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.Effects of Non-invasive Light Flicker on Functional Properties of Primary Visual Cortex in Adult Mice
Xue-Qi LI ; Yi-Feng ZHOU ; Guang-Wei XU
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(9):2360-2375
ObjectiveAs the central hub of the classical visual pathway, the primary visual cortex not only encodes and processes visual information but also establishes dense neural circuit connections with higher-order cognitive brain regions. Numerous studies have shown that 40 Hz flicker stimulation can induce γ oscillations in the brain and significantly improve learning and cognitive impairments in patients with neurodegenerative diseases. Moreover, flickering light phenomena naturally occur in daily environments. Given that the primary visual cortex serves as the brain’s first cortical hub for receiving visual input, it is essential to comprehensively understand how non-invasive light flicker stimulation modulates its information processing mechanisms. This study systematically investigates the effects of non-invasive light flicker stimulation at different frequencies on the functional properties of neurons in the primary visual cortex of adult mice, aiming to uncover how such stimulation modulates this region and, consequently, affects overall brain function. MethodsThree groups of adult mice (approximately 12 weeks old) were exposed to light flicker stimulation at frequencies of 20 Hz, 40 Hz, and 60 Hz, respectively, for a duration of two months. A control group was exposed to the same light intensity without flickering. Following the stimulation period, in vivo multi-channel electrophysiological recordings were conducted. During these recordings, anesthetized mice were presented with various types of moving sinusoidal light gratings to assess the effects of different flicker frequencies on the functional properties of neurons in the primary visual cortex. ResultsThe experimental results demonstrate that two months of light flicker stimulation at 20 Hz, 40 Hz, and 60 Hz enhances the orientation tuning capabilities of neurons in the primary visual cortex. Specifically, 40 Hz and 60 Hz stimulation improved contrast sensitivity, whereas 20 Hz had no significant effect. Further analysis revealed that all three frequencies reduced neuronal response variability (as measured by the Fano factor), increased the signal-to-noise ratio, and decreased noise correlation (rsc) between neurons. ConclusionNon-invasive light flicker stimulation enhances orientation tuning (e.g., orientation bias index) and contrast sensitivity (e.g., contrast threshold and C50) in neurons of the primary visual cortex. This enhancement is likely due to improved information processing efficiency, characterized by reduced neuronal variability and increased signal-to-noise ratio. These findings suggest that the primary visual cortex can achieve precise and efficient information encoding in complex lighting environments by selectively adapting to different flicker frequencies and optimizing receptive field properties. This study provides new experimental evidence on how various types of light flicker influence visual perception and offers insights into the mechanisms through which specific frequencies enhance brain function.
3.Application of Intestinal Organoids in The Study of Intestinal Disease Mechanism
Long-Zheng QIANG ; Hai-Guang MAO ; Meng-Ting WANG ; Li-Li QI ; Jin-Bo WANG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2024;51(2):394-403
Intestinal organoids are constructed by crypts or stem cells from the intestine under the 3D support of the culture matrix. They contain all mature cells of the intestine, and have become a new and efficient platform for studying the mechanism of intestinal diseases. Compared with 2D cell culture, organoids can not only more effectively simulate the physiological structure and function of the intestine, but also better restore the true ecology of the intestine in different external environments. Therefore, it is more widely used in the study of pathogenesis of different intestinal diseases. This article reviewed the new progress of intestinal organoids culture, and the application and progress of intestinal organoids in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases, colorectal cancer and celiac disease in recent years, and also discussed the application of intestinal organoids in drug research and development and screening.
4.Diagnostic efficacy of optimized T-SPOT.TB in differentiating spinal tu-berculosis from other spinal infection
Ying ZHOU ; Xiao-Jiang HU ; Zhong-Jing JIANG ; Jun-Bao CHEN ; Guang ZHANG ; Hong-Qi ZHANG ; Yan-Bing LI ; Qi-Le GAO
Chinese Journal of Infection Control 2024;23(2):148-154
Objective To explore the efficacy of T-cell spot test of tuberculosis infection(T-SPOT.TB)in the differential diagnosis of spinal tuberculosis(STB),and optimize diagnostic efficacy through the optimal cut-off value of receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve.Methods Clinical data of patients with spinal infection in a hospi-tal from January 2010 to May 2019 were collected,including preoperative T-SPOT.TB test results,white blood cell count,C-reactive protein,erythrocyte sedimentation rate,procalcitonin,and tuberculosis antibodies,etal.Clinical diagnosis was conducted based on diagnostic criteria.The sensitivity and specificity of T-SPOT.TB in preoperative diagnosis of STB and other spinal infection was analyzed,and the diagnostic efficacy of the optimized T-SPOT.TB indicators was evaluated.Results A total of 132 patients were included in this study,out of whom 78 patients(59.09%)were diagnosed with STB,and 54(40.91%)were diagnosed with non-tuberculosis(non-TB)spinal in-fection.The sensitivity and specificity of T-SPOT.TB in differential diagnosis of STB were 67.68%and 66.67%,respectively.Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that compared with non-TB spinal infection,the OR va-lue of T-SPOT.TB test in diagnosing STB was 4.188(95%CI:1.847-9.974,P<0.001).The optimized T-SPOT.TB evaluation index through ROC curve to determine the optimal cut-off values of ESAT-6,CFP-10,and CFP-10+ESAT-6 for differential diagnosis of STB and non-TB spinal infection were 12.5,19.5,and 36,respec-tively,and area under curve(AUC)values were 0.765 6,0.741 5,and 0.778 6,respectively,all with good diag-nostic efficacy.CFP-10+ESAT-6 had the highest AUC.CFP-10+ESAT-6 specific spot count had higher efficacy in the diagnosis of STB,with a diagnostic accuracy of 75.56%,higher than 67.42%of pre-optimized T-SPOT.TB.Conclusion T-SPOT.TB test has high diagnostic efficacy in differentiating STB from non-TB spinal infection.Posi-tivity in T-SPOT.TB test,especially with spot count of CFP-10+ESAT-6 over 36,indicates a higher likelihood of STB.
5.Clinical trial on preemptive analgesia of parecoxib sodium for modified radical resection of breast cancer
Qi ZHAO ; Li-Li FU ; Xiao-Yun LIU ; Guang-Wei ZHOU ; Xin-Ting WANG ; Ying WANG
The Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 2024;40(1):7-11
Objective To observe the effect of parecoxib sodium combined with dexmedetomidine preemptive analgesia on postoperative analgesia in patients with modified radical mastectomy for breast cancer.Methods Patients who underwent modified radical mastectomy for breast cancer were randomly divided into control group and treatment group based on simple binary randomization by random number table method.In the control group,"0.05 mg·kg-1 midazolam+1.0-1.5 mg·kg-1 propofol+0.4 μg·kg-1sufentanil citrate+0.15 mg·kg-1 phenylsulfonyl cisatracurium"was used for induction and maintenance of anesthesia.In the treatment group,the induction and maintenance of anesthesia was performed with the protocol of"parecoxib sodium 40 mg+dexmedetomidine 0.5 μg·kg-1·h-1)continuous pumping"on the basis of control group,and mechanical ventilation was performed by tracheal intubation 5 min after induction.The effect of pre-analgesia,postoperative sedation,hemodynamic indexes,surgical improvement indexes and application safety were observed by groups.Results There were 46 patients in each group.Pain visual analogue scores at 6,12 and 24 h in treatment group were 2.09±0.72,4.17±1.07 and 4.07±1.05,lower than those in control group,which were 2.61±1.03,4.76±1.27 and 4.65±1.11,the differences were statistically significant(all P<0.05).The Ramsay sedation scores of the treatment group and the control group at 6 h after surgery were(2.85±0.62)and(2.11±0.73)points,respectively;the sedation scores of Ramsay at 12 h were 1.41±0.28 and 1.06±0.15,respectively.At 24 h,the sedation scores of Ramsay were 1.15±0.18 and 0.64±0.13,respectively,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).HR and MAP of treatment group and control group at T2 and T3 were significantly lower than those at T1 and T0(P<0.05),there were no difference in HR and MAP between treatment group and control group at T2 and T3(P<0.05).Operation time,recovery time after operation and intraoperative blood loss in treatment group were significantly lower than those in control group,and the differences were statistically significant(all P<0.05).The success rate of 12-hour postoperative analgesia in test group and control group was 82.61%(38 cases/46 cases)and 63.04%(29 cases/46 cases),respectively,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).The adverse drug reactions in treament group and control group mainly included bradycardia,headache,dizziness and nausea,and the incidence of adverse drug reactions in treatment group and control group were 13.04%(6 cases/46 cases)and 8.70%(4 cases/46 cases),respectively,the difference was no statistically significant(P<0.05).Conclusion Parecoxib sodium combined with dexmedetomidine preemptive analgesia has significantly improved analgesia and sedative effects in modified radical mastectomy for breast cancer,can prolong sedation and analgesia time,and stably control the perioperative hemodynamics of patients.
6.Bioequivalence and pharmacokinetic study of olmesartan medoxomil and hydrochlorothiazide tablets in Chinese healthy subjects
Qi-Qi ZHANG ; Xian-Gen XU ; Jin-Fang LOU ; Bo-Fan SONG ; Chun-Guang YANG ; Guang-Hui ZHU ; Ting LI
The Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 2024;40(11):1623-1627
Objective To study the bioequivalence and safety of two olmesartan medoxomil and hydrochlorothiazide tablets in Chinese healthy subjects.Methods A total of 24 healthy subjects underwent fasting and postprandial tests in a single-center,randomized,open-label,single-dose,two-formulation,two-sequence,two-period,self-cross-over controlled design.The subjects were administered a single oral dose of the test formulation and reference formulation(each containingolmesartan medoxomil 20 mg and hydrochlorothiazide 12.5 mg)in a random cross-over fashion.The plasma concentrations of olmesartan and hydrochlorothiazide were determined by LC-MS/MS.The non-compartmental model analysis of olmesartan and hydrochlorothiazide was conducted using WinNonlin 7.0 software to calculate pharmacokinetic parameters and assess bioequivalence.Results In the fasting test,the pharmacokinetic parameters of olmesartan of test and reference were as follows:Cmax were(798.35±206.78)and(664.52±168.25)ng·mL-1,AUC0-t were(4 430.71±1 294.87)and(3 976.67±1 083.54)h·ng·mL-1,AUC0-∞ were(4 551.67±1 303.06)and(4 090.37±1 103.97)h·ng·mL-1.The pharmacokinetic parameters of hydrochlorothiazide of test and reference were as follows:Cmax were(92.39±35.96)and(96.15±38.76)ng·mL-1,AUC0_t were(548.69±217.11)and(564.41±208.68)h·ng·mL-1,AUC0-∞ were(603.04±228.59)and(619.26±223.27)h·ng·mL-1.In the fed test,the pharmacokinetic parameters of olmesartan of T and R were as follows:Cmax were(583.15±149.48)and(550.57±104.76)ng·mL-1,AUC0-t were(3 585.18±952.72)and(3 292.19±904.58)h·ng·mL-1,AUC0-∞ were(3 696.05±996.55)and(3 396.30±923.41)h·ng·mL-1.The pharmacokinetic parameters of hydrochlorothiazide of test and reference were as follows:Cmax were(70.30±17.88)and(74.70±21.65)ng·mL-1,AUC0-t were(476.60±119.39)and(492.91±144.81)h·ng·mL-1,AUC0-∞ were(523.37±132.67)and(535.81±151.92)h·ng·mL-1.In fasting and fed condition,the 90%confidence interval(90%CI)of Cmax,AUC0-t and AUC0-∞ of olmesartan and hydrochlorothiazide were in 80.00%-125.00%.Conclusion The two olmesartan medoxomil and hydrochlorothiazide tablets were bioequivalent under fasting and fed conditions,and good security.
7.Bioequivalence study of olmesartan medoxomil tablet in Chinese healthy subjects
Na SHAN ; Da-Hai JIANG ; Lin-Lin MIAO ; Zhen-Li REN ; Peng-Bo JIN ; Pei-Qi HAO ; Li AN ; Hong ZHU ; Yong XIN ; Guang-De YANG ; Feng LIU
The Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 2024;40(20):3033-3037
Objective To study the bioequivalence of test and reference olmesartan tablet in Chinese healthy subjects after single dose under fasting and fed conditions.Methods A single-center,random,open,single-dose,two-preparations,double-period,crossover study was adopted.A total of 48 healthy adult male and female subjects(24 cases of fasting test and 24 cases of fed test)were included in the random crossover administration.Single oral dose 20 mg of test and reference were taken under fasting and postprandial conditions,respectively.Plasma concentration of olmesartan in plasma were determined by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.The main pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by Phoenix WinNonlin 8.0 software.Results The main pharmacokinetic parameters of the test and reference preparations of olmesartan tablets in the fasting group were as follows:Cmax were(653.06±133.53)and(617.37±151.16)ng·mL-1,AUC0-t were(4 201.18±1 035.21)and(4 087.38±889.99)ng·mL-1·h,AUC0-∞ were(4 254.30±1 058.90)and(4 135.69±905.29)ng·mL-1·h.The main pharmacokinetic parameters of the test and reference preparations of olmesartan tablets in the postprandial group were as follows:Cmax were(574.78±177.05)and(579.98±107.74)ng·mL-1,AUC0-t were(3 288.37±866.06)and(3 181.51±801.06)ng·mL-1·h,AUC0-∞ were(3 326.11±874.26)and(3 242.01±823.09)ng·mL-1·h.Under fasting and postprandial conditions,the 90%confidence intervals of the main pharmacokinetic parameters of the test and reference preparations are both 80.00%-125.00%.Conclusion Under fasting and postprandial conditions,a single oral dose of test and reference preparations olmesartan tablets in Chinese healthy adult volunteers showed bioequivalence.
8.Application of high-throughput drug sensitivity testing in children with relapsed and refractory acute leukemia
Wen-Jing QI ; Xue-Ju XU ; Bai LI ; Tao WANG ; Guang-Yao SHENG ; Ping ZHU ; Chun-Mei WANG
Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics 2024;26(10):1093-1100
Objective To explore the current application of high-throughput drug sensitivity(HDS)testing in children with relapsed and refractory acute leukemia(RR-AL)and analyze the feasibility of salvage treatment plans.Methods A retrospective collection of clinical data from children with RR-AL who underwent HDS testing at the Department of Children's Hematology and Oncology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from November 2021 to October 2023 was conducted,followed by an analysis of drug sensitivity results and treatment outcomes.Results A total of 17 children with RR-AL underwent HDS testing,including 7 cases of relapsed refractory acute myeloid leukemia and 10 cases of relapsed refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia.The detection rate of highly sensitive chemotherapy drugs/regimens was 53%(9/17),while the detection rate of moderately sensitive chemotherapy drugs/regimens was 100%(17/17).Among the 17 RR-AL patients with highly and moderately sensitive chemotherapy drugs and regimens,the MOACD regimen(mitoxantrone+vincristine+cytarabine+cyclophosphamide+dexamethasone)accounted for 100%,with the highest inhibition rate for single-agent mitoxantrone(94%,16/17),and the highest inhibition rate for targeted therapy being bortezomib(94%,16/17).Nine patients adjusted their chemotherapy based on HDS testing results,with 4 undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.Four patients achieved disease-free survival,while 5 died.Eight patients received empirical chemotherapy,with 2 undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation;4 achieved disease-free survival,while 4 died.Conclusions HDS testing can identify highly sensitive drugs/regimens for children with RR-AL,improving the rate of re-remission and creating conditions for subsequent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
9.Meta-analysis on the incidence of long COVID in Omicron-infected pa-tients
Li-Yu WANG ; Shi-Wei WU ; Meng-Qi XU ; Bao-Guang LIU ; Lan-Ying PEI ; Guo-Li YAN ; Guan-Min ZHENG
Chinese Journal of Infection Control 2024;23(11):1384-1390
Objective To explore the incidence of long CO VID symptoms in patients infected with Omicron variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2).Methods According to the inclusion and exclu-sion criteria of literatures,relevant studies without language restrictions published up to 2024 were retrieved from both Chinese and English databases.The Chinese databases were China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI),Wanfang Database,and VIP databases,and the foreign databases were PubMed,Embase,and Web of Science.Three-step screening was used to select literatures,and Stata 17.0 software was used for analysis.Results The incidence of at least one sequelae in patients infected with Omicron variant was 29.62%.The most common symptoms included fatigue(19.10%),joint or muscle pain(11.06%),memory loss(9.71%),brain fog(8.80%),cough(8.42%),headache(7.26%),and sore throat(6.68%).Subgroup analysis results showed that with the extension of follow-up(3 months vs 6 months),the incidence of smell or taste changes was significantly re-duced(7.22%vs 0.78%).The higher the proportion of women(<50%vs 50%-65%vs>65%),the higher the incidence of joint or muscle pain(1.09%vs 4.62%vs 19.53%);the greater the median age(≥45 years vs<45 years),the higher the incidence of chest pain or chest distress(0.90%vs 3.86%),all with statistically significant differences(all P<0.05).Conclusion Incidence of long COVID in Omicron-infected patients is high and can cause various symptoms.Follow-up time,median age and gender proportion have significant impacts on the incidence of some symptoms.
10.Exploring mechanism of action of Xihuang pills against hyperplasia of mammary glands based on quantitative proteomics
Rui TAO ; Jing-Rui WANG ; Jun-Liang WANG ; Xue-Li MA ; Juan-Xia SUN ; Guang-Miao GAO ; Qi-Rui FAN ; Tao HAN
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2024;40(9):1641-1648
Aim To clarify the differential proteins of mammary tissues in Xihuang pills(XHP)against hy-perplasia of mammary glands(HMG)based on quanti-tative proteomics technology and validate them,and to explore the mechanism of action.Methods SD rats were randomly divided into blank group,model group and XHP group,with 10 rats in each group.Except for the blank group,estrogen and progesterone were injec-ted intramuscularly to establish a rat model of mamma-ry hyperplasia for 30 d.After XHP was administered for 14 d,the rats in each group were observed to have morphological changes in the apparent morphology of the mammary tissues,and pathological changes in the mammary tissues were stained with hematoxylin-eosin staining(HE),and the differentially expressed pro-teins(DEPs)in the groups were screened by quantita-tive proteomics technology and subjected to bioinforma-tics analysis,and Western blot to verify the key DEPs.Results Compared with the model group,the appar-ent pathological morphology of the XHP group was sig-nificantly improved,the diameter of the nipple height of the rats was significantly reduced(P<0.01),and the degree of histopathology was significantly allevia-ted.Quantitative proteomics identified 4,299 DEPs in mammary tissue,and bioinformatics analysis of 14 DEPs with consistent changes between the XHP group and the blank group relative to the model group re-vealed that they were related to the regulation of mus-cular systemic processes,regulation of muscle contrac-tion,DNA replication,and pre-initiation of DNA repli-cation.Western blot results showed that,compared with the model group,rat mammary tissue of the XHP group showed significantly lower levels of ACLY and ALDOC protein expression levels were significantly re-duced and BIN1 protein expression levels were signifi-cantly increased(P<0.01).Conclusions XHP may exert its anti-mammary hyperplasia effect through the regulation of BIN1,ACLY and ALDOC protein lev-els,the regulation of DNA replication,the regulation of pre-initiation of DNA replication and muscular sys-temic processes,and the regulation of muscle contrac-tion.

Result Analysis
Print
Save
E-mail