Prediction model of preeclampsia using machine learning based methods: a population based cohort study in China.

Introduction: Preeclampsia is a disease with an unknown pathogenesis and is one of the leading causes of maternal and perinatal morbidity. At present, early identification of high-risk groups for preeclampsia and timely intervention with aspirin is an effective preventive method against preeclampsia. This study aims to develop a robust and effective preeclampsia prediction model with good performance by machine learning algorithms based on maternal characteristics, biophysical and biochemical markers at 11-13 + 6 weeks' gestation, providing an effective tool for early screening and prediction of preeclampsia. Methods: This study included 5116 singleton pregnant women who underwent PE screening and fetal aneuploidy from a prospective cohort longitudinal study in China. Maternal characteristics (such as maternal age, height, pre-pregnancy weight), past medical history, mean arterial pressure, uterine artery pulsatility index, pregnancy-associated plasma protein A, and placental growth factor were collected as the covariates for the preeclampsia prediction model. Five classification algorithms including Logistic Regression, Extra Trees Classifier, Voting Classifier, Gaussian Process Classifier and Stacking Classifier were applied for the prediction model development. Five-fold cross-validation with an 8:2 train-test split was applied for model validation. Results: We ultimately included 49 cases of preterm preeclampsia and 161 cases of term preeclampsia from the 4644 pregnant women data in the final analysis. Compared with other prediction algorithms, the AUC and detection rate at 10% FPR of the Voting Classifier algorithm showed better performance in the prediction of preterm preeclampsia (AUC=0.884, DR at 10%FPR=0.625) under all covariates included. However, its performance was similar to that of other model algorithms in all PE and term PE prediction. In the prediction of all preeclampsia, the contribution of PLGF was higher than PAPP-A (11.9% VS 8.7%), while the situation was opposite in the prediction of preterm preeclampsia (7.2% VS 16.5%). The performance for preeclampsia or preterm preeclampsia using machine learning algorithms was similar to that achieved by the fetal medicine foundation competing risk model under the same predictive factors (AUCs of 0.797 and 0.856 for PE and preterm PE, respectively). Conclusions: Our models provide an accessible tool for large-scale population screening and prediction of preeclampsia, which helps reduce the disease burden and improve maternal and fetal outcomes.

MSCs promote the efferocytosis of large peritoneal macrophages to eliminate ferroptotic monocytes/macrophages in the injured endometria.

BACKGROUND: Endometria are one of the important components of the uterus, which is located in the peritoneal cavity. Endometrial injury usually leads to intrauterine adhesions (IUA), accompanied by inflammation and cell death. We previously reported that both the endometrial ferroptosis was increased and monocytes/macrophages were involved in endometrial injury of IUA. Large peritoneal macrophages (LPMs) are recently reported to migrate into the injured tissues and phagocytose dead cells to repair the tissues. We previously demonstrated that mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) had made excellent progress in the repair of endometrial injury. However, it is unclear whether MSCs regulate the LPM efferocytosis against ferroptotic monocytes/macrophages in the injured endometria. METHODS: Here, endometrial injury in IUA mouse model was conducted by uterine curettage and LPS injection surgery and the samples were collected at different times to detect the changes of LPMs and ferroptotic monocytes/macrophages. We conducted LPMs depletion assay in vivo and LPMs and Erastin-induced ferroptotic THP-1 cells coculture systems in vitro to detect the LPM efferocytosis against ferroptotic monocytes/macrophages. The IUA model was treated with MSCs, and their effects on LPMs and endometrial repair were analyzed. Flow cytometry, western blotting, quantitative real-time PCR, immunohistochemical analysis, ELISA, and RNA-sequencing were performed. RESULTS: We found that LPMs migrated to the injured uteri in response to the damage in early phase (3 h), and sustained to a later stage (7 days). Astonishingly, we found that ferroptotic monocytes/macrophages were significantly increased in the injured uteri since 12 h after injury. Moreover, LPMs cocultured with Erastin-induced ferroptotic THP-1 cells in vitro, efferocytosis of LPMs against ferroptotic monocytes/macrophages was emerged. The mRNA expression profiles revealed that LPM efferocytosis against ferroptotic monocytes/macrophages was an induction of glycolysis program and depended on the PPARγ-HK2 pathway. Importantly, we validated that MSCs promoted the efferocytic capability and migration of LPMs to the injured uteri via secreting stanniocalcin-1 (STC-1). CONCLUSION: The data collectively demonstrated first the roles of LPMs via removal of ferroptotic monocytes/macrophages and provided a novel mechanism of MSCs in repairing the endometrial injury.

Molecular stratification of the human fetal vaginal epithelium by spatial transcriptome analysis.

The human vaginal epithelium is a crucial component of numerous reproductive processes and serves as a vital protective barrier against pathogenic invasion. Despite its significance, a comprehensive exploration of its molecular profiles, including molecular expression and distribution across its multiple layers, has not been performed. In this study, we perform a spatial transcriptomic analysis within the vaginal wall of human fetuses to fill this knowledge gap. We successfully categorize the vaginal epithelium into four distinct zones based on transcriptomic profiles and anatomical features. This approach reveals unique transcriptomic signatures within these regions, allowing us to identify differentially expressed genes and uncover novel markers for distinct regions of the vaginal epithelium. Additionally, our findings highlight the varied expressions of keratin ( KRT) genes across different zones of the vaginal epithelium, with a gradual shift in expression patterns observed from the basal layer to the surface/superficial layer. This suggests a potential differentiation trajectory of the human vaginal epithelium, shedding light on the dynamic nature of this tissue. Furthermore, abundant biological processes are found to be enriched in the basal zone by KEGG pathway analysis, indicating an active state of the basal zone cells. Subsequently, the expressions of latent stem cell markers in the basal zone are identified. In summary, our research provides a crucial understanding of human vaginal epithelial cells and the complex mechanisms of the vaginal mucosa, with potential applications in vaginal reconstruction and drug delivery, making this atlas a valuable tool for future research in women's health and reproductive medicine.

Vaginal reconstruction by collagen scaffolds loaded with vaginal epithelial and smooth muscle cells in pigs.

In women, a healthy and functional vagina is important for the maintenance of a good quality of life. Various factors, including congenital anomalies, cancer, trauma, infections, inflammation, or iatrogenic injuries, can lead to damage or loss of the vaginal structure, necessitating repair or replacement. Often, such reconstruction procedures involve the use of nonvaginal tissue substitutes, like segments of the large intestine or skin, which are less than ideal both anatomically and functionally. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop new methods of vaginal reconstruction. In this study, we established a new method for isolation and expansion of vaginal epithelial and smooth muscle cells. Subsequently, collagen scaffolds designed for vaginal reconstruction were loaded with vaginal epithelial and smooth muscle cells in vitro and tested in vivo using the vaginal excision pig model. The results showed that the collagen scaffold loaded with vaginal epithelial and smooth muscle cells significantly promotes the reconstruction of the vagina compared with small intestinal submucosa (SIS) membrane or bare collagen scaffold. Notably, the reconstructed vaginal tissues exhibit remarkable similarity to their normal counterparts, encompassing not only the vaginal epithelium and smooth muscle but also the intricate networks of blood vessels and nerves. These compelling results underscore the feasibility of a tissue engineering approach in vaginal reconstruction, offering promising prospects for improving the quality of life in affected individuals.

Single-center experience of endovascular treatment for patients with progressive posterior circulation cerebral infarction exceeding 24 h.

Background: Evidence of endovascular treatment (ET) for patients with progressive infarction of the posterior circulation exceeding 24 h is lacking. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of ET for progressive posterior circulation cerebral infarction. Methods: This retrospective study evaluated the ET for 18 patients with posterior circulation infarction caused by vertebrobasilar artery occlusion from July 2017 to November 2018. The conditions of patients worsened despite receiving intravenous thrombolysis or combination therapy with clopidogrel and aspirin. The time from the onset of cerebral infarction to puncture was >24 h. The preoperative National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), modified Rankin Scale (mRS), and related risk factors of patients at 3 months were analyzed postoperatively. Results: The preoperative NIHSS score was 10.6 (IQR: 6.5), and the time from onset to puncture was 163.5 ± 144.7 h. Postoperative blood flow was modified thrombolysis in cerebral infarction (mTICI) grade 2b or above. During the follow-up period, 1 patient died of basilar artery re-occlusion and pulmonary infection, and 1 died of postoperative hyperperfusion hemorrhage, with a mortality rate of 11.1% (2/18). No recurrent ischemic events were observed in any of the 16 patients during the 3-month follow-up period. The mean mRS score was 1.3 (IQR: 2.3), and 75% patients (12/16) had an mRS score of 0-2. There were no significant differences in age, gender, clinical characteristics, and stroke subtype between patients with mRS scores ≤2 and >2. Conclusion: In patients with progressive posterior circulation cerebral infarction caused by vertebral basilar artery occlusion, ET is effective and safe even if the time from onset to puncture exceeds 24 h.

Targeting endometrial inflammation in intrauterine adhesion ameliorates endometrial fibrosis by priming MSCs to secrete C1INH.

Intrauterine adhesion (IUA) is a common cause of uterine infertility and its histopathologic characteristic is endometrial fibrosis. A shortage of stem cells in the endometrial basalis has been recognized as a common cause of IUA development because approximately 90% of patients suffer from IUA after endometrial injury. In this study, we provide evidence that persistent inflammation is the main contributor to endometrial fibrosis in IUA patients. We further found that treating an IUA-like mouse model with ITI-hUC-MSCs (hUC-MSCs reprogrammed by IL-1ß, TNF-α and IFN-γ) significantly decreased endometrial inflammation and fibrosis. Mechanistically, high levels of complement 1 inhibitor (C1INH) secreted by ITI-hUC-MSCs prevented inflammation from inducing profibrotic CD301+ macrophage polarization by downregulating the JAK-STAT signaling pathway. In conclusion, persistent inflammation in the endometria of IUA patients provides macrophage polarization with a profibrotic niche to promote endometrial fibrosis, and the powerful immunomodulatory effects of ITI-hUC-MSCs improve the immune microenvironment of endometrial regeneration.

Targeting CD301+ macrophages inhibits endometrial fibrosis and improves pregnancy outcome.

Macrophages are a key and heterogeneous cell population involved in endometrial repair and regeneration during the menstrual cycle, but their role in the development of intrauterine adhesion (IUA) and sequential endometrial fibrosis remains unclear. Here, we reported that CD301+ macrophages were significantly increased and showed their most active interaction with profibrotic cells in the endometria of IUA patients compared with the normal endometria by single-cell RNA sequencing, bulk RNA sequencing, and experimental verification. Increasing CD301+ macrophages promoted the differentiation of endometrial stromal cells into myofibroblasts and resulted in extracellular matrix accumulation, which destroyed the physiological architecture of endometrial tissue, drove endometrial fibrosis, and ultimately led to female infertility or adverse pregnancy outcomes. Mechanistically, CD301+ macrophages secreted GAS6 to activate the AXL/NF-κB pathway, upregulating the profibrotic protein synthesis. Targeted deletion of CD301+ macrophages or inhibition of AXL by Bemcentinib blunted the pathology and improved the outcomes of pregnancy in mice, supporting the therapeutic potential of targeting CD301+ macrophages for treating endometrial fibrosis.

Ferroptosis contributes to endometrial fibrosis in intrauterine adhesions.

Intrauterine adhesions (IUA), characterized by endometrial fibrosis, is a challenging clinical issue in reproductive medicine. We previously demonstrated that epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and fibrosis of endometrial stromal cells (HESCs) played a vital role in the development of IUA, but the precise pathogenesis remains elucidated. Ferroptosis has now been recognized as a unique form of oxidative cell death, but whether it is involved in endometrial fibrosis remains unknown. In the present study, we performed an RNA-seq of the endometria from 4 severe IUA patients and 4 normal controls. Enrichment analysis and protein-protein interactions (PPIs) network analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were conducted. Immunohistochemistry was used to assess ferroptosis levels and cellular localization. The potential role of ferroptosis for IUA was investigated by in vitro and in vivo experiments. Here, we demonstrated that ferroptosis load is increased in IUA endometria. In vitro experiments showed that erastin-induced ferroptosis promoted EMT and fibrosis in endometrial epithelial cells (P < 0.05), but did not lead to pro-fibrotic differentiation in endometrial stromal cells (HESCs). Cell co-culture experiments showed that erastin-stimulated epithelial cell supernatants promoted fibrosis in HESCs (P < 0.05). In vivo experiments suggested that elevation of ferroptosis level in mice by erastin led to mild endometrial EMT and fibrosis. Meanwhile, the ferroptosis inhibitor Fer-1 significantly ameliorated endometrial fibrosis in a dual-injury IUA murine model. Overall, our findings revealed that ferroptosis may serve as a potential therapeutic target for endometrial fibrosis in IUA.

MFG-E8 promotes osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells through GSK3ß/ß-catenin signaling pathway.

Fracture nonunion and bone defects are challenging for orthopedic surgeons. Milk fat globule-epidermal growth factor 8 (MFG-E8), a glycoprotein possibly secreted by macrophages in a fracture hematoma, participates in bone development. However, the role of MFG-E8 in the osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) is unclear. We investigated the osteogenic effect of MFG-E8 in vitro and in vivo. The CCK-8 assay was used to assess the effect of recombinant human MFG-E8 (rhMFG-E8) on the viability of hBMSCs. Osteogenesis was investigated using RT-PCR, Western blotting, and immunofluorescence. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and Alizarin red staining were used to evaluate ALP activity and mineralization, respectively. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was conducted to evaluate the secretory MFG-E8 concentration. Knockdown and overexpression of MFG-E8 in hBMSCs were established via siRNA and lentivirus vector transfection, respectively. Exogenous rhMFG-E8 was used to verify the in vivo therapeutic effect in a tibia bone defect model based on radiographic analysis and histological evaluation. Endogenous and secretory MFG-E8 levels increased significantly during the early osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs. Knockdown of MFG-E8 inhibited the osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs. Overexpression of MFG-E8 and rhMFG-E8 protein increased the expression of osteogenesis-related genes and proteins and enhanced calcium deposition. The active ß-catenin to total ß-catenin ratio and the p-GSK3ß protein level were increased by MFG-E8. The MFG-E8-induced enhanced osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs was partially attenuated by a GSK3ß/ß-catenin signaling inhibitor. Recombinant MFG-E8 accelerated bone healing in a rat tibial-defect model. In conclusion, MFG-E8 promotes the osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs by regulating the GSK3ß/ß-catenin signaling pathway and so, is a potential therapeutic target.

Percutaneous Cavopulmonary Assist: From Design to 96 Hour Survival in Lethal Cavopulmonary Failure Sheep.

We are developing a clinically practical percutaneous double lumen cannula (DLC)-based cavopulmonary assist (CPA) system to support failing Fontan patients. In this study, our CPA DLC was redesigned for even blood flow, minimal recirculation, and easy insertion/deployment. After bench testing, this new CPA system was evaluated for 4 hours (n = 10) and 96 hours (n = 5) in our clinically relevant lethal cavopulmonary failure (CPF) sheep model for ease of cannulation/deployment, reversal of CPF hemodynamics/end-organ hypoperfusion, and durability/biocompatibility. Cavopulmonary failure was achieved in all sheep. All DLCs were successfully inserted/deployed into Fontan anatomy. Cavopulmonary assist reversed CPF with normalized central venous pressure and cardiac output. All survival sheep were ambulatory with normal eating/drinking. One sheep was euthanized after 6 hours from cannula kinking, and one sheep died of hypokalemia after 8 hours. Three sheep survived 96 hours with normal hemodynamics. Free hemoglobin was only 3.7 ± 1.2 mg/dl at 96 hours, indicating negligible hemolysis. Creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, and lactate increased from hypoperfusion but normalized by 72 hours CPA. Necropsy showed only a small, immobilized thrombus ring at umbrella attachment to DLC. Our DLC-based system provided total ambulatory CPA in a lethal CPF sheep model with 96 hour survival and complete reversal of hemodynamics and end-organ hypoperfusion.

Elevated Placental microRNA-155 Is a Biomarker of a Preeclamptic Subtype.

BACKGROUND: Preeclampsia is a complicated syndrome with marked heterogeneity. The biomarker-based classification for this syndrome is more constructive to the targeted prevention and treatment of preeclampsia. It has been reported that preeclamptic patients had elevated microRNA-155 (miR-155) in placentas or circulation. Here, we investigated the characteristics of patients with high placental miR-155 (pl-miR-155). METHODS: Based on the 95th percentile (P95) of pl-miR-155 in controls, preeclamptic patients were divided into high miR-155 group (≥P95) and normal miR-155 group (

The UCMSC-bFGF/Scaffold System Accelerates the Healing of the Uterine Full-Thickness Injury.

Severe uterine injury is a major cause of endometrial scar formation and female infertility. At present, the methods for accelerating injured uterine healing are still lacking. Genetic engineering modification of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has been shown great promise in preclinical studies on regeneration. Here, we constructed a type of umbilical cord MSCs (UC-MSCs) with overexpressed basic fibroblast growth factor (UCMSC-bFGF) and investigated the effects of the UCMSC-bFGF/scaffold on functional regeneration of the full-thickness defect uterus of the rat model. At days 7, 14, and 30 after treatments, the rats were killed and the injured uterus was observed. The structural and functional change of uterine was assessed by hematoxylin and eosin staining, immunohistochemical staining, and fertility experiment. The UCMSC-bFGF/scaffold group exhibited anti-inflammatory effect, and the number of CD45+ cell in the UCMSC-bFGF/scaffold group was significantly less than that in UC-MSCs/scaffold group and scaffold group, but higher than sham-operated group at day 7 postmending. At day 14, the UCMSC-bFGF/scaffold group exhibited dramatically proangiogenesis efficacy compared with UC-MSCs/scaffold group and scaffold group. At day 30, the endometrial thickness, structure of myometrium, and blood vessels in the UCMSC-bFGF/scaffold were better than those of the UC-MSCs/scaffold group and scaffold group, even close to sham-operated group. Implantation rate at injury region postoperation 30 days in the UCMSC-bFGF/scaffold group (8/16) was significantly higher than that in UC-MSCs/scaffold group (1/16) and scaffold group (0/16). Taken together, the UCMSC-bFGF/scaffold system suppressed local inflammation, promoted angiogenesis, and accelerated regeneration of the defected uterine wall, and thereby greatly shortened the healing time of the injured uterus. Impact statement In this study, we used umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) with stably overexpressed basic fibroblast growth factor (UCMSC-bFGF) to repair the full-thickness defect uterine wall of the rat model and found that the UCMSC-bFGF/scaffold system suppressed early acute inflammation after uterus injury, promoted angiogenesis, and accelerated regeneration of the injured uterine wall.

Clinical effectiveness of a pneumatic compression device combined with low-molecular-weight heparin for the prevention of deep vein thrombosis in trauma patients: A single-center retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the clinical effectiveness of a pneumatic compression device (PCD) combined with low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) for the prevention and treatment of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in trauma patients. METHODS: This study retrospectively analyzed 286 patients with mild craniocerebral injury and clavicular fractures admitted to our department from January 2016 to February 2020. Patients treated with only LMWH served as the control group, and patients treated with a PCD combined with LMWH as the observation group. The incidence of DVT, postoperative changes in the visual analogue scale (VAS) score, and coagulation function were observed and compared between the two groups. Excluding the influence of other single factors, binary logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the use of a PCD in the patient's postoperative coagulation function. RESULTS: After excluding 34 patients who did not meet the inclusion criteria, 252 patients were were included. The incidence of DVT in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group (5.6% vs. 15.1%, χ2=4.605, P<0.05). The postoperative VAS scores of the two groups were lower than those before surgery (P<0.05). The coagulation function of the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group, with a better combined anticoagulant effect (P<0.05). There were no significant differences between the two groups in preoperative or postoperative Glasgow Coma Scale scores, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative infection rate, or length of hospital stay (P>0.05). According to logistic regression analysis, the postoperative risk of DVT in patients who received LMWH alone was 1.764 times that of patients who received LMWH+PCD (P<0.05). The area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve of partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and platelet (PLT) were greater than 0.5, indicating that they were the influence indicators of adding PCD to prevent DVT. Excluding the influence of other variables, LMWH+PCD effectively improved the coagulation function of patients. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with LMWH alone, LMWH+PCD could improve blood rheology and coagulation function in patients with traumatic brain injury and clavicular fracture, reduce the incidence of DVT, shorten the length of hospital stay, and improve the clinical effectiveness of treatment.

Down-regulation of PBK inhibits proliferation of human endometrial stromal cells in thin endometrium.

BACKGROUND: Thin endometrium (TE) is a challenging clinical issue in the reproductive medicine characterized by inadequate endometrial thickness, poor response to estrogen and no effective treatments currently. At present, the precise pathogenesis of thin endometria remains to be elucidated. We aimed to explore the related molecular mechanism of TE by comparing the transcriptome profiles of late-proliferative phase endometria between TE and matched controls. METHODS: We performed a bulk RNA-Seq (RNA-sequencing) of endometrial tissues in the late-proliferative phase in 7 TE and 7 matched controls for the first time. Differential gene expression analysis, gene ontology enrichment analysis and protein-protein interactions (PPIs) network analysis were performed. Immunohistochemistry was used for molecular expression and localization in endometria. Human endometrial stromal cells (HESCs) were isolated and cultured for verifying the functions of hub gene. RESULTS: Integrative data mining of our RNA-seq data in endometria revealed that most genes related to cell division and cell cycle were significantly inhibited, while inflammation activation, immune response and reactive oxygen species associated genes were upregulated in TE. PBK was identified as a hub of PPIs network, and its expression level was decreased by 2.43-fold in endometria of TE patients, particularly reduced in the stromal cells, which was paralleled by the decreased expression of Ki67. In vitro experiments showed that the depletion of PBK reduced the proliferation of HESCs by 50% and increased the apoptosis of HESCs by 1 time, meanwhile PBK expression was inhibited by oxidative stress (reduced by 76.2%), hypoxia (reduced by 51.9%) and inflammatory factors (reduced by approximately 50%). These results suggested that the insufficient expression of PBK was involved in the poor endometrial thickness in TE. CONCLUSIONS: The endometrial transcriptome in late-proliferative phase showed suppressed cell proliferation in women with thin endometria and decreased expression of PBK in human endometrial stromal cells (HESCs), to which inflammation and reactive oxygen species contributed.

Defective autophagy contributes to endometrial epithelial-mesenchymal transition in intrauterine adhesions.

Intrauterine adhesions (IUA), characterized by endometrial fibrosis, is a common cause of uterine infertility. We previously demonstrated that partial epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the loss of epithelial homeostasis play a vital role in the development of endometrial fibrosis. As a pro-survival strategy in maintaining cell and tissue homeostasis, macroautophagy/autophagy, conversely, may participate in this process. However, the role of autophagy in endometrial fibrosis remains unknown. Here, we demonstrated that autophagy is defective in endometria of IUA patients, which aggravates EMT and endometrial fibrosis, and defective autophagy is related to DIO2 (iodothyronine deiodinase 2) downregulation. In endometrial epithelial cells (EECs), pharmacological inhibition of autophagy by chloroquine (CQ) promoted EEC-EMT, whereas enhanced autophagy by rapamycin extenuated this process. Mechanistically, silencing DIO2 in EECs blocked autophagic flux and promoted EMT via the MAPK/ERK-MTOR pathway. Inversely, overexpression of DIO2 or triiodothyronine (T3) treatment could restore autophagy and partly reverse EEC-EMT. Furthermore, in an IUA-like mouse model, the autophagy in endometrium was defective accompanied by EEC-EMT, and CQ could inhibit autophagy and aggravate endometrial fibrosis, whereas rapamycin or T3 treatment could improve the autophagic levels and blunt endometrial fibrosis. Together, we demonstrated that defective autophagy played an important role in EEC-EMT in IUA via the DIO2-MAPK/ERK-MTOR pathway, which provided a potential target for therapeutic implications.Abbreviations: ACTA2/α-SMA: actin alpha 2, smooth muscle; AMPK: adenosine 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase; AKT/protein kinase B: AKT serine/threonine kinase; ATG: autophagy related; CDH1/E-cadherin: cadherin 1; CDH2/N-cadherin: cadherin 2; CQ: chloroquine; CTSD: cathepsin D; DIO2: iodothyronine deiodinase 2; DEGs: differentially expressed genes; EECs: endometrial epithelial cells; EMT: epithelial-mesenchymal transition; FN1: fibronectin 1; IUA: intrauterine adhesions; LAMP1: lysosomal associated membrane protein 1; LPS: lipopolysaccharide; MAP1LC3/LC3: microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3; MAPK: mitogen-activated protein kinase; MTOR: mechanistic target of rapamycin kinase; Rapa: rapamycin; SQSTM1/p62: sequestosome 1; T3: triiodothyronine; T4: tetraiodothyronine; TFEB: transcription factor EB; PBS: phosphate-buffered saline; TEM: transmission electron microscopy; TGFB/TGFß: transforming growth factor beta.

Deciphering the endometrial niche of human thin endometrium at single-cell resolution.

Thin endometrium has been widely recognized as a critical cause of infertility, recurrent pregnancy loss, and placental abnormalities; however, access to effective treatment is a formidable challenge due to the rudimentary understanding of the pathogenesis of thin endometrium. Here, we profiled the transcriptomes of human endometrial cells at single-cell resolution to characterize cell types, their communications, and the underlying mechanism of endometrial growth in normal and thin endometrium during the proliferative phase. Stromal cells were the most abundant cell type in the endometrium, with a subpopulation of proliferating stromal cells whose cell cycle signaling pathways were compromised in thin endometrium. Both single-cell RNA sequencing and experimental verification revealed cellular senescence in the stroma and epithelium accompanied by collagen overdeposition around blood vessels. Moreover, decreased numbers of macrophages and natural killer cells further exacerbated endometrial thinness. In addition, our results uncovered aberrant SEMA3, EGF, PTN, and TWEAK signaling pathways as causes for the insufficient proliferation of the endometrium. Together, these data provide insight into therapeutic strategies for endometrial regeneration and growth to treat thin endometrium.

The role of junctional adhesion molecule-C in trophoblast differentiation and function during normal pregnancy and preeclampsia.

INTRODUCTION: Junctional adhesion molecule-C (JAM-C) is an important regulator of many physiological processes, ranging from maintenance of tight junction integrity of epithelia to regulation of cell migration, homing and proliferation. Preeclampsia (PE) is a trophoblast-related syndrome with abnormal placentation and insufficient trophoblast invasion. However, the role of JAM-C in normal pregnancy and PE pathogenesis is unknown. METHODS: The expression and location of JAM-C in placentas were determined by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), western blot and immunohistochemistry. The expression of differentiation and invasion markers were detected by qRT-PCR or western blot. The effects of JAM-C on migration and invasion of trophoblasts were examined using wound-healing and invasion assays. Additionally, a mouse model was established by injection of JAM-C-positive adenovirus to explore the effects of JAM-C in vivo. RESULTS: In normal pregnancy, JAM-C was preferentially expressed on cytotrophoblast (CTB) progenitors and progressively decreased when acquiring invasion properties with gestation advance. However, in PE patients, the expression of JAM-C was upregulated in extravillous trophoblasts (EVTs) and syncytiotrophoblasts (SynTs) of placentas. It was also demonstrated that JAM-C suppressed the differentiation of CTBs into EVTs in vitro. Consistently, JAM-C inhibited the migration and invasion capacities of EVTs through GSK3ß/ß-catenin signaling pathway. Importantly, Ad-JAMC-infected mouse model mimicked the phenotype of human PE. DISCUSSION: JAM-C plays an important role in normal placentation and upregulated JAM-C in placentas contributes to PE development.

Single-cell analysis reveals dynamic changes of neural cells in developing human spinal cord.

During central nervous system development, neurogenesis and gliogenesis occur in an orderly manner to create precise neural circuitry. However, no systematic dataset of neural lineage development that covers both neurogenesis and gliogenesis for the human spinal cord is available. We here perform single-cell RNA sequencing of human spinal cord cells during embryonic and fetal stages that cover neuron generation as well as astrocytes and oligodendrocyte differentiation. We also map the timeline of sensory neurogenesis and gliogenesis in the spinal cord. We further identify a group of EGFR-expressing transitional glial cells with radial morphology at the onset of gliogenesis, which progressively acquires differentiated glial cell characteristics. These EGFR-expressing transitional glial cells exhibited a unique position-specific feature during spinal cord development. Cell crosstalk analysis using CellPhoneDB indicated that EGFR glial cells can persistently interact with other neural cells during development through Delta-Notch and EGFR signaling. Together, our results reveal stage-specific profiles and dynamics of neural cells during human spinal cord development.