[Notch1/Akt/Foxo1 Pathway Regulated by Kisspeptin Is Involved in Endometrial Decidualization in Patients With Recurrent Spontaneous Abortion]. / kisspeptin调控Notch1/Akt/Foxo1é€šè·¯å‚ä¸Žå¤å‘æ€§æµäº§æ‚£è€ å­å®«å† è†œèœ•è†œåŒ–.

Objective: Kisspeptin, a protein encoded by the KISS1 gene, functions as an essential factor in suppressing tumor growth. The intricate orchestration of cellular processes such as proliferation and differentiation is governed by the Notch1/Akt/Foxo1 signaling pathway, which assumes a central role in maintaining cellular homeostasis. In the specific context of this investigation, the focal point lies in a meticulous exploration of the intricate mechanisms underlying the regulatory effect of kisspeptin on the process of endometrial decidualization. This investigation delves into the interplay between kisspeptin and the Notch1/Akt/Foxo1 signaling pathway, aiming to elucidate its significance in the pathophysiology of recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA). Methods: We enrolled a cohort comprising 45 individuals diagnosed with RSA, who were admitted to the outpatient clinic of the Reproductive Center at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University between June 2020 and December 2020. On the other hand, an additional group of 50 women undergoing elective abortion at the outpatient clinic of the Family Planning Department during the same timeframe was also included. To comprehensively assess the molecular landscape, Western blot and RT-qPCR were performed to analyze the expression levels of kisspeptin (and its gene KISS1), IGFBP1 (an established marker of decidualization), Notch1, Akt, and Foxo1 within the decidua. Human endometrial stromal cells (hESC) were given targeted interventions, including treatment with siRNA to disrupt KISS1 or exposure to kisspeptin10 (the bioactive fragment of kisspeptin), and were subsequently designated as the siKP group or the KP10 group, respectively. A control group comprised hESC was transfected with blank siRNA, and cell proliferation was meticulously evaluated with CCK8 assay. Following in vitro induction for decidualization across the three experimental groups, immunofluorescence assay was performed to identify differences in Notch1 expression and decidualization morphology between the siKP and the KP10 groups. Furthermore, RT-qPCR and Western blot were performed to gauge the expression levels of IGFBP1, Notch1, Akt, and Foxo1 across the three cell groups. Subsequently, decidualization was induced in hESC by adding inhibitors targeting Notch1, Akt, and Foxo1. The expression profiles of the aforementioned proteins and genes in the four groups were then examined, with hESC induced for decidualization without adding inhibitors serving as the normal control group. To establish murine models of normal pregnancy (NP) and RSA, CBA/J×BALB/c and CBA/J×DBA/2 mice were used. The mice were respectively labeled as the NP model and RSA model. The experimental groups received intraperitoneal injections of kisspeptin10 and kisspeptin234 (acting as a blocker) and were designated as RSA-KP10 and NP-KP234 groups. On the other hand, the control groups received intraperitoneal injections of normal saline (NS) and were referred to as RSA-NS and NP-NS groups. Each group comprised 6 mice, and uterine tissues from embryos at 9.5 days of gestation were meticulously collected for observation of embryo absorption and examination of the expression of the aforementioned proteins and genes. Results: The analysis revealed that the expression levels of kisspeptin, IGFBP1, Notch1, Akt, and Foxo1 were significantly lower in patients diagnosed with RSA compared to those in women with NP (P<0.01 for kisspeptin and P<0.05 for IGFBP1, Notch1, Akt, and Foxo1). After the introduction of kisspeptin10 to hESC, there was an observed enhancement in decidualization capability. Subsequently, the expression levels of Notch1, Akt, and Foxo1 showed an increase, but they decreased after interference with KISS1. Through immunofluorescence analysis, it was observed that proliferative hESC displayed a slender morphology, but they transitioned to a rounder and larger morphology post-decidualization. Concurrently, the expression of Notch1 increased, suggesting enhanced decidualization upon the administration of kisspeptin10, but the expression decreased after interference with KISS1. Further experimentation involved treating hESC with inhibitors specific to Notch1, Akt, and Foxo1 separately, revealing a regulatory sequence of Notch1/Akt/Foxo1 (P<0.05). In comparison to the NS group, NP mice administered with kisspeptin234 exhibited increased fetal absorption rates (P<0.001) and decreased expression of IGFBP1, Notch1, Akt, and Foxo1 (P<0.05). Conversely, RSA mice administered with kisspeptin10 demonstrated decreased fetal absorption rates (P<0.001) and increased expression levels of the aforementioned molecules (P<0.05). Conclusion: It is suggested that kisspeptin might exert its regulatory influence on the process of decidualization through the modulation of the Notch1/Akt/Foxo1 signaling cascade. A down-regulation of the expression levels of kisspeptin could result in suboptimal decidualization, which in turn might contribute to the development or progression of RSA.

Distinct changes of in BTLA, ICOS, PD-1, and TIGIT expression on peripheral blood and decidual CD8+ T cells in women with unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion†.

The two-way communication between the mother and the fetus is accomplished by immune cells. CD8+ T cells of normal pregnant (NP) women express progesterone receptor (PR). Binding of PR to progesterone (P) and the production of progesterone-induced blocking factor (PIBF) can aid immune escape, which is an important factor in the maternal immune response. We detected the proportion of CD8+ T cells and the expression of the surface costimulatory molecules BTLA, TIGIT, ICOS, and PD-1 in peripheral blood and decidual tissues of women with unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (URSA) and in NP women. All patients were at 8 -10 weeks of gestation. The results showed that there was no change in the proportions of CD8+ T cells in peripheral blood and decidual tissues of URSA patients compared to those of NP women. In peripheral blood, compared with the NP group, the URSA group showed decreased expression of BTLA + CD8+ T cells and the difference was statistically significant, but there was no difference between the groups in terms of TIGIT + CD8+, PD-1 + CD8+, and ICOS + CD8+ T cells. There was no change in the levels of TIGIT + CD8+, PD-1 + CD8+, ICOS + CD8+, and BTLA + CD8+ T cells in decidual tissue. These data confirm that the number of CD8+ T cells in peripheral blood and decidual tissue is not the main factor leading to the pathogenesis of URSA, and other immune cells may play an important role in URSA, but this hypothesis needs further exploration and research.

Folic acid-coupled nano-paclitaxel liposome reverses drug resistance in SKOV3/TAX ovarian cancer cells.

Chemotherapy could be used as an effective treatment for ovarian cancer and subsequent peritoneal metastasis. Administration of chemoagents in a targeted manner may bring the advantage of higher efficiency and lower drug resistance. In the present study, folate receptor (FR)-targeted nano-paclitaxel formulations were generated and tested for cytotoxicity in a peritoneal xenograft model of paclitaxel-resistant ovarian cancer and SKOV3/TAX cell lines. Immunocytochemical staining confirmed the expression of FR in both SKOV3 and SKOV3/TAX cells. The enrichment of the folic acid-coupled PEGylated nano-paclitaxel liposome (FA-NP) in FR-positive cells was visualized with fluorescence. The uptake of the FA-NP peaked at 4 h and was more robust than nontargeted PEGylated nano-paclitaxel liposome (NP). FA-NP but not NP markedly inhibited the growth of ovarian cancer cells and induced a two-fold increase in the doubling time. The cytotoxic effects of FA-NP were more potent than NP in both SKOV3 cells [50% of inhibition concentration (IC50), 5.67 vs. 50.2 µg/ml, FA-NP vs. NP] and SKOV3/TAX cells (IC50, 0.38 vs. >200 µg/ml, FA-NP vs. NP). FA-NP caused more G2-M cell cycle arrest and apoptotic changes in ovarian cancer cells than NP or regular paclitaxel. However, these effects were blunted in the presence of free FA, which competitively inhibited the receptor-mediated uptake of FA-NP particles. Intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of FA-NP but not regular paclitaxel, NP, or vehicle significantly prolonged the survival and reduced tumor nodule number (2.9±0.3) in BALB/c nude mice. FA-NP also markedly enhanced the percentage of apoptotic cells in peritoneal xenografts of paclitaxel-resistant ovarian cancer cells (44.6±8.5 vs. 3.2±1.1% for vehicle, 22.4±5.9% for regular paclitaxel, and 35.2±7.7% for NP; P<0.05). However, intravenous administration of FA-NP at the same dose failed to induce apoptosis (20.1±6.2%; P<0.05) and inhibit tumor nodule number to the same extent as intraperitoneal administration. FA-NP reversed the drug resistance in paclitaxel-resistant SKOV3/TAX ovarian cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo. Localized and targeted administration of the FR-targeted chemoagents might prolong the survival time in patients with drug-resistant ovarian cancer.

PD-1 mediates decidual γδ T cells cytotoxicity during recurrent pregnancy loss.

PROBLEM: Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is one of the big challenges of normal pregnancy. Immune dysregulation has been proposed for the key underline mechanisms of RPL. However, the essential roles of T cells, especially γδ T cells, have not been defined. METHOD OF STUDY: Decidua were obtained from normal pregnancy women or recurrent pregnancy loss patients and the surface molecules of γδ T cells in decidua were evaluated via flow cytometric analysis. The expression of PD-1 in clinical samples was analyzed by immunohistochemistry assay. The intracellular cytokines of decidual PD-1+ and PD-1- γδ T cells were evaluated by flow cytometric analysis. The cytotoxicity of PD-1- γδ T cells were confirmed via an in vitro co-culture experiment. The specific inhibitors for Erk, p38 and JNK against the MAPK pathway were added to the co-culture media to evaluate the functions of the Erk, p38 and JNK. RESULTS: We demonstrated that PD-1 was significantly decreased on decidual tissue γδ T cells of patients with RPL, resulting in the enhanced cytotoxicity of γδ T cells against trophoblasts. We further elucidated an Erk-dependent TNF-α production mediates the γδ T cell cytotoxicity against the trophoblast cells. Finally, the reduced expression of PD-L1 in the villi tissues of patients with RPL might be the cause of the reduction of PD-1 on the tissue γδ T cells. CONCLUSION: Our study uncovers an important role of PD-1 expression on decidual γδ T cells in maintaining the normal pregnancy, and may provide a new strategy for immune therapy against RPL.

Two miRNA prognostic signatures of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: A bioinformatic analysis based on the TCGA dataset.

MicroRNAs(miRNAs) are maladjusted in multifarious malignant tumor and can be considered as both carcinogens and tumor-inhibiting factor. In the present study, we analyzed the miRNAs expression profiles and clinical information of 481 patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) through the TCGA dataset to identify the prognostic miRNAs signature. A total of 114 significantly differentially expressed miRNAs (SDEMs) were identified, consisting of 60 up-adjusted and 54 down-adjusted miRNAs. The Kaplan-Meier survival method identified the prognostic function of 2 miRNAs (miR-4652-5p and miR-99a-3P). Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses indicated that the 2 miRNAs were significant prognostic elements of HNSCC. Furthermore, bioinformatic analysis was conducted by means of 4 online gene predicted toolkits to recognize the target genes, and enrichment analysis was performed on the target genes by DAVID. The outcomes depicted that target genes were correlated with calcium, as well as cell proliferation, circadian entrainment, EGFR, PI3K-Akt-mTOR, and P53 signaling pathways. Finally, the PPI network was conducted in view of STRING database and Cytoscape. Eight hub genes were identified by CytoHubba and MCODE app, respectively, CBL, SKP1, H2AFX, HGF, POLR2F, UBE2I, VAMP2, and GNAI2 genes. As a result, we identified 2 miRNAs signatures, 8 hub genes, and significant signaling pathways for estimating the prognosis of HNSCC. In order to further explore the molecular mechanism of HNSCC occurrence and development, more comprehensive basic and clinical studies are needed.

Rosmarinic acid suppresses adipogenesis, lipolysis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, lipopolysaccharide-stimulated tumor necrosis factor-α secretion in macrophages, and inflammatory mediators in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

Background: Rosmarinic acid (RA) is a natural phenol carboxylic acid with many promising biological effects. It may be a suitable candidate for improving obesity-related adipose tissue dysfunction. Objective: We aimed to investigate the therapeutic use of RA as an anti-obesity agent by measuring its effects on adipogenesis, lipolysis, and messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of major adipokines in 3T3-L1 adipocytes; and its effects on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) secretion in macrophages and inflammatory mediators in 3T3-L1 adipocytes incubated with macrophage-conditioned medium (MCM). Methods: 3T3-L1 preadipocytes were used to explore how RA affects adipogenesis, as well as the involvement of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase-1/2 (p-ERK1/2) and mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 3 (p-Smad3). 3T3-L1 preadipocytes were also differentiated into mature adipocytes to explore how RA affects basal and isoproterenol- and forskolin-stimulated lipolysis; and how RA affects key adipokines' mRNA expression. RAW 264.7 macrophages were stimulated with LPS in the absence or presence of RA to explore RA's effects on TNF-α secretion. MCM was collected and 3T3-L1 adipocytes were incubated with MCM to explore RA's effects on interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-1ß, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), and RANTES mRNA expression. Results: During the preadipocyte differentiation process, RA suppressed peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ and CCAAT/enhancer binding protein-α, and activated p-ERK1/2 and p-Smad3; inhibition of adipogenesis by RA was partially restored following treatment with p-ERK1/2 and p-Smad3 inhibitors. In mature adipocytes, RA inhibited basal lipolysis; phosphodiesterase-3 inhibitor reversed this. RA also inhibited isoproterenol- and forskolin-stimulated glycerol and free fatty acid release, and the phosphorylation of hormone-sensitive lipase and perilipin. RA had no effects on leptin, adiponectin, resistin, or visfatin mRNA expression. RA suppressed TNF-α mRNA expression and secretion in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages; and reduced LPS-MCM-induced IL-6, IL-1ß, MCP-1, and RANTES mRNA expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Conclusions: RA exerts inhibitory effects on adipogenesis, lipolysis, and inflammation. RA could be a promising natural product for improving adipose mobilization in obesity.