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BACKGROUND: Natural menopause is always accompanied by specific signs and symptoms, suggesting physiological changes in this peoriod. However, no systematic study has assessed the changes at molecular level in the ovaries during the menopausal transition so far. This study integrated quantitative proteome and acetyl-proteome to comprehensively uncover the changes of ovarian protein and protein-acetylation profiles in this transitional period. The findings would provide novel insights into the biology of menopause and help relieve and treat the associated signs and symptoms, further improving the women's health care. METHODS: Freshly thawed ovarian tissue samples obtained from premenopausal and postmenopausal women were assessed with Tandem Mass Tags for the quantitative analysis of the global profile and acetyl-proteomes by 2-dimensional separation and LC-MS/MS. RESULTS: Comprehensively, 4210 types of protein, with 3551 types quantifiable were detected. 3047 acetylated sites in 1583 types of protein with 2256 quantifiable in 1248 proteins were detected. By comparing the global and acetylated proteome profiles for postmenopausal women and premenopausal women, 151 types of proteins were found upregulated and 65 were downregulated, along with 23 acetylated sites upregulated and 220 sites downregulated. For Immune response, the complement and coagulation cascades plus the citrate cycle and cellular detoxification were found to be significantly enhanced, while the extracellular structure and matrix organization, ECM-receptor interactions plus the infections were markedly suppressed. In addition, the amino acids around the acetylated sites were enriched by motif analysis, which can help us uncover amino acid sequence and search for the specific target in the subsequent study. CONCLUSION: Global and acetylated proteome Profiles in ovary differ between the premenopausal and postmenopausal groups. These proteomic-level changes may offer some potential biological markers to identify the pathological changes in ovary and help relieve and treat the associated signs and symptoms, and ultimately improve women's health care.
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BACKGROUND: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate the expression of genes involved in various cellular functions related to metabolism, inflammation, and reproduction. This study evaluated the effects of sex hormones and obesity on the expression of circulating miR-23a and miR-23b in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and healthy women. METHODS: Serum sex hormones concentrations and body mass index (BMI) were measured in 18 women with PCOS and in 30 healthy women from the East China area and these measurements were correlated with serum miR-23a/b levels. The effect of miR-23a and miR-23b risk factors on occurrence of PCOS and predisposing factors of PCOS on these miRNA expressions were evaluated. RESULTS: The expressions of miR-23a/b were significantly lower in the women with PCOS than the normal women, and the expression levels of miR-23a/b were positively correlated with each other in the normal women (p = 0.001) but not in the women with PCOS (p > 0.05). In the women with PCOS, miR-23a was positively correlated with BMI (p = 0.03). However, no correlations were found between the levels of miR-23a/b and the sex hormones in the normal and PCOS women. On the other hand, without considering the presence or absence of PCOS, increase in BMI had a positive effect on the levels of circulating miR-23b; while testosterone had negative effects on the levels of circulating miR-23a. Furthermore, the likelihood of women with PCOS decreased by 0.01-fold for every 1 fold increase of miR-23a expression. CONCLUSIONS: Both reduced levels and discordance between the expressions of miR-23a/b were observed in the women with PCOS and miR-23a/b were affected from testosterone and BMI, reversely. Therefore, miR-23a alteration in contrast with miR-23b is a better indicator for evaluation of PCOS than the miR-23b.
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Expresión Génica , MicroARNs/genética , Síndrome del Ovario Poliquístico/genética , Adulto , Biomarcadores , Índice de Masa Corporal , Estudios de Casos y Controles , China , Hormonas del Cuerpo Lúteo/sangre , Femenino , Hormona Folículo Estimulante , Perfilación de la Expresión Génica , Redes Reguladoras de Genes , Hormonas Esteroides Gonadales/sangre , Humanos , MicroARNs/sangre , Obesidad/sangre , Obesidad/complicaciones , Obesidad/metabolismo , Oportunidad Relativa , Síndrome del Ovario Poliquístico/sangre , Síndrome del Ovario Poliquístico/etiología , Interferencia de ARN , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
Acute lung injury (ALI) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) are both serious public health problems with high incidence and mortality rate in adults, and with few drugs available for the efficient treatment in clinic. In this study, we identified that two known histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors, suberanilohydroxamic acid (SAHA, 1) and its analogue 4-(dimethylamino)-N-[7-(hydroxyamino)-7-oxoheptyl]benzamide (2), are effective inhibitors of Leukotriene A4 hydrolase (LTA4H), a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of leukotriene B4 (LTB4), across a panel of 18 HDAC inhibitors, using enzymatic assay, thermofluor assay, and X-ray crystallographic investigation. Importantly, both 1 and 2 markedly diminish early neutrophilic inflammation in mouse models of ALI and IPF under a clinical safety dose. Detailed mechanisms of down-regulation of proinflammatory cytokines by 1 or 2 were determined in vivo. Collectively, 1 and 2 would provide promising agents with well-known clinical safety for potential treatment in patients with ALI and IPF via pharmacologically inhibiting LAT4H and blocking LTB4 biosynthesis.
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Lesión Pulmonar Aguda/prevención & control , Epóxido Hidrolasas/antagonistas & inhibidores , Inhibidores de Histona Desacetilasas/farmacología , Fibrosis Pulmonar Idiopática/prevención & control , Leucotrieno B4/antagonistas & inhibidores , Neutrófilos/efectos de los fármacos , Lesión Pulmonar Aguda/patología , Animales , Femenino , Fibrosis Pulmonar Idiopática/patología , Leucotrieno B4/biosíntesis , Ratones , Ratones Endogámicos C57BLRESUMEN
In this data, non-pregnant women during the menstrual cycle, women with normal intrauterine pregnancy (IUP), and women with tubal ectopic pregnancy (EP) after informed consent were included. The serum levels of 17ß-estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, beta-human chorionic gonadotropin, interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-4, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), and interferon-γ (IFN-γ), epidermal growth factor, the Chlamydia (C.) trachomatis IgG and HSP60 were analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to assess the diagnostic discrimination of tubal EP and gestational age-matched IUP. Our data show that C. trachomatis infection is associated with IL-8 levels, which had excellent discriminative validity in positively identifying tubal EP (concomitant with C. trachomatis infection) from IUP and non-pregnant conditions regardless of C. trachomatis infection.
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Seventy patients with stage III or IV endometriosis were randomly assigned to 2 groups after conservative surgery. Group O (n = 35) received 3 cycles of a 28-day gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) treatment (goserelin, 3.6 mg) starting 3-5 days postoperatively. Group M (n = 35) received the same treatment starting on days 1-5 of menstruation. Groups were further subdivided according to add-back treatment. Pre- and posttreated levels of estradiol (E2 ), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), and luteinizing hormone (LH) and visual analog scale (VAS), Kupperman menopausal index (KMI), and bone mineral density (BMD) scores were recorded. The incidence of uterine bleeding was assessed. In both groups, serum levels of E2 , FSH, and LH and VAS scores decreased significantly after treatment. Spotting was the most frequent bleeding pattern. During cycle 1, the bleeding time in group M was much longer that than that in group O (P =.001), and the bleeding rate in group M was significantly higher than that in group O (P =.024, RR = 1.185). In patients with stage III or IV endometriosis, the efficacy of GnRH-a initiated 3-5 days postoperatively was equivalent to that of GnRH-a initiated on days 1-5 of menstruation. Female patients who initiated GnRH-a treatment 3-5 days postoperatively experienced less uterine bleeding during the first cycle of treatment.
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Endometriosis/tratamiento farmacológico , Hormona Liberadora de Gonadotropina/agonistas , Goserelina/administración & dosificación , Adulto , Esquema de Medicación , Endometriosis/sangre , Estradiol/sangre , Femenino , Hormona Folículo Estimulante/sangre , Goserelina/uso terapéutico , Humanos , Hormona Luteinizante/sangre , Menstruación , Persona de Mediana Edad , Periodo Posoperatorio , Hemorragia Uterina/inducido químicamente , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are worldwide used drugs for analgesic, antipyretic, and anti-inflammatory therapeutics. However, NSAIDs often cause several serious liver injuries, such as drug-induced liver injury (DILI), and the molecular mechanisms of DILI have not been clearly elucidated. In this study, we developed a systems pharmacology approach to explore the mechanism-of-action of NSAIDs. We found that the Farnesoid X Receptor (FXR) antagonism of NSAIDs is a potential molecular mechanism of DILI through systematic network analysis and in vitro assays. Specially, the quantitative real-time PCR assay reveals that indomethacin and ibuprofen regulate FXR downstream target gene expression in HepG2 cells. Furthermore, the western blot shows that FXR antagonism by indomethacin induces the phosphorylation of STAT3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 3), promotes the activation of caspase9, and finally causes DILI. In summary, our systems pharmacology approach provided novel insights into molecular mechanisms of DILI for NSAIDs, which may propel the ways toward the design of novel anti-inflammatory pharmacotherapeutics.
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Antiinflamatorios no Esteroideos/efectos adversos , Enfermedad Hepática Inducida por Sustancias y Drogas/patología , Receptores Citoplasmáticos y Nucleares/antagonistas & inhibidores , Biología de Sistemas , Enfermedad Hepática Inducida por Sustancias y Drogas/genética , Predisposición Genética a la Enfermedad , Células Hep G2 , Humanos , Ibuprofeno/efectos adversos , Indometacina/efectos adversos , Luciferasas/metabolismo , Fosforilación/efectos de los fármacos , Mapas de Interacción de Proteínas/efectos de los fármacos , ARN Mensajero/genética , ARN Mensajero/metabolismo , Receptores Citoplasmáticos y Nucleares/metabolismo , Factor de Transcripción STAT3/metabolismo , Transcripción Genética/efectos de los fármacos , Activación Transcripcional/genética , Técnicas del Sistema de Dos HíbridosRESUMEN
Abnormal expression of nerve growth factor (NGF) was found in adenomyosis (AM). We collected AM foci from patients and eutopic endometrium from non-AM controls. Endometrium stromal cells (ESCs) were cultured. Different levels of 17ß-estradiol, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), CoCl2, and H2O2 were added to the culture system separately, then the expression level of NGF in ESCs was detected. After adding different levels of NGF, the proliferation and apoptosis of ESCs and aromatase expression were detected. We found that 17ß-estradiol promoted NGF production in AM ESCs but not in control ESCs; TNF promoted NGF production in both AM and control ESCs; and CoCl2 inhibited NGF production in control ESCs, but had no effect in AM ESCs. Nerve growth factor promoted the proliferation and synthesis of aromatase in AM ESCs. In conclusion, locally increased estrogen levels and inflammation may cause increased NGF production in the uterus of patients with AM. Nerve growth factor stimulated the proliferation and increased aromatase expression of ESCs from AM foci, suggesting NGF might contribute to the pathology and etiology of AM.
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Adenomiosis/metabolismo , Endometrio/metabolismo , Factor de Crecimiento Nervioso/metabolismo , Células del Estroma/metabolismo , Adenomiosis/patología , Adulto , Apoptosis/efectos de los fármacos , Aromatasa/biosíntesis , Estudios de Casos y Controles , Proliferación Celular/efectos de los fármacos , Células Cultivadas , Cobalto/farmacología , Relación Dosis-Respuesta a Droga , Endometrio/efectos de los fármacos , Endometrio/patología , Inducción Enzimática , Estradiol/farmacología , Femenino , Humanos , Peróxido de Hidrógeno/farmacología , Persona de Mediana Edad , Células del Estroma/efectos de los fármacos , Células del Estroma/patología , Factor de Necrosis Tumoral alfa/farmacologíaRESUMEN
AIM: To discover novel ligands of estrogen receptor (ER) ß using pharmacophore mapping and structure-based screening. METHODS: A computer-aided strategy combining pharmacophore mapping and structure-based screening was used to screen the Maybridge and Enamine databases. Yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) assay was used to detect the activity and selectivity of the chosen compounds. The transcriptional activities of the chosen compounds were demonstrated with luciferase reporter assays. The anti-proliferative effects of ER antagonists against MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells were examined using MTT assay, and the mechanisms of action were analyzed with flow cytometry analysis and Western blotting. RESULTS: Through in silico screen, 95 compounds were chosen for testing in Y2H assay, which led to 20 potent ligands, including 10 agonists, 8 antagonists and 2 partial agonists with EC50 or IC50 values at µmol/L. Furthermore, 6 agonists exhibited absolute selectivity for ERß, and 3 agonists showed higher selectivity for ERß. The agonists 1g and 1h (10, 25, and 50 µmol/L) dose-dependently increased ER transcriptional activities, whereas the antagonists 2a and 2d (10, 25, and 50 µmol/L) caused dose-dependent inhibition on the activities. The antagonists and partial agonists at 100 µmol/L suppressed the proliferation of ERα positive MCF-7 cells and ERß positive MDA-MB-231 cells, but were more effective against MDA-MB-231 cells. Treatment of MDA-MB-231 cells with antagonists 2a and 2d (25 and 50 µmol/L) dose-dependently increased the population of cells in the S phase. Both 2a and 2d treatment dose-dependently decreased the expression levels of cyclin A and CDK2. Meanwhile, the downregulation of cyclin E was only caused by 2d, while 2a treatment did not cause significant changes in the protein levels of cyclin E. CONCLUSION: The selective ligands discovered in this study are promising drug candidates to be used as molecular probes to explore the differences between ERα and ERß.
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Receptor beta de Estrógeno/agonistas , Receptor beta de Estrógeno/antagonistas & inhibidores , Animales , Neoplasias de la Mama/tratamiento farmacológico , Neoplasias de la Mama/metabolismo , Células CHO , Línea Celular , Línea Celular Tumoral , Proliferación Celular/efectos de los fármacos , Cricetulus , Ciclina A/metabolismo , Ciclina E/metabolismo , Quinasa 2 Dependiente de la Ciclina/metabolismo , Regulación hacia Abajo/efectos de los fármacos , Receptor beta de Estrógeno/metabolismo , Femenino , Humanos , Ligandos , Células MCF-7 , Transcripción Genética/efectos de los fármacosRESUMEN
UNLABELLED: The aim of the present study was to assess the objectivity and accuracy of a new system to evaluate pregnancy prognosis in tubal factor infertility (TFI) patients. Retrospective study in 469 TFI patients were pre- and postoperatively scored using the new system as mild, moderate or severe TFI, based on tubal adhesions, patency, morphology and structure. Follow-up was assessed to determine pregnancy outcomes. Laparoscopic salpingoplasty and hydrotubation, hysteroscopic-laparoscopic salpingoplasty and hydrotubation, and laparoscopic hydrotubation all decreased TFI scores to a similar extent. The pre- and postoperative TFI classification was significantly associated with intrauterine pregnancy (mild: 43.6% vs. moderate: 34.0% vs. severe: 19.4%, P < 0.0001) and live births (mild: 35.9% and moderate: 31.5% vs. severe: 16.8%, P = 0.0002) rates. Multivariate analysis showed that the preoperative disease course (P = 0.02), preoperative TFI score (P < 0.0001), and postoperative TFI score (P = 0.0007) were independently associated with the rate of intrauterine pregnancy rate. Multivariate analysis also showed that the postoperative TFI score (P = 0.001), pelvic inflammatory disease (P = 0.03) and age (P = 0.03) were independently associated with the rate of live births. CONCLUSION: We devised a new classification system for TFI prognosis. Salpingoplasty improved these scores. Both pre- and postoperative TFI assessments using this new system are associated with pregnancy prognosis in TFI patients.
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Mass spectrometric technique has emerged as a preferred technique in the analysis of protein phosphorylation. Owing to the low stoichiometry of phosphopeptides and the signal suppression effect by non-phosphopeptides, there is a demand for efficient enrichment of phosphopeptides. The selective enrichment of phosphopeptides in modified eppendorf tubes prior to mass spectrometry analysis, which can minimize sample loss as well as nonspecific interferences effectively, has become a hot topic in current proteomics field. In our work, an easy-to-use phosphopeptide-selective eppendorf tube was initially prepared, with its inner surface being modified with a Ti(4+)-immobilized polydopamine (PDA) layer. The unique Ti(4+)-immobilized PDA-modified eppendorf tubes (EP tube@PDA-Ti(4+)) are investigated for its application in selective enrichment of phosphopeptides from complex biological samples. Due to the high Ti(4+) loading amount on the surface of PDA, the EP tube@PDA-Ti(4+) exhibits remarkable phosphopeptide enrichment ability in protein digests and human serum, which presents a powerful evidence for its high selectivity in detecting the low-abundance phosphopeptides from complex biological samples.
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Indoles/química , Fosfopéptidos/análisis , Polímeros/química , Titanio/química , Equipos Desechables , Humanos , Fosfopéptidos/química , Suero/químicaRESUMEN
Human ectopic pregnancy (EP) is a leading cause of pregnancy-related death, but the molecular basis underlying the onset of tubal EP is largely unknown. Female Dicer1 conditional knockout mice are infertile with dysfunctional Fallopian tube and have a different miRNA expression profile compared to wild-type mice, and we speculated that Dicer-mediated regulation of miRNA expression and specific miRNA-controlled targets might contribute to the onset of tubal EP. In the present study, we used microarray analysis and quantitative RT-PCR to examine the expression of miRNAs and core miRNA regulatory components in Fallopian tube tissues from women with EP. We found that the levels of DICER1, four miRNAs (let-7i, miR-149, miR-182, and miR-424), and estrogen receptor α distinguished the tubal implantation site from the non-implantation site. Computational algorithms and screening for interactions with the estrogen and progesterone receptor signaling pathways showed that the four miRNAs were predicted to target ten genes, including NEDD4, TAF15, and SPEN. Subsequent experiments showed differences in NEDD4 mRNA and protein levels between the implantation and non-implantation sites. Finally, we revealed that increases in smooth muscle cell NEDD4 and stromal cell TAF15, in parallel with a decrease in epithelial cell SPEN, were associated with tubal implantation. Our study suggests that changes in miRNA levels by the DICER-mediated miRNA-processing machinery result in aberrant expression of cell type-specific proteins that are potentially involved in the onset of tubal EP.
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Trompas Uterinas/metabolismo , MicroARNs/genética , Embarazo Tubario/genética , Adulto , Western Blotting , ARN Helicasas DEAD-box , Trompas Uterinas/patología , Femenino , Humanos , Inmunohistoquímica , Análisis de Secuencia por Matrices de Oligonucleótidos , Embarazo , Embarazo Tubario/patología , Reacción en Cadena en Tiempo Real de la Polimerasa , Ribonucleasa III , TranscriptomaRESUMEN
To evaluate the incidence and characteristics of uterine bleeding during postoperative gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) treatment combined with the lowest effective dose of estrogen-progestogen add-back therapy in Chinese women of reproductive age with endometriosis. Seventy Chinese women aged 18 to 50 years with stage III or IV endometriosis and treated with postoperative GnRHa after conservative surgery for endometriosis were eligible for this study. Patients were randomly divided into two equal groups, G and A. Group G (n = 35) received three 28-day cycles of postoperative GnRHa treatment by subcutaneous injection (goserelin, 3.6 mg). Group A (n = 35) received the same GnRHa treatment in addition to daily estradiol valerate (0.5 mg) and dydrogesterone (5 mg) add-back therapy. Serum E2 and FSH levels were assessed at the end of each treatment cycle, as well as incidence and patterns of uterine bleeding. After the last GnRHa treatment cycle, endometrial thickness was evaluated by ultrasonography and the recovery of menstruation was recorded. Uterine bleeding incidence was above 90% in both groups during the first treatment cycle (group G: 90.6%; group A: 93.8%), but decreased markedly in the second treatment cycle (group G: 15.6%; group A: 21.9%), and continued to decline until the end of the third treatment cycle (group G: 6.3%; group A: 12.5%). For each cycle, the incidence of uterine bleeding in group A was slightly but not statistically higher. Irregular spotting was the most common uterine bleeding pattern observed in each of the three treatment cycle. The addition of estrogen and progestogen therapy to a postoperative GnRHa regimen does not lead to an increase in the duration or amount of treatment-induced uterine bleeding.
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Lipoxygenases (LOXs) are a family of non-heme iron-containing dioxygenases that catalyze the hydroperoxidation of lipids, containing a cis,cis-1,4-pentadiene structure. A rapid and reliable colorimetric assay for determination of the activity of three human functional lipoxygenase isoforms (5-lipoxygenase, platelet 12-lipoxygenase, and 15-lipoxygenase-1) is developed in this article. In the new assay, LOX-derived lipid hydroperoxides oxidize the ferrous ion (Fe²âº) to the ferric ion (Fe³âº), the latter of which binds with thiocyanate (SCNâ») to generate a red ferrithiocyanate (FTC) complex. The absorbance of the FTC complex can be easily measured at 480 nm. Because 5-LOX can be stimulated by many cofactors, the effects of its cofactors (Ca²âº, ATP, dithiothreitol, glutathione, L-α-phosphatidylcholine, and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) on the color development of the FTC complex are also determined. The assay is adaptive for purified LOXs and cell lysates containing active LOXs. We use the new colorimetric assay in a 96-well format to evaluate several well-known LOX inhibitors, the IC50 values of which are in good agreement with previously reported data. The reliability and reproducibility of the assay make it useful for in vitro screening for inhibitors of LOXs and, therefore, should accelerate drug discovery for clinical application.
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Colorimetría/métodos , Pruebas de Enzimas/métodos , Lipooxigenasa/metabolismo , Colorimetría/economía , Pruebas de Enzimas/economía , Células HEK293 , Humanos , Inhibidores de la Lipooxigenasa/farmacología , Isoformas de Proteínas/metabolismoRESUMEN
AIMS: Microarray data were analyzed using bioinformatic tools to screen marker genes of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) in response to bone morphogenetic protein 6 (BMP6). RESULTS: A total of 190 differentially expressed genes were identified. The interaction network was divided into three functional modules. These genes were connected with BMP signaling pathways and regulation of cell processes, while NOG and BMPR2 participated in the transforming growth factor-beta signal pathway. Besides, several related small molecules were acquired. CONCLUSION: Marker genes in osteogenic responses to BMP6 treatment for hMSC were screened with microarray data along with elaborate function analysis by bioinformatics. NOG and BMPR2 showed potential to become indicators to monitor the directed differentiation of hMSC into osteoblasts, which can be used for bone disease treatment. Moreover, small molecules such as W-13 were retrieved and provided directions for future drug design.
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Proteína Morfogenética Ósea 6/farmacología , Diferenciación Celular/efectos de los fármacos , Regulación de la Expresión Génica/efectos de los fármacos , Osteoblastos/metabolismo , Transducción de Señal/efectos de los fármacos , Biomarcadores/metabolismo , Proteína Morfogenética Ósea 6/metabolismo , Diferenciación Celular/fisiología , Femenino , Perfilación de la Expresión Génica , Regulación de la Expresión Génica/fisiología , Marcadores Genéticos , Humanos , Masculino , Células Madre Mesenquimatosas , Análisis de Secuencia por Matrices de Oligonucleótidos , Osteoblastos/citología , Transducción de Señal/fisiología , Sulfonamidas/farmacologíaRESUMEN
Ectopic pregnancy is a common reproductive disorder of unknown etiology and is a leading cause of maternal and fetal mortality. Because of the asymptomatic nature of early tubal ectopic pregnancy and the lack of specific biomarkers for early diagnosis, a better understanding of the complex cellular and molecular interactions that contribute to tubal ectopic pregnancy is required. DNA methylation is the most studied epigenetic process in various tissues and cells, and the goal of this article is to provide a brief review of recent work describing the potential mechanisms of DNA methylation and the biological function of such methylation in normal intrauterine pregnancy. Further, novel findings from our laboratory highlight the possible role of DNA methylation in human Fallopian tube dysfunction and suggest a possible correlation between methylation of estrogen receptor α in women and the occurrence of tubal ectopic pregnancies.
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OBJECTIVES: To investigate the relationship between endogenous androgens and body fat distribution in early and late postmenopausal women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We enrolled postmenopausal women consisting of an early group (≤ 5 years since menopause, n = 105) and a late group (≥ 10 years since menopause, n = 107). Each group was subdivided into normal weight (BMI <24 kg/m(2)) group, overweight and obese (BMI ≥ 24 kg/m(2)) group. Fasting total testosterone (T), dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S) and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) levels were measured. Body fat distribution was evaluated by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). RESULTS: Late postmenopausal women had a higher proportion of body fat than early postmenopausal women. The body fat of the overweight and obese women had a greater tendency to accumulate in the abdomen compared with the normal weight women both in early and late postmenopausal groups. The overweight and obese women had a higher free testosterone (FT) than the normal weight women in early postmenopausal women (P<0.05). In late postmenopausal women, the overweight and obese women had higher DHEA-S levels than normal weight women (P<0.05). No direct relationship was observed between the T levels and body fat distribution both in early and late postmenopausal groups (P>0.05).The FT in early postmenopausal women and the DHEA-S levels in late postmenopausal women correlated positively with the trunk/leg fat ratio (T/L) and the proportion of android fat whereas correlated negatively with the proportion of gynoid fat in the partial correlation and multiple linear regression analyses (all P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Serum T levels do not correlate directly with body fat distribution, the FT in early postmenopausal women and DHEA-S levels in late postmenopausal women correlate positively with abdominal fat accumulation.
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Andrógenos/metabolismo , Distribución de la Grasa Corporal , Peso Corporal/fisiología , Posmenopausia/fisiología , Grasa Abdominal/fisiología , Absorciometría de Fotón , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Andrógenos/sangre , Antropometría , Sulfato de Deshidroepiandrosterona/sangre , Femenino , Humanos , Persona de Mediana Edad , Globulina de Unión a Hormona Sexual/metabolismo , Testosterona/sangreRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Several peripheral proteins that might be useful for detecting the presence of ectopic pregnancy (EP) have been evaluated, but none have been proven entirely useful in the clinic. We investigated the presence and the possible changes in circulating molecules that distinguish between normal intrauterine pregnancy (IUP) and tubal ectopic pregnancy. METHODS: Non-pregnant women during the menstrual cycle, women with IUP, and women with tubal EP after informed consent. Serum levels of 17ß-estradiol (E2), progesterone (P4), testosterone (T), beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (ß-hCG), vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A), placental growth factor (PIGF), and a distintegrin and metalloprotease protein 12 (ADAM12) were analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to assess the diagnostic discrimination of EP and gestational age-matched IUP. RESULTS: E2, P4, PIGF, and ADAM12 levels increased and ß-hCG decreased throughout IUP. E2 and VEGF-A levels were significantly different between women with tubal EP and IUP. However, using a serum ß-hCG cut-off of less than 1000 mIU/mL, P4 was significantly lower in women with tubal EP compared to IUP. Although E2 was inversely correlated with VEGF-A in women in the early stages of IUP, E2 was not correlated with VEGF-A in women with EP prior to tubal surgery. There were no significant differences in either PIGF or ADAM12 alone between women with tubal EP or IUP. Although no significant correlations were seen between E2 and PIGF or P4 and ADAM12 in women in the early stages of IUP, E2 was positively correlated with PIGF and P4 was positively correlated with ADAM12 in women with EP prior to tubal surgery. Our studies defined associations but not causality. CONCLUSIONS: Individual measurements of serum E2 or VEGF-A levels are strongly related to early pregnancy outcomes for women with IUP and EP, and pregnancy-associated E2 and VEGF-A levels provide diagnostic accuracy for the presence of tubal EP. This study demonstrates that correlation analysis of E2/VEGF-A and E2/PIGF serum levels may be able to distinguish a tubal EP from a normal IUP.
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Proteínas ADAM/sangre , Hormonas Esteroides Gonadales/sangre , Proteínas de la Membrana/sangre , Proteínas Gestacionales/sangre , Embarazo Ectópico/diagnóstico , Factor A de Crecimiento Endotelial Vascular/sangre , Proteína ADAM12 , Femenino , Humanos , Ciclo Menstrual , Factor de Crecimiento Placentario , Embarazo , Embarazo Ectópico/sangreRESUMEN
CYP1B1 encodes an estrogen enzyme that oxidizes 17ß-estradiol to 4-hydroxyestradiol. The evidence demonstrates there may be a relationship between CYP1B1 and thyroid function. To date, no study has evaluated if genetic polymorphisms that regulate concentrations of serum FT3 and FT4 contribute to Polycyctic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). To identify polymorphisms in the CYP1B1 locus associated with PCOS, we genotyped three common polymorphisms across the CYP1B1 locus in 226 patients. A test for association of common variants with susceptibility to PCOS was conducted in a large cohort of 609 subjects. The functional polymorphism CYP1B1 L432V (rs1056836) is associated with serum T4 (P = 0.003), serum FT3 (P < 0.001) and serum FT4 concentrations (P < 0.001). Our study provides the first evidence that genetic variants in CYP1B1 can be associated with serum T4, FT4 and FT3 levels in PCOS. These findings imply novel pathophysiological links between the CYP1B1 locus and thyroid function in PCOS.
Asunto(s)
Hidrocarburo de Aril Hidroxilasas/genética , Estudios de Asociación Genética , Síndrome del Ovario Poliquístico/genética , Tiroxina/genética , Triyodotironina/genética , Adulto , Citocromo P-450 CYP1B1 , Estrógenos de Catecol/genética , Estrógenos de Catecol/metabolismo , Femenino , Predisposición Genética a la Enfermedad , Humanos , Síndrome del Ovario Poliquístico/sangre , Síndrome del Ovario Poliquístico/patología , Polimorfismo de Nucleótido Simple , Pruebas de Función de la Tiroides , Tiroxina/sangre , Triyodotironina/sangreRESUMEN
Human skin fibroblast collagenase also known as Matrix Metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) is a key enzyme in remodeling and degradation of extracellular matrix, and the inhibitors of human MMP-1 are effective drug candidates for the treatment of cancer. In this study, we report an improved method for high-level expression of soluble human MMP-1 catalytic domain (cd-MMP-1) in E.coli. The enzymatic activity is found maximum at pH 7.5 and temperature 40°C with a Km value of 13.02 µM. Effects of 17 structure-related flavonoids on MMP-1 activity are evaluated using a fluorescent assay, 6 inhibitors are identified with IC50 < 10 µM. Fisetin is the most active agent with an IC50 value of 1.35 µM and is identified as a mixed type inhibitor. Our improved soluble cd-MMP-1 expression method provides a basis for inhibitors identification and may be beneficial to discover novel anti-cancer agent targeting human MMP-1.