Objective:To explore the role of bone morphogenetic protein 4(BMP-4) in hepatic progenitor cells(HPCs).Methods:The effect of BMP-4 on rat hepatic oval cells was examined by using the WB-F344 rat hepatocytic epithelial...Objective:To explore the role of bone morphogenetic protein 4(BMP-4) in hepatic progenitor cells(HPCs).Methods:The effect of BMP-4 on rat hepatic oval cells was examined by using the WB-F344 rat hepatocytic epithelial stem-cell-like cell line.This hepatocytic cell line could exert various hepatocytc functions including the secretion of albumin and urea.Immunohistochemistry was used to examine the effects of BMP-4 and its antagonist,Noggin,on the proliferation and differentiation of these cells,cellular uptake and excretion of indocyanine green,the periodic acid-schiff(PAS) assay for glycogen storage and the expression of hepatic markers.Results:Our results showed for the first time that BMP-4 may acted as a potential inducer of hepatic differentiation in rat hepatic oval cells.Conclusions:This cell source offers a much-needed attractive and expandable source for future investigations of drug screening,stem cell technologies and cellular transplantation,in a society with increasing levels of liver disease and damage.展开更多
Objective To address the dual challenges of long-tail distribution and feature sparsity in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome differentiation within real clinical settings,we propose a data-efficient learning f...Objective To address the dual challenges of long-tail distribution and feature sparsity in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome differentiation within real clinical settings,we propose a data-efficient learning framework enhanced by knowledge graphs.Methods We developed Agent-GNN,a three-stage decoupled learning framework,and validated it on the Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome Diagnosis(TCM-SD)dataset containing 54152 clinical records across 148 syndrome categories.First,we constructed a comprehensive medical knowledge graph encoding the complete TCM reasoning system.Second,we proposed a Functional Patient Profiling(FPP)method that utilizes large language models(LLMs)combined with Graph Retrieval-Augmented Generation(RAG)to extract structured symptom-etiology-pathogenesis subgraphs from medical records.Third,we employed heterogeneous graph neural networks to learn structured combination patterns explicitly.We compared our method against multiple baselines including BERT,ZY-BERT,ZY-BERT+Know,GAT,and GPT-4 Few-shot,using macro-F1 score as the primary evaluation metric.Additionally,ablation experiments were conducted to validate the contribution of each key component to model performance.Results Agent-GNN achieved an overall macro-F1 score of 72.4%,representing an 8.7 percentage points improvement over ZY-BERT+Know(63.7%),the strongest baseline among traditional methods.For long-tail syndromes with fewer than 10 samples,Agent-GNN reached a macro-F1 score of 58.6%,compared with 39.3%for ZY-BERT+Know and 41.2%for GPT-4 Few-shot,representing relative improvements of 49.2%and 42.2%,respectively.Ablation experiments confirmed that the explicit modeling of etiology-pathogenesis nodes contributed 12.4 percentage points to this enhanced long-tail syndrome performance.Conclusion This study proposes Agent-GNN,a knowledge graph-enhanced framework that effectively addresses the long-tail distribution challenge in TCM syndrome differentiation.By explicitly modeling manifestation-mechanism-essence patterns through structured knowledge graphs,our approach achieves superior performance in data-scarce scenarios while providing interpretable reasoning paths for TCM intelligent diagnosis.展开更多
Objectives Therapeutic strategies for enhancing bone regeneration and combating osteoporosis remain a significant unmet medical need.This study aims to elucidate Lithospermic acid(LA)’s regulatory effects on osteobla...Objectives Therapeutic strategies for enhancing bone regeneration and combating osteoporosis remain a significant unmet medical need.This study aims to elucidate Lithospermic acid(LA)’s regulatory effects on osteoblast proliferation and differentiation,investigating its viability as a bone-healing agent.Methods This study employed various cellular and molecular biology experiments to assess the effects of LA on the viability,proliferation,cell cycle,apoptosis,differentiation,mineralization,and migration of MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts.Immunofluorescence and Western blot analyses were conducted to detect the expression of proteins related to the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway,investigating the regulatory mechanisms by which LA promotes osteoblast proliferation and differentiation.Additionally,Wnt inhibitor dickkopf-1(DKK-1)andβ-catenin-silenced cell models were used to further validate the role of LA in modulating this signaling pathway.Results LA significantly promoted osteoblast proliferation without apparent cytotoxicity.Flow cytometry showed that LA regulated the cell cycle by reducing G0/G1 phase arrest and promoting G2/M phase progression.Western blot results indicated that LA upregulated the expression of proteins associated with cell proliferation and enhanced osteoblast differentiation and mineralization.Immunofluorescence and Western blot analyses further confirmed that LA markedly increased the expression of Wnt andβ-catenin,facilitatingβ-catenin nuclear translocation.Treatment with the DKK-1 inhibitor significantly diminished the proliferative and differentiation-promoting effects of LA,confirming the critical role of this pathway.β-catenin knockdown experiments further substantiated its central role in LA-mediated regulation.Conclusion This study confirms that LA promotes osteoblast proliferation,differentiation,mineralization,and migration by activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.展开更多
BACKGROUND Ulcerative colitis(UC)is a chronic and treatment-resistant disorder requiring potent therapeutics that are effective and safe.Cedrol(CE)is a bioactive natural product present in many traditional Chinese med...BACKGROUND Ulcerative colitis(UC)is a chronic and treatment-resistant disorder requiring potent therapeutics that are effective and safe.Cedrol(CE)is a bioactive natural product present in many traditional Chinese medicines.It is known for its suppression of inflammation and mitigation of oxidative stress.Its therapeutic efficacy and mechanistic underpinnings in UC remain uncharacterized.AIM To investigate the therapeutic potential and mechanisms of CE in UC.METHODS The anti-inflammatory activity and intestinal barrier-repairing effects of CE were assessed in a dextran sulfate sodium-induced murine colitis model.Network pharmacology was employed to predict potential targets and pathways.Then molecular docking and dynamics simulations were utilized to confirm a stable interaction between CE and the toll-like receptor 4(TLR4)/myeloid differentiation factor 2(MD2)complex.The anti-inflammatory mechanisms were further verified using in vitro assays.Additionally,the gut microbiota composition was analyzed via 16S rRNA gene sequencing.RESULTS CE significantly alleviated colitis symptoms,mitigated histopathological damage,and suppressed inflammation.Moreover,CE restored intestinal barrier integrity by enhancing mucus secretion and upregulating tight junction proteins(zonula occludens 1,occludin,claudin-1).Mechanistically,CE stably bound to MD2,inhibiting lipopolysaccharide-induced TLR4 signaling in RAW264.7 cells.This led to suppression of the downstream mitogen-activated protein kinase and nuclear factor kappa B signaling pathways,downregulating the expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha,interleukin-1β,and interleukin-6.Gut microbiota analysis revealed that CE reversed dextran sulfate sodium-induced dysbiosis with significant enrichment of butyrogenic Christensenella minuta.CONCLUSION CE acted on MD2 to suppress proinflammatory cascades,promoting mucosal barrier reconstitution and microbiota remodeling and supporting its therapeutic use in UC.展开更多
Vestibular hair cells(HCs)in the inner ear,crucial for balance and spatial orientation,are classified into type I and type II subtypes,but the mechanisms regulating their differentiation remain unclear.In this study,w...Vestibular hair cells(HCs)in the inner ear,crucial for balance and spatial orientation,are classified into type I and type II subtypes,but the mechanisms regulating their differentiation remain unclear.In this study,we examined the role of Pou4f3,an important transcription factor,in vestibular HC differentiation using Pou4f3^(DTR/DTR)(deficient)and Pou4f3CreER/CreER(knockout)mouse models.In Pou4f3-deficient mice,the HC number decreased,and immature HCs failed to develop type I characteristics,indicating a developmental arrest.While type II HCs differentiated normally,Pou4f3 deficiency disrupted HC bundle formation and cell polarity.Findings from knockout models further confirmed the essential role of Pou4f3 in vestibular HC subtype specification.This study underscores the critical role of Pou4f3 in determining vestibular HC subtypes and offers insights into potential strategies for restoring vestibular function through HC regeneration.展开更多
The functional regeneration of the dentin-pulp complex is pivotal for tooth preservation,yet the molecular mechanisms governing odontoblast differentiation remain poorly understood.In the current study,we revealed a d...The functional regeneration of the dentin-pulp complex is pivotal for tooth preservation,yet the molecular mechanisms governing odontoblast differentiation remain poorly understood.In the current study,we revealed a distinct NKD1^(+) subpopulation exhibiting secretory odontoblast characteristics,which was specifically induced in dental pulp stem cells(DPSCs) by Wnt3a,but not by Wnt5a or Wnt10a through single-cell transcriptomic profiling.We then found that the NKD1^(+) subpopulation was functional conservation,which were consistently identified in the odontoblast layers of developing tooth germs in both murine and miniature pig models,as well as within the apical open area in human molars.This conserved spatial distribution and co-localization with DSPP strongly indicates that NKD1^(+) cells were active dentin-secreting odontoblasts.Analysis of gene regulatory networks using SCENIC identified MSX1 as a key transcription factor regulating the specification of NKD1^(+) lineage.Mechanistically,Wnt3a orchestrates a tripartite cascade:upregulating NKD1/MSX1 expression,triggering NKD1 membrane detachment,and facilitating direct NKD1-MSX1interaction to promote MSX1 nuclear translocation.CUT&Tag analysis demonstrated MSX1 occupancy at promoters of odontogenic regulato rs,esta blishing its necessity for odontogenic gene activation.Murine pulp exposure models validated that Wnt3a-activated NKD1-MSX1 signaling significantly enhances reparative dentin formation.This study delineates an evolutionarily conserved Wnt3aNKD1-MSX1 axis that resolves stem cell heterogeneity into functional odontoblast commitment,providing both mechanistic insights into dentin-pulp regeneration and a foundation for targeted regenerative therapies.展开更多
Systematically analyzing the impact mechanisms of policy on Land Use Conflict(LUC)is crucial for constructing effective conflict mitigation strategies.However,previous research on how policy influences LUC remains rel...Systematically analyzing the impact mechanisms of policy on Land Use Conflict(LUC)is crucial for constructing effective conflict mitigation strategies.However,previous research on how policy influences LUC remains relatively limited.Focusing on the indirect driving role of policy on LUC,this study proposed County Development Level(CDL)under Major Function Oriented Zone Planning(MFOZP)guidance as an intermediary variable,bridging the implicit influence of MFOZP and the explicit changes in LUC.Using the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei(BTH)region in China as a case study,we analyzed the spatio-temporal evolution characteristics of LUC and CDL for the periods 2000-2010 and 2010-2020,before and after MFOZP implementation.Panel models and Geographically Weighted Regression(GWR)were employed to explore the mechanism by which CDL influences LUC under MFOZP guidance.The results show that:1)MFOZP implementation effectively alleviates land use pressure from regional development,with LUC continuously declining at a rate of 2.41%,while CDL exhibits slight growth(3.84%),during 2010-2020.2)Under MFOZP guidance,CDL reduces pressure on Land Use Structure Conflict(LUSC)and Land Use Process Conflict(LUPC),enhances its inhibitory effect on Land Use Function Conflict(LUFC),and significantly contributes to LUC coordination,with notable spatial heterogeneity.3)The coupling relationship between CDL and LUC has improved post-implementation.Based on this,tailored LUC coordination strategies are proposed for different functional zones.This study confirms the effectiveness of MFOZP in coordinating LUC and provides a scientific reference for LUC research under policy frameworks and the governance of LUC in the BTH region.展开更多
Objectives Dysregulated osteoclast function contributes to skeletal diseases.However,the specific ubiquitination regulators of the osteoclastogenesis repressor MafB,particularly at the post-translational level,remain ...Objectives Dysregulated osteoclast function contributes to skeletal diseases.However,the specific ubiquitination regulators of the osteoclastogenesis repressor MafB,particularly at the post-translational level,remain undefined.This study aims to identify ubiquitin-specific proteases(USPs)that deubiquitinate MafB and enhance its stability.Methods We constructed a MafB-conjugated luciferase and overexpressed 40 individual USPs,measuring changes in luciferase activity.The identified USP was overexpressed in human CD14^(+) peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMCs)to evaluate its effect.Osteoclast differentiation was assessed through osteoclast marker Integrin alpha-V(CD51)staining and Western blot analysis.Co-immunoprecipitation(co-IP)was performed to assess the interplay.The influence on MafB ubiquitination and degradation was evaluated via immunoprecipitation and Western blot.Finally,MafB was knocked down in the USP-overexpressing PBMCs to analyze its effect on osteoclast differentiation.Results Overexpression of ubiquitin-specific protease 29(USP29)significantly increased MafB expression by approximately 75%(p<0.0001).Elevated USP29 levels strongly inhibited osteoclastic differentiation in CD14^(+) PBMCs(p<0.0001).USP29 was found to interact with MafB,markedly reducing its ubiquitination and subsequent degradation in PBMCs(p<0.001).Knocking down MafB in USP29-overexpressing PBMCs alleviated the inhibitory effect of USP29 on osteoclastogenesis.Conclusion USP29 acts as a potent stabilizer of MafB,inhibiting osteoclastogenesis in human CD14^(+) PBMCs,at least in part,by enhancing MafB stability.These findings expand our understanding of USP29’s role and the post-translational regulation of MafB.Furthermore,USP29 serves as a vital factor that controls osteoclast differentiation,and its regulatory function is at least partially mediated by deubiquitinating and stabilizing MafB.展开更多
Objectives The discovery of novel molecular targets to enhance the osteogenesis of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells(H-BMSCs)represents a promising strategy for preventing and treating osteoporosis.Thus...Objectives The discovery of novel molecular targets to enhance the osteogenesis of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells(H-BMSCs)represents a promising strategy for preventing and treating osteoporosis.Thus,the primary objective of this study is to elucidate the mechanisms by which long non-coding RNA FOXD2-AS1(lncRNA FOXD2-AS1)regulates early osteogenic differentiation in H-BMSCs,thereby identifying potential therapeutic targets.Methods Lentivirus-mediated vectors were constructed to either overexpress or silence FOXD2-AS1 in H-BMSCs.The effects of FOXD2-AS1 on osteogenesis were subsequently assessed by analyzing osteogenic marker expression and alkaline phosphatase(ALP)staining.To clarify the role of the Janus kinase 2/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(JAK2/STAT3)pathway in this process,AG490 inhibitor(a JAK2/STAT3 pathway inhibitor)and knockdown of STAT3 were used to investigate the mechanisms of FOXD2-AS1.Results FOXD2-AS1 overexpression increased ALP activity and osteogenic marker expression,while its knockdown had the opposite effects.From a mechanistic perspective,FOXD2-AS1 overexpression promoted JAK2 and STAT3 phosphorylation,whereas its suppression attenuated their activation.Also,the osteogenic increase induced by FOXD2-AS1 overexpression was reversed by AG490 treatment or STAT3 silencing,indicating that the pathway plays a role in this process.Conclusion FOXD2-AS1 was identified as a novel genetic switch driving osteogenic commitment via JAK2/STAT3 activation,revealing a new regulatory mechanism and a potential therapeutic target for osteoporosis.展开更多
Outward oriented economy in Fujian Province has been developed rapidly since the implementation of open door policy. Regional differentiation is obvious between ethnic Chinese hometown and non ethnic Chinese one; s...Outward oriented economy in Fujian Province has been developed rapidly since the implementation of open door policy. Regional differentiation is obvious between ethnic Chinese hometown and non ethnic Chinese one; southeast Fujian and other part of the province; and different counties within southeast Fujian. Enterprises with foreign capital make great contribution to the economic development of Fujian.展开更多
It is well known that Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM)has two outstanding academic characteristics:the holistic concept comes from Huang Di Nei Jing,and the syndrome differentiation and treatment comes from Shang Han...It is well known that Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM)has two outstanding academic characteristics:the holistic concept comes from Huang Di Nei Jing,and the syndrome differentiation and treatment comes from Shang Han Lun.These two characteristics denote the two major academic systems of TCM:one is the medical system of Huang Di Nei Jing,also named syndrome differentiation and treatment system of Zang-Fu organs and meridians,focuses on theoretical exploration,which highlights functional connection and emphasizes philosophical thinking.The treatment in this system is based on physiological functions by taking Zang-Fu organs as the main body,Qi,blood,essence,and body fluid as the auxiliary body,and the meridians and collaterals as the connection channels.The other is the syndrome differentiation and treatment system of the six meridians,which emphasizes clinical practice.It encompasses the idea that the six meridians govern various diseases,emphasizes the disease sites and divisional treatment,and pays attention to the precision and appropriateness of prescription-syndrome differentiation.These two academic systems,with mutual influences and relations,are both the essence and pearl of TCM,nevertheless,there are obvious differences between the two in clinical application,so they should be distinguished.This paper will elaborate on the connection and difference between them,and how to organically combine the two systems for better application in clinical practice of TCM.展开更多
In the context of the global energy low-carbon transition,phase change energy storage technology becomes a key technology to solve the problem of intermittent renewable energy.Oriented phase change composites(OCPCMs)r...In the context of the global energy low-carbon transition,phase change energy storage technology becomes a key technology to solve the problem of intermittent renewable energy.Oriented phase change composites(OCPCMs)receive widespread attention in practical energy storage applications due to their unique oriented thermally conductive structure,which achieves significant thermal conductivity enhancement in specific directions while retaining the high energy storage capacity of the phase change components.This review systematically summarizes the overall analysis of OCPCMs from synthesis and preparation to application scenarios in recent years.Herein,we introduce the analysis of the heat transfer mechanism of the materials and explore the advantages of the oriented structure in OCPCMs in the heat transfer behavior from a bionic perspective.We then focus on summarizing and generalizing the methods for preparing OCPCMs,giving suggestions for suitable methods according to different scenarios.Besides,we discuss the application of finite element simulation methods to the monitoring of the thermal management behavior of OCPCMs,and look into the potential future application areas of such materials.Finally,it is hoped that this review will provide guidance for the academic community in developing high-performance OCPCMs.展开更多
Sporosarcina pasteurii was employed as the strain,with an in-situ magnetization construction,to obtain magnetic microorganisms and oriented self-healing mortar specimens based on them.The magnetic field was used to ac...Sporosarcina pasteurii was employed as the strain,with an in-situ magnetization construction,to obtain magnetic microorganisms and oriented self-healing mortar specimens based on them.The magnetic field was used to achieve the directional migration of magnetic microorganisms during the oriented selfhealing of mortar cracks,improving the rate of self-healing of cracks.The experimental results demonstrate that the magnetic microorganisms are composed of Fe_(3)O_(4)nanosheets attached to the surface of Sporosarcina pasteurii,whose mineralization products are comprised of vaterite primarily.Compared with the pure microbial group,the magnetic microbial group exhibits a faster repair rate,shortening the repair time required to achieve an area repair efficiency of over 90%from 28 days to 14 days,thereby doubling the repair rate.Meanwhile,the area repair efficiency of the magnetic microbial group at 7,14,and 28 days are increased by 50.3%,11.2%,and 4.6%,respectively,compared to the pure microbial group,which are due to the magnetic microorganisms'superior directional migration and mineralization ability,exceeding that of the ordinary microorganisms.展开更多
Neural EGFL-like 2(NELL2)is a secreted protein known for its regulatory functions in the nervous and reproductive systems,yet its role in bone biology remains unexplored.In this study,we observed that NELL2 was dimini...Neural EGFL-like 2(NELL2)is a secreted protein known for its regulatory functions in the nervous and reproductive systems,yet its role in bone biology remains unexplored.In this study,we observed that NELL2 was diminished in the bone of aged and ovariectomized(OVX)mice,as well as in the serum of osteopenia and osteoporosis patients.In vitro loss-of-function and gain-offunction studies revealed that NELL2 facilitated osteoblast differentiation and impeded adipocyte differentiation from stromal progenitor cells.In vivo studies further demonstrated that the deletion of NELL2 in preosteoblasts resulted in decreased cancellous bone mass in mice.Mechanistically,NELL2 interacted with the FNI-type domain located at the C-terminus of Fibronectin 1(Fn1).Moreover,we found that NELL2 activated the focal adhesion kinase(FAK)/AKT signaling pathway through Fn1/integrinβ1(ITGB1),leading to the promotion of osteogenesis and the inhibition of adipogenesis.Notably,administration of NELL2-AAV was found to ameliorate bone loss in OVX mice.These findings underscore the significant role of NELL2 in osteoblast differentiation and bone homeostasis,suggesting its potential as a therapeutic target for managing osteoporosis.展开更多
Photobiomodulation,originally used red and near-infrared lasers,can alter cellular metabolism.It has been demonstrated that the visible spectrum at 451-540 nm does not necessarily increase cell proliferation,near-infr...Photobiomodulation,originally used red and near-infrared lasers,can alter cellular metabolism.It has been demonstrated that the visible spectrum at 451-540 nm does not necessarily increase cell proliferation,near-infrared light promotes adipose stem cell proliferation and affects adipose stem cell migration,which is necessary for the cells homing to the site of injury.In this in vitro study,we explored the potential of adipose-derived stem cells to differentiate into neurons for future translational regenerative treatments in neurodegenerative disorders and brain injuries.We investigated the effects of various biological and chemical inducers on trans-differentiation and evaluated the impact of photobiomodulation using 825 nm near-infrared and 525 nm green laser light at 5 J/cm2.As adipose-derived stem cells can be used in autologous grafting and photobiomodulation has been shown to have biostimulatory effects.Our findings reveal that adipose-derived stem cells can indeed trans-differentiate into neuronal cells when exposed to inducers,with pre-induced cells exhibiting higher rates of proliferation and trans-differentiation compared with the control group.Interestingly,green laser light stimulation led to notable morphological changes indicative of enhanced trans-differentiation,while near-infrared photobiomodulation notably increased the expression of neuronal markers.Through biochemical analysis and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays,we observed marked improvements in viability,proliferation,membrane permeability,and mitochondrial membrane potential,as well as increased protein levels of neuron-specific enolase and ciliary neurotrophic factor.Overall,our results demonstrate the efficacy of photobiomodulation in enhancing the trans-differentiation ability of adipose-derived stem cells,offering promising prospects for their use in regenerative medicine for neurodegenerative disorders and brain injuries.展开更多
The authors regret to report the following error made in“Spatiotemporal dynamics of neuron differentiation and migration in the developing human spinal cord;52(2025)-101283-1295;Doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jgg.2025...The authors regret to report the following error made in“Spatiotemporal dynamics of neuron differentiation and migration in the developing human spinal cord;52(2025)-101283-1295;Doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jgg.2025.08.004”.In Tables S1 and S2 in the supplementary materials of this paper,some items were written in Chinese.The corresponding pictures and tables were not uploaded in time.展开更多
Grain-oriented silicon steels were prepared at different heating rates during high temperature annealing,in which the evolution of magnetic properties,grain orientations and precipitates were studied.To illustrate the...Grain-oriented silicon steels were prepared at different heating rates during high temperature annealing,in which the evolution of magnetic properties,grain orientations and precipitates were studied.To illustrate the Zener factor,the diameter and number density of precipitates of interrupted testing samples were statistically calculated.The effect of precipitate ripening on the Goss texture and magnetic property was investigated.Data indicated that the trend of Zener factor was similar under different heating rates,first increasing and then decreasing,and that the precipitate maturing was greatly inhibited as the heating rate increased.Secondary recrystallization was developed at the temperature of 1010℃when a heating rate of 5℃/h was used,resulting in Goss,Brass and{110}<227>oriented grains growing abnormally and a magnetic induction intensity of 1.90T.Furthermore,increasing the heating rate to 20℃/h would inhibit the development of undesirable oriented grains and obtain a sharp Goss texture.However,when the heating rate was extremely fast,such as 40℃/h,poor secondary recrystallization was developed with many island grains,corresponding to a decrease in magnetic induction intensity to 1.87 T.At a suitable heating rate of 20℃/h,the sharpest Goss texture and the highest magnetic induction of 1.94 T with an onset secondary recrystallization temperature of 1020℃were found among the experimental variables in this study.The heating rate affected the initial temperature of secondary recrystallization by controlling the maturation of precipitates,leading to the deviation and dispersion of Goss texture,thereby reducing the magnetic properties.展开更多
The delicate balance between bone formation by osteoblasts and bone resorption by osteoclasts maintains bone homeostasis.Nuclear receptors(NRs)are now understood to be crucial in bone physiology and pathology.However,...The delicate balance between bone formation by osteoblasts and bone resorption by osteoclasts maintains bone homeostasis.Nuclear receptors(NRs)are now understood to be crucial in bone physiology and pathology.However,the function of the Farnesoid X receptor(FXR),a member of the NR family,in regulating bone homeostasis remains incompletely understood.In this study,in vitro and in vivo models revealed delayed bone development and an osteoporosis phenotype in mice lacking FXR in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells(BMSCs)and osteoblasts due to impaired osteoblast differentiation.Mechanistically,FXR could stabilize RUNX2 by inhibiting Thoc6-mediated ubiquitination,thereby promoting osteogenic activity in BMSCs.Moreover,activated FXR could directly bind to the Thoc6 promoter,suppressing its expression.The interaction between RUNX2 and Thoc6 was mediated by the Runt domain of RUNX2 and the WD repeat of Thoc6.Additionally,Obeticholic acid(OCA),an orally available FXR agonist,could ameliorate bone loss in an ovariectomy(OVX)-induced osteoporotic mouse model.Taken together,our findings suggest that FXR plays pivotal roles in osteoblast differentiation by regulating RUNX2 stability and that targeting FXR may be a promising therapeutic approach for osteoporosis.展开更多
Andrographolide sulfonate(AS)is a sulfonated derivative of andrographolide extracted from Andrographis paniculata(Burm.f.)Nees,and has been approved for several decades in China.The present study aimed to investigate ...Andrographolide sulfonate(AS)is a sulfonated derivative of andrographolide extracted from Andrographis paniculata(Burm.f.)Nees,and has been approved for several decades in China.The present study aimed to investigate the novel therapeutic application and possible mechanisms of AS in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.Results indicated that administration of AS by injection or gavage significantly reduced the paw swelling,improved body weights,and attenuated pathological changes in joints of rats with adjuvant-induced arthritis.Additionally,the levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-α),interleukin-6(IL-6),and IL-1β in the serum and ankle joints were reduced.Bioinformatics analysis,along with the spleen index and measurements of IL-17 and IL-10 levels,suggested a potential relationship between AS and Th17 cells under arthritic conditions.In vitro,AS was shown to block Th17 cell differentiation,as evidenced by the reduced percentages of CD4^(+)IL-17A^(+)T cells and decreased expression levels of RORγt,IL-17A,IL-17F,IL-21,and IL-22,without affecting the cell viability and apoptosis.This effect was attributed to the limited glycolysis,as indicated by metabolomics analysis,reduced glucose uptake,and p H measurements.Further investigation revealed that AS might bind to hexokinase2(HK2)to down-regulate the protein levels of HK2 but not glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase(GAPDH)or pyruvate kinase M2(PKM2),and overexpression of HK2 reversed the inhibition of AS on Th17 cell differentiation.Furthermore,AS impaired the activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)/protein kinase B(AKT)signals in vivo and in vitro,which was abolished by the addition of lactate.In conclusion,AS significantly improved adjuvant-induced arthritis(AIA)in rats by inhibiting glycolysis-mediated activation of PI3K/AKT to restrain Th17 cell differentiation.展开更多
Current organoid-generation strategies rely predominantly on intricate in vitro manipulations of dissociated stem cells,including isolation,expansion,and genetic modification.However,these approaches present significa...Current organoid-generation strategies rely predominantly on intricate in vitro manipulations of dissociated stem cells,including isolation,expansion,and genetic modification.However,these approaches present significant challenges in terms of safety and scalability for clinical applications.An alternative strategy involves the direct generation of organoids from readily available tissues.Herein,we report the generation of functional organoids representing all three germ layers from human adult adipose tissue without single-cell processing steps.Specifically,by employing a specialized suspension culture system,we have developed reaggregated microfat(RMF)tissues,which differentiated into mesodermal bone marrow organoids capable of reconstituting human normal hematopoiesis in immunodeficient mice,endodermal insulin-producing organoids that reversed hyperglycemia in streptozotocin(STZ)-induced diabetic mice,and ectodermal nervous-like tissues resembling neurons and neuroglial cells.These findings therefore highlight the potential of human adipose tissue as a safe,scalable,and clinically viable source for organoid-based regenerative therapies.展开更多
文摘Objective:To explore the role of bone morphogenetic protein 4(BMP-4) in hepatic progenitor cells(HPCs).Methods:The effect of BMP-4 on rat hepatic oval cells was examined by using the WB-F344 rat hepatocytic epithelial stem-cell-like cell line.This hepatocytic cell line could exert various hepatocytc functions including the secretion of albumin and urea.Immunohistochemistry was used to examine the effects of BMP-4 and its antagonist,Noggin,on the proliferation and differentiation of these cells,cellular uptake and excretion of indocyanine green,the periodic acid-schiff(PAS) assay for glycogen storage and the expression of hepatic markers.Results:Our results showed for the first time that BMP-4 may acted as a potential inducer of hepatic differentiation in rat hepatic oval cells.Conclusions:This cell source offers a much-needed attractive and expandable source for future investigations of drug screening,stem cell technologies and cellular transplantation,in a society with increasing levels of liver disease and damage.
基金Sichuan TCM Culture Coordinated Development Research Center Project(2023XT131)National Key Science and Technology Project of China(2023ZD0509405)National Natural Science Foundation of China(82174236).
文摘Objective To address the dual challenges of long-tail distribution and feature sparsity in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome differentiation within real clinical settings,we propose a data-efficient learning framework enhanced by knowledge graphs.Methods We developed Agent-GNN,a three-stage decoupled learning framework,and validated it on the Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome Diagnosis(TCM-SD)dataset containing 54152 clinical records across 148 syndrome categories.First,we constructed a comprehensive medical knowledge graph encoding the complete TCM reasoning system.Second,we proposed a Functional Patient Profiling(FPP)method that utilizes large language models(LLMs)combined with Graph Retrieval-Augmented Generation(RAG)to extract structured symptom-etiology-pathogenesis subgraphs from medical records.Third,we employed heterogeneous graph neural networks to learn structured combination patterns explicitly.We compared our method against multiple baselines including BERT,ZY-BERT,ZY-BERT+Know,GAT,and GPT-4 Few-shot,using macro-F1 score as the primary evaluation metric.Additionally,ablation experiments were conducted to validate the contribution of each key component to model performance.Results Agent-GNN achieved an overall macro-F1 score of 72.4%,representing an 8.7 percentage points improvement over ZY-BERT+Know(63.7%),the strongest baseline among traditional methods.For long-tail syndromes with fewer than 10 samples,Agent-GNN reached a macro-F1 score of 58.6%,compared with 39.3%for ZY-BERT+Know and 41.2%for GPT-4 Few-shot,representing relative improvements of 49.2%and 42.2%,respectively.Ablation experiments confirmed that the explicit modeling of etiology-pathogenesis nodes contributed 12.4 percentage points to this enhanced long-tail syndrome performance.Conclusion This study proposes Agent-GNN,a knowledge graph-enhanced framework that effectively addresses the long-tail distribution challenge in TCM syndrome differentiation.By explicitly modeling manifestation-mechanism-essence patterns through structured knowledge graphs,our approach achieves superior performance in data-scarce scenarios while providing interpretable reasoning paths for TCM intelligent diagnosis.
基金funded by Zhejiang Province Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Plan Project(2023ZL128)Zhejiang Province Medical and Health Science and Technology Project(2022504276)Hangzhou Municipal Health and Family Planning Science and Technology Program General Project(A20210086).
文摘Objectives Therapeutic strategies for enhancing bone regeneration and combating osteoporosis remain a significant unmet medical need.This study aims to elucidate Lithospermic acid(LA)’s regulatory effects on osteoblast proliferation and differentiation,investigating its viability as a bone-healing agent.Methods This study employed various cellular and molecular biology experiments to assess the effects of LA on the viability,proliferation,cell cycle,apoptosis,differentiation,mineralization,and migration of MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts.Immunofluorescence and Western blot analyses were conducted to detect the expression of proteins related to the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway,investigating the regulatory mechanisms by which LA promotes osteoblast proliferation and differentiation.Additionally,Wnt inhibitor dickkopf-1(DKK-1)andβ-catenin-silenced cell models were used to further validate the role of LA in modulating this signaling pathway.Results LA significantly promoted osteoblast proliferation without apparent cytotoxicity.Flow cytometry showed that LA regulated the cell cycle by reducing G0/G1 phase arrest and promoting G2/M phase progression.Western blot results indicated that LA upregulated the expression of proteins associated with cell proliferation and enhanced osteoblast differentiation and mineralization.Immunofluorescence and Western blot analyses further confirmed that LA markedly increased the expression of Wnt andβ-catenin,facilitatingβ-catenin nuclear translocation.Treatment with the DKK-1 inhibitor significantly diminished the proliferative and differentiation-promoting effects of LA,confirming the critical role of this pathway.β-catenin knockdown experiments further substantiated its central role in LA-mediated regulation.Conclusion This study confirms that LA promotes osteoblast proliferation,differentiation,mineralization,and migration by activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.
基金Supported by the Provincial Key Cultivation Laboratory for Digestive Disease Research,No.2021SYS13Shanxi Province’s“Si Ge Yi Pi”Science and Technology Driven Medical Innovation Project,No.2021MX03Shanxi Provincial Basic Research Program,No.202403021222423.
文摘BACKGROUND Ulcerative colitis(UC)is a chronic and treatment-resistant disorder requiring potent therapeutics that are effective and safe.Cedrol(CE)is a bioactive natural product present in many traditional Chinese medicines.It is known for its suppression of inflammation and mitigation of oxidative stress.Its therapeutic efficacy and mechanistic underpinnings in UC remain uncharacterized.AIM To investigate the therapeutic potential and mechanisms of CE in UC.METHODS The anti-inflammatory activity and intestinal barrier-repairing effects of CE were assessed in a dextran sulfate sodium-induced murine colitis model.Network pharmacology was employed to predict potential targets and pathways.Then molecular docking and dynamics simulations were utilized to confirm a stable interaction between CE and the toll-like receptor 4(TLR4)/myeloid differentiation factor 2(MD2)complex.The anti-inflammatory mechanisms were further verified using in vitro assays.Additionally,the gut microbiota composition was analyzed via 16S rRNA gene sequencing.RESULTS CE significantly alleviated colitis symptoms,mitigated histopathological damage,and suppressed inflammation.Moreover,CE restored intestinal barrier integrity by enhancing mucus secretion and upregulating tight junction proteins(zonula occludens 1,occludin,claudin-1).Mechanistically,CE stably bound to MD2,inhibiting lipopolysaccharide-induced TLR4 signaling in RAW264.7 cells.This led to suppression of the downstream mitogen-activated protein kinase and nuclear factor kappa B signaling pathways,downregulating the expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha,interleukin-1β,and interleukin-6.Gut microbiota analysis revealed that CE reversed dextran sulfate sodium-induced dysbiosis with significant enrichment of butyrogenic Christensenella minuta.CONCLUSION CE acted on MD2 to suppress proinflammatory cascades,promoting mucosal barrier reconstitution and microbiota remodeling and supporting its therapeutic use in UC.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(82271159,82071049,82425018,and 82101219)the STI2030-Major Projects(2022ZD0205400).
文摘Vestibular hair cells(HCs)in the inner ear,crucial for balance and spatial orientation,are classified into type I and type II subtypes,but the mechanisms regulating their differentiation remain unclear.In this study,we examined the role of Pou4f3,an important transcription factor,in vestibular HC differentiation using Pou4f3^(DTR/DTR)(deficient)and Pou4f3CreER/CreER(knockout)mouse models.In Pou4f3-deficient mice,the HC number decreased,and immature HCs failed to develop type I characteristics,indicating a developmental arrest.While type II HCs differentiated normally,Pou4f3 deficiency disrupted HC bundle formation and cell polarity.Findings from knockout models further confirmed the essential role of Pou4f3 in vestibular HC subtype specification.This study underscores the critical role of Pou4f3 in determining vestibular HC subtypes and offers insights into potential strategies for restoring vestibular function through HC regeneration.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(82170951,82470961)the Beijing Natural Science Foundation (7222079)+4 种基金the Beijing Hospital Authority"Dengfeng"Talent Training Plan (DFL 20221301)the Beijing Stomatological HospitalCapital Medical University Young Scientist Program (No.YSP202401)the Laboratory for Clinical Medicine and the Central Laboratory of Capital Medical University for their technical support and fundingthe Japan China Sasakawa Medical Fellowship for their generous support and funding。
文摘The functional regeneration of the dentin-pulp complex is pivotal for tooth preservation,yet the molecular mechanisms governing odontoblast differentiation remain poorly understood.In the current study,we revealed a distinct NKD1^(+) subpopulation exhibiting secretory odontoblast characteristics,which was specifically induced in dental pulp stem cells(DPSCs) by Wnt3a,but not by Wnt5a or Wnt10a through single-cell transcriptomic profiling.We then found that the NKD1^(+) subpopulation was functional conservation,which were consistently identified in the odontoblast layers of developing tooth germs in both murine and miniature pig models,as well as within the apical open area in human molars.This conserved spatial distribution and co-localization with DSPP strongly indicates that NKD1^(+) cells were active dentin-secreting odontoblasts.Analysis of gene regulatory networks using SCENIC identified MSX1 as a key transcription factor regulating the specification of NKD1^(+) lineage.Mechanistically,Wnt3a orchestrates a tripartite cascade:upregulating NKD1/MSX1 expression,triggering NKD1 membrane detachment,and facilitating direct NKD1-MSX1interaction to promote MSX1 nuclear translocation.CUT&Tag analysis demonstrated MSX1 occupancy at promoters of odontogenic regulato rs,esta blishing its necessity for odontogenic gene activation.Murine pulp exposure models validated that Wnt3a-activated NKD1-MSX1 signaling significantly enhances reparative dentin formation.This study delineates an evolutionarily conserved Wnt3aNKD1-MSX1 axis that resolves stem cell heterogeneity into functional odontoblast commitment,providing both mechanistic insights into dentin-pulp regeneration and a foundation for targeted regenerative therapies.
基金Under the auspices of the National Key Research and Development Program of China(No.2018YFD1100803)the Fundamental Research Fund for the Central Universities(Ph.D.Top Innovative Talents Fund of CUMTB)(No.BBJ2024029)。
文摘Systematically analyzing the impact mechanisms of policy on Land Use Conflict(LUC)is crucial for constructing effective conflict mitigation strategies.However,previous research on how policy influences LUC remains relatively limited.Focusing on the indirect driving role of policy on LUC,this study proposed County Development Level(CDL)under Major Function Oriented Zone Planning(MFOZP)guidance as an intermediary variable,bridging the implicit influence of MFOZP and the explicit changes in LUC.Using the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei(BTH)region in China as a case study,we analyzed the spatio-temporal evolution characteristics of LUC and CDL for the periods 2000-2010 and 2010-2020,before and after MFOZP implementation.Panel models and Geographically Weighted Regression(GWR)were employed to explore the mechanism by which CDL influences LUC under MFOZP guidance.The results show that:1)MFOZP implementation effectively alleviates land use pressure from regional development,with LUC continuously declining at a rate of 2.41%,while CDL exhibits slight growth(3.84%),during 2010-2020.2)Under MFOZP guidance,CDL reduces pressure on Land Use Structure Conflict(LUSC)and Land Use Process Conflict(LUPC),enhances its inhibitory effect on Land Use Function Conflict(LUFC),and significantly contributes to LUC coordination,with notable spatial heterogeneity.3)The coupling relationship between CDL and LUC has improved post-implementation.Based on this,tailored LUC coordination strategies are proposed for different functional zones.This study confirms the effectiveness of MFOZP in coordinating LUC and provides a scientific reference for LUC research under policy frameworks and the governance of LUC in the BTH region.
文摘Objectives Dysregulated osteoclast function contributes to skeletal diseases.However,the specific ubiquitination regulators of the osteoclastogenesis repressor MafB,particularly at the post-translational level,remain undefined.This study aims to identify ubiquitin-specific proteases(USPs)that deubiquitinate MafB and enhance its stability.Methods We constructed a MafB-conjugated luciferase and overexpressed 40 individual USPs,measuring changes in luciferase activity.The identified USP was overexpressed in human CD14^(+) peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMCs)to evaluate its effect.Osteoclast differentiation was assessed through osteoclast marker Integrin alpha-V(CD51)staining and Western blot analysis.Co-immunoprecipitation(co-IP)was performed to assess the interplay.The influence on MafB ubiquitination and degradation was evaluated via immunoprecipitation and Western blot.Finally,MafB was knocked down in the USP-overexpressing PBMCs to analyze its effect on osteoclast differentiation.Results Overexpression of ubiquitin-specific protease 29(USP29)significantly increased MafB expression by approximately 75%(p<0.0001).Elevated USP29 levels strongly inhibited osteoclastic differentiation in CD14^(+) PBMCs(p<0.0001).USP29 was found to interact with MafB,markedly reducing its ubiquitination and subsequent degradation in PBMCs(p<0.001).Knocking down MafB in USP29-overexpressing PBMCs alleviated the inhibitory effect of USP29 on osteoclastogenesis.Conclusion USP29 acts as a potent stabilizer of MafB,inhibiting osteoclastogenesis in human CD14^(+) PBMCs,at least in part,by enhancing MafB stability.These findings expand our understanding of USP29’s role and the post-translational regulation of MafB.Furthermore,USP29 serves as a vital factor that controls osteoclast differentiation,and its regulatory function is at least partially mediated by deubiquitinating and stabilizing MafB.
基金supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province of China(Grant No.2023AFB671)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.82360177 and 82560182)+1 种基金the Key Project of Jiangxi Provincial Natural Science Foundation(Grant No.20224ACB206011)“Xuncheng Talents”Project in Jiujiang City,Jiangxi Province(Grant No.JJXC2023071).
文摘Objectives The discovery of novel molecular targets to enhance the osteogenesis of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells(H-BMSCs)represents a promising strategy for preventing and treating osteoporosis.Thus,the primary objective of this study is to elucidate the mechanisms by which long non-coding RNA FOXD2-AS1(lncRNA FOXD2-AS1)regulates early osteogenic differentiation in H-BMSCs,thereby identifying potential therapeutic targets.Methods Lentivirus-mediated vectors were constructed to either overexpress or silence FOXD2-AS1 in H-BMSCs.The effects of FOXD2-AS1 on osteogenesis were subsequently assessed by analyzing osteogenic marker expression and alkaline phosphatase(ALP)staining.To clarify the role of the Janus kinase 2/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(JAK2/STAT3)pathway in this process,AG490 inhibitor(a JAK2/STAT3 pathway inhibitor)and knockdown of STAT3 were used to investigate the mechanisms of FOXD2-AS1.Results FOXD2-AS1 overexpression increased ALP activity and osteogenic marker expression,while its knockdown had the opposite effects.From a mechanistic perspective,FOXD2-AS1 overexpression promoted JAK2 and STAT3 phosphorylation,whereas its suppression attenuated their activation.Also,the osteogenic increase induced by FOXD2-AS1 overexpression was reversed by AG490 treatment or STAT3 silencing,indicating that the pathway plays a role in this process.Conclusion FOXD2-AS1 was identified as a novel genetic switch driving osteogenic commitment via JAK2/STAT3 activation,revealing a new regulatory mechanism and a potential therapeutic target for osteoporosis.
文摘Outward oriented economy in Fujian Province has been developed rapidly since the implementation of open door policy. Regional differentiation is obvious between ethnic Chinese hometown and non ethnic Chinese one; southeast Fujian and other part of the province; and different counties within southeast Fujian. Enterprises with foreign capital make great contribution to the economic development of Fujian.
基金Supported by Central Government Major Budget Adjustment Program(the Research on the Medicinal Properties of Brazilian Ginseng,Tonico,and Guarana,No.2060302)。
文摘It is well known that Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM)has two outstanding academic characteristics:the holistic concept comes from Huang Di Nei Jing,and the syndrome differentiation and treatment comes from Shang Han Lun.These two characteristics denote the two major academic systems of TCM:one is the medical system of Huang Di Nei Jing,also named syndrome differentiation and treatment system of Zang-Fu organs and meridians,focuses on theoretical exploration,which highlights functional connection and emphasizes philosophical thinking.The treatment in this system is based on physiological functions by taking Zang-Fu organs as the main body,Qi,blood,essence,and body fluid as the auxiliary body,and the meridians and collaterals as the connection channels.The other is the syndrome differentiation and treatment system of the six meridians,which emphasizes clinical practice.It encompasses the idea that the six meridians govern various diseases,emphasizes the disease sites and divisional treatment,and pays attention to the precision and appropriateness of prescription-syndrome differentiation.These two academic systems,with mutual influences and relations,are both the essence and pearl of TCM,nevertheless,there are obvious differences between the two in clinical application,so they should be distinguished.This paper will elaborate on the connection and difference between them,and how to organically combine the two systems for better application in clinical practice of TCM.
基金financially supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(No.FRF-KST-25-001)the Beijing Natural Science Foundation(No.L253029)。
文摘In the context of the global energy low-carbon transition,phase change energy storage technology becomes a key technology to solve the problem of intermittent renewable energy.Oriented phase change composites(OCPCMs)receive widespread attention in practical energy storage applications due to their unique oriented thermally conductive structure,which achieves significant thermal conductivity enhancement in specific directions while retaining the high energy storage capacity of the phase change components.This review systematically summarizes the overall analysis of OCPCMs from synthesis and preparation to application scenarios in recent years.Herein,we introduce the analysis of the heat transfer mechanism of the materials and explore the advantages of the oriented structure in OCPCMs in the heat transfer behavior from a bionic perspective.We then focus on summarizing and generalizing the methods for preparing OCPCMs,giving suggestions for suitable methods according to different scenarios.Besides,we discuss the application of finite element simulation methods to the monitoring of the thermal management behavior of OCPCMs,and look into the potential future application areas of such materials.Finally,it is hoped that this review will provide guidance for the academic community in developing high-performance OCPCMs.
基金Funded by the National Key R&D Program of China(No.2023YFC3806100)the National Nature Science Foundation of China(Nos.52278269,52278268,52178264,and 52108238)+2 种基金the Tianjin Outstanding Young Scholars Science Fund Project(No.22JCJQJC00020)the Key Project of Tianjin Natural Science Foundation(No.23JCZDJC00430)the Joint Research Center of China and Foreign Countries Special Fund of Tianjin Innovation Platform(No.24PTLYHZ00240)。
文摘Sporosarcina pasteurii was employed as the strain,with an in-situ magnetization construction,to obtain magnetic microorganisms and oriented self-healing mortar specimens based on them.The magnetic field was used to achieve the directional migration of magnetic microorganisms during the oriented selfhealing of mortar cracks,improving the rate of self-healing of cracks.The experimental results demonstrate that the magnetic microorganisms are composed of Fe_(3)O_(4)nanosheets attached to the surface of Sporosarcina pasteurii,whose mineralization products are comprised of vaterite primarily.Compared with the pure microbial group,the magnetic microbial group exhibits a faster repair rate,shortening the repair time required to achieve an area repair efficiency of over 90%from 28 days to 14 days,thereby doubling the repair rate.Meanwhile,the area repair efficiency of the magnetic microbial group at 7,14,and 28 days are increased by 50.3%,11.2%,and 4.6%,respectively,compared to the pure microbial group,which are due to the magnetic microorganisms'superior directional migration and mineralization ability,exceeding that of the ordinary microorganisms.
基金supported by grants from National Natural Science Foundation of China(82272444,81972031,81972033)China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(2022M722382)Tianjin Key Medical Discipline(Specialty)Construction Project(TJYXZDXK-032A)。
文摘Neural EGFL-like 2(NELL2)is a secreted protein known for its regulatory functions in the nervous and reproductive systems,yet its role in bone biology remains unexplored.In this study,we observed that NELL2 was diminished in the bone of aged and ovariectomized(OVX)mice,as well as in the serum of osteopenia and osteoporosis patients.In vitro loss-of-function and gain-offunction studies revealed that NELL2 facilitated osteoblast differentiation and impeded adipocyte differentiation from stromal progenitor cells.In vivo studies further demonstrated that the deletion of NELL2 in preosteoblasts resulted in decreased cancellous bone mass in mice.Mechanistically,NELL2 interacted with the FNI-type domain located at the C-terminus of Fibronectin 1(Fn1).Moreover,we found that NELL2 activated the focal adhesion kinase(FAK)/AKT signaling pathway through Fn1/integrinβ1(ITGB1),leading to the promotion of osteogenesis and the inhibition of adipogenesis.Notably,administration of NELL2-AAV was found to ameliorate bone loss in OVX mice.These findings underscore the significant role of NELL2 in osteoblast differentiation and bone homeostasis,suggesting its potential as a therapeutic target for managing osteoporosis.
基金supported by the National Research Foundation(NRF)S&F-Scarce Skills Postdoctoral Fellowship,No.120752(to AC)the Global Excellence and Stature,Fourth Industrial Revolution(GES 4.0)Postgraduate Scholarship(to MJR)the South African Research Chairs Initiative of the Department of Science and Technology and National Research Foundation of South Africa(SARChI/NRF-DST),No.146290(to DDS and HA).
文摘Photobiomodulation,originally used red and near-infrared lasers,can alter cellular metabolism.It has been demonstrated that the visible spectrum at 451-540 nm does not necessarily increase cell proliferation,near-infrared light promotes adipose stem cell proliferation and affects adipose stem cell migration,which is necessary for the cells homing to the site of injury.In this in vitro study,we explored the potential of adipose-derived stem cells to differentiate into neurons for future translational regenerative treatments in neurodegenerative disorders and brain injuries.We investigated the effects of various biological and chemical inducers on trans-differentiation and evaluated the impact of photobiomodulation using 825 nm near-infrared and 525 nm green laser light at 5 J/cm2.As adipose-derived stem cells can be used in autologous grafting and photobiomodulation has been shown to have biostimulatory effects.Our findings reveal that adipose-derived stem cells can indeed trans-differentiate into neuronal cells when exposed to inducers,with pre-induced cells exhibiting higher rates of proliferation and trans-differentiation compared with the control group.Interestingly,green laser light stimulation led to notable morphological changes indicative of enhanced trans-differentiation,while near-infrared photobiomodulation notably increased the expression of neuronal markers.Through biochemical analysis and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays,we observed marked improvements in viability,proliferation,membrane permeability,and mitochondrial membrane potential,as well as increased protein levels of neuron-specific enolase and ciliary neurotrophic factor.Overall,our results demonstrate the efficacy of photobiomodulation in enhancing the trans-differentiation ability of adipose-derived stem cells,offering promising prospects for their use in regenerative medicine for neurodegenerative disorders and brain injuries.
文摘The authors regret to report the following error made in“Spatiotemporal dynamics of neuron differentiation and migration in the developing human spinal cord;52(2025)-101283-1295;Doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jgg.2025.08.004”.In Tables S1 and S2 in the supplementary materials of this paper,some items were written in Chinese.The corresponding pictures and tables were not uploaded in time.
文摘Grain-oriented silicon steels were prepared at different heating rates during high temperature annealing,in which the evolution of magnetic properties,grain orientations and precipitates were studied.To illustrate the Zener factor,the diameter and number density of precipitates of interrupted testing samples were statistically calculated.The effect of precipitate ripening on the Goss texture and magnetic property was investigated.Data indicated that the trend of Zener factor was similar under different heating rates,first increasing and then decreasing,and that the precipitate maturing was greatly inhibited as the heating rate increased.Secondary recrystallization was developed at the temperature of 1010℃when a heating rate of 5℃/h was used,resulting in Goss,Brass and{110}<227>oriented grains growing abnormally and a magnetic induction intensity of 1.90T.Furthermore,increasing the heating rate to 20℃/h would inhibit the development of undesirable oriented grains and obtain a sharp Goss texture.However,when the heating rate was extremely fast,such as 40℃/h,poor secondary recrystallization was developed with many island grains,corresponding to a decrease in magnetic induction intensity to 1.87 T.At a suitable heating rate of 20℃/h,the sharpest Goss texture and the highest magnetic induction of 1.94 T with an onset secondary recrystallization temperature of 1020℃were found among the experimental variables in this study.The heating rate affected the initial temperature of secondary recrystallization by controlling the maturation of precipitates,leading to the deviation and dispersion of Goss texture,thereby reducing the magnetic properties.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(grant numbers 82072523 to Zhiyong Hou)Postdoctoral program of Clinical medicine of Hebei Medical University(grant numbers PD2023012 to Sujuan Xu)+2 种基金Excellent postdoctoral research funding project of Hebei Province(grant numbers B2023005011 to Sujuan Xu)The 16th special grant of China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(grant numbers 2023T160182 to Sujuan Xu)Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province,China(grant numbers H2023206230 to Yingchao Yin,H2024206186 to Sujuan Xu).
文摘The delicate balance between bone formation by osteoblasts and bone resorption by osteoclasts maintains bone homeostasis.Nuclear receptors(NRs)are now understood to be crucial in bone physiology and pathology.However,the function of the Farnesoid X receptor(FXR),a member of the NR family,in regulating bone homeostasis remains incompletely understood.In this study,in vitro and in vivo models revealed delayed bone development and an osteoporosis phenotype in mice lacking FXR in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells(BMSCs)and osteoblasts due to impaired osteoblast differentiation.Mechanistically,FXR could stabilize RUNX2 by inhibiting Thoc6-mediated ubiquitination,thereby promoting osteogenic activity in BMSCs.Moreover,activated FXR could directly bind to the Thoc6 promoter,suppressing its expression.The interaction between RUNX2 and Thoc6 was mediated by the Runt domain of RUNX2 and the WD repeat of Thoc6.Additionally,Obeticholic acid(OCA),an orally available FXR agonist,could ameliorate bone loss in an ovariectomy(OVX)-induced osteoporotic mouse model.Taken together,our findings suggest that FXR plays pivotal roles in osteoblast differentiation by regulating RUNX2 stability and that targeting FXR may be a promising therapeutic approach for osteoporosis.
基金supported by the project of Central Funds Guiding the Local Science and Technology Development(No.20212ZDD02010)。
文摘Andrographolide sulfonate(AS)is a sulfonated derivative of andrographolide extracted from Andrographis paniculata(Burm.f.)Nees,and has been approved for several decades in China.The present study aimed to investigate the novel therapeutic application and possible mechanisms of AS in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.Results indicated that administration of AS by injection or gavage significantly reduced the paw swelling,improved body weights,and attenuated pathological changes in joints of rats with adjuvant-induced arthritis.Additionally,the levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-α),interleukin-6(IL-6),and IL-1β in the serum and ankle joints were reduced.Bioinformatics analysis,along with the spleen index and measurements of IL-17 and IL-10 levels,suggested a potential relationship between AS and Th17 cells under arthritic conditions.In vitro,AS was shown to block Th17 cell differentiation,as evidenced by the reduced percentages of CD4^(+)IL-17A^(+)T cells and decreased expression levels of RORγt,IL-17A,IL-17F,IL-21,and IL-22,without affecting the cell viability and apoptosis.This effect was attributed to the limited glycolysis,as indicated by metabolomics analysis,reduced glucose uptake,and p H measurements.Further investigation revealed that AS might bind to hexokinase2(HK2)to down-regulate the protein levels of HK2 but not glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase(GAPDH)or pyruvate kinase M2(PKM2),and overexpression of HK2 reversed the inhibition of AS on Th17 cell differentiation.Furthermore,AS impaired the activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)/protein kinase B(AKT)signals in vivo and in vitro,which was abolished by the addition of lactate.In conclusion,AS significantly improved adjuvant-induced arthritis(AIA)in rats by inhibiting glycolysis-mediated activation of PI3K/AKT to restrain Th17 cell differentiation.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(82372535 to Ru-Lin Huang and 82361138568 to Qingfeng Li)the Shanghai Clinical Research Center of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery supported by Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality(22MC1940300)the Shanghai Plastic Surgery Research Center of Shanghai Priority Research Center(2023ZZ02023)。
文摘Current organoid-generation strategies rely predominantly on intricate in vitro manipulations of dissociated stem cells,including isolation,expansion,and genetic modification.However,these approaches present significant challenges in terms of safety and scalability for clinical applications.An alternative strategy involves the direct generation of organoids from readily available tissues.Herein,we report the generation of functional organoids representing all three germ layers from human adult adipose tissue without single-cell processing steps.Specifically,by employing a specialized suspension culture system,we have developed reaggregated microfat(RMF)tissues,which differentiated into mesodermal bone marrow organoids capable of reconstituting human normal hematopoiesis in immunodeficient mice,endodermal insulin-producing organoids that reversed hyperglycemia in streptozotocin(STZ)-induced diabetic mice,and ectodermal nervous-like tissues resembling neurons and neuroglial cells.These findings therefore highlight the potential of human adipose tissue as a safe,scalable,and clinically viable source for organoid-based regenerative therapies.
