Effect of Tetragonia tetragonoides (Pall.) Kuntze Extract on Andropause Symptoms

Improvement of Late-Onset Hypogonadism Symptoms of Fermented Morinda citrifolia Extract in TM3 Leydig and TM4 Sertoli Cells

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Late-onset hypogonadism (LOH), characterized by declining testosterone levels with age, negatively affects the health of men, causing physical, psychological, and sexual dysfunction. Conventional testosterone replacement therapies have side effects, which has led to interest in natural alternatives. We investigated the effects of a standardized fermented Morinda citrifolia extract (FME) on oxidative stress-induced damage in TM3 Leydig and TM4 Sertoli cells. The cells were treated with H2O2 to simulate oxidative stress, followed by the FME treatment.

METHODS

Cytotoxicity assays, testosterone measurements, and gene and protein expression analyses were conducted to evaluate the restorative properties of FME.

RESULTS

The H2O2 treatment significantly decreased the cell viability, testosterone production, and the expression of proteins involved in testosterone synthesis and spermatogenesis, and the FME treatment improved testosterone production and restored the luteinizing hormone receptor, steroidogenic acute regulatory protein, CYP11A1, 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, 17,20 desmolase, and 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase levels in the TM3 Leydig cells. It also reduced the expression of testosterone-degrading enzymes, aromatase and 5α-reductase. The FME treatment restored the levels of the androgen receptor and follicle-stimulating hormone receptor in the TM4 Sertoli cells.

CONCLUSIONS

FME alleviates oxidative stress-induced damage in Leydig and Sertoli cells by promoting testosterone synthesis and spermatogenesis while regulating testosterone metabolism. These findings suggest that FME could be a promising candidate for the management of LOH symptoms.

NOSTRIN is involved in benign prostatic hyperplasia via inhibition of proliferation, oxidative stress, and inflammation in prostate epithelial cells

Background

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common disease among older men characterized by non-malignant proliferation of epithelial cells and inflammation. Nitric oxide synthase traffic inducer (NOSTRIN) is a pleiotropic regulator of endothelial cell function and signaling and exerts anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferation, and modulating nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling effects. Its expression and function in BPH tissues and prostate epithelial cells are unknown. The study aims to investigate the expression and functions of NOSTRIN in BPH, and its possible molecular mechanism.

Methods

The BPH model was constructed in male Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice using 5 mg/kg/day testosterone propionate (TP) for 30 days, and the model was evaluated by detecting prostate index, prostate epithelial thickness, and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) expression. Dihydrotestosterone (DHT, 10 nM)-induced in vitro model of human prostate epithelial cells (RWPE-1) was established. We generated lentivirus-harboring human NOSTRIN. The mRNA expression was detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay; the protein expression or localization was detected by western blot assay, immunohistochemistry, or immunofluorescence staining. Cell proliferation was assayed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) and 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) staining. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was observed by dihydroethidium staining. Nitric oxide (NO) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were detected using commercial kits. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to determine levels of interleukin 1 beta (IL1B), interleukin 6 (IL6), interferon gamma (IFNG), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF).

Results

NOSTRIN expression was significantly inhibited in the TP-induced ICR mouse BPH model and DHT-induced model of RWPE-1 proliferation. Protein expression of the BPH-related and proliferation markers PSA and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) was suppressed in NOSTRIN-overexpressing RWPE-1 cells exposed to DHT. NOSTRIN overexpression notably inhibited the RWPE-1 cell proliferation in vitro, as evidenced by MTT and EdU staining. NOSTRIN overexpression significantly decreased the expression of cell cycle-related proteins cyclin dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) and cyclin D1 (CCND1) in vitro. The production of ROS, NO, and lipid peroxidation products MDA was inhibited by NOSTRIN overexpression in vitro, while the SOD activity was increased. NOSTRIN overexpression reduced the mRNA expression of inflammatory mediator nitric oxide synthase 2 (NOS2) and inhibited the mRNA expression and secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL1B, IL6, IFNG, and TNF in vitro. The mechanistic studies revealed an increased phosphorylation of NF-κB p65 in vivo and in vitro. Remarkably, NOSTRIN overexpression notably inhibited the protein expression of phospho-NF-κB p65 in vitro.

Conclusions

NOSTRIN is involved in BPH by inhibiting proliferation, oxidative stress, and inflammation in prostate epithelial cells. These functions may act through the inhibition of NF-κB signaling.

Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analyses of the Thaumatin-Like Protein Gene Family in Tetragonia tetragonoides (Pall.) Kuntze Reveal Their Functions in Abiotic Stress Responses

Thaumatin-like proteins (TLPs), including osmotins, are multifunctional proteins related to plant biotic and abiotic stress responses. TLPs are often present as large multigene families. Tetragonia tetragonoides (Pall.) Kuntze (Aizoaceae, 2n = 2x = 32), a vegetable used in both food and medicine, is a halophyte that is widely distributed in the coastal areas of the tropics and subtropics. Saline-alkaline soils and drought are two major abiotic stress factors significantly affecting the distribution of tropical coastal plants. The expression of stress resistance genes would help to alleviate the cellular damage caused by abiotic stress factors such as high temperature, salinity-alkalinity, and drought. This study aimed to better understand the functions of TLPs in the natural ecological adaptability of T. tetragonoides to harsh habitats. In the present study, we used bioinformatics approaches to identify 37 TtTLP genes as gene family members in the T. tetragonoides genome, with the purpose of understanding their roles in different developmental processes and the adaptation to harsh growth conditions in tropical coral regions. All of the TtTLPs were irregularly distributed across 32 chromosomes, and these gene family members were examined for conserved motifs of their coding proteins and gene structure. Expression analysis based on RNA sequencing and subsequent qRT-PCR showed that the transcripts of some TtTLPs were decreased or accumulated with tissue specificity, and under environmental stress challenges, multiple TtTLPs exhibited changeable expression patterns at short (2 h), long (48 h), or both stages. The expression pattern changes in TtTLPs provided a more comprehensive overview of this gene family being involved in multiple abiotic stress responses. Furthermore, several TtTLP genes were cloned and functionally identified using the yeast expression system. These findings not only increase our understanding of the role that TLPs play in mediating halophyte adaptation to extreme environments but also improve our knowledge of plant TLP evolution. This study also provides a basis and reference for future research on the roles of plant TLPs in stress tolerance and ecological environment suitability.

Identification of the Abscisic Acid-, Stress-, and Ripening-Induced (ASR) Family Involved in the Adaptation of Tetragonia tetragonoides (Pall.) Kuntze to Saline-Alkaline and Drought Habitats

Tetragonia tetragonoides (Pall.) Kuntze (Aizoaceae, 2n = 2x = 32), a vegetable used for both food and medicine, is a halophyte that is widely distributed in the coastal areas of the tropics and subtropics. Saline-alkaline soils and drought stress are two major abiotic stressors that significantly affect the distribution of tropical coastal plants. Abscisic acid-, stress-, and ripening-induced (ASR) proteins belong to a family of plant-specific, small, and hydrophilic proteins with important roles in plant development, growth, and abiotic stress responses. Here, we characterized the ASR gene family from T. tetragonoides, which contained 13 paralogous genes, and divided TtASRs into two subfamilies based on the phylogenetic tree. The TtASR genes were located on two chromosomes, and segmental duplication events were illustrated as the main duplication method. Additionally, the expression levels of TtASRs were induced by multiple abiotic stressors, indicating that this gene family could participate widely in the response to stress. Furthermore, several TtASR genes were cloned and functionally identified using a yeast expression system. Our results indicate that TtASRs play important roles in T. tetragonoides' responses to saline-alkaline soils and drought stress. These findings not only increase our understanding of the role ASRs play in mediating halophyte adaptation to extreme environments but also improve our knowledge of plant ASR protein evolution.

Nutrition, Metabolites, and Human Health

The field of metabolomics and related "omics" techniques allows for the identification of a vast array of molecules within biospecimens [...].