1.Research progress on the relationship between early life obesogen exposure and childhood obesity
GAO Lei ; YE Zhen ; WANG Wei ; ZHAO Dong ; XU Peiwei ; ZHANG Ronghua
Journal of Preventive Medicine 2026;38(1):48-54
Childhood obesity has become a global public health issue. Current research indicates that early life obesogen exposure has emerged as a significant risk factor for childhood obesity. While obesogens have been confirmed to influence the development and progression of childhood obesity through mechanisms such as endocrine disruption and epigenetic programming, controversies remain regarding the establishment of causal relationships, assessment of combined exposures, and validation of transgenerational effects in humans. In recent years, novel approaches including multi-omics technologies, exposome-based analysis, and multigenerational cohort studies have integrated dynamic biomarker monitoring with analyses of social-environmental interactions, offering new perspectives and methodologies for constructing a systematic "exposure-mechanism-outcome" research framework. This article reviews literature from PubMed and Web of Science up to August 2025 on the association between early life obesogen exposure and childhood obesity, summarizing evidence on the health effects of early life obesogen exposure, major exposure pathways and internal exposure assessment, interactions and amplifying effects of social and environmental factors, as well as the biological mechanisms underlying obesogen action. It further examines current research frontiers and challenges, aiming to provide a theoretical foundation for early prevention and precision intervention of childhood obesity.
2.Reshaping “Cerebellar Inhibition”: Mechanistic Insights and Precision Medicine Perspectives for rTMS in Machado-Joseph Disease
Ya-Zhen HAN ; Jie ZHOU ; Yu-Chao CHEN ; Zhong-Ming GAO ; Xian-Wei CHE
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(2):505-510
Machado-Joseph disease, or spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3), represents the most common autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia worldwide. Despite its progressive and debilitating nature, disease-modifying therapies remain elusive. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has emerged as a promising non-invasive intervention; however, its clinical application has been hindered by inconsistent protocols and a lack of mechanistic understanding. A recent landmark study published in Brain Stimulation by Chen et al. addressed these challenges by combining a high-dose intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) protocol with concurrent transcranial magnetic stimulation-electroencephalography (TMS-EEG). This commentary provides an in-depth analysis of their findings, highlighting the restoration of cerebello-cortical inhibition (CBI) as a key therapeutic mechanism. Furthermore, we discuss the broader implications of this work, proposing that future translational research should integrate accelerated iTBS (aiTBS) paradigms, cortical response measurements (CRM), and individualized neuro-navigation to establish a new era of precision neuromodulation for ataxia.
3.Reshaping “Cerebellar Inhibition”: Mechanistic Insights and Precision Medicine Perspectives for rTMS in Machado-Joseph Disease
Ya-Zhen HAN ; Jie ZHOU ; Yu-Chao CHEN ; Zhong-Ming GAO ; Xian-Wei CHE
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(2):505-510
Machado-Joseph disease, or spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3), represents the most common autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia worldwide. Despite its progressive and debilitating nature, disease-modifying therapies remain elusive. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has emerged as a promising non-invasive intervention; however, its clinical application has been hindered by inconsistent protocols and a lack of mechanistic understanding. A recent landmark study published in Brain Stimulation by Chen et al. addressed these challenges by combining a high-dose intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) protocol with concurrent transcranial magnetic stimulation-electroencephalography (TMS-EEG). This commentary provides an in-depth analysis of their findings, highlighting the restoration of cerebello-cortical inhibition (CBI) as a key therapeutic mechanism. Furthermore, we discuss the broader implications of this work, proposing that future translational research should integrate accelerated iTBS (aiTBS) paradigms, cortical response measurements (CRM), and individualized neuro-navigation to establish a new era of precision neuromodulation for ataxia.
4.Mechanism of isochlorogenic acid A against hepatocellular carcinoma based on PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway combined with multi-omics
Weiwei SU ; Weibing JIA ; Houjian REN ; Xianhui SU ; Huijie GAO ; Zhongchao HUO ; Xin HOU ; Zhen WANG
China Pharmacy 2026;37(10):1258-1263
OBJECTIVE To investigate the mechanism of isochlorogenic acid A against hepatocellular carcinoma based on the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/Akt/mTOR) signaling pathway and multi-omics technology. METHODS The invasion rate and migration rate of human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells after 48 h of intervention with 0 (control group), 0.25 and 0.5 mg/mL isochlorogenic acid A were examined; mRNA expression of DEP domain-containing mTOR-interacting protein (DEPTOR), the protein expressions of mTOR, PI3K and phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN), as well as the phosphorylation level of Akt protein were determined in the cells. Metabolomics analysis was performed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, and differential metabolites were screened and subjected to Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis; transcriptomics monitoring was conducted by RNA sequencing, and differentially expressed genes were screened and subjected to gene ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses. RESULTS Compared with the control group, intervention with 0.25 and 0.5 mg/mL isochlorogenic acid A for 48 h significantly inhibited the invasion rate and migration rate of HepG2 cells, significantly up-regulated the mRNA expression of DEPTOR and the protein expression of PTEN, and significantly down-regulated the protein expression of PI3K and the phosphorylation level of Akt protein (except for 0.25 mg/mL isochlorogenic acid A) ( P <0.05). A total of 304 differential metabolites and 212 differentially expressed genes were screened by multi-omics analysis. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis suggested that isochlorogenic acid A regulated key signaling of HepG2 cell growth mainly by inhibiting the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, synergizing with metabolic reprogramming such as mTOR signaling pathway, ferroptosis, pentose phosphate pathway and purine/pyrimidine metabo lism. CONCLUSIONS The anti-hepatocellular carcinoma effect of isochlorogenic acid A is associated with the blockade of abnormal activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. In addition, it may also be related to the inhibition of the pentose phosphate pathway and purine/pyrimidine metabolism, as well as the induction of ferroptosis,etc.
5.Role of exosomal miR-320c in gingerol-mediated defense against Staphylococcus aureus infection
Zhencai XING ; Mengxue XU ; Xiang KONG ; Jinghan SUN ; Zhen MA ; Yu GAO ; Siyuan DU ; Hong ZHENG ; Yakun LIU
Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2026;61(5):795-802
ObjectiveTo investigate the inhibitory effect of gingerol, an active component of ginger, on Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) infection, and to preliminarily explore its mechanism related to extracellular vesicles (EVs). MethodsS.aureus infection models were established in human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVECs), Vero E6 cells, and C57BL/6 mice. Experimental groups included control, infection, and gingerol-treated groups. Bacterial load and VE-cadherin protein expression were detected using immunofluorescence and Western blot. EVs were isolated by size exclusion chromatography and characterized by transmission electron microscopy and nanoparticle tracking analysis. miRNA sequencing was performed on EVs. ResultsGingerol treatment significantly reduced the bacterial load in both in vitro and in vivo infection models and upregulated VE-cadherin expression. miRNA sequencing of EVs revealed that S. aureus infection upregulated the expression of hsa-miR-320c, while gingerol treatment reversed this abnormal expression. Bioinformatic analysis further predicted that the target genes of hsa-miR-320c were significantly enriched in cell junction-related pathways. ConclusionGingerol exhibits clear antibacterial and host-protective effects, by regulating hsa-miR-320c in EVs to maintain endothelial barrier integrity.
6.Diagnostic Value of Coronary Slow Flow for Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction in Patients With Angina and Nonobstructive Coronary Arteries
Zhaoxue SHENG ; Yuhui HUANG ; Xingliang LI ; Jingyu WANG ; Qiang CHEN ; Wuqiang CHE ; Zhen ZHANG ; Xuecheng ZHAO ; Shuoyan AN ; Yanxiang GAO ; Jingang ZHENG
Chinese Circulation Journal 2025;40(9):885-891
Objectives:Coronary slow flow(CSF)has long been regarded as a marker of coronary microvascular dysfunction(CMD).This study aims to evaluate the diagnostic value of CSF for CMD in patients with angina and nonobstructive coronary arteries(ANOCA).Methods:The study data were derived from the ANOCA-CMD prospective cohort study.All enrolled patients underwent coronary angiography and concurrent coronary physiological assessments in the left anterior descending artery using pressure-wire and thermodilution techniques to obtain coronary flow reserve(CFR)and the index of microcirculatory resistance(IMR).Based on the results,CMD was classified into four subtypes:CMD with elevated IMR(IMR≥25),CMD with reduced CFR(CFR<2.5),CMD with either reduced CFR or elevated IMR(CFR<2.5 or IMR≥25),and CMD with both reduced CFR and elevated IMR(CFR<2.5 and IMR≥25).The corrected thrombolysis in myocardial infarction(TIMI)frame count(CTFC)in the left anterior descending artery was calculated from coronary angiography images,with CSF defined as CTFC>27.This study evaluated the correlation between CTFC,CFR,and IMR,and investigated the diagnostic value of CSF for CMD in ANOCA patients.Results:A total of 103 ANOCA patients were enrolled in this study,with a mean age of(64.2±10.6)years,and 53.4%were female.Among them,57 patients(55.3%)were diagnosed with coronary slow flow.Patients with slow flow had higher IMR(P<0.001)and CFR(P=0.041).Similarly,the proportion of CMD with elevated IMR was higher in the slow flow group(P<0.001),while the proportion of CMD with reduced CFR was lower(P=0.044).There was no significant difference between the groups in the proportions of CMD with either reduced CFR or elevated IMR or CMD with both reduced CFR and elevated IMR(all P>0.05).CTFC was positively correlated with hyperemic mean transit time(r=0.424,P<0.001),IMR(r=0.430,P<0.001),and CFR(r=0.211,P=0.032).The area under the curve(AUC)of CTFC for diagnosing CMD with elevated IMR was 0.721(95%CI:0.623-0.819)with an accuracy of 67%(57%,76%),for diagnosing CMD with reduced CFR was 0.610(95%CI:0.499-0.720)with an accuracy of 60%(50%,70%),for diagnosing CMD with either reduced CFR or elevated IMR was 0.549(95%CI:0.425-0.673)with an accuracy of 47%(37%,57%),and for diagnosing CMD with both reduced CFR and elevated IMR was 0.582(95%CI:0.471-0.693)with an accuracy of 47%(37%,57%).Thus,CSF demonstrated limited diagnostic values across all subtypes of CMD.Conclusions:In ANOCA patients,CSF cannot serve as an effective diagnostic marker for CMD.Therefore,in clinical practice,the slow flow phenomenon should not be directly equated with the presence of coronary microvascular dysfunction in ANOCA patients.
7.Impact of Intravascular Ultrasalnd-guided Drug-eluting Stent Implantation on Long-term Outcome of Patients With Coronary Artery Disease and Chronic Kidney Disease
Jingyu ZHAO ; Congfei ZHU ; Ling LIN ; Guangfeng ZUO ; Xiangquan KONG ; Zhen GE ; Xiaofei GAO ; Junjie ZHANG
Chinese Circulation Journal 2025;40(9):898-903
Objectives:To assess the impact of intravascular ultrasound(IVUS)guidance for drug-eluting stent(DES)implantation on the long-term outcomes in coronary artery disease(CAD)patients with chronic kidney disease(CKD).Methods:A retrospective study was conducted on 1 800 CAD and CKD patients who underwent coronary DES implantation at Nanjing First Hospital from January 2018 to December 2022.Patients were divided into IVUS-guided group(IVUS group,n=333)and angiography-guided group(angiography group,n=1 467).Propensity score matching(PSM)was performed at a 1:2 ratio to adjust for differences in baseline clinical and angiographic characteristics between the two groups.Major adverse cardiovascular events(MACE),including cardiac death,target vessel myocardial infarction,and clinically driven target vessel revascularization,were evaluated over a 2-year follow-up.Cox proportional hazards regression was performed to identify independent predictors of MACE.Results:After propensity score matching,333 patients in the IVUS group were matched with 666 patients in the angiography group.Following matching,there were no significant differences in clinical characteristics and angiographic data between the two groups(all P>0.05).Regarding procedural data,IVUS group had a higher number of stents implanted,longer total stent length,larger average stent diameter,more frequent use of post-dilation balloons,larger post-dilation balloon diameter,and greater contrast agent usage(all P<0.05).MACE rate was significantly higher in the angiography group than that in the IVUS group(23.9%vs.18.0%,P=0.037).The difference was mainly attributed to a higher rate of cardiac death in the angiography group(16.1%vs.10.8%,P=0.013).Additionally,patients in angiography group had a significantly higher all-cause mortality rate compared to IVUS group(19.7%vs.13.8%,P=0.022).Multivariate cox regression analysis showed that IVUS guidance(HR=0.73,95%CI:0.55-0.99,P=0.042)was an independent protective factor,while hypertension(HR=1.60,95%CI:1.13-2.26,P=0.008),type 2 diabetes(HR=1.56,95%CI:1.19-2.05,P=0.001),acute coronary syndrome(HR=1.92,95%CI:1.12-3.30,P=0.018),and moderate to severe calcification(HR=1.55,95%CI:1.18-2.04,P=0.002)were independent risk factors for MACE at 2 years after DES implantation in CKD patients.Conclusions:Patients with CAD and CKD,IVUS-guided DES implantation is associated with a reduced risk of MACE and all-cause mortality at 2 years post-procedure compared to coronary angiography-guided implantation.
8.The development and validation of the quick self-assessment questionnaire for cochlear implant out-come
Carol PANG ; Qingyuan FENG ; Li YIN ; Yongmao CAO ; Shanxian GAO ; Yanni CHEN ; Xiaoqiang ZHANG ; Qiaoling SHI ; Zhen SU ; Mingyuan SUN
Journal of Audiology and Speech Pathology 2025;33(5):454-459
Objective To develop and validate a"quick self-assessment questionnaire for cochlear implant out-come(QSACI)".Methods A research team,composed of audiologists,otolaryngologists,data analysis experts,and cochlear implant(CI)recipients,was formed to establish objectives,research subject criteria,and framework of the QSACI.An item pool was creaed through literature review and brainstorming.Question items were evaluated and screened,and the framework and answer options of the questionnaire were established.The comprehensibility,etc.,was analyzed and refined through pilot test,interviews,and expert consultation,leading to the development of the final version.A total of 39 post-lingually deafened adults with known stable outcomes completed the question-naire.The split-half and test-retest reliabilty of the questionnaire was analyzed,and the validity was quantitatively analyzed by comparing scores with the categories of auditory performance(CAP)scores.Results The initial item pool of the questionnaire had 18 items,and the final questionnaire consisted of 12 questions in four dimensions:com-munication status,audiological status,medical factors,and other factors.The average score of 39 recipients was 88.81±6.17 and CAP was 6.19±0.94.The questionnaire showed good reliability and validity,with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.71 and a test-retest reliability of 0.824(P<0.05).The criterion-related validity,assessed by the correlation between the self-assessment questionnaire scores and CAP scores,showed a significant moderate pos-itive correlation(r=0.512,P<0.05).The correlation coefficient between self-assessment and professional assess-ment was 0.720(P<0.05),indicating a significant correlation.The area under the receiver operating characterstic(ROC)curve was 0.82(P<0.05),the cutoff values corresponding to the maximal Youden index were 82.5 and 88.6,therefore score of 85 was taken as the median threshold score of judgement.Conclusion The QSACI reflects the post-imlplant outcomes,and it can serve as a tool for people with postlingually deafness and their families to un-derstand the eligbility of CI and the expected outcomes,helping to establish realistic expectations before CI surgery.
9.Practice research on cost control and nursing quality improvement for obstetric and gynecological inpa-tients based on DRGs model
Baolian LIU ; Jing ZHOU ; Zhen GAO ; Li WANG
Modern Hospital 2025;25(10):1563-1568
Objective To explore the practice of cost control and nursing quality improvement for obstetric and gyneco-logical inpatients based on the Diagnosis-Related Groups(DRGs)model.Methods A total of 208 inpatients admitted to the ob-stetrics and gynecology department of our hospital from June 1,2023,to December 31,2024,were selected as the study sub-jects.They were divided into a control group(104 cases,conventional payment model)and an observation group(104 cases,DRGs model)using a random number table method.The hospitalization costs(examination fees,medication fees,surgery fees,consumable costs,per capita total hospitalization costs),average length of stay,nursing quality,and inpatient satisfaction were compared between the two groups.Results In the observation group,the main cost components—examination fees,medication fees,surgery fees,consumable costs,and per capita total hospitalization costs—were all lower than those in the control group,with statistically significant differences(P<0.05).The average length of stay in the observation group was shorter than that in the control group.The scores for safety management,nursing standards,ward management,and nursing quality in the observation group were higher than those in the control group,with statistically significant differences(P<0.05).The inpatient nursing sat-isfaction rate in the observation group was 91.35%,significantly higher than that in the control group,with a statistically signifi-cant difference(P<0.05).Conclusion The application of the DRGs model in obstetric and gynecological inpatients can effec-tively reduce related hospitalization costs and improve nursing quality and inpatient satisfaction.
10.Research progress on mechanism of action of selective phosphodiesterase inhibitors in prevention and treatment of inflammatory bowel disease
Na GAO ; Yu WANG ; Zhen-hua LIU ; Wei-min YANG ; Chuang XIAO
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2025;41(10):1813-1817
Inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)is a common di-gestive system disease with an increasing morbidity year by year.Its pathological mechanisms have not been fully clarified,and there are currently no ideal or effective curative methods.Phos-phodiesterase(PDE)can regulate intracellular cAMP/cGMP levels to mediate downstream signaling pathways,participating in various pathophysiological processes.In recent years,the po-tential efficacy of PDE inhibitors in the treatment of IBD has gradually attracted attention.This article reviews the pharmaco-logical effects and mechanisms of selective PDE subtype inhibi-tors in the prevention and treatment of IBD,providing references for further research of IBD therapeutic drugs.


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