Effect of 9,12-Octadecadiynoic Acid on Neurobehavioral Development in Caenorhabditis elegans

Integrated metabolomics and transcriptomics to reveal biomarkers and mitochondrial metabolic dysregulation of premature ovarian insufficiency

Background

The metabolic characteristics of premature ovarian insufficiency (POI), a reproductive endocrine disease characterized by abnormal sex hormone metabolism and follicle depletion, remain unclear. Metabolomics is a powerful tool for exploring disease phenotypes and biomarkers. This study aims to identify metabolic markers and construct diagnostic models, and elucidate the underlying pathological mechanisms for POI.

Methods

Non-targeted metabolomics was utilized to characterize the plasma metabolic profile of 40 patients. The metabolic markers were identified through bioinformatics and machine learning, and constructed an optimal diagnostic model by classified multi-model analysis. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to verify antioxidant indexes, mitochondrial enzyme complexes, and ATP levels. Finally, integrated transcriptomics and metabolomics were used to reveal the dysregulated pathways and molecular regulatory mechanisms of POI.

Results

The study identified eight metabolic markers significantly correlated with ovarian reserve function. The XGBoost diagnostic model was developed based on six machine learning models, demonstrating its robust diagnostic performance and clinical applicability through the evaluation of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, decision curve analysis (DCA), calibration curve, and precise recall (PR) curve. Multi-omics analysis showed that mitochondrial respiratory chain electron carrier (CoQ10) and enzyme complex subunits were down-regulated in POI. ELISA validation revealed an elevation in oxidative stress markers and a reduction in the activities of antioxidant enzymes, CoQ10, and mitochondrial enzyme complexes in POI.

Conclusion

Our findings highlight that mitochondrial dysfunction and energy metabolism disorders are closely related to the pathogenesis of POI. The identification of metabolic markers and predictive models holds significant implications for the diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of POI.

Dolutegravir-induced growth and lifespan effects in Caenorhabditis elegans

BACKGROUND

Integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTIs)-based combination antiretroviral treatment in people living with HIV (PLWH) has been reportedly correlated with several adverse effects, such as weight gain, fetal defects or psychiatric disorders.

METHODS

To comprehensively understand the adverse effect of INSTIs, our study utilized Caenorhabditis Elegans (C. elegans) as a model to investigate how dolutegravir (DTG) affected its life cycle, growth, reproduction and lifespan.

RESULTS

Our results indicated that DTG enhanced body growth at the early stage of treatment, but no change was detected for long-term treatment. The treatment also influenced the reproductive system, decreased egg-hatching but had no effect on egg-laying. Besides, DTG resulted in lifespan reduction, which is dependent on increased levels of reactive oxidative species (ROS) accumulation. Treatment with N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) in worms restrained intracellular ROS accumulation and improved DTG-induced lifespan reduction.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study demonstrates for the first time the effect of DTG treatment on life cycle. DTG-induced adverse effects are potentially associated with intracellular ROS accumulation. Quenching ROS accumulation might provide a novel strategy for dealing with the adverse effects of INSTIs.

Carboxyl-modified polystyrene microplastics induces neurotoxicity by affecting dopamine, glutamate, serotonin, and GABA neurotransmission in Caenorhabditis elegans

Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous in various environmental media and have potential toxicity. However, the neurotoxicity of carboxyl-modified polystyrene microplastics (PS-COOH) and their mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, Caenorhabditis elegans was used as a model to examine the neurotoxicity of polystyrene microplastic (PS) and PS-COOH concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 100 μg/L. Locomotion behavior, neuron development, neurotransmitter level, and neurotransmitter-related gene expression were selected as assessment endpoints. Exposure to low concentrations (1 μg/L) of PS-COOH caused more severe neurotoxicity than exposure to pristine PS. In transgenic nematodes, exposure to PS-COOH at 10-100 μg/L significantly increased the fluorescence intensity of dopaminergic, glutamatergic, serotonergic, and aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic neurons compared to that of the control. Further studies showed that exposure to 100 μg/L PS-COOH can significantly affect the levels of glutamate, serotonin, dopamine, and GABA in nematodes. Likewise, in the present study, the expression of genes involved in neurotransmission was altered in worms. These results suggest that PS-COOH exerts neurotoxicity by affecting neurotransmission of dopamine, glutamate, serotonin, and GABA. This study provides new insights into the underlying mechanisms and potential risks associated with PS-COOH.