B(a)P induces ovarian granulosa cell apoptosis via TRAF2-NFκB-Caspase1 axis during early pregnancy.

Benzo(a)pyrene [B(a)P] is an environmental endocrine disruptor with reproductive toxicity. The corpus luteum (CL) of the ovary plays an important role in embryo implantation and pregnancy maintenance. Our previous studies have shown that B(a)P exposure affects embryo implantation and endometrial decidualization in mouse, but its effects and mechanisms on CL function remain unclear. In this study, we explore the mechanism of ovarian toxicity of B(a)P using a pregnant mouse model and an in vitro model of human ovarian granulosa cells (GCs) KGN. Pregnant mice were gavaged with corn oil or 0.2 mg/kg.bw B(a)P from pregnant day 1 (D1) to D7, while KGN cells were treated with DMSO, 1.0IU/mL hCG, or 1.0IU/mL hCG plus benzo(a)pyrene-7,8-dihydrodiol-9,10-epoxide (BPDE), a B(a)P metabolite. Our findings revealed that B(a)P exposure damaged embryo implantation and reduced estrogen and progesterone levels in early pregnant mice. Additionally, in vitro, BPDE impaired luteinization in KGN cells. We observed that B(a)P/BPDE promoted oxidative stress (OS) and inflammation, leading to apoptosis rather than pyroptosis in ovaries and luteinized KGN cells. This apoptotic response was mediated by the activation of inflammatory Caspase1 through the cleavage of BID. Furthermore, B(a)P/BPDE inhibited TRAF2 expression and suppressed NFκB signaling pathway activation. The administration of VX-765 to inhibit the Caspase1 activation, over-expression of TRAF2 using TRAF2-pcDNA3.1 (+) plasmid, and BetA-induced activation of NFκB signaling pathway successfully alleviated BPDE-induced apoptosis and cellular dysfunction in luteinized KGN cells. These findings were further confirmed in the KGN cell treated with H2O2 and NAC. In conclusion, this study elucidated that B(a)P/BPDE induces apoptosis rather than pyroptosis in GCs via TRAF2-NFκB-Caspase1 during early pregnancy, and highlighting OS as the primary contributor to B(a)P/BPDE-induced ovarian toxicity. Our results unveil a novel role of TRAF2-NFκB-Caspase1 in B(a)P-induced apoptosis and broaden the understanding of mechanisms underlying unexplained luteal phase deficiency.

The Programmable Catalytic Core of 8-17 DNAzymes.

8-17 DNAzymes (8-17, 17E, Mg5, and 17EV1) are in vitro-selected catalytic DNA molecules that are capable of cleaving complementary RNAs. The conserved residues in their similar catalytic cores, together with the metal ions, were suggested to contribute to the catalytic reaction. Based on the contribution of the less conserved residues in the bulge loop residues (W12, A15, A15.0) and the internal stem, new catalytic cores of 8-17 DNAzymes were programmed. The internal stem CTC-GAG seems to be more favorable for the DNAzymes than CCG-GGC, while an extra W12.0 led to a significant loss of activity of DNAzymes, which is contrary to the positive effect of A15.0, by which a new active DNAzyme 17EM was derived. It conducts a faster reaction than 17E. It is most active in the presence of Pb2+, with the metal ion preference of Pb2+ >> Zn2+ > Mn2+ > Ca2+ ≈ Mg2+. In the Pb2+ and Zn2+-mediated reactions of 17EM and 17E, the same Na+- and pH dependence were also observed as what was observed for 17E and other 8-17 DNAzymes. Therefore, 17EM is another member of the 8-17 DNAzymes, and it could be applied as a potential biosensor for RNA and metal ions.

Subacute exposure to DEHP leads to impairing decidualization process and exacerbating the risk of early pregnancy miscar-riage in mice. / 孕早期增塑剂DEHPäºšæ€¥æ€§æš´éœ²å½±å“èœ•è†œååº”å¹¶å¢žåŠ æµäº§é£Žé™©.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of subacute exposure of Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) on endometrial decidualization in mice. METHODS: CD1 mice were orally administrated with 300 mg·kg－1·d－1 (low-dose group), 1000 mg·kg－1·d－1 (medium-dose group), or 3000 mg·kg－1·d－1 DEHP (1/10 LD50, high-dose group) for 28 days, respectively. The early natural pregnancy model and artificially induced decidualization model were established, and the uterine tissues were collected on D7 of natural pregnancy and D8 of artificially induced decidualization, respectively. The effects of subacute exposure to DEHP on the decidualization of mice were detected by HE staining, Masson staining, TUNEL staining, and Western blotting, respectively. A model of spontaneous abortion was constructed in mice after subacute exposure to 300 mg·kg-1·d-1 DEHP, and the effect of impaired decidualization on pregnancy was investigated by observing the pregnancy outcome on the 10th day of gestation. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the conception rate was significantly lower in the high-dose DEHP subacute exposure group. HE staining showed that, compared with the control group, the decidual stromal cells in the low- and medium-dose exposure groups were disorganized, the nuclei of the cells were irregular, the cytoplasmic staining was uneven, and the number of polymorphonuclear cells was significantly reduced. Masson staining showed that compared with the control group, the collagen fibers in the decidua region of the DEHP low-dose group and the medium-dose group were more distributed, more abundant and more disorderly. TUNEL staining showed increased apoptosis in the decidua area compared to the control group. Western blotting showed that the expression of BMP2, a marker molecule for endometrial decidualization, was significantly reduced. The abortion rate and embryo resorption rate were significantly higher, and the number of embryos, uterine wet weight, uterine area and placenta wet weight were significantly lower in mice exposed to 300 mg·kg－1·d－1 DEHP than in control mice stimulated by mifepristone abortifacient drug. CONCLUSIONS: Subacute exposure to DEHP leads to impaired endometrial decidualization during early pregnancy and exacerbates the risk of adverse pregnant outcomes in mice.

Uterine deficiency of Dnmt3b impairs decidualization and causes consequent embryo implantation defects.

Uterine deficiency of Dnmt3b impairs decidualization and consequent embryo implantation defects. Recent advances in molecular technologies have allowed the unprecedented mapping of epigenetic modifications during embryo implantation. DNA methyltransferase 3a (DNMT3A) and DNMT3B are responsible for establishing DNA methylation patterns produced through their de novo-type DNA methylation activity in implantation stage embryos and during germ cell differentiation. It was reported that conditional knockout of Dnmt3a in the uterus does not markedly affect endometrial function during embryo implantation, but the tissue-specific functions of Dnmt3b in the endometrium during embryo implantation remain poorly understood to investigate the role of Dnmt3b during peri-implantation period. Here, we generated Dnmt3b conditional knockout (Dnmt3bd/d) female mice using progesterone receptor-Cre mice and examined the role of Dnmt3b during embryo implantation. Dnmt3bd/d female mice exhibited compromised fertility, which was associated with defective decidualization, but not endometrial receptivity. Furthermore, results showed loss of Dnmt3b did not lead to altered genomic methylation patterns of the decidual endometrium during early pregnancy. Transcriptome sequencing analysis of uteri from day 6 pregnant mice identified phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (Pgk1) as one of the most variable genes in Dnmt3bd/d decidual endometrium. Potential roles of PGK1 in the decidualization process during early pregnancy were confirmed. Lastly, the compromised decidualization upon the downregulation of Dnmt3b could be reversed by overexpression of Pgk1. Collectively, our findings indicate that uterine deficiency of Dnmt3b impairs decidualization and consequent embryo implantation defects.

Decidual derived exosomal miR-99a-5p targets Ppp2r5a to inhibit trophoblast invasion in response to CeO2NPs exposure.

BACKGROUND: The biological effects of cerium dioxide nanoparticles (CeO2NPs), a novel material in the biomedical field, have attracted widespread attention. Our previous study confirmed that exposure to CeO2NPs during pregnancy led to abnormal trophoblast invasion during early placental development, thereby impairing placental development. The potential mechanisms may be related to low-quality decidualization triggered by CeO2NPs exposure, such as an imbalance in trophoblast invasion regulators secreted by decidual cells. However, the intermediate link mediating the "dialogue" between decidual cells and trophoblasts during this process remains unclear. As an important connection between cells, exosomes participate in the "dialogue" between endometrial cells and trophoblasts. Exosomes transfer bioactive microRNA into target cells, which can target and regulate the level of mRNA in target cells. RESULTS: Here, we constructed a mice primary uterine stromal cell-induced decidualization model in vitro, and detected the effect of CeO2NPs exposure on the expression of decidual-derived exosomal miRNAs by high-throughput sequencing. Bioinformatics analysis and dual-luciferase reporter assays were performed to identify target genes of the screened key miRNAs in regulating trophoblast invasion. Finally, the role of the screened miRNAs and their target genes in regulating trophoblast (HTR-8/SVneo cells) invasion was confirmed. The results showed that CeO2NPs exposure inhibited trophoblast invasion by promoting miR-99a-5p expression in decidual-derived exosomes, and Ppp2r5a is a potential target gene for miR-99a-5p to inhibit trophoblast invasion. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed the molecular mechanism by which CeO2NPs exposure inhibits trophoblast invasion from the perspective of decidual derived exosomal miRNAs. These results will provide an experimental basis for screening potential therapeutic targets for the negative biological effects of CeO2NPs exposure and new ideas for studying the mechanism of damage to trophoblast cells at the decidual-foetal interface by harmful environmental or occupational factors.

Hospitalization costs of injury in elderly population in China: a quantile regression analysis.

BACKGROUND: Trauma in the elderly is gradually growing more prevalent as the aging population increases over time. The purpose of this study is to assess hospitalization costs of the elderly trauma population and analyze the association between those costs and the features of the elderly trauma population. METHODS: In a retrospective analysis, data on trauma patients over 65 who were admitted to the hospital for the first time due to trauma between January 2017 and March 2022 was collected from a tertiary comprehensive hospital in Baotou. We calculated and analyzed the hospitalization cost components. According to various therapeutic approaches, trauma patients were divided into two subgroups: non-surgical patients (1320 cases) and surgical patients (387 cases). Quantile regression was used to evaluate the relationship between trauma patients and hospitalization costs. RESULTS: This study comprised 1707 trauma patients in total. Mean total hospitalization costs per patient were ¥20,741. Patients with transportation accidents incurred the highest expenditures among those with external causes of trauma, with a mean hospitalization cost of ¥24,918, followed by patients with falls at ¥19,809 on average. Hospitalization costs were dominated by medicine costs (¥7,182 per capita). According to the quantile regression results, all trauma patients' hospitalization costs were considerably increased by length of stay, surgery, the injury severity score (16-24), multimorbidity, thorax injury, and blood transfusion. For non-surgical patients, length of stay, multimorbidity, and the injury severity score (16-24) were all substantially linked to higher hospitalization costs. For surgical patients, length of stay, injury severity score (16-24), and hip and thigh injuries were significantly associated with greater hospitalization costs. CONCLUSIONS: Using quantile regression to identify factors associated with hospitalization costs could be helpful for addressing the burden of injury in the elderly population. Policymakers may find these findings to be insightful in lowering hospitalization costs related to injury in the elderly population.

Exposure to Benzo(a)pyrene promotes proliferation and inhibits differentiation of stromal cells in mice during decidualization.

The environmental pollutant Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) has an adverse effect on the reproductive performance of mammals. We previously showed that BaP treatment during early pregnancy damages endometrial morphology and impairs embryo implantation. Endometrial decidualization at the implantation site (IS) after embryo implantation is crucial for pregnancy maintenance and placental development. The balance between proliferation and differentiation in endometrial stromal cells (ESCs) is a crucial event of decidualization, which is regulated by the cell cycle. Here, we report that abnormal decidualization caused by BaP is associated with cell cycle disturbance of stromal cells. The mice in the treatment group were gavaged with 0.2 mg/kg/day BaP from day 1-8 of pregnancy, while those in control were gavaged with corn oil in parallel. BaP damaged the decidualization of ESCs and reduced the number of polyploid cells. Meanwhile, BaP up-regulated the expression of Ki67 and PCNA, affecting the differentiation of stromal cells. The cell cycle progression analysis during decidualization in vivo and in vitro showed that BaP induced polyploid cells deficiency with enhanced expressions of CyclinA(E)/CDK2, CyclinD/CDK4 and CyclinB/CDK1, which promote the transformation of cells from G1 to S phase and simultaneously activate the G2/M phase. The above results indicated that BaP exposure accelerates cell cycle progression, promotes ESC proliferation, inhibits differentiation, and impedes proper decidualization and polyploidy development. Thus, the imbalance of ESC proliferation and differentiation would be an important mechanism for BaP-induced defective decidualization.

Studies on the Effect of Lipofectamine and Cell-Penetrating Peptide on the Properties of 10-23 DNAzyme.

Cationic polymeric materials and cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) were often used as the delivery vectors in the evaluation of nucleic acid therapeutics. 10-23 DNAzyme is a kind of potential antisense therapeutics by catalytic cleavage of the disease-related RNAs. Here, lipofectamine 2000 and Tat peptide were evaluated for their effect on the catalytic activity of 10-23 DNAzyme, with the observed rate constant, thermal stability, CD spectra, and PAGE analysis, with a duplex DNA mimicking DNAzyme-substrate as a control. It was shown that the cationic carriers had a negative effect on the catalytic performance of the 10-23 DNAzyme. Significantly, the destabilizing effect of the cationic carriers on the duplex formation was noteworthy, as a duplex formation is an essential prerequisite in the silencing mechanisms of antisense and RNAi.

Plasticizer DEHP exposure in early pregnancy affects the endometrial decidualization in mice through reducing lncRNA RP24-315D19.10 expression. / 孕早期增塑剂DEHPæš´éœ²é™ä½Žé•¿é“¾éžç¼–ç RNA RP24-315D19.10è¡¨è¾¾å½±å“å­å®«å† è†œèœ•è†œååº”.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the effect of exposure to di (2-ethyl) hexyl phthalate (DEHP) in early pregnancy on endometrial decidualization in mice and its relation with lncRNA RP24-315D19.10. METHODS: Early pregnancy mice were exposed to DEHP (1000 mg·kg－1·d－1) to construct the model. The uterus was collected on day 6 of pregnancy to detect its effect on decidualization by HE staining and immunofluorescence. A decidualization induction model of mouse endometrial stromal cells exposed to DEHP (0.1, 0.5, 2.5, 12.5, 62.5 µmol/L) was constructed. The changes of cell morphology were observed by light microscopy and phalloidin staining, and the expression of decidual reaction related molecular markers were detected by immunofluorescence, realtime RT-PCR and Western blotting. The expression of RP24-315D19.10 in decidua tissue and cells was detected by realtime RT-PCR. Cellular localization of RP24-315D19.10 was determined by lncLocator database and RNA FISH. AnnoLnc2 database was used to predict miRNAs bound to RP24-315D19.10. RESULTS: The number of embryo implantation sites, uterine weight and uterine area were significantly lower in the DEHP exposed group than those in the control group, and the expression of the decidual reaction related molecular markers matrix metalloprotein 9 and homeobox A10 in the DEHP exposure group were also significantly lower than those in the control group (all P<0.05). With the increase of DEHP concentration, the expression of dtprp in decidua cells was gradually decreased. 2.5 µmol/L DEHP exposed stromal cells failed to be fully decidualized in vitro, andphalloidin staining showed abnormal cytoskeleton morphology. The expression levels of homeobox A10, bone morphogenetic protein 2 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen in the DEHP exposure group were significantly lower than those in the control group (all P<0.05). The expression of RP24-315D19.10 in DEHP exposed decidua tissue and cells was significantly reduced (both P<0.05). RP24-315D19.10 is mainly localized in the cytoplasm and RP24-315D19.10 might bind to 45 miRNAs, among them, miR-138-5p, miR-155-5p, miR-183-5p and miR-223-3p were associated with endometrial decidualization. CONCLUSIONS: DEHP exposure in early pregnancy may impair endometrial decidualization, and the damage may be associated with the down-regulation of RP24-315D19.10.

Acbp is essential for decidualization during early pregnancy in mice.

Decidualization of uterine stromal cells plays an important role in the establishment of normal pregnancy. Previous studies have demonstrated that Acyl-CoA binding protein (Acbp) is critical to cellular proliferation, differentiation, mitochondrial functions, and autophagy. The characterization and physiological function of Acbp during decidualization remain largely unknown. In the present study, we conducted the expression profile of Acbp in the endometrium of early pregnant mice. With the occurrence of decidualization, the expression of Acbp gradually increased. Similarly, Acbp expression was also strongly expressed in decidualized cells following artificial decidualization, both in vivo and in vitro. We applied the mice pseudopregnancy model to reveal that the expression of Acbp in the endometrium of early pregnant mice was not induced by embryonic signaling. Moreover, P4 significantly upregulated the expression of Acbp, whereas E2 appeared to have no regulating effect on Acbp expression in uterine stromal cells. Concurrently, we found that interfering with Acbp attenuated decidualization, and that might due to mitochondrial dysfunctions and the inhibition of fatty acid oxidation. The level of autophagy was increased after knocking down Acbp. During induced decidualization, the expression of ACBP was decreased with the treatment of rapamycin (an autophagy inducer), while increased with the addition of Chloroquine (an autophagy inhibitor). Our work suggests that Acbp plays an essential role in the proliferation and differentiation of stromal cells during decidualization through regulating mitochondrial functions, fatty acid oxidation, and autophagy.

Rictor/mTORC2 is involved in endometrial receptivity by regulating epithelial remodeling.

Successful embryo implantation requires well-functioning endometrial luminal epithelial cells to establish uterine receptivity. Inadequate uterine receptivity is responsible for approximately two thirds of implantation failures in humans. However, the regulatory mechanism governing this functional process remains largely unexplored. A previous study revealed that the expression of Rictor, the main member of mTORC2, in mouse epithelial cells is increased on the fourth day of gestation (D4). Here, we provide the first report of the involvement of Rictor in the regulation of endometrial receptivity. Rictor was conditionally ablated in the mouse endometrium using a progesterone receptor cre (PRcre ) mouse model. Loss of Rictor altered polarity remodeling and the Na+ channel protein of endometrial cells by mediating Rac-1/PAK1(pPAK1)/ERM(pERM) and Sgk1/pSgk1 signaling, respectively, ultimately resulting in impaired fertility. In the endometrium of women with infertility, the expression of Rictor was changed, along with the morphological transformation and Na+ channel protein of epithelial cells. Our findings demonstrate that Rictor is crucial for the establishment of uterine receptivity in both mice and humans. The present study may help improve the molecular regulatory network of endometrial receptivity and provide new diagnostic and treatment strategies for infertility.

A combination of the modified catalytic core and conjugation of 3'-inverted deoxythymidine for a more efficient and nuclease-resistant 10-23 DNAzyme.

10-23 DNAzyme is a catalytic DNA molecule capable of cleaving complementary RNA. Its high cleavage efficiency is being pursued by chemical modifications, for realizing its genetic therapeutics potential. The most efficient and nuclease-resistant DNAzyme was obtained in this study combined two modifications - 7-aminopropyl-8-aza-7-deaza-2'-deoxyadenosine (residue 1) at A9 and 3'-inverted deoxythymidine residue (iT) at 3'-end. Moreover, this combinatorial modification could be a universal approach for designing efficient and enzyme-resistant 10-23 DNAzyme against other RNA targets, and the catalytic core-modification could be further combined with other recognition arm modifications for practical applications as genetic therapeutics and biosensor tools.

Maternal exposure to CeO2NPs derails placental development through trophoblast dysfunction mediated by excessive autophagy activation.

BACKGROUND: The increasing use of cerium dioxide nanoparticles (CeO2NPs) in biomedical field has attracted substantial attention about their potential risks to human health. Recent studies have shown that nanoparticles can induce placental dysfunction and even fetal abortion, but a more detailed mechanism of nanoparticles affecting placental development remains elusive. RESULTS: Here, we constructed a mouse exposure model with different doses of CeO2NPs (2.5, 4, 5, 7.5, and 10 mg kg-1 day-1, average particle size 3-5 nm), finding that intravenous exposure to pregnant mice with CeO2NPs could cause abnormal placental development. Deposited nanoparticles were able to be observed in the placental trophoblast at doses of 5 and 7.5 mg kg-1 day-1. Diving into molecular mechanisms indicated that CeO2NPs exposure could lead to autophagy activation in placental trophoblast. At the cellular level, exposure to CeO2NPs inhibited the migration and invasion of HTR-8/SVneo and activated the autophagy through mammalian target of rapamycin complex1 (mTORC1) signaling pathway. Furthermore, inhibition of autophagy initiation by 3-Methyladenine (3-MA) partially restored the function of HTR-8/SVneo, while blocking autophagic flow by Chloroquine (CQ) aggravated the functional damage. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal exposure to CeO2NPs impairs placental development through trophoblast dysfunction mediated by excessive autophagy activation. These results suggested that autophagy dysfunction may be a potential mechanism for the impairment of trophoblast by CeO2NPs exposure. As above, our findings provide insights into the toxicity mechanism to the reproductive system induced by rare-earth nanoparticles exposure.

The expression of lincRNA AC027700.1 in mouse decidualization.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), which belong to the non-protein-coding RNAs, are greater than 200 nt in length. Although they have been found to play crucial roles in the regulation of cell growth and development, cell metabolism and the development of diseases, they are rarely reported in decidualization. The objective of our study is to explore the expression of lincRNA AC027700.1 in the endometrium of early pregnant mice and its role in decidualization. The expression of AC027700.1 in uterine tissues at implantation sites and inter implantation sites on the 6th day of pregnancy were detected by qRT-PCR. The relative expression of AC027700.1 in an in vivo model of induced decidualization in pseudopregnant mice and in in vitro model of induced decidualization in primary stromal cells and nucleus/cytoplasmic fractions were detected by qRT-PCR. GO and KEGG analysis of downstream target genes were performed by GOseq and KOBAS, respectively. The results show that AC027700.1 expression is significantly increased in tissues at implantation sites on the 6th day of pregnancy and in decidualized endometrial tissues and stromal cells. Furthermore, AC027700.1 localizes in the nuclear fraction and the downstream targeted genes are mainly involved in autophagy, cell cycle and RNA transport pathways. This study revealed that lincRNA AC027700.1 may be involved in decidualization of endometrium in early pregnancy, but the specific role and regulatory mechanism remain to be further studied.

Impairment of endometrial decidual reaction in early pregnant mice fed with high fat diet.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of obesity induced by high fat diet on decidual reaction of endometrium in mice, and the effect of high fat treatment on decidual reaction of endometrial stromal cells. METHODS: Twelve 4-week-old healthy C57BL/6J female mice were randomly divided into high fat diet group and control group with 6 mice in each group. They were fed with high fat diet (22 kJ/g) or normal diet (16 kJ/g) for 12 weeks, respectively. The body weight of mice was measured every week. After feeding for 12 weeks, the body length and width of mice were measured, and the levels of fasting serum triglyceride and total cholesterol were determined. Then the mice were mated with healthy C57BL/6J male mice, and the uterine tissues were collected on the seventh day of pregnancy. The decidual cells and collagen fibers in mouse endometrium was observed by HE staining and Masson staining respectively. The expression of decidual reaction related proteins in mouse endometrium were detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. Mouse endometrial stromal cells (mESCs) were isolated and treated with the oleic acid and palmitic acid in vitro, and the decidual reaction was induced with estradiol and progesterone. The accumulation of lipid droplets in mESCs was observed by oil red O and Bodipy staining. The cytoskeleton of mESCs was observed by phalloidin staining. The levels of decidual reaction related genes and proteins were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR and Western blotting. RESULTS: After feeding for 12 weeks, the body weight of mice in the high fat group was significantly higher than that in the control group ( P<0.01), and there was no significant difference in body length between two groups ( P>0.05), but the body width of mice in the high fat group was significantly larger than that in the control group ( P<0.01), and the levels of serum triglyceride and total cholesterol were significantly higher than those in the control group (Both P<0.05). The number of embryo implantation in the high fat group was significantly less than that in the control group ( P<0.01). The differentiation of mESCs to decidual cells in high fat group was slow and abnormal. The expression levels of decidual reaction markers bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)2 and homeobox A10 (HOXA10) were lower than those in the control group, and there was significant difference in the expression level of HOXA10 ( P<0.01). The results of oil red O and Bodipy staining in mESCs showed that after high fat treatment, the accumulation of lipid droplets increased significantly, phalloidin staining showed abnormal cytoskeleton morphology. The expression levels of decidual reaction related genes dtprp, HOXA10 and proteins BMP2, HOXA10 and cyclooxygenase (COX)2 were significantly lower than those in the control group ( P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Obesity induced by high fat diet and high fat treatment can impair the decidual reaction of endometrium and endometrial stromal cells in mice.

AMPK/mTOR downregulated autophagy enhances aberrant endometrial decidualization in folate-deficient pregnant mice.

Existing evidence suggests that adverse pregnancy outcomes are closely related to dietary factors. Folate plays an important role in neural tube formation and fetal growth, folate deficiency is a major risk factor of birth defects. Our early studies showed that folate deficiency could impair enddecidualization, however, the mechanism is still unclear. Dysfunctional autophagy is associated with many diseases. Here, we aimed to evaluate the adverse effect of folate deficiency on endometrial decidualization, with a particular focus on endometrial cell autophagy. Mice were fed with no folate diet in vivo and the mouse endometrial stromal cell was cultured in a folate-free medium in vitro. The decrease of the number of endometrial autophagosomes and the protein expressions of autophagy in the folate-deficient group indicated that autophagosome formation, autophagosome-lysosome fusion, and lysosomal degradation were inhibited. Autophagic flux examination using mCherry-GFP-LC3 transfection showed that the fusion of autophagosomes with lysosomes was inhibited by folate deficiency. Autophagy inducer rapamycin could reverse the impairment of folate deficiency on endometrial decidualization. Moreover, folate deficiency could reduce autophagy by disrupting AMPK/mTOR signaling, resulting in aberrant endometrial decidualization and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Further co-immunoprecipitation examination showed that decidual marker protein Hoxa10 could interact with autophagic marker protein Cathepsin L, and the interaction was notably reduced by folate deficiency. In conclusion, AMPK/mTOR downregulated autophagy was essential for aberrant endometrial decidualization in early pregnant mice, which could result in adverse pregnancy outcomes. This provided some new clues for understanding the causal mechanisms of birth defects induced by folate deficiency.

Erlotinib is effective against FLT3-ITD mutant AML and helps to overcome intratumoral heterogeneity via targeting FLT3 and Lyn.

Erlotinib has potential therapeutic effect on acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in patients, but the mechanism is not clear. Effective tumor biomarkers for erlotinib in the treatment of AML remain poorly defined. Here, we demonstrate that erlotinib in vitro significantly inhibits the growth of the FLT3-ITD mutant AML cell MV4-11 and Ba/F3-FLT3-ITD cell via targeting FLT3, a certified valid target for the effective treatment of AML. In vivo, oral administration of erlotinib at 100 mg/kg/day induced rapid MV4-11 tumor regression and significantly prolonged the survival time of bone marrow engraftment AML mice via inhibiting the FLT3 signal. Thus, the therapeutic benefits of erlotinib on AML are due to its ability to target FLT3. FLT3-ITD mutation is an effective biomarker for erlotinib during AML treatment. In addition, we also demonstrate that erlotinib inhibits the activity of AML cell KG-1 (no FLT3 expression) by targeting Lyn. Recently, single cell analysis demonstrated that intratumoral heterogeneity are one of the contributors in the relapse and FLT3 inhibitor resistance. Erlotinib could effectively inhibit the MV4-11 cells via targeting FLT3, and inhibit KG-1 cells via targeting Lyn. Therefore, Erlotinib also has the potential to overcome intratumoral heterogeneity via targeting FLT3 and Lyn.

Activation of 8-17 DNAzyme with extra functional group at conserved residues is related to catalytic metal ion.

In 8-17 DNAzyme, the end loop A6G7C8 is a highly conserved motif. Here we reported an activation approach by specific chemical modifications on A6 and C8 for more efficient Ca2+-mediated reaction. The importance of the end loop was further highlighted and its critical conservation broken for more powerful catalysts.

Exposure to ethylparaben and propylparaben interfere with embryo implantation by compromising endometrial decidualization in early pregnant mice.

Ethylparaben (EtP) and propylparaben (PrP) are common preservatives and well-known endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Studies have demonstrated that they can reduce female fertility, but the underlying mechanism, especially that on embryo implantation, is still poorly understood. Endometrial decidualization is a critical event for embryo implantation. In this study, we aimed to explore the effects of EtP/PrP on endometrial decidualization. Pregnant mice were dosed daily by oral gavage with EtP at 0, 400, 800 and 1600 mg/kg or with PrP at 0, 625, 1250 and 2500 mg/kg from Day 1 of pregnancy until sacrifice. The results showed that the rate of pregnant mice with impaired embryo implantation, whose number of implantation sites was less than 7, was significantly increased after exposure to 1600 mg/kg EtP or 2500 mg/kg PrP. Further study found that the expression of endometrial decidualization markers HOXA10, MMP9 and PR was significantly downregulated in 1600 mg/kg EtP group and 2500 mg/kg PrP group. Notably, serum oestrogen and progesterone levels were significantly increased, whereas the expression of uterine oestrogen receptor and progesterone receptor was decreased following 1600 mg/kg EtP or 2500 mg/kg PrP exposure. In the breeding test, fewer offspring were found after females were exposed to 1600 mg/kg EtP or 2500 mg/kg PrP in early pregnancy. This demonstrated that exposure to EtP/PrP interfered with embryo implantation by compromising endometrial decidualization in early-stage pregnant mice. Disorders of reproductive hormones and hormone receptor signals could be responsible for impaired decidualization. This study broadened the understanding on the biological safety of EtP and PrP.

Melatonin alleviates benzo(a)pyrene-induced ovarian corpus luteum dysfunction by suppressing excessive oxidative stress and apoptosis.

Benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P) is a widespread persistent organic pollutant (POP) and a well-known endocrine disruptor. Exposure to BaP is known to disrupt the steroid balance and impair embryo implantation, but the mechanism under it remains unclear. The corpus luteum (CL), the primary source of progesterone during early pregnancy, plays a pivotal role in embryo implantation and pregnancy maintenance. The inappropriate luteal function may result in implantation failure and spontaneous abortions. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess the effects and potential mechanisms of B(a)P on the CL function. Our results showed that pregnant mice received B(a)P displayed impaired embryo implantation and dysfunction of ovarian CL. The estrogen and progesterone levels decreased by B(a)P. In vitro, exposure to BPDE, which is the metabolite of B(a)P, affected the luteinization of granular cell KK-1. Additionally, melatonin and its receptors, which are important for ovarian function and anti-oxidative damage, were affected by B(a)P or BPDE. B(a)P or BPDE-treated alone impaired antioxidant capacity of ovarian granulosa cells, caused an increasing of ROS and cell apoptosis, and disrupted the PI3K/AKT/GSK3ß signaling pathway in vivo and in vitro. Co-treatment with melatonin alleviated B(a)P or BPDE-induced CL dysfunction by ameliorating oxidative stress, counteracting phosphorylation of PI3K/AKT/GSK3ß signaling pathway, decreasing the apoptosis of the ovarian cells. Moreover, activation of the melatonin receptor by ramelteon in KK-1 cells exhibits an analogous protective effect as melatonin. In conclusion, our findings not only firstly clarify the potential mechanisms of BaP-induced CL dysfunction, but also extend the understanding about the ovarian protection of melatonin and its receptors against B(a)P exposure.