Carbon disulfide induced decidualization disorder in the mice uterus at the window of implantation

Effect of beta-cypermethrin on the reproductive capacity of female mice in advanced age

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether exposure to pesticides beta-cypermethrin (β-CYP) harms the reproductive capacity of advanced-age female mice. The results evidenced that peri-implantation β-CYP exposure significantly reduced the number of fetuses per advanced-age female in the first litter, and the number and weight of implantation sites. The levels of decidualization markers were significantly reduced in β-CYP-administered advanced-age mice. Lower expression of Pcna, Cdk6, Foxo1, Ki67, and p62 protein and mRNA was found in the decidua of β-CYP-treated advanced-age mice. The levels of Bax, cleaved caspase-3, Lc3a/b, Atg, mTOR, and p-mTOR protein, and the ratio of p-mTOR/mTOR protein expression were clearly downregulated by peri-implantation β-CYP exposure. These results indicated that peri-implantation β-CYP exposure may elevate the decline in reproductive capacity of early pregnant mice in advanced age.

Deciphering the Mechanism of Bushen Huoxue Decotion on Decidualization by Intervening Autophagy via AMPK/mTOR/ULK1: A Novel Discovery for URSA Treatment

Impaired decidualization was recognized as one of the crucial pathomechanisms accounting for unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (URSA). Currently, the exact molecular mechanism and targeted clinical decision are still in exploration. Bushen Huoxue decoction (BSHXD) has previously been proved effective in treating URSA, but its mechanism remains to be elucidated. This study aimed to explore the regulation mechanism of BSHXD in decidualization from its intervention in autophagy so as to rationalize its potential as a novel therapeutic regime for URSA. Decidua tissues were collected from patients with URSA and healthy pregnant women who underwent legal terminations for non-medical reasons at the first trimester. Besides, cell line T-hESCs was utilized to establish induced decidualization model, and were randomly divided into ESC group, DSC group, 3-MA group, AMPK siRNA group, scrambled siRNA group and AMPK siRNA + BSHXD group. Transmission electron microscopy, Monodansylcadaverine (MDC) assay, qRT-PCR, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence and Western blotting were used to evaluate the level of decidualization, autophagy and activation of AMPK signaling pathway in decidua tissues and cell experiments. Experiments on decidua tissues showed that decidualization was impaired in URSA with inhibited autophagy. Besides, pAMPK T172 and pULK1 S556 were decreased, and pmTOR S2448 and pULK1 S757 were increased. Cell experiments showed that the level of autophagy increased during induced decidualization, but when autophagy was inhibited, decidualization was impaired. In addition, AMPK/mTOR/ULK1 affected decidualization by mediating autophagy, and BSHXD improved decidualization through this mechanism. In conclusion, this study clarified that the inhibition of autophagy mediated by AMPK/mTOR/ULK1 was associated with impaired decidualization, and the intervention of BSHXD on this pathological process may be a vital mechanism for its treatment of URSA. This study laid the foundation for further research and application of BSHXD.

SLC34A2 Up-regulation And SLC4A4 Down-regulation Correlates With Invasion, Metastasis, And The MAPK Signaling Pathway In Papillary Thyroid Carcinomas

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is one of the fastest growing endocrine system malignant carcinomas detected over the past decade. Unfortunately, more than 25% of PTC patients are characterized by their aggressiveness and subsequent metastasis; these characteristics usually indicate poor prognosis. Recently, increasing evidence has suggested that solute carrier (SLC) transporters may play a pivotal role in the initiation, invasion and metastasis of human carcinoma. However, the expression and clinicopathological significance of SLC transporters in patients with PTC remains undetermined. In this study, we aimed to elucidate how the differential expression of SLC transporters affects clinicopathological features, as well as determine the possible regulatory signaling pathways involved. Three differentially expressed SLC transporters were screened from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database using a bioinformatics approach. The results indicated that high SLC34A2 and low SLC4A4 protein expression exhibited a higher percentage of capsular invasion and extra-thyroid metastasis in patients. Logistic regression analysis showed that high SLC34A2 expression in tumors was identified as an independent risk factor for capsular invasion [odds ratio (OR)=11.400, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.733-74.995, P=0.011] and extra-thyroid metastasis (OR=4.920, 95%CI=1.234-19.623, P=0.024), while low SLC4A4 expression in tumors was only identified as independent risk factors for extra-thyroid metastasis (OR=8.568, 95%CI =1.186-61.906, P=0.033). Specifically, for tumors with capsular invasion and extra-thyroid metastasis, the protein expression staining of SLC34A2 was markedly enhanced in the cytoplasm of follicular epithelial cells, contrastingly, SLC4A4 expression was notably weakened in the cytomembrane and nucleus. Intriguingly, both high SLC34A2 and low SLC4A4 protein expression were significantly linked to a high urinary iodine concentration in patients with PTC. Mechanistically, compared with adjacent normal thyroids, p-ERK was significantly up-regulated by 17.8% in the invading tumor; p-ERK, p-JNK, and p-P38 were markedly up-regulated by 29.2%, 67.1%, and 38.9% for metastatic tumors, respectively. Importantly, SLC4A4 negatively correlated with p-JNK (r=-0.696, P= 0.004) and p-P38 (r=-0.534, P=0.049). In conclusion, we suggest that up-regulated SLC34A2 (mainly in the cytoplasm) and down-regulated SLC4A4 (mainly in the cytomembrane and nucleus), which might be attributed to excess iodine intake, were closely linked to extra-thyroid metastasis in PTCs. Furthermore, this effect of SLC4A4 may be through the activation of JNK/P38 MAPK signaling pathway. Future in vivo and in vitro gain- or loss-of-function experiments are needed to verify these findings and further elucidate the deeper molecular mechanisms.