STOX1 deficiency is associated with renin-mediated gestational hypertension and placental defects

m6A deficiency impairs uterine spiral artery remodeling to induce preeclampsia-like symptoms via FGF2

Failures in uterine spiral artery remodeling can lead to placental defects and subsequent preeclampsia, a leading cause of fetal and maternal mortality during pregnancy. N6-methyladenosine (m6A), the most abundant mRNA modification, is dysregulated in samples with preeclampsia. However, whether and how m6A regulates uterine spiral artery remodeling and leads to subsequent preeclampsia in vivo remains unexplored. In this study, we generated two m6A deficiency mouse models: one with a trophoblast-specific knockout of the m6A methyltransferase gene Mettl3, and another with a methyltransferase enzyme mutation. Using these models, we demonstrated that m6A deficiency impaired extravillous trophoblasts (EVTs) infiltration into the uterine spiral arteries, and the remodeling of the spiral arteries in vivo. We further showed that m6A inhibition induced preeclampsia-like symptoms. Mechanistically, we revealed that the m6A modification of FGF2 mRNA, which encodes a secreted peptide implicated in preeclampsia, facilitated its expression. Notably, administration of the FGF2 peptide largely restored EVTs invasion and uterine spiral artery remodeling in m6A-deficient mice. Our findings underscore the importance of m6A in facilitating uterine spiral artery remodeling and prove the pathological mechanisms in vivo, suggesting a new therapeutic approach for preeclampsia caused by m6A deficiency.

Preeclampsia and STOX1 (storkhead-box protein 1): Molecular evaluation of STOX1 in preeclampsia

Preeclampsia (PE) is clinically defined as a part of pregnancy characterized by hypertension and multiple organ failure. PE is broadly categorized into two types: "placental" and "maternal". Placental PE is associated with fetal growth restriction and adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. STOX1 (Storkhead box 1), a transcription factor, discovered through a complete transcript analysis of the PE susceptibility locus of 70,000 bp on chromosome 10q22.1. So far, studies investigating the relationship between STOX1 and PE have focused on STOX1 overexpression, STOX1 isoform imbalance, and STOX1 variations that could have clinical consequence. Initially, the Y153H variation of STOX was associated with the placental form of PE. Additionally, studies focusing on the maternal and fetal interface have shown that NODAL and STOX1 variations play a role together in the unsuccessful remodeling of the spiral arteries. Research specifically addressing the overexpression of STOX1 has shown that its disruption of cellular hemoastasis, leading to impaired hypoxia response, disruption of the cellular antioxidant system, and nitroso/redox imbalance. Furthermore, functional studies have been conducted showing that the imbalance between STOX1 isoforms contributes to the pathogenesis of placental PE. Research indicates that STOX1B competes with STOX1A and that the overexpression of STOX1B reverses cellular changes that STOX1A induces to the pathogenesis of PE. In this review, we aimed at elucidating the relationship between STOX1 and PE as well as function of STOX1. In conclusion, based on a comprehensive literature review, numerous studies support the role of STOX1 in the pathogenesis of PE.

Identification of metabolism related biomarkers in obesity based on adipose bioinformatics and machine learning

BACKGROUND

Obesity has emerged as a growing global public health concern over recent decades. Obesity prevalence exhibits substantial global variation, ranging from less than 5% in regions like China, Japan, and Africa to rates exceeding 75% in urban areas of Samoa.

AIM

To examine the involvement of metabolism-related genes.

METHODS

Gene expression datasets GSE110729 and GSE205668 were accessed from the GEO database. DEGs between obese and lean groups were identified through DESeq2. Metabolism-related genes and pathways were detected using enrichment analysis, WGCNA, Random Forest, and XGBoost. The identified signature genes were validated by real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) in mouse models.

RESULTS

A total of 389 genes exhibiting differential expression were discovered, showing significant enrichment in metabolic pathways, particularly in the propanoate metabolism pathway. The orangered4 module, which exhibited the highest correlation with propanoate metabolism, was identified using Weighted Correlation Network Analysis (WGCNA). By integrating the DEGs, WGCNA results, and machine learning methods, the identification of two metabolism-related genes, Storkhead Box 1 (STOX1), NACHT and WD repeat domain-containing protein 2(NWD2) was achieved. These signature genes successfully distinguished between obese and lean individuals. qRT-PCR analysis confirmed the downregulation of STOX1 and NWD2 in mouse models of obesity.

CONCLUSION

This study has analyzed the available GEO dataset in order to identify novel factors associated with obesity metabolism and found that STOX1 and NWD2 may serve as diagnostic biomarkers.

RISING STARS: Approaches to modeling placental function in preeclampsia in vitro and in vivo

Modeling preeclampsia remains difficult due to the nature of the disease and the unique characteristics of the human placenta. Members of the Hominidae superfamily have a villous hemochorial placenta that is different in structure from those of other therian mammals, including the mouse hemochorial placenta, making this common animal model less ideal for studying this disease. Human placental tissues delivered from pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia are excellent for assessing the damage the disease causes but cannot answer how or when the disease begins. Symptoms of preeclampsia manifest halfway through pregnancy or later, making it currently impossible to identify preeclampsia in human tissues obtained from an early stage of pregnancy. Many animal and cell culture models recapitulate various aspects of preeclampsia, though none can on its own completely capture the complexity of human preeclampsia. It is particularly difficult to uncover the cause of the disease using models in which the disease is induced in the lab. However, the many ways by which preeclampsia-like features can be induced in a variety of laboratory animals are consistent with the idea that preeclampsia is a two-stage disease, in which a variety of initial insults may lead to placental ischemia, and ultimately systemic symptoms. The recent development of stem cell-based models, organoids, and various coculture systems have brought in vitro systems with human cells ever closer to recapitulating in vivo events that lead to placental ischemia.

Modeling Preeclampsia In Vitro: Polymorphic Variants of STOX1-A/B Genes Can Downregulate CD24 in Trophoblast Cell Lines

CD24 is a mucin-like immunosuppressing glycoprotein whose levels increase during pregnancy and decrease in the syncytio- and cytotrophoblasts in early and preterm preeclampsia. We used two modified cell lines that mimic in vitro features of preeclampsia to identify if this phenomenon could be reproduced. Our model was the immortalized placental-derived BeWo and JEG-3 cell lines that overexpress the STOX1 A/B transcription factor gene that was discovered in familial forms of preeclampsia. BeWo and JEG-3 cells stably transduced with the two major isoforms of STOX1-A/B or by an empty vector (control), were propagated, harvested, and analyzed. CD24 mRNA expression was determined by quantitative real-time polymerase nuclear chain reaction (qRT-PCR). CD24 protein levels were determined by Western blots. In STOX1-A/B overexpressing in BeWo cells, CD24 mRNA was downregulated by 91 and 85%, respectively, compared to the control, and by 30% and 74%, respectively in JEG-3 cells. A 67% and 82% decrease in CD24 protein level was determined by immunoblot in BeWo overexpressing STOX1-A/B, respectively, while the reduction in JEG-3 cells was between 47 and 62%. The immortalized BeWo and JEG-3 cell lines overexpressing STOX1-A/B had reduced CD24. Although both cell lines were affected, BeWo appears to be more susceptible to downregulation by STOX-1 than JEG-3, potentially because of their different cell origin and properties. These results strengthen the in vivo results of reduced CD24 levels found in early and preterm preeclampsia. Accordingly, it implies the importance of the reduced immune tolerance in preeclampsia, which was already demonstrated in vivo in the STOX1-A/B model of preeclampsia, and is now implied in the in vitro STOX-1 model, a subject that warrants further investigations.

Physiological and pathological roles of Ang II and Ang- (1-7) in the female reproductive system

The local Renin-Angiotensin System (RAS) has been demonstrated to exist in a wide range of tissues and organs, In the female reproductive system, it is mainly found in the ovary, uterus and placenta. The RAS system is made up of a series of active substances and enzymes, in addition to the circulating endocrine renin-angiotensin system. The active peptides Angiotensin II (Ang II) and Angiotensin (1-7) (Ang-(1-7)), in particular, appear to have distinct activities in the local RAS system, which also controls blood pressure and electrolytes. Therefore, in addition to these features, angiotensin and its receptors in the reproductive system seemingly get involved in reproductive processes, such as follicle growth and development, as well as physiological functions of the placenta and uterus. In addition, changes in local RAS components may induce reproductive diseases as well as pathological states such as cancer. In most tissues, Ang II and Ang- (1-7) seem to maintain antagonistic effects, but this conclusion is not always true in the reproductive system, where they play similar functions in some physiological and pathological roles. This review investigated how Ang II, Ang- (1-7) and their receptors were expressed, localized, and active in the female reproductive system. This review also summarized their effects on follicle development, uterine and placental physiological functions. The changes of local RAS components in a series of reproductive system diseases including infertility related diseases and cancer and their influence on the occurrence and development of diseases were elucidated. This article reviews the physiological and pathological roles of Ang II and Ang- (1-7) in female reproductive system,a very intricate system of tissue factors that operate as agonists and antagonists was found. Besides, the development of novel therapeutic strategies targeting components of this system may be a research direction in future.

Role of the Uteroplacental Renin-Angiotensin System in Placental Development and Function, and Its Implication in the Preeclampsia Pathogenesis

Placental development and function implicate important morphological and physiological adaptations to thereby ensure efficient maternal–fetal exchanges, as well as pregnancy-specific hormone secretion and immune modulation. Incorrect placental development can lead to severe pregnancy disorders, such as preeclampsia (PE), which endangers both the mother and the infant. The implication of the systemic renin–angiotensin system (RAS) in the pregnancy-related physiological changes is now well established. However, despite the fact that the local uteroplacental RAS has been described for several decades, its role in placental development and function seems to have been underestimated. In this review, we provide an overview of the multiple roles of the uteroplacental RAS in several cellular processes of placental development, its implication in the regulation of placental function during pregnancy, and the consequences of its dysregulation in PE pathogenesis.