MiR-31 targets HSD17B14 and FSHR, and miR-20b targets HSD17B14 to affect apoptosis and steroid hormone metabolism of porcine ovarian granulosa cells

Correlation of MicroRNA-31 with Endometrial Receptivity in Patients with Repeated Implantation Failure of In Vitro Fertilization and Embryo Transfer

OBJECTIVE

This trial probed the correlation between miR-31 expression and endometrial receptivity (ER) in patients with repeated implantation failure (RIF) of in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET).

METHODS

A retrospective study of 80 infertility patients who underwent IVF-ET assisted conception treatment were divided into RIF group and normal pregnancy group (control group) according to the pregnancy outcome after embryo transfer. General information of both groups was collected. Endometrial tissues were collected in the middle luteal phase of the menstrual cycle before IVF-ET. miR-31 levels in endometrial tissues were measured, and endometrial tolerance indicator pulsatility index (PI), resistance index (RI), and endometrial thickness (Em) were detected. The correlation between endometrial miR-31 levels and ER indices was evaluated by Pearson method. ROC curves were utilized to analyze the efficacy of miR-31 in predicting RIF occurrence. The influencing factors of RIF were analyzed by binary Logistic regression.

RESULTS

RIF patients had increased miR-31 expression level and endometrial tolerance indicator PI, and RI while decreased Em (p < 0.05). miR-31 in RIF patients was positively correlated with PI and RI, and negatively correlated with Em (p < 0.05). The area under the curve for miR-31 to predict the occurrence of RIF was 0.899, with a sensitivity of 0.750 and a specificity of 0.950. PI, RI, and miR-31 were risk factors for developing RIF in IVF-ET women, and Em was a protective factor (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

miR-31 in RIF patients is positively correlated with PI and RI, and negatively correlated with Em.

IGF2BP3 curbed by miR-15c-3p restores disrupted lipid storage and progesterone secretion in chicken granulosa cells under oxidative stress through AKT-Raf1-ERK1/2 signaling pathway

For commercial laying hens, the continuous high-intensity ovulation process leads to a significant accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the granulosa cells, inducing oxidative stress, which accelerates ovarian aging and shortens the peak laying period. The molecular mechanisms underlying this process remain poorly understood. Therefore, we modeled the processes of oxidative stress and antioxidant in chicken granulosa cells. Small RNA sequencing revealed that miR-15c-3p expression was elevated by oxidative stress induction and attenuated by antioxidant curcumin. Functional validation with miR-15c-3p mimic and inhibitor confirmed the role of miR-15c-3p in exacerbating oxidative stress and resultant suppression of lipid droplet storage and progesterone secretion in chicken granulosa cells by targeting insulin-like growth factor 2 binding protein 3 (IGF2BP3). These regulatory effects were mediated through the sequential downstream signaling cascade of AKT-Raf1-ERK1/2. In conclusion, IGF2BP3 curbed by miR-15c-3p restores disrupted lipid storage and progesterone secretion in chicken granulosa cells under oxidative stress through AKT-Raf1-ERK1/2 signaling pathway. These findings offer new insights into the molecular mechanisms by which oxidative stress damages reproductive capacity and a theoretical basis for mitigating oxidative stress in laying hens through genetic improvement.

Ursolic acid targets secreted phosphoprotein 1 to regulate Th17 cells against metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) has become an increasingly important health challenge, with a substantial rise linked to changing lifestyles and global obesity. Ursolic acid, a natural pentacyclic triterpenoid, has been explored for its potential therapeutic effects. Given its multifunctional bioactive properties, this research further revealed the pharmacological mechanisms of ursolic acid on MASLD.

METHODS

Drug target chips and bioinformatics analysis were combined in this study to explore the potential therapeutic effects of ursolic acid on MASLD. Molecular docking simulations, surface plasmon resonance analyses, pull-down experiments, and co-immunoprecipitation assays were used to verify the direct interactions. Gene knockdown mice were generated, and high-fat diets were used to validate drug efficacy. Furthermore, initial CD4+ T cells were isolated and stimulated to demonstrate our findings.

RESULTS

In this study, the multifunctional extracellular matrix phosphorylated glycoprotein secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1) was investigated, highlighting its capability to induce Th17 cell differentiation, amplifying inflammatory cascades, and subsequently promoting the evolution of MASLD. In addition, this study revealed that in addition to the canonical TGF-β/IL-6 cytokine pathway, SPP1 can directly interact with ITGB1 and CD44, orchestrating Th17 cell differentiation via their joint downstream ERK signaling pathway. Remarkably, ursolic acid intervention notably suppressed the protein activity of SPP1, suggesting a promising avenue for ameliorating the immunoinflammatory trajectory in MASLD progression.

CONCLUSION

Ursolic acid could improve immune inflammation in MASLD by modulating SPP1-mediated Th17 cell differentiation via the ERK signaling pathway, which is orchestrated jointly by ITGB1 and CD44, emerging as a linchpin in this molecular cascade.

miR-21/SMAD2 Is Involved in the Decrease in Progesterone Synthesis Caused by Lipopolysaccharide Exposure in Follicular Granulosa Cells of Laying Goose

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is one of the important pathogenic substances of E. coli and Salmonella, which causes injury to the reproductive system. Ovarian dysfunction due to Gram-negative bacterial infections is a major cause of reduced reproductive performance in geese. However, the specific molecular mechanisms of LPS-induced impairment of sex steroid hormone synthesis have not been determined. The regulatory mechanism of miRNA has been proposed in many physiological and pathogenic mechanisms. Therefore, the role of miRNA in breeding geese exposed to LPS during the peak laying period was investigated. In this study, twenty Yangzhou geese at peak laying period were injected with LPS for 0 h, 24 h, and 36 h. The follicular granulosa layer was taken for RNA-seq and analyzed for differentially expressed miRNAs. It was observed that LPS changed the appearance of hierarchical follicles. miRNA sequencing analysis was applied, and miR-21 and SMAD2 (SMAD family member 2) were selected from 51 differentially expressed miRNAs through bioinformatics prediction. The results showed that miR-21 down-regulated SMAD2 expression and progesterone (P4) production in LPS-treated goose granulosa cells (GCs). It also determined that overexpression of miR-21 or silence of SMAD2 suppressed the sex steroid biosynthesis pathway by decreasing STAR and CYP11A1 expression. Down-regulation of miR-21 exacerbates the LPS-induced decline in P4 synthesis and vice versa. The findings indicated that miR-21 was involved in LPS regulation of P4 synthesis in goose granulosa cells by down-regulating SMAD2. This study provides theoretical support for the prevention of LPS-induced ovarian dysfunction in geese.

Effect of follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone on apoptosis, autophagy, and the release and reception of some steroid hormones in yak granulosa cells through miR-23a/ASK1 axis

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), miR-23a, apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1(ASK1)/c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), autophagy and apoptosis play crucial roles in follicular development. However, their role in yak granulosa cells (GCs) remains unknown. Therefore, we examined the effect of miR-23a, ASK1, FSH, and LH on apoptosis, autophagy, and the release and reception of some steroid hormones in these cells. Our results showed that miR-23a overexpression significantly increased the abundance of Beclin1, the LC3II/I ratio, and the number of Ad-mRFP-GFP-LC3-labeled autophagosomes, and decreased p62 abundance. Additionally, Bax abundance and the number of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase deoxynucleotide triphosphate nick end labeling-positive cells were reduced, while Bcl2 expression was increased. Overexpression of miR-23a also significantly increased the abundance of estradiol receptor α (ER-α) and β (ER-β) and the concentrations of estradiol (E2), progesterone (P4) in yak GCs. Here, treating yak GCs with miR-23a decreased ASK1 expression, which regulates ASK1/JNK-mediated apoptosis, autophagy, E2 and P4 levels, and ER-α/β abundance. In contrast, treatment of yak GCs with FSH (10 μg/mL) and LH (100 μg/mL) increased miR-23a abundance, regulating the subsequent effect on ASK1/JNK-mediated apoptosis, autophagy, ER-α/β abundance, and E2 and P4 concentrations. In conclusion, miR-23a enhances autophagy in yak GCs, attenuates apoptosis, and increases ER-α/β abundance and E2 and P4 concentrations by downregulating ASK1. Additionally, FSH and LH can regulate these effects of miR-23a by altering its expression. These results provide important insights that can inform the development of strategies to reduce abnormal follicular atresia and improve the reproductive rate of yaks.

Influence of Estrus on Dairy Cow Milk Exosomal miRNAs and Their Role in Hormone Secretion by Granulosa Cells

Estrus is crucial for cow fertility in modern dairy farms, but almost 50% of cows do not show the behavioral signs of estrus due to silent estrus and lack of suitable and high-accuracy methods to detect estrus. MiRNA and exosomes play essential roles in reproductive function and may be developed as novel biomarkers in estrus detection. Thus, we analyzed the miRNA expression patterns in milk exosomes during estrus and the effect of milk exosomes on hormone secretion in cultured bovine granulosa cells in vitro. We found that the number of exosomes and the exosome protein concentration in estrous cow milk were significantly lower than in non-estrous cow milk. Moreover, 133 differentially expressed exosomal miRNAs were identified in estrous cow milk vs. non-estrous cow milk. Functional enrichment analyses indicated that exosomal miRNAs were involved in reproduction and hormone-synthesis-related pathways, such as cholesterol metabolism, FoxO signaling pathway, Hippo signaling pathway, mTOR signaling pathway, steroid hormone biosynthesis, Wnt signaling pathway and GnRH signaling pathway. Consistent with the enrichment signaling pathways, exosomes derived from estrous and non-estrous cow milk both could promote the secretion of estradiol and progesterone in cultured bovine granulosa cells. Furthermore, genes related to hormonal synthesis (CYP19A1, CYP11A1, HSD3B1 and RUNX2) were up-regulated after exosome treatment, while exosomes inhibited the expression of StAR. Moreover, estrous and non-estrous cow-milk-derived exosomes both could increase the expression of bcl2 and decrease the expression of p53, and did not influence the expression of caspase-3. To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate exosomal miRNA expression patterns during dairy cow estrus and the role of exosomes in hormone secretion by bovine granulosa cells. Our findings provide a theoretical basis for further investigating milk-derived exosomes and exosomal miRNA effects on ovary function and reproduction. Moreover, bovine milk exosomes may have effects on the ovaries of human consumers of pasteurized cow milk. These differential miRNAs might provide candidate biomarkers for the diagnosis of dairy cow estrus and will assist in developing new therapeutic targets for cow infertility.

Paternal genetic effects of cadmium exposure during pregnancy on hormone synthesis disorders in ovarian granulosa cells of offspring

The aim of this study was to investigate the paternal genetic intergenerational and transgenerational genetic effects of cadmium (Cd) exposure during pregnancy on estradiol (E₂) and progesterone (Pg) synthesis in the ovarian granulosa cells (GCs) of offspring. Pregnant SD rats were intragastrically exposed to CdCl₂ (0, 0.5, 2.0, 8.0 mg/kg) from days 1 to 20 to produce the F1 generation, F1 males were mated with newly purchased females to produce the F2 generation, and the F3 generation was obtained in the same way. Using this model, Cd-induced hormone synthesis disorders in GCs of F1 have been observed [8]. In this study, altered serum E₂ and Pg levels in both F2 and F3 generations showed a nonmonotonic dose‒response relationship. In addition, hormone synthesis-related genes (Star, Cyp11a1, Cyp17a1, Cyp19a1, Sf-1) and miRNAs were observed to be altered in both F2 and F3. No differential changes in DNA methylation modifications of hormone synthesis-related genes were observed, and only the Adcy7 was hypomethylated. In summary, paternal genetic intergenerational and transgenerational effects exist in ovarian GCs E₂ and Pg synthesis disorders induced by Cd during pregnancy. In F2, the upregulation of StAR and CYP11A1, and changes in the miR-27a-3p, miR-27b-3p, and miR-146 families may be important, while changes in the miR-10b-5p and miR-146 families in F3 may be important.

MicroRNA miR-125b can suppress ovarian granulosa cell functions: Interrelationships with FSH

This study aimed to evaluate the involvement of miR-125b and its interrelationship with follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in the control of basic ovarian granulosa cell functions. The effect of miR-125b mimics on basic functions of porcine ovarian granulosa cells cultured with and without FSH, and the effect of FSH on the expression of endogenous miR-125b was examined. Expression levels of miR-125b, viability, proliferation (accumulation of PCNA and cyclin B1), apoptosis (accumulation of bax and caspase 3), the accumulation of FSH receptors (FSHR), steroid hormones, insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), oxytocin, and prostaglandin E2 release were analysed by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, Trypan blue exclusion test, quantitative immunocytochemistry, and ELISA. Transfection of cells with miR-125b mimics inhibited cell viability, proliferation, apoptosis, the occurrence of FSHR, progesterone, testosterone, estradiol, and oxytocin release but stimulated prostaglandin E2 output. FSH promoted cell viability, proliferation, steroid hormones, IGF-I, oxytocin, and prostaglandin E2 output and reduced the expression of miR-125b and apoptosis. Furthermore, miR-125b mimics supported the effect of FSH on the release of estradiol, IGF-I, and prostaglandin E2, and inverted FSH influence on cell viability, proliferation, apoptosis, progesterone, and testosterone output. FSH supported both inhibitory and stimulatory action of miR-125b on ovarian cell functions. Present observations indicate that: miR-125b can be involved in the control of basic ovarian functions and that miR-125b and FSH are antagonists in their actions on ovarian cell functions. The ability of FSH to reduce miR-125b expression and the ability of miR-125b mimics to decrease the occurrence of FSHR and to modify FSH effects indicate the existence of the self-inhibiting FSH-miR-125b axis and that miR-125b can mediate the actions of FSH on ovarian cells.

gga-miR-449b-5p Regulates Steroid Hormone Synthesis in Laying Hen Ovarian Granulosa Cells by Targeting the IGF2BP3 Gene

MiRNAs have been found to be involved in the regulation of ovarian function as important post-transcriptional regulators, including regulators of follicular development, steroidogenesis, cell atresia, and even the development of ovarian cancer. In this study, we evaluated the regulatory role of gga-miR-449b-5p in follicular growth and steroid synthesis in ovarian granulosa cells (GCs) of laying hens through qRT-PCR, ELISAs, western blotting and dual-luciferase reporter assays, which have been described in our previous study. We demonstrated that gga-miR-449b-5p was widely expressed in granulosa and theca layers of the different-sized follicles, especially in the granulosa layer. The gga-miR-449b-5p had no significant effect on the proliferation of GCs, but could significantly regulate the expression of key steroidogenesis-related genes (StAR and CYP19A1) (p < 0.01) and the secretion of P4 and E2 (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05). Further research showed that gga-miR-449b-5p could target IGF2BP3 and downregulate the mRNA and protein expression of IGF2BP3 (p < 0.05). Therefore, this study suggests that gga-miR-449b-5p is a potent regulator of the synthesis of steroid hormones in GCs by targeting the expression of IGF2BP3 and may contribute to a better understanding of the role of functional miRNAs in laying hen ovarian development.

Upregulation of miR-33 Exacerbates Heat-Stress-Induced Apoptosis in Granulosa Cell and Follicular Atresia of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) by Targeting TGFβ1I1

High temperature affects egg quality and increases follicular atresia in teleosts. The present study aimed to explore the regulated mechanism of ovary syndrome of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) exposed to heat stress. To this end, we conducted histological and biochemical analyses and integrated miRNA-target gene analyses. The histochemical analyses confirmed that heat stress promoted the apoptosis of granulosa cell and therefore resulted in increased follicular atresia in the ovary. Heat stress led to the differential expression of multiple miRNAs (miR-27e, -27b-3p, -33, -34a -133a-5p, and -301b-5p). In a luciferase activity assay, miR-33 bound to the 3′-untranslated region (UTR) of the TGFβ1I1 (transforming growth factor-β1-induced transcript 1) gene and inhibited its expression. A TGFβ1I1 gene signal was detected in the granulosa cells of Nile tilapia by immunohistochemical analysis. Up-regulation of the miR-33 of tilapia at 6 d and 12 d exposed to heat (34.5 °C ± 0.5 °C) had significant down-regulation of the TGFβ1I1 expression of the gene and protein in tilapia ovaries. An miRNA-target gene integrated analysis revealed that miR-33 and TGFβ1I1 function in an apoptosis-related signal pathway. The signal transduction of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family members VEGFA and its receptor (KDR) in the heat-stressed group decreased significantly compared with the control group. Transcript-levels of the Bax and Caspase-3 as apoptotic promotors were activated and Bcl-2 and Caspase-8 as apoptotic inhibitors were suppressed in the heat-stressed tilapia. These results suggest that heat stress increases the expression of miR-33, which targets TGFβ1I1 and inhibits its expression, resulting in decreased levels of follicle-stimulating hormone and 17β-estradiol and increased apoptosis by suppressing VEGF signaling, eventually inducing follicular atresia. In conclusion, our results show that the miR-33/TGFβ1I1 axis of Nile tilapia is involved in the follicular development of broodstock, and can suppress VEGF signaling to accelerate follicular atresia. Our findings demonstrate the suppressive role of miR-33 during oocyte development in Nile tilapia.

Kisspeptin-10 Promotes Progesterone Synthesis in Bovine Ovarian Granulosa Cells via Downregulation of microRNA-1246

The objective of this study was to clarify the effect of kisspeptin-10 (kp-10) on the synthesis of progesterone (P4) in bovine granulosa cells (BGCs) and its mechanisms via microRNA 1246 (miR-1246). According to the results, we found that treating with kp-10 for 24 h could increase P4 level, the mRNA expression of the steroidogenesis-related gene steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), free cholesterol content, and decrease miR-1246 expression in BGCs. Overexpression of miR-1246 significantly inhibited P4 synthesis, StAR mRNA expression, and free cholesterol content in BGCs, whereas underexpression of miR-1246 significantly reversed this effect in BGCs. Additionally, overexpression of miR-1246 counteracted the accelerative effect of kp-10 on P4 synthesis, StAR mRNA expression, and free cholesterol content in BGCs. Conversely, underexpression of miR-1246 enhanced the accelerative effect of kp-10 on P4 synthesis, StAR mRNA expression, and free cholesterol content in BGCs. Meanwhile, results of dual-luciferase reporter assays indicated that miR-1246 targeted the 3′UTR of StAR in BGCs. These results demonstrated that kp-10 induced P4 synthesis in BGCs by promoting free cholesterol transport via regulating expression of miR-1246/StAR.