Forkhead-box C1 attenuates high glucose-induced trophoblast cell injury during gestational diabetes mellitus via activating adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase through regulating fibroblast growth factor 19

Combining bioinformatics and machine learning algorithms to identify and analyze shared biomarkers and pathways in COVID-19 convalescence and diabetes mellitus

Background

Most patients who had coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) fully recovered, but many others experienced acute sequelae or persistent symptoms. It is possible that acute COVID-19 recovery is just the beginning of a chronic condition. Even after COVID-19 recovery, it may lead to the exacerbation of hyperglycemia process or a new onset of diabetes mellitus (DM). In this study, we used a combination of bioinformatics and machine learning algorithms to investigate shared pathways and biomarkers in DM and COVID-19 convalescence.

Methods

Gene transcriptome datasets of COVID-19 convalescence and diabetes mellitus from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) were integrated using bioinformatics methods and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were found using the R programme. These genes were also subjected to Gene Ontology (GO) functional enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis to find potential pathways. The hub DEGs genes were then identified by combining protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks and machine learning algorithms. And transcription factors (TFs) and miRNAs were predicted for DM after COVID-19 convalescence. In addition, the inflammatory and immune status of diabetes after COVID-19 convalescence was assessed by single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA).

Results

In this study, we developed genetic diagnostic models for 6 core DEGs beteen type 1 DM (T1DM) and COVID-19 convalescence and 2 core DEGs between type 2 DM (T2DM) and COVID-19 convalescence and demonstrated statistically significant differences (p<0.05) and diagnostic validity in the validation set. Analysis of immune cell infiltration suggests that a variety of immune cells may be involved in the development of DM after COVID-19 convalescence.

Conclusion

We identified a genetic diagnostic model for COVID-19 convalescence and DM containing 8 core DEGs and constructed a nomogram for the diagnosis of COVID-19 convalescence DM.

Sex-based differences in placental DNA methylation profiles related to gestational age: an NIH ECHO meta-analysis

The placenta undergoes many changes throughout gestation to support the evolving needs of the foetus. There is also a growing appreciation that male and female foetuses develop differently in utero, with unique epigenetic changes in placental tissue. Here, we report meta-analysed sex-specific associations between gestational age and placental DNA methylation from four cohorts in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Programme (355 females/419 males, gestational ages 23-42 weeks). We identified 407 cytosine-guanine dinucleotides (CpGs) in females and 794 in males where placental methylation levels were associated with gestational age. After cell-type adjustment, 55 CpGs in females and 826 in males were significant. These were enriched for biological processes critical to the immune system in females and transmembrane transport in males. Our findings are distinct between the sexes: in females, associations with gestational age are largely explained by differences in placental cellular composition, whereas in males, gestational age is directly associated with numerous alterations in methylation levels.

Elevated galectin-3 levels detected in women with hyperglycemia during early and mid-pregnancy antagonizes high glucose - induced trophoblast cells apoptosis via galectin-3/foxc1 pathway

OBJECTIVE

This study was to evaluate plasma galectin-3 levels from early pregnancy to delivery and explore the effects of galectin-3 on the function of trophoblast cells under high glucose exposure.

METHODS

The plasma galectin-3 levels were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in the China National Birth Cohort (CNBC) at Peking University First Hospital, and the underlying signaling pathway was identified by protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), quantitative PCR (qPCR), western blotting, small interfering RNA (siRNA) transfections, and flow cytometry.

RESULTS

Significantly higher galectin-3 levels were found in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM group; n = 77) during the first and second trimesters than that in healthy pregnant women (HP group; n = 113) (P < 0.05). No significant differences in plasma galectin-3 levels were detected between GDM and HP groups in maternal third-trimester blood and cord blood. PPI analysis suggested potential interactions between galectin-3 and foxc1. The findings of GSEA showed that galectin-3 was involved in the cytochrome P450-related and complement-related pathways, and foxc1 was associated with type I diabetes mellitus. Additionally, high glucose (25 mM) significantly increased the expression levels of galectin-3 and foxc1 and induced apoptosis in HTR-8/SVneo cells. Further in vitro experiments showed that galectin-3/foxc1 pathway could protect HTR-8/SVneo cells against high glucose - induced apoptosis.

CONCLUSION

Future studies were required to validate whether plasma galectin-3 might become a potential biomarker for hyperglycemia during pregnancy. Elevated galectin-3 levels might be a vital protective mechanism among those exposed to hyperglycemia during pregnancy.

Hyperglycemia disturbs trophoblast functions and subsequently leads to failure of uterine spiral artery remodeling

Uterine spiral artery remodeling is necessary for fetal growth and development as well as pregnancy outcomes. During remodeling, trophoblasts invade the arteries, replace the endothelium and disrupt the vascular smooth muscle, and are strictly regulated by the local microenvironment. Elevated glucose levels at the fetal-maternal interface are associated with disorganized placental villi and poor placental blood flow. Hyperglycemia disturbs trophoblast proliferation and invasion via inhibiting the epithelial-mesenchymal transition, altering the protein expression of related proteases (MMP9, MMP2, and uPA) and angiogenic factors (VEGF, PIGF). Besides, hyperglycemia influences the cellular crosstalk between immune cells, trophoblast, and vascular cells, leading to the failure of spiral artery remodeling. This review provides insight into molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways of hyperglycemia that influence trophoblast functions and uterine spiral artery remodeling.

Ubiquitin-specific peptidase 2 inhibits epithelial-mesenchymal transition in clear cell renal cell carcinoma metastasis by downregulating the NF-κB pathway

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma, the most common type of renal cancer, is associated with poor survival. Ubiquitin-specific peptidase 2 regulates the molecular mechanisms of cancer cells. However, its mechanism in clear cell renal cell carcinoma remains unclear. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and immunohistochemistry were performed to assess ubiquitin-specific peptidase 2 expression in human clear cell renal cell carcinoma samples. Ubiquitin-specific peptidase 2 was weakly expressed in clear cell renal cell carcinoma samples and associated with poor patient outcomes. Ubiquitin-specific peptidase 2 inhibition promoted clear cell renal cell carcinoma cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Ubiquitin-specific peptidase 2 overexpression inhibited clear cell renal cell carcinoma cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro and in vivo. RNA-sequencing showed significant changes in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition-related pathways following ubiquitin-specific peptidase 2 knockdown. Western blotting was performed to detect the protein expression levels. Expression of p-nuclear factor-κB p65, N-cadherin, Vimentin, and Snail, which were markedly increased, as well as E-cadherin, which was decreased following ubiquitin-specific peptidase 2 knockdown. Rescue experiments using the nuclear factor-κB inhibitor BAY 11–7082 revealed that the migration and invasion abilities and the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition pathway proteins were inhibited in both the short hairpin RNA (shRNA) for ubiquitin-specific peptidase 2 and shRNA for negative control groups. Ubiquitin-specific peptidase 2 is a potential biomarker to distinguish clear cell renal cell carcinoma patients from healthy individuals. Ubiquitin-specific peptidase 2-mediated inhibition of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in clear cell renal cell carcinoma cells is dependent on the nuclear factor-κB pathway.