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Champroux A, Tang Y, Dickson DA, Meng A, Harrington A, Liaw L, Marzi M, Nicassio F, Schlaeger TM, Feig LA. Transmission of reduced levels of miR-34/449 from sperm to preimplantation embryos is a key step in the transgenerational epigenetic inheritance of the effects of paternal chronic social instability stress. Epigenetics 2024; 19:2346694. [PMID: 38739481 PMCID: PMC11093028 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2024.2346694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The transgenerational effects of exposing male mice to chronic social instability (CSI) stress are associated with decreased sperm levels of multiple members of the miR-34/449 family that persist after their mating through preimplantation embryo (PIE) development. Here we demonstrate the importance of these miRNA changes by showing that restoring miR-34c levels in PIEs derived from CSI stressed males prevents elevated anxiety and defective sociability normally found specifically in their adult female offspring. It also restores, at least partially, levels of sperm miR-34/449 normally reduced in their male offspring who transmit these sex-specific traits to their offspring. Strikingly, these experiments also revealed that inducing miR-34c levels in PIEs enhances the expression of its own gene and that of miR-449 in these cells. The same induction of embryo miR-34/449 gene expression likely occurs after sperm-derived miR-34c is introduced into oocytes upon fertilization. Thus, suppression of this miRNA amplification system when sperm miR-34c levels are reduced in CSI stressed mice can explain how a comparable fold-suppression of miR-34/449 levels can be found in PIEs derived from them, despite sperm containing ~50-fold lower levels of these miRNAs than those already present in PIEs. We previously found that men exposed to early life trauma also display reduced sperm levels of miR-34/449. And here we show that miR-34c can also increase the expression of its own gene, and that of miR-449 in human embryonic stem cells, suggesting that human PIEs derived from men with low sperm miR-34/449 levels may also contain this potentially harmful defect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Champroux
- Development, Molecular & Chemical Biology/Medical, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yang Tang
- Stem Cell Program, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David A. Dickson
- Tufts Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alice Meng
- Tufts Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Anne Harrington
- Center for Molecular Medicine, MaineHealth Institute for Research, Scarborough, ME, USA
| | - Lucy Liaw
- Center for Genomic Studies, Instituto Italiano di Tecnologia Institution, Milan, Italy
| | - Matteo Marzi
- Center for Genomic Studies, Instituto Italiano di Tecnologia Institution, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesco Nicassio
- Center for Genomic Studies, Instituto Italiano di Tecnologia Institution, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Larry A. Feig
- Development, Molecular & Chemical Biology/Medical, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
- Tufts Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
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Shang Q, Wu H, Wang K, Zhang M, Dou Y, Jiang X, Zhao Y, Zhao H, Chen ZJ, Wang J, Bian Y. Exposure to polystyrene microplastics during lactational period alters immune status in both male mice and their offspring. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 951:175371. [PMID: 39137849 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175371] [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: 04/11/2024] [Revised: 08/05/2024] [Accepted: 08/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024]
Abstract
The widespread use of microplastics and their harmful effects on the environment have emerged as serious concerns. However, the effect of microplastics on the immune system of mammals, particularly their offspring, has received little attention. In this study, polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) were orally administered to male mice during lactation. Flow cytometry was used to assess the immune cells in the spleens of both adult male mice and their offspring. The results showed that mice exposed to PS-MPs exhibited an increase in spleen weight and an elevated number of B and regulatory T cells (Tregs), irrespective of dosage. Furthermore, the F1 male offspring of the PS-MPs-exposed group had enlarged spleens; an increased number of B cells, T helper cells (Th cells), and Tregs; and an elevated ratio of T helper cells 17 (Th17 cells) to Tregs and T helper cells 1 (Th1 cells) to T helper cells 2 (Th2 cells). These results suggested a pro-inflammatory state in the spleen. In contrast, in the F1 female offspring exposed to PS-MPs, the changes in splenic immune cells were less pronounced. In the F2 generation of mice with exposed to PS-MPs, minimal alterations were observed in spleen immune cells and morphology. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that exposure to real human doses of PS-MPs during lactation in male mice altered the immune status, which can be passed on to F1 offspring but is not inherited across generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Shang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Women, Children and Reproductive Health, Shandong University, 250012, China; National Research Center for Assisted Reproductive Technology and Reproductive Genetics, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology (Shandong University), Ministry of Education, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
| | - Han Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Women, Children and Reproductive Health, Shandong University, 250012, China; National Research Center for Assisted Reproductive Technology and Reproductive Genetics, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology (Shandong University), Ministry of Education, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
| | - Ke Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Women, Children and Reproductive Health, Shandong University, 250012, China; National Research Center for Assisted Reproductive Technology and Reproductive Genetics, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology (Shandong University), Ministry of Education, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
| | - Mengge Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Women, Children and Reproductive Health, Shandong University, 250012, China; National Research Center for Assisted Reproductive Technology and Reproductive Genetics, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology (Shandong University), Ministry of Education, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
| | - Yunde Dou
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Women, Children and Reproductive Health, Shandong University, 250012, China; National Research Center for Assisted Reproductive Technology and Reproductive Genetics, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology (Shandong University), Ministry of Education, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China.
| | - Xiaohong Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Women, Children and Reproductive Health, Shandong University, 250012, China; National Research Center for Assisted Reproductive Technology and Reproductive Genetics, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology (Shandong University), Ministry of Education, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
| | - Yueran Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Women, Children and Reproductive Health, Shandong University, 250012, China; National Research Center for Assisted Reproductive Technology and Reproductive Genetics, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology (Shandong University), Ministry of Education, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Shandong Technology Innovation Center for Reproductive Health, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Shandong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Health, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Shandong Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Research Unit of Gametogenesis and Health of ART-Offspring, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (No.2021RU001), Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
| | - Han Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Women, Children and Reproductive Health, Shandong University, 250012, China; National Research Center for Assisted Reproductive Technology and Reproductive Genetics, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology (Shandong University), Ministry of Education, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Shandong Technology Innovation Center for Reproductive Health, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Shandong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Health, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Shandong Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Research Unit of Gametogenesis and Health of ART-Offspring, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (No.2021RU001), Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
| | - Zi-Jiang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Women, Children and Reproductive Health, Shandong University, 250012, China; National Research Center for Assisted Reproductive Technology and Reproductive Genetics, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology (Shandong University), Ministry of Education, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Shandong Technology Innovation Center for Reproductive Health, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Shandong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Health, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Shandong Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Research Unit of Gametogenesis and Health of ART-Offspring, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (No.2021RU001), Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory for Assisted Reproduction and Reproductive Genetics, Shanghai, China; Department of Reproductive Medicine, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianfeng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Women, Children and Reproductive Health, Shandong University, 250012, China; National Research Center for Assisted Reproductive Technology and Reproductive Genetics, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology (Shandong University), Ministry of Education, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Shandong Technology Innovation Center for Reproductive Health, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Shandong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Health, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Shandong Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Research Unit of Gametogenesis and Health of ART-Offspring, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (No.2021RU001), Jinan, Shandong 250012, China.
| | - Yuehong Bian
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Women, Children and Reproductive Health, Shandong University, 250012, China; National Research Center for Assisted Reproductive Technology and Reproductive Genetics, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology (Shandong University), Ministry of Education, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Shandong Technology Innovation Center for Reproductive Health, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Shandong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Health, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Shandong Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Research Unit of Gametogenesis and Health of ART-Offspring, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (No.2021RU001), Jinan, Shandong 250012, China.
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3
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Concha Celume F, Pérez-Bravo F, Gotteland M. Sucralose and stevia consumption leads to intergenerational alterations in body weight and intestinal expression of histone deacetylase 3. Nutrition 2024; 125:112465. [PMID: 38823252 DOI: 10.1016/j.nut.2024.112465] [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: 02/08/2024] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES It is unclear whether parental consumption of non-nutritive sweetener (NNS) can affect subsequent generations. The aim of this study was to determine whether chronic parental consumption of sucralose and stevia in mice affects body weight gain and liver and intestinal expression of histone deacetylase 3 (Hdac3) in these animals and in the subsequent first filial (F1) and second filial (F2) generations. METHODS Male and female mice (n = 47) were divided into three groups to receive water alone or supplemented with sucralose (0.1 mg/mL) or stevia (0.1 mg/mL) for 16 wk (parental [F0] generation). F0 mice were bred to produce the F1 generation; then, F1 mice were bred to produce the F2 generation. F1 and F2 animals did not receive NNSs. After euthanasia, hepatic and intestinal expression of Hdac3 was determined by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS Body weight gain did not differ between the three groups in the F0 generation, but it was greater in the F1 sucralose and stevia groups than in the control group. Consumption of both NNSs in the F0 generation was associated with lower Hdac3 expression in the liver and higher in the intestine. Hepatic Hdac3 expression was normalized to the control values in the F1 and F2 animals of the sucralose and stevia groups. Intestinal expression was still higher in the F1 generations of the sucralose and stevia groups but was partially normalized in the F2 generation of these groups, compared with control. CONCLUSIONS NNS consumption differentially affects hepatic and intestinal Hdac3 expression. Changes in hepatic expression are not transmitted to the F1 and F2 generations whereas those in intestinal expression are enhanced in the F1 and attenuated in the F2 generations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Francisco Pérez-Bravo
- Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile; Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Martin Gotteland
- Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile; Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile.
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Haberman M, Menashe T, Cohen N, Kisliouk T, Yadid T, Marco A, Meiri N, Weller A. Paternal high-fat diet affects weight and DNA methylation of their offspring. Sci Rep 2024; 14:19874. [PMID: 39191806 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-70438-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 08/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Obesity poses a public health threat, reaching epidemic proportions. Our hypothesis suggests that some of this epidemic stems from its transmission across generations via paternal epigenetic mechanisms. To investigate this possibility, we focused on examining the paternal transmission of CpG methylation. First-generation male Wistar rats were fed either a high-fat diet (HF) or chow and were mated with females fed chow. We collected sperm from these males. The resulting offspring were raised on a chow diet until day 35, after which they underwent a dietary challenge. Diet-induced obese (DIO) male rats passed on the obesogenic trait to both male and female offspring. We observed significant hypermethylation of the Pomc promoter in the sperm of HF-treated males and in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (Arc) of their offspring at weaning. However, these differences in Arc methylation decreased later in life. This hypermethylation is correlated with increased expression of DNMT3B. Further investigating genes in the Arc that might be involved in obesogenic transgenerational transmission, using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS) we identified 77 differentially methylated regions (DMRs), highlighting pathways associated with neuronal development. These findings support paternal CpG methylation as a mechanism for transmitting obesogenic traits across generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Haberman
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
- Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
- Institute of Animal Science, Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, Bet Dagan, Israel
| | - Tzlil Menashe
- Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
- Department of Psychology, Bar Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Nir Cohen
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
- Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
- Institute of Animal Science, Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, Bet Dagan, Israel
| | - Tatiana Kisliouk
- Institute of Animal Science, Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, Bet Dagan, Israel
| | - Tam Yadid
- Institute of Animal Science, Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, Bet Dagan, Israel
- Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Asaf Marco
- Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Noam Meiri
- Institute of Animal Science, Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, Bet Dagan, Israel.
| | - Aron Weller
- Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
- Department of Psychology, Bar Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
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5
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Saengmearnuparp T, Pintana H, Apaijai N, Chunchai T, Thonusin C, Kongkaew A, Lojanapiwat B, Chattipakorn N, Chattipakorn SC. Long-term Treatment with a 5-Alpha-Reductase Inhibitor Alleviates Depression-like Behavior in Obese Male Rats. Behav Brain Res 2024; 472:115155. [PMID: 39032869 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2024.115155] [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: 05/09/2024] [Revised: 07/11/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
Several studies have reported side effects of finasteride (FIN), such as anxiety/depression in young men. Obesity is also positively associated with anxiety/depression symptoms; however, the impacts of long-term FIN treatment and FIN withdrawal in young obese individuals are still elusive. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of long-term treatment and its withdrawal on anxiety/depression and brain pathologies in lean and obese adult male rats. Forty-eight male Wistar rats were equally divided into two groups and fed either a normal or high-fat diet. At age 13 weeks, rats in each dietary group were divided into three subgroups: 1) the control group receiving drinking water, 2) the long-term treatment group receiving FIN orally at 5 mg/kg/day for 6 weeks, and 3) the withdrawal group receiving FIN orally at 5 mg/kg/day for 2 weeks followed by a 4-week withdrawal period. Anxiety/depression-like behaviors, biochemical analysis, brain inflammation, oxidative stress, neuroactive steroids, brain metabolites, and microglial complexity were tested. The result showed that lean rats treated with long-term FIN and its withdrawal exhibited metabolic disturbances, depressive-like behavior, and both groups showed increased neurotoxic metabolites and reduced microglial complexity. Obesity itself led to metabolic disturbances and brain pathologies, including increased inflammation, oxidative stress, and quinolinic acid, as well as reduced microglial complexity, resulting in increased anxiety- and depression-like behaviors. Interestingly, the long-term FIN treatment group in obese rats showed attenuation of depressive-like behaviors, brain inflammation, and oxidative stress, along with increased brain antioxidants, suggesting the possible benefits of FIN in obese conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thiraphat Saengmearnuparp
- Neurophysiology unit, Cardiac Electrophysiology Research and Training Center, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; Urology division, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; Center of Excellence in Cardiac Electrophysiology Research, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | - Hiranya Pintana
- Neurophysiology unit, Cardiac Electrophysiology Research and Training Center, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; Center of Excellence in Cardiac Electrophysiology Research, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; Office of Research Administration, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | - Nattayaporn Apaijai
- Neurophysiology unit, Cardiac Electrophysiology Research and Training Center, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; Center of Excellence in Cardiac Electrophysiology Research, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; Cardiac Electrophysiology Unit, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | - Titikorn Chunchai
- Neurophysiology unit, Cardiac Electrophysiology Research and Training Center, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; Center of Excellence in Cardiac Electrophysiology Research, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | - Chanisa Thonusin
- Neurophysiology unit, Cardiac Electrophysiology Research and Training Center, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; Center of Excellence in Cardiac Electrophysiology Research, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; Cardiac Electrophysiology Unit, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | - Aphisek Kongkaew
- Research Administration Section, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | - Bannakij Lojanapiwat
- Urology division, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | - Nipon Chattipakorn
- Neurophysiology unit, Cardiac Electrophysiology Research and Training Center, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; Center of Excellence in Cardiac Electrophysiology Research, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; Cardiac Electrophysiology Unit, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | - Siriporn C Chattipakorn
- Neurophysiology unit, Cardiac Electrophysiology Research and Training Center, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; Center of Excellence in Cardiac Electrophysiology Research, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; Department of Oral Biology and Diagnostic Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand.
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Carrageta DF, Pereira SC, Ferreira R, Monteiro MP, Oliveira PF, Alves MG. Signatures of metabolic diseases on spermatogenesis and testicular metabolism. Nat Rev Urol 2024; 21:477-494. [PMID: 38528255 DOI: 10.1038/s41585-024-00866-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
Diets leading to caloric overload are linked to metabolic disorders and reproductive function impairment. Metabolic and hormonal abnormalities stand out as defining features of metabolic disorders, and substantially affect the functionality of the testis. Metabolic disorders induce testicular metabolic dysfunction, chronic inflammation and oxidative stress. The disruption of gastrointestinal, pancreatic, adipose tissue and testicular hormonal regulation induced by metabolic disorders can also contribute to a state of compromised fertility. In this Review, we will delve into the effects of high-fat diets and metabolic disorders on testicular metabolism and spermatogenesis, which are crucial elements for male reproductive function. Moreover, metabolic disorders have been shown to influence the epigenome of male gametes and might have a potential role in transmitting phenotype traits across generations. However, the existing evidence strongly underscores the unmet need to understand the mechanisms responsible for transgenerational paternal inheritance of male reproductive function impairment related to metabolic disorders. This knowledge could be useful for developing targeted interventions to prevent, counteract, and most of all break the perpetuation chain of male reproductive dysfunction associated with metabolic disorders across generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- David F Carrageta
- Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology, UMIB - Unit for Multidisciplinary Research in Biomedicine, ICBAS - School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health (ITR), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Sara C Pereira
- Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology, UMIB - Unit for Multidisciplinary Research in Biomedicine, ICBAS - School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health (ITR), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- LAQV-REQUIMTE & Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Rita Ferreira
- LAQV-REQUIMTE & Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Mariana P Monteiro
- Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology, UMIB - Unit for Multidisciplinary Research in Biomedicine, ICBAS - School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health (ITR), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Pedro F Oliveira
- LAQV-REQUIMTE & Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Marco G Alves
- Department of Medical Sciences, Institute of Biomedicine (iBiMED), University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago Agra do Crasto, Aveiro, Portugal.
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7
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Tahiri I, Llana SR, Fos-Domènech J, Milà-Guash M, Toledo M, Haddad-Tóvolli R, Claret M, Obri A. Paternal obesity induces changes in sperm chromatin accessibility and has a mild effect on offspring metabolic health. Heliyon 2024; 10:e34043. [PMID: 39100496 PMCID: PMC11296027 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e34043] [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: 05/13/2024] [Revised: 06/28/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The increasing global burden of metabolic disorders including obesity and diabetes necessitates a comprehensive understanding of their etiology, which not only encompasses genetic and environmental factors but also parental influence. Recent evidence has unveiled paternal obesity as a contributing factor to offspring's metabolic health via sperm epigenetic modifications. In this study, we investigated the impact of a Western diet-induced obesity in C57BL/6 male mice on sperm chromatin accessibility and the subsequent metabolic health of their progeny. Utilizing Assay for Transposase-Accessible Chromatin with sequencing, we discovered 450 regions with differential accessibility in sperm from obese fathers, implicating key developmental and metabolic pathways. Contrary to expectations, these epigenetic alterations in sperm were not predictive of long-term metabolic disorders in offspring, who exhibited only mild transient metabolic changes early in life. Both male and female F1 progeny showed no enduring predisposition to obesity or diabetes. These results underscore the biological resilience of offspring to paternal epigenetic inheritance, suggesting a complex interplay between inherited epigenetic modifications and the offspring's own developmental compensatory mechanisms. This study calls for further research into the biological processes that confer this resilience, which could inform interventional strategies to combat the heritability of metabolic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iasim Tahiri
- Neuronal Control of Metabolism Laboratory, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sergio R. Llana
- Neuronal Control of Metabolism Laboratory, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Júlia Fos-Domènech
- Neuronal Control of Metabolism Laboratory, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria Milà-Guash
- Neuronal Control of Metabolism Laboratory, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Miriam Toledo
- Neuronal Control of Metabolism Laboratory, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Roberta Haddad-Tóvolli
- Neuronal Control of Metabolism Laboratory, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marc Claret
- Neuronal Control of Metabolism Laboratory, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas (CIBERDEM), Barcelona, Spain
- School of Medicine, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Arnaud Obri
- Neuronal Control of Metabolism Laboratory, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, Spain
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8
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Gül M, Russo GI, Kandil H, Boitrelle F, Saleh R, Chung E, Kavoussi P, Mostafa T, Shah R, Agarwal A. Male Infertility: New Developments, Current Challenges, and Future Directions. World J Mens Health 2024; 42:502-517. [PMID: 38164030 PMCID: PMC11216957 DOI: 10.5534/wjmh.230232] [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: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
There have been many significant scientific advances in the diagnostics and treatment modalities in the field of male infertility in recent decades. Examples of these include assisted reproductive technologies, sperm selection techniques for intracytoplasmic sperm injection, surgical procedures for sperm retrieval, and novel tests of sperm function. However, there is certainly a need for new developments in this field. In this review, we discuss advances in the management of male infertility, such as seminal oxidative stress testing, sperm DNA fragmentation testing, genetic and epigenetic tests, genetic manipulations, artificial intelligence, personalized medicine, and telemedicine. The role of the reproductive urologist will continue to expand in future years to address different topzics related to diverse questions and controversies of pathophysiology, diagnosis, and therapy of male infertility, training researchers and physicians in medical and scientific research in reproductive urology/andrology, and further development of andrology as an independent specialty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Murat Gül
- Department of Urology, Selcuk University School of Medicine, Konya, Turkey
- Global Andrology Forum, Moreland Hills, OH, USA
| | - Giorgio Ivan Russo
- Urology Section, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
- Global Andrology Forum, Moreland Hills, OH, USA
| | - Hussein Kandil
- Fakih IVF Fertility Center, Abu Dhabi, UAE
- Global Andrology Forum, Moreland Hills, OH, USA
| | - Florence Boitrelle
- Reproductive Biology, Fertility Preservation, Andrology, CECOS, Poissy Hospital, Poissy, France
- Paris Saclay University, UVSQ, INRAE, BREED, Jouy-en-Josas, France
- Global Andrology Forum, Moreland Hills, OH, USA
| | - Ramadan Saleh
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Andrology, Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt
- Ajyal IVF Center, Ajyal Hospital, Sohag, Egypt
- Global Andrology Forum, Moreland Hills, OH, USA
| | - Eric Chung
- Department of Urology, Princess Alexandra Hospital, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Global Andrology Forum, Moreland Hills, OH, USA
| | - Parviz Kavoussi
- Department of Reproductive Urology, Austin Fertility & Reproductive Medicine/Westlake IVF, Austin, TX, USA
- Global Andrology Forum, Moreland Hills, OH, USA
| | - Taymour Mostafa
- Department of Andrology, Sexology and STIs, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
- Global Andrology Forum, Moreland Hills, OH, USA
| | - Rupin Shah
- Department of Urology, Lilavati Hospital and Research Centre, Mumbai, India
- Well Women's Centre, Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital, Mumbai, India
- Global Andrology Forum, Moreland Hills, OH, USA
| | - Ashok Agarwal
- Global Andrology Forum, Moreland Hills, OH, USA
- Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
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9
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Ravi H, Das S, Devi Rajeswari V, Venkatraman G, Choudhury AA, Chakraborty S, Ramanathan G. Hormonal regulation in diabetes: Special emphasis on sex hormones and metabolic traits. ADVANCES IN PROTEIN CHEMISTRY AND STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY 2024; 142:257-291. [PMID: 39059988 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apcsb.2023.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
Diabetes constitutes a significant global public health challenge that is rapidly reaching epidemic proportions. Among the non-communicable diseases, the incidence of diabetes is rising at an alarming rate. The International Diabetes Federation has documented a 9.09% prevalence of diabetes among individuals aged between 20 and 79 years. The interplay of gonadal hormones and gender differences is critical in regulating insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance, and this dynamic is particularly crucial because of the escalating incidence of diabetes. Variations in insulin sensitivity are observed across genders, levels of adiposity, and age groups. Both estrogen and testosterone are seen to influence glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity. This chapter surveys the present knowledge of sex differences, sex hormones, and chromosomes on insulin imbalance and diabetes development. It further highlights the influence of metabolic traits in diabetes and changes in sex hormones during diabetic pregnancy. Notably, even stressful lifestyles have been acknowledged to induce hormonal imbalances. Furthermore, it discusses the potential of hormonal therapy to help stabilize sex hormones in diabetic individuals and focuses on the most recent research investigating the correlation between sex hormones and diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harini Ravi
- Department of Bio-Medical Sciences, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Soumik Das
- Department of Bio-Medical Sciences, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - V Devi Rajeswari
- Department of Bio-Medical Sciences, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Ganesh Venkatraman
- Department of Bio-Medical Sciences, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Abbas Alam Choudhury
- Department of Bio-Medical Sciences, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Shreya Chakraborty
- Department of Bio-Medical Sciences, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Gnanasambandan Ramanathan
- Department of Bio-Medical Sciences, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India.
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10
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Hosseini M, Khalafiyan A, Zare M, Karimzadeh H, Bahrami B, Hammami B, Kazemi M. Sperm epigenetics and male infertility: unraveling the molecular puzzle. Hum Genomics 2024; 18:57. [PMID: 38835100 DOI: 10.1186/s40246-024-00626-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The prevalence of infertility among couples is estimated to range from 8 to 12%. A paradigm shift has occurred in understanding of infertility, challenging the notion that it predominantly affects women. It is now acknowledged that a significant proportion, if not the majority, of infertility cases can be attributed to male-related factors. Various elements contribute to male reproductive impairments, including aberrant sperm production caused by pituitary malfunction, testicular malignancies, aplastic germ cells, varicocele, and environmental factors. MAIN BODY The epigenetic profile of mammalian sperm is distinctive and specialized. Various epigenetic factors regulate genes across different levels in sperm, thereby affecting its function. Changes in sperm epigenetics, potentially influenced by factors such as environmental exposures, could contribute to the development of male infertility. CONCLUSION In conclusion, this review investigates the latest studies pertaining to the mechanisms of epigenetic changes that occur in sperm cells and their association with male reproductive issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Hosseini
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Anis Khalafiyan
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mohammadreza Zare
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Haniye Karimzadeh
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Basireh Bahrami
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Behnaz Hammami
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mohammad Kazemi
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
- Reproductive Sciences and Sexual Health Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
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11
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Cannarella R, Crafa A, Curto R, Condorelli RA, La Vignera S, Calogero AE. Obesity and male fertility disorders. Mol Aspects Med 2024; 97:101273. [PMID: 38593513 DOI: 10.1016/j.mam.2024.101273] [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: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Often associated with obesity, male infertility represents a widespread condition that challenges the wellbeing of the couple. In this article, we provide a comprehensive and critical analysis of studies exploring the association between obesity and male reproductive function, to evaluate the frequency of this association, and establish the effects of increased body weight on conventional and biofunctional sperm parameters and infertility. In an attempt to find possible molecular markers of infertility in obese male patients, the numerous mechanisms responsible for infertility in overweight/obese patients are reviewed in depth. These include obesity-related functional hypogonadism, insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, chronic inflammation, adipokines, irisin, gut hormones, gut microbiome, and sperm transcriptome. According to meta-analytic evidence, excessive body weight negatively influences male reproductive health. This can occurr through a broad array of molecular mechanisms. Some of these are not yet fully understood and need to be further elucidated in the future. A better understanding of the effects of metabolic disorders on spermatogenesis and sperm fertilizing capacity is very useful for identifying new diagnostic markers and designing therapeutic strategies for better clinical management of male infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rossella Cannarella
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy; Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Andrea Crafa
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Roberto Curto
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Rosita A Condorelli
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Sandro La Vignera
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Aldo E Calogero
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
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12
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Wu D, Zhang K, Guan K, Khan FA, Pandupuspitasari NS, Negara W, Sun F, Huang C. Future in the past: paternal reprogramming of offspring phenotype and the epigenetic mechanisms. Arch Toxicol 2024; 98:1685-1703. [PMID: 38460001 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-024-03713-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024]
Abstract
That certain preconceptual paternal exposures reprogram the developmental phenotypic plasticity in future generation(s) has conceptualized the "paternal programming of offspring health" hypothesis. This transgenerational effect is transmitted primarily through sperm epigenetic mechanisms-DNA methylation, non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) and associated RNA modifications, and histone modifications-and potentially through non-sperm-specific mechanisms-seminal plasma and circulating factors-that create 'imprinted' memory of ancestral information. The epigenetic landscape in sperm is highly responsive to environmental cues, due to, in part, the soma-to-germline communication mediated by epididymosomes. While human epidemiological studies and experimental animal studies have provided solid evidences in support of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance, how ancestral information is memorized as epigenetic codes for germline transmission is poorly understood. Particular elusive is what the downstream effector pathways that decode those epigenetic codes into persistent phenotypes. In this review, we discuss the paternal reprogramming of offspring phenotype and the possible underlying epigenetic mechanisms. Cracking these epigenetic mechanisms will lead to a better appreciation of "Paternal Origins of Health and Disease" and guide innovation of intervention algorithms to achieve 'healthier' outcomes in future generations. All this will revolutionize our understanding of human disease etiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Wu
- Institute of Reproductive Medicine, School of Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, China
| | - Kejia Zhang
- Institute of Reproductive Medicine, School of Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, China
| | - Kaifeng Guan
- School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Faheem Ahmed Khan
- Research Center for Animal Husbandry, National Research and Innovation Agency, Jakarta Pusat, 10340, Indonesia
| | | | - Windu Negara
- Research Center for Animal Husbandry, National Research and Innovation Agency, Jakarta Pusat, 10340, Indonesia
| | - Fei Sun
- Institute of Reproductive Medicine, School of Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, China.
| | - Chunjie Huang
- Institute of Reproductive Medicine, School of Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, China.
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13
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Freire T, Pulpitel T, Clark X, Mackay F, Raubenheimer D, Simpson SJ, Solon-Biet SM, Crean AJ. The effects of paternal dietary fat versus sugar on offspring body composition and anxiety-related behavior. Physiol Behav 2024; 279:114533. [PMID: 38552707 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2024.114533] [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: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Increasing evidence suggests that the pre-conception parental environment has long-term consequences for offspring health and disease susceptibility. Though much of the work in this field concentrates on maternal influences, there is growing understanding that fathers also play a significant role in affecting offspring phenotypes. In this study, we investigate effects of altering the proportion of dietary fats and carbohydrates on paternal and offspring body composition and anxiety-related behavior in C57Bl/6-JArc mice. We show that in an isocaloric context, greater dietary fat increased body fat and reduced anxiety-like behavior of studs, whereas increased dietary sucrose had no significant effect. These dietary effects were not reflected in offspring traits, rather, we found sex-specific effects that differed between offspring body composition and behavioral traits. This finding is consistent with past paternal effect studies, where transgenerational effects have been shown to be more prominent in one sex over the other. Here, male offspring of fathers fed high-fat diets were heavier at 10 weeks of age due to increased lean body mass, whereas paternal diet had no significant effect on female offspring body fat or lean mass. In contrast, paternal dietary sugar appeared to have the strongest effects on male offspring behavior, with male offspring of high-sucrose fathers spending less time in the closed arms of the elevated plus maze. Both high-fat and high-sugar paternal diets were found to reduce anxiety-like behavior of female offspring, although this effect was only evident when offspring were fed a control diet. This study provides new understanding of the ways in which diet can shape the behavior of fathers and their offspring and contribute to the development of dietary guidelines to improve obesity and mental health conditions, such as anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Therese Freire
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney NSW, Australia; School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney NSW, Australia.
| | - Tamara Pulpitel
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney NSW, Australia; School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney NSW, Australia
| | - Ximonie Clark
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney NSW, Australia
| | - Flora Mackay
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney NSW, Australia
| | - David Raubenheimer
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney NSW, Australia; School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney NSW, Australia
| | - Stephen J Simpson
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney NSW, Australia; School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney NSW, Australia
| | - Samantha M Solon-Biet
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney NSW, Australia; School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney NSW, Australia
| | - Angela J Crean
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney NSW, Australia; School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney NSW, Australia
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14
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Shao Z, Hu J, Jandura A, Wilk R, Jachimowicz M, Ma L, Hu C, Sundquist A, Das I, Samuel-Larbi P, Brill JA, Krause HM. Spatially revealed roles for lncRNAs in Drosophila spermatogenesis, Y chromosome function and evolution. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3806. [PMID: 38714658 PMCID: PMC11076287 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47346-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Unlike coding genes, the number of lncRNA genes in organism genomes is relatively proportional to organism complexity. From plants to humans, the tissues with highest numbers and levels of lncRNA gene expression are the male reproductive organs. To learn why, we initiated a genome-wide analysis of Drosophila lncRNA spatial expression patterns in these tissues. The numbers of genes and levels of expression observed greatly exceed those previously reported, due largely to a preponderance of non-polyadenylated transcripts. In stark contrast to coding genes, the highest numbers of lncRNAs expressed are in post-meiotic spermatids. Correlations between expression levels, localization and previously performed genetic analyses indicate high levels of function and requirement. More focused analyses indicate that lncRNAs play major roles in evolution by controlling transposable element activities, Y chromosome gene expression and sperm construction. A new type of lncRNA-based particle found in seminal fluid may also contribute to reproductive outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhantao Shao
- Donnelly Ctr., 160 College St., University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jack Hu
- Donnelly Ctr., 160 College St., University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Allison Jandura
- Donnelly Ctr., 160 College St., University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Ronit Wilk
- Donnelly Ctr., 160 College St., University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Matthew Jachimowicz
- Donnelly Ctr., 160 College St., University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Lingfeng Ma
- Donnelly Ctr., 160 College St., University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Chun Hu
- Donnelly Ctr., 160 College St., University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Abby Sundquist
- Donnelly Ctr., 160 College St., University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Indrani Das
- Donnelly Ctr., 160 College St., University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Julie A Brill
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Henry M Krause
- Donnelly Ctr., 160 College St., University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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15
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Crean AJ, Senior AM, Freire T, Clark TD, Mackay F, Austin G, Pulpitel TJ, Nobrega MA, Barrès R, Simpson SJ. Paternal dietary macronutrient balance and energy intake drive metabolic and behavioral differences among offspring. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2982. [PMID: 38582785 PMCID: PMC10998877 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46782-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Paternal diet can influence the phenotype of the next generation, yet, the dietary components inducing specific responses in the offspring are not identified. Here, we use the Nutritional Geometry Framework to determine the effects of pre-conception paternal dietary macronutrient balance on offspring metabolic and behavioral traits in mice. Ten isocaloric diets varying in the relative proportion of protein, fats, and carbohydrates are fed to male mice prior to mating. Dams and offspring are fed standard chow and never exposed to treatment diets. Body fat in female offspring is positively associated with the paternal consumption of fat, while in male offspring, an anxiety-like phenotype is associated to paternal diets low in protein and high in carbohydrates. Our study uncovers that the nature and the magnitude of paternal effects are driven by interactions between macronutrient balance and energy intake and are not solely the result of over- or undernutrition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Jane Crean
- Charles Perkins Centre and School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Alistair McNair Senior
- Charles Perkins Centre and School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Therese Freire
- Charles Perkins Centre and School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Thomas Daniel Clark
- Charles Perkins Centre and School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Flora Mackay
- Charles Perkins Centre and School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Gracie Austin
- Charles Perkins Centre and School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Tamara Jayne Pulpitel
- Charles Perkins Centre and School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | | | - Romain Barrès
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, DK, 2200, Denmark.
- Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Université Côte d'Azur & Centre National pour la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Valbonne, 06560, France.
| | - Stephen James Simpson
- Charles Perkins Centre and School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
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16
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Maxwell DL, Oluwayiose OA, Houle E, Roth K, Nowak K, Sawant S, Paskavitz AL, Liu W, Gurdziel K, Petriello MC, Richard Pilsner J. Mixtures of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) alter sperm methylation and long-term reprogramming of offspring liver and fat transcriptome. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2024; 186:108577. [PMID: 38521043 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108577] [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: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
Male fertility has been declining worldwide especially in countries with high levels of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl Substances (PFAS) have been classified as EDCs and have been linked to adverse male reproductive health. The mechanisms of these associations and their implications on offspring health remain unknown. The aims of the current study were to assess the effect of PFAS mixtures on the sperm methylome and transcriptional changes in offspring metabolic tissues (i.e., liver and fat). C57BL/6 male mice were exposed to a mixture of PFAS (PFOS, PFOA, PFNA, PFHxS, Genx; 20 µg/L each) for 18-weeks or water as a control. Genome-wide methylation was assessed on F0 epidydimal sperm using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS) and Illumina mouse methylation array, while gene expression was assessed by bulk RNA sequencing in 8-week-old offspring derived from unexposed females. PFAS mixtures resulted in 2,861 (RRBS) and 83 (Illumina) sperm DMRs (q < 0.05). Functional enrichment revealed that PFAS-induced sperm DMRs were associated with behavior and developmental pathways in RRBS, while Illumina DMRs were related to lipid metabolism and cell signaling. Additionally, PFAS mixtures resulted in 40 and 53 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the liver and fat of males, and 9 and 31 DEGs in females, respectively. Functional enrichment of DEGs revealed alterations in cholesterol metabolism and mitotic cell cycle regulation in the liver and myeloid leukocyte migration in fat of male offspring, while in female offspring, erythrocyte development and carbohydrate catabolism were affected in fat. Our results demonstrate that exposure to a mixture of legacy and newly emerging PFAS chemicals in adult male mice result in aberrant sperm methylation and altered gene expression of offspring liver and fat in a sex-specific manner. These data indicate that preconception PFAS exposure in males can be transmitted to affect phenotype in the next generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- DruAnne L Maxwell
- C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, the United States of America; Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, the United States of America
| | - Oladele A Oluwayiose
- C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, the United States of America
| | - Emily Houle
- C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, the United States of America
| | - Katherine Roth
- Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, the United States of America
| | - Karolina Nowak
- C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, the United States of America
| | - Savni Sawant
- C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, the United States of America; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, the United States of America
| | - Amanda L Paskavitz
- C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, the United States of America; Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, the United States of America
| | - Wanqing Liu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, the United States of America; Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit 48201, MI, the United States of America; Department of Oncology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, the United States of America
| | - Katherine Gurdziel
- Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, the United States of America; Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit 48201, MI, the United States of America
| | - Michael C Petriello
- Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, the United States of America; Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit 48201, MI, the United States of America
| | - J Richard Pilsner
- C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, the United States of America; Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, the United States of America.
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17
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Yan S, Sun W, Tian S, Meng Z, Diao J, Zhou Z, Li L, Zhu W. Pre-mating nitenpyram exposure in male mice leads to depression-like behavior in offspring by affecting tryptophan metabolism in gut microbiota. J Environ Sci (China) 2024; 137:120-130. [PMID: 37980001 DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2023.02.011] [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: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023]
Abstract
Several studies have confirmed that the health status of the paternal affects the health of the offspring, however, it remains unknown whether paternal exposure to pesticides affect the offspring health. Here, we used untargeted metabolomics and 16S rRNA sequencing technology, combined with tail suspension test and RT-qPCR to explore the effects of paternal exposure to nitenpyram on the neurotoxicity of offspring. Our results found that the paternal exposure to nitenpyram led to the offspring's depressive-like behaviors, accompanied by the reduction of tryptophan content and the disorder of microbial abundance in the gut of the offspring. Further, we determined the expression of tryptophan metabolism-related genes tryptophanase (tnaA) and tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (TpH1) in gut bacteria and colonic tissues. We found that tryptophan is metabolized to indoles rather than being absorbed into colonocytes, which coursed the reduce of tryptophan availability after nitenpyram exposure. In conclusion, our study deepens our understanding of the intergenerational toxic effects of pesticides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sen Yan
- Innovation Center of Pesticide Research, Department of Applied Chemistry, College of Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Wei Sun
- Innovation Center of Pesticide Research, Department of Applied Chemistry, College of Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Sinuo Tian
- Innovation Center of Pesticide Research, Department of Applied Chemistry, College of Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Zhiyuan Meng
- College of Plant Protection/Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture & Agri-Product Safety, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Jinling Diao
- Innovation Center of Pesticide Research, Department of Applied Chemistry, College of Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Zhiqiang Zhou
- Innovation Center of Pesticide Research, Department of Applied Chemistry, College of Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Li Li
- College of Plant Protection, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taiyuan 030031, China
| | - Wentao Zhu
- Innovation Center of Pesticide Research, Department of Applied Chemistry, College of Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
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18
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Mehta P, Singh R. Small RNAs: an ideal choice as sperm quality biomarkers. FRONTIERS IN REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH 2024; 6:1329760. [PMID: 38406667 PMCID: PMC10884189 DOI: 10.3389/frph.2024.1329760] [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: 10/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Spermatozoa were classically known as vehicles for the delivery of the paternal genome to the oocyte. However, in 1962, spermatozoa were discovered to carry significant amounts of RNA in them, which raised questions about the significance of these molecules in such a highly specialized cell. Scientific research in the last six decades has investigated the biological significance of sperm RNAs by various means. Irrespective of what sperm RNAs do, their presence in spermatozoa has attracted attention for their exploitation as biomarkers of fertility. Research in this direction started in the year 2000 and is still underway. A major hurdle in this research is the definition of the standard human sperm RNAome. Only a few normozoospermic samples have been analyzed to define the normal sperm RNAome. In this article, we provide a perspective on the suitability of sperm RNAs as biomarkers of fertility and the importance of defining the normal sperm RNAome before we can succeed in identifying RNA-based biomarkers of sperm quality and fertility. The identification of sperm RNA biomarkers of fertility can be exploited for quality screening of donor sperm samples, explain infertility in idiopathic cases, and RNA therapeutics for the treatment of male infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Poonam Mehta
- Division of Endocrinology, Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India
- Division of Endocrinology, Academy of Scientific and Industrial Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Rajender Singh
- Division of Endocrinology, Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India
- Division of Endocrinology, Academy of Scientific and Industrial Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
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19
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Lu L, Cheng Y, Wu W, Wang L, Li S, Li Q, Chen L, Zhang J, Chen R, Tan X, Hong Y, Yang L, Song Y. Paternal p,p'-DDE exposure and pre-pubertal high-fat diet increases the susceptibility to fertility impairment and sperm Igf2 DMR2 hypo-methylation in male offspring. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2024; 271:115999. [PMID: 38262096 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.115999] [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: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
The hypothesis of paternal origins of health and disease (POHaD) indicates that paternal exposure to adverse environment could alter the epigenetic modification in germ line, increasing the disease susceptibility in offspring or even in subsequent generations. p,p'-Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p'-DDE) is an anti-androgenic chemical and male reproductive toxicant. Gestational p,p'-DDE exposure could impair reproductive development and fertility in male offspring. However, the effect of paternal p,p'-DDE exposure on fertility in male offspring remains uncovered. From postnatal day (PND) 35 to 119, male rats (F0) were given 10 mg/body weight (b.w.) p,p'-DDE or corn oil by gavage. Male rats were then mated with the control females to generate male offspring. On PND35, the male offspring were divided into 4 groups according whether to be given the high-fat diet (HF): corn oil treatment with control diet (C-C), p,p'-DDE treatment with control diet (DDE-C), corn oil treatment with high-fat diet (C-HF) or p,p'-DDE treatment with high-fat diet (DDE-HF) for 35 days. Our results indicated that paternal p,p'-DDE exposure did not affect the male fertility of male offspring directly, but decreased sperm quality and induced testicular apoptosis after the high-fat diet treatment. Further analysis demonstrated that paternal exposure to p,p'-DDE and pre-pubertal high-fat diet decreased sperm Igf2 DMR2 methylation and gene expression in male offspring. Hence, paternal exposure to p,p'-DDE and pre-pubertal high-fat diet increases the susceptibility to male fertility impairment and sperm Igf2 DMR2 hypo-methylation in male offspring, posing a significant implication in the disease etiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liping Lu
- School of Public Health, Hangzhou Normal University, 2318 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yuzhou Cheng
- School of Public Health, Hangzhou Normal University, 2318 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wei Wu
- School of Public Health, Hangzhou Normal University, 2318 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lijun Wang
- School of Public Health, Hangzhou Normal University, 2318 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shuqi Li
- School of Public Health, Hangzhou Normal University, 2318 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qianyu Li
- School of Public Health, Hangzhou Normal University, 2318 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, China
| | - Liangjing Chen
- School of Public Health, Hangzhou Normal University, 2318 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jianyun Zhang
- School of Public Health, Hangzhou Normal University, 2318 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, China
| | - Rong Chen
- School of Public Health, Hangzhou Normal University, 2318 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaohua Tan
- School of Public Health, Hangzhou Normal University, 2318 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yu Hong
- School of Public Health, Hangzhou Normal University, 2318 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lei Yang
- School of Public Health, Hangzhou Normal University, 2318 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yang Song
- School of Public Health, Hangzhou Normal University, 2318 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, China.
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20
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Kimmins S, Anderson RA, Barratt CLR, Behre HM, Catford SR, De Jonge CJ, Delbes G, Eisenberg ML, Garrido N, Houston BJ, Jørgensen N, Krausz C, Lismer A, McLachlan RI, Minhas S, Moss T, Pacey A, Priskorn L, Schlatt S, Trasler J, Trasande L, Tüttelmann F, Vazquez-Levin MH, Veltman JA, Zhang F, O'Bryan MK. Frequency, morbidity and equity - the case for increased research on male fertility. Nat Rev Urol 2024; 21:102-124. [PMID: 37828407 DOI: 10.1038/s41585-023-00820-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
Currently, most men with infertility cannot be given an aetiology, which reflects a lack of knowledge around gamete production and how it is affected by genetics and the environment. A failure to recognize the burden of male infertility and its potential as a biomarker for systemic illness exists. The absence of such knowledge results in patients generally being treated as a uniform group, for whom the strategy is to bypass the causality using medically assisted reproduction (MAR) techniques. In doing so, opportunities to prevent co-morbidity are missed and the burden of MAR is shifted to the woman. To advance understanding of men's reproductive health, longitudinal and multi-national centres for data and sample collection are essential. Such programmes must enable an integrated view of the consequences of genetics, epigenetics and environmental factors on fertility and offspring health. Definition and possible amelioration of the consequences of MAR for conceived children are needed. Inherent in this statement is the necessity to promote fertility restoration and/or use the least invasive MAR strategy available. To achieve this aim, protocols must be rigorously tested and the move towards personalized medicine encouraged. Equally, education of the public, governments and clinicians on the frequency and consequences of infertility is needed. Health options, including male contraceptives, must be expanded, and the opportunities encompassed in such investment understood. The pressing questions related to male reproductive health, spanning the spectrum of andrology are identified in the Expert Recommendation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Kimmins
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- The Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- The Département de Pathologie et Biologie Cellulaire, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Richard A Anderson
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Christopher L R Barratt
- Division of Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Hermann M Behre
- Center for Reproductive Medicine and Andrology, University Hospital, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Sarah R Catford
- Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - Geraldine Delbes
- Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre Armand-Frappier Sante Biotechnologie, Laval, Quebec, Canada
| | - Michael L Eisenberg
- Department of Urology and Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Nicolas Garrido
- IVI Foundation, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | - Brendan J Houston
- School of BioSciences and Bio21 Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Niels Jørgensen
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, International Center for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Csilla Krausz
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, 'Mario Serio', University of Florence, University Hospital of Careggi Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Ariane Lismer
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Robert I McLachlan
- Hudson Institute of Medical Research and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
- Monash IVF Group, Richmond, Victoria, Australia
| | - Suks Minhas
- Department of Surgery and Cancer Imperial, London, UK
| | - Tim Moss
- Healthy Male and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Allan Pacey
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Lærke Priskorn
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, International Center for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Stefan Schlatt
- Centre for Reproductive Medicine and Andrology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Jacquetta Trasler
- Departments of Paediatrics, Human Genetics and Pharmacology & Therapeutics, McGill University and Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Leonardo Trasande
- Center for the Investigation of Environmental Hazards, Department of Paediatrics, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Frank Tüttelmann
- Institute of Reproductive Genetics, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Mónica Hebe Vazquez-Levin
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas de Argentina, Fundación IBYME, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Joris A Veltman
- Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Feng Zhang
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Institute of Reproduction and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Moira K O'Bryan
- School of BioSciences and Bio21 Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Melbourne, Australia.
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21
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Meng B, He J, Cao W, Zhang Y, Qi J, Luo S, Shen C, Zhao J, Xue Y, Qu P, Liu E. Paternal high-fat diet altered H3K36me3 pattern of pre-implantation embryos. ZYGOTE 2024; 32:1-6. [PMID: 38018398 DOI: 10.1017/s0967199423000448] [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] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
The global transition towards diets high in calories has contributed to 2.1 billion people becoming overweight, or obese, which damages male reproduction and harms offspring. Recently, more and more studies have shown that paternal exposure to stress closely affects the health of offspring in an intergenerational and transgenerational way. SET Domain Containing 2 (SETD2), a key epigenetic gene, is highly conserved among species, is a crucial methyltransferase for converting histone 3 lysine 36 dimethylation (H3K36me2) into histone 3 lysine 36 trimethylation (H3K36me3), and plays an important regulator in the response to stress. In this study, we compared patterns of SETD2 expression and the H3K36me3 pattern in pre-implantation embryos derived from normal or obese mice induced by high diet. The results showed that SETD2 mRNA was significantly higher in the high-fat diet (HFD) group than the control diet (CD) group at the 2-cell, 4-cell, 8-cell, and 16-cell stages, and at the morula and blastocyst stages. The relative levels of H3K36me3 in the HFD group at the 2-cell, 4-cell, 8-cell, 16-cell, morula stage, and blastocyst stage were significantly higher than in the CD group. These results indicated that dietary changes in parental generation (F0) male mice fed a HFD were traceable in SETD2/H3K36me3 in embryos, and that a paternal high-fat diet brings about adverse effects for offspring that might be related to SETD2/H3K36me3, which throws new light on the effect of paternal obesity on offspring from an epigenetic perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Meng
- Laboratory Animal Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Centre, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
- The Assisted Reproduction Center, Northwest Women's and Children's Hospital, Xi'an, China
| | - Jiahui He
- Cancer Center, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Wenbin Cao
- Laboratory Animal Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Centre, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, Ministry of Education of China, Xi'an, China
| | - Yanru Zhang
- Laboratory Animal Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Centre, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, Ministry of Education of China, Xi'an, China
| | - Jia Qi
- Laboratory Animal Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Centre, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, Ministry of Education of China, Xi'an, China
| | - Shiwei Luo
- Laboratory Animal Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Centre, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Chong Shen
- Laboratory Animal Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Centre, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Juan Zhao
- Laboratory Animal Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Centre, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Ying Xue
- Laboratory Animal Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Centre, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Pengxiang Qu
- Laboratory Animal Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Centre, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, Ministry of Education of China, Xi'an, China
| | - Enqi Liu
- Laboratory Animal Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Centre, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, Ministry of Education of China, Xi'an, China
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22
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Gladwell LR, Ahiarah C, Rasheed S, Rahman SM, Choudhury M. Traditional Therapeutics and Potential Epidrugs for CVD: Why Not Both? Life (Basel) 2023; 14:23. [PMID: 38255639 PMCID: PMC10820772 DOI: 10.3390/life14010023] [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: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. In addition to the high mortality rate, people suffering from CVD often endure difficulties with physical activities and productivity that significantly affect their quality of life. The high prevalence of debilitating risk factors such as obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, smoking, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia only predicts a bleak future. Current traditional CVD interventions offer temporary respite; however, they compound the severe economic strain of health-related expenditures. Furthermore, these therapeutics can be prescribed indefinitely. Recent advances in the field of epigenetics have generated new treatment options by confronting CVD at an epigenetic level. This involves modulating gene expression by altering the organization of our genome rather than altering the DNA sequence itself. Epigenetic changes are heritable, reversible, and influenced by environmental factors such as medications. As CVD is physiologically and pathologically diverse in nature, epigenetic interventions can offer a ray of hope to replace or be combined with traditional therapeutics to provide the prospect of addressing more than just the symptoms of CVD. This review discusses various risk factors contributing to CVD, perspectives of current traditional medications in practice, and a focus on potential epigenetic therapeutics to be used as alternatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Rae Gladwell
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Texas A&M Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy, 1114 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Chidinma Ahiarah
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Texas A&M Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy, 1114 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Shireen Rasheed
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Texas A&M Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy, 1114 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Shaikh Mizanoor Rahman
- Natural and Medical Sciences Research Center, University of Nizwa, Birkat Al-Mouz, Nizwa 616, Oman
| | - Mahua Choudhury
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Texas A&M Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy, 1114 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843, USA
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23
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Karahan G, Martel J, Rahimi S, Farag M, Matias F, MacFarlane AJ, Chan D, Trasler J. Higher incidence of embryonic defects in mouse offspring conceived with assisted reproduction from fathers with sperm epimutations. Hum Mol Genet 2023; 33:48-63. [PMID: 37740387 PMCID: PMC10729866 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddad160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) account for 1-6% of births in developed countries. While most children conceived are healthy, increases in birth and genomic imprinting defects have been reported; such abnormal outcomes have been attributed to underlying parental infertility and/or the ART used. Here, we assessed whether paternal genetic and lifestyle factors, that are associated with male infertility and affect the sperm epigenome, can influence ART outcomes. We examined how paternal factors, haploinsufficiency for Dnmt3L, an important co-factor for DNA methylation reactions, and/or diet-induced obesity, in combination with ART (superovulation, in vitro fertilization, embryo culture and embryo transfer), could adversely influence embryo development and DNA methylation patterning in mice. While male mice fed high-fat diets (HFD) gained weight and showed perturbed metabolic health, their sperm DNA methylation was minimally affected by the diet. In contrast, Dnmt3L haploinsufficiency induced a marked loss of DNA methylation in sperm; notably, regions affected were associated with neurodevelopmental pathways and enriched in young retrotransposons, sequences that can have functional consequences in the next generation. Following ART, placental imprinted gene methylation and growth parameters were impacted by one or both paternal factors. For embryos conceived by natural conception, abnormality rates were similar for WT and Dnmt3L+/- fathers. In contrast, paternal Dnmt3L+/- genotype, as compared to WT fathers, resulted in a 3-fold increase in the incidence of morphological abnormalities in embryos generated by ART. Together, the results indicate that embryonic morphological and epigenetic defects associated with ART may be exacerbated in offspring conceived by fathers with sperm epimutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gurbet Karahan
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 0C7, Canada
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, H4A 3J1, Canada
| | - Josée Martel
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, H4A 3J1, Canada
| | - Sophia Rahimi
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, H4A 3J1, Canada
| | - Mena Farag
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 0C7, Canada
| | - Fernando Matias
- Nutrition Research Division, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0K9, Canada
| | | | - Donovan Chan
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, H4A 3J1, Canada
| | - Jacquetta Trasler
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 0C7, Canada
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, H4A 3J1, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3G 1Y6, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, H4A 3J1, Canada
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24
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Fallet M, Wilson R, Sarkies P. Cisplatin exposure alters tRNA-derived small RNAs but does not affect epimutations in C. elegans. BMC Biol 2023; 21:276. [PMID: 38031056 PMCID: PMC10688063 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01767-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The individual lifestyle and environment of an organism can influence its phenotype and potentially the phenotype of its offspring. The different genetic and non-genetic components of the inheritance system and their mutual interactions are key mechanisms to generate inherited phenotypic changes. Epigenetic changes can be transmitted between generations independently from changes in DNA sequence. In Caenorhabditis elegans, epigenetic differences, i.e. epimutations, mediated by small non-coding RNAs, particularly 22G-RNAs, as well as chromatin have been identified, and their average persistence is three to five generations. In addition, previous research showed that some epimutations had a longer duration and concerned genes that were enriched for multiple components of xenobiotic response pathways. These results raise the possibility that environmental stresses might change the rate at which epimutations occur, with potential significance for adaptation. RESULTS In this work, we explore this question by propagating C. elegans lines either in control conditions or in moderate or high doses of cisplatin, which introduces genotoxic stress by damaging DNA. Our results show that cisplatin has a limited effect on global small non-coding RNA epimutations and epimutations in gene expression levels. However, cisplatin exposure leads to increased fluctuations in the levels of small non-coding RNAs derived from tRNA cleavage. We show that changes in tRNA-derived small RNAs may be associated with gene expression changes. CONCLUSIONS Our work shows that epimutations are not substantially altered by cisplatin exposure but identifies transient changes in tRNA-derived small RNAs as a potential source of variation induced by genotoxic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manon Fallet
- Department of Biochemistry, Evolutionary Epigenetics Group, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Building, University of Oxford, South Parks Rd., Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK.
- Man-Technology-Environment Research Centre (MTM), School of Science and Technology, Örebro University, Fakultetsgatan 1, 70182, Örebro, Sweden.
| | - Rachel Wilson
- Department of Biochemistry, Evolutionary Epigenetics Group, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Building, University of Oxford, South Parks Rd., Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Peter Sarkies
- Department of Biochemistry, Evolutionary Epigenetics Group, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Building, University of Oxford, South Parks Rd., Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK.
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25
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Ma Z, Li J, Fu L, Fu R, Tang N, Quan Y, Xin Z, Ding Z, Liu Y. Epididymal RNase T2 contributes to astheno-teratozoospermia and intergenerational metabolic disorder through epididymosome-sperm interaction. BMC Med 2023; 21:453. [PMID: 37993934 PMCID: PMC10664275 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-023-03158-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The epididymis is crucial for post-testicular sperm development which is termed sperm maturation. During this process, fertilizing ability is acquired through the epididymis-sperm communication via exchange of protein and small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs). More importantly, epididymal-derived exosomes secreted by the epididymal epithelial cells transfer sncRNAs into maturing sperm. These sncRNAs could mediate intergenerational inheritance which further influences the health of their offspring. Recently, the linkage and mechanism involved in regulating sperm function and sncRNAs during epididymal sperm maturation are increasingly gaining more and more attention. METHODS An epididymal-specific ribonuclease T2 (RNase T2) knock-in (KI) mouse model was constructed to investigate its role in developing sperm fertilizing capability. The sperm parameters of RNase T2 KI males were evaluated and the metabolic phenotypes of their offspring were characterized. Pandora sequencing technology profiled and sequenced the sperm sncRNA expression pattern to determine the effect of epididymal RNase T2 on the expression levels of sperm sncRNAs. Furthermore, the expression levels of RNase T2 in the epididymal epithelial cells in response to environmental stress were confirmed both in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS Overexpression of RNase T2 caused severe subfertility associated with astheno-teratozoospermia in mice caput epididymis, and furthermore contributed to the acquired metabolic disorders in the offspring, including hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and hyperinsulinemia. Pandora sequencing showed altered profiles of sncRNAs especially rRNA-derived small RNAs (rsRNAs) and tRNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs) in RNase T2 KI sperm compared to control sperm. Moreover, environmental stress upregulated RNase T2 in the caput epididymis. CONCLUSIONS The importance was demonstrated of epididymal RNase T2 in inducing sperm maturation and intergenerational inheritance. Overexpressed RNase T2 in the caput epididymis leads to astheno-teratozoospermia and metabolic disorder in the offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuoyao Ma
- Department of Histology, Embryology, Genetics and Developmental Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No.280, Chongqing Road (South), Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Jinyu Li
- Department of Histology, Embryology, Genetics and Developmental Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No.280, Chongqing Road (South), Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Li Fu
- Department of Laboratory Animal Science, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Rong Fu
- Core Facility of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Ningyuan Tang
- Department of Histology, Embryology, Genetics and Developmental Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No.280, Chongqing Road (South), Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Yanmei Quan
- Department of Histology, Embryology, Genetics and Developmental Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No.280, Chongqing Road (South), Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Zhixiang Xin
- Department of Urology, Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, Naval Medical University, No. 415, Fengyang Road, Shanghai, 200003, China.
| | - Zhide Ding
- Department of Histology, Embryology, Genetics and Developmental Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No.280, Chongqing Road (South), Shanghai, 200025, China.
| | - Yue Liu
- Department of Histology, Embryology, Genetics and Developmental Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No.280, Chongqing Road (South), Shanghai, 200025, China.
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Golding MC. Teratogenesis and the epigenetic programming of congenital defects: Why paternal exposures matter. Birth Defects Res 2023; 115:1825-1834. [PMID: 37424262 PMCID: PMC10774456 DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.2215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Until recently, clinicians and researchers did not realize paternal exposures could impact child developmental outcomes. Indeed, although there is growing recognition that sperm carry a large amount of non-genomic information and that paternal stressors influence the health of the next generation, toxicologists are only now beginning to explore the role paternal exposures have in dysgenesis and the incidence of congenital malformations. In this commentary, I will briefly summarize the few studies describing congenital malformations resulting from preconception paternal stressors, argue for the theoretical expansion of teratogenic perspectives into the male preconception period, and discuss some of the challenges in this newly emerging branch of toxicology. I argue that we must consider gametes the same as any other malleable precursor cell type and recognize that environmentally-induced epigenetic changes acquired during the formation of the sperm and oocyte hold equal teratogenic potential as exposures during early development. Here, I propose the term epiteratogen to reference agents acting outside of pregnancy that, through epigenetic mechanisms, induce congenital malformations. Understanding the interactions between the environment, the essential epigenetic processes intrinsic to spermatogenesis, and their cumulative influences on embryo patterning is essential to addressing a significant blind spot in the field of developmental toxicology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael C. Golding
- Department of Veterinary Physiology & Pharmacology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA, 77843
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Beňačka R, Szabóová D, Guľašová Z, Hertelyová Z, Radoňak J. Non-Coding RNAs in Human Cancer and Other Diseases: Overview of the Diagnostic Potential. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16213. [PMID: 38003403 PMCID: PMC10671391 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242216213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are abundant single-stranded RNA molecules in human cells, involved in various cellular processes ranging from DNA replication and mRNA translation regulation to genome stability defense. MicroRNAs are multifunctional ncRNA molecules of 18-24 nt in length, involved in gene silencing through base-pair complementary binding to target mRNA transcripts. piwi-interacting RNAs are an animal-specific class of small ncRNAs sized 26-31 nt, responsible for the defense of genome stability via the epigenetic and post-transcriptional silencing of transposable elements. Long non-coding RNAs are ncRNA molecules defined as transcripts of more than 200 nucleotides, their function depending on localization, and varying from the regulation of cell differentiation and development to the regulation of telomere-specific heterochromatin modifications. The current review provides recent data on the several forms of small and long non-coding RNA's potential to act as diagnostic, prognostic or therapeutic target for various human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roman Beňačka
- Department of Pathophysiology, Medical Faculty, Pavol Jozef Šafarik University, 04011 Košice, Slovakia; (R.B.); (D.S.)
| | - Daniela Szabóová
- Department of Pathophysiology, Medical Faculty, Pavol Jozef Šafarik University, 04011 Košice, Slovakia; (R.B.); (D.S.)
| | - Zuzana Guľašová
- Center of Clinical and Preclinical Research MEDIPARK, Pavol Jozef Šafarik University, 04011 Košice, Slovakia; (Z.G.); (Z.H.)
| | - Zdenka Hertelyová
- Center of Clinical and Preclinical Research MEDIPARK, Pavol Jozef Šafarik University, 04011 Košice, Slovakia; (Z.G.); (Z.H.)
| | - Jozef Radoňak
- 1st Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Louis Pasteur University Hospital (UNLP) and Pavol Jozef Šafarik University, 04011 Košice, Slovakia
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Han S, Luo Y, Liu B, Guo T, Qin D, Luo F. Dietary flavonoids prevent diabetes through epigenetic regulation: advance and challenge. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2023; 63:11925-11941. [PMID: 35816298 DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2022.2097637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The pathophysiology of diabetes has been studied extensively in various countries, but effective prevention and treatment methods are still insufficient. In recent years, epigenetics has received increasing attention from researchers in exploring the etiology and treatment of diabetes. DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs play critical roles in the occurrence, maintenance, and progression of diabetes and its complications. Therefore, preventing or reversing the epigenetic alterations that occur during the development of diabetes may reduce the individual and societal burden of the disease. Dietary flavonoids serve as natural epigenetic modulators for the discovery of biomarkers for diabetes prevention and the development of alternative therapies. However, there is limited knowledge about the potential beneficial effects of flavonoids on the epigenetics of diabetes. In this review, the multidimensional epigenetic effects of different flavonoid subtypes in diabetes were summarized. Furthermore, it was discussed that parental flavonoid diets might reduce diabetes incidence in offspring, which represent a promising opportunity to prevent diabetes in the future. Future work will depend on exploring anti-diabetic effects of different flavonoids with different epigenetic regulation mechanisms and clinical trials.Highlights• "Epigenetic therapy" could reduce the burden of diabetic patients• "Epigenetic diet" ameliorates diabetes• Targeting epigenetic regulations by dietary flavonoids in the diabetes prevention• Dietary flavonoids prevent diabetes via transgenerational epigenetic inheritance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Han
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Grain-oil Deep Process and Quality Control, Hunan Key Laboratory of Forestry Edible Resources Safety and Processing, National Research Center of Rice Deep Processing and Byproducts, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, China
| | - Yi Luo
- Department of Clinic Medicine, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Bo Liu
- Central South Food Science Institute of Grain and Oil Co., Ltd., Hunan Grain Group Co., Ltd, Changsha, China
| | - Tianyi Guo
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Grain-oil Deep Process and Quality Control, Hunan Key Laboratory of Forestry Edible Resources Safety and Processing, National Research Center of Rice Deep Processing and Byproducts, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, China
| | - Dandan Qin
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Grain-oil Deep Process and Quality Control, Hunan Key Laboratory of Forestry Edible Resources Safety and Processing, National Research Center of Rice Deep Processing and Byproducts, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, China
| | - Feijun Luo
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Grain-oil Deep Process and Quality Control, Hunan Key Laboratory of Forestry Edible Resources Safety and Processing, National Research Center of Rice Deep Processing and Byproducts, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, China
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Tan LL, Xiong YW, Zhang J, Li DX, Huang Y, Wang H. Like father, like daughter:Paternal cadmium exposure causes hepatic glucose metabolic disorder and phospholipids accumulation in adult female offspring. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 338:139437. [PMID: 37451636 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.139437] [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: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 05/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Cadmium (Cd), is a well-known reproductive toxicant. The impacts of paternal Cd exposure on offspring glucose and lipid metabolism remain unclear, despite the abundance of adverse reports following early exposure from the mother. Here, we assessed paternally acquired metabolic derailment using a mouse model. LC-MS/MS, transcriptomics and molecular experimental techniques were subsequently applied in this study to explore the potential mechanism. We found that paternal Cd exposure caused glucose intolerance, lower insulin sensitivity and abnormal hepatic glycogen storage in adult female offspring, but not in males. LC-MS/MS data showed that hepatic phospholipids accumulation was also only observed in adult female offspring after paternal Cd exposure. Gene expression data showed that the level of insulin signaling and lipid transport-related genes was decreased in Cd-treated adult female offspring livers. Meanwhile, AHR, a transcription factor that combines with phospholipids to promote insulin resistance, was increased in Cd-treated adult female offspring livers. In addition, the escalation of the afore-mentioned lipid metabolites in the liver occurred as early as fetal stages in the female pups following paternal Cd exposure, suggesting the potential for these lipid species to be selected as early markers of disease for metabolic derailment later in life. Altogether, paternal Cd exposure causes offspring glucose metabolism disorder and phospholipids accumulation in a sex-dependent manner. This study provides a theoretical framework for future understanding of paternal-originated metabolic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu-Lu Tan
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, China
| | - Yong-Wei Xiong
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, China
| | - Jin Zhang
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, China
| | - Dai-Xin Li
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, China
| | - Yichao Huang
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, China; Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, China.
| | - Hua Wang
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, China; Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, China.
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Zeng L, Zhou J, Zhang Y, Wang X, Li Y, Song J, Shao J, Su P. Paternal cadmium exposure induces glucolipid metabolic reprogramming in offspring mice via PPAR signaling pathway. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 339:139592. [PMID: 37482320 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.139592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
In industrialized societies, the prevalence of metabolic diseases has substantially increased over the past few decades, yet the underlying causes remain unclear. Cadmium (Cd) is a hazardous heavy metal and pervasive environmental endocrine disruptor. Here, we investigate the effects of paternal Cd exposure on offspring glucolipid metabolism. Paternal Cd exposure (1 mg kg-1 body weight) impaired glucose tolerance, increased random serum glucose and fasting serum insulin, elevated serum total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein in offspring mice. Untargeted metabolomics analysis of male offspring liver tissue revealed that paternal Cd exposure can affect offspring glucolipid metabolic reprogramming, which involved biosynthesis of phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan, biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, metabolism of linoleic acid, arachidonic acid and α-linolenic acid. Transcriptome sequencing of male offspring liver tissue showed that arachidonic acid metabolism, AMPK signaling pathway, PPAR signaling pathway and adipocytokine signaling pathway were significantly inhibited in the Cd-exposed group. The mRNA expression levels of PPAR signaling pathway related genes (Acsl1, Cyp4a14, Cyp4a10, Cd36, Ppard and Pck1) were significantly decreased. The protein expression levels of ACSL1, CD36, PPARD and PCK1 were also significantly reduced. Collectively, our findings suggest that paternal Cd exposure affect offspring glucolipid metabolic reprogramming via PPAR signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Zeng
- Medical Genetics Center, Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China; Institute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China.
| | - Jinzhao Zhou
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China.
| | - Yanwei Zhang
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China.
| | - Xiaofei Wang
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China.
| | - Yamin Li
- Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China.
| | - Jieping Song
- Medical Genetics Center, Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China.
| | - JingFan Shao
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China.
| | - Ping Su
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China.
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Champroux A, Yang T, Dickson DA, Meng A, Harrington A, Liaw L, Marzi M, Nicassio F, Schlaeger TM, Feig LA. Preimplantation Embryos Amplify Stress-Induced Changes in Sperm-Derived miRNA Content to Mediate Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.21.537854. [PMID: 37786715 PMCID: PMC10541588 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.21.537854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
Chronically stressing male mice can alter the behavior of their offspring across generations. This effect is thought to be mediated by stress-induced changes in the content of specific sperm miRNAs that modify embryo development after their delivery to oocytes at fertilization. A major problem with this hypothesis is that the levels of mouse sperm miRNAs are much lower than those present in preimplantation embryos. This makes it unclear how embryos could be significantly impacted without an amplification system to magnify changes in sperm miRNA content, like those present in lower organisms where transgenerational epigenetic inheritance is well established. Here, we describe such a system for Chronic Social Instability (CSI) stress that can explain how it reduces the levels of the miR-34b,c/449a,b family of miRNAs not only in sperm of exposed males but also in preimplantation embryos ( PIEs ) derived from their mating, as well as in sperm of male offspring. Sperm-derived miR-34c normally positively regulates expression of its own gene and that of miR-449 in PIEs. This feed forward, auto-amplification process is suppressed when CSI stress reduces sperm miR-34c levels. Its suppression is important for the transmission of traits to offspring because restoring miR-34c levels in PIEs from CSI stressed males, which also restores levels of miR-449 in them, suppresses elements of elevated anxiety and defective sociability normally found specifically in their female offspring, as well as reduced sperm miR-34 and miR-449 levels normally found in male offspring, who pass on these traits to their offspring. We previously published that the content of sperm miR-34/449 is also reduced in men raised in highly abusive and/or dysfunctional families. We show here that a similar miRNA auto-amplification system functions in human embryonic stem cells. This raises the possibility that PIEs in offspring of these men also display reduced levels of miR-34/449, enhancing the potential translational significance of these studies.
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Bak ST, Haupt-Jorgensen M, Dudele A, Wegener G, Wang T, Nielsen AL, Lund S. The anti-inflammatory agent 5-ASA reduces the level of specific tsRNAs in sperm cells of high-fat fed C57BL/6J mouse sires and improves glucose tolerance in female offspring. J Diabetes Complications 2023; 37:108563. [PMID: 37499293 DOI: 10.1016/j.jdiacomp.2023.108563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The prevalence of obesity and associated comorbidities have increased to epidemic proportions globally. Paternal obesity is an independent risk factor for developing obesity and type 2 diabetes in the following generation, and growing evidence suggests epigenetic inheritance as a mechanism for this predisposition. How and why obesity induces epigenetic changes in sperm cells remain to be clarified in detail. Yet, recent studies show that alterations in sperm content of transfer RNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs) can transmit the effects of paternal obesity to offspring. Obesity is closely associated with low-grade chronic inflammation. Thus, we evaluated whether the anti-inflammatory agent 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) could intervene in the transmission of epigenetic inheritance of paternal obesity by reducing the inflammatory state in obese fathers. METHODS Male C57BL/6JBomTac mice were either fed a high-fat diet or a high-fat diet with 5-ASA for ten weeks before mating. The offspring metabolic phenotype was evaluated, and spermatozoa from sires were isolated for assessment of specific tsRNAs levels. RESULTS 5-ASA intervention reduced the levels of Glu-CTC tsRNAs in sperm cells and improved glucose tolerance in female offspring fed a chow diet. Paternal high-fat diet-induced obesity per se had only a moderate impact on the metabolic phenotype of both male and female offspring in our setting. CONCLUSION The results indicate that the low-grade inflammatory response associated with obesity may be an important factor in epigenetic inheritance of paternal obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Martin Haupt-Jorgensen
- The Bartholin Institute, Department of Pathology, Rigshospitalet, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark.
| | - Anete Dudele
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, Aarhus University, 8200 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Gregers Wegener
- Department of Clinial Medicine, Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark; Center of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - Tobias Wang
- Department of Bioscience, Section for Zoophysiology, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | - Sten Lund
- Department of Internal Medicine and Endocrinology, Aarhus University Hospital, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark; Steno Diabetes Center Aarhus, Aarhus University Hospital, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark
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Otsuka K, Nishiyama H, Kuriki D, Kawada N, Ochiya T. Connecting the dots in the associations between diet, obesity, cancer, and microRNAs. Semin Cancer Biol 2023; 93:52-69. [PMID: 37156343 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2023.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The prevalence of obesity has reached pandemic levels worldwide, leading to a lower quality of life and higher health costs. Obesity is a major risk factor for noncommunicable diseases, including cancer, although obesity is one of the major preventable causes of cancer. Lifestyle factors, such as dietary quality and patterns, are also closely related to the onset and development of obesity and cancer. However, the mechanisms underlying the complex association between diet, obesity, and cancer remain unclear. In the past few decades, microRNAs (miRNAs), a class of small non-coding RNAs, have been demonstrated to play critical roles in biological processes such as cell differentiation, proliferation, and metabolism, highlighting their importance in disease development and suppression and as therapeutic targets. miRNA expression levels can be modulated by diet and are involved in cancer and obesity-related diseases. Circulating miRNAs can also mediate cell-to-cell communications. These multiple aspects of miRNAs present challenges in understanding and integrating their mechanism of action. Here, we introduce a general consideration of the associations between diet, obesity, and cancer and review the current knowledge of the molecular functions of miRNA in each context. A comprehensive understanding of the interplay between diet, obesity, and cancer could be valuable for the development of effective preventive and therapeutic strategies in future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kurataka Otsuka
- Tokyo NODAI Research Institure, Tokyo University of Agriculture, 1-1-1 Sakuragaoka, Setagaya, Tokyo 156-8502, Japan; R&D Division, Kewpie Corporation, 2-5-7, Sengawa-cho, Chofu-shi, Tokyo 182-0002, Japan; Division of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo Medical University, 6-7-1, Nishishinjyuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0023, Japan; Division of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1, Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan.
| | - Hiroshi Nishiyama
- R&D Division, Kewpie Corporation, 2-5-7, Sengawa-cho, Chofu-shi, Tokyo 182-0002, Japan
| | - Daisuke Kuriki
- R&D Division, Kewpie Corporation, 2-5-7, Sengawa-cho, Chofu-shi, Tokyo 182-0002, Japan
| | - Naoki Kawada
- R&D Division, Kewpie Corporation, 2-5-7, Sengawa-cho, Chofu-shi, Tokyo 182-0002, Japan
| | - Takahiro Ochiya
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo Medical University, 6-7-1, Nishishinjyuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0023, Japan
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Oluwayiose OA, Houle E, Whitcomb BW, Suvorov A, Rahil T, Sites CK, Krawetz SA, Visconti PE, Pilsner JR. Urinary phthalate metabolites and small non-coding RNAs from seminal plasma extracellular vesicles among men undergoing infertility treatment. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 329:121529. [PMID: 37003585 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Non-coding RNA (ncRNA) cargo of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in the male reproductive tract play critical roles in semen quality and emerging evidence suggests their susceptibility to environmental factors. Male phthalate exposures have been linked to poor semen quality, sperm DNA methylation profiles and embryo development; however, there is limited evidence on their potential impact on EV ncRNAs profiles. We evaluated the association between urinary phthalate metabolites and small ncRNAs (sncRNAs) of seminal plasma EVs (spEV) among men receiving clinical infertility care. We conducted sncRNA sequencing of EVs in 96 seminal plasma samples collected from the Sperm Environmental Epigenetics and Development Study (SEEDS). Sequencing reads were mapped to human transcriptome databases using STAR. Urinary metabolite concentrations of thirteen phthalates and two DiNCH, a phthalate alternative, were measured via tandem mass spectrometry. Associations with normalized counts were assessed using EdgeR (FDR<0.05) adjusting for urinary dilution via specific gravity, age, BMI, batch, and biotype-specific total counts. Select metabolites, MEOHP, MECPP, ∑DEHP, MCPP, MCNP, MCOP, were negatively (p < 0.05) correlated with miRNA relative abundance. Similarly, nine metabolites including MEOHP, MECPP, MEHP, MCPP, MHBP, MHiNCH, MiBP, MEHHP, MCOP and ∑DEHP were associated (q < 0.05) with normalized counts from 23 unique ncRNA transcripts (7 miRNAs (pre & mature); 6 tRFs; and 10 piRNAs), most (78%) of which displayed increased expression patterns. miRNA and tRFs gene targets were enriched in vesicle-mediated transport and developmental-related ontology terms, such as tyrosine kinase, head development, and cell morphogenesis. Six genes (MAPK1, BMPR1A/2, PTEN, TGFBR2, TP53 and APP) were present in all the ontology terms and predicted to form protein association networks. piRNAs were annotated to pseudogenes of genes important in EV cargo transfer and embryonic development. This is the first study to associate phthalate exposures to altered spEV sncRNA profiles. Future studies are needed to determine their impact on reproductive outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oladele A Oluwayiose
- C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA
| | - Emily Houle
- C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA
| | - Brian W Whitcomb
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 715 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Alexander Suvorov
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 686 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Tayyab Rahil
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UMass Chan-Baystate, 759 Chestnut Street, Springfield, MA, USA
| | - Cynthia K Sites
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UMass Chan-Baystate, 759 Chestnut Street, Springfield, MA, USA
| | - Stephen A Krawetz
- C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA; Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State School of Medicine, USA
| | - Pablo E Visconti
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 661 N. Pleasant St, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - J Richard Pilsner
- C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA; Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA.
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35
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Wang X, Li W, Feng X, Li J, Liu GE, Fang L, Yu Y. Harnessing male germline epigenomics for the genetic improvement in cattle. J Anim Sci Biotechnol 2023; 14:76. [PMID: 37277852 PMCID: PMC10242889 DOI: 10.1186/s40104-023-00874-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Sperm is essential for successful artificial insemination in dairy cattle, and its quality can be influenced by both epigenetic modification and epigenetic inheritance. The bovine germline differentiation is characterized by epigenetic reprogramming, while intergenerational and transgenerational epigenetic inheritance can influence the offspring's development through the transmission of epigenetic features to the offspring via the germline. Therefore, the selection of bulls with superior sperm quality for the production and fertility traits requires a better understanding of the epigenetic mechanism and more accurate identifications of epigenetic biomarkers. We have comprehensively reviewed the current progress in the studies of bovine sperm epigenome in terms of both resources and biological discovery in order to provide perspectives on how to harness this valuable information for genetic improvement in the cattle breeding industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Wang
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
- Konge Larsen ApS, Kongens Lyngby, 2800, Denmark
- Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, 250100, China
| | - Wenlong Li
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Xia Feng
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Jianbing Li
- Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, 250100, China
| | - George E Liu
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, USDA, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA
| | - Lingzhao Fang
- Center for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, 8000, Denmark.
| | - Ying Yu
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
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36
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Ali W, Deng K, Bian Y, Liu Z, Zou H. Spectacular role of epididymis and bio-active cargo of nano-scale exosome in sperm maturation: A review. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 164:114889. [PMID: 37209627 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.114889] [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: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The epididymis is responsible for post-testicular sperm maturation as it provides a favorable environment for spermatozoa to gain the ability for movement and fertilization. The recent evidence has shown that, the spermatozoa are vulnerable to dynamic variations driven by various cellular exposure mechanisms mediated by epididymosomes. Exosomes provide new insight into a mechanism of intercellular communication because they provide direct evidence for the transfer of several important bio-active cargo elements (proteins, lipid, DNA, mRNA, microRNA, circular RNA, long noncoding RNA) between epididymis and spermatozoa. In broad sense, proteomic analysis of exosomes from epididymis indicates number of proteins that are involved in sperm motility, acrosomal reaction, prevent pre-mature sperm capacitation and male infertility. Pinpointing, how reproductive disorders are associated with bio-active cargo elements of nano-scale exosome in the male reproductive tract. Therefore, the current review presents evidence regarding the distinctive characteristics and functions of nano-scale exosome in the male reproductive tract in both pathological and physiological developments, and argue that these vesicles serve as an important regulator of male reproduction, fertility, and disease susceptibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Waseem Ali
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, PR China; Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, PR China; Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety of the Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, PR China
| | - Kai Deng
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, PR China; Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, PR China; Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety of the Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, PR China
| | - Yusheng Bian
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, PR China; Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, PR China; Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety of the Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, PR China
| | - Zongping Liu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, PR China; Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, PR China; Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety of the Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, PR China
| | - Hui Zou
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, PR China; Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, PR China; Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety of the Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, PR China.
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Kachhawaha AS, Mishra S, Tiwari AK. Epigenetic control of heredity. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2023; 198:25-60. [PMID: 37225323 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2023.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetics is the field of science that deals with the study of changes in gene function that do not involve changes in DNA sequence and are heritable while epigenetics inheritance is the process of transmission of epigenetic modifications to the next generation. It can be transient, intergenerational, or transgenerational. There are various epigenetic modifications involving mechanisms such as DNA methylation, histone modification, and noncoding RNA expression, all of which are inheritable. In this chapter, we summarize the information on epigenetic inheritance, its mechanism, inheritance studies on various organisms, factors affecting epigenetic modifications and their inheritance, and the role of epigenetic inheritance in the heritability of diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akanksha Singh Kachhawaha
- Laboratory of Forensic Chemistry & Toxicology, School of Forensic Sciences, National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU), Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India
| | - Sarita Mishra
- Laboratory of Forensic Chemistry & Toxicology, School of Forensic Sciences, National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU), Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India
| | - Anand Krishna Tiwari
- Genetics & Developmental Biology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology & Bioengineering, Institute of Advanced Research, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India.
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Liu S, Sharma U. Sperm RNA Payload: Implications for Intergenerational Epigenetic Inheritance. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:5889. [PMID: 36982962 PMCID: PMC10052761 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
There is mounting evidence that ancestral life experiences and environment can influence phenotypes in descendants. The parental environment regulates offspring phenotypes potentially via modulating epigenetic marks in the gametes. Here, we review examples of across-generational inheritance of paternal environmental effects and the current understanding of the role of small RNAs in such inheritance. We discuss recent advances in revealing the small RNA payload of sperm and how environmental conditions modulate sperm small RNAs. Further, we discuss the potential mechanism of inheritance of paternal environmental effects by focusing on sperm small RNA-mediated regulation of early embryonic gene expression and its role in influencing offspring phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Upasna Sharma
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
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Örkenby L, Skog S, Ekman H, Gozzo A, Kugelberg U, Ramesh R, Magadi S, Zambanini G, Nordin A, Cantú C, Nätt D, Öst A. Stress-sensitive dynamics of miRNAs and Elba1 in Drosophila embryogenesis. Mol Syst Biol 2023; 19:e11148. [PMID: 36938679 PMCID: PMC10167479 DOI: 10.15252/msb.202211148] [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: 05/29/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Early-life stress can result in life-long effects that impact adult health and disease risk, but little is known about how such programming is established and maintained. Here, we show that such epigenetic memories can be initiated in the Drosophila embryo before the major wave of zygotic transcription, and higher-order chromatin structures are established. An early short heat shock results in elevated levels of maternal miRNA and reduced levels of a subgroup of zygotic genes in stage 5 embryos. Using a Dicer-1 mutant, we show that the stress-induced decrease in one of these genes, the insulator-binding factor Elba1, is dependent on functional miRNA biogenesis. Reduction in Elba1 correlates with the upregulation of early developmental genes and promotes a sustained weakening of heterochromatin in the adult fly as indicated by an increased expression of the PEV wm4h reporter. We propose that maternal miRNAs, retained in response to an early embryonic heat shock, shape the subsequent de novo heterochromatin establishment that occurs during early development via direct or indirect regulation of some of the earliest expressed genes, including Elba1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lovisa Örkenby
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Signe Skog
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Helen Ekman
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Alessandro Gozzo
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Unn Kugelberg
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Rashmi Ramesh
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Srivathsa Magadi
- Division of Neurobiology (NEURO), Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Gianluca Zambanini
- Division of Molecular Medicine and Virology (MMV), Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Anna Nordin
- Division of Molecular Medicine and Virology (MMV), Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Claudio Cantú
- Division of Molecular Medicine and Virology (MMV), Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Daniel Nätt
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Anita Öst
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
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40
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Martinello P, Omar NF, Fornel R, de Oliveria AFDR, Gomes JR. Effects of obesity on the rat incisor enamel and dentine thickness, as well as on the hemimandible shape over generations. Ann Anat 2023; 248:152080. [PMID: 36925082 DOI: 10.1016/j.aanat.2023.152080] [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: 06/18/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Abstract
Obesity has several effects on the general body metabolism. However, little is known about the impact of obesity on the growth and shape of mineralized tissues like mandibles and teeth, as well as if it effects are passed down from generation to next. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to evaluate, over nine generations using the consanguineous mating (inbreeding), the effect of the obesity condition produced by the reduction in the number of rats per litter during the lactation period on the hemimandible shape, dentine, and enamel of the rat incisor. Litters were reduced to two males and two females after birth, and were consanguinity mated in adulthood for nine generations. For all evaluations performed in this investigation, only males were used. The control group was formed by a non-consanguineous litter containing eight males. The parameters evaluated were food consumption, body weight, Lee Index, and bone density of the hemimandible bone. Incisor enamel and dentine thickness were also evaluated. The hemimandible shape was evaluated using geometric morphometry. The results show a significant and progressive increase in food intake, Lee Index, body weight, hemimandible weight, and enamel thickness, and a decrease in dentine thickness. The linear measurements of the length of the ramus ascending hemimandibular segment were found to be shorter, while its height was increased. In contrast, the geometric morphometry shows that the general hemimandible shape changed over the consanguineous obesity generations. We conclude that over generations, obesity increases and maintains the parameters evaluated with significant changes in hemimandible shape as well as in the dimensions of enamel and dentine of incisors, suggesting that enamel and dentine could be used as phenotype biomarkers to detect changes in tooth and craniofacial development related to obesity effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Poliana Martinello
- Biomedical Science Postgraduate Program, State University of Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa, PR, Brazil
| | - Nadia Fayez Omar
- Biomedical Science Postgraduate Program, State University of Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa, PR, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Fornel
- Biomedical Science Postgraduate Program, State University of Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa, PR, Brazil
| | | | - José Rosa Gomes
- Biomedical Science Postgraduate Program, State University of Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa, PR, Brazil.
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Kaufman J, Khan M, Shepard Payne J, Mancini J, Summers White Y. Transgenerational Inheritance and Systemic Racism in America. PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH AND CLINICAL PRACTICE 2023. [DOI: 10.1176/appi.prcp.20220043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Joan Kaufman
- Center for Child and Family Traumatic Stress, Kennedy Krieger Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD (J. Kaufman, M. Khan, J. Shepard Payne, J. Mancini, Y. Summers White)
| | - Maria Khan
- Center for Child and Family Traumatic Stress, Kennedy Krieger Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD (J. Kaufman, M. Khan, J. Shepard Payne, J. Mancini, Y. Summers White)
| | - Jennifer Shepard Payne
- Center for Child and Family Traumatic Stress, Kennedy Krieger Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD (J. Kaufman, M. Khan, J. Shepard Payne, J. Mancini, Y. Summers White)
| | - Julia Mancini
- Center for Child and Family Traumatic Stress, Kennedy Krieger Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD (J. Kaufman, M. Khan, J. Shepard Payne, J. Mancini, Y. Summers White)
| | - Yvonne Summers White
- Center for Child and Family Traumatic Stress, Kennedy Krieger Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD (J. Kaufman, M. Khan, J. Shepard Payne, J. Mancini, Y. Summers White)
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Ribas-Aulinas F, Ribo S, Casas E, Mourin-Fernandez M, Ramon-Krauel M, Diaz R, Lerin C, Kalko SG, Vavouri T, Jimenez-Chillaron JC. Intergenerational Inheritance of Hepatic Steatosis in a Mouse Model of Childhood Obesity: Potential Involvement of Germ-Line microRNAs. Nutrients 2023; 15:nu15051241. [PMID: 36904241 PMCID: PMC10005268 DOI: 10.3390/nu15051241] [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: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Childhood obesity increases the risk of developing metabolic syndrome later in life. Moreover, metabolic dysfunction may be inherited into the following generation through non-genomic mechanisms, with epigenetics as a plausible candidate. The pathways involved in the development of metabolic dysfunction across generations in the context of childhood obesity remain largely unexplored. We have developed a mouse model of early adiposity by reducing litter size at birth (small litter group, SL: 4 pups/dam; control group, C: 8 pups/dam). Mice raised in small litters (SL) developed obesity, insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis with aging. Strikingly, the offspring of SL males (SL-F1) also developed hepatic steatosis. Paternal transmission of an environmentally induced phenotype strongly suggests epigenetic inheritance. We analyzed the hepatic transcriptome in C-F1 and SL-F1 mice to identify pathways involved in the development of hepatic steatosis. We found that the circadian rhythm and lipid metabolic process were the ontologies with highest significance in the liver of SL-F1 mice. We explored whether DNA methylation and small non-coding RNAs might be involved in mediating intergenerational effects. Sperm DNA methylation was largely altered in SL mice. However, these changes did not correlate with the hepatic transcriptome. Next, we analyzed small non-coding RNA content in the testes of mice from the parental generation. Two miRNAs (miR-457 and miR-201) appeared differentially expressed in the testes of SL-F0 mice. They are known to be expressed in mature spermatozoa, but not in oocytes nor early embryos, and they may regulate the transcription of lipogenic genes, but not clock genes, in hepatocytes. Hence, they are strong candidates to mediate the inheritance of adult hepatic steatosis in our murine model. In conclusion, litter size reduction leads to intergenerational effects through non-genomic mechanisms. In our model, DNA methylation does not seem to play a role on the circadian rhythm nor lipid genes. However, at least two paternal miRNAs might influence the expression of a few lipid-related genes in the first-generation offspring, F1.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sílvia Ribo
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu (IRSJD), Esplugues, 08950 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eduard Casas
- Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute (IJC), 08916 Badalona, Spain
| | | | - Marta Ramon-Krauel
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu (IRSJD), Esplugues, 08950 Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas (CIBERDEM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ruben Diaz
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu (IRSJD), Esplugues, 08950 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carles Lerin
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu (IRSJD), Esplugues, 08950 Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas (CIBERDEM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Susana G. Kalko
- Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), 08035 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Tanya Vavouri
- Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute (IJC), 08916 Badalona, Spain
| | - Josep C. Jimenez-Chillaron
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu (IRSJD), Esplugues, 08950 Barcelona, Spain
- School of Medicine, University of Barcelona, L’Hospitalet, 08907 Barcelona, Spain
- Correspondence: or ; Tel.: +34-934024267
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Gornalusse G, Spengler RM, Sandford E, Kim Y, Levy C, Tewari M, Hladik F, Vojtech L. Men who inject opioids exhibit altered tRNA-Gly-GCC isoforms in semen. Mol Hum Reprod 2023; 29:gaad003. [PMID: 36661332 PMCID: PMC9976897 DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gaad003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
In addition to their role in protein translation, tRNAs can be cleaved into shorter, biologically active fragments called tRNA fragments (tRFs). Specific tRFs from spermatocytes can propagate metabolic disorders in second generations of mice. Thus, tRFs in germline cells are a mechanism of epigenetic inheritance. It has also been shown that stress and toxins can cause alterations in tRF patterns. We were therefore interested in whether injecting illicit drugs, a major stressor, impacts tRFs in germline cells. We sequenced RNA from spermatocytes and from semen-derived exosomes from people who inject illicit drugs (PWID) and from non-drug using controls, both groups of unknown fertility status. All PWID injected opioids daily, but most also used other illicit drugs. The tRF cleavage products from Gly-GCC tRNA were markedly different between spermatocytes from PWID compared to controls. Over 90% of reads in controls mapped to shorter Gly-GCC tRFs, while in PWID only 45% did. In contrast, only 4.1% of reads in controls mapped to a longer tRFs versus 45.6% in PWID. The long/short tRF ratio was significantly higher in PWID than controls (0.23 versus 0.16, P = 0.0128). We also report differential expression of a group of small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) in semen-derived exosomes, including, among others, ACA14a, U19, and U3-3. Thus, PWID exhibited an altered cleavage pattern of tRNA-Gly-GCC in spermatocytes and an altered cargo of snoRNAs in semen-derived exosomes. Participants were not exclusively using opioids and were not matched with controls in terms of diet, chronic disease, or other stressors, so our finding are not conclusively linked to opioid use. However, all individuals in the PWID group did inject heroin daily. Our study indicates a potential for opioid injection and/or its associated multi-drug use habits and lifestyle changes to influence epigenetic inheritance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Germán Gornalusse
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Ryan M Spengler
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Erin Sandford
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Yeseul Kim
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Claire Levy
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Muneesh Tewari
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Center for Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Florian Hladik
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Lucia Vojtech
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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Deshpande SSS, Bera P, Khambata K, Balasinor NH. Paternal obesity induces epigenetic aberrations and gene expression changes in placenta and fetus. Mol Reprod Dev 2023; 90:109-126. [PMID: 36541371 DOI: 10.1002/mrd.23660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Paternal epigenome regulates placental and fetal growth. However, the effect of paternal obesity on placenta and its subsequent effect on the fetus via sperm remains unknown. We previously discovered abnormal methylation of imprinted genes involved in placental and fetal development in the spermatozoa of obese rats. In the present study, elaborate epigenetic characterization of sperm, placenta, and fetus was performed. For 16 weeks, male rats were fed either control or a high-fat diet. Following mating studies, sperm, placenta, and fetal tissue were collected. Significant changes were observed in placental weights, morphology, and cell populations. Methylation status of imprinted genes-Igf2, Peg3, Cdkn1c, and Gnas in spermatozoa, correlated with their expression in the placenta and fetus. Placental DNA methylating enzymes and 5-methylCytosine levels increased. Furthermore, in spermatozoa, DNA methylation of a few genes involved in pathways associated with placental endocrine function-gonadotropin-releasing hormone, prolactin, estrogen, and vascular endothelial growth factor, correlated with their expression in placenta and fetus. Changes in histone-modifying enzymes were also observed in the placenta. Histone marks H3K4me3, H3K9me3, and H4ac were downregulated, while H3K27me3 and H3ac were upregulated in placentas derived from obese male rats. This study shows that obesity-related changes in sperm methylome translate into abnormal expression in the F1-placenta fathered by the obese male, presumably affecting placental and fetal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharvari S S Deshpande
- Neuroendocrinology Department, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Reproductive and Child Health, Mumbai, India.,Integrative Physiology and Metabolism Section, Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Priyanka Bera
- Gamete Immunobiology Department, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Reproductive and Child Health, Mumbai, India
| | - Kushaan Khambata
- Gamete Immunobiology Department, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Reproductive and Child Health, Mumbai, India
| | - Nafisa H Balasinor
- Neuroendocrinology Department, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Reproductive and Child Health, Mumbai, India
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Gong P, Bailbé D, Tolu S, Pommier G, Liu J, Movassat J. Preconceptional exposure of adult male rats to bisphenol S impairs insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance in their male offspring. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 314:137691. [PMID: 36592828 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.137691] [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: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Since the use of bisphenol A (BPA) has been restricted because of its endocrine disruptor properties, bisphenol S (BPS) has been widely used as a substitute of BPA. However, BPS exerts similar effects on metabolic health as BPA. The effects of maternal exposure to BPA and BPS on the metabolic health of offspring have been largely documented during the past decade. However, the impact of preconceptional paternal exposure to BPS on progenies remains unexplored. In this study we investigated the impact of paternal exposure to BPS before conception, on the metabolic phenotype of offspring. Male Wistar rats were administered BPS through drinking water at the dose of 4 μg/kg/day (BPS-4 sires) or 40 μg/kg/day (BPS-40 sires) for 2 months before mating with females. The progenies (F1) were studied at fetal stage and in adulthood. We showed that preconceptional paternal exposure to BPS for 2 months did not alter the metabolic status of sires. The female offspring of sires exposed to lower or higher doses of BPS showed no alteration of their metabolic phenotype compared to females from control sires. In contrast, male offspring of BPS-4 sires exhibited increased body weight and body fat/lean ratio, decreased insulin sensitivity and increased glucose-induced insulin secretion at adult age, compared to the male offspring of control sires. Moreover, male offspring of BPS-4 sires developed glucose intolerance later in life. None of these effects were apparent in male offspring of BPS-40 sires. In conclusion, our study provides the first evidence of the non-monotonic and sex-specific effects of preconceptional paternal exposure to BPS on the metabolic health of offspring, suggesting that BPS is not a safe BPA substitute regarding the inter-generational transmission of metabolic disorders through the paternal lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengfei Gong
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Unité de Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative, F-75013, Paris, France
| | - Danielle Bailbé
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Unité de Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative, F-75013, Paris, France
| | - Stefania Tolu
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Unité de Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative, F-75013, Paris, France
| | - Gaëlle Pommier
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Unité de Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative, F-75013, Paris, France; Université Paris Cité, UFR Sciences Du Vivant, F-75013, Paris, France
| | - Junjun Liu
- Shandong Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Jamileh Movassat
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Unité de Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative, F-75013, Paris, France. http://bfa.univ-paris-diderot.fr
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Liu J, Shi J, Hernandez R, Li X, Konchadi P, Miyake Y, Chen Q, Zhou T, Zhou C. Paternal phthalate exposure-elicited offspring metabolic disorders are associated with altered sperm small RNAs in mice. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2023; 172:107769. [PMID: 36709676 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.107769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to ubiquitous plastic-associated endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) is associated with the increased risk of many chronic diseases. For example, phthalate exposure is associated with cardiometabolic mortality in humans, with societal costs ∼ $39 billion/year or more. We recently demonstrated that several widely used plastic-associated EDCs increase cardiometabolic disease in appropriate mouse models. In addition to affecting adult health, parental exposure to EDCs has also been shown to cause metabolic disorders, including obesity and diabetes, in the offspring. While most studies have focused on the impact of maternal EDC exposure on the offspring's health, little is known about the effects of paternal EDC exposure. In the current study, we investigated the adverse impact of paternal exposure to a ubiquitous but understudied phthalate, dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP) on the metabolic health of F1 and F2 offspring in mice. Paternal DCHP exposure led to exacerbated insulin resistance and impaired insulin signaling in F1 offspring without affecting diet-induced obesity. We previously showed that sperm small non-coding RNAs including tRNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs) and rRNA-derived small RNAs (rsRNAs) contribute to the intergenerational transmission of paternally acquired metabolic disorders. Using a novel PANDORA-seq, we revealed that DCHP exposure can lead to sperm tsRNA/rsRNA landscape changes that were undetected by traditional RNA-seq, which may contribute to DCHP-elicited adverse effects. Lastly, we found that paternal DCHP can also cause sex-specific transgenerational adverse effects in F2 offspring and elicited glucose intolerance in female F2 descendants. Our results suggest that exposure to endocrine disrupting phthalates may have intergenerational and transgenerational adverse effects on the metabolic health of their offspring. These findings increase our understanding of the etiology of chronic human diseases originating from chemical-elicited intergenerational and transgenerational effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingwei Liu
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, United States
| | - Junchao Shi
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, United States
| | - Rebecca Hernandez
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, United States
| | - Xiuchun Li
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, United States
| | - Pranav Konchadi
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, United States
| | - Yuma Miyake
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, United States
| | - Qi Chen
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, United States
| | - Tong Zhou
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, NV 89557, United States
| | - Changcheng Zhou
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, United States.
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Swanson GM, Nassan FL, Ford JB, Hauser R, Pilsner JR, Krawetz SA. Phthalates impact on the epigenetic factors contributed specifically by the father at fertilization. Epigenetics Chromatin 2023; 16:3. [PMID: 36694265 PMCID: PMC9872317 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-022-00475-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Preconception exposure to phthalates such as the anti-androgenic dibutyl-phthalate (DBP) impacts both male and female reproduction, yet how this occurs largely remains unknown. Previously we defined a series of RNAs expressly provided by sperm at fertilization and separately, and in parallel, those that responded to high DBP exposure. Utilizing both populations of RNAs, we now begin to unravel the impact of high-DBP exposure on those RNAs specifically delivered by the father. RESULTS Enrichment of RNAs altered by DBP exposure within the Molecular Signature Database highlighted cellular stress, cell cycle, apoptosis, DNA damage response, and gene regulation pathways. Overlap within each of these five pathways identified those RNAs that were specifically (≥ fivefold enriched) or primarily (≥ twofold enriched) provided as part of the paternal contribution compared to the oocyte at fertilization. Key RNAs consistently altered by DBP, including CAMTA2 and PSME4, were delivered by sperm reflective of these pathways. The majority (64/103) of overlapping enriched gene sets were related to gene regulation. Many of these RNAs (45 RNAs) corresponded to key interconnected CRREWs (Chromatin remodeler cofactors, RNA interactors, Readers, Erasers, and Writers). Modeling suggests that CUL2, PHF10, and SMARCC1 may coordinate and mechanistically modulate the phthalate response. CONCLUSIONS Mediated through a CRREW regulatory network, the cell responded to exposure presenting stressed-induced changes in the cell cycle-DNA damage-apoptosis. Interestingly, the majority of these DBP-responsive epigenetic mediators' direct acetylation or deacetylation, impacting the sperm's cargo delivered at fertilization and that of the embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
- G M Swanson
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 275 E. Hancock, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA
- Center for Molecular Medicine & Genetics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 275 E. Hancock, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA
| | - F L Nassan
- Biogen, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Departments of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - J B Ford
- Departments of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - R Hauser
- Departments of Environmental Health and Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - J R Pilsner
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 275 E. Hancock, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA
- Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - S A Krawetz
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 275 E. Hancock, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA.
- Center for Molecular Medicine & Genetics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 275 E. Hancock, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA.
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Characterisation of the Paternal Influence on Intergenerational Offspring Cardiac and Brain Lipid Homeostasis in Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24031814. [PMID: 36768137 PMCID: PMC9916277 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24031814] [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: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
There is growing evidence that poor paternal diet at the time of conception increase the risk of offspring developing a range of non-communicable metabolic diseases, such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, in adulthood. We hypothesise that a paternal low protein-high carbohydrate diet perturbs offspring tissue lipid abundance through both sperm and seminal plasma-mediated mechanisms. To test our hypothesis, we fed male C57BL/6 mice either a control normal protein diet (NPD; 18% protein) or an isocaloric low protein diet (LPD; 9% protein) for a minimum of 8 weeks. We generated offspring through artificial insemination, in combination with vasectomised male mating. Using this approach, we derived offspring from either NPD or LPD sperm but in the presence of NPD or LPD seminal plasma. Using high resolution mass-spectrometry, we found that offspring derived from either LPD sperm or seminal fluid displayed perturbed cardiac and brain lipid abundance from just three weeks of age, typically associated with the altered abundance of tissue triglycerides. We also observed the differential sex-specific patterns of lipids between the control and experimental offspring's hearts and brains. These observations indicate that poor paternal diet at the time of conception affects offspring cardiac and brain lipid profiles in an age-, sex- and generation-specific manner.
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Bhadsavle SS, Golding MC. Paternal epigenetic influences on placental health and their impacts on offspring development and disease. Front Genet 2022; 13:1068408. [PMID: 36468017 PMCID: PMC9716072 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.1068408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Our efforts to understand the developmental origins of birth defects and disease have primarily focused on maternal exposures and intrauterine stressors. Recently, research into non-genomic mechanisms of inheritance has led to the recognition that epigenetic factors carried in sperm also significantly impact the health of future generations. However, although researchers have described a range of potential epigenetic signals transmitted through sperm, we have yet to obtain a mechanistic understanding of how these paternally-inherited factors influence offspring development and modify life-long health. In this endeavor, the emerging influence of the paternal epigenetic program on placental development, patterning, and function may help explain how a diverse range of male exposures induce comparable intergenerational effects on offspring health. During pregnancy, the placenta serves as the dynamic interface between mother and fetus, regulating nutrient, oxygen, and waste exchange and coordinating fetal growth and maturation. Studies examining intrauterine maternal stressors routinely describe alterations in placental growth, histological organization, and glycogen content, which correlate with well-described influences on infant health and adult onset of disease. Significantly, the emergence of similar phenotypes in models examining preconception male exposures indicates that paternal stressors transmit an epigenetic memory to their offspring that also negatively impacts placental function. Like maternal models, paternally programmed placental dysfunction exerts life-long consequences on offspring health, particularly metabolic function. Here, focusing primarily on rodent models, we review the literature and discuss the influences of preconception male health and exposure history on placental growth and patterning. We emphasize the emergence of common placental phenotypes shared between models examining preconception male and intrauterine stressors but note that the direction of change frequently differs between maternal and paternal exposures. We posit that alterations in placental growth, histological organization, and glycogen content broadly serve as reliable markers of altered paternal developmental programming, predicting the emergence of structural and metabolic defects in the offspring. Finally, we suggest the existence of an unrecognized developmental axis between the male germline and the extraembryonic lineages that may have evolved to enhance fetal adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael C. Golding
- Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
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Boscardin C, Manuella F, Mansuy IM. Paternal transmission of behavioural and metabolic traits induced by postnatal stress to the 5th generation in mice. ENVIRONMENTAL EPIGENETICS 2022; 8:dvac024. [PMID: 36518875 PMCID: PMC9730319 DOI: 10.1093/eep/dvac024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Life experiences and environmental conditions in childhood can change the physiology and behaviour of exposed individuals and, in some cases, of their offspring. In rodent models, stress/trauma, poor diet, and endocrine disruptors in a parent have been shown to cause phenotypes in the direct progeny, suggesting intergenerational inheritance. A few models also examined transmission to further offspring and suggested transgenerational inheritance, but such multigenerational inheritance is not well characterized. Our previous work on a mouse model of early postnatal stress showed that behaviour and metabolism are altered in the offspring of exposed males up to the 4th generation in the patriline and up to the 2nd generation in the matriline. The present study examined if symptoms can be transmitted beyond the 4th generation in the patriline. Analyses of the 5th and 6th generations of mice revealed that altered risk-taking and glucose regulation caused by postnatal stress are still manifested in the 5th generation but are attenuated in the 6th generation. Some of the symptoms are expressed in both males and females, but some are sex-dependent and sometimes opposite. These results indicate that postnatal trauma can affect behaviour and metabolism over many generations, suggesting epigenetic mechanisms of transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Boscardin
- Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics, Brain Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine of the University Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zürich 8057, Switzerland
- Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Health Science and Technology of ETH Zürich, Centre for Neuroscience Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zürich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Francesca Manuella
- Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics, Brain Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine of the University Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zürich 8057, Switzerland
- Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Health Science and Technology of ETH Zürich, Centre for Neuroscience Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zürich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Isabelle M Mansuy
- *Correspondence address. Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics, University of Zürich and ETH Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zürich 8057, Switzerland. Tel: +41 44 6353360; Fax: +41 44 635 33 03; E-mail:
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