Infection and biogeographical characteristics of Paragonimus westermani and P. skrjabini in humans and animal hosts in China: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Paragonimiasis, primarily caused by Paragonimus westermani and P. skrjabini in China, is a common food-borne parasitic zoonosis. However, the national distribution of Paragonimus spp. infection and its associated environmental determinants remain poorly understood. In this paper, we summarize the infection of P. westermani and P. skrjabini and describe key biogeographical characteristics of the endemic areas in China. METHODS: Data on Paragonimus infection in humans and animal hosts were extracted from eight electronic databases, including CNKI, CWFD, Chongqing VIP, SinoMed, Medline, Embase, PubMed, and Web of Science. A random-effects meta-analysis model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence. All survey locations were georeferenced and plotted on China map, and scatter plots were used to illustrate the biogeographical characteristics of regions reporting Paragonimus infection. RESULTS: A total of 28,948 cases of human paragonimiasis have been documented, with 2,401 cases reported after 2010. Among the 11,443 cases with reported ages, 88.05% were children or adolescents. The pooled prevalence of P. skrjabini is 0.45% (95% CI: 0.27-0.66%) in snails, 31.10% (95% CI: 24.77-37.80%) in the second intermediate host, and 20.31% (95% CI: 9.69-33.38%) in animal reservoirs. For P. westermani, the pooled prevalence is 0.06% (95% CI: 0.01-0.13%) in snails, 52.07% (95% CI: 43.56-60.52%) in the second intermediate host, and 21.40% (95% CI: 7.82-38.99%) in animal reservoirs. Paragonimus are primarily distributed in regions with low altitude, high temperature, and high precipitation. In northeastern China, only P. westermani infections have been documented, while in more southern areas, infections of both P. westermani and P. skrjabini have been reported. CONCLUSIONS: Paragonimiasis remains prevalent in China, particularly among children and adolescents. Variations exist in the intermediate hosts and geographical distribution of P. westermani and P. skrjabini. Additionally, altitude, temperature, and precipitation may influence the distribution of Paragonimus.

DFATs derived from infrapatellar fat pad hold advantage on chondrogenesis and adipogenesis to evade age mediated influence.

Background: Dedifferentiated fat cells (DFATs) are highly homogeneous and multipotent compared with adipose-derived stromal cells (SCs). Infrapatellar fat pad (IFP)-SCs have advanced chondrogenic potency; however, whether IFP-DFATs could serve as better cell material remains unclear. Here, we aimed to examine the influence of age and body mass index (BMI) on the features of IFPs and IFP-derived cells (IFP-SCs and IFP-DFATs) with exploration of the clinical utilization of IFP-DFATs. Methods: We collected IFPs with isolation of paired IFP-SCs and IFP-DFATs from individuals aged 65 years and older with distinct body weights who underwent total knee replacement for osteoarthritis (OA). Flow cytometry was used to characterize the cellular immunophenotypes. Adipogenesis and chondrogenesis were performed in vitro. Real-time qPCR, western blotting, and Oil Red O or Alcian blue staining were performed to evaluate inflammation, adipogenesis, and chondrogenesis. RNA sequencing and Seahorse analyses were conducted to explore the underlying mechanisms. Results: We found that IFPs from old or normal-weight individuals with knee OA were pro-inflammatory, and that interleukin-6 (IL-6) signaling was associated with multiple immune-related molecules, whereas IFP-derived cells could escape the inflammatory properties. Aging plays an important role in diminishing the chondrogenic and adipogenic abilities of IFP-SCs; however, this effect was avoided in IFP-DFATs. Generally, IFP-DFATs presented a steady state of chondrogenesis (less influenced by age) and consistently enhanced adipogenesis compared to paired IFP-SCs in different age or BMI groups. RNA sequencing and Seahorse analysis suggested that the downregulation of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (EIF2) signaling and enhanced mitochondrial function may contribute to the improved cellular biology of IFP-DFATs. Conclusions: Our data indicate that IFP-DFATs are superior cell material compared to IFP-SCs for cartilage differentiation and adipogenesis, particularly in advanced aging patients with knee OA. The translational potential of this article: These results provide a novel concept and supportive evidence for the use of IFP-DFATs for cell therapy or tissue engineering in patients with knee OA. Using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) of RNA-seq data and Seahorse analysis of mitochondrial metabolic parameters, we highlighted that some molecules, signaling pathways, and mitochondrial functions are likely to be jointly coordinated to determine the enhanced biological function in IFP-DFATs.

Murine skin-derived multipotent papillary dermal fibroblast progenitors show germline potential in vitro.

BACKGROUND: Many laboratories have described the in vitro isolation of multipotent cells with stem cell properties from the skin of various species termed skin-derived stem cells (SDSCs). However, the cellular origin of these cells and their capability to give rise, among various cell types, to male germ cells, remain largely unexplored. METHODS: SDSCs were isolated from newborn mice skin, and then differentiated into primordial germ cell-like cells (PGCLCs) in vitro. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) was then applied to dissect the cellular origin of SDSCs using cells isolated from newborn mouse skin and SDSC colonies. Based on an optimized culture strategy, we successfully generated spermatogonial stem cell-like cells (SSCLCs) in vitro. RESULTS: Here, using scRNA-seq and analyzing the profile of 7543 single-cell transcriptomes from newborn mouse skin and SDSCs, we discovered that they mainly consist of multipotent papillary dermal fibroblast progenitors (pDFPs) residing in the dermal layer. Moreover, we found that epidermal growth factor (EGF) signaling is pivotal for the capability of these progenitors to proliferate and form large colonies in vitro. Finally, we optimized the protocol to efficiently generate PGCLCs from SDSCs. Furthermore, PGCLCs were induced into SSCLCs and these SSCLCs showed meiotic potential when cultured with testicular organoids. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings here identify pDFPs as SDSCs derived from newborn skin and show for the first time that such precursors can be induced to generate cells of the male germline.

Disruption of MAP7D1 Gene Function Increases the Risk of Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiomyopathy and Heart Failure.

Doxorubicin is a cornerstone chemotherapeutic drug widely used to treat various cancers; its dose-dependent cardiomyopathy, however, is one of the leading causes of treatment-associated mortality in cancer survivors. Patients' threshold doses leading to doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy (DIC) and heart failure are highly variable, mostly due to genetic variations in individuals' genomes. However, genetic susceptibility to DIC remains largely unidentified. Here, we combined a genetic approach in the zebrafish (Danio rerio) animal model with a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in humans to identify genetic susceptibility to DIC and heart failure. We firstly reported the cardiac and skeletal muscle-specific expression and sarcomeric localization of the microtubule-associated protein 7 domain-containing protein 1b (Map7d1b) in zebrafish, followed by expression validation in mice. We then revealed that disruption of the map7d1b gene function exaggerated DIC effects in adult zebrafish. Mechanistically, the exacerbated DIC are likely conveyed by impaired autophagic degradation and elevated protein aggregation. Lastly, we identified 2 MAP7D1 gene variants associated with cardiac functional decline and heart failure in cancer patients who received doxorubicin therapy. Together, this study identifies MAP7D1 as a clinically relevant susceptibility gene to DIC and heart failure, providing useful information to stratify cancer patients with a high risk of incurring severe cardiomyopathy and heart failure after receiving chemotherapy.

OxiR specifically responds to isoniazid and regulates isoniazid susceptibility in mycobacteria.

The bacteria drug resistance is not only associated with the gain of drug resistance gene but also relied on the adaptation of bacterial cells to antibiotics by transcriptional regulation. However, only a few transcription factors that regulate drug resistance have been characterized in mycobacteria. In this study, a TetR family transcriptional factor (OxiR), encoded by Rv0067c in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, was found to be an isoniazid (INH) resistance regulator. Comparing with the wild-type strain, the oxiR overexpressing strain is four times resistant to INH, whereas the oxiR knockout strain is eight times sensitive to INH. However, the rifamycin and ethambutol resistance were not influenced by oxiR. OxiR can bind to self-promoter at a 66 bp imperfect palindromic motifs. Interestingly, OxiR directly binds to INH, and thereby alleviate the self-repression. Furthermore, OxiR negatively regulated an oxidoreductase encoded by Rv0068. And the susceptibility of the Rv0068-overexpressing and oxiR knockout strains to all the three above-mentioned anti-tuberculosis drugs was equivalent, suggesting that the effect of oxiR to INH susceptibility is attributed to the derepression of Rv0068. In conclusion, we showed that OxiR can specifically modulate INH susceptibility by regulating an oxidoreductase encoding gene, both of which have not been associated with drug-resistance previously.

The role of autophagy during murine primordial follicle assembly.

It is generally accepted that significant germ cell loss occurs during the establishment of the primordial follicle pool in most mammalian ovaries around the time of birth. However, the underlying mechanisms responsible for these processes remain largely unknown. In this investigation, we explored the role of autophagy during the establishment of the primordial follicle pool and found that autophagy was active in this process. Our data suggested that 17.5 dpc ovaries treated with rapamycin displayed a delay in germ cell cyst breakdown resulting in more oocytes at day 5 of treatment, while, ovaries that treated with 3-MA showed the opposite effect. We found that rapamycin treatment promoted autophagy and depressed cell apoptosis increasing the number of NOBOX positive oocytes. Furthermore, our results also revealed that epigenetic regulator, Sirt1, plays a role in germ cell loss. An epigenetic inhibitor or RNAi treatment of Sirt1, showed an increased level of H4K16ac and a decreased level of autophagy. Thus, these data indicate that autophagy prevents germ cell over loss during the establishment of primordial follicle pool, and this process may be influenced by Sirt1-invovled epigenetic regulation.

Epigenetic regulation during the differentiation of stem cells to germ cells.

Gametogenesis is an essential process to ensure the transfer of genetic information from one generation to the next. It also provides a mechanism by which genetic evolution can take place. Although the genome of primordial germ cells (PGCs) is exactly the same with somatic cells within an organism, there are significant differences between their developments. For example, PGCs eventually undergo meiosis to become functional haploid gametes, and prior to that they undergo epigenetic imprinting which greatly alter their genetic regulation. Epigenetic imprinting of PGCs involves the erasure of DNA methylation and the reestablishment of them during sperm and oocyte formation. These processes are necessary and important during gametogenesis. Also, histone modification and X-chromosome inactivation have important roles during germ cell development. Recently, several studies have reported that functional sperm or oocytes can be derived from stem cells in vivo or in vitro. To produce functional germ cells, induction of germ cells from stem cells must recapitulate these processes similar to endogenous germ cells, such as epigenetic modifications. This review focuses on the epigenetic regulation during the process of germ cell development and discusses their importance during the differentiation from stem cells to germ cells.

The role of germ cell loss during primordial follicle assembly: a review of current advances.

In most female mammals, early germline development begins with the appearance of primordial germ cells (PGCs), and develops to form mature oocytes following several vital processes. It remains well accepted that significant germ cell apoptosis and oocyte loss takes place around the time of birth. The transition of the ovarian environment from fetal to neonatal, coincides with the loss of germ cells and the timing of follicle formation. All told it is common to lose approximately two thirds of germ cells during this transition period. The current consensus is that germ cell loss can be attributed, at least in part, to programmed cell death (PCD). Recently, autophagy has been implicated as playing a part in germ cell loss during the time of parturition. In this review, we discuss the major opinions and mechanisms of mammalian ovarian PCD during the process of germ cell loss. We also pay close attention to the function of autophagy in germ cell loss, and speculate that autophagy may also serve as a critical and necessary process during the establishment of primordial follicle pool.

Cutaneous applied nano-ZnO reduce the ability of hair follicle stem cells to differentiate.

The ability of metal oxide nanoparticles to penetrate the skin has aroused a great deal of interest during the past decade due to concerns over the safety of topically applied sunscreens that contain physical UV-resistant metal particles, such as nano-Zinc oxide (nZnO). Previous studies demonstrate that metal oxide nanoparticles accumulate in skin furrows and hair follicles following topical application while little is known about the consequence of these nanoparticles on skin homeostasis. The current investigation tested the effects of nZnO (0.5 mg/day mouse) on hair follicle physiology. Topical application of Vaseline containing nZnO, bulk ZnO (bZnO), or ionized Zn to newborn mice vibrissa pad over a period of 7 consecutive days revealed that nZnO accumulated within hair follicles, and this induced the apoptosis of hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs). In vitro studies also indicated that nZnO exposure caused obvious DNA damage and induced apoptosis in HFSCs. Furthermore, it was found that nZnO exposure perturbed genes associated with HFSC apoptosis, cell communication, and differentiation. HFSCs transplantation assay demonstrated that the potential of HFSCs to differentiate was reduced. This investigation indicates a potential risk of topically applied ZnO nanoparticles on skin homeostasis.

Starvation at birth impairs germ cell cyst breakdown and increases autophagy and apoptosis in mouse oocytes.

The female reproductive lifespan is largely determined by the size of primordial follicle pool, which is established following germ cell cyst breakdown around birth. Almost two-third of oocytes are lost during germ cell cysts breakdown, following autophagic and apoptosis mechanisms. To investigate a possible relationship between germ cell cyst breakdown and nutrition supply, we established a starvation model in mouse pups at birth and evaluated the dynamics of cyst breakdown during nutrient deprivation. Our results showed that after 36 h of starvation between 1.5 and 3 d.p.p., indicators of metabolism both at systemic and ovarian level were significantly altered and the germ cell cyst breakdown markedly decreased. We also found that markers of oxidative stress, autophagy and apoptosis were increased and higher number of oocytes in cyst showing autophagic markers and of TUNEL-positive oocytes and somatic cells were present in the ovaries of starved pups. Moreover, the proliferation of pre-granulosa cells and the expression of the oocyte-specific transcription factor Nobox were decreased in such ovaries. Finally, we observed that the ovaries of the starved pups could recover a normal number of follicles after about 3 weeks from re-feeding. In conclusion, these data indicate that nutrient deficiency at birth can generate a number of adaptive metabolic and oxidative responses in the ovaries causing increased apoptosis both in the somatic cells and oocyte and autophagy mainly in these latter and leading to a delay of germ cell cyst breakdown and follicle assembly.

Retinoic acid promotes the proliferation of primordial germ cell-like cells differentiated from mouse skin-derived stem cells in vitro.

Skin-derived stem cells (SDSCs) have the potential to differentiate into gametes and are a potential resource for research and clinical applications. Sufficient amount of primordial germ cells (PGCs) is an important requirement for successful differentiation of SDSCs into gametes in vitro. Retinoic acid (RA), a vitamin A-derived small lipophilic molecule, promotes the growth of PGCs in vivo; however, the role of RA on the proliferation of PGC-like cells (PGCLCs) derived from SDSCs remains unknown. In this study, SDSCs were induced to differentiate into the embryoid body and cocultured with mouse fibroblasts to form PGCLCs. The proliferation of PGCLCs with the presence of various concentrations of RA was investigated in vitro. Immunofluorescence labeling showed that the 5-Bromo-2-deoxyUridine-positive ratio of PGCLCs was increased after the cells were treated with 5-µM RA, and flow cytometry results showed that the number of cells in the S phase was increased significantly. The messenger RNA expression levels of cell cycle-related genes, CCND1 and CDK2, were also increased. Furthermore, RA effectively promoted the external proliferation of endogenous PGCs when 11.5-days postcoitum fetal mouse genital ridges were cultured in vitro. In conclusion, 5-µM RA promoted the proliferation of SDSCs-derived PGCLCs and endogenous PGCs. Our study will provide a valuable model system for studying the differentiation of stem cells into gametes in vitro.

Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor Stimulates the Proliferation of Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca).

It has been widely known that the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is one of the most endangered species in the world. An optimized platform for maintaining the proliferation of giant panda mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is very necessary for current giant panda protection strategies. Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), a member of the FGF family, is widely considered as a growth factor and differentiation inducer within the stem cell research field. However, the role of bFGF on promoting the proliferation of MSCs derived from giant panda bone marrow (BM) has not been reported. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of bFGF on the proliferation of BM-MSCs derived from giant panda. MSCs were cultured for cell proliferation analysis at 24, 48 and 72 hrs following the addition of bFGF. With increasing concentrations of bFGF, cell numbers gradually increased. This was further demonstrated by performing 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) cell proliferation assay, 5-Bromo-2-deoxyUridine (BrdU) labeling and cell cycle testing. Furthermore, the percentage of MSCs that were OCT4 positive increased slightly following treatment with 5 ng/ml bFGF. Moreover, we demonstrated that the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway may play an important role in the proliferation of panda MSCs stimulated by bFGF. In conclusion, this study suggests that giant panda BM-MSCs have a high proliferative capacity with the addition of 5 ng/ml bFGF in vitro.

The crucial role of Activin A on the formation of primordial germ cell-like cells from skin-derived stem cells in vitro.

Primordial germ cells (PGCs) are founder cells of the germ cell lineage, and can be differentiated from stem cells in an induced system in vitro. However, the induction conditions need to be optimized in order to improve the differentiation efficiency. Activin A (ActA) is a member of the TGF-ß super family and plays an important role in oogenesis and folliculogenesis. In the present study, we found that ActA promoted PGC-like cells (PGCLCs) formation from mouse skin-derived stem cells (SDSCs) in both embryoid body-like structure (EBLS) differentiation and the co-culture stage in a dose dependent manner. ActA treatment (100 ng/ml) during EBLS differentiation stage and further co-cultured for 6 days without ActA significantly increased PGCLCs from 53.2% to 82.8%, and as well as EBLS differentiation without ActA followed by co-cultured with 100 ng/ml ActA for 4 to 12 days with the percentage of PGCLCs increasing markedly in vitro. Moreover, mice treated with ActA at 100 ng/kg body weight from embryonic day (E) 5.5-12.5 led to more PGCs formation. However, the stimulating effects of ActA were interrupted by Smad3 RNAi, and in an in vitro cultured Smad3(-/-) mouse skin cells scenario. SMAD3 is thus likely a key effecter molecule in the ActA signaling pathway. In addition, we found that the expression of some epiblast cell markers, Fgf5, Dnmt3a, Dnmt3b and Wnt3, was increased in EBLSs cultured for 4 days or PGCLCs co-cultured for 12 days with ActA treatment. Interestingly, at 16 days of differentiation, the percentage of PGCLCs was decreased in the presence of ActA, but the expression of meiosis-relative genes, such as Stra8, Dmc1, Sycp3 and Sycp1, was increased. In conclusion, our data here demonstrated that ActA can promote PGCLC formation from SDSCs in vitro, at early stages of differentiation, and affect meiotic initiation of PGCLCs in later stages.

Differentiation of early germ cells from human skin-derived stem cells without exogenous gene integration.

Infertility has long been a difficult issue for many couples. The successful differentiation of germ cells and live progeny from pluripotent stem cells brings new hope to the couples suffering with infertility. Here we successfully isolated human fetus skin-derived stem cells (hfSDSCs) from fetus skin tissue and demonstrated that hfSDSCs can be differentiated into early human germ cell-like cells (hGCLCs). These cells express human germ cell markers DAZL and VASA. Moreover, these pluripotent stem cell-derived hGCLCs are free of exogenous gene integration. When hfSDSCs were differentiated in porcine follicle fluid (PFF) conditioned media, which has been shown to promote the differentiation of mouse and porcine SDSCs into oocyte-like cells (OLCs), we observed some vesicular structures formed from hfSDSCs. Moreover, when hfSDSCs were cultured with specific conditioned media, we observed punctate and elongated SCP3 staining foci, indicating the initiation of meiosis. Ploidy analysis and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis indicated that a small percentage of putative 1N populations formed from hfSDSCs when compared with positive controls. In conclusion, our data here, for the first time, demonstrated that hfSDSCs possess the differentiation potential into germ lines, and they may differentiate both male and female hGCLCs in vitro under appropriate conditions.

Activin A accelerates the progression of fetal oocytes throughout meiosis and early oogenesis in the mouse.

Activins can exert several roles in ovary development. However, little is known about their involvement in early mammalian oogenesis. In this study, we reported that activin receptors (including ActRIA, ActRIB, ActRIIA, and ActRIIB) are expressed throughout the development of the mouse ovaries from 12.5 days postcoitum (dpc) to 21 days postparturition (dpp). Moreover, we found that in vitro, the addition of activin A (ActA) to the culture medium of 12.5 dpc ovarian tissues accelerated the progression of oocytes throughout meiotic prophase I stages. This result was reproduced in vivo following administration of ActA to pregnant mice. The in vitro effect of ActA was associated with increased expression of premeiotic and meiotic genes (including Dazl, Spo11, Stra8, Scp3, and Rec8) in the ovarian tissues. Mechanistically, ActA-dependent SMAD3 signaling modulated the expression of members of the retinoic acid (RA) system, including the RA degradation CYP26B1 enzyme and the RA receptors. Finally, ActA promoted the survival and growth of fetal and early postnatal oocytes and primordial follicle assembly both in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, the present study identifies new roles of ActA in early oogenesis and suggested that ActA and RA might cooperate in promoting meiosis in female germ cells.

Insulin regulates primordial-follicle assembly in vitro by affecting germ-cell apoptosis and elevating oestrogen.

Insulin is a protein secreted by pancreatic ß-cells, which plays an important role in the regulation of ovarian function. However, the specific molecular mechanism of its function remains largely unknown. This study aimed to assess the effect of insulin on mouse folliculogenesis using an in vitro ovary-culture model. The results demonstrated that insulin promoted the proliferation of ovarian granulosa cells in vitro, and thereby accelerated the progress of folliculogenesis (the percentage of oocytes in cysts declined from 42.6% to 29.3%); however, the percentage of apoptotic oocytes increased after insulin treatment. Further investigation indicated that apoptosis occurred mainly in germ-cell cysts. After 3 days of insulin treatment, oestrogen in the culture medium of mouse ovaries significantly increased (P<0.01), while the lower dose of oestrogen promoted primordial-follicle assembly in vitro. In conclusion, insulin promoted folliculogenesis by facilitating germ-cell apoptosis within the cysts and upregulating oestrogen levels.