{"title":"Association between Iron Intake and Mental Health in Older Adults: The Yamagata Cohort Study.","authors":"Yuuki Tanaka, Tsuneo Konta, Haruka Ono, Yoshiyuki Ueno, Kaori Sakurada","doi":"10.1620/tjem.2025.J089","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1620/tjem.2025.J089","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":23187,"journal":{"name":"Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144601699","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Haijun Shi, Meizhi Liu, Wenhan Ma, Zhigang Chen, Yongyun Shi
{"title":"Long Non-coding RNA RASSF8-AS1 Promotes M1 Macrophage Polarization in Osteoarthritis via Moderating miR-27a-3p.","authors":"Haijun Shi, Meizhi Liu, Wenhan Ma, Zhigang Chen, Yongyun Shi","doi":"10.1620/tjem.2024.J092","DOIUrl":"10.1620/tjem.2024.J092","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Long non-coding RNAs are major regulators in the pathophysiology of osteoarthritis (OA), which involves the dysfunction of cartilage and synovium. The aim of this study was, therefore, to discover the role of RASSF8-AS1 in cartilage degradation and M1 macrophage polarization during OA. Healthy and OA cartilage and synovium were collected. After measuring RASSF8-AS1 levels in tissues and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)- or IL-1β-induced cells, the role of RASSF8-AS1 in the expression of cartilage degradation markers and M1 macrophage molecules was assessed in vitro. The apoptotic rate of IL-1β-stimulated chondrocytes, with or without RASSF8-AS1 overexpression, was quantified using flow cytometry. RASSF8-AS1 was significantly upregulated not only in cartilage and synovium from OA patients, but also in IL-1β- or LPS-induced cells, compared to normal controls. A decrease in RASSF8-AS1 level increased the expression of chondrogenic markers, but reduced the expression of genes encoding matrix-degrading proteases, thereby reducing cell apoptosis. Downregulation of RASSF8-AS1 reduced the M1 macrophage markers in RAW264.7 cells and bone marrow-derived macrophages. RASSF8-AS1 may be a ceRNA for miR-27a-3p. These findings support the role of RASSF8-AS1 as a promoting factor of cartilage degradation and M1 macrophage polarization in OA.</p>","PeriodicalId":23187,"journal":{"name":"Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"219-227"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142296194","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Binglai Luo, Xiaoli Liu, Jiangang Huang, Jinyong Wang
{"title":"Association of the lncRNA HOTAIR Gene rs4759314 with Susceptibility to Recurrent Spontaneous Abortion in a Chinese Han Population.","authors":"Binglai Luo, Xiaoli Liu, Jiangang Huang, Jinyong Wang","doi":"10.1620/tjem.2024.J084","DOIUrl":"10.1620/tjem.2024.J084","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study was to examine the association between the long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) HOTAIR polymorphism (rs4759314, rs4759314) and the risk of recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) in Chinese Han women. 378 women with RSA and 361 pregnant women with normal pregnancies were selected as study subjects. The expression level of lncRNA HOTAIR was detected by fluorescence quantitative PCR. PCR restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method was used to detect genotyping. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the independent factors of HOTAIR rs4759314 affecting recurrent miscarriage. The lncRNA HOTAIR gene expression level was significantly reduced in RSA patients. Rs1899663 polymorphism and rs4759314 GG genotype do not significantly increase the risk of developing RSA (P > 0.050). Rs4759314 AG genotype and rs4759314G allele significantly increased the risk of developing RSA (P < 0.050). Logistic analysis showed a significant correlation between rs4759314 and the occurrence of RSA (OR = 0.367, 95% CI = 0.232-0.580, P < 0.050). The lncRNA HOTAIR rs4759314 locus may serve as a biomarker for RSA susceptibility in the Chinese Han population.</p>","PeriodicalId":23187,"journal":{"name":"Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"229-235"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142133839","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Liang Ren, Li Wang, Zhewei Cao, Xuelin Yi, Yiran Chen, Yang Yang, Ya Liu
{"title":"Deubiquitinating Enzyme MINDY1 Facilitates Immune Escape in Breast Cancer by Maintaining the Stability of Immune Checkpoint Protein PD-L1.","authors":"Liang Ren, Li Wang, Zhewei Cao, Xuelin Yi, Yiran Chen, Yang Yang, Ya Liu","doi":"10.1620/tjem.2024.J111","DOIUrl":"10.1620/tjem.2024.J111","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Featured with frequent recurrence and distant metastasis, the mortality of breast cancer (BC) increased year by year in recent decades. MINDY lysine 48 deubiquitinase 1 (MINDY1) played an oncogenic role in several tumors. The role of MINDY1 deserved further study in BC. A wide ranges of assays including qRT-PCR, Western blotting, CCK-8 flow cytometry analysis, co-immunoprecipitation assay, Pearson's coefficient tests, and tumor xenograft assay were designed and carried out to determine the role of MINDY1 in BC. Both MINDY1 and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) is upregulated in BC tissues and cells. In addition, knockdown of MINDY1 attenuated cell viability and promoted the activation of T cells. Mechanistically, MINDY1 stabilized PD-L1 protein by interacting with PD-L1 in BC cells, and MINDY1 is positively associated with PD-L1 in BC tissues. Moreover, rescue assay revealed that the effect of MINDY1 silencing on cell viability and T cell activation was reversed by PD-L1 overexpression. The in vivo study also demonstrated that the effect of MINDY1 knockdown on tumor growth induced by was counteracted by PD-L1 overexpression.In conclusion, we identified PD-L1 as a novel target of MINDY1 and established a significant association between MINDY1 and the cancer immune response. Importantly, our findings reveal that MINDY1 promoted BC progression via PD-L1-mediated immune evasion.</p>","PeriodicalId":23187,"journal":{"name":"Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"237-246"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142508642","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Elevated Expression of EphA10 in Gastric Cancer Tissues: A Potential Biomarker for Tumor Metastasis and Poor Survival.","authors":"Dongni Leng, Kangjie Yu, Shiya Weng, Jiaxin Chai, Jiandong Wang, Wei Dai","doi":"10.1620/tjem.2025.J088","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1620/tjem.2025.J088","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":23187,"journal":{"name":"Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144555032","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Association of High Mobility Group Box-1 with Sepsis Susceptibility and Mortality Risk: A Meta-Analysis.","authors":"Shuqi Yang, Xinfeng Song, Xingqian Jin, Xu Huang","doi":"10.1620/tjem.2025.J085","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1620/tjem.2025.J085","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":23187,"journal":{"name":"Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144555034","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Effects of Liraglutide on Leptin Promoter Methylation in Ovarian Granulosa Cells of Obese Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Patients.","authors":"Lina Su, Xiaoxia Hao, Wenhong Lu","doi":"10.1620/tjem.2025.J009","DOIUrl":"10.1620/tjem.2025.J009","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Serum leptin (LEP) is elevated in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients, especially in obese PCOS patients, which may link to the etiology and development of PCOS. Obesity adversely affects female fertility, and most PCOS patients are obese. Liraglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analog, regulates adipokine production, causes weight loss, and regulates ovarian physiology to improve or manage reproductive status, thus ameliorating obesity and PCOS. This study investigated the impact of liraglutide on LEP promoter methylation levels in ovarian granulosa cells of obese PCOS patients to seek possible potential targets for the clinical treatment. This prospective observational study enrolled 348 PCOS patients with strong fertility desire in our hospital during March 2020-January 2022 who were planned to undergo in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer. Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 207 eligible patients (72 non-obese and 135 obese PCOS patients, 23-37 year-old) were enrolled. Obese PCOS patients [body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m<sup>2</sup>] received liraglutide treatment. Obese PCOS patients exhibited elevated BMI, fasting insulin, fasting blood glucose, HOMA-IR, triglyceride, estradiol, and testosterone levels and reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, luteinizing hormone (LH), LH/follicle-stimulating hormone ratio, and LEP promoter methylation. Liraglutide increases LEP promoter methylation, decreases LEP levels, and affects sex hormone secretion, providing a reference for the investigation of the mechanism of liraglutide in obese PCOS patients. Additionally, weight and fat loss, decreased serum and follicular fluid LEP levels, and increased LEP promoter methylation levels in ovarian granulosa cells may be crucial strategies for treating obese PCOS patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":23187,"journal":{"name":"Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"199-207"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143067529","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Mechanism of Hippo/YAP Axis Mediating High Glucose-Induced Ferroptosis in HK-2 Cells.","authors":"Yifan Zhang, Zhaoyu Lin, Zhoutao Xie, Yingxue He","doi":"10.1620/tjem.2024.J148","DOIUrl":"10.1620/tjem.2024.J148","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The current study focused on the molecular mechanisms behind high glucose (HG)-induced ferroptosis in HK-2 cells. HG-induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) HK-2 cell model displayed elevated Vimentin, α-SMA, Fe<sup>2+</sup> and MDA expression, suppressed cell viability and proliferation capabilities, decreased E-cadherin, GPX4 and GSH levels, and increased cell death. Additionally, knockdown of Vimentin or α-SMA caused the opposite outcomes. Restaint of ferroptosis partially reversed the promotion role of knockdown of Vimentin or α-SMA in HK-2 cell proliferation. Further inhibition of the Hippo/YAP pathway could partly regulate the effects of Vimentin or α-SMA on HG-induced ferroptosis and proliferation in HK-2 cells. Conclusively, HG could increase the expression levels of Vimentin and α-SMA in HK-2 cells, and induce EMT, thereby inhibiting the activation of the Hippo/YAP signaling axis and cell proliferation, and promoting cell ferroptosis of HK-2 cells.</p>","PeriodicalId":23187,"journal":{"name":"Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"209-217"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142898165","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}