- Current Issue Archive
- Special Issue
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2025,6(1):1-1, DOI: 10.12287/j.issn.2096-8965.20250101
Abstract:
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is the most prevalent chronic liver disease globally, affecting approximately 30% of the adult population. Growing evidence supports the developmental origins of liver diseases, with early-life exposure to environmental chemicals emerging as a critical risk factor for MASLD in adulthood. Early-life exposure to environmental chemicals may exert a "programming effect" on hepatic development and metabolic function by disrupting nuclear receptor signaling, impairing mitochondrial homeostasis, inducing epigenetic reprogramming, and mediating liver-extrahepatic organ crosstalk, thereby significantly increasing the risk of MASLD in adulthood. Furthermore, paternal exposure has been shown to affect offspring hepatic metabolism through transgenerational epigenetic mechanisms. From the perspective of the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) theory, this review summarizes environmental risk factors that impair hepatic metabolic function in adulthood and their underlying mechanisms.
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Zhang Hongchao, Francisco Javier Cubero, Zhao Gang, Xu Jin, Liu Qian, Shao Wentao, Gu Aihua
2025,6(1):2-9,19, DOI: 10.12287/j.issn.2096-8965.20250101
Abstract:
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is the most prevalent chronic liver disease globally, affecting approximately 30% of the adult population. Growing evidence supports the developmental origins of liver diseases, with early-life exposure to environmental chemicals emerging as a critical risk factor for MASLD in adulthood. Early-life exposure to environmental chemicals may exert a "programming effect" on hepatic development and metabolic function by disrupting nuclear receptor signaling, impairing mitochondrial homeostasis, inducing epigenetic reprogramming, and mediating liver-extrahepatic organ crosstalk, thereby significantly increasing the risk of MASLD in adulthood. Furthermore, paternal exposure has been shown to affect offspring hepatic metabolism through transgenerational epigenetic mechanisms. From the perspective of the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) theory, this review summarizes environmental risk factors that impair hepatic metabolic function in adulthood and their underlying mechanisms.
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Liu Wenyu, Xiao Wanqing, Qiu Xiu
2025,6(1):10-19, DOI: 10.12287/j.issn.2096-8965.20250102
Abstract:
Drug use during pregnancy is highly prevalent, but evidence on the safety of such use remains limited. Most newly approved drugs lack sufficient safety data for pregnancy, and the use of traditional Chinese medicines/Chinese patent medicines has surged despite unclear mechanisms. Additionally, the high prevalence of polypharmacy during pregnancy is accompanied by unclear associated risks. This review systematically summarizes the advantages and limitations of current methods for investigating drug use. It provides a comprehensive overview of the epidemiological characteristics, regional variations, and polypharmacy patterns in the use of progestogens, antibiotics, antipyretics and analgesics, psychotropic drugs, and traditional Chinese medicines /Chinese patent medicines during pregnancy. Moreover, it discusses the effects of single-drug and polypharmacy exposure on adverse birth outcomes, elucidates the potential mechanisms underlying the effect of polypharmacy on pregnancy outcomes, and explores the conflicts and limitations of international pregnancy drug classification systems. Understanding the effects and mechanisms of single-drug and polypharmacy exposure on birth outcomes is crucial for establishing a localized risk assessment framework for drug use during pregnancy, developing strategies for the prevention and control of polypharmacy exposure, and supporting evidence-based clinical decision-making for precision drug use during pregnancy.
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Duan Jingru, Zhao Yan, Jin Liping
2025,6(1):20-28,35, DOI: 10.12287/j.issn.2096-8965.20250103
Abstract:
The potential health risks of emerging pollutants are increasingly gaining attention and have become a research hotspot in the fields of environmental and health sciences. Emerging pollutants mainly include persistent organic pollutants, environmental endocrine disruptors, antibiotics, and microplastics. Compared with traditional pollutants, emerging pollutants demonstrate greater environmental persistence, bioaccumulation potential, and biotoxicity. Their diversity is continuously expanding, while regulatory measures remain inadequate. Emerging pollutants can cross the placental barrier and enter the fetus, adversely affecting fetal development and increasing the risk of various adverse birth outcomes. This paper systematically summarizes the adverse effects of prenatal exposure to emerging pollutants on fetal development and provides an outlook on future research directions.
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Zhou Yexinyi, Jin Lanfei, Chen Guangdi
2025,6(1):29-35, DOI: 10.12287/j.issn.2096-8965.20250104
Abstract:
In recent years, the effects of prenatal metal exposure on offspring health have attracted widespread attention. The fetal period is a sensitive window for exposure to environmental pollutants, during which even low-dose metal exposure may disrupt normal growth and development, with potential health consequences extending from childhood into adulthood. Recent research has highlighted the crucial role of the placenta in mediating the relationship between metal exposure and offspring health. In real-world exposure scenarios, pregnant women are often exposed to multiple metals simultaneously. This review aims to systematically summarize current epidemiological research on the association between prenatal multi-metal exposure and offspring health and to explore the potential biological mechanisms involving the placenta in this process.
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2025,6(1):36-42,57, DOI: 10.12287/j.issn.2096-8965.20250105
Abstract:
Environmental pollution is closely associated with adverse effects on human health. In recent years, growing attention has been directed toward the environmental distribution and potential toxicity of emerging pollutants. Transgenerational toxicity refers to the transmission of toxicity from exogenous chemicals or harmful factors to offspring through specific mechanisms, resulting in developmental, physiological, or behavioral abnormalities.The toxicity of emerging pollutants to organisms is not limited to the parental generation, but may persist across multiple generations. Due to its extremely short life cycle and high sensitivity to environmental exposure, Caenorhabditis elegans is highly valuable for transgenerational toxicology research. This review first introduces the multifaceted transgenerational toxicity induced by exposure to emerging pollutants in Caenorhabditis elegans. Then, it systematically elucidates the molecular mechanisms underlying the formation of this toxicity, focusing on the regulation of transgenerational signaling communication, epigenetic signaling, metabolic signaling, and receptor signaling.
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Lin Yanbing, Sun Yi, Zhang Huidong
2025,6(1):43-49, DOI: 10.12287/j.issn.2096-8965.20250106
Abstract:
Environmental pollutants may be an important risk factor for unexplained miscarriage. Studies have shown that various environmental pollutants, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, nanoplastics, metallic substances, hypoxic conditions, and disinfection by-products in tap water, are associated with unexplained miscarriage. This study aims to explore the regulatory mechanisms and intervention measures of trophoblast cell dysfunction induced by environmental pollutants that leads to unexplained miscarriage, thereby providing important scientific evidence for protecting women's reproductive health.
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2025,6(1):50-57, DOI: 10.12287/j.issn.2096-8965.20250107
Abstract:
As major environmental pollutants, heavy metals can enter the maternal body through various pathways during pregnancy, cross the placental barrier, and subsequently induce toxic effects in offspring. Prenatal heavy metal exposure not only indirectly impairs fetal neurodevelopment by compromising maternal health, but also directly damages the fetal nervous system by crossing the blood-brain barrier. This can lead to neurobehavioral and cognitive impairments after birth and increase the risk of various neurological disorders. The underlying mechanisms primarily include oxidative damage, excitotoxicity, calcium ion imbalance, mitochondrial dysfunction, and epigenetic modifications. This review summarizes the effects of prenatal exposure to heavy metals, including lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, and manganese, on offspring neurodevelopment, and explores the underlying mechanisms, aiming to provide a reference for epidemiological and experimental research.
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2025,6(1):58-61, DOI: 10.12287/j.issn.2096-8965.20250108
Abstract:
Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) are a group of chronic developmental brain dysfunctions caused by various genetic or acquired factors, characterized by high disability rates and a lack of effective treatments. The etiology of NDDs is highly complex, and it is widely believed that it arises from the interaction of genetic and environmental factors. Identifying environmental risk factors for NDDs is crucial for risk control and prevention. This review summarizes recent advancements in the identification of environmental etiologies of NDDs, introduces epidemiology-based and toxicology-based screening methods, discusses their advantages and limitations, and provides insights into future development.
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Wang Xiaoyu, Chen Mengxue, Zhou Siquan, Xu Yujie, Xiong Jingyuan, Cheng Guo
2025,6(1):62-67, DOI: 10.12287/j.issn.2096-8965.20250109
Abstract:
Precocious puberty refers to the premature onset of pubertal development in children before a specific age threshold, which can adversely affect their growth and development, as well as their health in adulthood. Nutrition, as a key modifiable factor, is gaining increasing attention for its role in the pathogenesis of precocious puberty. This study aims to review the latest research progress on the effects of nutritional factors on precocious puberty, with a focus on the associations between early-life nutrition, childhood dietary patterns, food groups, and the intake of various nutrients with the age of sexual development. This review seeks to provide a scientific basis and strategic direction for nutritional interventions targeting precocious puberty in children.
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Zhang Qianlong, Yuan Lili, Sui Guanghui, Li Fei
2025,6(1):68-72,77, DOI: 10.12287/j.issn.2096-8965.20250110
Abstract:
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), characterized by complex etiology and high heterogeneity, represents a major challenge for the global medical and scientific communities in its mechanistic elucidation and development of innovative diagnostics and therapies. In China, autism research has encountered persistent bottlenecks, including the gap between basic and clinical research and delays in translating novel diagnostic and therapeutic technologies into practice. This study focuses on translational research in ASD, emphasizing an integrated framework of "precision early screening, mechanistic elucidation, and targeted intervention." It reviews ASD research from three key aspects: biomarkers, neural circuits and molecular mechanisms, and novel intervention technologies and their clinical translation. In the future, it is essential to integrate multimodal data and artificial intelligence. Through resource sharing and technological collaboration, a closed-loop system of "mechanism-technology-intervention" can be established to drive the transformation of ASD diagnosis and treatment toward precision and individualization, ultimately achieving a comprehensive breakthrough from precision screening to precision intervention.
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Li Danlin, Xie Jiayu, Pan Chenwei
2025,6(1):73-77, DOI: 10.12287/j.issn.2096-8965.20250111
Abstract:
Myopia has become a major global public health concern, with its prevalence increasing significantly among children and adolescents. Epidemiological research has played a crucial role in myopia prevention and control, but it is faced with various limitations. This study aims to explore the applications and limitations of epidemiological research in this field. In the face of these limitations, interdisciplinary approaches have shown great necessity and potential in the field of myopia prevention and control. This study analyzes the applications and advantages of interdisciplinary approaches, such as medical-engineering integration and bioinformatics, along with other interdisciplinary approaches, in myopia prevention research. It provides new perspectives and approaches for future research and prevention strategies.
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Cheng Qianhui, Li Sainan, Wang Linlin
2025,6(1):78-86, DOI: 10.12287/j.issn.2096-8965.20250112
Abstract:
Humans are continuously exposed to large numbers of complex chemical mixtures at low doses in real-world environments, which may pose potential threats to health, particularly to reproductive and developmental health. Therefore, understanding real-world exposure—specifically, the effects of chemical mixtures at environmental concentrations on health and their underlying mechanisms—is crucial. This requires integrating population epidemiological data with in vivo and in vitro toxicological studies to establish an integrated research framework for assessing the health effects of real-world exposure to chemical mixtures at environmental concentrations. This review systematically examines recent advancements in evaluating the health effects of real-world chemical exposure, with a particular focus on methodologies for identifying and characterizing chemical mixtures suitable for in vivo and in vitro toxicological experiments. Additionally, it reviews the application of these strategies in reproductive and developmental toxicology research. These studies lay the foundation for refining an integrated research framework for real-world exposure health effects and provide scientific evidence for more precise reproductive and developmental health risk assessment and intervention strategies.
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Zhang lin, Tian Yanpeng, Xiao Yanlai, Li Zhongkang, Liu Yibin, Zhang Mingle, Zhang Jingkun, Meng Li, Dai Jianwu, Huang Xianghua
2025,6(1):87-92, DOI: 10.12287/j.issn.2096-8965.20250113
Abstract:
Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of biological patches derived from different tissue sources for vaginal reconstruction. Methods Large animal models of vaginal agenesis were established using Bama miniature pigs through surgical removal of vaginal tissue. Small intestinal submucosa (SIS) and acellular bladder matrix (ABM) were used for vaginal reconstruction. Three months postoperatively, the reconstructed vaginal tissues were surgically removed and evaluated for tissue structure and function using histopathological staining and organ bath assays. Results Three months after reconstruction, both SIS and ABM achieved anatomical reconstruction of the vagina. Histological and functional analyses revealed that the tissue structures of SIS-and ABM-reconstructed vaginas resembled normal vaginal tissue and expressed vaginal-specific molecular markers, including CK14, α-actin, HSP47, ER, and CD31. However, the SIS-reconstructed group exhibited a thinner vaginal epithelial layer compared to the ABM-reconstructed group, indicating that ABM may provide better reconstruction outcomes. Additionally, PAS staining and organ bath assays confirmed that the reconstructed vaginal epithelial cells were capable of synthesizing glycogen and exhibited contractile and relaxant responses to corresponding drugs. These results indicated that both SIS and ABM could achieve vaginal reconstruction in terms of gross anatomy, tissue structure, and function. Conclusion Bama miniature pigs can serve as suitable large animal models for vaginal tissue regeneration and reconstruction. Both SIS and ABM can achieve anatomical, histological, and functional vaginal reconstruction, with ABM potentially offering better outcomes than SIS.
