生理学报最新文献

Voltage-gated ion channels (VGICs) are central to cellular excitation, orchestrating skeletal and cardiac muscle contractions and enabling neural signal transduction. Among these, voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels are particularly significant in cardiac electrophysiology, especially during the repolarization phase of the cardiac action potential. In cardiac myocytes, Kv channels are integral to a multitude of sophisticated functions, including electrical conduction. Despite their importance, research on Kv channels in the context of cardiovascular diseases is limited. This review offers a comprehensive summary of the structural complexities of Kv channels, delineating the regulatory mechanisms involved in channel gating, expression, and membrane localization. Additionally, we examine the role of different Kv α-subunits in modulating Kv channels and their impact on cardiac remodeling, and assess the potential of targeting Kv channels for the development of anti-arrhythmic therapies.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of exogenous erythropoietin (EPO) on intermittent hypoxia (IH)-induced neuronal injury and the underlying mechanism. Mouse hippocampal neuron HT22 cells were exposed to IH for different durations (1% O₂ for 7 min/21% O₂ for 3 min, one cycle for 10 min). Cell viability was detected by CCK-8. EPO content in the supernatant of cell culture medium was detected by ELISA kit, and the protein expression was detected by Western blot. EPO receptor (EPOR) protein expression was detected by immunofluorescence staining and Western blot. Cellular apoptosis and mitochondrial membrane potential were detected by the corresponding kits. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) level was detected by DCFH probe, and expression levels of JAK2-STAT5 signaling pathway-related proteins were detected by Western blot. The results showed that IH exposure significantly decreased HT22 cell activity. EPO and EPOR protein expressions were significantly up-regulated at 12 h of IH exposure, but down-regulated at 24 and 48 h. In IH-treated HT22 cells, exogenous EPO significantly increased cell activity and mitochondrial membrane potential, decreased ROS levels and cell apoptosis, up-regulated Nrf-2 and heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) protein expression levels, decreased Cleaved-Caspase-3/Caspase-3 and Bax/Bcl-2 ratios, and promoted the phosphorylation of JAK2-STAT5 pathway-related proteins. Whereas JAK2 and STAT5 blockers both reversed these neuronal protective effects of EPO. These results suggest exogenous EPO inhibits IH-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis by activating the JAK2-STAT5 signaling pathway, thus exerting a neuronal protective effect.

Ischemic stroke is an acute cerebrovascular disease caused by cerebral vascular obstruction, which is the third leading cause of human death and disability. Multiple studies have demonstrated that autophagy plays a positive role in neurons after ischemic stroke. Autophagy is the main intracellular mechanism that mediates the degradation and recycling of various substrates in lysosomes, so it is very important to maintain normal function of lysosomes. However, cerebral ischemia can result in significant impairment of lysosomal function, subsequently leading to disruption in autophagy flow and exacerbation of neuronal injury. This review elucidates the mechanism of autophagic flux injury resulting from lysosomal dysfunction induced by impaired fusion between autophagosomes and lysosomes, alterations in the acidic environment within lysosomes, and diminished biosynthesis of lysosomes following ischemic stroke. The lysosome is regarded as the primary focal point for investigating the mechanism of autophagic flux injury, with the aim of modulating neuronal autophagic flux to improve cerebral ischemia-induced brain injury. This approach holds potential for exerting a neuroprotective effect and providing a novel avenue for stroke treatment.

The kynurenine pathway (KP) is the main metabolic pathway of tryptophan in the diet. Existing research has shown that KP plays a key role in the pathogenesis of various diseases. It has been demonstrated that kynurenine metabolic enzymes, such as indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) and kynurenine monooxygenase (KMO), are involved in various types of pain, particularly the occurrence and development of neuropathic pain. This article reviewed the role of KP, metabolites and enzymes, as well as the analgesic effects and mechanisms of KP in neuropathic pain, providing reference for the application of KP in the basic research and clinical treatment of neuropathic pain.

Cysteine dioxygenase type 1 (CDO1) belongs to the cysteine dioxygenase (CDO) family. CDO1 is the key enzyme in cysteine catabolism and taurine synthesis. CDO1 is highly expressed in liver, adipose tissue, pancreas, kidney, lung, brain and small intestine. CDO1 is involved in the pathophysiological regulation of various common metabolic diseases, such as lipid metabolism disorders, insulin resistance, obesity, tumors/cancers, and neurodegenerative diseases. This article summarizes the research progress on the molecular mechanisms of CDO1 regulation of common metabolic diseases in recent years, aiming to provide new theoretical and practical basis for CDO1-targeted therapy for insulin resistance, obesity, tumors/cancers, and neurodegenerative diseases.

This paper aimed to investigate the effects of exercise on hepatic platelet-activating factor (PAF) metabolism in rats fed a high-fat diet. Thirty-two male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were divided into control group (C), high-fat diet group (H), exercise group (EC), and high-fat diet+exercise group (EH). Serum lipids, glucose, insulin and markers of hepatic injury after a 16-week dietary and/or exercise intervention (60 min/day, 6 times/week) were measured by biochemical analysis; liver lipidomic profiles were analyzed by liquid chromatograph-mass spectrometer (LC-MS). Gene and protein expression of enzymes related to PAF metabolism were determined by qPCR and Western blot respectively. The results showed that high-fat diet feeding significantly increased the levels of low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) and liver injury markers including purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in rats, which were decreased by exercise. Furthermore, high-fat diet feeding significantly increased the hepatic PAF content, which was also attenuated by exercise. In addition, although high-fat diet treatment resulted in an increase in the expression of both PAF synthetase (PAF-CPT and PLA2) and hydrolase (Lp-PLA2 and PAF-AH(II)), induction of PAF synthetase was much greater than that of PAF hydrolase. While exercise increased the expression of Lp-PLA2 and PAF-AH(II) and decreased the expression of PAF-CPT and PLA2, key PAF synthesizing enzymes. In conclusion, high-fat diet-induced increase in hepatic PAF content is mainly due to the increase of its pathological synthesis at the translational level. Exercise reduces hepatic PAF content in high-fat fed rats by increasing PAF hydrolysis and decreasing its synthesis.

The activation of stressors can disrupt the body's homeostasis, leading to the release of stress hormones such as epinephrine, noradrenaline, and glucocorticoids. Moreover, emerging evidence highlights the profound impact of stress on microglia, which are specialized macrophages residing in the brain's parenchyma. Following stress, microglia exhibit notable morphological activation and increased phagocytic activity. Microglia express various receptors that enable them to respond to stress hormones originating from both central and peripheral sources, thereby exerting pro-inflammatory or anti-inflammatory effects. In this article, we review the advancements in studying the structural and functional changes of microglia induced by exposure to stressors. Additionally, we explore the role of stress hormones in mediating the effects of these stressors on microglia.

Copper ions serve as co-factors for various enzymes and participate in multiple cellular processes. Mitochondria are essential copper reservoirs within the cell. Previous reviews have extensively summarized the association between mitochondrial copper homeostasis imbalance and hematologic disorders, cardiomyopathies, and skeletal myopathies. However, there is limited information regarding its association with organ fibrosis. This article outlines the role and mechanism of disrupted mitochondrial copper homeostasis in fibrotic diseases, and systematically elaborates copper absorption and transport, as well as the regulation of copper homeostasis within mitochondria. It focuses on the impacts of mitochondrial copper overload and deficiency on fibrotic diseases, and the application of copper chelators as potential anti-fibrotic therapeutic approaches.

Asthma is a heterogeneous disease characterized by chronic airway inflammation. More than half of asthma cases are induced by allergens. Eosinophils accumulate in large numbers in the airways, and their number is closely related to the severity of asthma. In recent years, extensive research has been conducted on the pathogenesis of eosinophils in asthma and the targeted therapeutic drugs for them. This article mainly reviews the research progress on the important role of eosinophil heterogeneity in the occurrence and development of asthma, and provides ideas for the personalized and precise treatment of asthma in the future.

Helicobacter pylori (Hp) is a Gram-negative bacterium that colonizes in the gastric mucosa. Hp induces the production of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) in the stomach. The virulence factors of Hp and CAF trigger epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), leading to local inflammation, damage to the gastric mucosa, and the occurrence of chronic gastritis. Here, we summarize the molecular mechanisms of CAF mediated gastric EMT after Hp infection, providing new insights into potential molecular targets and strategies for the future treatment of Hp infection associated gastric cancer.