A hidden proteome encoded by circRNAs in human placentas: Implications for uncovering preeclampsia pathogenesis.

BACKGROUND: CircRNA-encoded proteins (CEPs) are emerging as new players in health and disease, and function as baits for the common partners of their cognate linear-spliced RNA encoded proteins (LEPs). However, their prevalence across human tissues and biological roles remain largely unexplored. The placenta is an ideal model for identifying CEPs due to its considerable protein diversity that is required to sustain fetal development during pregnancy. The aim of this study was to evaluate circRNA translation in the human placenta, and the potential roles of the CEPs in placental development and dysfunction. METHODS: Multiomics approaches, including RNA sequencing, ribosome profiling, and LC-MS/MS analysis, were utilised to identify novel translational events of circRNAs in human placentas. Bioinformatics methods and the protein bait hypothesis were employed to evaluate the roles of these newly discovered CEPs in placentation and associated disorders. The pathogenic role of a recently identified CEP circPRKCB119aa in preeclampsia was investigated through qRT-PCR, Western blotting, immunofluorescence imaging and phenotypic analyses. RESULTS: We found that 528 placental circRNAs bound to ribosomes with active translational elongation, and 139 were translated to proteins. The CEPs showed considerable structural homology with their cognate LEPs, but are more stable, hydrophobic and have a lower molecular-weight than the latter, all of which are conducive to their function as baits. On this basis, CEPs are deduced to be closely involved in placental function. Furthermore, we focused on a novel CEP circPRKCB119aa, and illuminated its pathogenic role in preeclampsia; it enhanced trophoblast autophagy by acting as a bait to inhibit phosphorylation of the cognate linear isoform PKCß. CONCLUSIONS: We discovered a hidden circRNA-encoded proteome in the human placenta, which offers new insights into the mechanisms underlying placental development, as well as placental disorders such as preeclampsia. Key points A hidden circRNA-encoded proteome in the human placenta was extensively identified and systematically characterised. The circRNA-encoded proteins (CEPs) are potentially related to placental development and associated disorders. A novel conserved CEP circPRKCB119aa enhanced trophoblast autophagy by inhibiting phosphorylation of its cognate linear-spliced isoform protein kinase C (PKC) ß in preeclampsia.

Association of sleep traits with risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: a mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND: Unhealthy sleep patterns are common during pregnancy and have been associated with an increased risk of developing hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDPs) in observational studies. However, the causality underlying these associations remains uncertain. This study aimed to evaluate the potential causal association between seven sleep traits and the risk of HDPs using a two-sample Mendelian randomization study. METHODS: Genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics were obtained from the FinnGen consortium, UK Biobank, and other prominent consortia, with a focus on individuals of European ancestry. The primary analysis utilized an inverse-variance-weighted MR approach supplemented by sensitivity analyses to mitigate potential biases introduced by pleiotropy. Furthermore, a two-step MR framework was employed for mediation analyses. RESULTS: The data analyzed included 200 000-500 000 individuals for each sleep trait, along with approximately 15 000 cases of HDPs. Genetically predicted excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) exhibited a significant association with an increased risk of HDPs [odds ratio (OR) 2.96, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.40-6.26], and the specific subtype of preeclampsia/eclampsia (OR 2.97, 95% CI 1.06-8.3). Similarly, genetically predicted obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) was associated with a higher risk of HDPs (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.09-1.47). Sensitivity analysis validated the robustness of these associations. Mediation analysis showed that BMI mediated approximately 25% of the association between EDS and HDPs, while mediating up to approximately 60% of the association between OSA and the outcomes. No statistically significant associations were observed between other genetically predicted sleep traits, such as chronotype, daytime napping, sleep duration, insomnia, snoring, and the risk of HDPs. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest a causal association between two sleep disorders, EDS and OSA, and the risk of HDPs, with BMI acting as a crucial mediator. EDS and OSA demonstrate promise as potentially preventable risk factors for HDPs, and targeting BMI may represent an alternative treatment strategy to mitigate the adverse impact of sleep disorders.

Assessing the wastewater reclaim system consisted of wastewater plant - hybrid constructed wetland - ultra filtration and reverse osmosis in a chemical industrial park, a multi-criteria decision-making analysis.

Wastewater reclaim in industrial parks can effectively reduce the dependence on external water resources, few literatures evaluated the reclaim system from perspectives of economy, technology, and environmental impact. It is very popular across China that a constructed wetland is linked with a wastewater plant and then discharged the tailwater into surface waters, based on current situation, pilot experiment, and other available techniques, six scenarios for wastewater reclaim system were designed for Shanghai Chemical Industrial Park. Using life cycle assessment, it was found that in scenario of pilot experiment, most environmental impact was derived from wastewater plant and ultra filtration - reverse osmosis, in which ultra filtration - reverse osmosis accounted >20 % for POCP, AP, and EP, Wastewater plant accounted >86 % for ADP, ODP. It was showed that electricity and sludge were most important parameters affecting LCA, when electricity consumption was reduced by 20 %, total standardized environmental impact would be changed in the range of 1.40 %-1.65 %, the most significant change was HTP (6.12 %-6.32 %) when 20 % up and downward change in sludge amount, followed by MAETP (5.27 %-5.36 %). A multi-criteria decision-making analysis was conducted on all the scenarios based on environmental impact, life cycle cost, technical efficiency, it was showed that the scenario designed for pilot experiment was the best available technique, which was consisted of wastewater plant, hybrid constructed wetland, ultra-filtration and reverse osmosis, and reused as desalted water. A wastewater reclaim plant is suggested from the result of this paper. It was believed that this study could provide references for construction of wastewater reclaim system in industrial parks of the world.

Aberrant activated Notch1 promotes prostate enlargement driven by androgen signaling via disrupting mitochondrial function in mouse.

The prostate is a vital accessory gonad in the mammalian male reproductive system. With the ever-increasing proportion of the population over 60 years of age worldwide, the incidence of prostate diseases, such as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer (PCa), is on the rise and is gradually becoming a significant medical problem globally. The notch signaling pathway is essential in regulating prostate early development. However, the potential regulatory mechanism of Notch signaling in prostatic enlargement and hyperplasia remains unclear. In this study, we proved that overactivation of Notch1 signaling in mouse prostatic epithelial cells (OEx) led to prostatic enlargement via enhancing proliferation and inhibiting apoptosis of prostatic epithelial cells. Further study showed that N1ICD/RBPJ directly up-regulated the androgen receptor (AR) and enhanced prostatic sensitivity to androgens. Hyper-proliferation was not found in orchidectomized OEx mice without androgen supply but was observed after Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) supplementation. Our data showed that the number of mitochondrion in prostatic epithelial cells of OEx mice was increased, but the mitochondrial function was impaired, and the essential activity of the mitochondrial respiratory electron transport chain was significantly weakened. Disordered mitochondrial number and metabolic function further resulted in excessive accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Importantly, anti-oxidant N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine (NAC) therapy could alleviate prostatic hyperplasia caused by the over-activation of Notch1 signaling. Furthermore, we observed the incremental Notch signaling activity in progenitor-like club cells in the scRNA-seq data set of human BPH patients. Moreover, the increased number of TROP2+ progenitors and Club cells was also confirmed in our OEx mice. In conclusion, our study revealed that over-activated Notch1 signaling induces prostatic enlargement by increasing androgen receptor sensitivity, disrupting cellular mitochondrial metabolism, increasing ROS, and a higher number of progenitor cells, all of which can be effectively rescued by NAC treatment.

Vanillin prevents the growth of endometriotic lesions through anti-inflammatory and antioxidant pathways in a mouse model.

Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent chronic inflammatory gynecological disease defined by the presence of endometrial glands and mesenchyme outside the uterine cavity, named ectopic endometrium. Recent studies showed that endometriosis is associated with hormone imbalance, inflammation and oxidative stress. As the main component of vanilla bean extract, vanillin is widely used as a flavoring agent in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. It is known for its anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antitumor properties, but its therapeutic efficacy in endometriosis has not been studied. In this study, we evaluated the roles of vanillin in this disease using an induced endometriotic mouse model. The results showed that vanillin significantly inhibited the growth of endometrial lesions. Compared with the control group, the weight and volume of lesions were reduced considerably in the vanillin-treated group, showing its fantastic ability to inhibit cell proliferation and promote apoptosis. In addition, in the treatment group, mRNA expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines Tnfa, Infg, Il1b, and Il6 was reduced, the number of macrophages and neutrophils was decreased, and the NF-κB signaling pathway was inhibited, indicating that vanillin suppressed the inflammatory response in the ectopic endometrium. Besides, we found that the intensity of tissue reactive oxygen species (ROS) was significantly lower, and mitochondrial complex IV expression was reduced in the vanillin-treated group. Meanwhile, treatment of the immortalized human endometriotic epithelial cell line (11Z) with vanillin resulted in the downregulation of cyclin genes that drive the cell proliferation process, inhibited cell proliferation, promoted apoptosis, and downregulated the expression of LPS-induced inflammatory cytokines. Most importantly, our data showed that the vanillin treatment had only minimal effects on the eutopic endometrium with respect to the pregnancy process, indicating its safety to be used in treating endometriosis in adults. In conclusion, our data suggest that vanillin has potential therapeutic properties for endometriosis as a regulatory molecule of cell proliferation, apoptosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress.

Aberrant activation of Notch1 signaling in the mouse uterine epithelium promotes hyper-proliferation by increasing estrogen sensitivity.

In mammals, the endometrium undergoes dynamic changes in response to estrogen and progesterone to prepare for blastocyst implantation. Two distinct types of endometrial epithelial cells, the luminal (LE) and glandular (GE) epithelial cells play different functional roles during this physiological process. Previously, we have reported that Notch signaling plays multiple roles in embryo implantation, decidualization, and postpartum repair. Here, using the uterine epithelial-specific Ltf-iCre, we showed that Notch1 signaling over-activation in the endometrial epithelium caused dysfunction of the epithelium during the estrous cycle, resulting in hyper-proliferation. During pregnancy, it further led to dysregulation of estrogen and progesterone signaling, resulting in infertility in these animals. Using 3D organoids, we showed that over-activation of Notch1 signaling increased the proliferative potential of both LE and GE cells and reduced the difference in transcription profiles between them, suggesting disrupted differentiation of the uterine epithelium. In addition, we demonstrated that both canonical and non-canonical Notch signaling contributed to the hyper-proliferation of GE cells, but only the non-canonical pathway was involved with estrogen sensitivity in the GE cells. These findings provided insights into the effects of Notch1 signaling on the proliferation, differentiation, and function of the uterine epithelium. This study demonstrated the important roles of Notch1 signaling in regulating hormone response and differentiation of endometrial epithelial cells and provides an opportunity for future studies in estrogen-dependent diseases, such as endometriosis.

Regulating Hollow Carbon Cage Supported NiCo Alloy Nanoparticles for Efficient Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

The NiCo alloy is one of the most promising alternatives to the noble-metal electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER); however, its performance is largely restricted by insufficient active sites and low surface area. Here, we fabricated a hierarchical hollow carbon cage supported NiCo alloy (denoted as HC NiCo/C) and a bulk NiCo alloy (denoted as NiCo) by reduction of a partially ZIF-67 etched ZIF-67@NiCo-LDH (LDH = layered double hydroxide) precursor and a fully ZIF-67 etched NiCo-LDH precursor, respectively. The as-prepared HC NiCo/C, in which the Ni29Co71 alloy nanocrystals with an average 6 nm size were encapsulated in graphitic carbon layers, provided a vastly increased electrochemically active surface area (ca. 13 times than the NiCo) and abundant catalytic active sites, which resulted in a higher HER performance with an overpotential of 99 mV than the 198 mV for NiCo at 10 mA cm-2. Detailed experimental results suggested that only the HC NiCo/C possessed the active alloy surface composed of unsaturated Ni0 and Co0 atoms, and both the metal-support interaction and alloying effect influenced the electronic structure of Co and Ni in HC NiCo/C, whereas the NiCo exhibited pure Ni surface. Theoretical calculations further revealed the Ni29Co71 alloy surface in HC NiCo/C possessed the appropriate adsorption energy of the intermediate state (adsorbed H*). This work provided new insight into the construction of the stable small-sized bimetallic alloy nanocatalysts by regulating the reduction precursors.

Distinguish Characters of Luminal and Glandular Epithelium from Mouse Uterus Using a Novel Enzyme-Based Separation Method.

The uterine luminal epithelium, glandular epithelium, and stromal cells are vital for the establishment of pregnancy. Previously studies have shown various methods to isolate mouse uterine epithelium and stromal cells, including laser capture microdissection (LCM), enzyme digestion, and immunomagnetic beads. Despite the importance of the endometrial epithelium as the site of implantation and nutritional support for the conceptus, there is no isolated method to separate the luminal epithelium and glandular epithelium. Here, we establish a novel enzyme-based way to separate two types of epithelium and keep their viability. In this article, we analyzed their purity by mRNA level, immunostaining, and transcriptome analysis. Our isolation method revealed several unstudied luminal and glandular epithelial markers in transcriptome analysis. We further demonstrated the viability of the isolated epithelium by 2D and 3D cultures. The results showed that we successfully separated the endometrial luminal epithelium and glandular epithelium. We also provided an experimental model for the following study of the physiological function of the different parts of the uterus and related diseases.

Zearalenone affects the growth of endometriosis via estrogen signaling and inflammatory pathways.

Endometriosis is a chronic, inflammatory, estrogen-dependent gynecological disease characterized by the growth of endometrial stromal cells and glands outside the uterine cavity in response to hormones, which commonly occurs in reproductive-age women. Zearalenone (ZEA) is a toxic metabolite produced by Fusarium, which acts as estrogen activity because of the similarity of its structure to estrogen. In this study, we used an endometriosis mouse model: 15 days after ovariectomy, endometrial fragments were sutured on the pelvic wall, and exogenous estrogen was supplied using an estrogen-releasing silicone tube embedded subcutaneously. Mice were treated with different doses of ZEA by gavage for 21 days. The results show that ZEA significantly inhibited the growth of ectopic endometrium in a dose-dependent manner. The proliferation of cells decreased while apoptosis increased in the ectopic tissues of ZEA-treated mice compared to the vehicle group. The expression of estrogen receptor-α and its downstream targets MUC1 and p-AKT decreased, indicating an impaired estrogen signaling activity by ZEA treatment. In addition, the decreased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokine Tnf-α, Il-1ß, and Il-6, the lower number of macrophages and neutrophils cells, and the inhibited NF-κB signaling pathway suggest the inflammatory response in the ectopic endometrium was also suppressed by ZEA treatment. However, when the exogenous estrogen supply is removed, ZEA, in turn, plays an estrogen-like role that promotes cell proliferation in the ectopic endometrium. In summary, our data suggest ZEA acts as an antagonist in endometriotic tissue when estrogen is sufficient but turns to estrogenic activity in the absence of estrogen in the development of endometriosis. ZEA also inhibits ectopic tissue growth by inhibiting inflammatory response in the endometriosis model.

Notch1 signaling enhances collagen expression and fibrosis in mouse uterus.

Fibrosis is a pathological process characterized by abnormal activation of fibroblasts with increased synthesis of extracellular matrix components, including collagens. It may lead to loss of proper tissue architecture and organ function in clinical diseases such as systemic sclerosis and liver fibrosis. Excess accumulation of collagens is considered the primary indicator of fibrosis. Notch signaling has been reported to be involved in the fibrosis of many different organs, including the liver. Our previous study showed that the uterine-specific over-activation of canonical Notch1 signaling in the mouse uterus (Pgrcre/+ Rosa26N1ICD/+ , OEx) results in complete infertility as a consequence of multiple developmental and physiological defects, together with increased collagen accumulation evidenced by Masson's staining. In this study, we further detected expressions of all 44 collagen genes in these Notch1 gain-of-function transgenic mice and found that 18 collagens have been largely affected. In another aspect, using an intrauterine adhesion model (IUA), we mimicked fibrosis in the mouse uterine. The results suggested that Notch receptors were upregulated only 3 days after induction, and most of the fibril-forming collagen began to upregulate 6 days after the surgery. Furthermore, when induced IUA in the N1ICD-OEx mice, the expression of collagens and fibrosis levels were significantly enhanced. At last, as a Notch signaling inhibitor, the γ-secretase inhibitor N-[N-(3,5-difl uorophenacetyl)-L-alanyl]-S-phenylglycine t-butyl ester (DAPT) pretreatment could alleviate the expression of collagens and the symptoms of fibrosis. These results demonstrate that Notch signaling may play a role in upregulating collagens expression in endometrial fibrosis and might be a potential target of fibrosis therapy in the endometrium.

[Research progress in process and mechanisms of embryo implantation].

The onset of tight connection between embryo and uterine endometrium terms "embryo implantation", the beginning and a key step of mammalian pregnancy. Defective implantation leads to failure of pregnancy and infertility. In recent years, along with the technological advance, researches on embryo implantation have achieved great advances. This paper reviews the key research achievements that have been reached in the last decade in the field of embryo implantation, focusing on the changes, roles, and underlying mechanisms of both luminal and glandular epithelia during implantation process, as well as their interactions with embryo trophoblast cells and endometrial stromal cells.

A role for APX1 gene in lead tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Lead (Pb) is a dangerous and widespread metal pollutant. Numerous studies have been made in understanding heavy metal detoxification and tolerance in plants, however, relatively few are known about the mechanisms involved in Pb stress response. In this study, we provide evidence for a novel role of APX1 gene in Pb tolerance in Arabidopsis. KO-APX1 mutants apx1-3 and apx1-4 showed more resistant than wild type, and the APX1-complementary COM1 restored the growth state of wild type in Pb stress. The two KO-APX1 mutants showed reduced Pb accumulation, which was accompanied by the activation of metal transporters PDR12 and ATM3 genes expression. In addition, glutathione (GSH), phytochelatin (PC) synthesis and related gene GSH1, GSH2, PCS1 and PCS2 expression were also increased in apx1-3 plants subjected to Pb stress. The more improvements in antioxidant enzymes glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and catalase (CAT) activities were found in the mutant apx1-3. Taken together, our results suggest that APX1 gene knockout results in enhanced Pb tolerance mainly through activating the expression of the ATP-bind cassette (ABC)-type transporters and at least partially through GSH -dependent PC synthesis pathway by coordinated control of gene expression.

Effect of superfine grinding on properties of Vaccinium bracteatum Thunb leaves powder.

Vaccinium bracteatum Thunb, have been widely used in various traditional medicines and food products. The narrow and uniform particle size distribution in V. bracteatum Thunb leaves (VBTL) can be achieved through a new emerging type of foodstuff processing and superfine grinding. The VBTL powders were subjected to four particle sizes as followed: 300-125, 125-75, 75-40, and <40 µm. The VBTL powders were observed to be with smaller size and bulk density, greater surface area, tapped density and the angle of repose. Water solubility index, water holding capacity and total flavonoid extraction increased slightly with the decrease in particle size. Differential scanning calorimetry showed that the VBTL exhibiting particle size of <40 µm had the lowest peak temperature; whereas, powder with a particle size of 125-300 µm displayed the largest endothermic enthalpy. Our results of the properties of VBTL superfine powder supplied the basis for VBTL in potential industrial applications of foods.

Thermal, emulsifying and rheological properties of polysaccharides sequentially extracted from Vaccinium bracteatum Thunb leaves.

Plant polysaccharides are widely used in food industry as thickening and gelling agents and these attributes largely depend on their thermal, emulsifying and rheological properties. As known, the extraction methods always bring about the diversification of property and functions of polysaccharides. Thus, the Vaccinium bracteatum Thunb leaves polysaccharides (VBTLP) were sequentially extracted using hot buffer (HBSS), chelating agent (CHSS), dilute alkaline (DASS) and concentrated alkaline (CASS). The thermal, emulsifying and rheological properties of VBTLP were investigated in the present study. Within the range of 20-225°C, CHSS showed the highest peak temperature, whereas HBSS displayed the highest endothermic enthalpy and highest emulsifying activity, while, CASS showed the longest emulsifying stability. The VBTLP solutions exhibited non-Newtonian shear-thinning behavior within the concentrations of 0.6-2.5%. The apparent viscosity of VBTLP solution decreased under following conditions: acidic pH (4.0), alkaline pH (10.0), in the presence of Ca2+ and at high temperature, while it increased in the presence of Na+ and at freezing conditions. The modulus G' and G″ of VBTLP solutions were increased with increasing oscillation frequency, and the crossover frequency shifted to lower values when the polysaccharide content increased. The above results of thermal, emulsifying and rheological properties of VBTLPs supplied the basis for V. bracteatum leaves in potential industrial applications of foods.

The rheological properties of polysaccharides sequentially extracted from peony seed dreg.

The peony seed dreg polysaccharides (PSDPs) were sequentially extracted using hot buffer (HBSS), chelating agent (CHSS), dilute alkaline (DASS) and concentrated alkaline (CASS). The rheological properties of PSDPs were investigated by steady-shear and oscillatory rheological measurements. The four PSDPs fractions in solution exhibited typical non-Newtonian and shear-thinning behavior. The viscosity of HBSS was higher than the rest. While the viscosity value of all PSDPs solution decreased at acid pH (4.0) and alkaline pH (10.0), in the presence of Ca(2+) and high temperature (90°C), it increased in the presence of Na(+) and following freezing. The modulus G' and G" of all PSDPs solution were increased with increasing oscillation frequency ranging between 0.01 and 100Hz at each concentration. In all four cases, the crossover of G' and G" values decreased gradually with increasing concentration of samples.

[The degradation on cultivated Gastrodia populations and prevention measures].

OBJECTIVE: To propose views and concepts on the degradation of cultivated Gastrodia populations. METHODS: The differences between natural and cultivated Gastrodia populations were compared and discussed in terms of their biological features, qualities and yields. RESULTS: There were changes and degradation in biological features and some important properties of yield in cultivated Gastrodia. CONCLUSION: The direct reason of cultivated Gastrodia degradation is the ecological disturbace of forests and the decreasing amount of natural Gastrodia populations; The indirect reason is manual pollination and other changes of the natural growing environment.