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Introduction: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a central nervous system injury that is primarily traumatic and manifests as motor, sensory, and autonomic dysfunction below the level of damage. Our previous studies confirmed the ability of zinc to protect mitochondria, protect neurons and promote spinal cord recovery. However, the role of zinc in Parthanatos is unknown. Aim: We investigated the effects of zinc in Parthanatos from oxidative stress and mitophagy. We elucidated the role of SIRT3 in providing new ideas for treating spinal cord injury. The Results: Zinc protected SCI mice by regulating Parthanatos. On the one hand, zinc eliminated ROS directly through SIRT3 deacetylation targeting SOD2 to alleviate Parthanatos. On the other hand, zinc eliminated ROS indirectly through SIRT3‐mediated promotion of mitophagy to alleviate Parthanatos. Conclusion: Zinc defends against Parthanatos and promotes functional recovery after spinal cord injury through SIRT3‐mediated anti‐oxidative stress and mitophagy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The GAP model was widely used as a simple risk "screening" method for patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Objectives: We sought to validate the GAP model in Chinese patients with IPF to evaluate whether it can accurately predict the risk for mortality. Methods: A total of 212 patients with IPF diagnosed at China‐Japan Friendship Hospital from 2015 to 2019 were enrolled. The latest follow‐up ended in September 2022. Cumulative mortality of each GAP stage was calculated and compared based on Fine‐Gray models for survival, and lung transplantation was treated as a competing risk. The performance of the model was evaluated in terms of both discrimination and calibration. Results: The cumulative mortality in patients with GAP stage III was significantly higher than that in those with GAP stage I or II (Gray's test p < 0.0001). The Harrell c‐index for the GAP calculator was 0.736 (95% CI: 0.667–0.864). The discrimination for the GAP staging system were similar with that for the GAP calculator. The GAP model overestimated the mortality rate at 1‐ and 2‐year in patients classified as GAP stage I (6.90% vs. 1.77% for 1‐year, 14.20% vs. 6.78% for 2‐year). Conclusions: Our findings indicated that the GAP model overestimated the mortality rate in mild group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dysfunction of type II alveolar epithelial cells (AECIIs), mainly manifested by apoptosis, has emerged as a major component of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) pathophysiology. A pivotal mechanism leading to AECIIs apoptosis is mitochondrial dysfunction. Recently, interleukin (IL)‐17A has been demonstrated to have a pro‐fibrotic role in IPF, though the mechanism is unclear. In this study, we report enhanced expression of IL‐17 receptor A (IL‐17RA) in AECIIs in lung samples of IPF patients, which may be related to the accumulation of mitochondria in AECIIs of IPF. Next, we investigated this relationship in bleomycin (BLM)‐induced PF murine model. We found that IL‐17A knockout (IL‐17A−/−) mice exhibited decreased apoptosis levels of AECIIs. This was possibly a result of the recovery of mitochondrial morphology from the improved mitochondrial dynamics of AECIIs, which eventually contributed to alleviating lung fibrosis. Analysis of in vitro data indicates that IL‐17A impairs mitochondrial function and mitochondrial dynamics of mouse primary AECIIs, further promoting apoptosis. PTEN‐induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1)/Parkin signal‐mediated mitophagy is an important aspect of mitochondria homeostasis maintenance. Our data demonstrate that IL‐17A inhibits mitophagy and promotes apoptosis of AECIIs by decreasing the expression levels of PINK1. We conclude that IL‐17A exerts its pro‐fibrotic effects by inducing mitochondrial dysfunction in AECIIs by disturbing mitochondrial dynamics and inhibiting PINK1‐mediated mitophagy, thereby leading to apoptosis of AECIIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recent years, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is thought to be a disease of alveoli as well as small airways. This study aimed to demonstrate the clinical feature, predictor, and prognosis of small airway dysfunction (SAD) in Chinese patients with IPF.Methods: We enrolled 416 patients with IPF who hospitalized in Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital from 2000 to 2014 in this study, and the follow-up ended at December 2016. We collected demographic information, clinical examination results, spirometry results, HRCT results, and blood gas results during the study. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the predictor for SAD. The COX proportional hazard model was used to analysis the prognosis effect of SAD.Results: Among all the participants, 165 (39.66%) patients had SAD. FEV1 (% predicted) and FEV3/FVC were significantly associated with SAD in patients with IPF. IPF patients with lower FEV1 (% predicted, OR 30.04, 95% CI 9.61-93.90) and FEV3/FVC (OR 77.76, 95% CI 15.44-391.63) had increased risk for SAD. Patients with SAD were associated with significantly increased risk of mortality in patients with IPF (HR 1.73, 95% CI 1.02-2.92), as well as in IPF patients without other pulmonary comorbidities (COPD, emphysema, and asthma).Conclusions: Spirometry-defined SAD was like 40% in patients with IPF. Lower FEV1 (% predicted) and FEV3/FVC were main predictors for SAD. IPF patients with SAD showed poorer prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Serum Krebs von den Lungen‐6 (KL‐6) has been reported to be elevated in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of KL‐6 and whether the expression value of KL‐6 could indicate the severity of the disease in IPF patients. To address this question, it is necessary to see whether the patients' physical characteristics and other clinical conditions could affect the baseline KL‐6 level. Design We conducted a study of 100 patients who were diagnosed with IPF. Lung function, computed tomography (CT), and serological lab tests data were analyzed. Results: The tests showed that there is a significant elevation of KL‐6 in IPF patients compared with other interstitial lung disease (ILD) and healthy controls. It was noted that serum KL‐6 is a stable biomarker not affected by lung infection and smoking, though IPF patients with antinuclear antibody (ANA) showed higher KL‐6 levels. KL‐6, in conjunction with poor pulmonary function and higher radiological fibrosis scores, indicates the severity of the disease but not poor survival. Conclusions: It is identified that serum KL‐6 is a useful noninvasive biomarker to help improve the certainty of IPF diagnosis from other interstitial lung disease and assist evaluation of disease severity and prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New Findings: •What is the central question of this study?The aim was to explore the effects and underlying mechanisms of H2 on bleomycin‐induced pulmonary fibrosis.•What are the main findings and its importance?Our results indicate that, in bleomycin‐induced pulmonary fibrosis, H2 inhalation attenuated oxidative stress and reversed the pulmonary epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition process by reducing reactive oxygen species production and inhibiting the expression of transforming growth factor‐β1, α‐smooth muscle actin and collagen I to improve fibrotic injury and exert anti‐fibrogenic effects. Thus, H2 inhalation has promising therapeutic potential as a useful adjuvant treatment for patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, which deserves further study and evaluation. Hydrogen (H2) can protect against tissue damage. The effect of H2 inhalation therapy on the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis remains unknown. This study was designed to explore the effects and underlying mechanisms of H2 inhalation on bleomycin (BLM)‐induced pulmonary fibrosis. A rat model of pulmonary fibrosis was established with BLM. Rats were randomly divided into control and H2 inhalation groups. Haematoxylin and Eosin staining and Mason's Trichrome staining were performed to evaluate pulmonary fibrosis injury, inflammatory cell infiltration, structural disorder and collagen deposition. qRT‐PCR and western blot assays were used to determine the expression of TNF‐α, TGF‐β1, α‐SMA, E‐cadherin, N‐cadherin, vimentin, VEGF and collagen type I at both mRNA and protein levels. The contents of reactive oxygen species, TGF‐β1, TNF‐α, malondialdehyde and hydroxyproline were determined with biochemical test kits or ELISA kits. Bleomycin‐stimulated rats exhibited typical symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis, which featured an increase in collagen deposition, alveolitis, fibrosis and parenchymal structural disorder in the lung. However, BLM‐induced oxidative stress was attenuated by H2 inhalation therapy, which reduced the contents of reactive oxygen species, malondialdehyde and hydroxyproline, enhanced the activity of glutathione peroxidase and decreased the expression of TGF‐β1 and TNF‐α. In addition, H2 inhalation also inhibited BLM‐induced epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition by inhibiting TGF‐β1, increasing the expression level of the epithelial cell marker E‐cadherin, and decreasing the expression level of the mesenchymal cell marker vimentin in a time‐dependent manner. In addition, H2 inhalation downregulated α‐SMA expression and suppressed collagen I generation, exerting anti‐fibrogenic effects. Hydrogen inhalation therapy attenuates BLM‐induced pulmonary fibrosis by inhibiting TGF‐β1, relevant oxidative stress and epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive and usually lethal fibrotic lung disease with largely unknown etiology and pathogenesis. Evidence suggests microRNAs (miRNA) contribute to pathogenesis of IPF. In this study, we sought to identify miRNA expression signatures and determine the role of miR-130b-3p in lung fibrosis. The miRNA expression profile of the lungs from patients with IPF and normal donors was determined by Affymetrix microarray, and transcriptome with Affymetrix array. The functions and signal pathways as well as miRNA-mRNA networks were established by bioinformatics analysis. Luciferase assays and ELISA were used to confirm the miRNA target gene. The effect of miRNA-transfected epithelium on fibroblast activities was assessed using a co-culture system. The fibroblast activities were determined by qRT-PCR, western blotting, Transwell and BrdU assays. Seven miRNAs were significantly decreased in IPF lungs, with miR-130b-3p being the highest in the miRNA-mRNA network. Insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) was a target gene of miR-130b-3p in the epithelium. miR-130b-3p inhibition in the epithelium induced collagen I expression and enhanced the proliferation and migration ability of fibroblast in co-culture systems, which mimicked the functions of exogenous IGF-1 on fibroblasts. Neutralizing IGF-1 with an antibody significantly reduced the modulatory effects of miR-130b-3p inhibitor-transfected epithelium on the activation of fibroblasts. Our results show that miR-130b-3p was downregulated in IPF lungs. miR-130b-3p downregulation contributed to the activation of fibroblasts and the dysregulated epithelial-mesenchymal crosstalk by promoting IGF-1 secretion from lung epithelium, suggesting a key regulatory role for this miRNA in preventing lung fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a fatal disease characterized by fibroblastic foci and progressive scarring of the pulmonary parenchyma. IPF fibroblasts display increased proliferation and enhanced migration and invasion, analogous to cancer cells. This transformation-like phenotype of fibroblasts plays an important role in the development of pulmonary fibrosis, but the mechanism for this is not well understood.Methods: In this study, we compared gene expression profiles in fibrotic lung tissues from IPF patients and normal lung tissues from patients with primary spontaneous pneumothorax using a cDNA microarray to examine the mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of IPF. In a cDNA microarray, we found that USP13 was decreased in lung tissues from patients with IPF, which was further confirmed by results from immunohistochemistry and western blot assays. Then, we used RNA interference in MRC-5 cells to inhibit USP13 and evaluated its effects by western blot, real-time RT-PCR, bromodeoxyuridine incorporation, and transwell assays. We also used co-immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence staining to identify the correlation between USP13 and PTEN in IPF.Results: USP13 expression levels were markedly reduced in fibroblastic foci and primary IPF fibroblast lines. The depletion of USP13 resulted in the transformation of fibroblasts into an aggressive phenotype with enhanced proliferative, migratory, and invasive capacities. Additionally, USP13 interacted with PTEN and mediated PTEN ubiquitination and degradation in lung fibroblasts.Conclusions: Down-regulation of USP13 mediates PTEN protein loss and fibroblast phenotypic change, and thereby plays a crucial role in IPF pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]