GCH1-regulated miRNAs are potential targets for microglial activation in neuropathic pain.

Neuropathic pain (NP) is a chronic pain directly caused by injury or disease of the somatosensory nervous system. Previous studies suggest that GTP cyclohydrolase I (GCH1) may play a pivotal role in microglial activation, which has been shown to be essential for NP. However, its underlying mechanisms in microglial activation remain unclear. A wide range of microRNAs (miRNAs) have been found to be involved in microglial activation-induced NP. To identify the miRNAs regulated by GCH1 and predict their functions in the progression of microglial activation, we analyzed the miRNA expression profiles of GCH1-knockdown (KD) BV2 microglial cells. Small RNA-sequencing analysis revealed 13 differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs in GCH1-KD cells. The target genes of DE miRNAs mainly participate in PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, peroxisome and ferroptosis. The miRNA-mRNA regulatory network analysis showed that GCH1, MAP4K5 and YWHAB acted as hub genes. qRT-PCR results further verified the expression levels of mmu-miR-1a-3p, mmu-miR-133a-3p, mmu-miR-7a-5p and mmu-miR-10a-5p in GCH1-KD cells, which were consistent with the sequencing data. In addition, our data indicated that overexpression of mmu-miR-133a-3p alleviated the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1ß and IL-6 production induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), indicating that mmu-miR-133a-3p has a negative effect on microglial activation. Taken together, our findings suggest that many miRNAs regulated by GCH1 may be involved in microglial activation, which may provide new potential targets for GCH1 in the pathogenesis of NP.

Progesterone activates the cyclic AMP-protein kinase A signalling pathway by upregulating ABHD2 in fertile men.

OBJECTIVE: This was a prospective study to investigate whether progesterone affects sperm activity by regulating the cyclic AMP-protein kinase A (cAMP-PKA) signalling pathway via α/ß hydrolase domain-containing protein 2 (ABHD2). METHODS: Spermatozoa were collected from healthy and infertile men (with oligoasthenospermia or abnormal acrosome; n = 30/group). The expression of and mutations in ABHD2 were detected by quantitative PCR, western blot, and gene sequencing. The expression of ABHD2 in the presence of progesterone was detected in all groups, and cAMP and PKA levels were detected by ELISA in fertile men after treatment with ABHD2 antibody and PKA inhibitor H-89, respectively. RESULTS: Expression of ABHD2 mRNA and protein were reduced in spermatozoa from infertile compared with fertile men. Four gene mutation sites were detected in spermatozoa from the infertile groups. Progesterone increased mRNA and protein levels of ABHD2 in healthy spermatozoa but not in spermatozoa from infertile men. The levels of cAMP and PKA were increased by progesterone in healthy spermatozoa, and the progesterone-increased cAMP and PKA were decreased by ABHD2 antibody and H-89, respectively. CONCLUSION: Progesterone regulates the ABHD2-mediated cAMP-PKA signalling pathway in healthy spermatozoa, which provides a new target for clinical diagnosis and treatment of infertility.

Guanosine-5'-triphosphate cyclohydrolase 1 regulated long noncoding RNAs are potential targets for microglial activation in neuropathic pain.

Several studies have confirmed that microglia are involved in neuropathic pain. Inhibition of guanosine-5'-triphosphate cyclohydrolase 1 (GTPCH1) can reduce the inflammation of microglia. However, the precise mechanism by which GTPCH1 regulates neuropathic pain remains unclear. In this study, BV2 microglia were transfected with adenovirus to knockdown GTPCH1 expression. High throughput sequencing analysis revealed that the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) related pathways and proteins were the most significantly down-regulated molecular function. Co-expression network analysis of Mapk14 mRNA and five long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) revealed their correlation. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction revealed that among five lncRNAs, ENSMUST00000205634, ENSMUST00000218450 and ENSMUST00000156079 were related to the downregulation of Mapk14 mRNA expression. These provide some new potential targets for the involvement of GTPCH1 in neuropathic pain. This study is the first to note the differential expression of lncRNAs and mRNA in GTPCH1 knockdown BV2 microglia. Findings from this study reveal the mechanism by which GTPCH1 activates microglia and provide new potential targets for microglial activation in neuropathic pain.

Prohibitin (PHB) interacts with AKT in mitochondria to coordinately modulate sperm motility.

Prohibitin (PHB), an evolutionarily conserved mitochondrial inner membrane protein, is highly expressed in cells that require strong mitochondrial function. Recently, we demonstrated that the deletion of Phb in spermatocytes results in impaired mitochondrial function. In addition, PHB expression in the mitochondrial sheath of human sperm has a significantly negative correlation with mitochondrial reactive oxygen species levels, but a positive one with mitochondrial membrane potential and sperm motility. These results suggest that mitochondrial PHB expression plays a role in sperm motility. However, the mechanism of PHB-mediated regulation of sperm motility remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that PHB interacts with protein kinase B (AKT) and exists in a complex with phospho-PHB (pT258) and phospho-AKT in the mitochondrial sheath of murine sperm, as determined using colocalization and coimmunoprecipitation assays. After blocking AKT activity using wortmannin (a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase [PI3K] inhibitor), murine sperm have significantly ( P < 0.05) decreased levels of phospho-PHB (pT258) and the total and progressive motility. Furthermore, significantly ( P < 0.05) lower levels of phospho-PI3K P85 subunit α+γ (pY199 and pY467) and phospho-AKT (pS473; pT308) are found in sperm from infertile asthenospermic and oligoasthenospermic men compared with normospermic subjects, which suggest a reduced activity of the PI3K/AKT pathway in these infertile subjects. Importantly, these sperm from infertile subjects also have a significantly ( P < 0.05) lower level of phospho-PHB (pT258). Collectively, our findings suggest that the interaction of PHB with AKT in the mitochondrial sheath is critical for sperm motility, where PHB phosphorylation (pT258) level and PI3K/AKT activity are key regulatory factors.

Anordrin Eliminates Tamoxifen Side Effects without Changing Its Antitumor Activity.

Tamoxifen is administered for estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancers, but it can induce uterine endometrial cancer and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Importantly, ten years of tamoxifen treatment has greater protective effect against ER+ breast cancer than five years of such treatment. Tamoxifen was also approved by the FDA as a chemopreventive agent for those deemed at high risk for the development of breast cancer. The side effects are of substantial concern because of these extended methods of tamoxifen administration. In this study, we found that anordrin, marketed as an antifertility medicine in China, inhibited tamoxifen-induced endometrial epithelial cell mitosis and NAFLD in mouse uterus and liver as an anti-estrogenic and estrogenic agent, respectively. Additionally, compared with tamoxifen, anordiol, the active metabolite of anordrin, weakly bound to the ligand binding domain of ER-α. Anordrin did not regulate the classic estrogen nuclear pathway; thus, it did not affect the anti-tumor activity of tamoxifen in nude mice. Taken together, these data suggested that anordrin could eliminate the side effects of tamoxifen without affecting its anti-tumor activity.

Integrins ß1 and ß3 are biomarkers of uterine condition for embryo transfer.

BACKGROUND: Clinical ovulation induction induces blood estrogen (E2) in excess of physiological levels, which can hinder uterine receptivity. In contrast, progesterone produces the opposite clinical effect, suggesting that it might be capable of recovering the lost receptivity resulting from exposure to high estrogen levels. Integrins are the most widely used biological markers for monitoring uterine conditions. We studied progesterone-induced changes in integrin ß expression patterns as biomarkers for changes in uterine receptivity in response to increased estrogen levels. METHODS: Endometrial biopsy samples from patients were screened for their estrogen (E2) and progesterone (P4) content and expressing levels of integrin ß1 and ß3. Uterine receptivity was evaluated using human endometrial adenocarcinoma cells in an embryo attachment model. The respective and concatenated effects of embryo attachment and changes in the integrin ß1 and ß3 expression patterns on the adenocarcinoma cell plasma membranes in response to 100 nM concentrations of E2 and P4 were evaluated. RESULTS: Increased blood E2 concentrations were associated with significantly decreased the levels of integrin ß3 expression in uterine biopsy samples. In vitro experiments revealed that a 100 nM E2 concentration inhibited the distribution of integrin ß3 on the plasma membranes of human endometrial adenocarcinoma cells used in the embryo attachment model, and resulted in decreased rates of embryo attachment. In contrast, P4 enhanced the expression of integrin ß1 and promoted its distribution on the plasma membranes. Furthermore, P4 recovered the embryo attachment efficiency that was lost by exposure to 100 nM E2. CONCLUSIONS: Blood E2 and P4 levels and integrin ß3 and ß1 expression levels in uterine biopsy samples should be considered as biomarkers for evaluating uterine receptivity and determining the optimal time for embryo transfer. Trial registration Trial number: ChiCTR-TRC-13003777; Name of registry: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry; Date of registration: 4 September 2013; Date of enrollment of the first study participant: 15 October 2013.

Altered microRNAs expression profiling in cumulus cells from patients with polycystic ovary syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age, and oocyte developmental competence is altered in patients with PCOS. In recent years microRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as important regulators of gene expression, the aim of the study was to study miRNAs expression patterns of cumulus cells from PCOS patients. METHODS: The study included 20 patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI): 10 diagnosed with PCOS and 10 matching controls. We used deep sequencing technology to identify the miRNAs differentially expressed in the cumulus cells of PCOS. RESULTS: There were 17 differentially expressed miRNAs in PCOS cumulus cells, including 10 miRNAs increase and 7 miRNAs decrease. These miRNAs were predicted to target a large set of genes with different functions, including Wnt- and MAPK- signaling pathways, oocyte meiosis, progesterone-mediated oocyte maturation and cell cycle. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering analysis demonstrated that there was a specific miRNAs expression pattern in PCOS cumulus cells. CONCLUSION: We found that the miRNAs expression profile was different in cumulus cells isolated from PCOS patients compared with control. This study provided new evidence for understanding the pathogenesis of PCOS.

Construction of recombinant adenovirus vector containing hBMP2 and hVEGF165 genes and its expression in rabbit Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.

To construct an adenovirus vector co-expressing human bone morphogenetic protein (hBMP2) and human vascular endothelial growth factor (hVEGF165) as well as green fluorescence protein (GFP) as a marker, with which the intracellular expression of the inserted genes could be identified in Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs). BMP2 and VEGF165 genes were PCR amplified from a cDNA library and inserted to the polyclonal site of adenovirus shuttle plasmid pAd-MCMV-GFP. The virus solution (Ad-BMP2-VEGF165) was generated by co-transfecting HEK293 cells with the constructed recombinant shuttle plasmid pAd-MCMV-BMP2-VEGF165 and adenovirus helper plasmid pBHGloxΔ (delta) E1, 3Cre. The virus solution was further purified and virus titer was determined accordingly. The expression of the target genes was subsequently detected and quantified in rabbit BM-MSCs by using real time PCR, ELISA and Western blotting. The recombinant adenovirus vector containing BMP2 and VEGF165 (Ad-BMP2-VEGF165) was successfully constructed, which was confirmed by Sanger sequencing, colony PCR, as well as visually detection of GFP, and the titer of the adenovirus was 1×10(10)PFU/mL, and the proteins level of BMP2 and VEGF165 secreted in the supernatant are significantly higher than the control. Recombinant adenovirus vector containing hBMP2 and hVEGF165 genes was successfully constructed. The transfection rate of BM-MSCs by the adenovirus was high (95% at 100 MOI) and the BMP2 and VEGF165 genes was highly expressed in the cells. The present study provides a method to efficiently express the target genes in BM-MSCs and an vector for further research of bone defect repair using dual genes of BMP2 and VEGF165.

The role of Zn-alpha2 glycoprotein in sperm motility is mediated by changes in cyclic AMP.

Sperm motility is essential for male reproduction or natural fertilization. The cyclic AMP (cAMP)/cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) signaling pathway is generally recognized as one of the significant signaling pathways in the regulation of mammalian spermatozoan motility. Since Zn-alpha2-glycoprotein (ZAG) activity in mammalian adipose tissue is mediated via the beta(3)-adrenoreceptor, with upregulation of the cAMP pathway, we hypothesize that ZAG may play the same role in sperm motility regulation, a new factor of regulation of sperm motility. Therefore, the gene encoding human ZAG was cloned and polyclonal antibodies were generated, and then laser scanning confocal microscopy and flow cytometry were employed to identify this protein in human spermatozoa. The results showed that ZAG protein was mostly localized on the pre-equatorial region covering the acrosome, neck, and middle piece of the flagellum of spermatozoa. Furthermore, using computer-assisted sperm analysis, we found that anti-human ZAG antibodies could significantly reduce the motility of human swim-up spermatozoa after 90- or 120-min incubation (P<0.05 and P<0.01 respectively), together with the decreasing of intracellular cAMP and PKA levels. In conclusion, these data suggest that ZAG is present in human spermatozoa and may be involved in the regulation of sperm motility via the cAMP/PKA signaling pathway.