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Joshi S, Williamson J, Moosa S, Kapur J. Progesterone Receptor Activation Regulates Sensory Sensitivity and Migraine Susceptibility. THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2024; 25:642-658. [PMID: 37777034 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2023.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 08/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023]
Abstract
Women develop chronic pain during their reproductive years more often than men, and estrogen and progesterone regulate this susceptibility. We tested whether brain progesterone receptor (PR) signaling regulates pain susceptibility. During the estrous cycle, animals were more sensitive to mechanical stimulus during the estrus stage than in the diestrus stage, suggesting a role for reproductive hormones, estrogen, and progesterone. Progesterone treatment of ovariectomized and estrogen-primed mice caused a delayed reduction in the mechanical threshold. Segesterone, a specific agonist of PRs replicated this effect, whereas, the segesterone-induced reduction in mechanical threshold was blocked in the mice lacking PRs in the nervous system. Segesterone treatment also did not alter mechanical threshold in adult male and juvenile female mice. PR activation increased the cold sensitivity but did not affect the heat and light sensitivity. We evaluated whether PR activation altered experimental migraine. Segesterone and nitroglycerin when administered sequentially, reduced the pain threshold but not when given separately. PRs were expressed in several components of the migraine ascending pain pathway, and their deletion blocked the painful effects of nitroglycerin. PR activation also increased the number of active neurons in the components of the migraine ascending pain pathway. These studies have uncovered a pain-regulating function of PRs. Targeting PRs may provide a novel therapeutic avenue to treat chronic pain and migraine in women. PERSPECTIVE: This article provides evidence for the role of progesterone receptors in regulating pain sensitivity and migraine susceptibility in females. Progesterone receptors may be a therapeutic target to treat chronic pain conditions more prevalent in women than men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suchitra Joshi
- Department of Neurology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
| | - John Williamson
- Department of Neurology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
| | - Shayan Moosa
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
| | - Jaideep Kapur
- Department of Neurology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia; Department of Neuroscience, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia; UVA Brain Institute, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
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2
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Kielb J, Saffak S, Weber J, Baensch L, Shahjerdi K, Celik A, Farahat N, Riek S, Chavez-Talavera O, Grandoch M, Polzin A, Kelm M, Dannenberg L. Transformation or replacement - Effects of hormone therapy on cardiovascular risk. Pharmacol Ther 2024; 254:108592. [PMID: 38286163 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2024.108592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2024]
Abstract
Hormone therapy (HT) is important and frequently used both regarding replacement therapy (HRT) and gender affirming therapy (GAHT). While HRT has been effective in addressing symptoms related to hormone shortage, several side effects have been described. In this context, there are some studies that show increased cardiovascular risk. However, there are also studies reporting protective aspects of HT. Nevertheless, the exact impact of HT on cardiovascular risk and the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. This article explores the relationship between diverse types of HT and cardiovascular risk, focusing on mechanistic insights of the underlying hormones on platelet and leukocyte function as well as on effects on endothelial and adipose tissue cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Kielb
- Department of Cardiology, Pulmonology, and Vascular Medicine, Medical Faculty of the Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany; Cardiovascular Research Institute Düsseldorf (CARID), Germany
| | - Süreyya Saffak
- Department of Cardiology, Pulmonology, and Vascular Medicine, Medical Faculty of the Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany; Cardiovascular Research Institute Düsseldorf (CARID), Germany
| | - Jessica Weber
- Department of Cardiology, Pulmonology, and Vascular Medicine, Medical Faculty of the Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany; Cardiovascular Research Institute Düsseldorf (CARID), Germany
| | - Leonard Baensch
- Department of Cardiology, Pulmonology, and Vascular Medicine, Medical Faculty of the Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany; Cardiovascular Research Institute Düsseldorf (CARID), Germany
| | - Khatereh Shahjerdi
- Department of Cardiology, Pulmonology, and Vascular Medicine, Medical Faculty of the Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany; Cardiovascular Research Institute Düsseldorf (CARID), Germany
| | - Aylin Celik
- Department of Cardiology, Pulmonology, and Vascular Medicine, Medical Faculty of the Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany; Cardiovascular Research Institute Düsseldorf (CARID), Germany
| | - Nora Farahat
- Department of Cardiology, Pulmonology, and Vascular Medicine, Medical Faculty of the Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany; Cardiovascular Research Institute Düsseldorf (CARID), Germany
| | - Sally Riek
- Department of Cardiology, Pulmonology, and Vascular Medicine, Medical Faculty of the Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany; Cardiovascular Research Institute Düsseldorf (CARID), Germany
| | - Oscar Chavez-Talavera
- Department of Cardiology, Pulmonology, and Vascular Medicine, Medical Faculty of the Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany; Cardiovascular Research Institute Düsseldorf (CARID), Germany
| | - Maria Grandoch
- Institute for Translational Pharmacology, Medical Faculty and University Hospital of Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Amin Polzin
- Department of Cardiology, Pulmonology, and Vascular Medicine, Medical Faculty of the Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany; Cardiovascular Research Institute Düsseldorf (CARID), Germany
| | - Malte Kelm
- Department of Cardiology, Pulmonology, and Vascular Medicine, Medical Faculty of the Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany; Cardiovascular Research Institute Düsseldorf (CARID), Germany
| | - Lisa Dannenberg
- Department of Cardiology, Pulmonology, and Vascular Medicine, Medical Faculty of the Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany; Cardiovascular Research Institute Düsseldorf (CARID), Germany.
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Qi Q, Xia Y, Luo J, Wang Y, Xie Q. Cocktail treatment by GnRH-antagonist, letrozole, and mifepristone for the prevention of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome: a prospective randomized trial. Gynecol Endocrinol 2023; 39:2269281. [PMID: 37844908 DOI: 10.1080/09513590.2023.2269281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study is aimed to determine the efficacy of a cocktail style treatment by combining GnRH-antagonist, letrozole, and mifepristone on the prevention of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) in high-risk women. METHODS This prospective, randomized controlled clinical trial was performed between January 2018 and December 2018. A total of 170 women who identified as high risk of OHSS during the ovarian hyperstimulation and underwent cryopreservation of whole embryos. On the day of oocyte retrieval, the combination group received 0.25 mg Cetrorelix for 3 d, 5 mg letrozole for 5 d, and 50 mg mifepristone for 3 d, the mifepristone group received 50 mg mifepristone for 3 d. A total of 156 cases were included in final analysis. All the frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycles were followed up until December 2021. RESULTS The combination group showed significantly decreased incidence of moderate and severe OHSS than mifepristone group (20.5% vs. 42.3%), with remarkably reduced serum estradiol level on hCG + 3 and + 5 d, decreased ovarian diameter, and shortened luteal phase. Oocyte retrieval number, levels of estradiol on hCG + 0 and VEGF, and ovarian diameter on hCG + 5 were associated with the severity of the symptoms. There was no significant difference in cumulative live birth rates (LBRs) between the combination and mifepristone group (74.4% vs. 76.9%). CONCLUSIONS The combination treatment effectively reduces the incidence of moderate/severe OHSS in high-risk women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianrong Qi
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, PR China
| | - Yi Xia
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, PR China
| | - Jin Luo
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, PR China
| | - Yaqin Wang
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, PR China
| | - Qingzhen Xie
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, PR China
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4
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Joshi S, Williamson J, Moosa S, Kapur J. Progesterone receptor activation regulates sensory sensitivity. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.04.552037. [PMID: 37609239 PMCID: PMC10441292 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.04.552037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
Women develop chronic pain during their reproductive years more often than men, and estrogen and progesterone regulate this susceptibility. We tested whether brain progesterone receptor (PR) signaling regulates pain susceptibility. During the estrous cycle, animals were more sensitive to pain during the estrus stage than in the diestrus stage, suggesting a role for reproductive hormones, estrogen, and progesterone. We measured the pain threshold daily for four days in ovariectomized, estrogen-primed animals treated with progesterone. The pain threshold was lower 2 days later and stayed that way for the duration of the testing. A specific progesterone-receptor (PR) agonist, segesterone, promoted pain, and mice lacking PR in the brain (PRKO) did not experience lowered pain threshold when treated with progesterone or segesterone. PR activation increased the cold sensitivity but did not affect the heat sensitivity and had a small effect on light sensitivity. Finally, we evaluated whether PR activation altered experimental migraine. Segesterone and nitroglycerin (NTG) when administered sequentially, reduced pain threshold but not separately. These studies have uncovered a pain-regulating function of PRs. Targeting PRs may provide a novel therapeutic avenue to treat chronic pain in women.
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Ali M, Ciebiera M, Vafaei S, Alkhrait S, Chen HY, Chiang YF, Huang KC, Feduniw S, Hsia SM, Al-Hendy A. Progesterone Signaling and Uterine Fibroid Pathogenesis; Molecular Mechanisms and Potential Therapeutics. Cells 2023; 12:cells12081117. [PMID: 37190026 DOI: 10.3390/cells12081117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Uterine fibroids (UFs) are the most important benign neoplastic threat to women's health worldwide, with a prevalence of up to 80% in premenopausal women, and can cause heavy menstrual bleeding, pain, and infertility. Progesterone signaling plays a crucial role in the development and growth of UFs. Progesterone promotes the proliferation of UF cells by activating several signaling pathways genetically and epigenetically. In this review article, we reviewed the literature covering progesterone signaling in UF pathogenesis and further discussed the therapeutic potential of compounds that modulate progesterone signaling against UFs, including selective progesterone receptor modulator (SPRM) drugs and natural compounds. Further studies are needed to confirm the safety of SPRMs as well as their exact molecular mechanisms. The consumption of natural compounds as a potential anti-UFs treatment seems promising, since these compounds can be used on a long-term basis-especially for women pursuing concurrent pregnancy, unlike SPRMs. However, further clinical trials are needed to confirm their effectiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Ali
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Clinical Pharmacy Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11566, Egypt
| | - Michał Ciebiera
- Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center of Postgraduate Medical Education, 00-189 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Somayeh Vafaei
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Samar Alkhrait
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Hsin-Yuan Chen
- School of Nutrition and Health Sciences, College of Nutrition, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Fen Chiang
- School of Nutrition and Health Sciences, College of Nutrition, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan
| | - Ko-Chieh Huang
- School of Nutrition and Health Sciences, College of Nutrition, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan
| | - Stepan Feduniw
- Department of Gynecology, University of Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Shih-Min Hsia
- School of Nutrition and Health Sciences, College of Nutrition, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan
| | - Ayman Al-Hendy
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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6
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Wang W, Ge L, Zhang LL, Wang LR, Lu YY, Gou L, Gou RQ, Xu TY, Ma XL, Zhang XH. Mechanism of human chorionic gonadotropin in endometrial receptivity via the miR-126-3p/PI3K/Akt/eNOS axis. Kaohsiung J Med Sci 2023; 39:468-477. [PMID: 36912344 DOI: 10.1002/kjm2.12672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) might affect endometrial receptivity, exerting integral roles in embryo implantation. This study explored the action of hCG in endometrial receptivity via the miR-126-3p/PIK3R2/PI3K/Akt/eNOS axis. The embryo implantation dysfunction (EID) mouse models were established by administrating mifepristone and human endometrial epithelial cells (EECs) were used for in vivo experiments, both followed by hCG treatment. Expression level of CD105 and protein levels of cadherin CD144 and CD146 in mice were determined by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. The levels of miR-126-3p and PIK3R2 mRNA and PIK3R2, p-PI3K p85 α, PI3K p110 α, p-Akt, Akt, p-eNOS, and eNOS protein levels were measured. Cell proliferation was evaluated by CCK-8 and EdU assays. The binding sites of miR-126-3p and PIK3R2 were predicted and verified. hCG-treated EECs were further transfected with miR-126-inhibitor for functional rescue experiments. hCG ameliorated endometrial receptivity in EID mice. Moreover, hCG promoted miR-126-3p and suppressed PIK3R2 in EID mice and EECs. miR-126-3p targeted PIK3R2. EEC proliferation was enhanced after hCG treatment but inhibited by miR-126-3p downregulation. Both in vivo and in vitro experiments validated that hCG activated the PI3K/Akt/eNOS pathway through the miR-126-3p/PIK3R2 axis. Collectively, hCG improves endometrial receptivity by activating the PI3K/Akt/eNOS pathway via regulating miR-126-3p/PIK3R2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Wang
- The Reproductive Medicine Center of the First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Key Laboratory for Reproductive Medicine and Embryo, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Liang Ge
- Department of Anesthesiology, Gansu Province Maternity and Child-care Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Li-Li Zhang
- The Reproductive Medicine Center of the First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Key Laboratory for Reproductive Medicine and Embryo, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Li-Rong Wang
- The Reproductive Medicine Center of the First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Key Laboratory for Reproductive Medicine and Embryo, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Yong-Yan Lu
- Department of Clinical Medicine, The First Clinical Medical College of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Li Gou
- Department of Clinical Medicine, The First Clinical Medical College of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Rui-Qiang Gou
- Department of Clinical Medicine, The First Clinical Medical College of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Tong-Yu Xu
- Department of Clinical Medicine, The First Clinical Medical College of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Xiao-Ling Ma
- The Reproductive Medicine Center of the First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Key Laboratory for Reproductive Medicine and Embryo, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Xue-Hong Zhang
- The Reproductive Medicine Center of the First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Key Laboratory for Reproductive Medicine and Embryo, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
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Nakashima A, Furuta A, Yamada K, Yoshida-Kawaguchi M, Yamaki-Ushijima A, Yasuda I, Ito M, Yamashita S, Tsuda S, Yoneda S, Cheng S, Sharma S, Shima T. The Role of Autophagy in the Female Reproduction System: For Beginners to Experts in This Field. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:biology12030373. [PMID: 36979065 PMCID: PMC10045718 DOI: 10.3390/biology12030373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023]
Abstract
Autophagy is a fundamental process involved in regulating cellular homeostasis. Autophagy has been classically discovered as a cellular process that degrades cytoplasmic components non-selectively to produce energy. Over the past few decades, this process has been shown to work in energy production, as well as in the reduction of excessive proteins, damaged organelles, and membrane trafficking. It contributes to many human diseases, such as neurodegenerative diseases, carcinogenesis, diabetes mellitus, development, longevity, and reproduction. In this review, we provide important information for interpreting results related to autophagic experiments and present the role of autophagy in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akitoshi Nakashima
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Toyama Autophagy Team in Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-76-434-7357
| | - Atsushi Furuta
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Toyama Autophagy Team in Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
| | - Kiyotaka Yamada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Toyama Autophagy Team in Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
| | - Mihoko Yoshida-Kawaguchi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Toyama Autophagy Team in Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
| | - Akemi Yamaki-Ushijima
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Toyama Autophagy Team in Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
| | - Ippei Yasuda
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Toyama Autophagy Team in Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
| | - Masami Ito
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Toyama Autophagy Team in Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
| | - Satoshi Yamashita
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Toyama Autophagy Team in Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
| | - Sayaka Tsuda
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Toyama Autophagy Team in Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
| | - Satoshi Yoneda
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Toyama Autophagy Team in Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
| | - Shibin Cheng
- Departments of Pediatrics, Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI 02905, USA
| | - Surendra Sharma
- Departments of Pediatrics, Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI 02905, USA
| | - Tomoko Shima
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Toyama Autophagy Team in Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
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8
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Joshi S, Williams CL, Kapur J. Limbic progesterone receptors regulate spatial memory. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2164. [PMID: 36750584 PMCID: PMC9905062 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29100-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Progesterone and its receptors (PRs) participate in mating and reproduction, but their role in spatial declarative memory is not understood. Male mice expressed PRs, predominately in excitatory neurons, in brain regions that support spatial memory, such as the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex (EC). Furthermore, segesterone, a specific PR agonist, activates neurons in both the EC and hippocampus. We assessed the contribution of PRs in promoting spatial and non-spatial cognitive learning in male mice by examining the performance of mice lacking this receptor (PRKO), in novel object recognition, object placement, Y-maze alternation, and Morris-Water Maze (MWM) tasks. In the recognition test, the PRKO mice preferred the familiar object over the novel object. A similar preference for the familiar object was also seen following the EC-specific deletion of PRs. PRKO mice were also unable to recognize the change in object position. We confirmed deficits in spatial memory of PRKO mice by testing them on the Y-maze forced alternation and MWM tasks; PR deletion affected animal's performance in both these tasks. In contrast to spatial tasks, PR removal did not alter the response to fear conditioning. These studies provide novel insights into the role of PRs in facilitating spatial, declarative memory in males, which may help with finding reproductive partners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suchitra Joshi
- Department of Neurology, University of Virginia, Health Sciences Center, P.O. Box 801330, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA.
| | - Cedric L Williams
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA
| | - Jaideep Kapur
- Department of Neurology, University of Virginia, Health Sciences Center, P.O. Box 801330, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA.,UVA Brain Institute, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA
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9
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Lv M, Chen P, Bai M, Huang Y, Li L, Feng Y, Liao H, Zheng W, Chen X, Zhang Z. Progestin Resistance and Corresponding Management of Abnormal Endometrial Hyperplasia and Endometrial Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14246210. [PMID: 36551694 PMCID: PMC9776943 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14246210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
With a younger tendency in morbidity age, endometrial cancer (EC) incidence has grown year after year. Worse, even more commonly occurring is endometrial hyperplasia (EH), which is a precancerous endometrial proliferation. For young women with early EC and EH who want to preserve fertility, progestin therapy has been utilized as a routine fertility-preserving treatment approach. Nevertheless, progestin medication failure in some patients is mostly due to progestin resistance and side effects. In order to further analyze the potential mechanisms of progestin resistance in EH and EC, to provide theoretical support for effective therapeutic strategies, and to lay the groundwork for searching novel treatment approaches, this article reviews the current therapeutic effects of progestin in EH and EC, as well as the mechanisms and molecular biomarkers of progestin resistance, and systematically expounds on the potential therapeutic methods to overcome progestin resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mu Lv
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200065, China
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200080, China
| | - Peiqin Chen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The International Peace Maternity & Child Health Hospital of China Welfare Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Mingzhu Bai
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Maternal and Child Health Hospital in Xuzhou, Xuzhou 215002, China
| | - Yan Huang
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong-an Road, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Linxia Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Seventh People’s Hospital of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 358 Datong Road, Shanghai 200137, China
| | - Youji Feng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200080, China
| | - Hong Liao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200040, China
| | - Wenxin Zheng
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Xiaojun Chen
- Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 200090, China
- Correspondence: (X.C.); (Z.Z.)
| | - Zhenbo Zhang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200065, China
- Correspondence: (X.C.); (Z.Z.)
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10
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Yi X, Liu F, Gao K, Chen F, Wang Y, Li H, Wang X, Huang Y, Fu H, Zhou W, Fan JB, Wang S, Gao Y. Reconstructable Uterus-Derived Materials for Uterus Recovery toward Efficient Live Births. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2022; 34:e2106510. [PMID: 34854148 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202106510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Uterine factor infertility is increasingly common in modern society and has severely affected human life and health. However, the existing biomaterial scaffold-mediated systems remain limited in efficient uterus recovery, leading to low pregnancy rate and live births. Here, reconstructable uterus-derived materials (RUMs) are demonstrated by combining uterus-derived extracellular matrix and seeded chorionic villi mesenchymal stem cells for uterus recovery, achieving highly efficient live births in rats with severe uterine injury. The RUMs can be designed into different states (such as, liquid RUMs and solid RUMs) and shapes (such as, cuboid, triangular-prism, and cube) in terms of requirements. The RUMs can effectively prevent intrauterine adhesion, and promote endometrial regeneration and muscle collagen reconstruction, as well as, accelerate wound healing by constructing a physical barrier and secreting cytokines, allowing efficient uterus recovery. The injured uterus nearly achieves complete recovery after treating with the RUMs and has normal pregnancies for supporting fetal development and live births, similar to the normal rats. The study provides a regenerative medicine therapeutics for uterine factor infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Yi
- Research Centre for Artificial Organ and Tissue Engineering & Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery II, Zhujiang Hospital, Cancer Research Institute, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510280, P. R. China
- Department of Gynecology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, P. R. China
| | - Fan Liu
- Department of Gynecology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, P. R. China
| | - Kunjie Gao
- Department of Gynecology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, P. R. China
| | - Feng Chen
- Department of Gynecology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, P. R. China
| | - Yifeng Wang
- Department of Gynecology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, P. R. China
| | - Huayan Li
- Department of Gynecology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, P. R. China
| | - Xuefeng Wang
- Department of Gynecology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Yi Huang
- Department of Gynecology, Nanhai People's Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, P. R. China
| | - Huijiao Fu
- Department of Gynecology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Weijie Zhou
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510515, P. R. China
| | - Jun-Bing Fan
- Research Centre for Artificial Organ and Tissue Engineering & Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery II, Zhujiang Hospital, Cancer Research Institute, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510280, P. R. China
| | - Shutao Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-inspired Materials and Interfacial Science, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
| | - Yi Gao
- Research Centre for Artificial Organ and Tissue Engineering & Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery II, Zhujiang Hospital, Cancer Research Institute, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510280, P. R. China
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11
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Jiang S, Li W, Zhao X, Chen L, Kuang Y. Nintedanib Treatment After Ovulation is an Effective Therapeutic Strategy for the Alleviation of Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS) in a Mouse Model. Drug Des Devel Ther 2022; 16:397-411. [PMID: 35221672 PMCID: PMC8865761 DOI: 10.2147/dddt.s351292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Shutian Jiang
- Department of Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wenzhi Li
- Department of Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xinxi Zhao
- Department of Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Li Chen
- Department of Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yanping Kuang
- Department of Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
- Correspondence: Yanping Kuang; Wenzhi Li, Email ;
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12
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Northrop-Albrecht EJ, Rich JJJ, Cushman RA, Yao R, Ge X, Perry GA. Influence of conceptus presence and preovulatory estradiol exposure on uterine gene transcripts and proteins around maternal recognition of pregnancy in beef cattle. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2022; 540:111508. [PMID: 34800604 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2021.111508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The uterine environment must provide sufficient endocrine conditions and nutrients for pregnancy maintenance and conceptus survival. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of preovulatory estradiol and conceptus presence on uterine transcripts and uterine luminal fluid (ULF) proteins. Beef cows/heifers were synchronized and artificially inseminated (d 0). Uteri were flushed (d 16); conceptuses and endometrial biopsies were collected. Total cellular RNA was extracted from endometrium for RNA sequencing and RT-PCR validation. There were two independent ULF pools made for each of the following groups: highE2/conceptus, highE2/noconceptus, lowE2/conceptus, and lowE2/noconceptus that were analyzed using the 2D LC-MS/MS based iTRAQ method. There were 64 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 77 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in common among the highE2/conceptus vs highE2/noconceptus and lowE2/conceptus vs lowE2/noconceptus groups. In summary, the interaction between preovulatory estradiol and the conceptus induces the expression of genes, proteins, and pathways necessary for pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jerica J J Rich
- Department of Animal Science, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD, USA
| | - Robert A Cushman
- USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Roman L. Hruska US Meat Animal Research Center, Clay Center, NE, USA
| | - Runan Yao
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD, USA
| | - Xijin Ge
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD, USA
| | - George A Perry
- Department of Animal Science, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD, USA.
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13
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Spatiotemporal endometrial transcriptome analysis revealed the luminal epithelium as key player during initial maternal recognition of pregnancy in the mare. Sci Rep 2021; 11:22293. [PMID: 34785745 PMCID: PMC8595723 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-01785-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
During the period of maternal recognition of pregnancy (MRP) in the mare, the embryo needs to signal its presence to the endometrium to prevent regression of the corpus luteum and prepare for establishment of pregnancy. This is achieved by mechanical stimuli and release of various signaling molecules by the equine embryo while migrating through the uterus. We hypothesized that embryo's signals induce changes in the endometrial gene expression in a highly cell type-specific manner. A spatiotemporal transcriptomics approach was applied combining laser capture microdissection and low-input-RNA sequencing of luminal and glandular epithelium (LE, GE), and stroma of biopsy samples collected from days 10-13 of pregnancy and the estrous cycle. Two comparisons were performed, samples derived from pregnancies with conceptuses ≥ 8 mm in diameter (comparison 1) and conceptuses ≤ 8 mm (comparison 2) versus samples from cyclic controls. The majority of gene expression changes was identified in LE and much lower numbers of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in GE and stroma. While 1253 DEGs were found for LE in comparison 1, only 248 were found in comparison 2. Data mining mainly focused on DEGs in LE and revealed regulation of genes related to prostaglandin transport, metabolism, and signaling, as well as transcription factor families that could be involved in MRP. In comparison to other mammalian species, differences in regulation of genes involved in epithelial barrier formation and conceptus attachment and implantation reflected the unique features of equine reproduction at the time of MRP at the molecular level.
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14
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NR4A1 Affects Endometrial Receptivity by Participating in Mesenchymal-Epithelial Transition of Endometrial Stromal Cells. Reprod Sci 2021; 29:133-142. [PMID: 34773204 DOI: 10.1007/s43032-021-00792-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Decidualization is a substantive differentiation process experienced by endometrium to prepare for pregnancy. During this process, the endometrial stromal cells are transformed to endometrial epithelial cells. The receptivity of endometrium is necessary for the decidualization and successful implantation of endometrium, while the main hormones coordinating this process are estrogen and progesterone (P). In our study, the immunofluorescence, qPCR, and western blot experiments were conducted on different types of clinical endometrial tissue samples. The experimental results show that in the endometrium of normal subjects during the luteal phase, the protein level and serum P4 level of the orphan nuclear receptor NR4A1 messenger RNA were all significantly higher than those of patients with endometriosis or primary infertility, and the two levels presented positive correlation. Through decidualization induction of the human endometrial stromal cells (hESCs) cultured in vitro and additional P treatment, the results of chromatin immunoprecipitation and other experiments show that the P treatment could upregulate the expression of NR4A1 in hESCs, and this process was mediated under the direct effect of progesterone receptor (PR) and NR4A1. When the NR4A1 in hESCs was silenced, the promotion of hESC proliferation by P was inhibited. P and overexpressed NR4A1 increased the expression of epithelial cell marker in decidual hESCs, and qPCR showed that NR4A1's response to P was earlier than that of the epithelial cell marker. The results of spheroid adhesion assay show that the silent NR4A1 had reduced the adhesion of decidual hESCs induced in vitro to embryo. To sum it up, NR4A1 participated in the decidualization process by responding to the P regulation via and by promoting the hESCs' mesenchymal-epithelial transition, so as to further influence the receptivity of endometrium.
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15
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Young CH, Snow B, DeVore SB, Mohandass A, Nemmara VV, Thompson PR, Thyagarajan B, Navratil AM, Cherrington BD. Progesterone stimulates histone citrullination to increase IGFBP1 expression in uterine cells. Reproduction 2021; 162:117-127. [PMID: 34034233 PMCID: PMC8284904 DOI: 10.1530/rep-21-0132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Peptidylarginine deiminases (PAD) enzymes were initially characterized in uteri, but since then little research has examined their function in this tissue. PADs post-translationally convert arginine residues in target proteins to citrulline and are highly expressed in ovine caruncle epithelia and ovine uterine luminal epithelial (OLE)-derived cell line. Progesterone (P4) not only maintains the uterine epithelia but also regulates the expression of endometrial genes that code for proteins that comprise the histotroph and are critical during early pregnancy. Given this, we tested whether P4 stimulates PAD-catalyzed histone citrullination to epigenetically regulate expression of the histotroph gene insulin-like growth factor binding protein 1 (IGFBP1) in OLE cells. 100 nM P4 significantly increases IGFBP1 mRNA expression; however, this increase is attenuated by pre-treating OLE cells with 100 nM progesterone receptor antagonist RU486 or 2 µM of a pan-PAD inhibitor. P4 treatment of OLE cells also stimulates citrullination of histone H3 arginine residues 2, 8, and 17 leading to enrichment of the ovine IGFBP1 gene promoter. Since PAD2 nuclear translocation and catalytic activity require calcium, we next investigated whether P4 triggers calcium influx in OLE cells. OLE cells were pre-treated with 10 nM nicardipine, an L-type calcium channel blocker, followed by stimulation with P4. Using fura2-AM imaging, we found that P4 initiates a rapid calcium influx through L-type calcium channels in OLE cells. Furthermore, this influx is necessary for PAD2 nuclear translocation and resulting citrullination of histone H3 arginine residues 2, 8, and 17. Our work suggests that P4 stimulates rapid calcium influx through L-type calcium channels initiating PAD-catalyzed histone citrullination and an increase in IGFBP1 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Coleman H Young
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | - Bryce Snow
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | - Stanley B DeVore
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | | | - Venkatesh V Nemmara
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Rowan University, Glassboro, New Jersey, USA
| | - Paul R Thompson
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Amy M Navratil
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | - Brian D Cherrington
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
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16
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Zhang J, Abou-Fadel JS. Calm the raging hormone - A new therapeutic strategy involving progesterone-signaling for hemorrhagic CCMs. VESSEL PLUS 2021; 5:48. [PMID: 35098046 DOI: 10.20517/2574-1209.2021.64] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs), one of the most common vascular malformations, are characterized by abnormally dilated intracranial microvascular capillaries resulting in increased susceptibility to hemorrhagic stroke. As an autosomal dominant disorder with incomplete penetrance, the majority of CCMs gene mutation carriers are largely asymptomatic but when symptoms occur, the disease has typically reached the stage of focal hemorrhage with irreversible brain damage, while the molecular "trigger" initiating the occurrence of CCM pathology remain elusive. Currently, the invasive neurosurgery removal of CCM lesions is the only option for the treatment, despite the recurrence of the worse symptoms frequently occurring after surgery. Therefore, there is a grave need for identification of molecular targets for therapeutic treatment and biomarkers as risk predictors for hemorrhagic stroke prevention. Based on reported various perturbed angiogenic signaling cascades mediated by the CCM signaling complex (CSC), there have been many proposed candidate drugs, targeting potentially angiogenic-relevant signaling pathways dysregulated by loss of function of one of the CCM proteins, which might not be enough to correct the pathological phenotype, hemorrhagic CCMs. In this review, we describe a new paradigm for the mechanism of hemorrhagic CCM lesions, and propose a new concept for the assurance of the CSC-stability to prevent the devastating outcome of hemorrhagic CCMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Zhang
- Departments of Molecular & Translational Medicine (MTM), Texas Tech University Health Science Center El Paso (TTUHSCEP), El Paso, TX 79905, USA
| | - Johnathan S Abou-Fadel
- Departments of Molecular & Translational Medicine (MTM), Texas Tech University Health Science Center El Paso (TTUHSCEP), El Paso, TX 79905, USA
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17
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Obesity-associated cardiovascular risk in women: hypertension and heart failure. Clin Sci (Lond) 2021; 135:1523-1544. [PMID: 34160010 DOI: 10.1042/cs20210384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The pathogenesis of obesity-associated cardiovascular diseases begins long prior to the presentation of a cardiovascular event. In both men and women, cardiovascular events, and their associated hospitalizations and mortality, are often clinically predisposed by the presentation of a chronic cardiovascular risk factor. Obesity increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases in both sexes, however, the clinical prevalence of obesity, as well as its contribution to crucial cardiovascular risk factors is dependent on sex. The mechanisms via which obesity leads to cardiovascular risk is also discrepant in women between their premenopausal, pregnancy and postmenopausal phases of life. Emerging data indicate that at all reproductive statuses and ages, the presentation of a cardiovascular event in obese women is strongly associated with hypertension and its subsequent chronic risk factor, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). In addition, emerging evidence indicates that obesity increases the risk of both hypertension and heart failure in pregnancy. This review will summarize clinical and experimental data on the female-specific prevalence and mechanisms of hypertension and heart failure in women across reproductive stages and highlight the particular risks in pregnancy as well as emerging data in a high-risk ethnicity in women of African ancestry (AA).
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18
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George AF, Jang KS, Nyegaard M, Neidleman J, Spitzer TL, Xie G, Chen JC, Herzig E, Laustsen A, Marques de Menezes EG, Houshdaran S, Pilcher CD, Norris PJ, Jakobsen MR, Greene WC, Giudice LC, Roan NR. Seminal plasma promotes decidualization of endometrial stromal fibroblasts in vitro from women with and without inflammatory disorders in a manner dependent on interleukin-11 signaling. Hum Reprod 2021; 35:617-640. [PMID: 32219408 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/deaa015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2019] [Revised: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION Do seminal plasma (SP) and its constituents affect the decidualization capacity and transcriptome of human primary endometrial stromal fibroblasts (eSFs)? SUMMARY ANSWER SP promotes decidualization of eSFs from women with and without inflammatory disorders (polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis) in a manner that is not mediated through semen amyloids and that is associated with a potent transcriptional response, including the induction of interleukin (IL)-11, a cytokine important for SP-induced decidualization. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Clinical studies have suggested that SP can promote implantation, and studies in vitro have demonstrated that SP can promote decidualization, a steroid hormone-driven program of eSF differentiation that is essential for embryo implantation and that is compromised in women with the inflammatory disorders PCOS and endometriosis. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION This is a cross-sectional study involving samples treated with vehicle alone versus treatment with SP or SP constituents. SP was tested for the ability to promote decidualization in vitro in eSFs from women with or without PCOS or endometriosis (n = 9). The role of semen amyloids and fractionated SP in mediating this effect and in eliciting transcriptional changes in eSFs was then studied. Finally, the role of IL-11, a cytokine with a key role in implantation and decidualization, was assessed as a mediator of the SP-facilitated decidualization. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS eSFs and endometrial epithelial cells (eECs) were isolated from endometrial biopsies from women of reproductive age undergoing benign gynecologic procedures and maintained in vitro. Assays were conducted to assess whether the treatment of eSFs with SP or SP constituents affects the rate and extent of decidualization in women with and without inflammatory disorders. To characterize the response of the endometrium to SP and SP constituents, RNA was isolated from treated eSFs or eECs and analyzed by RNA sequencing (RNAseq). Secreted factors in conditioned media from treated cells were analyzed by Luminex and ELISA. The role of IL-11 in SP-induced decidualization was assessed through Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas-9-mediated knockout experiments in primary eSFs. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE SP promoted decidualization both in the absence and presence of steroid hormones (P < 0.05 versus vehicle) in a manner that required seminal proteins. Semen amyloids did not promote decidualization and induced weak transcriptomic and secretomic responses in eSFs. In contrast, fractionated SP enriched for seminal microvesicles (MVs) promoted decidualization. IL-11 was one of the most potently SP-induced genes in eSFs and was important for SP-facilitated decidualization. LARGE SCALE DATA RNAseq data were deposited in the Gene Expression Omnibus repository under series accession number GSE135640. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION This study is limited to in vitro analyses. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Our results support the notion that SP promotes decidualization, including within eSFs from women with inflammatory disorders. Despite the general ability of amyloids to induce cytokines known to be important for implantation, semen amyloids poorly signaled to eSFs and did not promote their decidualization. In contrast, fractionated SP enriched for MVs promoted decidualization and induced a transcriptional response in eSFs that overlapped with that of SP. Our results suggest that SP constituents, possibly those associated with MVs, can promote decidualization of eSFs in an IL-11-dependent manner in preparation for implantation. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This project was supported by NIH (R21AI116252, R21AI122821 and R01AI127219) to N.R.R. and (P50HD055764) to L.C.G. The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley F George
- Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Karen S Jang
- Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Mette Nyegaard
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Jason Neidleman
- Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Trimble L Spitzer
- Lt Col, USAF; Women's Health Clinic, Naval Medical Center, Portsmouth, VA, USA
| | - Guorui Xie
- Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Eytan Herzig
- Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Anders Laustsen
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Erika G Marques de Menezes
- Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Sahar Houshdaran
- Center for Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Christopher D Pilcher
- Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases and Global Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Philip J Norris
- Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Warner C Greene
- Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Departments of Medicine, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Linda C Giudice
- Center for Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Nadia R Roan
- Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
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19
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Diniz-da-Costa M, Kong CS, Fishwick KJ, Rawlings T, Brighton PJ, Hawkes A, Odendaal J, Quenby S, Ott S, Lucas ES, Vrljicak P, Brosens JJ. Characterization of highly proliferative decidual precursor cells during the window of implantation in human endometrium. STEM CELLS (DAYTON, OHIO) 2021; 39:1067-1080. [PMID: 33764639 DOI: 10.1002/stem.3367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Pregnancy depends on the wholesale transformation of the endometrium, a process driven by differentiation of endometrial stromal cells (EnSC) into specialist decidual cells. Upon embryo implantation, decidual cells impart the tissue plasticity needed to accommodate a rapidly growing conceptus and invading placenta, although the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Here we characterize a discrete population of highly proliferative mesenchymal cells (hPMC) in midluteal human endometrium, coinciding with the window of embryo implantation. Single-cell transcriptomics demonstrated that hPMC express genes involved in chemotaxis and vascular transmigration. Although distinct from resident EnSC, hPMC also express genes encoding pivotal decidual transcription factors and markers, most prominently prolactin. We further show that hPMC are enriched around spiral arterioles, scattered throughout the stroma, and occasionally present in glandular and luminal epithelium. The abundance of hPMC correlated with the in vitro colony-forming unit activity of midluteal endometrium and, conversely, clonogenic cells in culture express a gene signature partially conserved in hPMC. Cross-referencing of single-cell RNA-sequencing data sets indicated that hPMC differentiate into a recently discovered decidual subpopulation in early pregnancy. Finally, we demonstrate that recurrent pregnancy loss is associated with hPMC depletion. Collectively, our findings characterize midluteal hPMC as novel decidual precursors that are likely derived from circulating bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem/stromal cells and integral to decidual plasticity in pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Diniz-da-Costa
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.,Tommy's National Centre for Miscarriage Research, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire National Health Service Trust, Coventry, UK
| | - Chow-Seng Kong
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - Katherine J Fishwick
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - Thomas Rawlings
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - Paul J Brighton
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - Amelia Hawkes
- Tommy's National Centre for Miscarriage Research, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire National Health Service Trust, Coventry, UK
| | - Joshua Odendaal
- Tommy's National Centre for Miscarriage Research, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire National Health Service Trust, Coventry, UK
| | - Siobhan Quenby
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.,Tommy's National Centre for Miscarriage Research, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire National Health Service Trust, Coventry, UK.,Centre for Early Life, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - Sascha Ott
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.,Tommy's National Centre for Miscarriage Research, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire National Health Service Trust, Coventry, UK.,Centre for Early Life, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - Emma S Lucas
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.,Centre for Early Life, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - Pavle Vrljicak
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - Jan J Brosens
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.,Tommy's National Centre for Miscarriage Research, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire National Health Service Trust, Coventry, UK.,Centre for Early Life, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
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20
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Sex Hormones in Lymphedema. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13030530. [PMID: 33573286 PMCID: PMC7866787 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13030530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Lymphedema is a life-long disease that affects a large number of patients treated for breast-, gynecological-, and urologic cancers in Western countries. Given that hormone levels are strongly modified in these conditions, and that patients widely undergo through hormone therapy, it is tempting to speculate that hormones might be key regulators in the maintenance of lymphedema. Despite an obvious prevalence for women, the role of sex hormones and gender has been poorly investigated in this pathology. This review aims to decipher how sex hormones interact with lymphatic vessels and whether hormone therapy could participate in lymphedema development. Abstract Lymphedema is a disorder of the lymphatic vascular system characterized by impaired lymphatic return resulting in swelling of the extremities and accumulation of undrained interstitial fluid/lymph that results in fibrosis and adipose tissue deposition in the limb. Whereas it is clearly established that primary lymphedema is sex-linked with an average ratio of one male for three females, the role of female hormones, in particular estrogens, has been poorly explored. In addition, secondary lymphedema in Western countries affects mainly women who developed the pathology after breast cancer and undergo through hormone therapy up to five years after cancer surgery. Although lymphadenectomy is identified as a trigger factor, the effect of co-morbidities associated to lymphedema remains elusive, in particular, estrogen receptor antagonists or aromatase inhibitors. In addition, the role of sex hormones and gender has been poorly investigated in the etiology of the pathology. Therefore, this review aims to recapitulate the effect of sex hormones on the physiology of the lymphatic system and to investigate whetherhormone therapy could promote a lymphatic dysfunction leading to lymphedema.
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21
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Chen DB, Magness RR. Vascular smooth muscle cells during spiral artery remodeling in early human pregnancy†. Biol Reprod 2020; 104:252-254. [PMID: 33300560 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioaa220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Dong-Bao Chen
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Ronald R Magness
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Perinatal Research Laboratories, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
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22
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Hellgren R, Saracco A, Strand F, Eriksson M, Sundbom A, Hall P, Dickman PW. The association between breast cancer risk factors and background parenchymal enhancement at dynamic contrast-enhanced breast MRI. Acta Radiol 2020; 61:1600-1607. [PMID: 32216451 PMCID: PMC7720360 DOI: 10.1177/0284185120911583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Background Background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) of normal tissue at breast magnetic resonance imaging is suggested to be an independent risk factor for breast cancer. Its association with established risk factors for breast cancer is not fully investigated. Purpose To study the association between BPE and risk factors for breast cancer in a healthy, non-high-risk screening population. Material and Methods We measured BPE and mammographic density and used data from self-reported questionnaires in 214 healthy women aged 43–74 years. We estimated odds ratios for the univariable association between BPE and risk factors. We then fitted an adjusted model using logistic regression to evaluate associations between BPE (high vs. low) and risk factors, including mammographic breast density. Results The majority of women had low BPE (84%). In a multivariable model, we found statistically significant associations between BPE and age (P = 0.002) and BMI (P = 0.03). We did find a significant association between systemic progesterone medication and BPE, but due to small numbers, the results should be interpreted with caution. The adjusted odds ratio for high BPE was 3.1 among women with density D (compared to B) and 2.1 for density C (compared to B). However, the association between high BPE and density was not statistically significant. We did not find statistically significant associations with any other risk factors. Conclusion Our study confirmed the known association of BPE with age and BMI. Although our results show a higher likelihood for high BPE with increasing levels of mammographic density, the association was not statistically significant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roxanna Hellgren
- Department of Medical Imaging, Division of Breast Imaging, Södersjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ariel Saracco
- Department of Medical Imaging, Division of Breast Imaging, Södersjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Fredrik Strand
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Thoracic Radiology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mikael Eriksson
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ann Sundbom
- Department of Medical Imaging, Division of Breast Imaging, Södersjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Per Hall
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Oncology, Södersjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Paul W Dickman
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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23
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Salmasi S, Sharifi M, Rashidi B. Evaluating the effect of ovarian stimulation and exogenous progesterone on CD31-positive cell density, VEGF protein, and miR-17-5p expression of endometrium immediately before implantation. Biomed Pharmacother 2020; 133:110922. [PMID: 33232927 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2020.110922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 10/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND MicroRNAs (miRNAs) form a special class of RNAs regulating endometrial functions like cell proliferation, differentiation, angiogenesis, and blastocyst implantation. In addition to providing suitable conditions for embryo development, angiogenesis is a prerequisite to natural pregnancy. The family of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptors are the main physiological and pathological angiogenesis regulators in the endometrium. In the past, research has demonstrated alteration of angiogenesis and subsequent endometrial receptivity in the stimulated and luteal phase support cycles, when compared with natural cycles. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of ovarian stimulation and exogenous progesterone on the density of CD31-positive cell (Endothelial cell), VEGF protein, and miR-17-5p expression in the mouse endometrium immediately before implantation. METHODS We employed ovarian stimulated and luteal phase support mice models induced by HMG/HCG and progesterone. The endometrial CD31-positive cell density was determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining, the level of VEGF protein by IHC and western blot analysis, and finally the miR-17-5p expression was determined by the real-time PCR method. RESULTS The density of endothelial cell, VEGF protein, and miR-17-5p expression increased in all of the experimental mice when compared to the control group, with the maximum increase having been seen in the group that had received progesterone after ovarian stimulation. CONCLUSION This research indicates that ovarian stimulation and exogenous progesterone lead to an increase in the number of endothelial cells by upregulating the VEGF protein. Moreover, except for miR-17-5p, other microRNAs and molecules are presumably involved in angiogenic pathways, thereby requiring more studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soheila Salmasi
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
| | - Mohammadreza Sharifi
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
| | - Bahman Rashidi
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
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24
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Lim HJ. Autophagy in the uterine vessel microenvironment: Balancing vasoactive factors. Clin Exp Reprod Med 2020; 47:263-268. [PMID: 33227184 PMCID: PMC7711101 DOI: 10.5653/cerm.2020.04126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Autophagy, which has the literal meaning of self-eating, is a cellular catabolic process executed by arrays of conserved proteins in eukaryotes. Autophagy is dynamically ongoing at a basal level, presumably in all cells, and often carries out distinct functions depending on the cell type. Therefore, although a set of common genes and proteins is involved in this process, the outcome of autophagic activation or deficit requires scrutiny regarding how it affects cells in a specific pathophysiological context. The uterus is a complex organ that carries out multiple tasks under the influence of cyclic changes of ovarian steroid hormones. Several major populations of cells are present in the uterus, and the interactions among them drive complex physiological tasks. Mouse models with autophagic deficits in the uterus are very limited, but provide an initial glimpse at how autophagy plays a distinct role in different uterine tissues. Herein, we review recent research findings on the role of autophagy in the uterine mesenchyme in mouse models.
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25
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Gnecco JS, Brown AT, Kan EL, Baugh L, Ives C, Loring M, Griffith LG. Physiomimetic Models of Adenomyosis. Semin Reprod Med 2020; 38:179-196. [PMID: 33176387 PMCID: PMC7803459 DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1719084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Adenomyosis remains an enigmatic disease in the clinical and research communities. The high prevalence, diversity of morphological and symptomatic presentations, array of potential etiological explanations, and variable response to existing interventions suggest that different subgroups of patients with distinguishable mechanistic drivers of disease may exist. These factors, combined with the weak links to genetic predisposition, make the entire spectrum of the human condition challenging to model in animals. Here, after an overview of current approaches, a vision for applying physiomimetic modeling to adenomyosis is presented. Physiomimetics combines a system's biology analysis of patient populations to generate hypotheses about mechanistic bases for stratification with in vitro patient avatars to test these hypotheses. A substantial foundation for three-dimensional (3D) tissue engineering of adenomyosis lesions exists in several disparate areas: epithelial organoid technology; synthetic biomaterials matrices for epithelial–stromal coculture; smooth muscle 3D tissue engineering; and microvascular tissue engineering. These approaches can potentially be combined with microfluidic platform technologies to model the lesion microenvironment and can potentially be coupled to other microorgan systems to examine systemic effects. In vitro patient-derived models are constructed to answer specific questions leading to target identification and validation in a manner that informs preclinical research and ultimately clinical trial design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan S Gnecco
- Center for Gynepathology Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts.,Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Alex T Brown
- Center for Gynepathology Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts.,Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Ellen L Kan
- Center for Gynepathology Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts.,Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Lauren Baugh
- Center for Gynepathology Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts.,Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Clara Ives
- Center for Gynepathology Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts.,Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Megan Loring
- Center for Gynepathology Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts.,Endometriosis and Adenomyosis Care Collaborative, Center for Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery, Newton Wellesley Hospital, Newton, Massachusetts
| | - Linda G Griffith
- Center for Gynepathology Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts.,Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
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26
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Marques de Menezes EG, Jang K, George AF, Nyegaard M, Neidleman J, Inglis HC, Danesh A, Deng X, Afshari A, Kim YH, Billaud JN, Marson K, Pilcher CD, Pillai SK, Norris PJ, Roan NR. Seminal Plasma-Derived Extracellular-Vesicle Fractions from HIV-Infected Men Exhibit Unique MicroRNA Signatures and Induce a Proinflammatory Response in Cells Isolated from the Female Reproductive Tract. J Virol 2020; 94:e00525-20. [PMID: 32434889 PMCID: PMC7394899 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00525-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The continuing spread of HIV/AIDS is predominantly fueled by sexual exposure to HIV-contaminated semen. Seminal plasma (SP), the liquid portion of semen, harbors a variety of factors that may favor HIV transmission by facilitating viral entry into host cells, eliciting the production of proinflammatory cytokines, and enhancing the translocation of HIV across the genital epithelium. One important and abundant class of factors in SP is extracellular vesicles (EVs), which, in general, are important intercellular signal transducers. Although numerous studies have characterized blood plasma-derived EVs from both uninfected and HIV-infected individuals, little is known about the properties of EVs from the semen of HIV-infected individuals. We report here that fractionated SP enriched for EVs from HIV-infected men induces potent transcriptional responses in epithelial and stromal cells that interface with the luminal contents of the female reproductive tract. Semen EV fractions from acutely infected individuals induced a more proinflammatory signature than those from uninfected individuals. This was not associated with any observable differences in the surface phenotypes of the vesicles. However, microRNA (miRNA) expression profiling analysis revealed that EV fractions from infected individuals exhibit a broader and more diverse profile than those from uninfected individuals. Taken together, our data suggest that SP EVs from HIV-infected individuals exhibit unique miRNA signatures and exert potent proinflammatory transcriptional changes in cells of the female reproductive tract, which may facilitate HIV transmission.IMPORTANCE Seminal plasma (SP), the major vehicle for HIV, can modulate HIV transmission risk through a variety of mechanisms. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are extremely abundant in semen, and because they play a key role in intercellular communication pathways and immune regulation, they may impact the likelihood of HIV transmission. However, little is known about the properties and signaling effects of SP-derived EVs in the context of HIV transmission. Here, we conduct a phenotypic, transcriptomic, and functional characterization of SP and SP-derived EVs from uninfected and HIV-infected men. We find that both SP and its associated EVs elicit potent proinflammatory transcriptional responses in cells that line the genital tract. EVs from HIV-infected men exhibit a more diverse repertoire of miRNAs than EVs from uninfected men. Our findings suggest that EVs from the semen of HIV-infected men may significantly impact the likelihood of HIV transmission through multiple mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika G Marques de Menezes
- Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, California, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Karen Jang
- Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology, San Francisco, California, USA
- Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Ashley F George
- Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology, San Francisco, California, USA
- Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Mette Nyegaard
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Jason Neidleman
- Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology, San Francisco, California, USA
- Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | | | - Ali Danesh
- Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Xutao Deng
- Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, California, USA
| | | | - Young H Kim
- Agilent Technologies, Inc., Santa Clara, California, USA
| | | | - Kara Marson
- Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases and Global Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Christopher D Pilcher
- Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases and Global Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Satish K Pillai
- Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, California, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Philip J Norris
- Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, California, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Nadia R Roan
- Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology, San Francisco, California, USA
- Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
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27
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Gnecco JS, Ding T, Smith C, Lu J, Bruner-Tran KL, Osteen KG. Hemodynamic forces enhance decidualization via endothelial-derived prostaglandin E2 and prostacyclin in a microfluidic model of the human endometrium. Hum Reprod 2020; 34:702-714. [PMID: 30789661 PMCID: PMC6443116 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/dez003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2018] [Revised: 12/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION Does the uterine vasculature play a localized role in promoting stromal cell decidualization in the human endometrium? SUMMARY ANSWER Our study demonstrated that hemodynamic forces induced secretion of specific endothelial cell-derived prostanoids that enhanced endometrial perivascular decidualization via a paracrine mechanism. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Differentiation of stromal cell fibroblasts into the specialized decidua of the placenta is a progesterone-dependent process; however, histologically, it has long been noted that the first morphological signs of decidualization appear in the perivascular stroma. These observations suggest that the human endometrial vasculature plays an active role in promoting stromal differentiation. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION Primary human endometrial stromal cells were co-cultured for 14 days with primary uterine microvascular endothelial cells within a microfluidic Organ-on-Chip model of the endometrium. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Cultures were maintained with estradiol and a progestin, with or without continuous laminar perfusion to mimic hemodynamic forces derived from the blood flow. Some cultures additionally received exogenous agonist-mediated challenges. Decidualization in the microfluidic model was assessed morphologically and biochemically. ELISA was used to examine the culture effluent for expression of decidualization markers and prostaglandins. Immunofluorescence was used to monitor cyclooxygenase-2 expression in association with decidualization. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE A significantly enhanced stromal decidualization response was observed in the co-cultures when the endothelial cells were stimulated with hemodynamic forces (e.g. laminar shear stress) derived from controlled microfluidic perfusion (<0.001). Furthermore, the enhanced progestin-driven stromal differentiation was mediated via cyclooxygenase-2 and the paracrine action of prostaglandin E2 and prostacyclin. Altogether, these translational findings indicate that the vascular endothelium plays a key physiologic role during the early events of perivascular decidualization in the human endometrium. LARGE SCALE DATA N/A. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION This report is largely an in vitro study. Although we were able to experimentally mimic hemodynamic forces in our microfluidic model, we have not yet determined the contribution of additional cell types to the decidualization process or determined the precise physiological rates of shear stress that the microvasculature of the endometrium undergoes in vivo. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Identification of specific endothelial-derived prostaglandins and their role during endometrial reproductive processes may have clinical utility as therapeutic targets for reproductive disorders such as infertility, endometriosis, adenomyosis, pre-eclampsia and poor pregnancy outcomes. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This work was supported by the Veterans Affairs (I01 BX002853), the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Grand Challenges Exploration (OPP1159411), the Environmental Toxicology Training Grant (NIH T32 ES007028) and the Environmental Protection Agency STAR Center Grant (83573601). CONFLICT OF INTEREST The authors report no conflicts of interest. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER N/A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan S Gnecco
- Women's Reproductive Health Research Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.,Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.,Lead Contact
| | - Tianbing Ding
- Women's Reproductive Health Research Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Caroline Smith
- Women's Reproductive Health Research Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Jacky Lu
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Kaylon L Bruner-Tran
- Women's Reproductive Health Research Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Kevin G Osteen
- Women's Reproductive Health Research Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.,Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.,Veteran Affairs Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville TN, USA
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28
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Lee B, Shin H, Oh JE, Park J, Park M, Yang SC, Jun JH, Hong SH, Song H, Lim HJ. An autophagic deficit in the uterine vessel microenvironment provokes hyperpermeability through deregulated VEGFA, NOS1, and CTNNB1. Autophagy 2020; 17:1649-1666. [PMID: 32579471 DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2020.1778292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The uterus undergoes vascular changes during the reproductive cycle and pregnancy. Steroid hormone deprivation induces macroautophagy/autophagy in major uterine cell types. Herein, we explored the functions of uterine autophagy using the Amhr2-Cre-driven atg7 deletion model. Deletion of Atg7 was confirmed by functional deficit of autophagy in uterine stromal, myometrial, and vascular smooth muscle cells, but not in endothelial cells. atg7d/d uteri exhibited enhanced stromal edema accompanied by dilation of blood vessels. Ovariectomized atg7d/d uteri showed decreased expression of endothelial junction-related proteins, such as CTNNB1/beta-catenin, with increased vascular permeability, and increased expression of VEGFA and NOS1. Nitric oxide (NO) was shown to mediate VEGFA-induced vascular permeability by targeting CTNNB1. NO involvement in maintaining endothelial junctional stability in atg7d/d uteri was confirmed by the reduction in extravasation following treatment with a NOS inhibitor. We also showed that atg7d/d uterine phenotype improved the fetal weight:placental weight ratio, which is one of the indicators of assessing the status of preeclampsia. We showed that autophagic deficit in the uterine vessel microenvironment provokes hyperpermeability through the deregulation of VEGFA, NOS1, and CTNNB1.Abbreviations: ACTA2: actin, alpha 2, smooth muscle, aortic; Amhr2: anti-Mullerian hormone type 2 receptor; ANGPT1: angiopoietin 1; ATG: autophagy-related; CDH5: cadherin 5; CLDN5: claudin 5; COL1A1: collagen, type I, alpha 1; CSPG4/NG2: chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan 4; CTNNB1: catenin (cadherin associated protein), beta 1; DES: desmin; EDN1: endothelin 1; EDNRB: endothelin receptor type B; F3: coagulation factor III; KDR/FLK1/VEGFR2: kinase insert domain protein receptor; LYVE1: lymphatic vessel endothelial hyaluronan receptor 1; MAP1LC3B: microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 beta; MCAM/CD146: melanoma cell adhesion molecule; MYL2: myosin, light polypeptide 2, regulatory, cardiac, slow; MYLK: myosin, light polypeptide kinase; NOS1/nNOS: nitric oxide synthase 1, neuronal; NOS2/iNOS: nitric oxide synthase 2, inducible; NOS3/eNOS: nitric oxide synthase 3, endothelial cell; OVX: ovariectomy; PECAM1/CD31: platelet/endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1; POSTN: periostin, osteoblast specific factor; SQSTM1: sequestosome 1; TEK/Tie2: TEK receptor tyrosine kinase; TJP1/ZO-1: tight junction protein 1; TUBB1, tubulin, beta 1 class VI; USC: uterine stromal cell; VEGFA: vascular endothelial growth factor A; VSMC: vascular smooth muscle cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bora Lee
- Department of Biomedical Science & Technology, Konkuk University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hyejin Shin
- Department of Biomedical Science & Technology, Konkuk University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Ji-Eun Oh
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jaekyoung Park
- Department of Biomedical Science & Technology, Konkuk University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Mira Park
- Department of Biomedical Science, CHA University, Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do, Korea
| | - Seung Chel Yang
- Department of Biomedical Science, CHA University, Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do, Korea
| | - Jin-Hyun Jun
- Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, Eulji University, Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do, Korea.,Department of Senior Healthcare, BK21 Plus Program, Eulji Medi-Bio Research Institute, Graduate School, Eulji University, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Seok-Ho Hong
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Kangwon-do, Chuncheon, Korea
| | - Haengseok Song
- Department of Biomedical Science, CHA University, Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do, Korea
| | - Hyunjung Jade Lim
- Department of Biomedical Science & Technology, Konkuk University, Seoul, Korea.,Department of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul, Korea
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Eozenou C, Lesage-Padilla A, Mauffré V, Healey GD, Camous S, Bolifraud P, Giraud-Delville C, Vaiman D, Shimizu T, Miyamoto A, Sheldon IM, Constant F, Pannetier M, Sandra O. FOXL2 is a Progesterone Target Gene in the Endometrium of Ruminants. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21041478. [PMID: 32098259 PMCID: PMC7073057 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21041478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2020] [Revised: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Forkhead Box L2 (FOXL2) is a member of the FOXL class of transcription factors, which are essential for ovarian differentiation and function. In the endometrium, FOXL2 is also thought to be important in cattle; however, it is not clear how its expression is regulated. The maternal recognition of pregnancy signal in cattle, interferon-Tau, does not regulate FOXL2 expression. Therefore, in the present study, we examined whether the ovarian steroid hormones that orchestrate implantation regulate FOXL2 gene expression in ruminants. In sheep, we confirmed that FOXL2 mRNA and protein was expressed in the endometrium across the oestrous cycle (day 4 to day 15 post-oestrus). Similar to the bovine endometrium, ovine FOXL2 endometrial expression was low during the luteal phase of the oestrous cycle (4 to 12 days post-oestrus) and at implantation (15 days post-oestrus) while mRNA and protein expression significantly increased during the luteolytic phase (day 15 post-oestrus in cycle). In pregnant ewes, inhibition of progesterone production by trilostane during the day 5 to 16 period prevented the rise in progesterone concentrations and led to a significant increase of FOXL2 expression in caruncles compared with the control group (1.4-fold, p < 0.05). Ovariectomized ewes or cows that were supplemented with exogenous progesterone for 12 days or 6 days, respectively, had lower endometrial FOXL2 expression compared with control ovariectomized females (sheep, mRNA, 1.8-fold; protein, 2.4-fold; cattle; mRNA, 2.2-fold; p < 0.05). Exogenous oestradiol treatments for 12 days in sheep or 2 days in cattle did not affect FOXL2 endometrial expression compared with control ovariectomized females, except at the protein level in both endometrial areas in the sheep. Moreover, treating bovine endometrial explants with exogenous progesterone for 48h reduced FOXL2 expression. Using in vitro assays with COS7 cells we also demonstrated that progesterone regulates the FOXL2 promoter activity through the progesterone receptor. Collectively, our findings imply that endometrial FOXL2 is, as a direct target of progesterone, involved in early pregnancy and implantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Eozenou
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, ENVA, UVSQ, BREED, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France; (A.L.-P.); (V.M.); (S.C.); (P.B.); (C.G.-D.); (F.C.); (M.P.)
- Institut Pasteur, UMR 3738, Biologie du Développement et Cellules Souches, Laboratoire de Génétique du Développement Humain, 25 rue du docteur roux, F75015 Paris, France
- Correspondence: (C.E.); (O.S.); Tel.: +33-144389136 (C.E.); +33-134642343 (O.S.)
| | - Audrey Lesage-Padilla
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, ENVA, UVSQ, BREED, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France; (A.L.-P.); (V.M.); (S.C.); (P.B.); (C.G.-D.); (F.C.); (M.P.)
| | - Vincent Mauffré
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, ENVA, UVSQ, BREED, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France; (A.L.-P.); (V.M.); (S.C.); (P.B.); (C.G.-D.); (F.C.); (M.P.)
| | - Gareth D. Healey
- Swansea University Medical School, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK; (G.D.H.); (I.M.S.)
| | - Sylvaine Camous
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, ENVA, UVSQ, BREED, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France; (A.L.-P.); (V.M.); (S.C.); (P.B.); (C.G.-D.); (F.C.); (M.P.)
| | - Philippe Bolifraud
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, ENVA, UVSQ, BREED, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France; (A.L.-P.); (V.M.); (S.C.); (P.B.); (C.G.-D.); (F.C.); (M.P.)
| | - Corinne Giraud-Delville
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, ENVA, UVSQ, BREED, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France; (A.L.-P.); (V.M.); (S.C.); (P.B.); (C.G.-D.); (F.C.); (M.P.)
| | - Daniel Vaiman
- Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, UMR 8104 CNRS, Faculté René Descartes, 24 rue du Faubourg St Jacques, 75014 Paris, France;
| | - Takashi Shimizu
- Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro 080-8555, Japan; (T.S.); (A.M.)
| | - Akio Miyamoto
- Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro 080-8555, Japan; (T.S.); (A.M.)
| | - Iain Martin Sheldon
- Swansea University Medical School, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK; (G.D.H.); (I.M.S.)
| | - Fabienne Constant
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, ENVA, UVSQ, BREED, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France; (A.L.-P.); (V.M.); (S.C.); (P.B.); (C.G.-D.); (F.C.); (M.P.)
| | - Maëlle Pannetier
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, ENVA, UVSQ, BREED, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France; (A.L.-P.); (V.M.); (S.C.); (P.B.); (C.G.-D.); (F.C.); (M.P.)
| | - Olivier Sandra
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, ENVA, UVSQ, BREED, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France; (A.L.-P.); (V.M.); (S.C.); (P.B.); (C.G.-D.); (F.C.); (M.P.)
- Correspondence: (C.E.); (O.S.); Tel.: +33-144389136 (C.E.); +33-134642343 (O.S.)
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Estrada SM, Thagard AS, Dehart MJ, Damicis JR, Dornisch EM, Ippolito DL, Burd I, Napolitano PG, Ieronimakis N. The orphan nuclear receptor Nr4a1 mediates perinatal neuroinflammation in a murine model of preterm labor. Cell Death Dis 2020; 11:11. [PMID: 31907354 PMCID: PMC6944691 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-019-2196-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2019] [Revised: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Prematurity is associated with perinatal neuroinflammation and injury. Screening for genetic modulators in an LPS murine model of preterm birth revealed the upregulation of Nr4a1, an orphan nuclear transcription factor that is normally absent or limited in embryonic brains. Concurrently, Nr4a1 was downregulated with magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) and betamethasone (BMTZ) treatments administered to LPS exposed dams. To understand the role of Nr4a1 in perinatal brain injury, we compared the preterm neuroinflammatory response in Nr4a1 knockout (KO) versus wild type (wt) mice. Key inflammatory factors Il1b, Il6 and Tnf, and Iba1+ microglia were significantly lower in Nr4a1 KO versus wt brains exposed to LPS in utero. Treatment with MgSO4/BMTZ mitigated the neuroinflammatory process in wt but not Nr4a1 KO brains. These results correspond with a reduction in cerebral hemorrhage in wt but not mutant embryos from dams given MgSO4/BMTZ. Further analysis with Nr4a1-GFP-Cre × tdTomato loxP reporter mice revealed that the upregulation of Nr4a1 with perinatal neuroinflammation occurs in the cerebral vasculature. Altogether, this study implicates Nr4a1 in the developing vasculature as a potent mediator of neuroinflammatory brain injury that occurs with preterm birth. It is also possible that MgSO4/BMTZ mitigates this process by direct or indirect inhibition of Nr4a1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Estrada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, WA, USA
| | - Andrew S Thagard
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, WA, USA
| | - Mary J Dehart
- Department of Clinical Investigation, Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, WA, USA
| | - Jennifer R Damicis
- Department of Clinical Investigation, Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, WA, USA
| | - Elisabeth M Dornisch
- Department of Clinical Investigation, Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, WA, USA
| | | | - Irina Burd
- Integrated Research Center for Fetal Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Peter G Napolitano
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Nicholas Ieronimakis
- Department of Clinical Investigation, Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, WA, USA.
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31
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Elsayed DH, Abdelrazek HMA, Eltamany DA, Ebaid HM, El-Nahla AM. Effect of soy isoflavones on implantation losses in Wistar rat: implication of progesterone receptors, vascular endothelial growth factor and estradiol receptors alpha. IRANIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY RESEARCH 2020; 21:46-51. [PMID: 32368225 PMCID: PMC7183373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2018] [Revised: 05/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Implantation is a crucial period determining the success of a full pregnancy. Endocrine disruptors such as phytoestrogens (PEs) were thought to adversely influence embryonic implantations. However, the mechanism by which they upset implantation was not fully elucidated. AIMS The effect of administering soy isoflavones on the implantation of Wistar rats was studied through the detection of progesterone receptors (PR), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and estradiol receptor alpha (ER-α) protein expression at gestation day 6 (GD6). METHODS Eighteen cyclic female Wistar rats were distributed into two groups, group A: control (n=9) were fed with a casein based diet, and group B (n=9) were fed with a casein diet and gavaged 50 mg/kg/day soy isoflavones' extract 40% starting from gestation day zero (GD0) to GD6. Feed intake, body weight (BW), body gain, and uterine weights were recorded. At the end of GD6 the number of corpora lutae (CLs) and implantation rates were recorded. Histopathology and immunohistochemistry (IHC) for PR, VEGF, and ER-α protein expression in implanted uteri were performed. RESULTS Soy isoflavones significantly reduced feed intake, weight gain, uterine weights CL numbers, and implantation rates of the treated pregnant dams. The endometrium of the soy treated dams showed less proliferation than that of the control. Immunostaining percentage of PR and VEGF proteins significantly reduced in soy treated dams compared to the control. However, the mean expression percentage of ER-α exhibited significant elevation in the soy treated dams in comparison to the control group. CONCLUSION Implantation losses caused by soy isoflavones seemed to be due to the down regulation of PR that failed to down regulate ER-α action and decreased VEGF production.
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Affiliation(s)
- D. H. Elsayed
- Department of Theriogenology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt
| | - H. M. A. Abdelrazek
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt
| | - D. A. Eltamany
- Nutrition and Food Science, Home Economic Department, Faculty of Education, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt
| | - H. M. Ebaid
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Sciences, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt
| | - A. M. El-Nahla
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt
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32
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Abou-Fadel J, Vasquez M, Grajeda B, Ellis C, Zhang J. Systems-wide analysis unravels the new roles of CCM signal complex (CSC). Heliyon 2019; 5:e02899. [PMID: 31872111 PMCID: PMC6909108 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e02899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Revised: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs) are characterized by abnormally dilated intracranial capillaries that result in increased susceptibility to stroke. Three genes have been identified as causes of CCMs; KRIT1 (CCM1), MGC4607 (CCM2) and PDCD10 (CCM3); one of them is disrupted in most CCM cases. It was demonstrated that both CCM1 and CCM3 bind to CCM2 to form a CCM signaling complex (CSC) to modulate angiogenesis. In this report, we deployed both RNA-seq and proteomic analysis of perturbed CSC after depletion of one of three CCM genes to generate interactomes for system-wide studies. Our results demonstrated a unique portrait detailing alterations in angiogenesis and vascular integrity. Interestingly, only in-direct overlapped alterations between RNA and protein levels were detected, supporting the existence of multiple layers of regulation in CSC cascades. Notably, this is the first report identifying that both β4 integrin and CAV1 signaling are downstream of CSC, conveying the angiogenic signaling. Our results provide a global view of signal transduction modulated by the CSC, identifies novel regulatory signaling networks and key cellular factors associated with CSC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johnathan Abou-Fadel
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine (MTM), Texas Tech University Health Science Center El Paso, El Paso, TX, 79905, USA
| | - Mariana Vasquez
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine (MTM), Texas Tech University Health Science Center El Paso, El Paso, TX, 79905, USA
| | - Brian Grajeda
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine (MTM), Texas Tech University Health Science Center El Paso, El Paso, TX, 79905, USA
| | - Cameron Ellis
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine (MTM), Texas Tech University Health Science Center El Paso, El Paso, TX, 79905, USA
| | - Jun Zhang
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine (MTM), Texas Tech University Health Science Center El Paso, El Paso, TX, 79905, USA
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33
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Kowalik MK, Dobrzyn K, Rekawiecki R, Kotwica J. Expression of membrane progestin receptors (mPRs) α, β and γ in the bovine uterus during the oestrous cycle and pregnancy. Theriogenology 2019; 140:171-179. [DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2019.08.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2019] [Revised: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 08/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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34
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Martin JW, Chen JC, Neidleman J, Tatsumi K, Hu J, Giudice LC, Greene WC, Roan NR. Potent and rapid activation of tropomyosin-receptor kinase A in endometrial stromal fibroblasts by seminal plasma. Biol Reprod 2019. [PMID: 29518187 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioy056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Seminal plasma (SP), the liquid fraction of semen, is not mandatory for conception, but clinical studies suggest that SP improves implantation rates. Prior in vitro studies examining the effects of SP on the endometrium, the site of implantation, surprisingly revealed that SP induces transcriptional profiles associated with neurogenesis. We investigated the presence and activity of neurogenesis pathways in the endometrium, focusing on TrkA, one of the canonical receptors associated with neurotrophic signaling. We demonstrate that TrkA is expressed in the endometrium. To determine if SP activates TrkA signaling, we isolated the two most abundant endometrial cell types-endometrial epithelial cells (eEC) and endometrial stromal fibroblasts (eSF)-and examined TrkA activity in these cells after SP exposure. While SP only moderately activated TrkA in eEC, it potently and rapidly activated TrkA in eSF. This activation occurred in both non-decidualized and decidualized eSF. Blocking this pathway resulted in dysregulation of SP-induced cytokine production by eSF. Surprisingly, while the canonical TrkA agonist nerve growth factor was detected in SP, TrkA activation was principally induced by a 30-100-kDa protein whose identity remains to be established. Our results show that TrkA signaling is highly active in eSF and is rapidly induced by SP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy W Martin
- Department of Urology, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA.,Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Joseph C Chen
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Jason Neidleman
- Department of Urology, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA.,Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Keiji Tatsumi
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA.,Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, National Hospital Organization Osaka National Hospital, Osaka, Japan
| | - James Hu
- Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Linda C Giudice
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Warner C Greene
- Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA.,Department of Medicine, Microbiology and Immunology, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Nadia R Roan
- Department of Urology, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA.,Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
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Conrad KP, Graham GM, Chi YY, Zhai X, Li M, Williams RS, Rhoton-Vlasak A, Segal MS, Wood CE, Keller-Wood M. Potential influence of the corpus luteum on circulating reproductive and volume regulatory hormones, angiogenic and immunoregulatory factors in pregnant women. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2019; 317:E677-E685. [PMID: 31408378 PMCID: PMC6842916 DOI: 10.1152/ajpendo.00225.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Cardiovascular function is impaired and preeclampsia risk elevated in women conceiving by in vitro fertilization (IVF) in the absence of a corpus luteum (CL). Here, we report the serial evaluation of hormones and other circulating factors in women who conceived with (or without) IVF. After a prepregnancy baseline, the study participants (n = 19-24/cohort) were evaluated six times during pregnancy and once postpartum (~1.6 yr). IVF pregnancies were stratified by protocol and CL number, i.e., ovarian stimulation (>1 CL) or hypothalamic-pituitary suppression (0 CL) versus spontaneous conceptions (1 CL). Results include the following: 1) relaxin was undetectable throughout pregnancy (including late gestation) in the 0 CL cohort, but markedly elevated in ~50% of women in the >1 CL cohort; 2) progesterone, plasma renin activity, and aldosterone transiently surged at 5-6 gestational weeks in the >1 CL group; 3) soluble vascular endothelial growth factor-1 (sFLT-1) abruptly increased between 5-6 and 7-9 gestational weeks in all three participant cohorts, producing a marked elevation in sFLT-1/PLGF (placental growth factor) ratio exceeding any other time point during pregnancy; 4) sFLT-1 was higher throughout most of gestation in both IVF cohorts with or without abnormal obstetrical outcomes; 5) during pregnancy, C-reactive protein (CRP) increased in 0 and 1 CL, but not >1 CL cohorts; and 6) plasma protein, but not hemoglobin, was lower in the >1 CL group throughout gestation. The findings highlight that, compared with spontaneously conceived pregnancy, the maternal milieu of IVF pregnancy is not physiologic, and the specific perturbations vary according to IVF protocol and CL status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirk P Conrad
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- D. H. Barron Reproductive and Perinatal Biology Research Program, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Georgia M Graham
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Yueh-Yun Chi
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Xiaoman Zhai
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Minjie Li
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - R Stan Williams
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Alice Rhoton-Vlasak
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Mark S Segal
- Division of Nephrology, Hypertension, and Renal Transplantation, Department of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- Nephrology and Hypertensive Section, Medical Service, North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Charles E Wood
- Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- D. H. Barron Reproductive and Perinatal Biology Research Program, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Maureen Keller-Wood
- D. H. Barron Reproductive and Perinatal Biology Research Program, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
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36
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Wang X, Mittal P, Castro CA, Rajkovic G, Rajkovic A. Med12 regulates ovarian steroidogenesis, uterine development and maternal effects in the mammalian egg. Biol Reprod 2019; 97:822-834. [PMID: 29126187 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/iox143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The transcriptional factor MED12 is part of the essential mediator transcriptional complex that acts as a transcriptional coactivator in all eukaryotes. Missense gain-of-function mutations in human MED12 are associated with uterine leiomyomas, yet the role of MED12 deficiency in tumorigenesis and reproductive biology has not been fully explored. We generated a Med12 reproductive conditional knockout mouse model to evaluate its role in uterine mesenchyme, granulosa cells, and oocytes. Mice heterozygous for Med12 deficiency in granulosa cells and uterus (Med12fl/+ Amhr2-Cre) were subfertile, while mice homozygous for Med12 deficiency in granulosa cells and uterus (Med12fl/fl Amhr2-Cre) were infertile. Morphological and histological analysis of the Med12fl/fl Amhr2-Cre reproductive tract revealed atrophic uteri and hyperchromatic granulosa cells with disrupted expression of Lhcgr, Esr1, and Esr2. Med12fl/fl Amhr2-Cre mice estrous cycle was disrupted, and serum analysis showed blunted rise in estradiol in response to pregnant mare serum gonadotropin. Uterine atrophy was partially rescued by exogenous steroid supplementation with dysregulation of Notch1 and Smo expression in steroid supplemented Med12fl/fl Amhr2-Cre uteri, indicating intrinsic uterine defects. Oocyte-specific ablation of Med12 caused infertility without disrupting normal folliculogenesis and ovulation, consistent with maternal effects of Med12 in early embryo development. These results show the critical importance of Med12 in reproductive tract development and that Med12 loss of function does not cause tumorigenesis in reproductive tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinye Wang
- Tsinghua MD Program, Tsinghua University School of Medicine, Beijing, China.,Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Magee-Womens Research Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Priya Mittal
- Department of Human Genetics, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Carlos A Castro
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Magee-Womens Research Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Gabriel Rajkovic
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Magee-Womens Research Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Aleksandar Rajkovic
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Magee-Womens Research Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Human Genetics, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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37
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Duran CL, Abbey CA, Bayless KJ. Establishment of a three-dimensional model to study human uterine angiogenesis. Mol Hum Reprod 2019; 24:74-93. [PMID: 29329415 DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gax064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION Can primary human uterine microvascular endothelial cells (UtMVECs) be used as a model to study uterine angiogenic responses in vitro that are relevant in pregnancy? SUMMARY ANSWER UtMVECs demonstrated angiogenic responses when stimulated with proangiogenic factors, including sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), physiological levels of wall shear stress (WSS), human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and various combinations of estrogen and progesterone. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY During sprouting angiogenesis, signaling from growth factors and cytokines induces a monolayer of quiescent endothelial cells (ECs) lining the vasculature to degrade the extracellular matrix and invade the surrounding tissue to form new capillaries. During pregnancy and the female reproductive cycle, the uterine endothelium becomes activated and undergoes sprouting angiogenesis to increase the size and number of blood vessels in the endometrium. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION The study was designed to examine the angiogenic potential of primary human UtMVECs using the well-characterized human umbilical vein EC (HUVEC) line as a control to compare angiogenic potential. ECs were seeded onto three-dimensional (3D) collagen matrices, supplemented with known proangiogenic stimuli relevant to pregnancy and allowed to invade for 24 h. Sprouting responses were analyzed using manual and automated methods for quantification. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS RT-PCR, Western blot analysis and immunostaining were used to characterize UtMVECs. Angiogenic responses were examined using 3D invasion assays. Western blotting was used to confirm signaling responses after proangiogenic lipid, pharmacological inhibitor, and recombinant lentiviral treatments. All experiments were repeated at least three times. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE After ensuring that UtMVECs expressed the proper endothelial markers, we found that UtMVECs invade 3D collagen matrices dose-dependently in response to known proangiogenic stimuli (e.g. S1P, VEGF, bFGF, hCG, estrogen, progesterone and WSS) present during early pregnancy. Invasion responses were positively correlated with phosphorylation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) and p42/p44 mitogen-activated protein kinase (ERK). Inhibition of these second messengers significantly impaired sprouting (P < 0.01). Gene silencing of membrane type 1-matrix metalloproteinase using multiple approaches completely abrogated sprouting (P < 0.001). Finally, UtMVECs displayed a unique ability to undergo sprouting in response to hCG, and combined estrogen and progesterone treatment. LARGE SCALE DATA Not applicable. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION The study of uterine angiogenesis in vitro has limitations and any findings many not fully represent the in vivo state. However, these experiments do provide evidence for the ability of UtMVECs to be used in functional sprouting assays in a 3D environment, stimulated by physiological factors that are produced locally within the uterus during early pregnancy. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS We show that UtMVECs can be used reliably to investigate how growth factors, hormones, lipids and other factors, such as flow, affect angiogenesis in the uterus. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTERESTS This work was supported by NIH award HL095786 to K.J.B. The authors have no conflicts of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille L Duran
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center, 440 Reynolds Medical Building, College Station, TX 77843-1114, USA.,Interdisciplinary Program in Genetics, Texas A&M University, Mail Stop 2128, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Colette A Abbey
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center, 440 Reynolds Medical Building, College Station, TX 77843-1114, USA
| | - Kayla J Bayless
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center, 440 Reynolds Medical Building, College Station, TX 77843-1114, USA.,Interdisciplinary Program in Genetics, Texas A&M University, Mail Stop 2128, College Station, TX 77843, USA.,Interdisciplinary Faculty of Reproductive Biology, Texas A&M University, Mail Stop 2471, College Station, TX 77843, USA
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Tríbulo P, Balzano-Nogueira L, Conesa A, Siqueira LG, Hansen PJ. Changes in the uterine metabolome of the cow during the first 7 days after estrus. Mol Reprod Dev 2018; 86:75-87. [PMID: 30383328 PMCID: PMC6322963 DOI: 10.1002/mrd.23082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2018] [Accepted: 10/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The uterine microenvironment during the first 7 days after ovulation accommodates and facilitates sperm transit to the oviduct and constitutes the sole source of nutrients required for the development of preimplantation embryos. Knowledge of the composition of uterine fluid is largely incomplete. Using untargeted mass spectrometry, we characterized the uterine metabolome during the first 7 days of the estrous cycle. Bovine uteri were collected on Days 0 (N = 4), 3 (
N = 4), 5 (
N = 3), and 7 (
N = 4) relative to ovulation and flushed with Dulbecco’s phosphate‐buffered saline. A total of 1,993 molecular features were detected of which 184 peaks with putative identification represent 147 unique metabolites, including amino acids, benzoic acids, lipid molecules, carbohydrates, purines, pyrimidines, vitamins, and other intermediate and secondary metabolites. Results revealed changes in the uterine metabolome as the cow transitions from ovulation to Day 7 of the estrous cycle. The majority of metabolites that changed with day reached maximum intensity on either Day 5 or 7 relative to ovulation. Moreover, several metabolites found in the uterine fluid have signaling capabilities and some have been shown to affect preimplantation embryonic development. In conclusion, the metabolome of the bovine uterus changes during early stages of the estrous cycle and is likely to participate in the regulation of preimplantation embryonic development. Data reported here will serve as the basis for future studies aiming to evaluate maternal regulation of preimplantation embryonic development and optimal conditions for the culture of embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Tríbulo
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.,D.H. Barron Reproductive and Perinatal Biology Research Program, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | | | - Ana Conesa
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.,Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Luiz G Siqueira
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.,Embrapa Gado de Leite, Juiz de Fora, Brazil
| | - Peter J Hansen
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.,D.H. Barron Reproductive and Perinatal Biology Research Program, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.,Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
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39
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Strug MR, Su RW, Kim TH, Mauriello A, Ticconi C, Lessey BA, Young SL, Lim JM, Jeong JW, Fazleabas AT. RBPJ mediates uterine repair in the mouse and is reduced in women with recurrent pregnancy loss. FASEB J 2018; 32:2452-2466. [PMID: 29242273 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201701032r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss (uRPL) is associated with repeated embryo loss and endometrial repair with elevated endometrial expression of inflammatory cytokines, including IFN-γ. Notch signaling through its transcription factor recombination signal binding protein Jκ (RBPJ) regulates mechanisms including the immune response and repair after tissue injury. Initially, null mutation of RBPJ in the mouse uterus ( Pgrcre/+Rbpjf/f; Rbpj c-KO) results in subfertility, but we have found that these mice become infertile after pregnancy as a result of dysfunctional postpartum uterine repair, including delayed endometrial epithelial and myometrial regeneration. RNA sequencing of postpartum uterine repair sites revealed global up-regulation of inflammatory pathways, including IFN signaling. Consistent with elevated IFN-γ, macrophages were recruited and polarized toward an M1-cytotoxic phenotype, which is associated with preventing repair and promoting further tissue injury. Through embryo transfer experiments, we show that dysfunctional postpartum repair directly impairs future embryo implantation in Rbpj c-KO mice. Last, we clinically correlated our findings from the Rbpj c-KO mouse in women diagnosed with uRPL. Reduced RBPJ in women with uRPL was associated with increased levels of IFN-γ. The data, taken together, indicate that RBPJ regulates inflammation during endometrial repair, which is essential for future pregnancy potential, and its dysregulation may serve as an unidentified contributor to uRPL in women.-Strug, M. R., Su, R.-W., Kim, T. H., Mauriello, A., Ticconi, C., Lessey, B. A., Young, S. L., Lim, J. M., Jeong, J.-W., Fazleabas, A. T. RBPJ mediates uterine repair in the mouse and is reduced in women with recurrent pregnancy loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael R Strug
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
| | - Ren-Wei Su
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA.,College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tae Hoon Kim
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
| | - Alessandro Mauriello
- Section of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy
| | - Carlo Ticconi
- Section of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy
| | - Bruce A Lessey
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Greenville Health System, Greenville, South Carolina, USA
| | - Steven L Young
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jeong Mook Lim
- World Class University (WCU) Biomodulation, Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jae-Wook Jeong
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
| | - Asgerally T Fazleabas
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
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40
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Dhiman VK, Bolt MJ, White KP. Nuclear receptors in cancer — uncovering new and evolving roles through genomic analysis. Nat Rev Genet 2017; 19:160-174. [DOI: 10.1038/nrg.2017.102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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Grazul-Bilska AT, Thammasiri J, Kraisoon A, Reyaz A, Bass CS, Kaminski SL, Navanukraw C, Redmer DA. Expression of progesterone receptor protein in the ovine uterus during the estrous cycle: Effects of nutrition, arginine and FSH. Theriogenology 2017; 108:7-15. [PMID: 29175682 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2017.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2017] [Revised: 11/06/2017] [Accepted: 11/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
To evaluate expression of progesterone receptor (PGR) AB in follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)-treated or non-treated sheep administered with arginine (Arg) or saline (Sal) fed a control (C), excess (O) or restricted (U) diet, uterine tissues were collected at the early, mid and/or late luteal phases. In exp. 1, ewes from each diet were randomly assigned to one of two treatments, Arg or Sal administration three times daily from day 0 of the first estrous cycle until uterine tissue collection. In exp. 2, ewes were injected twice daily with FSH on days 13-15 of the first estrous cycle. Uterine tissues were immunostained to detect PGR followed by image analysis. PGR were detected in luminal epithelium (LE), endometrial glands (EG), endometrial stroma (ES), myometrium (Myo), and endometrial and myometrial blood vessels. The percentage of PR-positive cells and/or intensity of staining were affected by phase of the estrous cycle, plane of nutrition, and/or FSH but not by Arg. In exp. 1, percentage of PGR-positive cells in LE and EG but not in ES and Myo was greater at the early and mid than late luteal phase, was not affected by plane of nutrition, and was similar in LE and EG. Intensity of staining was affected by phase of the estrous cycle and plane of nutrition in LE, EG and Myo, and was the greatest in LE, less in EG, and least in ES and Myo. In exp. 2, percentage of PGR-positive cells in LE, EG, ES and Myo was affected by phase of the estrous cycle, but not by plane of nutrition; was greater at the early than mid luteal phase; and was greatest in LE and EG, less in luminal (superficial) ES and Myo and least in deep ES. Intensity of staining was affected by phase of the estrous cycle and plane of nutrition in all compartments but ES, and was the greatest in LE and luminal EG, less in deep EG, and least in ES and Myo. Comparison of data for FSH (superovulated) and Sal-treated (non-superovulated) ewes demonstrated that FSH affected PR expression in all evaluated uterine compartments depending on plane of nutrition and phase of the estrous cycle. Thus, PGR are differentially distributed in uterine compartments, and PGR expression is affected by nutritional plane and FSH, but not Arg depending on phase of the estrous cycle. Such changes in dynamics of PGR expression indicate that diet plays a regulatory role and that FSH-treatment may alter uterine functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna T Grazul-Bilska
- Department of Animal Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58108, USA.
| | - Jiratti Thammasiri
- Agricultural Biotechnology Research Center for Sustainable Economy (ABRCSE), Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
| | - Aree Kraisoon
- Agricultural Biotechnology Research Center for Sustainable Economy (ABRCSE), Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
| | - Arshi Reyaz
- Department of Animal Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58108, USA
| | - Casie S Bass
- Department of Animal Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58108, USA
| | - Samantha L Kaminski
- Department of Animal Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58108, USA
| | - Chainarong Navanukraw
- Agricultural Biotechnology Research Center for Sustainable Economy (ABRCSE), Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
| | - Dale A Redmer
- Department of Animal Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58108, USA
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Liu LX, Rowe GC, Yang S, Li J, Damilano F, Chan MC, Lu W, Jang C, Wada S, Morley M, Hesse M, Fleischmann BK, Rabinowitz JD, Das S, Rosenzweig A, Arany Z. PDK4 Inhibits Cardiac Pyruvate Oxidation in Late Pregnancy. Circ Res 2017; 121:1370-1378. [PMID: 28928113 DOI: 10.1161/circresaha.117.311456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2017] [Revised: 09/13/2017] [Accepted: 09/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Pregnancy profoundly alters maternal physiology. The heart hypertrophies during pregnancy, but its metabolic adaptations, are not well understood. OBJECTIVE To determine the mechanisms underlying cardiac substrate use during pregnancy. METHODS AND RESULTS We use here 13C glucose, 13C lactate, and 13C fatty acid tracing analyses to show that hearts in late pregnant mice increase fatty acid uptake and oxidation into the tricarboxylic acid cycle, while reducing glucose and lactate oxidation. Mitochondrial quantity, morphology, and function do not seem altered. Insulin signaling seems intact, and the abundance and localization of the major fatty acid and glucose transporters, CD36 (cluster of differentiation 36) and GLUT4 (glucose transporter type 4), are also unchanged. Rather, we find that the pregnancy hormone progesterone induces PDK4 (pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4) in cardiomyocytes and that elevated PDK4 levels in late pregnancy lead to inhibition of PDH (pyruvate dehydrogenase) and pyruvate flux into the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Blocking PDK4 reverses the metabolic changes seen in hearts in late pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, these data indicate that the hormonal environment of late pregnancy promotes metabolic remodeling in the heart at the level of PDH, rather than at the level of insulin signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura X Liu
- From the Cardiovascular Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA (L.X.L., F.D.); Corrigan Minehan Heart Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston (L.X.L., F.D., M.C.C., S.D., A.R.); Division of Cardiovascular Disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham (G.C.R.); Cardiovascular Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (S.Y., J.L., S.W., M.M., Z.A.); Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, NJ (W.L., C.J., J.D.R.); and Institute of Physiology I, Life and Brain Center, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Germany (M.H., B.K.F.)
| | - Glenn C Rowe
- From the Cardiovascular Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA (L.X.L., F.D.); Corrigan Minehan Heart Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston (L.X.L., F.D., M.C.C., S.D., A.R.); Division of Cardiovascular Disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham (G.C.R.); Cardiovascular Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (S.Y., J.L., S.W., M.M., Z.A.); Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, NJ (W.L., C.J., J.D.R.); and Institute of Physiology I, Life and Brain Center, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Germany (M.H., B.K.F.)
| | - Steven Yang
- From the Cardiovascular Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA (L.X.L., F.D.); Corrigan Minehan Heart Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston (L.X.L., F.D., M.C.C., S.D., A.R.); Division of Cardiovascular Disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham (G.C.R.); Cardiovascular Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (S.Y., J.L., S.W., M.M., Z.A.); Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, NJ (W.L., C.J., J.D.R.); and Institute of Physiology I, Life and Brain Center, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Germany (M.H., B.K.F.)
| | - Jian Li
- From the Cardiovascular Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA (L.X.L., F.D.); Corrigan Minehan Heart Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston (L.X.L., F.D., M.C.C., S.D., A.R.); Division of Cardiovascular Disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham (G.C.R.); Cardiovascular Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (S.Y., J.L., S.W., M.M., Z.A.); Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, NJ (W.L., C.J., J.D.R.); and Institute of Physiology I, Life and Brain Center, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Germany (M.H., B.K.F.)
| | - Federico Damilano
- From the Cardiovascular Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA (L.X.L., F.D.); Corrigan Minehan Heart Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston (L.X.L., F.D., M.C.C., S.D., A.R.); Division of Cardiovascular Disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham (G.C.R.); Cardiovascular Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (S.Y., J.L., S.W., M.M., Z.A.); Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, NJ (W.L., C.J., J.D.R.); and Institute of Physiology I, Life and Brain Center, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Germany (M.H., B.K.F.)
| | - Mun Chun Chan
- From the Cardiovascular Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA (L.X.L., F.D.); Corrigan Minehan Heart Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston (L.X.L., F.D., M.C.C., S.D., A.R.); Division of Cardiovascular Disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham (G.C.R.); Cardiovascular Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (S.Y., J.L., S.W., M.M., Z.A.); Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, NJ (W.L., C.J., J.D.R.); and Institute of Physiology I, Life and Brain Center, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Germany (M.H., B.K.F.)
| | - Wenyun Lu
- From the Cardiovascular Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA (L.X.L., F.D.); Corrigan Minehan Heart Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston (L.X.L., F.D., M.C.C., S.D., A.R.); Division of Cardiovascular Disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham (G.C.R.); Cardiovascular Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (S.Y., J.L., S.W., M.M., Z.A.); Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, NJ (W.L., C.J., J.D.R.); and Institute of Physiology I, Life and Brain Center, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Germany (M.H., B.K.F.)
| | - Cholsoon Jang
- From the Cardiovascular Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA (L.X.L., F.D.); Corrigan Minehan Heart Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston (L.X.L., F.D., M.C.C., S.D., A.R.); Division of Cardiovascular Disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham (G.C.R.); Cardiovascular Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (S.Y., J.L., S.W., M.M., Z.A.); Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, NJ (W.L., C.J., J.D.R.); and Institute of Physiology I, Life and Brain Center, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Germany (M.H., B.K.F.)
| | - Shogo Wada
- From the Cardiovascular Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA (L.X.L., F.D.); Corrigan Minehan Heart Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston (L.X.L., F.D., M.C.C., S.D., A.R.); Division of Cardiovascular Disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham (G.C.R.); Cardiovascular Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (S.Y., J.L., S.W., M.M., Z.A.); Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, NJ (W.L., C.J., J.D.R.); and Institute of Physiology I, Life and Brain Center, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Germany (M.H., B.K.F.)
| | - Michael Morley
- From the Cardiovascular Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA (L.X.L., F.D.); Corrigan Minehan Heart Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston (L.X.L., F.D., M.C.C., S.D., A.R.); Division of Cardiovascular Disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham (G.C.R.); Cardiovascular Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (S.Y., J.L., S.W., M.M., Z.A.); Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, NJ (W.L., C.J., J.D.R.); and Institute of Physiology I, Life and Brain Center, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Germany (M.H., B.K.F.)
| | - Michael Hesse
- From the Cardiovascular Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA (L.X.L., F.D.); Corrigan Minehan Heart Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston (L.X.L., F.D., M.C.C., S.D., A.R.); Division of Cardiovascular Disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham (G.C.R.); Cardiovascular Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (S.Y., J.L., S.W., M.M., Z.A.); Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, NJ (W.L., C.J., J.D.R.); and Institute of Physiology I, Life and Brain Center, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Germany (M.H., B.K.F.)
| | - Bernd K Fleischmann
- From the Cardiovascular Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA (L.X.L., F.D.); Corrigan Minehan Heart Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston (L.X.L., F.D., M.C.C., S.D., A.R.); Division of Cardiovascular Disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham (G.C.R.); Cardiovascular Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (S.Y., J.L., S.W., M.M., Z.A.); Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, NJ (W.L., C.J., J.D.R.); and Institute of Physiology I, Life and Brain Center, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Germany (M.H., B.K.F.)
| | - Joshua D Rabinowitz
- From the Cardiovascular Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA (L.X.L., F.D.); Corrigan Minehan Heart Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston (L.X.L., F.D., M.C.C., S.D., A.R.); Division of Cardiovascular Disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham (G.C.R.); Cardiovascular Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (S.Y., J.L., S.W., M.M., Z.A.); Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, NJ (W.L., C.J., J.D.R.); and Institute of Physiology I, Life and Brain Center, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Germany (M.H., B.K.F.)
| | - Saumya Das
- From the Cardiovascular Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA (L.X.L., F.D.); Corrigan Minehan Heart Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston (L.X.L., F.D., M.C.C., S.D., A.R.); Division of Cardiovascular Disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham (G.C.R.); Cardiovascular Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (S.Y., J.L., S.W., M.M., Z.A.); Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, NJ (W.L., C.J., J.D.R.); and Institute of Physiology I, Life and Brain Center, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Germany (M.H., B.K.F.)
| | - Anthony Rosenzweig
- From the Cardiovascular Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA (L.X.L., F.D.); Corrigan Minehan Heart Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston (L.X.L., F.D., M.C.C., S.D., A.R.); Division of Cardiovascular Disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham (G.C.R.); Cardiovascular Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (S.Y., J.L., S.W., M.M., Z.A.); Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, NJ (W.L., C.J., J.D.R.); and Institute of Physiology I, Life and Brain Center, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Germany (M.H., B.K.F.)
| | - Zoltan Arany
- From the Cardiovascular Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA (L.X.L., F.D.); Corrigan Minehan Heart Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston (L.X.L., F.D., M.C.C., S.D., A.R.); Division of Cardiovascular Disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham (G.C.R.); Cardiovascular Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (S.Y., J.L., S.W., M.M., Z.A.); Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, NJ (W.L., C.J., J.D.R.); and Institute of Physiology I, Life and Brain Center, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Germany (M.H., B.K.F.).
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Diao LH, Li GG, Zhu YC, Tu WW, Huang CY, Lian RC, Chen X, Li YY, Zhang T, Huang Y, Zeng Y. Human chorionic gonadotropin potentially affects pregnancy outcome in women with recurrent implantation failure by regulating the homing preference of regulatory T cells. Am J Reprod Immunol 2017; 77. [PMID: 28044377 DOI: 10.1111/aji.12618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2016] [Accepted: 11/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
PROBLEM Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and regulatory T cells (Tregs) have been suggested to play important roles during the initial stage of pregnancy. However, the clinical relevance and mechanism of the effects of hCG on Treg functions in women with recurrent implantation failure (RIF) remain to be elucidated. METHOD OF STUDY Thirty-four RIF and twenty-three control women were included in the study. Endometrial and peripheral Tregs were analyzed by immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry, respectively. Tregs were generated from naïve CD4+ T cells by stimulation with anti-CD3/CD28 in the presence or absence of hCG, and the subsets were analyzed by flow cytometry, Western blotting, and qPCR. RESULTS The percentages of endometrial FOXP3+ Tregs and peripheral CCR4+ FOXP3+ Tregs were significantly lower in the women with RIF than in the healthy controls. In addition, the percentages of CCR4+ FOXP3+ Tregs and TGF-β-expressing FOXP3+ Tregs were increased following the stimulation of naïve CD4+ T cells with anti-CD3/CD28, and these increases were concomitant with AKT and ERK dephosphorylation. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study provide novel evidence supporting a role of hCG in regulating the differentiation of peripheral FOXP3+ Tregs. The alterations of circulating Tregs may positively affect the pregnancy outcomes of patients with a history of RIF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang-Hui Diao
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen, China.,Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Reproductive Immunology of Peri-implantation, Shenzhen Zhongshan Institute for Reproduction and Genetics, Fertility Center, Shenzhen Zhongshan Urology Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Guan-Gui Li
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Reproductive Immunology of Peri-implantation, Shenzhen Zhongshan Institute for Reproduction and Genetics, Fertility Center, Shenzhen Zhongshan Urology Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yuan-Chang Zhu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Reproductive Immunology of Peri-implantation, Shenzhen Zhongshan Institute for Reproduction and Genetics, Fertility Center, Shenzhen Zhongshan Urology Hospital, Shenzhen, China.,Key Laboratory in Healthy Science and Technology, Division of Life Science, Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wen-Wei Tu
- Laboratory for Translational Immunology, Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Chun-Yu Huang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Reproductive Immunology of Peri-implantation, Shenzhen Zhongshan Institute for Reproduction and Genetics, Fertility Center, Shenzhen Zhongshan Urology Hospital, Shenzhen, China.,Laboratory for Translational Immunology, Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ruo-Chun Lian
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Reproductive Immunology of Peri-implantation, Shenzhen Zhongshan Institute for Reproduction and Genetics, Fertility Center, Shenzhen Zhongshan Urology Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xian Chen
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Reproductive Immunology of Peri-implantation, Shenzhen Zhongshan Institute for Reproduction and Genetics, Fertility Center, Shenzhen Zhongshan Urology Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yu-Ye Li
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Reproductive Immunology of Peri-implantation, Shenzhen Zhongshan Institute for Reproduction and Genetics, Fertility Center, Shenzhen Zhongshan Urology Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Tao Zhang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Reproductive Immunology of Peri-implantation, Shenzhen Zhongshan Institute for Reproduction and Genetics, Fertility Center, Shenzhen Zhongshan Urology Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yong Huang
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yong Zeng
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Reproductive Immunology of Peri-implantation, Shenzhen Zhongshan Institute for Reproduction and Genetics, Fertility Center, Shenzhen Zhongshan Urology Hospital, Shenzhen, China
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Jiang Y, Jiang R, Cheng X, Zhang Q, Hu Y, Zhang H, Cao Y, Zhang M, Wang J, Ding L, Diao Z, Sun H, Yan G. Decreased expression of NR4A nuclear receptors in adenomyosis impairs endometrial decidualization. Mol Hum Reprod 2016; 22:655-68. [PMID: 27515096 DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gaw042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2015] [Accepted: 06/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION How do NR4A receptors drive decidualization of human endometrial stromal cells (hESCs)? SUMMARY ANSWER NR4A receptors modulate endometrial decidualization by transcriptional activation of FOXO1A, and in adenomyosis patients, the reduced expression of NR4A receptors in the eutopic endometrium may represent a novel mechanism to explain impaired decidualization and subfertility. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY A close relationship between impaired decidualization and subfertility has been established. In human endometrial stromal cells, orphan nuclear receptor NR4A is a novel regulator of decidualization. STUDY DESIGN, SAMPLES/MATERIALS, METHODS Eutopic endometrial tissues and hESCs from fertile controls (n = 56) and adenomyosis patients (n = 27) were collected for in vitro analysis. Primary hESCs isolated from eutopic endometrial tissues were used to evaluate the biological function of NR4A receptors. Adenovirus-mediated overexpression of NR4A and small interfering RNAs targeting NR4A, and FOXO1A were used to investigate the molecular mechanisms. Gene expression regulation was examined by real-time-quantitative PCR, immunostaining, and luciferase reporter assay. Artificial decidualization assay was performed to investigate the role of NR4A1 during decidualization in vivo. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE NR4A modulates the decidualization of hESCs by upregulating prolactin (PRL) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) expression and transformation in vitro. Loss of uterine Nr4a1 results in female subfertility due to impaired decidualization. Mechanistically, NR4A binds to the nerve growth factor 1B (NGFI-B) -responsive element (NBRE) (-843 to -813) within the FOXO1A promoter region and regulates FOXO1A expression. Loss of FOXO1A significantly inhibits PRL and IGFBP-1 expression, as induced by NR4A. Moreover, the expression of NR4A and FOXO1A was lower in adenomyosis endometrial tissues compared to fertile controls, especially in stroma compartments. Ectopic NR4A expression rescued PRL and IGFBP-1 expression in adenomyotic hESCs to near-normal levels. Furthermore, PI3K/AKT signaling pathway involved in inducing NR4A expression under decidualization stimuli in hESCs and the level of p(Ser473)-AKT was significantly higher in stroma in endometrium from patients with adenomyosis. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION This is an in vitro study with a small sample size, utilizing stromal cell cultures from endometrial tissues of adenomyosis patients. Furthermore, results obtained should also be confirmed in a larger data set and with adenomyosis mouse models in vivo. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Identification of a positive agonist of NR4A receptors will be critical for the improved treatment of patients with conditions of insufficient decidualization-associated infertility, such as adenomyosis and endometriosis. LARGE SCALE DATA N/A. STUDY FUNDING AND COMPETING INTERESTS This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81170570, G.J.Y. 81370683, G.J.Y. 81501251, Y.J. 31571189, H.X.S. and 81571402, G.J.Y.), and a special grant for clinical medicine science of Jiangsu Province (BL2014003, H.X.S.). The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Jiang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China
| | - Ruiwei Jiang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China
| | - Xi Cheng
- Reproductive Medicine Center, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China
| | - Qun Zhang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China
| | - Yali Hu
- Reproductive Medicine Center, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China Molecular Reproductive Medical Center of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China
| | - Hui Zhang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China
| | - Yun Cao
- Reproductive Medicine Center, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China
| | - Mei Zhang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China
| | - Junxia Wang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China
| | - Lijun Ding
- Reproductive Medicine Center, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhenyu Diao
- Reproductive Medicine Center, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China
| | - Haixiang Sun
- Reproductive Medicine Center, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China Molecular Reproductive Medical Center of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China Collaborative Innovation Platform for Reproductive Biology and Technology of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China
| | - Guijun Yan
- Reproductive Medicine Center, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China Molecular Reproductive Medical Center of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China Collaborative Innovation Platform for Reproductive Biology and Technology of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China
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Sheldon IM, Owens SE, Turner ML. Innate immunity and the sensing of infection, damage and danger in the female genital tract. J Reprod Immunol 2016; 119:67-73. [PMID: 27498991 DOI: 10.1016/j.jri.2016.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2016] [Revised: 07/07/2016] [Accepted: 07/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Tissue homeostasis in the female genital tract is challenged by infection, damage, and even physiological events during reproductive cycles. We propose that the evolutionarily ancient system of innate immunity is sufficient to sense and respond to danger in the non-pregnant female genital tract. Innate immunity produces a rapidly inducible, non-specific response when cells sense danger. Here we provide a primer on innate immunity and discuss what is known about how danger signals are sensed in the endometrium and ovary, the impact of inflammatory responses on reproduction, and how endocrinology and innate immunity are integrated. Endometrial epithelial and stromal cells, and ovarian granulosa cells express pattern recognition receptors, similar to cells of the innate immune system. These pattern recognition receptors, such as the Toll-like receptors, bind pathogen-associated or damage-associated molecular patterns. Activation of pattern recognition receptors leads to inflammation, recruitment of immune cells from the peripheral circulation, and phagocytosis. Although the inflammatory response helps maintain or restore endometrial health, there may also be negative consequences for fertility, including perturbation of oocyte competence. The intensity of the inflammatory response reflects the balance between the level of danger and the systems that regulate innate immunity, including the endocrine environment. Understanding innate immunity is important because disease and inappropriate inflammatory responses in the endometrium or ovary cause infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iain Martin Sheldon
- Institute of Life Science, Swansea University Medical School, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK.
| | - Siân-Eleri Owens
- Institute of Life Science, Swansea University Medical School, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Matthew Lloyd Turner
- Institute of Life Science, Swansea University Medical School, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK
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Wagenfeld A, Saunders PTK, Whitaker L, Critchley HOD. Selective progesterone receptor modulators (SPRMs): progesterone receptor action, mode of action on the endometrium and treatment options in gynecological therapies. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2016; 20:1045-54. [PMID: 27138351 PMCID: PMC4989858 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2016.1180368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: The progesterone receptor plays an essential role in uterine physiology and reproduction. Selective progesterone receptor modulators (SPRMs) have emerged as a valuable treatment option for hormone dependent conditions like uterine fibroids, which have a major impact on women’s quality of life. SPRMs offer potential for longer term medical treatment and thereby patients may avoid surgical intervention. Areas covered: The authors have reviewed the functional role of the progesterone receptor and its isoforms and their molecular mechanisms of action via genomic and non-genomic pathways. The current knowledge of the interaction of the PR and different SPRMs tested in clinical trials has been reviewed. The authors focused on pharmacological effects of selected SPRMs on the endometrium, their anti-proliferative action, and their suppression of bleeding. Potential underlying molecular mechanisms and the specific histological changes in the endometrium induced by SPRMs (PAEC; Progesterone receptor modulator Associated Endometrial Changes) have been discussed. The clinical potential of this compound class including its impact on quality of life has been covered. Expert Opinion: Clinical studies indicate SPRMs hold promise for treatment of benign gynecological complaints (fibroids, heavy menstrual bleeding; HMB). There however remains a knowledge gap concerning mechanism of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Wagenfeld
- a Bayer HealthCare , Drug Discovery, TRG Gynecological Therapies , Berlin , Germany
| | - Philippa T K Saunders
- b MRC Centre for Inflammation Research , The University of Edinburgh , Edinburgh , UK
| | - Lucy Whitaker
- c MRC Centre for Reproductive Health , The University of Edinburgh , Edinburgh , UK
| | - Hilary O D Critchley
- c MRC Centre for Reproductive Health , The University of Edinburgh , Edinburgh , UK
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Yildiz-Arslan S, Coon JS, Hope TJ, Kim JJ. Transcriptional Profiling of Human Endocervical Tissues Reveals Distinct Gene Expression in the Follicular and Luteal Phases of the Menstrual Cycle. Biol Reprod 2016; 94:138. [PMID: 27170437 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.116.140327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2016] [Accepted: 04/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The endocervix plays an important role in providing appropriate protective mechanisms of the upper female reproductive tract (FRT) while at the same time providing the appropriate milieu for sperm transport. Hormone fluctuations throughout the menstrual cycle contribute to changes in the mucosal environment that render the FRT vulnerable to infectious diseases. The objective of this study was to identify genes in human endocervix tissues that were differentially expressed in the follicular versus the luteal phases of the menstrual cycle using gene expression profiling. A microarray using the IIlumina platform was performed with eight endocervix tissues from follicular and four tissues from luteal phases of the menstrual cycle. Data analysis revealed significant differential expression of 110 genes between the two phases, with a P value <0.05 and a fold change cutoff of 1.5. Categorization of these genes, using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis, MetaCore from Thomson Reuters, and DAVID, revealed genes associated with extracellular matrix remodeling and cell-matrix interactions, amino acid metabolism, and lipid metabolism, as well as immune regulation in the follicular phase tissues. In luteal phase tissues, genes associated with chromatin remodeling, inflammation, angiogenesis, oxidative stress, and immune cell regulation were predominately expressed. Using samples from additional patients' tissues, select genes were confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR; immunohistochemical staining was also done to examine protein levels. This is the first microarray analysis comparing gene expression in endocervix tissues in cycling women. This study identified key genes and molecular pathways that were differentially regulated during the menstrual cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sevim Yildiz-Arslan
- Division of Reproductive Science in Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - John S Coon
- Division of Reproductive Science in Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Thomas J Hope
- Division of Reproductive Science in Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - J Julie Kim
- Division of Reproductive Science in Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
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Rafii S, Butler JM, Ding BS. Angiocrine functions of organ-specific endothelial cells. Nature 2016; 529:316-25. [PMID: 26791722 DOI: 10.1038/nature17040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 614] [Impact Index Per Article: 76.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2015] [Accepted: 11/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Endothelial cells that line capillaries are not just passive conduits for delivering blood. Tissue-specific endothelium establishes specialized vascular niches that deploy sets of growth factors, known as angiocrine factors. These cues participate actively in the induction, specification, patterning and guidance of organ regeneration, as well as in the maintainance of homeostasis and metabolism. When upregulated following injury, they orchestrate self-renewal and differentiation of tissue-specific resident stem and progenitor cells into functional organs. Uncovering the mechanisms by which organotypic endothelium distributes physiological levels of angiocrine factors both spatially and temporally will lay the foundation for clinical trials that promote organ repair without scarring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahin Rafii
- Ansary Stem Cell Institute, Department of Medicine, Division of Regenerative Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, 1300 York Avenue, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Jason M Butler
- Ansary Stem Cell Institute, Department of Medicine, Division of Regenerative Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, 1300 York Avenue, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Bi-Sen Ding
- Ansary Stem Cell Institute, Department of Medicine, Division of Regenerative Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, 1300 York Avenue, New York, New York 10065, USA
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Maliqueo M, Echiburú B, Crisosto N. Sex Steroids Modulate Uterine-Placental Vasculature: Implications for Obstetrics and Neonatal Outcomes. Front Physiol 2016; 7:152. [PMID: 27199767 PMCID: PMC4844620 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2016.00152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2015] [Accepted: 04/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Adequate blood supply to the uterine-placental region is crucial to ensure the transport of oxygen and nutrients to the growing fetus. Multiple factors intervene to achieve appropriate uterine blood flow and the structuring of the placental vasculature during the early stages of pregnancy. Among these factors, oxygen concentrations, growth factors, cytokines, and steroid hormones are the most important. Sex steroids are present in extremely high concentrations in the maternal circulation and are important paracrine and autocrine regulators of a wide range of maternal and placental functions. In this regard, progesterone and estrogens act as modulators of uterine vessels and decrease the resistance of the spiral uterine arteries. On the other hand, androgens have the opposite effect, increasing the vascular resistance of the uterus. Moreover, progesterone and estrogens modulate the synthesis and release of angiogenic factors by placental cells, which regulates trophoblastic invasion and uterine artery remodeling. In this scenario, it is not surprising that women with pregnancy-related pathologies, such as early miscarriages, preterm delivery, preeclampsia, and fetal growth restriction, exhibit altered sex steroid concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Maliqueo
- Endocrinology and Metabolism Laboratory, Department of Medicine West Division, School of Medicine, University of Chile Santiago, Chile
| | - Bárbara Echiburú
- Endocrinology and Metabolism Laboratory, Department of Medicine West Division, School of Medicine, University of Chile Santiago, Chile
| | - Nicolás Crisosto
- Endocrinology and Metabolism Laboratory, Department of Medicine West Division, School of Medicine, University of Chile Santiago, Chile
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Lee II, Maniar K, Lydon JP, Kim JJ. Akt regulates progesterone receptor B-dependent transcription and angiogenesis in endometrial cancer cells. Oncogene 2016; 35:5191-201. [PMID: 26996671 PMCID: PMC5031502 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2016.56] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2015] [Revised: 01/20/2016] [Accepted: 02/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Progestins have long been used clinically for the treatment of endometrial cancers, however, the response rates to progestin therapy vary and the molecular mechanisms behind progestin insensitivity are poorly understood. We hypothesized that in PTEN mutated endometrial cancers, hyperactive Akt signaling downregulates Progesterone Receptor B (PRB) transcriptional activity, leading to overall impaired progestin responses. We report that inhibition of Akt with the Akt inhibitor, MK-2206 (MK), in conjunction with progestin (R5020) treatment, is sufficient to upregulate a subset of PRB target genes in Ishikawa cells stably expressing PRB (PRB-Ishikawa). Through gene ontology analysis of Akt-regulated PRB target genes, angiogenesis was found to be the principle process regulated by Akt-PRB. To further interrogate the mechanism by which Akt modulates PRB transcriptional activity, ChIP-Mass Spectrometry was performed to identify potential cofactors that differentially interact with PRB in the presence of the R5020 and MK+R5020. 14-3-3σ was identified as a protein enriched in the MK+R5020 dataset, and it was demonstrated that 14-3-3σ is required for the upregulation in PRB target gene expression following inhibition of Akt. In order to determine the ramifications of MK+R5020 treatment on angiogenesis, in vitro assays were performed and combinatorial MK+R5020 treatment significantly decreased endothelial cell invasion and tube formation more than MK or R5020 treatment alone. Furthermore, we found that combinatorial MK-2206+Progesterone treatments decreased angiogenesis and proliferation in the Ptend/d conditional mouse model of endometrial cancer. Taken together, these findings suggest that a combinatorial therapeutic approach utilizing Akt inhibitors with progestins may improve the efficacy of progestin therapy for the treatment of endometrial cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- I I Lee
- Division of Reproductive Science in Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - K Maniar
- Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - J P Lydon
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - J J Kim
- Division of Reproductive Science in Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
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