nmol/L group ( t = 5.76, P = 0.005); the proportions of apoptotic cells in C-33A cells of the control group, 10 nmol/L GSK461364 group and 20 nmol/L GSK461364 group were (1.81±1.59)%, (5.22±1.57)% and (15.87±5.81)%, respectively, with statistically significant differences ( F = 12.49, P = 0.007), and the proportion of apoptotic cells in the 20 nmol/L group was higher than that in the 10 nmol/L group and the control group (both P < 0.05). The results of Western blotting analysis showed that after 24 hours of treatment with GSK461364 and continued culture for 72 hours without GSK461364, the relative expression levels of cleaved Caspase-9 and cleaved polyadenosine diphosphate-ribose polymerase in HeLa and C-33A cells treated with 10 and 20 nmol/L GSK461364 were higher than those in the control group, and the relative expression levels of cdc25c and phosphorylated cdc25c (Ser216) were lower than those in the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). Conclusions:Targeted inhibition of PLK1 can inhibit the proliferation activity of cervical cancer cells in vitro, induce cell mitotic cycle arrest, and promote cell apoptosis; these may be achieved by regulating cell cycle and apoptosis-related proteins.
4.Knockdown of PIAS3 alleviates glucose fluctuation-induced oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction in rat cardiomyocyte cell line H9c2
Yongxia CHENG ; Long YU ; Huamin LI ; Shuo ZHAO ; Yiyang ZHANG ; Guibo LIU
Basic & Clinical Medicine 2025;45(12):1593-1599
Objective To investigate the effect of PIAS3 on glucose fluctuation-induced oxidative stress and mito-chondrial dysfunction in rat cardiomyocytes.Methods H9c2 were cultured in vitro,and divided into normal glucose control group(Control),mannitol-induced osmotic pressure control group(MG),constant high glucose group(HG),intermittent hyperglycemia group(IHG),IHG+siRNA NC group,and IHG+PIAS3 siRNA group.Cell proliferation was assessed using CCK-8 assay.LDH release,MDA and GSH levels,as well as SOD activity,were detected using corresponding kits.Mitochondrial membrane potential was evaluated via JC-1 staining combined with flow cytometry.ROS levels in cells and mitochondria were determined using DCFH-DA and MitoSOX staining,re-spectively.Protein expression of PI3K,p-PI3K,AKT,and p-AKT was analyzed by Western blot.Results Com-pared with the control group,intermittent hyperglycemia promoted oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction,significantly upregulated PIAS3 expression(P<0.001)and downregulated p-PI3K and p-AKT protein levels(P<0.001).Knockdown of PIAS3 significantly alleviated oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction induced by glucose fluctuations,and increased p-PI3K and p-AKT protein levels(P<0.001).Conclusions Knockdown of PIAS3 may alleviate glucose fluctuation-induced oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction in ratcardiomyocytes by activating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.
5.Analysis on international experience and development trends of health emergency drills
Shuo QIU ; Yu WANG ; Chun XU ; Peng ZHAO ; Yuehui LIU ; Lin LI
Military Medical Sciences 2025;49(7):529-534
This study analyzed the practical experience of the World Health Organization,the European Union,the United States,and Japan,to reveal the characteristics of health emergency drills in terms of institutional construction,technological integration,and international collaboration.The health emergency drills present three major development trends:paradigm shift driven by social demand,efficiency improvement empowered by intelligent technology,and deepening international cooperation under the global governance framework.In response to the construction needs of China's public health emergency system,policy recommendations were proposed to establish a hierarchical classification system,a full-cycle training strategy for major infectious diseases,a dual wheel drive mechanism by both techniques and qualified personnel,and a path for global governance participation.
6.Shengmai Yin alleviates myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury via inhibiting Calpains expression
Rong MIAO ; Jing-wen GUO ; Ming HUANG ; Hai-shuo REN ; Rui LIU ; Xiao-yu SUN ; Opoku Bonsu FRANCIS ; Qi-long WANG ; Shi-ming FANG ; Ling LENG
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2025;41(8):1569-1577
Aim To investigate the protective effect of Shengmai Yin on myocardial ischemia/reperfusion in-jury(MI/RI)in vitro and in vivo and to unravel the underlying mechanism.Methods SD rats were divid-ed into the sham group,model group,and Shengmai Yin group(SM).Rat MI/RI model was established.Cardiac function,infarct area,pathological changes,cardiomyocyte apoptosis,macrophage infiltration,and serum cTnT and CK-MB levels were measured.The mRNA and protein expressions of Calpain-1 and Cal-pain-2 were assessed.The hypoxia/reoxygenation(H/R)model was constructed in H9c2 cells.The active ingredients of Shengmai Yin were screened using net-work pharmacology and verified by CCK-8.In the car-diomyocytes H/R model,Fluo-4 AM staining was used to detect the changes of Ca2+levels.Results Com-pared with model group,LVEF and LVFS of Shengmai Yin-treated rats increased,myocardial infarction area was reduced,while myocardial tissue injury was allevi-ated.Myocardial apoptosis rate and the number of macrophages were reduced.Similarly,cTnT and CK-MB levels decreased.In addition,the expression lev-els of Calpain-1 and Calpain-2 mRNA and protein de-creased in the SM treatment group.Under the H/R model,all the active ingredients of Shengmai decoction had protective effects on cardiomyocytes,and the treat-ment could reduce the level of Ca2+in cardiomyocytes.Conclusions Shengmai Yin has protective effects on MI/RI in rats.This effect may be related to the de-crease in Ca2+levels,as well as Calpain-1 and Calap-in-2 mRNA and protein expression.
7.Preparation of the Fusion Protein Between Diphtheria Toxin Mutants and the Receptor Binding Domain of Botulinum Neurotoxin Serotype E(EHc)Molecules and the Immunological Effect Evaluation
Qiu-Ju JIA ; Yao-Hui ZHAO ; Xiao-Yu LIU ; Shuo YU ; Jian-Sheng LU ; Yun-Zhou YU ; Ming LIAO
Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2025;41(10):1421-1431
CRM 197(cross-reacting material 197),a naturally occurring mutant of diphtheria toxin,is a safe and effective vaccine vector and extensively used on developing conjugate or combined vaccines.The mutant loses its enzymatic activity,but fully retains its receptor-binding ability and immunogenicity.In current work,the diphtheria toxin mutant CRM 197 and its fusion proteins with the receptor-binding do-main of botulinum neurotoxin serotype E(EHc)were developed using genetic engineering technology.These recombinant proteins were confirmed by Western blotting and SDS-PAGE.BALB/c mice were im-munized with the CRM197-EHc and EHc-CRM197 fusion proteins,and their immunogenicity was evalua-ted.These two fusion protein molecules,CRM197-EHc and EHc-CRM197,as subunit vaccines,elicited a robust humoral immune response targeting both CRM197 and EHc antigens in the immunized mice.Compared to the mixture of CRM197 and EHc,the mice vaccinated with the fusion proteins(CRM197-EHc and EHc-CRM197)induced higher levels of anti-CRM197 antibodies,and the mice vaccinated with EHc-CRM197 also generated strongest anti-EHc antibodies.Consequently,as a carrier molecule in the fusion protein vaccine,EHc enhances the immunogenicity of CRM197 molecules.Likewise,CRM197 boosts the immunogenicity of EHc in the EHc-CRM197 fusion protein.
8.Research progress on role of necroptosis in chronic kidney disease
Ping QIU ; Shuo HUANG ; Qi-han LUO ; Qing MA ; Fu-zhe CHEN ; Zi-yi SHAN ; Yi-ming LIU ; Chang-yu LI
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2025;41(5):816-820
Chronic kidney disease(CKD)is a chronic disease characterized by renal structural damage and dysfunction.At present,there is still a lack of effective therapeutic drugs and prevention and treatment methods for CKD in clinical practice.More and more studies have shown that necroptosis,as a new type of programmed cell death,plays a vital role in the onset and progression of CKD.Targeting key molecules in the necroptosis pathway,such as RIPK1,RIPK3 and MLKL,the development of small molecule inhibitors has become an emerging strategy for the treatment of CKD,and has shown significant potential to pro-tect the kidneys and alleviate renal fibrosis in a variety of in vitro and in vivo models.Therefore,this article summarizes the re-search progress of the mechanism of necroptosis in recent years,and focuses on the potential role of necroptosis in the pathogene-sis of CKD and the therapeutic potential of targeting this path-way,providing a new perspective and research direction for the prevention and treatment of CKD in the future.
9.Impact of uric acid on female fertility and the pregnancy outcomes of assisted reproductive technology
Jun ZHANG ; Shuo HUANG ; Jing SHI ; Qiong LIU ; Donglin HAN ; Xiaojun YU ; Jie ZHAO
Chinese Journal of Reproduction and Contraception 2025;45(3):305-309
Uric acid is the end product of purine metabolism in the human body. In recent years, the role of uric acid in female fertility and assisted reproductive technology (ART) has gained increasing attention. Dysregulation of uric acid metabolism can lead to hyperuricemia (HUA). HUA is not only closely related to metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases but may also adversely affect female fertility by influencing ovarian function and embryos development. In this review, we explored the role of uric acid in female fertility, including its association with female subfertility, infertility, adverse pregnancy outcomes and metabolic syndrome, as well as its potential impact on ART like in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer and intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Further studies are needed to clarify the threshold and clinical intervention value of uric acid levels in women of childbearing age, providing a basis for reproductive health counseling and personalized pregnancy assistance for HUA patients of childbearing age.
10.Analysis of the modified patient-generated subjective global assessment for evaluating nutritional status in esophageal cancer patients
Qi ZHAO ; Ling YU ; Shuo SHI ; Xin LIU ; Mei-Ling WANG
Parenteral & Enteral Nutrition 2025;32(5):293-297
Objective:To investigate the nutritional status of esophageal cancer patients and analyze the ability of the modified Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment(mPG-SGA)to evaluate nutritional status against the original PG-SGA standard.Method:We enrolled 479 patients newly diagnosed with esophageal cancer at a provincial tertiary hospital in Shenyang from August 2022 to April 2024.Blood samples were analyzed for nutritional indicators,and nutritional status was assessed using both PG-SGA and mPG-SGA.The nutritional assessment ability of mPG-SGA was evaluated using specificity,sensitivity,area under the curve(AUC),weighted kappa coefficient,and correlation analysis.Results:Among the 479 patients,the incidence of moderate-to-severe malnutrition was 74.9%(by PG-SGA)and 72.9%(by mPG-SGA).Using PG-SGA as the standard,mPG-SGA demonstrated sensitivities of 95.4%,100%,and 100%;specificities of 98.5%,92.3%,and 89.5%;and AUC values of 0.997,0.994,and 0.989(all P<0.001)for distinguishing mild vs.moderate-to-severe malnutrition,mild-to-moderate malnutrition,and moderate-to-severe malnutrition,respectively.The overall weighted Kappa coefficient between the scales was 0.898(P<0.001).Conclusion:Malnutrition is highly prevalent among esophageal cancer patients.The mPG-SGA shows strong accuracy and consistency with PG-SGA in assessing nutritional status.Given its simplicity and efficiency,mPG-SGA may become a primary nutritional assessment tool for this population,though further multicenter validation with larger samples is warranted.

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