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Xiao S, Coppeta JR, Rogers HB, Isenberg BC, Zhu J, Olalekan SA, McKinnon KE, Dokic D, Rashedi AS, Haisenleder DJ, Malpani SS, Arnold-Murray CA, Chen K, Jiang M, Bai L, Nguyen CT, Zhang J, Laronda MM, Hope TJ, Maniar KP, Pavone ME, Avram MJ, Sefton EC, Getsios S, Burdette JE, Kim JJ, Borenstein JT, Woodruff TK. A microfluidic culture model of the human reproductive tract and 28-day menstrual cycle. Nat Commun 2017; 8:14584. [PMID: 28350383 PMCID: PMC5379057 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 263] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2016] [Accepted: 01/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The endocrine system dynamically controls tissue differentiation and homeostasis, but has not been studied using dynamic tissue culture paradigms. Here we show that a microfluidic system supports murine ovarian follicles to produce the human 28-day menstrual cycle hormone profile, which controls human female reproductive tract and peripheral tissue dynamics in single, dual and multiple unit microfluidic platforms (Solo-MFP, Duet-MFP and Quintet-MPF, respectively). These systems simulate the in vivo female reproductive tract and the endocrine loops between organ modules for the ovary, fallopian tube, uterus, cervix and liver, with a sustained circulating flow between all tissues. The reproductive tract tissues and peripheral organs integrated into a microfluidic platform, termed EVATAR, represents a powerful new in vitro tool that allows organ–organ integration of hormonal signalling as a phenocopy of menstrual cycle and pregnancy-like endocrine loops and has great potential to be used in drug discovery and toxicology studies. The female reproductive tract constitutes the ovary, fallopian tubes, uterus, and cervix, but it is challenging to engineer this system in vitro. Here, the authors develop a microfluidic device (EVATAR) with reproductive tract and peripheral tissues to replicate hormone release of a 28-day menstrual cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuo Xiao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA
| | - Jonathan R Coppeta
- The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Hunter B Rogers
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA
| | - Brett C Isenberg
- The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Jie Zhu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA
| | - Susan A Olalekan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA
| | - Kelly E McKinnon
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA
| | - Danijela Dokic
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA
| | - Alexandra S Rashedi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA
| | - Daniel J Haisenleder
- Ligand Assay and Analysis Core, Center for Research in Reproduction, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908, USA
| | - Saurabh S Malpani
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA
| | - Chanel A Arnold-Murray
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA
| | - Kuanwei Chen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA
| | - Mingyang Jiang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA
| | - Lu Bai
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA
| | - Catherine T Nguyen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA
| | - Jiyang Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA
| | - Monica M Laronda
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA
| | - Thomas J Hope
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA
| | - Kruti P Maniar
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA
| | - Mary Ellen Pavone
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA
| | - Michael J Avram
- Department of Anesthesiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA
| | - Elizabeth C Sefton
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA
| | - Spiro Getsios
- Department of Dermatology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA
| | - Joanna E Burdette
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60607, USA
| | - J Julie Kim
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA
| | | | - Teresa K Woodruff
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA
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Sefton EC, Qiang W, Serna V, Kurita T, Wei JJ, Chakravarti D, Kim JJ. MK-2206, an AKT inhibitor, promotes caspase-independent cell death and inhibits leiomyoma growth. Endocrinology 2013; 154:4046-57. [PMID: 24002033 PMCID: PMC3800769 DOI: 10.1210/en.2013-1389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Uterine leiomyomas (ULs), benign tumors of the myometrium, are the number one indication for hysterectomies in the United States due to a lack of an effective alternative therapy. ULs show activation of the pro-survival AKT pathway compared with normal myometrium; however, substantial data directly linking AKT to UL cell survival are lacking. We hypothesized that AKT promotes UL cell survival and that it is a viable target for inhibiting UL growth. We used the investigational AKT inhibitor MK-2206, currently in phase II trials, on cultured primary human UL and myometrial cells, immortalized leiomyoma cells, and in leiomyoma grafts grown under the kidney capsule in mice. MK-2206 inhibited AKT and PRAS40 phosphorylation but did not regulate serum- and glucocorticoid-induced kinase and ERK1/2, demonstrating its specificity for AKT. MK-2206 reduced UL cell viability and decreased UL tumor volumes. UL cells exhibited disruption of mitochondrial structures and underwent cell death that was independent of caspases. Additionally, mammalian target of rapamycin and p70S6K phosphorylation were reduced, indicating that mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 signaling was compromised by AKT inhibition in UL cells. MK-2206 also induced autophagy in UL cells. Pretreatment of primary UL cells with 3-methyladenine enhanced MK-2206-mediated UL cell death, whereas knockdown of ATG5 and/or ATG7 did not significantly influence UL cell viability in the presence of MK-2206. Our data provide molecular evidence for the involvement of AKT in UL cell survival and suggest that AKT inhibition by MK-2206 may be a viable option to consider for the treatment of ULs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth C Sefton
- PhD, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Reproductive Biology Research, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 303 East Superior Street, Lurie 4-117, Chicago, Illinois 60611.
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Hoekstra AV, Sefton EC, Berry E, Lu Z, Hardt J, Marsh E, Yin P, Clardy J, Chakravarti D, Bulun S, Kim JJ. Progestins activate the AKT pathway in leiomyoma cells and promote survival. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2009; 94:1768-74. [PMID: 19240153 PMCID: PMC2684476 DOI: 10.1210/jc.2008-2093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT Progesterone has been associated with promoting growth of uterine leiomyomas. The mechanisms involved remain unclear. OBJECTIVE In this study we investigated the activation of the AKT pathway and its downstream effectors, glycogen synthase kinase-3b and Forkhead box O (FOXO)-1 by progesterone as a mechanism of proliferation and survival of leiomyoma cells. Inhibitors of the AKT pathway were used to demonstrate the role of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, AKT, and FOXO1 in contributing to cell proliferation and apoptosis. RESULTS Treatment of leiomyoma cells with R5020 over a period of 72 h resulted in higher cell numbers compared with untreated cells. When cells were treated with 100 nm R5020 for 1 and 24 h, the levels of phospho(Ser 473)-AKT increased. This increase was inhibited when cells were cotreated with RU486. Treatment of leiomyoma cells with a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor, LY294 dramatically decreased levels of phospho(Ser 473)-AKT, despite R5020 treatment. In addition to increased phospho(Ser 473)-AKT levels, R5020 treatment resulted in an increase in phospho(Ser 256)-FOXO1 and phosphoglycogen synthase kinase-3b. Inhibition of AKT using API-59 decreased proliferation and cell viability even in the presence of R5020. Higher concentrations of API-59-induced apoptosis of leiomyoma cells, even in the presence of R5020. Psammaplysene A increased nuclear FOXO1 levels and did not affect cell proliferation but induced apoptosis of leiomyoma cells. CONCLUSIONS The progestin, R5020, can rapidly activate the AKT pathway. Inhibition of the AKT pathway inhibits cell proliferation and promotes apoptosis of leiomyoma cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna V Hoekstra
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA
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Hoekstra AV, Sefton EC, Berry E, Lu Z, Hardt J, Marsh E, Yin P, Clardy J, Chakravarti D, Bulun S, Kim JJ. Progestins Activate the AKT Pathway in Leiomyoma Cells and Promote Survival. Mol Endocrinol 2009. [DOI: 10.1210/mend.23.4.9996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Context
Progesterone has been associated with promoting growth of uterine leiomyomas. The mechanisms involved remain unclear.
Objective
In this study we investigated the activation of the AKT pathway and its downstream effectors, GSK3b and FOXO1 by progesterone as a mechanism of proliferation and survival of leiomyoma cells. Inhibitors of the AKT pathway were used to demonstrate the role of PI3K, AKT and FOXO1 in contributing to cell proliferation and apoptosis.
Results
Treatment of leiomyoma cells with R5020 over a period of 72h resulted in higher cell numbers compared to untreated cells. When cells were treated with 100nM R5020 for 1h and 24h, the levels of phospho(Ser 473)-AKT increased. This increase was inhibited when cells were co-treated with RU486. Treatment of leiomyoma cells with a PI3K inhibitor, LY294 dramatically decreased levels of phospho(Ser 473)-AKT, despite R5020 treatment. In addition to increased phospho(Ser 473)-AKT levels, R5020 treatment resulted in an increase in phospho(Ser 256)-FOXO1 and phospho-GSK3b. Inhibition of AKT using API-59 decreased proliferation and cell viability even in the presence of R5020. Higher concentrations of API-59 induced apoptosis of leiomyoma cells even in the presence of R5020. Psammaplysene A increased nuclear FOXO1 levels and did not affect cell proliferation but induced apoptosis of leiomyoma cells.
Conclusions
The progestin, R5020, can rapidly activate the AKT pathway. Inhibition of the AKT pathway inhibits cell proliferation and promotes apoptosis of leiomyoma cells.
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