Involvement of BMP-15 in glucocorticoid actions on ovarian steroidogenesis by rat granulosa cells

Association of Depression with Age at Natural Menopause: A Cross-Sectional Analysis with NHANES Data

Purpose

To evaluate the association between depression and age of natural menopause in American women.

Patients and Methods

This cross-sectional study utilized eight cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted from 2005 to 2023. We assessed depression using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). We obtained ANM information from the Reproductive Health questionnaire. We screened menopausal women between the ages of 40 and 70 years, excluding those with surgical menopause. We used multivariable logistic regression models to investigate the association between depression and ANM. Additionally, we conducted subgroup analyses and interaction tests.

Results

A total of 4732 women were included, and the mean age of natural menopause was 47.9 ± 6.8 years. Of these, 1123 (23.7%) were classified as early menopause, 2971 (62.8%) as normal menopause, and 638 (13.5%) as late menopause. Preliminary analysis showed a positive association between PHQ-9 score and the risk of early menopause (OR = 1.11, 95% CI = 1.06-1.16). After full adjustment in multivariate logistic regression, it was estimated that each one-unit increase in the PHQ-9 score was associated with a 7% increased risk of early menopause (OR = 1.07, 95% CI = 1.02-1.12). After classifying depression into three grades: no, mild, and severe, it was found that, compared with American women without depression, the risk of early menopause increased significantly. American women with major depression had an increased risk of early menopause (OR = 2.49, 95% CI = 1.10-5.63). In College or above (OR = 1.10, 95% CI = 1.02-1.19), PIR≤1 (OR = 1.10, 95% CI = 1.04-1.16), Current smoker (OR = 1.12, 95% CI = 1.00-1.24), the positive association between depression and early menopause was more significant.

Conclusion

In this cross-sectional study, the severity of depression in American women was positively correlated with the risk of early menopause. This suggests that women should pay more attention to their mental health and actively manage depression. For women with depression, early intervention and treatment may help improve their reproductive health and delay menopause.

ALKBH5 Reduces BMP15 mRNA Stability and Regulates Bovine Puberty Initiation Through an m6A-Dependent Pathway

The timing of puberty significantly influences subsequent reproductive performance in cattle. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is a key epigenetic modification involved in the regulation of pubertal onset. However, limited research has investigated alterations in m6A methylation within the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian (HPO) axis during the onset of puberty. In this study, combined analysis of methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeRIP-Seq) and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) is used to describe the overall modification pattern of m6A in the HPO axis, while GSEA, KEGG, and GO analyses are used to describe the enrichment pathways of differentially expressed genes and differentially methylated genes. The m6A modifications of the differential genes KL, IGSF10, PAPPA2, and BMP15 and the pathways of cell adhesion molecules (CAMs), TGF-β, cell cycle, and steroid hormone synthesis may play roles in regulating the function of the HPO axis tissue during pubertal transition. Notably, BMP15's m6A modification depends on the action of the demethylase ALKBH5, which is recognized by the reader protein YTHDF2, promoting bovine granulosa cell proliferation, steroid production, and estrogen secretion. This study reveals for the first time the modification mechanism of BMP15 m6A during the initiation of bovine puberty, which will provide useful information for improving the reproductive efficiency of Chinese beef cattle.

Progesterone modulates HSD11B1-mediated cortisol production in luteinized bovine granulosa cells

Progesterone (P4) and cortisol production increase in luteinized granulosa cells (LGCs) during the periovulatory period, but their interaction is not well established. Therefore, we investigated their interaction in cultured bovine LGCs. Granulosa cells were collected from follicles of 2-5 mm in diameter and cultured in DMEM/F-12 supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum for up to 14 days. P4 production and the expression of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (STAR), cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme (CYP11A1), and 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (HSD3B1) rapidly increased until day 10 and remained high thereafter. No de novo production of cortisol from P4 was detected during the culture period. The expression of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (HSD11B1), which converts cortisone to cortisol, increased dramatically on day two, decreased until day 8, and remained relatively constant. To investigate how P4 and cortisol influence each other's production, LGCs were treated with trilostane (a P4 synthesis inhibitor), nomegestrol acetate (NA, a synthetic progestogen), P4, and/or cortisol for 24 h on days 6 and 12 of culture. Trilostane suppressed P4 and STAR expression while elevating HSD11B1 and HSD3B1 expression and cortisol production. Concomitant treatment with NA or P4 dose-dependently decreased cortisol production and HSD11B1 and HSD3B1 expression but elevated STAR expression in both days 6 and 12. Conversely, cortisol treatment increased HSD11B1 and HSD3B1 expression and decreased STAR expression without influencing P4 production. These results indicate that progestogens suppress cortisol production by modulating HSD11B1 expression and that progestogens and cortisol differentially regulate STAR, HSD3B1, and HSD11B1 expression in bovine LGCs.

Oxytocin enhances progesterone production with upregulation of BMP-15 activity by granulosa cells

To elucidate the reproductive role of oxytocin (OXT) in ovarian steroidogenesis and its functional interaction with bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), the effects of OXT on ovarian steroidogenesis were investigated by utilizing primary culture of rat granulosa cells and human granulosa KGN cells. Here we revealed that the OXT receptor was expressed in both rat and human granulosa cells and that OXT treatment significantly increased follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)- and forskolin (FSK)-induced progesterone production, but not estradiol production, by rat and human granulosa cells, respectively. In accordance with the effects of OXT on progesterone production, OXT enhanced mRNA expression of CYP11A1 and HSD3B2 induced by FSK in human granulosa cells. Of note, OXT enhanced the phosphorylation of SMAD1/5/9 and the transcription of ID1 induced by BMP-15, but not those induced by BMP-6, in human granulosa cells. It was also revealed that OXT treatment upregulated the expression of BMPR2, a crucial type-II receptor of BMP-15, and enhanced the BMP-15-induced expression of inhibitory SMAD6 by human granulosa cells. Collectively, it was shown that OXT accelerates ovarian progesterone synthesis with upregulation of BMP-15 activity, leading to a fine-tuning of ovarian steroidogenesis (186 words).

Progesterone stimulates cortisol production in the maturing bovine cumulus-oocyte complex

In the bovine cumulus oophorus, 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (HSD11B1)-mediated cortisol production dramatically increases during the periovulatory period. This event is closely associated with increased progesterone (P4) production, implying a functional connection between these C21 steroids. In this study, we investigated the mutual regulation of P4 and cortisol production in the bovine cumulus oophorus. Bovine cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) were aspirated from follicles 2-5 mm in diameter and subjected to in vitro maturation (IVM) for 24 h in an M199 supplemented with fetal calf serum (FCS) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). COCs were treated with trilostane (0, 0.1, 1, 10 mM), an inhibitor of P4 synthesis, RU486 (0, 0.1, 1, 10 mM), a receptor antagonist for the progesterone receptor (PR) and glucocorticoid receptor (GR), and various concentrations of a synthetic progestogen nomegestrol acetate (NA; 0, 0.001, 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10 mM) to examine effect of P4. The effects of cortisol (0, 0.1, 1, 10 mM) were also examined in the presence or absence of trilostane. Trilostane and RU486 suppressed cumulus expansion, cortisol production, and HSD11B1 but not hexose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (H6PDH) expression. Concomitant treatment with NA reversed the effects of trilostane. Unlike NA, cortisol did not alter the antagonistic effects of trilostane on cumulus expansion and HSD11B1 expression. Cortisol did not affect P4 production or steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (STAR), cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme (CYP11A1), 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (HSD3B1), and HSD11B1 expression. Collectively, these results indicate that locally produced P4 is crucial in regulating the local glucocorticoid environment through PRtg in the maturing bovine cumulus oophorus. Cortisol, however, does not appear to regulate P4 or its production.

Androgens improve ovarian follicle function impaired by glucocorticoids through an androgen-IGF1-FSH synergistic effect

High concentrations of glucocorticoids caused by chronic stress are known to affect ovarian function and cause diminished ovarian reserve. Androgens are essential for early-stage ovarian follicle development, but the effects and mechanisms of androgens on follicle development under chronic stress remain unclear. In this study, we aim to investigate the effects of high concentrations of glucocorticoids on the function of in vitro cultured ovarian cells and mouse early-stage ovarian follicles and to validate the hypothesis that androgen-insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1)-follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) synergistic signaling helps to ameliorate the damage caused by high concentrations of glucocorticoids. KGN cells (human granulosa cell line) and mouse primary cells were treated with different concentrations of glucocorticoids, and the cell proliferation, apoptosis, and sex hormone secretion were detected. The effects of glucocorticoid and androgens on IGF1 receptor (IGF1R) and FSH receptor (FSHR) expression in KGN cells were detected by Western blot. Steroidogenic synthase expressions under androgens and androgen-IGF1-FSH combination treatment were examined by qPCR after manipulation using low and high concentrations of glucocorticoids. The mechanism of androgen regulation of IGF1R and FSHR was explored by small interfering RNA (siRNA) and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-qPCR. Damage of glucocorticoids and the treatment effects of androgens were further validated in mouse ovarian follicles cultured in vitro. The results demonstrated that prolonged treatment with high-dose glucocorticoids reduced cell viability of granulosa cells, inhibited their sex hormone secretion, and impaired their sensitivity to IGF1 and FSH signaling by affecting IGF1R and FSHR functions. Androgens at an appropriate dose range improved early-stage follicle development and their hormone secretion under high-dose glucocorticoid treatment, which was related to increased transcription of Igf1r and Fshr. This work showed that excessive glucocorticoids impaired ovarian function and validated that balanced concentrations of androgens synergized with IGF1 and FSH to improve the function of early-stage ovarian follicles under conditions of chronic stress.