1.Mechanisms of Gut Microbiota Influencing Reproductive Function via The Gut-Gonadal Axis
Ya-Qi ZHAO ; Li-Li QI ; Jin-Bo WANG ; Xu-Qi HU ; Meng-Ting WANG ; Hai-Guang MAO ; Qiu-Zhen SUN
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(5):1152-1164
Reproductive system diseases are among the primary contributors to the decline in social fertility rates and the intensification of aging, posing significant threats to both physical and mental health, as well as quality of life. Recent research has revealed the substantial potential of the gut microbiota in improving reproductive system diseases. Under healthy conditions, the gut microbiota maintains a dynamic balance, whereas dysfunction can trigger immune-inflammatory responses, metabolic disorders, and other issues, subsequently leading to reproductive system diseases through the gut-gonadal axis. Reproductive diseases, in turn, can exacerbate gut microbiota imbalance. This article reviews the impact of the gut microbiota and its metabolites on both male and female reproductive systems, analyzing changes in typical gut microorganisms and their metabolites related to reproductive function. The composition, diversity, and metabolites of gut bacteria, such as Bacteroides, Prevotella, and Firmicutes, including short-chain fatty acids, 5-hydroxytryptamine, γ-aminobutyric acid, and bile acids, are closely linked to reproductive function. As reproductive diseases develop, intestinal immune function typically undergoes changes, and the expression levels of immune-related factors, such as Toll-like receptors and inflammatory cytokines (including IL-6, TNF-α, and TGF-β), also vary. The gut microbiota and its metabolites influence reproductive hormones such as estrogen, luteinizing hormone, and testosterone, thereby affecting folliculogenesis and spermatogenesis. Additionally, the metabolism and absorption of vitamins can also impact spermatogenesis through the gut-testis axis. As the relationship between the gut microbiota and reproductive diseases becomes clearer, targeted regulation of the gut microbiota can be employed to address reproductive system issues in both humans and animals. This article discusses the regulation of the gut microbiota and intestinal immune function through microecological preparations, fecal microbiota transplantation, and drug therapy to treat reproductive diseases. Microbial preparations and drug therapy can help maintain the intestinal barrier and reduce chronic inflammation. Fecal microbiota transplantation involves transferring feces from healthy individuals into the recipient’s intestine, enhancing mucosal integrity and increasing microbial diversity. This article also delves into the underlying mechanisms by which the gut microbiota influences reproductive capacity through the gut-gonadal axis and explores the latest research in diagnosing and treating reproductive diseases using gut microbiota. The goal is to restore reproductive capacity by targeting the regulation of the gut microbiota. While the gut microbiota holds promise as a therapeutic target for reproductive diseases, several challenges remain. First, research on the association between gut microbiota and reproductive diseases is insufficient to establish a clear causal relationship, which is essential for proposing effective therapeutic methods targeting the gut microbiota. Second, although gut microbiota metabolites can influence lipid, glucose, and hormone synthesis and metabolism via various signaling pathways—thereby indirectly affecting ovarian and testicular function—more in-depth research is required to understand the direct effects of these metabolites on germ cells or granulosa cells. Lastly, the specific efficacy of gut microbiota in treating reproductive diseases is influenced by multiple factors, necessitating further mechanistic research and clinical studies to validate and optimize treatment regimens.
2.The Role and Mechanism of Circadian Rhythm Regulation in Skin Tissue Regeneration
Ya-Qi ZHAO ; Lin-Lin ZHANG ; Xiao-Meng MA ; Zhen-Kai JIN ; Kun LI ; Min WANG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(5):1165-1178
Circadian rhythm is an endogenous biological clock mechanism that enables organisms to adapt to the earth’s alternation of day and night. It plays a fundamental role in regulating physiological functions and behavioral patterns, such as sleep, feeding, hormone levels and body temperature. By aligning these processes with environmental changes, circadian rhythm plays a pivotal role in maintaining homeostasis and promoting optimal health. However, modern lifestyles, characterized by irregular work schedules and pervasive exposure to artificial light, have disrupted these rhythms for many individuals. Such disruptions have been linked to a variety of health problems, including sleep disorders, metabolic syndromes, cardiovascular diseases, and immune dysfunction, underscoring the critical role of circadian rhythm in human health. Among the numerous systems influenced by circadian rhythm, the skin—a multifunctional organ and the largest by surface area—is particularly noteworthy. As the body’s first line of defense against environmental insults such as UV radiation, pollutants, and pathogens, the skin is highly affected by changes in circadian rhythm. Circadian rhythm regulates multiple skin-related processes, including cyclic changes in cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis, as well as DNA repair mechanisms and antioxidant defenses. For instance, studies have shown that keratinocyte proliferation peaks during the night, coinciding with reduced environmental stress, while DNA repair mechanisms are most active during the day to counteract UV-induced damage. This temporal coordination highlights the critical role of circadian rhythms in preserving skin integrity and function. Beyond maintaining homeostasis, circadian rhythm is also pivotal in the skin’s repair and regeneration processes following injury. Skin regeneration is a complex, multi-stage process involving hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling, all of which are influenced by circadian regulation. Key cellular activities, such as fibroblast migration, keratinocyte activation, and extracellular matrix remodeling, are modulated by the circadian clock, ensuring that repair processes occur with optimal efficiency. Additionally, circadian rhythm regulates the secretion of cytokines and growth factors, which are critical for coordinating cellular communication and orchestrating tissue regeneration. Disruptions to these rhythms can impair the repair process, leading to delayed wound healing, increased scarring, or chronic inflammatory conditions. The aim of this review is to synthesize recent information on the interactions between circadian rhythms and skin physiology, with a particular focus on skin tissue repair and regeneration. Molecular mechanisms of circadian regulation in skin cells, including the role of core clock genes such as Clock, Bmal1, Per and Cry. These genes control the expression of downstream effectors involved in cell cycle regulation, DNA repair, oxidative stress response and inflammatory pathways. By understanding how these mechanisms operate in healthy and diseased states, we can discover new insights into the temporal dynamics of skin regeneration. In addition, by exploring the therapeutic potential of circadian biology in enhancing skin repair and regeneration, strategies such as topical medications that can be applied in a time-limited manner, phototherapy that is synchronized with circadian rhythms, and pharmacological modulation of clock genes are expected to optimize clinical outcomes. Interventions based on the skin’s natural rhythms can provide a personalized and efficient approach to promote skin regeneration and recovery. This review not only introduces the important role of circadian rhythms in skin biology, but also provides a new idea for future innovative therapies and regenerative medicine based on circadian rhythms.
3.Association between physical exercise behavior with mobile phone addiction and mental health of college students
LIU Manluo, QI Xin, WU Min, SUN Qin, ZHAO Zhen
Chinese Journal of School Health 2025;46(5):634-637
Objective:
To explore the relationship of physical exercise behavior with mobile phone addiction and mental health of college students, so as to provide evidence for interventions to improve mobile phone addiction and mental health of college students.
Methods:
From October 8 to December 20 in 2024, 896 college students from 4 colleges in Beijing were selected using a combination of convenience sampling and stratified random cluster sampling method. Physical Activity Rating Scale (PARS-3), Mobile Phone Addiction Tendency Scale (MPATS), Adolescence Mental Health Diathesis Questionnaire (AMHDQ) and Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL-90) were used. The correlation of mobile phone addiction and mental health on physical exercise behavior of college students were analyzed by multivariable Logistic regression and linear regression.
Results:
Among the surveyed college students, 504 (56.25%) students had low exercise, 262 (29.24%) had moderate exercise, 130 (14.51%) had high exercise, and 392 (43.75%) had sufficient exercise. The total score of PARS-3 was 18.00 ( 15.00 , 33.00) points. Logistic regression analysis showed that the total score of MPATS ( OR=1.022, 95%CI =1.008-1.036), the total score of SCL-90 ( OR=1.010, 95%CI = 1.005 -1.015), the total AMHDQ score ( OR=0.995, 95%CI =0.992-0.998) were significantly associated with insufficient exercise among college students ( P <0.05). Linear regression analysis showed that the scores of MPATS, AMHDQS and SCL-90 were significantly correlated with physical exercise behavior ( B=-0.20, 0.04, -0.07, P <0.05).
Conclusion
The physical exercise behavior of college students is related to mobile phone addiction and mental health.
7.Impacts of Schisandrin A on proliferation, apoptosis and Hippo-YAP signaling pathway of prostate cancer cell
Fang WANG ; Zhen DING ; Zhu QIAO ; Jin KONG ; Qi MA ; Xiaowei LIU
International Journal of Surgery 2024;51(6):371-376
Objective:To investigate the effects of Schisandrin A on the proliferation and apoptosis of prostate cancer cell and its mechanism.Methods:Human prostate cancer DU145 cell were cultured in vitro and grouped into DU145 group (normal culture), Schisandrin A L group (50 μmol/L Schisandrin A was added), Schisandrin A M group (100 μmol/L Schisandrin A was added), Schisandrin A H group (150 μmol/L Schisandrin A was added) and Simvastatin group (50 μmol/L Simvastatin was added). Cell morphology of each group was observed under microscope, cell proliferation ability was detected by CCK8 method, cell migration ability was detected by cell scratch assay, cell invasion ability was detected by Transwell assay, and cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry, the expression of phosphorylation (p) - mammalian STE20-like protein kinase 1 (MST1), MST1, p-large tumor suppressor 1 (LATS1), LATS1, p-Yes associated protein (YAP) and YAP protein were detected by Western blotting. Measurement data were expressed as mean± standard deviation ( ± s), one-way ANOVA for comparisons between multiple groups, and t-test for comparisons between two groups. Results:Compared with DU145 group, the number of cells in Schisandrin A L, M, H groups and Simvastatin group decreased, and the cells gradually shrunk and the spacing became larger, the cell survival rate [(100.00±0.00)%, (88.41±9.36)%, (62.34±7.31)%, (42.57±5.01)%, (45.47±5.65)%], migration [(90.11±13.43)%, (74.16±8.08)%, (57.53±7.34)%, (41.34±6.79)%, (43.44±5.26)%] and invasion [(89.01±10.31)%, (73.11±9.23)%, (55.62±7.67)%, (41.13±6.35)%, (40.36±5.68)%], and the expression of p-YAP/YAP protein (0.98±0.08, 0.83±0.11, 0.69±0.07, 0.55±0.07, 0.53±0.05) were significantly decreased, the apoptosis rate [(2.88±0.34)%, (5.20±0.57)%, (8.37±0.94)%, (12.71±1.58)%, (12.03±2.21)%] and the expression of p-MST1/MST1 (0.41±0.04, 0.53±0.07, 0.75±0.07, 0.89±0.08, 0.88±0.07] and p-LATS1/LATS1 protein (0.40±0.04, 0.52±0.06, 0.64±0.06, 0.77±0.08, 0.79±0.08) were significantly increased, and the differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05). Conclusion:Schisandrin A may inhibit the proliferation of prostate cancer cell and promote cell apoptosis by inhibiting Hippo-YAP signaling pathway.
8.Radix Angelica Sinensis and Radix Astragalus ultrafiltration extract improves radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis in rats by regulating NLRP3/caspase-1/GSDMD pyroptosis pathway
Chun-Zhen REN ; Jian-Fang YUAN ; Chun-Ling WANG ; Xiao-Dong ZHI ; Qi-Li ZHANG ; Qi-Lin CHEN ; Xin-Fang LYU ; Xiang GAO ; Xue WU ; Xin-Ke ZHAO ; Ying-Dong LI
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2024;40(11):2124-2131
Aim To investigate the mechanism of py-roptosis mediated by the NLRP3/caspase-1/GSDMD signaling pathway and the intervention effect of Radix Angelica Sinensis and Radix Astragalus ultrafiltration extract(RAS-RA)in radiation-induced pulmonary fi-brosis.Methods Fifty Wistar rats were randomly di-vided into five groups,with ten rats in each group.Ex-cept for the blank control group,all other groups of rats were anesthetized and received a single dose of 40 Gy X-ray local chest radiation to establish a radiation-in-duced pulmonary fibrosis rat model.After radiation,the rats in the RAS-RA intervention groups were orally administered doses of 0.12,0.24 and 0.48 g·kg-1 once a day for 30 days.The average weight and lung index of the rats were observed after 30 days of contin-uous administration.Hydroxyproline(HYP)content in lung tissue was determined by hydrolysis method.The levels of IL-18 and IL-1 β in serum were detected by ELISA.Lung tissue pathological changes were ob-served by HE and Masson staining.Ultrastructural changes in lung tissue were observed by transmission e-lectron microscopy.The expression levels of NLRP3/caspase-1/GSDMD pyroptosis pathway-related proteins and fibrosis-related proteins in lung tissue were detec-ted by Western blot.Results Compared with the blank group,the HYP content in lung tissue and the levels of IL-18 and IL-1 β in serum significantly in-creased in the model group(P<0.01).HE and Mas-son staining showed inflammatory cell infiltration and collagen fiber deposition.Transmission electron mi-croscopy revealed increased damaged mitochondria,disordered arrangement,irregular morphology,shallow matrix,outer membrane rupture,mostly fractured and shortened cristae,mild expansion,increased electron density of individual mitochondrial matrix,mild sparse structure of lamellar bodies,partial disorder,unclear organelles,and characteristic changes of pyroptosis.Western blot analysis showed increased expression of caspase-1,GSDMD,NLRP3,CoL-Ⅰ,α-SMA,and CoL-Ⅲ proteins(P<0.01).Compared with the model group,the RAS-RA intervention group showed signifi-cant improvement in body mass index and lung index of rats,decreased levels of IL-18 and IL-1 β inflammatory factors(P<0.01),improved mitochondrial structure,reduced degree of fibrosis,and decreased expression of caspase-1,GSDMD,NLRP3,COL-Ⅰ,COL-Ⅲ,and α-SMA proteins in lung tissue(P<0.01).Conclusion RAS-RA has an inhibitory effect on radiation-in-duced pulmonary fibrosis,and its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of pyroptosis through the regu-lation of the NLRP3/caspase-1/GSDMD signaling pathway.
9.A quantitative study of mechanics in the treatment of atlantoaxial joint disorder by tendon relaxation manipulation
Yan-Zhen ZHANG ; Yang LIU ; Rui LI ; Can YANG ; Yan-Qi HU ; Zhao-Jie ZHANG
China Journal of Orthopaedics and Traumatology 2024;37(6):571-575
Objective To explore dose-effect relationship of biomechanical parameters in treating atlantoaxial joint disor-der by slimming manipulation.Methods From October 2022 to May 2023,18 patients with atlantoaxial joint disorders were treated,including 10 males and 8 females;aged from 24 to 27 years old with an average of(25.50±l.10)years old;CT of cer-vical vertebra showed 16 patients with right side distortion and 2 patients with left side distortion.The mechanical parameters of treatment of atlantoaxial joint disorder by tendon relaxation manipulation were measured by wearing massage manipulation gloves.The magnitude,frequency and mechanical curve of force during tendon relaxation and starting force,pulling force,pulling time and mechanical curve during rehabilitation were quantified,the differences between the affected and contralateral manipulations were compared.Results The maximum force and frequency of Fengchi(GB20)on the affected side were(19.82±2.02)N and(116.83±14.49)times/min,and opposite side were(13.87±2.19)N and(188.89±16.03)times/min,re-spectively.There were statistically difference in the maximum force and frequency of both sides(P<0.05).The maximum force and frequency of Quepen(ST12)on the affected side were(14.44±3.27)N and(139.06±28.47)times/min,and those on the opposite side were(9.41±1.38)N and(142.50±28.47)times/min.There was difference in maximum force on both sides(P<0.05).The starting force,turning force and turning time of the affected side were(14.16±5.98)N,(11.56±6.63)N,(0.14±0.03)S,and the contralateral side were(8.94±3.39)N,(8.30±4.64)N,(0.18±0.04)S,respectively.The difference of starting force,turning force and turning time on both sides were statistically significant(P<0.05).Conclusion By applying a light re-laxation force on the affected side,the mechanical balance between cervical vertebrae could be restored,and recovery trend of atlantoaxial joint disorder could be strengthened.On this basis,the atlantoaxial odontoid process could be reversed by applying a light rotation force,which reflects the characteristics of high safety of the manipulation.
10.Clinical effects of percutaneous elastic intramedullary nail assisted by arthrography for the treatment of radial neck fractures in children
Hui-Min ZHOU ; Yi-Wen XU ; Chun-Jie TAO ; Jiang-Rong FAN ; Jing-Yang YOU ; Jia-Cheng RUAN ; Si-Qi SHEN ; Zhen WANG ; Yong ZHENG
China Journal of Orthopaedics and Traumatology 2024;37(9):899-904
Objective To explore clinical effect of closed reduction percutaneous elastic intramedullary nail assisted by arthrography in the treatment of radial neck fracture in children.Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on 23 chil-dren with radial neck fracture treated with arthrography assisted closed reduction and percutaneous elastic intramedullary nail internal fixation(arthrography with elastic nail group)from January 2019 to December 2022,including 12 males and 11 fe-males,aged from 2 to 12 years old with an average of(7.36±1.89)years old;According to Judet fracture types,14 children were type Ⅲ and 9 children were type Ⅳ.In addition,23 children with radial neck fracture were selected from January 2015 to December 2018 who were treated with closed reduction and percutaneous elastic intramedullary nail fixation(elastic nail group),including 11 males and 12 females,aged from 2 to 14 years old with an average of(7.50±1.91)years old;Judet classi-fication included 15 children were type Ⅲ and 8 children were type Ⅳ.Operative time and intraoperative fluoroscopy times were compared between two groups.Metaizeau evaluation criteria was used to evaluate fracture reduction,and Tibone-Stoltz evaluation criteria was used to evaluate functional recovery of elbow between two groups.Results Both groups were followed up for 12 to 24 months with an average of(16.56±6.34)months.Operative time and intraoperative fluoroscopy times of elastic nail group were(56.64±19.27)min and(21.13±7.87)times,while those of joint angiography with elastic nail group were(40.33±1 1.50)min and(12.10±3.52)times;there were difference between two groups(P<0.05).According to Metaizeau evaluation,11 patients got excellent result,9 good and 3 fair in joint angiography with elastic nail group,while in elastic nail group,5 ex-cellent,13 good,4 acceptable,and 1 poor;the difference between two groups was statistically significant(P<0.05).According to Tibone-Stoltz criteria,14 patients got excellent result,8 good,and 1 fair in joint arthrography with elastic nail group;while in elastic nail group,12 patients got excellent result,9 good,1 fair and 1 poor;there was no significant difference between two groups(P>0.05).Conclusion Compared to percutaneous elastic intramedullary nail fixation,closed reduction assisted by arthrography has advantages of reduced operation time,decreased intraoperative fluoroscopy frequency,and improved fracture reduction.Arthrography enables clear visualization of the anatomical structures of radius,head,neck,bone,and cartilage in children,facilitating comprehensive display of fracture reduction and brachioradial joint alignment.This technique more pre-cisely guides the depth of elastic intramedullary nail implantation in radius neck,thereby enhancing surgical efficiency and success rate.


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