Frontiers in Physiology最新文献

Introduction: Coral larval metamorphosis is a critical life cycle transition from swimming planula to benthic polyp, key for reproductive success and survival of reef populations. The larval physiological processes involved during this transition are relatively unknown, in the absence of exogenous microbial induction.

Methods: Here the identity and abundance of coral proteins detected at onset of metamorphosis (swimming planula to 'settler' stages) was investigated using planulae released from 4 distinct brooding Pocillopora acuta coral colonies, to consider maternal carry-over effects on the variability of larval proteomes.

Results and discussion: NanoLC-MS/MS data analysis identified a total of 5,570 coral proteins, of which 1,119 occurred only either in planula or settler. Label-free quantification revealed 102 differentially enriched proteins (DEPs, log2 fold change > |2| p-value < 0.05), categorized into 7 predicted functional groups: adhesion and cytoskeleton remodeling, neurosensing, biocalcification toolkit, metabolism, morphogenesis, innate immunity, and antioxidant stress defense. Additionally, 98 aboral unique proteins and 25 aboral DEPs were quantified in the bisected planula, consistent with the presence of specialized aboral cell types involved in sensing of environmental cues. These results reveal the activation of coral innate immunity during larval metamorphosis, providing better knowledge of coral settlement physiology, with potential future ecological applications.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the short-term clinical outcomes and safety of endoscopic excision for the management of internal and mixed hemorrhoids.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 20 patients with Grade II to Grade IV internal or mixed hemorrhoids who underwent endoscopic excision at Zhoushan Hospital between January 2024 and December 2024. All patients had complete follow-up data.

Results: At 3 and 6 months after surgery, the treatment effectiveness rate was 100%, and both postoperative satisfaction and acceptance rates were 100%. No severe postoperative complications occurred, and no bleeding or infection was observed. Mild pain developed in three patients, a transient sensation of anal heaviness and distension occurred in one patient, and temporary urinary retention occurred in one patient, which resolved after local hot compress therapy. Postoperative pathological examinations confirmed that the resected anorectal masses demonstrated changes consistent with hemorrhoidal tissue.

Conclusion: Endoscopic excision for internal and mixed hemorrhoids is a safe and effective therapeutic approach. It provides significant symptom relief, yields high postoperative satisfaction and acceptance among patients, and allows for definitive pathological confirmation of the nature of the resected anorectal tissue.

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) arises from intersecting metabolic, hemodynamic, inflammatory, and epigenetic programs that progressively remodel the glomerulus and tubulointerstitium on a molecular level. Hyperglycemia-driven AGE-RAGE signaling, PKC activation, and RAAS dysregulation converge on oxidative stress, endothelial dysfunction, and profibrotic transcription (e.g., TGF-beta/Smad), while mitochondrial and endoplasmic-reticulum stress amplify lipotoxicity and cell death. Innate immune activation (macrophage recruitment and inflammasome signaling) and maladaptive repair promote extracellular-matrix accumulation and nephron loss. Multi-omics studies further implicate durable chromatin and non-coding RNA changes that sustain metabolic memory despite improved glycemia. In this review, we synthesize landmark and recent mechanistic data spanning glomerular filtration barrier injury, tubular stress pathways, and immune-metabolic crosstalk, and we highlight therapeutic strategies that move upstream of symptom control. We discuss established disease-modifying agents (RAAS blockade, SGLT2 inhibitors, and non-steroidal MR antagonists) alongside investigational approaches including epigenetic modulators, AMPK/NAD + axis targeting, and gene/RNA-based interventions. Together, these advances frame DKD as a disorder of rewired signaling and gene-regulatory circuitry, where convergent molecular nodes across podocytes, endothelium, and tubules offer the actionable considerations for durable renal protection.

Introduction: We conducted this survey to explore what operative lung cancer patients knew about pulmonary rehabilitation and the factors that influence it.

Methods: Between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2020, patients who received thoracic surgery were enrolled in this study. We used a three-part questionnaire to collect the clinical features and knowledge of pulmonary rehabilitation.

Results: A total of 93 patients were enrolled in this study. Most patients were female, ≤60 years old, had normal pulmonary function, and had been diagnosed with non-small-cell lung cancer. Univariate analysis revealed that patients with abnormal pulmonary ventilatory function, higher preoperative COPD assessment test (CAT) scores, higher CAT differences, and higher mMRC differences showed a higher awareness of pulmonary rehabilitation (p = 0.043, 0.029, 0.178, and 0.003, respectively). Multivariate analysis suggested that preoperative CAT score (p = 0.01) and mMRC difference (p = 0.001) were the factors associated with awareness of pulmonary rehabilitation.

Conclusion: Many factors may influence the patients' knowledge of pulmonary rehabilitation. We found that a higher preoperative CAT score and a larger mMRC difference were factors associated with awareness of pulmonary rehabilitation. However, assistance should also be provided to patients who do not fall into these categories, as they may lack knowledge of pulmonary rehabilitation.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) has become a predominant cause of liver disease globally, primarily due to the rising prevalence of metabolic disorders, including obesity and diabetes. The advancement of MASLD from simple steatosis to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) and fibrosis involves intricate metabolic and immune interactions. Hypoxia-Inducible Factors (HIFs) are integral to the regulation of cellular responses under hypoxic conditions, significantly influencing metabolic homeostasis and modulating immune cell functions. Within the framework of MASLD, HIFs facilitate the adaptive responses to hypoxic conditions and oxidative stress, which are pivotal drivers of disease progression. However, the precise mechanisms by which HIFs influence MASLD pathogenesis remain incompletely understood. This study seeks to investigate the role of HIFs in the immunometabolic processes of MASLD, with particular emphasis on the molecular pathways they regulate within hepatic cells and the immune microenvironment. Furthermore, we examine the challenges associated with therapeutically targeting HIFs, such as the intricate regulation of HIFs, their tissue-specific effects, and the potential risk of inducing tumorigenesis. In conclusion, we underscore prospective research avenues that may yield innovative therapeutic strategies aimed at targeting HIFs to alleviate inflammation, fibrosis, and metabolic dysregulation in MASLD.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2025.1729553.].

Regional techniques such as spinal anesthesia may offer advantages over general anesthesia for autonomous medical care during long-duration space missions, yet their behaviour in microgravity remains largely uncharacterised. On Earth, intrathecal anesthetic spread depends on baricity, posture, spinal curvature, and cerebrospinal fluid dynamics. Microgravity alters these determinants by diminishing gravity-dependent density gradients, modifying spinal geometry through paraspinal atrophy and elongation, and inducing cardiovascular and neurophysiologic adaptations that may affect block characteristics and hemodynamic tolerance. This Mini Review synthesises current evidence on spinal anesthetic mechanisms and spaceflight physiology to identify where terrestrial assumptions may fail in microgravity. Key knowledge gaps and research priorities are highlighted to inform the development of safe neuraxial anesthesia protocols for exploration-class missions.

Purpose: Pulsed-field ablation (PFA) is a novel ablation modality with promising outcomes for atrial fibrillation therapy. However, PFA might lead to dry cough and diaphragmatic contraction, especially under conscious sedation. We aim to explore a novel approach to reduce dry cough and diaphragmatic contraction during PFA procedures performed under conscious sedation.

Methods: A total of 16 patients who underwent PFA pulmonary vein isolation under conscious sedation were divided into the asmeton (with preprocedure asmeton) and control groups. A scoring system was developed to assess dry cough and diaphragmatic contraction.

Results: A total of 608 ablations and 893 ablations were performed in the control and asmeton groups, respectively. The dry cough score (P = 0.045) in all pulmonary veins was significantly reduced by 73.1% in the asmeton group in comparison with the control group. The proportion of medium-to-high dry cough incidences decreased from 12.2 ± 10.4% in the control group to 1.8 ± 3.7% in the asmeton group (P = 0.027). The diaphragmatic contraction score in the asmeton group was 37.5% lower than that in the control group, and the proportion of severe diaphragmatic contraction incidences was significantly reduced from 2.8 ± 8.4% in the control group to 0.0 ± 0.0% in the asmeton group (P = 0.006).

Conclusion: Asmeton might eliminate moderate-to-severe dry cough and reduce the severity of diaphragmatic contraction during pulmonary vein isolation under conscious sedation ablation.

Background: Long periods of sitting characterize modern working life and are associated with increased health risks. Integrating short activity breaks may counteract these effects. This scoping review examines the effects of brief bouts of physical activities on cognitive performance and neurophysiological parameters.

Methods: A comprehensive search in PubMed and EBSCOhost identified experimental and field studies with adult participants examining the effects of interrupting sitting periods with short physical activities on cognitive performance, neurophysiological parameters (EEG), and muscle activity (EMG). Studies focusing solely on standing or posture changes were excluded. Study quality and internal validity were assessed using the revised Cochrane tool for assessing the risk of bias in randomized trials. A narrative synthesis summarised the findings.

Results: Eighteen studies met the inclusion criteria, with a total of 694 participants aged between 20 and 50 years. Of these, only one study examined the influence on EEG and found that walking breaks increased attention-related brain activity, as indicated by a higher P3 amplitude. However, behavioural performance remained unchanged. Two studies examined muscular parameters using EMG, one of which observed a reduction in fatigue. Cognitive performance was assessed in 16 studies. Only two studies used standardized and realistic work tasks to keep participants engaged during the sitting periods. The results varied widely and only occasionally showed a positive influence of movement breaks on cognitive function.

Conclusion: Reasons for the heterogeneity of the results on cognitive performance may lie in different study designs, types of intervention, and outcome measurements. Another factor is the tasks assigned during the sitting phases. Variations in mental load during the different tasks cannot be ruled out, which in turn may influence cognitive performance outcomes after the interventions. The limited number of studies, which often had small sample sizes, and the considerable methodological heterogeneity do not allow for definitive conclusions. Nevertheless, the review provides some evidence that interrupting prolonged sitting with short breaks of physical activity may help maintain cognitive performance and muscle health. These findings underscore the need for more rigorous, ecologically valid research to better understand the health effects of interrupting sedentary activities.

Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42025638431, identifier CRD42025638431.