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Romero R, Meyyazhagan A, Hassan SS, Creasy GW, Conde-Agudelo A. Vaginal Progesterone to Prevent Spontaneous Preterm Birth in Women With a Sonographic Short Cervix: The Story of the PREGNANT Trial. Clin Obstet Gynecol 2024; 67:433-457. [PMID: 38576410 PMCID: PMC11047312 DOI: 10.1097/grf.0000000000000867] [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] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
The PREGNANT trial was a randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial designed to determine the efficacy and safety of vaginal progesterone (VP) to reduce the risk of birth < 33 weeks and of neonatal complications in women with a sonographic short cervix (10 to 20 mm) in the mid-trimester (19 to 23 6/7 wk). Patients allocated to receive VP had a 45% lower rate of preterm birth (8.9% vs 16.1%; relative risk = 0.55; 95% CI: 0.33-0.92). Neonates born to mothers allocated to VP had a 60% reduction in the rate of respiratory distress syndrome. This article reviews the background, design, execution, interpretation, and impact of the PREGNANT Trial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Romero
- Pregnancy Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, United States Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| | - Arun Meyyazhagan
- Pregnancy Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, United States Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
- Centre of Perinatal and Reproductive Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Sonia S. Hassan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
- Office of Women’s Health, Integrative Biosciences Center, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan
- Department of Physiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
| | - George W. Creasy
- Center for Biomedical Research, Population Council, New York, New York
| | - Agustin Conde-Agudelo
- Oxford Maternal and Perinatal Health Institute, Green Templeton College, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Gallo DM, Romero R, Bosco M, Chaiworapongsa T, Gomez-Lopez N, Arenas-Hernandez M, Jung E, Suksai M, Gotsch F, Erez O, Tarca AL. Maternal plasma cytokines and the subsequent risk of uterine atony and postpartum hemorrhage. J Perinat Med 2023; 51:219-232. [PMID: 35724639 PMCID: PMC9768104 DOI: 10.1515/jpm-2022-0211] [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: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To determine whether the maternal plasma concentrations of cytokines are higher in pregnant women with postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) compared to pregnant women without PPH. METHODS A retrospective case-control study included 36 women with PPH and 72 matched controls. Cases and controls were matched for gestational age at delivery, labor status, delivery route, parity, and year of sample collection. Maternal plasma samples were collected up to 3 days prior to delivery. Comparison of the plasma concentrations of 29 cytokines was performed by using linear mixed-effects models and included adjustment for covariates and multiple testing. A false discovery rate adjusted p-value <0.1 was used to infer significance. Random forest models with evaluation by leave-one-out and 9-fold cross-validation were used to assess the combined value of the proteins in predicting PPH. RESULTS Concentrations of interleukin (IL)-16, IL-6, IL-12/IL-23p40, monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1), and IL-1β were significantly higher in PPH than in the control group. This difference remained significant after adjustment for maternal age, clinical chorioamnionitis, and preeclampsia. Multi-protein random forest proteomics models had moderate cross-validated accuracy for prediction of PPH [area under the ROC curve, 0.69 (0.58-0.81) by leave-one-out cross validation and 0.73 (0.65-0.81) by 9-fold cross-validation], and the inclusion of clinical and demographic information did not increase the prediction performance. CONCLUSIONS Pregnant women with severe PPH had higher median maternal plasma concentrations of IL-16, IL-6, IL-12/IL-23p40, MCP-1, and IL-1β than patients without PPH. These cytokines could serve as biomarkers or their pathways may be therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dahiana M. Gallo
- Perinatology Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, United States Department of Health and Human Services (NICHD/NIH/DHHS), Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Roberto Romero
- Perinatology Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, United States Department of Health and Human Services (NICHD/NIH/DHHS), Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
- Detroit Medical Center, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Mariachiara Bosco
- Perinatology Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, United States Department of Health and Human Services (NICHD/NIH/DHHS), Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Tinnakorn Chaiworapongsa
- Perinatology Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, United States Department of Health and Human Services (NICHD/NIH/DHHS), Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Nardhy Gomez-Lopez
- Perinatology Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, United States Department of Health and Human Services (NICHD/NIH/DHHS), Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Marcia Arenas-Hernandez
- Perinatology Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, United States Department of Health and Human Services (NICHD/NIH/DHHS), Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Eunjung Jung
- Perinatology Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, United States Department of Health and Human Services (NICHD/NIH/DHHS), Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Manaphat Suksai
- Perinatology Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, United States Department of Health and Human Services (NICHD/NIH/DHHS), Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Francesca Gotsch
- Perinatology Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, United States Department of Health and Human Services (NICHD/NIH/DHHS), Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Offer Erez
- Perinatology Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, United States Department of Health and Human Services (NICHD/NIH/DHHS), Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, HaEmek Medical Center, Afula, Israel
| | - Adi L. Tarca
- Perinatology Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, United States Department of Health and Human Services (NICHD/NIH/DHHS), Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Computer Science, Wayne State University College of Engineering, Detroit, MI, USA
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Cervicovaginal Cytokines to Predict the Onset of Normal and Preterm Labor: a Pseudo-longitudinal Study. Reprod Sci 2023; 30:221-232. [PMID: 35799020 DOI: 10.1007/s43032-022-01007-9] [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: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Inflammatory processes associated with human parturition are still not completely understood, not only because the gap between inflammation and the onset of labor has been difficult to study but also because of the limited knowledge about the role of cervicovaginal fluid (CVF) cytokines during the sequence of labor. We aimed to determine whether CVF cytokines could predict the onset of normal and preterm labor. Chemokines and proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines in CVF were measured in a pseudo-longitudinal manner in healthy women between 12 and 41 weeks gestation with intact fetal membranes before and during the first stage of labor. Women were grouped into five stages, from the absence of uterine activity and cervical changes to regular uterine contractions with cervix dilation > 3 cm (active phase of labor). Of 144 women with spontaneous labor, 96 gave birth at term, 48 gave birth preterm, and both groups displayed similar cytokine concentrations. We found positive correlations between proinflammatory cytokines and the initial sequence of labor, using individual cytokines and score-based data by principal component analysis (IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6) as dependent variables. The risk of labor onset increased as the concentrations of IL-6 increased (hazard ratio = 202.09, 95% confidence interval = 24.57-1662.49, P < 0.001). The IL-6 concentration predicted the onset of labor within 12 days of sampling (area under the time-dependent ROC curve = 0.785, 95% confidence interval = 0.693-0.877). Here, we showed that regardless of gestational age, the onset of labor could be predicted by the IL-6 concentration in the CVF, since the initial sequence of spontaneous labor displayed an inflammatory response expressed by the increase in proinflammatory cytokines.
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Garriz A, Morokuma J, Bowman M, Pagni S, Zoukhri D. Effects of proinflammatory cytokines on lacrimal gland myoepithelial cells contraction. FRONTIERS IN OPHTHALMOLOGY 2022; 2:873486. [PMID: 36147586 PMCID: PMC9491489 DOI: 10.3389/fopht.2022.873486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
In the lacrimal gland, myoepithelial cells (MEC) express muscle contractile proteins such as alpha smooth muscle actin (SMA) and calponin and therefore can contract to help expel lacrimal fluid. In a previous study, we demonstrated that lacrimal gland MEC express the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) and they contract under oxytocin (OXT) stimulation. Using NOD and MRL/lpr mice (animal models of Sjogren's syndrome), we reported a decrease in SMA and calponin protein levels plus a decline in acini contraction after stimulation with OXT. It is known that proinflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) or interferon gamma (IFN-γ), can affect OXTR expression and signaling capacity and inhibit MEC contraction. The aim of the current study was to investigate if proinflammatory cytokines are implicated in the loss of MEC contractile ability. Thus, lacrimal gland MEC from a SMA-GFP transgenic mouse were treated with IL-1β (10 ng/ml) for a total of 7 days. At days 0, 2, 4 and 7, GFP intensity, cell size/area, contractile proteins amounts and MEC contraction were assessed. At day 0, control and treated cells showed no differences in GFP intensity and cell size. GFP intensity started to decrease in treated MEC at day 2 (20%; p=0.02), continuing after day 4 (25%; p=0.007) and 7 (30%; p=0.0001). Mean cell area was also reduced at day 2 (34%; p=0.0005), and after 4 (51%; p<0.0001) and 7 days (30%; p=0.0015). The contraction assay at day 2 showed a 70% decrease of contraction in treated MEC (p<0.0001), 73% (p<0.0001) at day 4 and 82% (p=0.0015) at day 7 when compared to control. Levels of contractile proteins were measured on day 7 showing a decrease in SMA and calponin amount in treated MEC compared with the control group (around 30%; p=0.0016 and p=0.0206; respectively). Similar results were observed when TNF-α and IFN-γ were added along with IL-1β. Taken together the present data and those from our previous studies with Sjogren's syndrome mouse models, they strongly suggest that proinflammatory cytokines affect lacrimal gland MEC contractile ability that may account for the reduced tear secretion associated with Sjogren's syndrome dry eye disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Garriz
- Department of Comprehensive Care, Tufts University School
of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Junji Morokuma
- Department of Comprehensive Care, Tufts University School
of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Maytal Bowman
- Department of Comprehensive Care, Tufts University School
of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sarah Pagni
- Public Health and Community Service, Tufts University
School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Driss Zoukhri
- Department of Comprehensive Care, Tufts University School
of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Tufts University School of
Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
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Boros-Rausch A, Shynlova O, Lye SJ. A Broad-Spectrum Chemokine Inhibitor Blocks Inflammation-Induced Myometrial Myocyte-Macrophage Crosstalk and Myometrial Contraction. Cells 2021; 11:cells11010128. [PMID: 35011690 PMCID: PMC8750067 DOI: 10.3390/cells11010128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Prophylactic administration of the broad-spectrum chemokine inhibitor (BSCI) FX125L has been shown to suppress uterine contraction, prevent preterm birth (PTB) induced by Group B Streptococcus in nonhuman primates, and inhibit uterine cytokine/chemokine expression in a murine model of bacterial endotoxin (LPS)-induced PTB. This study aimed to determine the mechanism(s) of BSCI action on human myometrial smooth muscle cells. We hypothesized that BSCI prevents infection-induced contraction of uterine myocytes by inhibiting the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, the expression of contraction-associated proteins and disruption of myocyte interaction with tissue macrophages. Myometrial biopsies and peripheral blood were collected from women at term (not in labour) undergoing an elective caesarean section. Myocytes were isolated and treated with LPS with/out BSCI; conditioned media was collected; cytokine secretion was analyzed by ELISA; and protein expression was detected by immunoblotting and immunocytochemistry. Functional gap junction formation was assessed by parachute assay. Collagen lattices were used to examine myocyte contraction with/out blood-derived macrophages and BSCI. We found that BSCI inhibited (1) LPS-induced activation of transcription factor NF-kB; (2) secretion of chemokines (MCP-1/CCL2 and IL-8/CXCL8); (3) Connexin43-mediated intercellular connectivity, thereby preventing myocyte–macrophage crosstalk; and (4) myocyte contraction. BSCI represents novel therapeutics for prevention of inflammation-induced PTB in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Boros-Rausch
- Lunenfeld Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, 25 Orde Street, Suite 6-1017, Toronto, ON M5G 1X5, Canada; (A.B.-R.); (S.J.L.)
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
| | - Oksana Shynlova
- Lunenfeld Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, 25 Orde Street, Suite 6-1017, Toronto, ON M5G 1X5, Canada; (A.B.-R.); (S.J.L.)
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-416-586-4800 (ext. 5635); Fax: +1-416-586-5116
| | - Stephen James Lye
- Lunenfeld Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, 25 Orde Street, Suite 6-1017, Toronto, ON M5G 1X5, Canada; (A.B.-R.); (S.J.L.)
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
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Leimert KB, Xu W, Princ MM, Chemtob S, Olson DM. Inflammatory Amplification: A Central Tenet of Uterine Transition for Labor. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:660983. [PMID: 34490133 PMCID: PMC8417473 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.660983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In preparation for delivery, the uterus transitions from actively maintaining quiescence during pregnancy to an active parturient state. This transition occurs as a result of the accumulation of pro-inflammatory signals which are amplified by positive feedback interactions involving paracrine and autocrine signaling at the level of each intrauterine cell and tissue. The amplification events occur in parallel until they reach a certain threshold, ‘tipping the scale’ and contributing to processes of uterine activation and functional progesterone withdrawal. The described signaling interactions all occur upstream from the presentation of clinical labor symptoms. In this review, we will: 1) describe the different physiological processes involved in uterine transition for each intrauterine tissue; 2) compare and contrast the current models of labor initiation; 3) introduce innovative models for measuring paracrine inflammatory interactions; and 4) discuss the therapeutic value in identifying and targeting key players in this crucial event for preterm birth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelycia B Leimert
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Wendy Xu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Magdalena M Princ
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Sylvain Chemtob
- Department of Pediatrics, Ophthalmology and Pharmacology, CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - David M Olson
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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Nold C, Esteves K, Jensen T, Vella AT. Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor initiates amniotic membrane rupture and preterm birth in a mouse model. Am J Reprod Immunol 2021; 86:e13424. [PMID: 33772943 DOI: 10.1111/aji.13424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Revised: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Preterm premature rupture of membranes is associated with 30% of all preterm births. The weakening of amniotic membranes is associated with an increase in matrix metallopeptidases (MMPs) along with a decrease in their inhibitors, tissue inhibitor metallopeptidases (TIMPs). Additionally, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) has been shown to weaken fetal membranes in-vitro. We hypothesize pregnant mice treated with GM-CSF lead to increased MMPs:TIMPs resulting in membrane rupture and preterm birth. STUDY DESIGN Pregnant CD-1 mice on gestational day 17 received either an intrauterine injection of GM-CSF or vehicle control. A second series of mice were administered an intrauterine injection of Lipopolysaccharide along with either anti-mouse GM-CSF or control antibody. Mice were evaluated for rupture of membranes and/or preterm birth and the uterus, amniotic fluid, and serum were collected for analysis. RESULTS 87.5% of GM-CSF mice exhibited evidence of membrane rupture or preterm birth, compared with 0% in control mice (p < .001). Treatment with GM-CSF decreased the expression of TNFα (p < .05) while increasing the ratio of MMP2:TIMP1 (p < .05), MMP2:TIMP2 (p < .05), MMP2:TIMP3 (p < .001), MMP9:TIMP1 (p < .01), MMP9:TIMP2 (p < .05), MMP9:TIMP3 (p < .001), and MMP10:TIMP1 (p < .05). Mice treated with LPS and the GM-CSF antibody resulted in a decrease in the ratio of MMP2:TIMP1 (p < .0001) compared with controls. CONCLUSION These studies demonstrate GM-CSF will result in membrane rupture and preterm birth by increasing the ratio MMPs:TIMPs in our animal model. By increasing our understanding of the molecular pathways associated with GM-CSF, we may be able to develop future therapies to prevent preterm birth and reduce neonatal morbidity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Nold
- Department of Women's Health, Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA
| | - Kristyn Esteves
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA
| | - Todd Jensen
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA
| | - Anthony T Vella
- Department of Immunology, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA
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Zhang J, Luo X, Huang C, Pei Z, Xiao H, Luo X, Huang S, Chang Y. Erythropoietin prevents LPS-induced preterm birth and increases offspring survival. Am J Reprod Immunol 2020; 84:e13283. [PMID: 32506750 PMCID: PMC7507205 DOI: 10.1111/aji.13283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Revised: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
PROBLEM Preterm delivery is the leading cause of neonatal mortality and contributes to delayed physical and cognitive development in children. At present, there is no efficient therapy to prevent preterm labor. A large body of evidence suggests that infections might play a significant and potentially preventable cause of premature birth. This work assessed the effects of erythropoietin (EPO) in a murine model of inflammation-associated preterm delivery, which mimics central features of preterm infections in humans. METHOD OF STUDY BALB/c mice were injected i.p. with 20 000 IU/kg EPO or normal saline twice on gestational day (GD) 15, with a 3 hours time interval between injections. An hour after the first EPO or normal saline injection, all mice received two injections of 50 μg/kg LPS, also given 3 hours apart. RESULTS EPO significantly prevented preterm labor and increased offspring survival in an LPS induced preterm delivery model. EPO prevented LPS-induced leukocyte infiltration into the placenta. Moreover, EPO inhibited the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in maternal serum and amniotic fluid. EPO also prevented LPS-induced increase in placental prostaglandin (PG)E2 and uterine inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) production, while decreasing nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κβ) activity in the myometrium. EPO also increased the gene expression of placental programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) in LPS-treated mice. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that EPO could be a potential novel therapeutic strategy to tackle infection-related preterm labor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Zhang
- Department of RehabilitationGuangdong Women and Children HospitalGuangzhouChina
| | - Xianqiong Luo
- Department of PediatricsGuangdong Women and Children HospitalGuangzhouChina
| | - Caicai Huang
- Department of ObstetricsGuangdong Women and Children HospitalGuangzhouChina
| | - Zheng Pei
- Department of RehabilitationGuangdong Women and Children HospitalGuangzhouChina
| | - Huimei Xiao
- Department of RehabilitationGuangdong Women and Children HospitalGuangzhouChina
| | - Xingang Luo
- Department of RehabilitationGuangdong Women and Children HospitalGuangzhouChina
| | - Shuangmiao Huang
- Department of RehabilitationGuangdong Women and Children HospitalGuangzhouChina
| | - Yanqun Chang
- Department of RehabilitationGuangdong Women and Children HospitalGuangzhouChina
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9
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Leimert KB, Verstraeten BSE, Messer A, Nemati R, Blackadar K, Fang X, Robertson SA, Chemtob S, Olson DM. Cooperative effects of sequential PGF2α and IL-1β on IL-6 and COX-2 expression in human myometrial cells†. Biol Reprod 2020; 100:1370-1385. [PMID: 30794283 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioz029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2018] [Revised: 10/17/2018] [Accepted: 02/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The change from the state of pregnancy to the state of parturition, which we call uterine transitioning, requires the actions of inflammatory mediators and results in an activated uterus capable of performing the physiology of labor. Interleukin (IL)-1β and prostaglandin (PG)F2α are two key mediators implicated in preparing the uterus for labor by regulating the expression of uterine activation proteins (UAPs) and proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines. To investigate this process, primary human myometrial smooth muscle cells (HMSMC) isolated from the lower segment of women undergoing elective cesarean sections at term (not in labor) were used to test the inflammatory cytokine and UAP outputs induced by PGF2α and IL-1β alone or in sequential combinations. PGF2α and IL-1β regulate mRNA abundance of the PGF2α receptor FP, the IL-1 receptor system, interleukin 6, and other UAPs (OXTR, COX2), driving positive feedback interactions to further amplify their own proinflammatory effects. Sequential stimulation of HMSMC by PGF2α and IL-1β in either order results in amplified upregulation of IL-6 and COX-2 mRNA and protein, compared to their effects individually. These profound increases were unique to myometrium and not observed with stimulation of human fetal membrane explants. These results suggest that PGF2α and IL-1β act cooperatively upstream in the birth cascade to maximize amplification of IL-6 and COX-2, to build inflammatory load and thereby promote uterine transition. Targeting PGF2α or IL-1β, their actions, or intermediates (e.g. IL-6) would be an effective therapeutic intervention for preterm birth prevention or delay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelycia B Leimert
- Department of Physiology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | | | - Angela Messer
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Rojin Nemati
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Kayla Blackadar
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Xin Fang
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Sarah A Robertson
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Sylvain Chemtob
- Department of Pediatrics, Ophthalmology, and Pharmacology, CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - David M Olson
- Department of Physiology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.,Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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10
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Leimert KB, Messer A, Gray T, Fang X, Chemtob S, Olson DM. Maternal and fetal intrauterine tissue crosstalk promotes proinflammatory amplification and uterine transition†. Biol Reprod 2020; 100:783-797. [PMID: 30379983 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioy232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2018] [Revised: 10/06/2018] [Accepted: 10/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Birth is a complex biological event requiring genetic, cellular, and physiological changes to the uterus, resulting in a uterus activated for completing the physiological processes of labor. We define the change from the state of pregnancy to the state of parturition as uterine transitioning, which requires the actions of inflammatory mediators and localized paracrine interactions between intrauterine tissues. Few studies have examined the in vitro interactions between fetal and maternal gestational tissues within this proinflammatory environment. Thus, we designed a co-culture model to address this gap, incorporating primary term human myometrium smooth muscle cells (HMSMCs) with human fetal membrane (hFM) explants to study interactions between the tissues. We hypothesized that crosstalk between tissues at term promotes proinflammatory expression and uterine transitioning for parturition. Outputs of 40 cytokines and chemokines encompassing a variety of proinflammatory roles were measured; all but one increased significantly with co-culture. Eighteen of the 39 cytokines increased to a higher abundance than the sum of the effect of each tissue cultured separately. In addition, COX2 and IL6 but not FP and OXTR mRNA abundance significantly increased in both HMSMCs and hFM in response to co-culture. These data suggest that synergistic proinflammatory upregulation within intrauterine tissues is involved with uterine transitioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelycia B Leimert
- Department of Physiology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Angela Messer
- Departments of Obstetrics & Gynecology, and Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Theora Gray
- Departments of Obstetrics & Gynecology, and Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Xin Fang
- Departments of Obstetrics & Gynecology, and Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Sylvain Chemtob
- Department of Pediatrics, Ophthalmology, and Pharmacology, CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - David M Olson
- Department of Physiology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.,Departments of Obstetrics & Gynecology, and Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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11
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Gomez-Lopez N, Motomura K, Miller D, Garcia-Flores V, Galaz J, Romero R. Inflammasomes: Their Role in Normal and Complicated Pregnancies. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2020; 203:2757-2769. [PMID: 31740550 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1900901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 09/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Inflammasomes are cytoplasmic multiprotein complexes that coordinate inflammatory responses, including those that take place during pregnancy. Inflammasomes and their downstream mediators caspase-1 and IL-1β are expressed by gestational tissues (e.g., the placenta and chorioamniotic membranes) during normal pregnancy. Yet, only the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in the chorioamniotic membranes has been partially implicated in the sterile inflammatory process of term parturition. In vivo and ex vivo studies have consistently shown that the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome is a mechanism whereby preterm labor and birth occur in the context of microbial- or alarmin-induced inflammation. In the placenta, the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome is involved in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia and other pregnancy syndromes associated with placental inflammation. This evidence suggests that inhibition of the NLRP3 inflammasome or its downstream mediators may foster the development of novel anti-inflammatory therapies for the prevention or treatment of pregnancy complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nardhy Gomez-Lopez
- Perinatology Research Branch, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Development, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD 20892, and Detroit, MI 48201; .,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201.,Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201
| | - Kenichiro Motomura
- Perinatology Research Branch, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Development, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD 20892, and Detroit, MI 48201.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201
| | - Derek Miller
- Perinatology Research Branch, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Development, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD 20892, and Detroit, MI 48201.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201
| | - Valeria Garcia-Flores
- Perinatology Research Branch, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Development, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD 20892, and Detroit, MI 48201.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201
| | - Jose Galaz
- Perinatology Research Branch, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Development, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD 20892, and Detroit, MI 48201.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201
| | - Roberto Romero
- Perinatology Research Branch, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Development, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD 20892, and Detroit, MI 48201.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109.,Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824.,Center for Molecular Obstetrics and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201.,Detroit Medical Center, Detroit, MI 48201; and.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199
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12
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Ayash TA, Starr LM, Dufort D. Nodal is required to maintain the uterine environment in an anti-inflammatory state during pregnancy†. Biol Reprod 2020; 102:1340-1350. [PMID: 32219302 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioaa037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Revised: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Preterm birth remains the major cause of perinatal mortality and morbidity worldwide, affecting up to 12% of pregnancies and accounting for ~75% of neonatal deaths. However, the mechanisms and causes that underlie it are still largely unknown. One of the major causes of preterm birth is infection or inflammation within the maternal-fetal interface. Our lab has previously shown that a uterine specific deletion of Nodal results in mutant females delivering 2 days prior to term demonstrating an important role for this factor in the maintenance of pregnancy. Here, we have addressed the function of Nodal in the uterus during pregnancy. We demonstrate that Nodal heterozygous mice have an increase in basal levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, IL-12p, TNF-α, and IFN-γ as well as an increase in the number of macrophages in response to the inflammatory agent, lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Using bone marrow-derived macrophages, we demonstrated that pretreatment with recombinant Nodal reduces pro-inflammatory gene expression when these cells are challenged with LPS. Our results demonstrate that Nodal is required to maintain the uterine environment in an anti-inflammatory state by preventing proinflammatory cytokine expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taghreed A Ayash
- Division of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Quebec, Canada
| | - Lisa M Starr
- Department of Obstetrics and Gyneocology, McGill University, Quebec, Canada
| | - Daniel Dufort
- Division of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Quebec, Canada.,Department of Obstetrics and Gyneocology, McGill University, Quebec, Canada
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13
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Pique-Regi R, Romero R, Tarca AL, Sendler ED, Xu Y, Garcia-Flores V, Leng Y, Luca F, Hassan SS, Gomez-Lopez N. Single cell transcriptional signatures of the human placenta in term and preterm parturition. eLife 2019; 8:52004. [PMID: 31829938 PMCID: PMC6949028 DOI: 10.7554/elife.52004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 172] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
More than 135 million births occur each year; yet, the molecular underpinnings of human parturition in gestational tissues, and in particular the placenta, are still poorly understood. The placenta is a complex heterogeneous organ including cells of both maternal and fetal origin, and insults that disrupt the maternal-fetal dialogue could result in adverse pregnancy outcomes such as preterm birth. There is limited knowledge of the cell type composition and transcriptional activity of the placenta and its compartments during physiologic and pathologic parturition. To fill this knowledge gap, we used scRNA-seq to profile the placental villous tree, basal plate, and chorioamniotic membranes of women with or without labor at term and those with preterm labor. Significant differences in cell type composition and transcriptional profiles were found among placental compartments and across study groups. For the first time, two cell types were identified: 1) lymphatic endothelial decidual cells in the chorioamniotic membranes, and 2) non-proliferative interstitial cytotrophoblasts in the placental villi. Maternal macrophages from the chorioamniotic membranes displayed the largest differences in gene expression (e.g. NFKB1) in both processes of labor; yet, specific gene expression changes were also detected in preterm labor. Importantly, several placental scRNA-seq transcriptional signatures were modulated with advancing gestation in the maternal circulation, and specific immune cell type signatures were increased with labor at term (NK-cell and activated T-cell signatures) and with preterm labor (macrophage, monocyte, and activated T-cell signatures). Herein, we provide a catalogue of cell types and transcriptional profiles in the human placenta, shedding light on the molecular underpinnings and non-invasive prediction of the physiologic and pathologic parturition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger Pique-Regi
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, United States.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, United States.,Perinatology Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Detroit, United States
| | - Roberto Romero
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, United States.,Perinatology Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Detroit, United States.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, United States.,Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, United States.,Detroit Medical Center, Detroit, United States
| | - Adi L Tarca
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, United States.,Perinatology Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Detroit, United States.,Department of Computer Science, College of Engineering, Wayne State University, Detroit, United States
| | - Edward D Sendler
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, United States
| | - Yi Xu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, United States.,Perinatology Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Detroit, United States
| | - Valeria Garcia-Flores
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, United States.,Perinatology Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Detroit, United States
| | - Yaozhu Leng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, United States.,Perinatology Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Detroit, United States
| | - Francesca Luca
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, United States.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, United States
| | - Sonia S Hassan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, United States.,Department of Physiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, United States
| | - Nardhy Gomez-Lopez
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, United States.,Perinatology Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Detroit, United States.,Department of Immunology, Microbiology, and Biochemistry, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, United States
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14
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Fan Y, Hou W, Xing Y, Zhang L, Zhou C, Gui J, Xu P, Wang A, Fan X, Zeng X, Feng S, Li P. Peptidomics analysis of myometrium tissues in term labor compared with term nonlabor. J Cell Biochem 2019; 121:1890-1900. [PMID: 31709621 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.29424] [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: 05/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Preterm birth (PTB) is a major cause of neonatal mortality, with a poorly understood etiology. The regular contraction of the myometrium was considered as contributing to the etiology of the onset of labor, especially PTB. Thus, studying the mechanism of myometrium contraction is very important for understanding the initiation of labor and also for preventing PTB. Using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, we found 322 significantly differential peptides in myometrium tissues between term nonlabor and term labor groups (absolute fold change ≥ 2 and P < .05). We next analyzed length, molecular weights, isoelectric point, and cleavage site of all the different peptides. We, next, analyzed the functions of different peptides through their precursor proteins by Gene Ontology, enrichment and canonical pathway analysis. The results indicated that the extracellular matrix (ECM) played a major role in biological process, the cellular component, and molecular function categories, and revealed that ECM remodeling played a vital role in myometrial contraction. In addition, some known signaling, such as corticotropin-releasing hormone signaling and calcium signaling were proven to be involved in this process. Ingenuity Pathways Analysis upstream regulator analysis suggested that some of the known molecules, which reportedly were very important in labor onset, were included, for example, nuclear factor κB, tubulin, and phosphoinositide 3-kinase. We also identified 23 peptides derived from the precursor protein TITIN, of which 21 peptides sequences from TITIN were located in functional domains. These results suggested that peptides play an important role in labor onset and provide further insight into PTB therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuru Fan
- Department of Obstetrics, Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital), Nanjing, China
| | - Wenwen Hou
- Department of Obstetrics, Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital), Nanjing, China
| | - Yuan Xing
- Department of Obstetrics, Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital), Nanjing, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics, Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital), Nanjing, China
| | - Chunxiu Zhou
- Department of Obstetrics, Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital), Nanjing, China
| | - Jing Gui
- Department of Obstetrics, Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital), Nanjing, China
| | - Pengfei Xu
- Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Institute, Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital), Nanjing, China
| | - Anming Wang
- Department of Obstetrics, Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital), Nanjing, China
| | - Xuemei Fan
- Department of Obstetrics, Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital), Nanjing, China
| | - Xin Zeng
- Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Institute, Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital), Nanjing, China
| | - Shanwu Feng
- Department of Anesthesiology, Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital), Nanjing, China
| | - Ping Li
- Department of Gynecology, Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital), Nanjing, China
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15
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Antibiotic administration can eradicate intra-amniotic infection or intra-amniotic inflammation in a subset of patients with preterm labor and intact membranes. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2019; 221:142.e1-142.e22. [PMID: 30928566 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2019.03.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2018] [Revised: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 03/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Intra-amniotic infection is present in 10% of patients with an episode of preterm labor, and is a risk factor for impending preterm delivery and neonatal morbidity/mortality. Intra-amniotic inflammation is often associated with intra-amniotic infection, but is sometimes present in the absence of detectable microorganisms. Antibiotic treatment of intra-amniotic infection has traditionally been considered to be ineffective. Intra-amniotic inflammation without microorganisms has a prognosis similar to that of intra-amniotic infection. OBJECTIVE To determine whether antibiotics can eradicate intra-amniotic infection or intra-amniotic inflammation in a subset of patients with preterm labor and intact membranes. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study population consisted of women who met the following criteria: 1) singleton gestation between 20 and 34 weeks; 2) preterm labor and intact membranes; 3) transabdominal amniocentesis performed for the evaluation of the microbiologic/inflammatory status of the amniotic cavity; 4) intra-amniotic infection and/or intra-amniotic inflammation; and 5) received antibiotic treatment that consisted of ceftriaxone, clarithromycin, and metronidazole. Follow-up amniocentesis was performed in a subset of patients. Amniotic fluid was cultured for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria and genital mycoplasmas, and polymerase chain reaction was performed for Ureaplasma spp. Intra-amniotic infection was defined as a positive amniotic fluid culture or positive polymerase chain reaction, and intra-amniotic inflammation was suspected when there was an elevated amniotic fluid white blood cell count or a positive result of a rapid test for matrix metalloproteinase-8. For this study, the final diagnosis of intra-amniotic inflammation was made by measuring the interleukin-6 concentration in stored amniotic fluid (>2.6 ng/mL). These results were not available to managing clinicians. Treatment success was defined as eradication of intra-amniotic infection and/or intra-amniotic inflammation or delivery ≥37 weeks. RESULTS Of 62 patients with intra-amniotic infection and/or intra-amniotic inflammation, 50 received the antibiotic regimen. Of those patients, 29 were undelivered for ≥7 days and 19 underwent a follow-up amniocentesis. Microorganisms were identified by culture or polymerase chain reaction of amniotic fluid obtained at admission in 21% of patients (4/19) who had a follow-up amniocentesis, and were eradicated in 3 of the 4 patients. Resolution of intra-amniotic infection/inflammation was confirmed in 79% of patients (15/19), and 1 other patient delivered at term, although resolution of intra-amniotic inflammation could not be confirmed after a follow-up amniocentesis. Thus, resolution of intra-amniotic inflammation/infection or term delivery (treatment success) occurred in 84% of patients (16/19) who had a follow-up amniocentesis. Treatment success occurred in 32% of patients (16/50) with intra-amniotic infection/inflammation who received antibiotics. The median amniocentesis-to-delivery interval was significantly longer among women who received the combination of antibiotics than among those who did not (11.4 days vs 3.1 days: P = .04). CONCLUSION Eradication of intra-amniotic infection/inflammation after treatment with antibiotics was confirmed in 79% of patients with preterm labor, intact membranes, and intra-amniotic infection/inflammation who had a follow-up amniocentesis. Treatment success occurred in 84% of patients who underwent a follow-up amniocentesis and in 32% of women who received the antibiotic regimen.
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16
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Lim R, Lappas M. Expression and function of macrophage-inducible C-type lectin (Mincle) in inflammation driven parturition in fetal membranes and myometrium. Clin Exp Immunol 2019; 197:95-110. [PMID: 30793298 DOI: 10.1111/cei.13281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The pivotal role of inflammatory processes in human parturition is well known, but not completely understood. We have performed a study to examine the role of macrophage-inducible C-type lectin (Mincle) in inflammation-associated parturition. Using human samples, we show that spontaneous labour is associated with up-regulated Mincle expression in the myometrium and fetal membranes. Mincle expression was also increased in fetal membranes and myometrium in the presence of pro-labour mediators, the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1B and tumour necrosis factor (TNF), and Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands fsl-1, poly(I:C), lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and flagellin. These clinical studies are supported by mouse studies, where an inflammatory challenge in a mouse model of preterm birth increased Mincle expression in the uterus. Importantly, elimination of Mincle decreased the effectiveness of proinflammatory cytokines and TLR ligands to induce the expression of pro-labour mediators; namely, proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines, contraction-associated proteins and prostaglandins, and extracellular matrix remodelling enzymes, matrix metalloproteinases. The data presented in this study suggest that Mincle is required when inflammatory activation precipitates parturition.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Lim
- Mercy Perinatal Research Centre, Mercy Hospital for Women, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
| | - M Lappas
- Obstetrics, Nutrition and Endocrinology Group, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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17
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Gurney LRI, Taggart J, Tong WC, Jones AT, Robson SC, Taggart MJ. Inhibition of Inflammatory Changes in Human Myometrial Cells by Cell Penetrating Peptide and Small Molecule Inhibitors of NFκB. Front Immunol 2018; 9:2966. [PMID: 30619324 PMCID: PMC6307458 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.02966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2018] [Accepted: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Complications arising from Preterm Birth are the leading causes of neonatal death globally. Current therapeutic strategies to prevent Preterm Birth are yet to demonstrate success in terms of reducing this neonatal disease burden. Upregulation of intracellular inflammatory pathways in uterine cells, including those involving nuclear factor kappa-B (NFκB), have been causally linked to both human term and preterm labor, but the barrier presented by the cell membrane presents an obstacle to interventions aimed at dampening these inflammatory responses. Cell penetrating peptides (CPPs) are novel vectors that can traverse cell membranes without the need for recognition by cell surface receptors and offer the ability to deliver therapeutic cargo internal to cell membranes. Using a human uterine cell culture inflammatory model, this study aimed to test the effectiveness of CPP-cargo delivery to inhibit inflammatory responses, comparing this effect with a small molecule inhibitor (Sc514) that has a similar intracellular target of action within the NFκB pathway (the IKK complex). The CPP Penetratin, conjugated to rhodamine, was able to enter uterine cells within a 60 min timeframe as assessed by live confocal microscopy, this phenomena was not observed with the use of a rhodamine-conjugated inert control peptide (GC(GS)4). Penetratin CPP conjugated to an IKK-inhibitory peptide (Pen-NBD) demonstrated ability to inhibit both the IL1β-induced expression of the inflammatory protein COX2 and dampen the expression of a bespoke array of inflammatory genes. Truncation of the CPP vector rendered the CPP-cargo conjugate much less effective, demonstrating the importance of careful vector selection. The small molecule inhibitor Sc514 also demonstrated ability to inhibit COX2 protein responses and a broad down-regulatory effect on uterine cell inflammatory gene expression. These results support the further exploration of either CPP-based or small molecular treatment strategies to dampen gestational cell inflammatory responses in the context of preterm birth. The work underlines both the importance of careful selection of CPP vector-cargo combinations and basic testing over a broad time and concentration range to ensure effective responses. Further work should demonstrate the effectiveness of CPP-linked cargos to dampen alternative pathways of inflammation linked to Preterm Birth such as MAP Kinase or AP1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leo R. I. Gurney
- Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Julie Taggart
- Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Wing-Chiu Tong
- Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Arwyn T. Jones
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen C. Robson
- Institute of Cellular Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Michael J. Taggart
- Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
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18
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Hirst JJ, Palliser HK, Shaw JC, Crombie G, Walker DW, Zakar T. Birth and Neonatal Transition in the Guinea Pig: Experimental Approaches to Prevent Preterm Birth and Protect the Premature Fetus. Front Physiol 2018; 9:1802. [PMID: 30618814 PMCID: PMC6297273 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2018.01802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2018] [Accepted: 11/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The guinea pig (Cavia porcellus) displays many features of gestational physiology that makes it the most translationally relevant rodent species. Progesterone production undergoes a luteal to placental shift as in human pregnancy with levels rising during gestation and with labor and delivery occurring without a precipitous decline in maternal progesterone levels. In contrast to other laboratory rodents, labor in guinea pigs is triggered by a functional progesterone withdrawal, which involves the loss of uterine sensitivity to progesterone like in women. In both species the amnion membrane is a major source of labor-inducing prostaglandins, which promote functional progesterone withdrawal by modifying myometrial progesterone receptor expression. These similar features appear to result from convergent evolution rather than closer evolutionally relationship to primates compared to other rodents. Nevertheless, the similarities in the production, metabolism and actions of progesterone and prostaglandins allow information gained in pregnant guinea pigs to be extended to pregnant women with confidence. This includes exploring the effects of pregnancy complications including growth restriction and the mechanisms by which stressful conditions increase the incidence of preterm labor. The relatively long gestation of the guinea pig and the maturity of the pups at birth particularly in brain development means that a greater proportion of brain development happens in utero. This allows adverse intrauterine conditions to make a sustained impact on the developing brain like in compromised human pregnancies. In addition, the brain is exposed to a protective neurosteroid environment in utero, which has been suggested to promote development in the guinea pig and the human. Moreover, in utero stresses that have been shown to adversely affect long term neurobehavioral outcomes in clinical studies, can be modeled successfully in guinea pigs. Overall, these parallels to the human have led to increasing interest in the guinea pig for translational studies of treatments and therapies that potentially improve outcomes following adverse events in pregnancy and after preterm birth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan J Hirst
- Mothers and Babies Research Centre, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.,School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Hannah K Palliser
- Mothers and Babies Research Centre, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.,School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Julia C Shaw
- Mothers and Babies Research Centre, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.,School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Gabrielle Crombie
- Mothers and Babies Research Centre, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.,School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - David W Walker
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
| | - Tamas Zakar
- Mothers and Babies Research Centre, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.,School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
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Liong S, Lappas M. Markers of protein synthesis are increased in fetal membranes and myometrium after human labour and delivery. Reprod Fertil Dev 2018; 30:313-329. [PMID: 28701259 DOI: 10.1071/rd17081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2016] [Accepted: 06/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Preterm birth remains one of the leading causes of neonatal death. Inflammation and maternal infection are two of the leading aetiological factors for preterm birth. Labour is associated with increased production of proinflammatory cytokines, chemokines and prolabour mediators in human gestational tissues. In non-gestational tissues, synthesis of proinflammatory and prolabour mediators is regulated by components of the protein synthesis machinery. Therefore, in the present study we investigated the effect of human labour on the expression of three protein synthesis markers, namely eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase (EEF2K), mitogen-activated protein kinase interacting protein kinase 1 (MKNK1) and eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (EIF4E), and their role in regulating inflammation in human gestational tissues. In fetal membranes and myometrium, EEF2K expression was significantly lower, whereas MKNK1 expression was significantly higher withterm and preterm labourcompared to term nolabour. In contrast, EIF4E expression did not change in fetal membranes or myometrium with labour. In primary myometrial cells, loss-of-function studies using specific chemical inhibitors of EEF2K (A484954) and MKNK1 (CGP57380) demonstrated that MKNK1, but not EEF2K, was required for polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C); a viral double-stranded RNA mimetic) and interleukin (IL)-1β-induced production of IL6, C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 8 (CXCL8), prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2) and prostaglandin F2α. In conclusion, spontaneous term and preterm labour is associated with decreased EEF2K and increased MKNK1 expression in fetal membranes and myometrium. Moreover, MKNK1 is involved in the genesis of proinflammatory and prolabour mediators that is mediated by inflammation or infection. However, further studies are required to elucidate the role of EEF2K in human labour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stella Liong
- Mercy Perinatal Research Centre, Mercy Hospital for Women, 4th Floor, 163 Studley Road, Heidelberg, Vic. 3084, Australia
| | - Martha Lappas
- Mercy Perinatal Research Centre, Mercy Hospital for Women, 4th Floor, 163 Studley Road, Heidelberg, Vic. 3084, Australia
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Lappas M. A20, an essential component of the ubiquitin-editing protein complex, is a negative regulator of inflammation in human myometrium and foetal membranes. Mol Hum Reprod 2018; 23:628-645. [PMID: 28911210 DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gax041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2017] [Accepted: 07/17/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION Does A20 regulate mediators involved in the terminal processes of human labour in primary myometrial and amnion cells? SUMMARY ANSWER A20 is a nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) responsive gene that acts as a negative regulator of NF-κB-induced expression of pro-labour mediators. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Inflammation is commonly implicated in spontaneous preterm birth and the processes involved in rupture of foetal membranes and uterine contractions. In myometrium and foetal membranes, the pro-inflammatory transcription factor NF-κB regulates the transcription of pro-labour mediators in response to inflammatory stimuli. In non-gestational tissues, A20 is widely recognised as an anti-inflammatory protein that inhibits inflammation-induced NF-κB signalling. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION Primary human amnion and myometrial cells were used to determine the effect of pro-inflammatory mediators on A20 expression and the effect of A20 siRNA on the expression and secretion of pro-labour mediators. The expression of A20 was assessed in myometrium and foetal membranes from non-labouring and labouring women at preterm and or term (n = 8 or nine samples per group). PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS The effects of pro-inflammatory mediators and of A20 siRNA in cell cultures were determined by quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR), western blots, immunoassays, gelatin zymography and luciferase assays. A20 expression in tissue samples was assessed by qRT-PCR. Statistical significance was ascribed to a P value < 0.05. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE In primary cells isolated from myometrium and or amnion, the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL1B and TNF, the bacterial products flagellin and fsl-1, and the viral double stranded RNA analogue poly(I:C) significantly increased A20 mRNA expression via NF-κB. A20 siRNA studies in primary myometrial and amnion cells demonstrated an augmentation of inflammation-induced expression and or secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL1A, IL6), chemokines (CXCL1, CXCL8, CCL2), adhesion molecules (ICAM1, VCAM1), contraction-associated proteins (PTGS2, PTGFR, PGF2α) and the extracellular matrix degrading enzyme MMP9, as well as NF-κB activation. Inhibition of NF-κB activity significant attenuated inflammation-induced expression of pro-labour mediators in A20 siRNA transfected cells. Finally, A20 mRNA expression was decreased in myometrium and foetal membranes with labour, and in foetal membranes with chorioamnionitis. LARGE SCALE DATA Not applicable. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION The conclusions of this study are solely reliant on the data from in vitro experiments using cells isolated from myometrium and amnion. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS The results of this study raise the possibility that targeting A20 may be a therapeutic approach to reduce inflammation associated with spontaneous preterm birth. STUDY FUNDING AND COMPETING INTEREST(S) Associate Professor Martha Lappas is supported by a Career Development Fellowship from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC; grant no. 1047025). Funding for this study was provided by the NHMRC (grant no. 1058786), Norman Beischer Medical Research Foundation and the Mercy Research Foundation. There are no competing interests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martha Lappas
- Obstetrics, Nutrition and Endocrinology Group, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Mercy Perinatal Research Centre, Mercy Hospital for Women, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
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21
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Strauss JF, Romero R, Gomez-Lopez N, Haymond-Thornburg H, Modi BP, Teves ME, Pearson LN, York TP, Schenkein HA. Spontaneous preterm birth: advances toward the discovery of genetic predisposition. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2018; 218:294-314.e2. [PMID: 29248470 PMCID: PMC5834399 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2017.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2017] [Revised: 12/04/2017] [Accepted: 12/06/2017] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Evidence from family and twin-based studies provide strong support for a significant contribution of maternal and fetal genetics to the timing of parturition and spontaneous preterm birth. However, there has been only modest success in the discovery of genes predisposing to preterm birth, despite increasing sophistication of genetic and genomic technology. In contrast, DNA variants associated with other traits/diseases have been identified. For example, there is overwhelming evidence that suggests that the nature and intensity of an inflammatory response in adults and children are under genetic control. Because inflammation is often invoked as an etiologic factor in spontaneous preterm birth, the question of whether spontaneous preterm birth has a genetic predisposition in the case of pathologic inflammation has been of long-standing interest to investigators. Here, we review various genetic approaches used for the discovery of preterm birth genetic variants in the context of inflammation-associated spontaneous preterm birth. Candidate gene studies have sought genetic variants that regulate inflammation in the mother and fetus; however, the promising findings have often not been replicated. Genome-wide association studies, an approach to the identification of chromosomal loci responsible for complex traits, have also not yielded compelling evidence for DNA variants predisposing to preterm birth. A recent genome-wide association study that included a large number of White women (>40,000) revealed that maternal loci contribute to preterm birth. Although none of these loci harbored genes directly related to innate immunity, the results were replicated. Another approach to identify DNA variants predisposing to preterm birth is whole exome sequencing, which examines the DNA sequence of protein-coding regions of the genome. A recent whole exome sequencing study identified rare mutations in genes encoding for proteins involved in the negative regulation (dampening) of the innate immune response (eg, CARD6, CARD8, NLRP10, NLRP12, NOD2, TLR10) and antimicrobial peptide/proteins (eg, DEFB1, MBL2). These findings support the concept that preterm labor, at least in part, has an inflammatory etiology, which can be induced by pathogens (ie, intraamniotic infection) or "danger signals" (alarmins) released during cellular stress or necrosis (ie, sterile intraamniotic inflammation). These findings support the notion that preterm birth has a polygenic basis that involves rare mutations or damaging variants in multiple genes involved in innate immunity and host defense mechanisms against microbes and their noxious products. An overlap among the whole exome sequencing-identified genes and other inflammatory conditions associated with preterm birth, such as periodontal disease and inflammatory bowel disease, was observed, which suggests a shared genetic substrate for these conditions. We propose that whole exome sequencing, as well as whole genome sequencing, is the most promising approach for the identification of functionally significant genetic variants responsible for spontaneous preterm birth, at least in the context of pathologic inflammation. The identification of genes that contribute to preterm birth by whole exome sequencing, or whole genome sequencing, promises to yield valuable population-specific biomarkers to identify the risk for spontaneous preterm birth and potential strategies to mitigate such a risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerome F Strauss
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA; Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA.
| | - Roberto Romero
- Perinatology Research Branch, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute for Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD and Detroit, MI; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI; Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI.
| | - Nardhy Gomez-Lopez
- Perinatology Research Branch, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute for Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD and Detroit, MI; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Biochemistry, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI
| | - Hannah Haymond-Thornburg
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA
| | - Bhavi P Modi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Maria E Teves
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA
| | - Laurel N Pearson
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
| | - Timothy P York
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA; Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA
| | - Harvey A Schenkein
- Department of Periodontics, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry, Richmond, VA
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DREAM Is Involved in the Genesis of Inflammation-Induced Prolabour Mediators in Human Myometrial and Amnion Cells. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2018; 2018:8237087. [PMID: 29682558 PMCID: PMC5842746 DOI: 10.1155/2018/8237087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Preterm birth is the primary cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Inflammation induces a cascade of events leading to preterm birth by activating nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB). In nongestational tissues, downstream regulatory element antagonist modulator (DREAM) regulates NF-κB activity. Our aims were to analyse DREAM expression in myometrium and fetal membranes obtained at term and preterm and to determine the effect of DREAM inhibition on prolabour mediators in primary myometrial and amnion cells. DREAM mRNA expression was significantly higher in fetal membranes obtained after spontaneous labour compared to nonlabour and in amnion from women with histological preterm chorioamnionitis when compared to amnion from women without chorioamnionitis. In primary myometrial and amnion cells, the effect of DREAM silencing by siRNA was a significant decrease in the expression of proinflammatory cytokine IL-6, the chemokines IL-8 and MCP-1, the adhesion molecule ICAM-1, MMP-9 mRNA expression and activity, and NF-κB transcriptional activity when stimulated with the proinflammatory cytokine IL-1β, the bacterial products fsl-1 or flagellin, or the viral dsRNA analogue poly(I:C). These data suggest that, in states of heightened inflammation, DREAM mRNA expression is increased and that, in myometrial and amnion cells, DREAM regulates proinflammatory and prolabour mediators which may be mediated via NF-κB.
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23
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Panaitescu B, Romero R, Gomez-Lopez N, Xu Y, Leng Y, Maymon E, Pacora P, Erez O, Yeo L, Hassan SS, Hsu CD. In vivo evidence of inflammasome activation during spontaneous labor at term. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med 2018; 32:1978-1991. [PMID: 29295667 DOI: 10.1080/14767058.2017.1422714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Upon inflammasome activation, the adaptor protein of the inflammasome ASC (apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD) forms intracellular specks, which can be released into the extracellular space. The objectives of this study were to investigate whether (1) extracellular ASC is present in the amniotic fluid of women who delivered at term; (2) amniotic fluid ASC concentrations are greater in women who underwent spontaneous labor at term than in those who delivered at term in the absence of labor; and (3) amniotic epithelial and mesenchymal cells can form intracellular ASC specks in vitro. METHODS This retrospective cross-sectional study included amniotic fluid samples from 41 women who delivered at term in the absence of labor (n = 24) or underwent spontaneous labor at term (n = 17). Amniotic epithelial and mesenchymal cells were also isolated from the chorioamniotic membranes obtained from a separate group of women who delivered at term (n = 3), in which ASC speck formation was assessed by confocal microscopy. Monocytes from healthy individuals were used as positive controls for ASC speck formation (n = 3). RESULTS (1) The adaptor protein of the inflammasome ASC is detectable in the amniotic fluid of women who delivered at term; (2) amniotic fluid ASC concentration was higher in women who underwent spontaneous labor at term than in those who delivered at term without labor; and (3) amniotic epithelial and mesenchymal cells are capable of forming ASC specks and/or filaments in vitro. CONCLUSION Amniotic fluid ASC concentrations are increased in women who undergo spontaneous labor at term. Amniotic epithelial and mesenchymal cells are capable of forming ASC specks, suggesting that these cells are a source of extracellular ASC in the amniotic fluid. These findings provide in vivo evidence that there is inflammasome activation in the amniotic cavity during the physiological process of labor at term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bogdan Panaitescu
- a Perinatology Research Branch, NICHD/NIH/DHHS , Detroit , MI , USA.,b Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology , Wayne State University School of Medicine , Detroit , MI , USA
| | - Roberto Romero
- a Perinatology Research Branch, NICHD/NIH/DHHS , Detroit , MI , USA.,c Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology , University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , MI , USA.,d Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics , Michigan State University , East Lansing , MI , USA.,e Center for Molecular Medicine & Genetics , Wayne State University , Detroit , MI , USA
| | - Nardhy Gomez-Lopez
- a Perinatology Research Branch, NICHD/NIH/DHHS , Detroit , MI , USA.,b Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology , Wayne State University School of Medicine , Detroit , MI , USA.,f Department of Immunology, Microbiology & Biochemistry , Wayne State University School of Medicine , Detroit , MI , USA
| | - Yi Xu
- a Perinatology Research Branch, NICHD/NIH/DHHS , Detroit , MI , USA.,b Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology , Wayne State University School of Medicine , Detroit , MI , USA
| | - Yaozhu Leng
- a Perinatology Research Branch, NICHD/NIH/DHHS , Detroit , MI , USA.,b Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology , Wayne State University School of Medicine , Detroit , MI , USA
| | - Eli Maymon
- a Perinatology Research Branch, NICHD/NIH/DHHS , Detroit , MI , USA.,b Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology , Wayne State University School of Medicine , Detroit , MI , USA.,g Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , Soroka University Medical Center, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev , Beersheba , Israel
| | - Percy Pacora
- a Perinatology Research Branch, NICHD/NIH/DHHS , Detroit , MI , USA.,b Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology , Wayne State University School of Medicine , Detroit , MI , USA
| | - Offer Erez
- a Perinatology Research Branch, NICHD/NIH/DHHS , Detroit , MI , USA.,b Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology , Wayne State University School of Medicine , Detroit , MI , USA.,g Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , Soroka University Medical Center, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev , Beersheba , Israel
| | - Lami Yeo
- a Perinatology Research Branch, NICHD/NIH/DHHS , Detroit , MI , USA.,b Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology , Wayne State University School of Medicine , Detroit , MI , USA
| | - Sonia S Hassan
- a Perinatology Research Branch, NICHD/NIH/DHHS , Detroit , MI , USA.,b Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology , Wayne State University School of Medicine , Detroit , MI , USA.,h Department of Physiology , Wayne State University School of Medicine , Detroit , MI , USA
| | - Chaur-Dong Hsu
- b Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology , Wayne State University School of Medicine , Detroit , MI , USA
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24
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Hadley EE, Richardson LS, Torloni MR, Menon R. Gestational tissue inflammatory biomarkers at term labor: A systematic review of literature. Am J Reprod Immunol 2017; 79. [PMID: 29076197 DOI: 10.1111/aji.12776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2017] [Accepted: 10/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Parturition at term is characterized by inflammatory overload in both feto-maternal tissues. Despite the large number of individual studies on changes in inflammatory biomarkers linked to labor, a comprehensive profile of them in each of the uterine compartments is not available to better understand their mechanistic contributions to labor. This systematic review investigated the pro- and anti-inflammatory biomarkers reported in intra-uterine tissues (amnion, chorion, decidua, placenta, and myometrium) at term labor. We conducted a systematic review of studies on pro- and anti-inflammatory biomarkers (mRNA and/or protein) reported in feto-maternal tissues during normal human term labor, published in English (1980-2016), in 3 electronic data bases. From a total of 3712 citations, 172 were included for final review. Each tissue expresses a unique set of biomarkers at the time of term labor, but there is significant overlap between tissues. All tissues had IL-6, IL-8, IL-1β, COX-2, PGE-2, TNF-α, and hCAP18 in common at term labor. Common and unique inflammatory biomarkers are expressed in various feto-maternal compartments at term labor. Increase in pro-inflammatory markers in all gestational tissue signifies their harmonious functional role in promoting labor. Anti-inflammatory markers at term labor are hardly reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily E Hadley
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine & Perinatal Research, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Lauren S Richardson
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine & Perinatal Research, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Maria R Torloni
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Federal University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ramkumar Menon
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine & Perinatal Research, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX, USA
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25
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Gomez-Lopez N, Romero R, Xu Y, Plazyo O, Unkel R, Leng Y, Than NG, Chaiworapongsa T, Panaitescu B, Dong Z, Tarca AL, Abrahams VM, Yeo L, Hassan SS. A Role for the Inflammasome in Spontaneous Preterm Labor With Acute Histologic Chorioamnionitis. Reprod Sci 2017; 24:1382-1401. [PMID: 28122480 PMCID: PMC5933090 DOI: 10.1177/1933719116687656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Inflammasomes are cytosolic multiprotein complexes that orchestrate inflammation in response to pathogens and endogenous danger signals. Herein, we determined whether the chorioamniotic membranes from women in spontaneous preterm labor with acute histologic chorioamnionitis (1) express major inflammasome components; (2) express caspase (CASP)-1 and CASP-4 as well as their active forms; (3) exhibit apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC)/CASP-1 complex formation; and (4) release the mature forms of interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18. We utilized quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, immunoblotting, and immunohistochemistry to determine the messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expression of major inflammasome components, nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD) proteins, and the pro- and mature/active forms of CASP-1, CASP-4, IL-1β, and IL-18. The ASC/CASP-1 complex formation was determined using an in situ proximity ligation assay. When comparing the chorioamniotic membranes from women in spontaneous preterm labor with acute histologic chorioamnionitis to those without this placental lesion, we found that (1) the mRNA of NLR family pyrin domain-containing protein ( NLRP) 1, NLRP3, NLR family CARD domain-containing protein 4 ( NLRC4), and NOD2 were higher; (2) the NLRP3 protein was increased; (3) the mRNA and active form (p10) of CASP-1 were greater; (4) the mRNA and active form of CASP-4 were increased; (5) the mRNA and mature form of IL-1β were higher; (6) the mature form of IL-18 was elevated; and (7) ASC/CASP-1 complex formation was increased. In conclusion, spontaneous preterm labor with acute histologic chorioamnionitis is characterized by an upregulation of NLRP3 and the active form of CASP-4, as well as increased ASC/CASP-1 complex formation, which may participate in the activation of CASP-1 and the maturation of IL-1β and IL-18 in the chorioamniotic membranes. These findings provide the first evidence that supports a role for the inflammasome in the pathological inflammation implicated in spontaneous preterm labor with acute histologic chorioamnionitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nardhy Gomez-Lopez
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Roberto Romero
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Yi Xu
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Olesya Plazyo
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Ronald Unkel
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Yaozhu Leng
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Nandor Gabor Than
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA
- Systems Biology of Reproduction Lendulet Research Group, Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
- Maternity Private Department, Kutvolgyi Clinical Block, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
- First Department of Pathology and Experimental Cancer Research, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tinnakorn Chaiworapongsa
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Bogdan Panaitescu
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Zhong Dong
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Adi L. Tarca
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Vikki M. Abrahams
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Lami Yeo
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Sonia S. Hassan
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
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26
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Gomez-Lopez N, Romero R, Xu Y, Garcia-Flores V, Leng Y, Panaitescu B, Miller D, Abrahams VM, Hassan SS. Inflammasome assembly in the chorioamniotic membranes during spontaneous labor at term. Am J Reprod Immunol 2017; 77:10.1111/aji.12648. [PMID: 28233423 PMCID: PMC5429868 DOI: 10.1111/aji.12648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
PROBLEM Inflammasome activation requires two steps: priming and assembly of the multimeric complex. The second step includes assembly of the sensor molecule and adaptor protein ASC (an apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD), which results in ASC speck formation and the recruitment of caspase (CASP)-1. Herein, we investigated whether there is inflammasome assembly in the chorioamniotic membranes and choriodecidual leukocytes from women who underwent spontaneous labor at term. METHOD OF STUDY Using in situ proximity ligation assays, ASC/CASP-1 complexes were determined in the chorioamniotic membranes from women who delivered at term without labor or underwent spontaneous labor at term with or without acute histologic chorioamnionitis (n=10-11 each). Also, ASC speck formation was determined by flow cytometry in the choriodecidual leukocytes isolated from women who delivered at term with or without spontaneous labor (n=9-12 each). RESULTS (i) ASC/CASP-1 complexes were detected in the chorioamniotic membranes; (ii) ASC/CASP-1 complexes were greater in the chorioamniotic membranes from women who underwent spontaneous labor at term than in those without labor; (iii) ASC/CASP-1 complexes were even more abundant in the chorioamniotic membranes from women who underwent spontaneous labor at term with acute histologic chorioamnionitis than in those without this placental lesion; (iv) ASC speck formation was detected in the choriodecidual leukocytes; and (v) ASC speck formation was greater in the choriodecidual leukocytes isolated from women who underwent spontaneous labor at term than in those without labor. CONCLUSION There is inflammasome assembly in the chorioamniotic membranes and choriodecidual leukocytes during spontaneous labor at term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nardhy Gomez-Lopez
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, Maryland, and Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Roberto Romero
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, Maryland, and Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Yi Xu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, Maryland, and Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Valeria Garcia-Flores
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, Maryland, and Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Yaozhu Leng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, Maryland, and Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Bogdan Panaitescu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, Maryland, and Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Derek Miller
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, Maryland, and Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Vikki M. Abrahams
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Sonia S. Hassan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, Maryland, and Detroit, Michigan, USA
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27
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El-Azzamy H, Balogh A, Romero R, Xu Y, LaJeunesse C, Plazyo O, Xu Z, Price TG, Dong Z, Tarca AL, Papp Z, Hassan SS, Chaiworapongsa T, Kim CJ, Gomez-Lopez N, Than NG. Characteristic Changes in Decidual Gene Expression Signature in Spontaneous Term Parturition. J Pathol Transl Med 2017; 51:264-283. [PMID: 28226203 PMCID: PMC5445200 DOI: 10.4132/jptm.2016.12.20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2016] [Revised: 12/03/2016] [Accepted: 12/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The decidua has been implicated in the “terminal pathway” of human term parturition, which is characterized by the activation of pro-inflammatory pathways in gestational tissues. However, the transcriptomic changes in the decidua leading to terminal pathway activation have not been systematically explored. This study aimed to compare the decidual expression of developmental signaling and inflammation-related genes before and after spontaneous term labor in order to reveal their involvement in this process. Methods Chorioamniotic membranes were obtained from normal pregnant women who delivered at term with spontaneous labor (TIL, n = 14) or without labor (TNL, n = 15). Decidual cells were isolated from snap-frozen chorioamniotic membranes with laser microdissection. The expression of 46 genes involved in decidual development, sex steroid and prostaglandin signaling, as well as pro- and anti-inflammatory pathways, was analyzed using high-throughput quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Chorioamniotic membrane sections were immunostained and then semi-quantified for five proteins, and immunoassays for three chemokines were performed on maternal plasma samples. Results The genes with the highest expression in the decidua at term gestation included insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 1 (IGFBP1), galectin-1 (LGALS1), and progestogen-associated endometrial protein (PAEP); the expression of estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1), homeobox A11 (HOXA11), interleukin 1β (IL1B), IL8, progesterone receptor membrane component 2 (PGRMC2), and prostaglandin E synthase (PTGES) was higher in TIL than in TNL cases; the expression of chemokine C-C motif ligand 2 (CCL2), CCL5, LGALS1, LGALS3, and PAEP was lower in TIL than in TNL cases; immunostaining confirmed qRT-PCR data for IL-8, CCL2, galectin-1, galectin-3, and PAEP; and no correlations between the decidual gene expression and the maternal plasma protein concentrations of CCL2, CCL5, and IL-8 were found. Conclusions Our data suggests that with the initiation of parturition, the decidual expression of anti-inflammatory mediators decreases, while the expression of pro-inflammatory mediators and steroid receptors increases. This shift may affect downstream signaling pathways that can lead to parturition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haidy El-Azzamy
- Perinatology Research Branch, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Andrea Balogh
- Perinatology Research Branch, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA.,Department of Immunology, Eotvos Lorand University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Roberto Romero
- Perinatology Research Branch, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.,Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.,Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Yi Xu
- Perinatology Research Branch, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA
| | | | - Olesya Plazyo
- Perinatology Research Branch, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Zhonghui Xu
- Perinatology Research Branch, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Theodore G Price
- Perinatology Research Branch, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Zhong Dong
- Perinatology Research Branch, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Adi L Tarca
- Perinatology Research Branch, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Zoltan Papp
- Maternity Private Department, Kutvolgyi Clinical Block, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Sonia S Hassan
- Perinatology Research Branch, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Tinnakorn Chaiworapongsa
- Perinatology Research Branch, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Chong Jai Kim
- Perinatology Research Branch, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA.,Department of Pathology, Wayne State University, School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA.,Department of Pathology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Nardhy Gomez-Lopez
- Perinatology Research Branch, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Nandor Gabor Than
- Perinatology Research Branch, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA.,Maternity Private Department, Kutvolgyi Clinical Block, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.,Systems Biology of Reproduction Lendulet Research Group, Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.,First Department of Pathology and Experimental Cancer Research, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
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28
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The Potential Functions of Small Heat Shock Proteins in the Uterine Musculature during Pregnancy. ADVANCES IN ANATOMY, EMBRYOLOGY, AND CELL BIOLOGY 2017; 222:95-116. [PMID: 28389752 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-51409-3_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The small heat shock protein B (HSPB) family is comprised of eleven members with many being induced by physiological stressors. In addition to being molecular chaperones, it is clear these proteins also play important roles in cell death regulation, cytoskeletal rearrangements, and immune system activation. These processes are important for the uterine smooth muscle or myometrium during pregnancy as it changes from a quiescent tissue, during the majority of pregnancy, to a powerful and contractile tissue at labor. The initiation and progression of labor within the myometrium also appears to require an inflammatory response as it is infiltrated by immune cells and it produces pro-inflammatory mediators. This chapter summarizes current knowledge on the expression of HSPB family members in the myometrium during pregnancy and speculates on the possible roles of these proteins during myometrial programming and transformation of the myometrium into a possible immune regulatory tissue.
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29
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Plazyo O, Romero R, Unkel R, Balancio A, Mial TN, Xu Y, Dong Z, Hassan SS, Gomez-Lopez N. HMGB1 Induces an Inflammatory Response in the Chorioamniotic Membranes That Is Partially Mediated by the Inflammasome. Biol Reprod 2016; 95:130. [PMID: 27806943 PMCID: PMC5315428 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.116.144139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2016] [Revised: 09/05/2016] [Accepted: 10/27/2016] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Spontaneous preterm labor occurs in two subsets of patients with sterile intra-amniotic inflammation, a process induced by alarmins such as high-mobility group box-1 (HMGB1). Inflammasomes are implicated in the process of spontaneous preterm labor. Therefore, we investigated whether HMGB1 initiates an inflammasome-associated inflammatory response in the chorioamniotic membranes. Incubation of the chorioamniotic membranes with HMGB1 1) induced the release of mature IL-1beta and IL-6; 2) upregulated the mRNA expression of the pro-inflammatory mediators NFKB1, IL6, TNF, IL1A, IFNG, and HMGB1 receptors RAGE and TLR2; 3) upregulated the mRNA expression of the inflammasome components NLRP3 and AIM2 as well as NOD proteins (NOD1 and NOD2); 4) increased the protein concentrations of NLRP3 and NOD2; 5) increased the concentration of caspase-1 and the quantity of its active form (p20); and 6) upregulated the mRNA expression and active form of MMP-9. In addition, HMGB1 concentrations in chorioamniotic membrane extracts from women who underwent spontaneous preterm labor were greater than in those from women who had undergone spontaneous labor at term. Collectively, these results show that HMGB1 can induce an inflammatory response in the chorioamniotic membranes, which is partially mediated by the inflammasome. These results provide insight into the mechanisms whereby HMGB1 induces preterm labor and birth in mice and explain why the concentration of this alarmin is increased in women who undergo spontaneous preterm labor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olesya Plazyo
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, Maryland, and Detroit, Michigan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Roberto Romero
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, Maryland, and Detroit, Michigan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Ronald Unkel
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, Maryland, and Detroit, Michigan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Amapola Balancio
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, Maryland, and Detroit, Michigan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Tara N Mial
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, Maryland, and Detroit, Michigan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Yi Xu
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, Maryland, and Detroit, Michigan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Zhong Dong
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, Maryland, and Detroit, Michigan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Sonia S Hassan
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, Maryland, and Detroit, Michigan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Nardhy Gomez-Lopez
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, Maryland, and Detroit, Michigan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
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30
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Sivarajasingam SP, Imami N, Johnson MR. Myometrial cytokines and their role in the onset of labour. J Endocrinol 2016; 231:R101-R119. [PMID: 27647860 DOI: 10.1530/joe-16-0157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2016] [Accepted: 09/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Human labour is an inflammatory event, physiologically driven by an interaction between hormonal and mechanical factors and pathologically associated with infection, bleeding and excessive uterine stretch. The initiation and communicators of inflammation is still not completely understood; however, a key role for cytokines has been implicated. We summarise the current understanding of the nature and role of cytokines, chemokines and hormones and their involvement in signalling within the myometrium particularly during labour.
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Affiliation(s)
- S P Sivarajasingam
- Department of Surgery and CancerImperial College London, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, UK
| | - N Imami
- Department of MedicineImperial College London, London, UK
| | - M R Johnson
- Department of Surgery and CancerImperial College London, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, UK
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31
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Gomez-Lopez N, Romero R, Xu Y, Plazyo O, Unkel R, Than NG, Chaemsaithong P, Chaiworapongsa T, Dong Z, Tarca AL, Abrahams VM, Yeo L, Hassan SS. A Role for the Inflammasome in Spontaneous Labor at Term with Acute Histologic Chorioamnionitis. Reprod Sci 2016; 24:934-953. [PMID: 27852921 DOI: 10.1177/1933719116675058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Inflammasomes are cytosolic signaling platforms that regulate the activation of caspase (CASP)-1, which induces the maturation of interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18. Herein, we determined whether the chorioamniotic membranes from women in spontaneous labor at term with acute histologic chorioamnionitis express major inflammasome components and whether these changes are associated with the activation of CASP-1 and CASP-4 and the release of mature IL-1β and IL-18. When comparing the chorioamniotic membranes from women in spontaneous labor at term with acute histologic chorioamnionitis to those without this placental lesion, we found that (1) the messenger RNA (mRNA) abundance of NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 ( NLRP3), NLR family CARD domain containing 4 ( NLRC4), absent in melanoma 2 ( AIM2), and nucleotide binding oligomerization domain 2 ( NOD2) was higher; (2) the NLRP3 and NLRC4 protein quantities were increased; (3) the mRNA and protein expressions of CASP-1 and its active forms were greater; (4) CASP-4 was increased at the mRNA level only; (5) the mRNA and protein expressions of IL-1β and its mature form were higher; and (6) a modest increase in the total protein concentration and abundance of the mature form of IL-18 was observed. In vitro incubation of the chorioamniotic membranes with the CASP-1 inhibitor, VX765, decreased the release of endotoxin-induced IL-1β and IL-18 (2-fold) but not IL-6 or tumor necrosis factor α. In conclusion, spontaneous labor at term with acute histologic chorioamnionitis is characterized by an upregulation of inflammasome components which, in turn, may participate in the activation of CASP-1 and lead to the release of mature IL-1β by the chorioamniotic membranes. These results support a role for the inflammasome in the mechanisms responsible for spontaneous labor at term with acute histologic chorioamnionitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nardhy Gomez-Lopez
- 1 Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA.,2 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA.,3 Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Roberto Romero
- 1 Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA.,4 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.,5 Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.,6 Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Yi Xu
- 1 Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA.,2 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Olesya Plazyo
- 1 Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA.,2 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Ronald Unkel
- 1 Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA.,2 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Nandor Gabor Than
- 1 Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA.,7 Systems Biology of Reproduction Lendulet Research Group, Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.,8 Maternity Private Department, Kutvolgyi Clinical Block, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.,9 First Department of Pathology and Experimental Cancer Research, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Piya Chaemsaithong
- 1 Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA.,2 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Tinnakorn Chaiworapongsa
- 1 Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA.,2 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Zhong Dong
- 1 Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA.,2 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Adi L Tarca
- 1 Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA.,2 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Vikki M Abrahams
- 10 Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Lami Yeo
- 1 Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA.,2 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Sonia S Hassan
- 1 Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA.,2 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
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32
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Pekson R, Poltoratsky V, Gorasiya S, Sundaram S, Ashby CR, Vancurova I, Reznik SE. N,N-Dimethylacetamide Significantly Attenuates LPS- and TNFα-Induced Proinflammatory Responses Via Inhibition of the Nuclear Factor Kappa B Pathway. Mol Med 2016; 22:747-758. [PMID: 27782292 DOI: 10.2119/molmed.2016.00017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2016] [Accepted: 10/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Previously, we have shown that N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMA) prevents inflammation-induced preterm birth in a murine model, inhibits LPS-induced increases in placental pro-inflammatory cytokines and up-regulates the anti-inflammatory cytokine Interleukin-10 (IL-10). However, DMA's mechanism of action remains to be elucidated. In the current study we investigate how DMA produces its anti-inflammatory effect. Using in vitro and ex vivo models, we show that DMA suppresses secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 cells, TNFα-challenged JEG-3 cells and LPS-stimulated human placental explants. DMA significantly attenuated the secretion of TNFα, IL-6, IL-10, and granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) from LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells, IL-6 secretion from TNFα-stimulated JEG-3 cells and TNFα, IL-6, IL-10, GM-CSF and Interleukin-8 (IL-8) from LPS-stimulated human placental explants. We further investigated if DMA's effect on cytokine expression involves the nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways. DMA (10 mM) significantly inhibited nuclear factor of kappa light polypeptide gene enhancer in B-cells inhibitor, alpha (IκBα) degradation in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells, but there was no significant change in the expression of phosphorylated or native forms of downstream proteins in the MAPK pathway. In addition, DMA significantly attenuated luciferase activity in cells co-transfected with NF-κB-Luc reporter plasmid, but not with AP-1-Luc or CEBP-Luc reporters. Overall, our findings suggest that the anti-inflammatory activity of DMA is mediated by inhibition of the NF-κB pathway via decreased IκBα degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Pekson
- Dept of Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. John's University
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Sandra E Reznik
- Dept of Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. John's University.,Depts of Pathology and Obstetrics and Gynecology and Women's Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
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Tiwari D, Bose PD, Sultana R, Das CR, Bose S. Preterm delivery and associated negative pregnancy outcome - A tale of faulty progesterone receptor signalling pathway and linked derailed immunomodulation: A study from Northeast India. J Reprod Immunol 2016; 118:76-84. [PMID: 27728856 DOI: 10.1016/j.jri.2016.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2016] [Revised: 09/07/2016] [Accepted: 10/05/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Preterm delivery (PTD) is one of the potent contributor of neonatal mortality and morbidity, and the underlying cause in some situation is elusive. This study attempts to delineate the association of deregulation in progesterone receptor (PR) pathway and deleterious immune responses in predisposing patients to PTD in Northeast India, a region with high rate of PTD cases. A total of 109 cases of PTD and 100 term delivery cases were enrolled with all clinical details. The PTD cases were stratified based on gestation age at delivery. The differential expression of PR and key downstream effectors and cytokines were evaluated for correlation with PTD susceptibility, gestational period, and pregnancy outcome. The results indicated a sharp downregulation in PR expression is associated with PTD susceptibility, lower gestational period and negative pregnancy outcome. The PR downstream effector PIBF was also found to be downregulated in PTD, and is associated with gestational period and negative pregnancy outcome. The downregulation of PR and PIBF expression was found to correlate with a predominant Th1 state with higher CD56+NK cell counts and pro-inflammatory burst lead by hyper TNF-α, NF-kB and IFNγ expression, and complicated by lower IL10 expression, contributing to PTD as well as negative pregnancy outcome in the PTD cases. TNF-α expression in placenta inversely correlated with placental PR expression. To conclude, deregulation in PR pathway is a hallmark of preterm delivery and negative pregnancy outcome. Differential expression of several markers such as PR, PIBF and TNF-α has prognostic significance, and hence is of clinical significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diptika Tiwari
- Department of Biological Science, Gauhati University, Guwahati, Assam, India; Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, CCSU, Guwahati, Assam, India
| | - Purabi Deka Bose
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, CCSU, Guwahati, Assam, India
| | - Rizwana Sultana
- Department of Biological Science, Gauhati University, Guwahati, Assam, India
| | - Chandana Ray Das
- Department of Biotechnology, Gauhati University, Guwahati, Assam, India; Guwahati Medical College Hospital (GMCH), Guwahati, Assam, India
| | - Sujoy Bose
- Department of Biotechnology, Gauhati University, Guwahati, Assam, India.
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Olson DM. The Promise of Prostaglandins: Have They Fulfilled Their Potential as Therapeutic Targets for the Delay of Preterm Birth? ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 12:466-78. [PMID: 16202923 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsgi.2005.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2004] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The elucidation some 30 years ago by Sir Mont Liggins that the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal-placental axis in fetal sheep led to elevated maternal prostaglandin (PG) concentrations and the initiation of labor provided hope that targeting PG synthesis or action would lead to effective tocolysis and lowering of the human preterm birth rate. This was the "promise of PGs." METHODS AND RESULTS Although early trials showed that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which inhibit PG H synthase (PGHS), delayed preterm birth by 48 hours, other trials revealed an association between NSAIDs and adverse fetal effects, including oligohydramnios, patent ductus arteriosus, necrotizing enterocolitis, intraventricular hemorrhage, and persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN). Hope was revived when studies in the mid 1990s demonstrated that much of the PGs synthesized by intrauterine tissues at preterm labor were derived from the inducible isoenzyme PGHS-2. Unfortunately, administration of specific PGHS-2 inhibitors led to the same adverse fetal effects displayed by the mixed PGHS-1 and -2 NSAIDs, causing interest in the promise of PGs to wane. This led to the development of new strategies for specific PG inhibition or antagonism. One of these is the application of a specific PGF2alpha receptor blocker, Theratechnologies (THG)113.31. THG113.31 decreases the in vitro contractile activity of mouse, sheep, and human myometrium in response to exogenous PGF2alpha, delays lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced preterm birth in mice, and lowers uterine electromyographic activity and delays preterm birth in sheep administered RU486. There have been no observable maternal or fetal side effects with its use. CONCLUSION By developing new strategies based on other therapeutic targets, the promise of PGs may once again offer hope for delaying preterm birth.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M Olson
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perinatal Research Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
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Bonazza C, Andrade SS, Sumikawa JT, Batista FP, Paredes-Gamero EJ, Girão MJBC, Oliva MLV, Castro RA. Primary Human Uterine Leiomyoma Cell Culture Quality Control: Some Properties of Myometrial Cells Cultured under Serum Deprivation Conditions in the Presence of Ovarian Steroids. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0158578. [PMID: 27391384 PMCID: PMC4938619 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0158578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2016] [Accepted: 06/17/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell culture is considered the standard media used in research to emulate the in vivo cell environment. Crucial in vivo experiments cannot be conducted in humans and depend on in vitro methodologies such as cell culture systems. However, some procedures involving the quality control of cells in culture have been gradually neglected by failing to acknowledge that primary cells and cell lines change over time in culture. Thus, we report methods based on our experience for monitoring primary cell culture of human myometrial cells derived from uterine leiomyoma. We standardized the best procedure of tissue dissociation required for the study of multiple genetic marker systems that include species-specific antigens, expression of myofibroblast or myoblast markers, growth curve, serum deprivation, starvation by cell cycle synchronization, culture on collagen coated plates, and 17 β-estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) effects. The results showed that primary myometrial cells from patients with uterine leiomyoma displayed myoblast phenotypes before and after in vitro cultivation, and leiomyoma cells differentiated into mature myocyte cells under the appropriate differentiation-inducing conditions (serum deprivation). These cells grew well on collagen coated plates and responded to E2 and P4, which may drive myometrial and leiomyoma cells to proliferate and adhere into a focal adhesion complex involvement in a paracrine manner. The establishment of these techniques as routine procedures will improve the understanding of the myometrial physiology and pathogenesis of myometrium-derived diseases such as leiomyoma. Mimicking the in vivo environment of fibrotic conditions can prevent false results and enhance results that are based on cell culture integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Bonazza
- Department of Gynecology of Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Joana Tomomi Sumikawa
- Department of Gynecology of Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | | | | | - Manoel J. B. C. Girão
- Department of Gynecology of Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Maria Luiza V. Oliva
- Department of Biochemistry of Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Aquino Castro
- Department of Gynecology of Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- * E-mail:
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Sharp GC, Hutchinson JL, Hibbert N, Freeman TC, Saunders PTK, Norman JE. Transcription Analysis of the Myometrium of Labouring and Non-Labouring Women. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0155413. [PMID: 27176052 PMCID: PMC4866706 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0155413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2015] [Accepted: 04/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
An incomplete understanding of the molecular mechanisms that initiate normal human labour at term seriously hampers the development of effective ways to predict, prevent and treat disorders such as preterm labour. Appropriate analysis of large microarray experiments that compare gene expression in non-labouring and labouring gestational tissues is necessary to help bridge these gaps in our knowledge. In this work, gene expression in 48 (22 labouring, 26 non-labouring) lower-segment myometrial samples collected at Caesarean section were analysed using Illumina HT-12 v4.0 BeadChips. Normalised data were compared between labouring and non-labouring groups using traditional statistical methods and a novel network graph approach. We sought technical validation with quantitative real-time PCR, and biological replication through inverse variance-weighted meta-analysis with published microarray data. We have extended the list of genes suggested to be associated with labour: Compared to non-labouring samples, labouring samples showed apparent higher expression at 960 probes (949 genes) and apparent lower expression at 801 probes (789 genes) (absolute fold change ≥1.2, rank product percentage of false positive value (RP-PFP) <0.05). Although half of the women in the labouring group had received pharmaceutical treatment to induce or augment labour, sensitivity analysis suggested that this did not confound our results. In agreement with previous studies, functional analysis suggested that labour was characterised by an increase in the expression of inflammatory genes and network analysis suggested a strong neutrophil signature. Our analysis also suggested that labour is characterised by a decrease in the expression of muscle-specific processes, which has not been explicitly discussed previously. We validated these findings through the first formal meta-analysis of raw data from previous experiments and we hypothesise that this represents a change in the composition of myometrial tissue at labour. Further work will be necessary to reveal whether these results are solely due to leukocyte infiltration into the myometrium as a mechanism initiating labour, or in addition whether they also represent gene changes in the myocytes themselves. We have made all our data available at www.ebi.ac.uk/arrayexpress/ (accession number E-MTAB-3136) to facilitate progression of this work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gemma C. Sharp
- Tommy’s Centre for Maternal and Fetal Health and Medical Research Council (MRC) Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - James L. Hutchinson
- Tommy’s Centre for Maternal and Fetal Health and Medical Research Council (MRC) Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Nanette Hibbert
- Tommy’s Centre for Maternal and Fetal Health and Medical Research Council (MRC) Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Tom C. Freeman
- Systems Immunology Group, Division of Genetics and Genomics, The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Philippa T. K. Saunders
- Tommy’s Centre for Maternal and Fetal Health and Medical Research Council (MRC) Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Jane E. Norman
- Tommy’s Centre for Maternal and Fetal Health and Medical Research Council (MRC) Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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Romero R, Xu Y, Plazyo O, Chaemsaithong P, Chaiworapongsa T, Unkel R, Than NG, Chiang PJ, Dong Z, Xu Z, Tarca AL, Abrahams VM, Hassan SS, Yeo L, Gomez-Lopez N. A Role for the Inflammasome in Spontaneous Labor at Term. Am J Reprod Immunol 2016; 79:e12440. [PMID: 26952361 DOI: 10.1111/aji.12440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2015] [Accepted: 09/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
PROBLEM Inflammasomes are signaling platforms that, upon sensing pathogens and sterile stressors, mediate the release of mature forms of interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18. The aims of this study were to determine (i) the expression of major inflammasome components in the chorioamniotic membranes in spontaneous labor at term, (ii) whether there are changes in the inflammasome components associated with the activation of caspase-1 and caspase-4, and (iii) whether these events are associated with the release of the mature forms of IL-1β and IL-18. METHOD OF STUDY Chorioamniotic membranes were collected from women at term with and without spontaneous labor. mRNA abundance and protein concentrations of inflammasome components, nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-containing (NOD)1 and NOD2 proteins, caspase-1, caspase-4, IL-1β, and IL-18 were quantified by qRT-PCR (n = 28-29 each), ELISA (n = 10 each) or immunoblotting (n = 8 each), and immunohistochemistry (n = 10 each). Active caspase-1 and caspase-4, as well as mature IL-18, were determined by immunoblotting (n = 4 each), and pro- and mature forms of IL-1β were determined by ELISA (n = 4-7 each). RESULTS Inflammasome components and NOD proteins were expressed in the chorioamniotic membranes obtained from women at term. The chorioamniotic membranes from women who underwent labor had (i) higher concentrations of NLRP3 (NOD-like receptor family, pyrin domain-containing protein 3) and NOD1 protein, (ii) greater immunoreactivity for caspase-1 and caspase-4, (iii) a greater quantity of the active form of caspase-1 (p20), and (iv) higher mRNA abundance and protein concentrations of pro- and mature IL-1β. However, mRNA abundance and protein concentrations of the mature form of IL-18 were not increased in tissues from women who underwent labor at term. CONCLUSIONS Spontaneous labor at term is characterized by the expression of inflammasome components, which may participate in the activation of caspase-1 and lead to the cleavage and release of mature IL-1β by the chorioamniotic membranes. These results support the participation of the inflammasome in the mechanisms responsible for spontaneous parturition at term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Romero
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.,Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.,Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Yi Xu
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Olesya Plazyo
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Piya Chaemsaithong
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Tinnakorn Chaiworapongsa
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Ronald Unkel
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Nandor Gabor Than
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA.,Institute of Enzymology, Momentum Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.,Maternity Private Department, Kutvolgyi Clinical Block, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.,First Department of Pathology and Experimental Cancer Research, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Po Jen Chiang
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Zhong Dong
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Zhonghui Xu
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Adi L Tarca
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Vikki M Abrahams
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Sonia S Hassan
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Lami Yeo
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Nardhy Gomez-Lopez
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI, USA.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA.,Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
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Lappas M. Copper metabolism domain-containing 1 represses the mediators involved in the terminal effector pathways of human labour and delivery. Mol Hum Reprod 2016; 22:299-310. [PMID: 26733542 DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gav075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2015] [Accepted: 12/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY HYPOTHESIS Does Copper Metabolism MURR1 Domain 1 (COMMD1) play a role in regulating the mediators involved in the terminal processes of human labour and delivery? STUDY FINDING COMMD1 plays a critical role in the termination of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activity and the control of pro-inflammatory and pro-labour mediators. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Inflammation and infection are the biggest aetiological factors associated with preterm birth. NF-κB drives the transcription of pro-inflammatory mediators involved in the terminal effector pathways of human labour and delivery. In non-gestational tissues, COMMD1 is a negative regulator of NF-κB-induced inflammation. STUDY DESIGN, SAMPLES/MATERIALS, METHODS The mRNA and/or protein level of COMMD1 was assessed in myometrium (n = 8 per group) and fetal membranes (n = 8 per group) obtained from term non-labouring and labouring women at term, and fetal membranes (n = 8 per group) at preterm with and without histological chorioamnionitis. Primary human myometrial cells were used to determine the effect of pro-inflammatory mediators on COMMD1 level, and the effect of COMMD1 small interfering RNA (siRNA) on pro-labour mediators. Statistical significance was ascribed to a P < 0.05. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE COMMD1 expression was significantly decreased with spontaneous term labour in myometrium; in fetal membranes with histologically confirmed chorioamnionitis and in myometrial cells treated with pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, the bacterial product fibroblast-stimulating lipopeptide and the viral double stranded RNA analogue polyinosinic polycytidilic acid. Loss-of-function studies revealed an increase in inflammation- and infection-induced TNF-α, IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8 and/or monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 mRNA abundance and/or release; and cyclo-oxygenase-2 mRNA level, release of prostaglandin (PG) F2α and mRNA level of the PGF2α receptor FP. In addition, siRNA knockdown of COMMD1 was associated with significantly increased NF-κB activation as evidenced by increased IL-1β-induced IκB-α protein degradation and NF-κB DNA binding activity. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION The conclusions are based on in vitro experiments with cells isolated from myometrium. Animal models, however, will be required to establish whether COMMD1 activators can prevent spontaneous preterm birth in vivo. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS The control of COMMD1 activation may provide an alternative therapeutic strategy for reducing the release of pro-labour mediators in spontaneous preterm labour. LARGE SCALE DATA Not applicable. STUDY FUNDING AND COMPETING INTERESTS Associate Professor Martha Lappas is supported by a Career Development Fellowship from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC; grant no. 1047025). Additional funding was provided by the Medical Research Foundation for Women and Babies and the Mercy Research Foundation. The author has no conflict of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martha Lappas
- Obstetrics, Nutrition and Endocrinology Group, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne, Mercy Hospital for Women, Level 4/163 Studley Road, Heidelberg 3084, Victoria, Australia Mercy Perinatal Research Centre, Mercy Hospital for Women, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
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Sotiriadis G, Dodagatta-Marri E, Kouser L, Alhamlan FS, Kishore U, Karteris E. Surfactant Proteins SP-A and SP-D Modulate Uterine Contractile Events in ULTR Myometrial Cell Line. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0143379. [PMID: 26641881 PMCID: PMC4671565 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0143379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2015] [Accepted: 11/04/2015] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Pulmonary surfactant proteins SP-A and SP-D are pattern recognition innate immune molecules. However, there is extrapulmonary existence, especially in the amniotic fluid and at the feto-maternal interface. There is sufficient evidence to suggest that SP-A and SP-D are involved in the initiation of labour. This is of great importance given that preterm birth is associated with increased mortality and morbidity. In this study, we investigated the effects of recombinant forms of SP-A and SP-D (rhSP-A and rhSP-D, the comprising of trimeric lectin domain) on contractile events in vitro, using a human myometrial cell line (ULTR) as an experimental model. Treatment with rhSP-A or rhSP-D increased the cell velocity, distance travelled and displacement by ULTR cells. rhSP-A and rhSP-D also affected the contractile response of ULTRs when grown on collagen matrices showing reduced surface area. We investigated this effect further by measuring contractility-associated protein (CAP) genes. Treatment with rhSP-A and rhSP-D induced expression of oxytocin receptor (OXTR) and connexin 43 (CX43). In addition, rhSP-A and rhSP-D were able to induce secretion of GROα and IL-8. rhSP-D also induced the expression of IL-6 and IL-6 Ra. We provide evidence that SP-A and SP-D play a key role in modulating events prior to labour by reconditioning the human myometrium and in inducing CAP genes and pro-inflammatory cytokines thus shifting the uterus from a quiescent state to a contractile one.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgios Sotiriadis
- Centre for Infection, Immunity and Disease Mechanisms, College of Health and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UB8 3PH, United Kingdom
| | - Eswari Dodagatta-Marri
- Centre for Infection, Immunity and Disease Mechanisms, College of Health and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UB8 3PH, United Kingdom
| | - Lubna Kouser
- Centre for Infection, Immunity and Disease Mechanisms, College of Health and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UB8 3PH, United Kingdom
| | - Fatimah S. Alhamlan
- Department of Infection and Immunity, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Uday Kishore
- Centre for Infection, Immunity and Disease Mechanisms, College of Health and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UB8 3PH, United Kingdom
| | - Emmanouil Karteris
- Centre for Infection, Immunity and Disease Mechanisms, College of Health and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UB8 3PH, United Kingdom
- Institute of Environment, Heath and Societies, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UB8 3PH, United Kingdom
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Furcron AE, Romero R, Plazyo O, Unkel R, Xu Y, Hassan SS, Chaemsaithong P, Mahajan A, Gomez-Lopez N. Vaginal progesterone, but not 17α-hydroxyprogesterone caproate, has antiinflammatory effects at the murine maternal-fetal interface. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2015; 213:846.e1-846.e19. [PMID: 26264823 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2015.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2015] [Revised: 06/25/2015] [Accepted: 08/04/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Progestogen (vaginal progesterone or 17-alpha-hydroxyprogesterone caproate [17OHP-C]) administration to patients at risk for preterm delivery is widely used for the prevention of preterm birth (PTB). The mechanisms by which these agents prevent PTB are poorly understood. Progestogens have immunomodulatory functions; therefore, we investigated the local effects of vaginal progesterone and 17OHP-C on adaptive and innate immune cells implicated in the process of parturition. STUDY DESIGN Pregnant C57BL/6 mice received vaginal progesterone (1 mg per 200 μL, n = 10) or Replens (control, 200 μL, n = 10) from 13 to 17 days postcoitum (dpc) or were subcutaneously injected with 17OHP-C (2 mg per 100 μL, n = 10) or castor oil (control, 100 μL, n = 10) on 13, 15, and 17 dpc. Decidual and myometrial leukocytes were isolated prior to term delivery (18.5 dpc) for immunophenotyping by flow cytometry. Cervical tissue samples were collected to determine matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 activity by in situ zymography and visualization of collagen content by Masson's trichrome staining. Plasma concentrations of progesterone, estradiol, and cytokines (interferon [IFN]γ, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12p70, keratinocyte-activated chemokine/growth-related oncogene, and tumor necrosis factor-α) were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Pregnant mice pretreated with vaginal progesterone or Replens were injected with 10 μg of an endotoxin on 16.5 dpc (n = 10 each) and monitored via infrared camera until delivery to determine the effect of vaginal progesterone on the rate of PTB. RESULTS The following results were found: (1) vaginal progesterone, but not 17OHP-C, increased the proportion of decidual CD4+ regulatory T cells; (2) vaginal progesterone, but not 17OHP-C, decreased the proportion of decidual CD8+CD25+Foxp3+ T cells and macrophages; (3) vaginal progesterone did not result in M1→M2 macrophage polarization but reduced the proportion of myometrial IFNγ+ neutrophils and cervical active MMP-9-positive neutrophils and monocytes; (4) 17OHP-C did not reduce the proportion of myometrial IFNγ+ neutrophils; however, it increased the abundance of cervical active MMP-9-positive neutrophils and monocytes; (5) vaginal progesterone immune effects were associated with reduced systemic concentrations of IL-1β but not with alterations in progesterone or estradiol concentrations; and (6) vaginal progesterone pretreatment protected against endotoxin-induced PTB (effect size 50%, P = 0.011). CONCLUSION Vaginal progesterone, but not 17OHP-C, has local antiinflammatory effects at the maternal-fetal interface and the cervix and protects against endotoxin-induced PTB.
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Novembri R, De Clemente C, Funghi L, Torricelli M, Voltolini C, Challis JR, Petraglia F. Corticotropin releasing hormone and Urocortin 2 activate inflammatory pathways in cultured trophoblast cell lines. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 2015; 195:200-205. [PMID: 26588439 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2015.10.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2015] [Revised: 06/26/2015] [Accepted: 10/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Embryo implantation and parturition are recognized as inflammatory events involving endocrine and immune system. NF-kB and MAPK are two transcription factor families involved in inflammation. A possible role of neuroendocrine mechanism in early pregnancy and delivery was proposed for the neuropeptides related to corticotropin releasing hormones (CRH), named Urocortins (Ucns). Experimental and clinical studies support a role for CRH, Ucn, Ucn2 and Ucn3 in the endocrine/immune modulation of inflammation in human trophoblast; however the intracellular mechanisms are not yet recognized. The aim of the present study was to evaluate which of these neuropeptides modulate NF-kB or MAPKs pathways. STUDY DESIGN In Jeg-3 placental cell line the effect of CRH, Ucn, Ucn2 or Ucn3 on NF-kB and MAPKs pathways were evaluated using Western blot analysis. RESULTS CRH induced the phosphorylation of MAPK subunits; Ucn2 was able to induce the phosphorylation of both NF-kB and MAPK subunits. Ucn and Ucn3 had no effects on these pathways. CONCLUSIONS These data provide novel information on inflammatory process in trophoblast cells: Ucn2 is a potent pro-inflammatory neuropeptide via NF-kB and MAPK pathways and CRH via MAPK, and CRH and Ucn2 network participates in the inflammatory mechanisms of pregnancy and parturition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romina Novembri
- Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena Viale Bracci, Siena, Italy
| | - Caterina De Clemente
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Siena, via Fiorentina 1, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Lucia Funghi
- Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena Viale Bracci, Siena, Italy
| | - Michela Torricelli
- Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena Viale Bracci, Siena, Italy
| | - Chiara Voltolini
- Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena Viale Bracci, Siena, Italy
| | - John R Challis
- The University of Western Australia M460A, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Felice Petraglia
- Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena Viale Bracci, Siena, Italy.
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Sykes L, Thomson KR, Boyce EJ, Lee YS, Rasheed ZBM, MacIntyre DA, Teoh TG, Bennett PR. Sulfasalazine augments a pro-inflammatory response in interleukin-1β-stimulated amniocytes and myocytes. Immunology 2015; 146:630-44. [PMID: 26395271 DOI: 10.1111/imm.12534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2014] [Revised: 08/26/2015] [Accepted: 09/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Preterm birth occurs in 10% of pregnancies and is a major cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. The majority of cases of early preterm labour are associated with infection/inflammation, which places the fetal central nervous system at risk. Targeting immune activation is therefore an appealing therapeutic strategy for the prevention of preterm labour and neonatal brain injury. The expression of many labour-associated and inflammatory-response genes is controlled by the transcription factors nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and activator protein-1 (AP-1), which makes them therapeutic targets of interest. Sulfasalazine (SASP) has been shown to inhibit NF-κB and reduce lipopolysaccharide-induced cytokine concentrations in fetal membrane explants and reduce the rate of Escherichia coli-induced preterm labour in mice. Its effects upon AP-1 in the context of pregnancy are unknown. In this study the effect of SASP on interleukin-1β (IL-1β) -induced NF-κB and AP-1 activity, cytokine production and cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression was examined in amniocytes and myocytes. A supra-therapeutic concentration (5 mm) was required to inhibit IL-1β-induced NF-κB (P < 0·0001) in amniocytes and IL-1β-induced NF-κB (P < 0·01), AP-1 (P < 0·01) and COX-2 (P < 0·05) in myocytes. Despite inhibiting IL-1β-induced cytokines, a basal increase in IL-6 (P < 0·01), IL-8 (P < 0·0001) and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) (P < 0·001) was seen with 5 mm SASP in amniocytes, and significant cytotoxic effects were seen in myocytes. The therapeutic concentration of 0·015 mm had no inhibitory effects on pro-inflammatory mediators, but led to an augmented response to IL-1β-induced IL-6 (P < 0·01), IL-8 (P < 0·05) and TNF-α (P < 0·05) in amniocytes and IL-8 (P < 0·05) in myocytes. SASP is therefore an unlikely therapeutic candidate for the prevention of inflammation-induced preterm labour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynne Sykes
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Parturition Research Group, Institute of Reproduction and Developmental Biology, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Kacie R Thomson
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Parturition Research Group, Institute of Reproduction and Developmental Biology, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Emily J Boyce
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Parturition Research Group, Institute of Reproduction and Developmental Biology, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Yun S Lee
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Parturition Research Group, Institute of Reproduction and Developmental Biology, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Zahirrah B M Rasheed
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Parturition Research Group, Institute of Reproduction and Developmental Biology, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - David A MacIntyre
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Parturition Research Group, Institute of Reproduction and Developmental Biology, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Tiong Ghee Teoh
- St Mary's Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Phillip R Bennett
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Parturition Research Group, Institute of Reproduction and Developmental Biology, Imperial College London, London, UK
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Cookson VJ, Waite SL, Heath PR, Hurd PJ, Gandhi SV, Chapman NR. Binding loci of RelA-containing nuclear factor-kappaB dimers in promoter regions of PHM1-31 myometrial smooth muscle cells. Mol Hum Reprod 2015; 21:865-83. [DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gav051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2015] [Accepted: 09/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
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Lappas M. KLF5 regulates infection- and inflammation-induced pro-labour mediators in human myometrium. Reproduction 2015; 149:413-24. [DOI: 10.1530/rep-14-0597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The transcription factor Kruppel-like factor 5 (KLF5) has been shown to associate with nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) to regulate genes involved in inflammation. However, there are no studies on the expression and regulation of KLF5 in the processes of human labour and delivery. Thus, the aims of this study were to determine the effect of i) human labour on KLF5 expression in both foetal membranes and myometrium; ii) the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin 1 beta (IL1β), bacterial product flagellin and the viral dsRNA analogue poly(I:C) on KLF5 expression and iii) KLF5 knockdown by siRNA in human myometrial primary cells on pro-inflammatory and pro-labour mediators. In foetal membranes, there was no effect of term or preterm labour on KLF5 expression. In myometrium, the term labour was associated with an increase in nuclear KLF5 protein expression. Moreover, KLF5 expression was also increased in myometrial cells treated with IL1β, flagellin or poly(IC), likely factors contributing to preterm birth. KLF5 silencing in myometrial cells significantly decreased IL1β-induced cytokine expression (IL6 and IL8 mRNA expression and release), COX2 mRNA expression, and subsequent release of prostaglandins PGE2 and PGF2α. KLF5 silencing also significantly reduced flagellin- and poly(I:C)-induced IL6 and IL8 mRNA expression. Lastly, IL1β-, flagellin- and poly(I:C)-stimulated NFκB transcriptional activity was significantly suppressed in KLF5-knockout myometrial cells. In conclusion, this study describes novel data in which KLF5 is increased in labouring myometrium, and KLF5 silencing decreased inflammation- and infection-induced pro-labour mediators.
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Kim SH, MacIntyre DA, Firmino Da Silva M, Blanks AM, Lee YS, Thornton S, Bennett PR, Terzidou V. Oxytocin activates NF-κB-mediated inflammatory pathways in human gestational tissues. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2015; 403:64-77. [PMID: 25451977 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2014.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2014] [Revised: 11/10/2014] [Accepted: 11/12/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Human labour, both at term and preterm, is preceded by NF-κB-mediated inflammatory activation within the uterus, leading to myometrial activation, fetal membrane remodelling and cervical ripening. The stimuli triggering inflammatory activation in normal human parturition are not fully understood. We show that the neurohypophyseal peptide, oxytocin (OT), activates NF-κB and stimulates downstream inflammatory pathways in human gestational tissues. OT stimulation (1 pM-100 nM) specifically via its receptor (OTR) in human myometrial and amnion primary cells led to MAPK and NF-κB activation within 15 min and maximal p65-subunit nuclear translocation within 30 min. Both in human myometrium and amnion, OT-induced activation of the canonical NF-κB pathway upregulated key inflammatory labour-associated genes including IL-8, CCL5, IL-6 and COX-2. IKKβ inhibition (TPCA1; 10 µM) suppressed OT-induced NF-κB-p65 phosphorylation, whereas p65-siRNA knockdown reduced basal and OT-induced COX-2 levels in myometrium and amnion. In both gestational tissues, MEK1/2 (U0126; 10 µM) or p38 inhibition (SB203580; 10 µM) suppressed OT-induced COX-2 expression, but OT-induced p65-phosphorylation was only inhibited in amnion, suggesting OT activation of NF-κB in amnion is MAPK-dependent. Our data provide new insight into the OT/OTR system in human parturition and suggest that its therapeutic modulation could be a strategy for regulating both contractile and inflammatory pathways in the clinical context of term/preterm labour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sung Hye Kim
- Imperial College London, Parturition Research Group, Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Du Cane Road, East Acton, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom
| | - David A MacIntyre
- Imperial College London, Parturition Research Group, Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Du Cane Road, East Acton, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom
| | - Maria Firmino Da Silva
- Imperial College London, Parturition Research Group, Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Du Cane Road, East Acton, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew M Blanks
- University of Warwick, Clinical Sciences Research Institute, Warwick Medical School, UHCW, Clifford Bridge Road, Coventry CV2 2DX, United Kingdom
| | - Yun S Lee
- Imperial College London, Parturition Research Group, Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Du Cane Road, East Acton, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom
| | - Steven Thornton
- University of Exeter Medical School, Barrack Road, Exeter EX2 5DW, United Kingdom
| | - Phillip R Bennett
- Imperial College London, Parturition Research Group, Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Du Cane Road, East Acton, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom
| | - Vasso Terzidou
- Imperial College London, Parturition Research Group, Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Du Cane Road, East Acton, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom; Academic Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Imperial College School of Medicine, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, 369 Fulham Road, London SW10 9NH, United Kingdom.
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Voltolini C, Battersby S, Novembri R, Torricelli M, Severi FM, Petraglia F, Norman JE. Urocortin 2 role in placental and myometrial inflammatory mechanisms at parturition. Endocrinology 2015; 156:670-9. [PMID: 25426872 DOI: 10.1210/en.2014-1432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of the study was to investigate urocortin (Ucn)2 involvement in placental and myometrial inflammatory pathways associated with parturition by evaluating: 1) Ucn2 and its receptor, CRH-receptor type 2 (CRH-R2), expression in laboring/nonlaboring human gestational tissues and in mouse utero-placental tissues approaching delivery; and 2) Ucn2 effect on myometrial contractility and on the expression of inflammatory mediators (prostaglandin F2α receptor and cytokines) and regulation of Ucn2 by TNF-α in cultured myometrial cell line. Placenta (n = 16), fetal membranes (n = 16), and myometrium (n = 22) were obtained from healthy pregnant women delivering at term by vaginal/elective caesarean delivery and from timed-pregnant mice on days 16-19. Expression of Ucn2/CRH-R2 in human/mouse tissues and inflammatory mediators in myometrial cell lines were measured by RT-PCR or ELISA, mouse Ucn2/CRH-R2 protein localization by immunohistochemistry. Ucn2 but not CRH-R2 was up-regulated (P < .05) in all human tissues in labor (compared with before labor) and increased significantly (P < .01) in mouse placenta approaching delivery. Ucn2 was up-regulated by TNF-α via nuclear factor-κB (NF-kB) in myometrium cell lines (P < .05 or P < .01 on the basis of treatment doses) and increased proinflammatory mediators and prostaglandin F (PGF2α) receptor expression (P < .05) via CRH-R2, without a direct effect on contractility. Placental and myometrial Ucn2 may play a role in the endocrine-inflammatory processes of parturition, representing a potential target for treating inflammation-induced obstetric complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Voltolini
- Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine (C.V., R.N., M.T., F.M.S., F.P.), University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy; and Medical Research Council Centre for Reproductive Health (S.B., J.E.N.), University of Edinburgh, EH16 4TY Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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Lim R, Barker G, Lappas M. Human cathelicidin antimicrobial protein 18 (hCAP18/LL-37) is increased in foetal membranes and myometrium after spontaneous labour and delivery. J Reprod Immunol 2014; 107:31-42. [PMID: 25435436 DOI: 10.1016/j.jri.2014.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2014] [Revised: 10/15/2014] [Accepted: 10/17/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Infection and/or inflammation are most commonly associated with preterm birth. Studies have shown that antimicrobial peptides can modulate the inflammatory response in non-gestational tissues; the human cathelicidin hCAP18 (and its active component LL-37) has such anti-microbial and immunomodulatory properties. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of human labour on hCAP18 expression in foetal membranes and myometrium, and to determine the effect of the synthetic LL-37 peptide on pro-inflammatory and pro-labour mediators in foetal membranes and myometrium. The localisation and expression of hCAP18 in non-labouring and labouring tissues was determined by immunohistochemistry and Western blot, respectively. Tissue explants were used to determine the effect of LL-37 on pro-labour mediators. hCAP18 was localised to the amnion epithelium, cytotrophoblasts and decidua in the foetal membranes, and in the longitudinal and transverse muscle fibres of the myometrium. Additional hCAP18 staining was present in leukocytes. In foetal membranes and myometrium, human labour was associated with significantly higher hCAP18 protein expression. Treatment of foetal membranes and myometrium with LL-37 significantly induced the expression and secretion of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α, and the chemokines IL-8 and MCP-1. LL-37 also induced expression of MMP-9 mRNA and pro MMP-9 expression in foetal membranes. Co-treatment with BAY 11-7082 was associated with a decrease in LL-37-induced pro-inflammatory cytokine expression. Moreover, inhibition of MyD88 in myometrial cells decreased LL-37-induced pro-inflammatory cytokine expression and release. LL-37 also significantly increased NF-κB transcriptional activity. In conclusion, hCAP18/LL-37 induces pro-inflammatory and pro-labour mediators, via the MyD88/NF-κB pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ratana Lim
- Mercy Perinatal Research Centre, Mercy Hospital for Women, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia; Obstetrics, Nutrition and Endocrinology Group, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Gillian Barker
- Mercy Perinatal Research Centre, Mercy Hospital for Women, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia; Obstetrics, Nutrition and Endocrinology Group, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Martha Lappas
- Mercy Perinatal Research Centre, Mercy Hospital for Women, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia; Obstetrics, Nutrition and Endocrinology Group, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
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Okabe H, Makino S, Kato K, Matsuoka K, Seki H, Takeda S. The effect of progesterone on genes involved in preterm labor. J Reprod Immunol 2014; 104-105:80-91. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jri.2014.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2013] [Revised: 03/19/2014] [Accepted: 03/26/2014] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
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Liong S, Lappas M. Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Is Increased after Spontaneous Labor in Human Fetal Membranes and Myometrium Where It Regulates the Expression of Prolabor Mediators1. Biol Reprod 2014; 91. [DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.114.120741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/30/2023] Open
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50
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Wouters E, Hudson CA, McArdle CA, Bernal AL. Central role for protein kinase C in oxytocin and epidermal growth factor stimulated cyclooxygenase 2 expression in human myometrial cells. BMC Res Notes 2014; 7:357. [PMID: 24916153 PMCID: PMC4057899 DOI: 10.1186/1756-0500-7-357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2013] [Accepted: 06/03/2014] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prostaglandins are important mediators of uterine contractility and cervical ripening during labour. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), also known as prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2, is a rate limiting enzyme involved in the conversion of arachidonic acid into prostaglandins at parturition. In this paper, the pathways underlying agonist-induced cyclooxygenase-2 expression in human myometrial cells were studied. RESULTS Myometrial cells were stimulated with different agonists: oxytocin (OXT), epidermal growth factor (EGF), interleukin-1β (IL1β), and phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) alone and in the presence of specific signalling pathway inhibitors. The nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NFKB) pathway was inhibited by means of the IKK-2 inhibitor TPCA-1. Signalling through extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) was inhibited using the MEK1/2 inhibitor PD-184352. Bisindolylmaleimide-I was used to inhibit protein kinase C (PKC) signalling. COX-2 expression and ERK phosphorylation were measured using immunoblotting.OXT induced COX-2 expression by activating PKC and ERK. EGF increased COX-2 expression via stimulation of PKC, ERK and NFKB. As expected, the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL1β induced COX-2 expression by activating PKC- and NFKB-dependent pathways. Stimulation of PKC directly with PMA provoked strong COX-2 expression. CONCLUSIONS PKC plays a central role in OXT and EGF induced COX-2 expression in human myometrial cells. However, other pathways, notably ERK and NFKB are also involved to an extent which depends on the type of agonist used.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Andrés López Bernal
- University of Bristol, School of Clinical Sciences (Obstetrics and Gynaecology), Dorothy Hodgkin Building, Whitson Street, Bristol BS1 3NY, UK.
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