1
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Habersham LL, Hurd YL, Nomura Y. The longitudinal assessment of prenatal cannabis use on neonatal outcomes. J Perinatol 2024; 44:1152-1156. [PMID: 38890400 PMCID: PMC11300297 DOI: 10.1038/s41372-024-02027-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2024] [Revised: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the association between prenatal cannabis use and perinatal outcomes using longitudinal data from pregnant individuals. STUDY DESIGN This secondary-data analysis study utilized data collected from 894 pregnant individuals followed in the Stress in Pregnancy longitudinal study, conducted between 2009 and 2013. The status of cannabis use was ascertained through interviews and electronic medical record reviews to evaluate the effect of cannabis use on perinatal outcomes (NICU admission, preterm delivery, low birth weight, fetal death). RESULTS Among participants analyzed, 13.1% used cannabis, who were generally younger (25.9 vs 27.9 years). There was a sevenfold increased risk of fetal death (OR 7.30) among cannabis users relative to non-users. Elevated risk persisted after adjustments of potential confounders (aOR 6.31). Adjusted models also suggested increased low birth weight risk (aOR 1.67). CONCLUSION This study highlights an association between prenatal cannabis use and elevated risks for fetal death and low birth weight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah L Habersham
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, US.
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, US.
- Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai, New York, NY, US.
| | - Yasmin L Hurd
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, US
- Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai, New York, NY, US
| | - Yoko Nomura
- Queens College and Graduate Center, The City University of New York, New York, NY, US
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2
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Najafi L, Moasses Z, Bahmanpour S. The marijuana, cannabinoids, and female reproductive system. J Appl Toxicol 2024. [PMID: 38754862 DOI: 10.1002/jat.4630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
The marijuana is considered as widely used recreational illicit drug that has become popular among women of reproductive age. It is believed that the marijuana use may have negative impacts on the female fertility. However, the exact mechanisms of its reproductive toxicity remain unclear. The studies suggest that the exogenous cannabinoids may interfere with endocannabinoid system and disrupt hypothalamic-pituitary-ovary axis. Consequently, it impacts the female fertility by disruption of normal secretion of ovarian sex hormones and menstrual cycles. However, other studies have shown that medical marijuana is useful analgesic agent for pain management. But, given that the wide range of cannabinoids side effects are reported, it seems that caution should be taken in the recreational use of these substances. In summary, this article aimed to review the possible impacts of marijuana and its derivatives on the main female reproductive organs and embryonic growth and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leila Najafi
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Zia Moasses
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Soghra Bahmanpour
- Department of Reproductive Biology, School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
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3
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Popli P, Oestreich AK, Maurya VK, Rowen MN, Masand R, Holtzman MJ, Zhang Y, Lydon J, Akira S, Moley KH, Kommagani R. The autophagy protein, ATG14 safeguards against unscheduled pyroptosis activation to enable embryo transport during early pregnancy. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.19.585812. [PMID: 38562843 PMCID: PMC10983954 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.19.585812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL), characterized by two or more failed clinical pregnancies, poses a significant challenge to reproductive health. In addition to embryo quality and endometrial function, proper oviduct function is also essential for successful pregnancy establishment. Therefore, structural abnormalities or inflammation resulting from infection in the oviduct may impede the transport of embryos to the endometrium, thereby increasing the risk of miscarriage. However, the precise cellular mechanisms that maintain the structural and functional integrity of the oviduct are not studied yet. Here, we report that autophagy is critical for maintaining the oviduct homeostasis and keeping the inflammation under check to enable embryo transport. Specifically, the loss of the autophagy-related gene, Atg14 in the oviduct causes severe structural abnormalities compromising its cellular plasticity and integrity leading to the retention of embryos. Interestingly, the selective loss of Atg14 in oviduct ciliary epithelial cells did not impact female fertility, highlighting the specificity of ATG14 function in distinct cell types within the oviduct. Mechanistically, loss of Atg14 triggered unscheduled pyroptosis leading to inappropriate embryo retention and impeded embryo transport in the oviduct. Finally, pharmacological activation of pyroptosis in pregnant mice led to an impairment in embryo transport. Together, we found that ATG14 safeguards against unscheduled pyroptosis activation to enable embryo transport from the oviduct to uterus for the successful implantation. Of clinical significance, these findings provide possible insights on the underlying mechanism(s) of early pregnancy loss and might aid in developing novel prevention strategies using autophagy modulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pooja Popli
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Arin K. Oestreich
- Department Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Center for Reproductive Health Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Vineet K. Maurya
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Marina N. Rowen
- Department Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Center for Reproductive Health Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Ramya Masand
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Michael J. Holtzman
- Department of Medicine and Department of Cell Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Yong Zhang
- Department of Medicine and Department of Cell Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - John Lydon
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Shizuo Akira
- Department of Host Defense, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases (RIMD), Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
- Laboratory of Host Defense, World Premier Institute Immunology Frontier Research Center (WPI-IFReC), Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Kelle H. Moley
- Department Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Center for Reproductive Health Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Ramakrishna Kommagani
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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4
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Xin Q, Feng I, Yu G, Dean J. Stromal Pbrm1 mediates chromatin remodeling necessary for embryo implantation in the mouse uterus. J Clin Invest 2024; 134:e174194. [PMID: 38426493 PMCID: PMC10904057 DOI: 10.1172/jci174194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Early gestational loss occurs in approximately 20% of all clinically recognized human pregnancies and is an important cause of morbidity. Either embryonic or maternal defects can cause loss, but a functioning and receptive uterine endometrium is crucial for embryo implantation. We report that the switch/sucrose nonfermentable (SWI/SNF) remodeling complex containing polybromo-1 (PBRM1) and Brahma-related gene 1 (BRG1) is essential for implantation of the embryonic blastocyst on the wall of the uterus in mice. Although preimplantation development is unaffected, conditional ablation of Pbrm1 in uterine stromal cells disrupts progesterone pathways and uterine receptivity. Heart and neural crest derivatives expressed 2 (Hand2) encodes a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor required for embryo implantation. We identify an enhancer of the Hand2 gene in stromal cells that requires PBRM1 for epigenetic histone modifications/coactivator recruitment and looping with the promoter. In Pbrm1cKO mice, perturbation of chromatin assembly at the promoter and enhancer sites compromises Hand2 transcription, adversely affects fibroblast growth factor signaling pathways, prevents normal stromal-epithelial crosstalk, and disrupts embryo implantation. The mutant female mice are infertile and provide insight into potential causes of early pregnancy loss in humans.
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5
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Aikawa S, Hirota Y. Roles of lipid mediators in early pregnancy events. Reprod Med Biol 2024; 23:e12597. [PMID: 39010880 PMCID: PMC11247399 DOI: 10.1002/rmb2.12597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Early pregnancy events, including embryo implantation, are critical for maintaining a healthy pregnancy and facilitating childbirth. Despite numerous signaling pathways implicated in establishing early pregnancy, a comprehensive understanding of implantation remains elusive. Methods This paper provides a comprehensive review of the current research on lipids in the context of early pregnancy, with a particular focus on feto-maternal communications. Main Findings Embryo implantation entails direct interaction between uterine tissues and embryos. Introducing embryos triggers significant changes in uterine epithelial morphology and stromal differentiation, facilitating embryo implantation through communication with uterine tissue. Studies employing genetic models and chemical compounds targeting enzymes and receptors have elucidated the crucial roles of lipid mediators-prostaglandins, lysophosphatidic acid, sphingosine-1-phosphate, and cannabinoids-in early pregnancy events. Conclusion Given the high conservation of lipid synthases and receptors across species, lipid mediators likely play pivotal roles in rodents and humans. Further investigations into lipids hold promise for developing novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for infertility in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shizu Aikawa
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo Tokyo Japan
| | - Yasushi Hirota
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo Tokyo Japan
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6
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Xin Q, Yu G, Feng I, Dean J. Chromatin remodeling of prostaglandin signaling in smooth muscle enables mouse embryo passage through the female reproductive tract. Dev Cell 2023; 58:1716-1732.e8. [PMID: 37714160 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2023.08.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023]
Abstract
Early mammalian development occurs during embryo transit of the female reproductive tract. Transport is orchestrated by secreted oviduct fluid, unidirectional beating of epithelial cilia, and smooth muscle contractions. Using gene-edited mice, we document that conditional disruption of a component of the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex in smooth muscle cells prevents transport through the oviduct without perturbing embryogenesis. Analysis with RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), transposase-accessible chromatin with sequencing (ATAC-seq), chromatin immunocleavage sequencing (ChIC-seq), and pharmacologic rescue experiments implicated prostaglandin signaling pathways. In comparison with controls, gene-edited mice had compromised chromatin accessibility at enhancer/promoters of Ptgs2, Pla2g16, Pla2r1, and Ptger3 (EP3) as well as decreased enhancer-promoter interactive looping critical for Ptgs2 (aka Cox-2) expression in a SWI/SNF complex-dependent manner. Treatment of wild-type mice with prostaglandin inhibitors phenocopied the genetically induced defect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiliang Xin
- Laboratory of Cellular and Developmental Biology, NIDDK, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | - Guoyun Yu
- Laboratory of Cellular and Developmental Biology, NIDDK, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Iris Feng
- Laboratory of Cellular and Developmental Biology, NIDDK, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jurrien Dean
- Laboratory of Cellular and Developmental Biology, NIDDK, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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7
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Yang SC, Park M, Hong KH, La H, Park C, Wang P, Li G, Chen Q, Choi Y, DeMayo FJ, Lydon JP, Skalnik DG, Lim HJ, Hong SH, Park SH, Kim YS, Kim HR, Song H. CFP1 governs uterine epigenetic landscapes to intervene in progesterone responses for uterine physiology and suppression of endometriosis. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3220. [PMID: 37270588 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39008-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Progesterone (P4) is required for the preparation of the endometrium for a successful pregnancy. P4 resistance is a leading cause of the pathogenesis of endometrial disorders like endometriosis, often leading to infertility; however, the underlying epigenetic cause remains unclear. Here we demonstrate that CFP1, a regulator of H3K4me3, is required for maintaining epigenetic landscapes of P4-progesterone receptor (PGR) signaling networks in the mouse uterus. Cfp1f/f;Pgr-Cre (Cfp1d/d) mice showed impaired P4 responses, leading to complete failure of embryo implantation. mRNA and chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing analyses showed that CFP1 regulates uterine mRNA profiles not only in H3K4me3-dependent but also in H3K4me3-independent manners. CFP1 directly regulates important P4 response genes, including Gata2, Sox17, and Ihh, which activate smoothened signaling pathway in the uterus. In a mouse model of endometriosis, Cfp1d/d ectopic lesions showed P4 resistance, which was rescued by a smoothened agonist. In human endometriosis, CFP1 was significantly downregulated, and expression levels between CFP1 and these P4 targets are positively related regardless of PGR levels. In brief, our study provides that CFP1 intervenes in the P4-epigenome-transcriptome networks for uterine receptivity for embryo implantation and the pathogenesis of endometriosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seung Chel Yang
- Department of Biomedical Science, CHA University, Seongnam, Gyeonggi, 13488, Korea
| | - Mira Park
- Department of Biomedical Science, CHA University, Seongnam, Gyeonggi, 13488, Korea
| | - Kwon-Ho Hong
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Seoul, 05029, Korea
| | - Hyeonwoo La
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Seoul, 05029, Korea
| | - Chanhyeok Park
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Seoul, 05029, Korea
| | - Peike Wang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China
| | - Gaizhen Li
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China
| | - Qionghua Chen
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China
| | - Youngsok Choi
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Seoul, 05029, Korea
| | - Francesco J DeMayo
- Department of Reproductive and Developmental Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, 12233, USA
| | - John P Lydon
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Center for Reproductive Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - David G Skalnik
- Department of Biology, School of Science, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Hyunjung J Lim
- Department of Veterinary Science, Konkuk University, Seoul, 05029, Korea
| | - Seok-Ho Hong
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Gangwon-do, 24431, Korea
- KW-Bio Co., Ltd, Wonju, 26493, Korea
| | - So Hee Park
- Department of Biomedical Science, CHA University, Seongnam, Gyeonggi, 13488, Korea
| | - Yeon Sun Kim
- Department of Biomedical Science, CHA University, Seongnam, Gyeonggi, 13488, Korea
| | - Hye-Ryun Kim
- Department of Biomedical Science, CHA University, Seongnam, Gyeonggi, 13488, Korea
| | - Haengseok Song
- Department of Biomedical Science, CHA University, Seongnam, Gyeonggi, 13488, Korea.
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8
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Emerging Roles of Endocannabinoids as Key Lipid Mediators for a Successful Pregnancy. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065220. [PMID: 36982295 PMCID: PMC10048990 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, Cannabis use/misuse for treating pregnancy-related symptoms and other chronic conditions has increased among pregnant women, favored by decriminalization and/or legalization of its recreational uses in addition to its easy accessibility. However, there is evidence that prenatal Cannabis exposure might have adverse consequences on pregnancy progression and a deleterious impact on proper neurodevelopmental trajectories in the offspring. Maternal Cannabis use could interfere with the complex and finely controlled role performed by the endocannabinoid system in reproductive physiology, impairing multiple gestational processes from blastocyst implantation to parturition, with long-lasting intergenerational effects. In this review, we discuss current clinical and preclinical evidence regarding the role of endocannabinoids in development, function, and immunity of the maternal–fetal interface, focusing on the impact of Cannabis constituents on each of these gestational processes. We also discuss the intrinsic limitations of the available studies and the future perspectives in this challenging research field.
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9
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Wang S, Larina IV. Dynamics of gametes and embryos in the oviduct: what can in vivo imaging reveal? Reproduction 2023; 165:R25-R37. [PMID: 36318634 PMCID: PMC9827618 DOI: 10.1530/rep-22-0250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
In brief In vivo imaging of gametes and embryos in the oviduct enables new studies of the native processes that lead to fertilization and pregnancy. This review article discusses recent advancements in the in vivo imaging methods and insights which contribute to understanding the oviductal function. Abstract Understanding the physiological dynamics of gametes and embryos in the fallopian tube (oviduct) has significant implications for managing reproductive disorders and improving assisted reproductive technologies. Recent advancements in imaging of the mouse oviduct in vivo uncovered fascinating dynamics of gametes and embryos in their native states. These new imaging approaches and observations are bringing exciting momentum to uncover the otherwise-hidden processes orchestrating fertilization and pregnancy. For mechanistic investigations, in vivo imaging in genetic mouse models enables dynamic phenotyping of gene functions in the reproductive process. Here, we review these imaging methods, discuss insights recently revealed by in vivo imaging, and comment on emerging directions, aiming to stimulate new in vivo studies of reproductive dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shang Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, New Jersey 07030, U.S.A
| | - Irina V. Larina
- Department of Integrative Physiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, U.S.A
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10
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Matsuo I, Kimura-Yoshida C, Ueda Y. Developmental and mechanical roles of Reichert's membrane in mouse embryos. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210257. [PMID: 36252218 PMCID: PMC9574627 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Embryonic development and growth in placental mammals proceeds in utero with the support of exchanges of gases, nutrients and waste products between maternal tissues and offspring. Murine embryos are surrounded by several extraembryonic membranes, parietal and visceral yolk sacs, and amnion in the uterus. Notably, the parietal yolk sac is the most outer membrane, consists of three layers, trophoblasts and parietal endoderm (PaE) cells, and is separated by a thick basal lamina termed Reichert's membrane (RM). RM is composed of extracellular matrix (ECM) initially formed as the basement membrane of the trophectoderm of pre-implanted embryos and followed by the heavy deposition of ECM mainly produced in PaE cells of post-implanted embryos. In addition to the physiological roles of RM, such as gas and nutrient exchange, it also plays a crucial role in cushioning and dispersing intrauterine pressures exerted on embryos for normal egg-cylinder morphogenesis. Mechanistically, such intrauterine pressures generated by uterine smooth muscle contractions appear to be involved in the elongation of the egg-cylinder shape, along with primary axis formation, as an important biomechanical element in utero. This review focuses on our current views of the roles of RM in properly buffering intrauterine mechanical forces for mouse egg-cylinder morphogenesis. This article is part of the theme issue 'Extraembryonic tissues: exploring concepts, definitions and functions across the animal kingdom'.
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Grants
- Takeda Science Foundation
- a grant-in-aid for challenging Research(Exploratory)from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, Japan
- from the Ministry a grant-in-aid for Scientific Research (C) of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, Japan
- a grant-in-aid for Transformative Research Areas (A)from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, Japan
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Affiliation(s)
- Isao Matsuo
- Department of Molecular Embryology, Research Institute, Osaka Women's and Children's Hospital, Osaka Prefectural Hospital Organization, 840, Murodo-cho, Izumi, Osaka 594-1101, Japan
| | - Chiharu Kimura-Yoshida
- Department of Molecular Embryology, Research Institute, Osaka Women's and Children's Hospital, Osaka Prefectural Hospital Organization, 840, Murodo-cho, Izumi, Osaka 594-1101, Japan
| | - Yoko Ueda
- Department of Molecular Embryology, Research Institute, Osaka Women's and Children's Hospital, Osaka Prefectural Hospital Organization, 840, Murodo-cho, Izumi, Osaka 594-1101, Japan
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11
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Przybycień P, Gąsior-Perczak D, Placha W. Cannabinoids and PPAR Ligands: The Future in Treatment of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Women with Obesity and Reduced Fertility. Cells 2022; 11:cells11162569. [PMID: 36010645 PMCID: PMC9406585 DOI: 10.3390/cells11162569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2022] [Revised: 08/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cannabinoids (CBs) are used to treat chronic pain, chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, and multiple sclerosis spasticity. Recently, the medicinal use of CBs has attracted increasing interest as a new therapeutic in many diseases. Data indicate a correlation between CBs and PPARs via diverse mechanisms. Both the endocannabinoid system (ECS) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) may play a significant role in PCOS and PCOS related disorders, especially in disturbances of glucose-lipid metabolism as well as in obesity and fertility. Taking into consideration the ubiquity of PCOS in the human population, it seems indispensable to search for new potential therapeutic targets for this condition. The aim of this review is to examine the relationship between metabolic disturbances and obesity in PCOS pathology. We discuss current and future therapeutic interventions for PCOS and related disorders, with emphasis on the metabolic pathways related to PCOS pathophysiology. The link between the ECS and PPARs is a promising new target for PCOS, and we examine this relationship in depth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Przybycień
- Chair of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 31-034 Krakow, Poland
- Endocrinology Clinic, Holycross Cancer Centre, 25-734 Kielce, Poland
| | - Danuta Gąsior-Perczak
- Endocrinology Clinic, Holycross Cancer Centre, 25-734 Kielce, Poland
- Collegium Medicum, Jan Kochanowski University, 25-317 Kielce, Poland
| | - Wojciech Placha
- Chair of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 31-034 Krakow, Poland
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +48-12-422-74-00
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12
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Bortoletto P, Prabhu M. Impact of Tobacco and Marijuana on Infertility and Early Reproductive Wastage. Clin Obstet Gynecol 2022; 65:360-375. [PMID: 35125388 DOI: 10.1097/grf.0000000000000689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Reducing exposure to tobacco and marijuana during preconception and early pregnancy is a critical area of intervention for obstetricians, gynecologists, and other reproductive health care professionals. Beyond the deleterious personal health effects, both substances have been extensively associated with short-term and long-term detrimental effects to gametogenesis, fecundity, as well as tissue level effects in the reproductive tracts. When tobacco and marijuana do not impair the ability to achieve pregnancy, an increasing body of literature suggests either may be associated with increased risk of early pregnancy loss and reproductive wastage. In this review, we will discuss what is known about how tobacco and marijuana affect the male and female reproductive systems and highlight how these consequences may impair attempts at successful conception and pregnancy continuation beyond the first trimester.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pietro Bortoletto
- Ronald O. Perelman and Claudia Cohen Center for Reproductive Medicine
| | - Malavika Prabhu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York
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13
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Załęcka J, Pankiewicz K, Issat T, Laudański P. Molecular Mechanisms Underlying the Association between Endometriosis and Ectopic Pregnancy. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23073490. [PMID: 35408850 PMCID: PMC8998627 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23073490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 03/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Endometriosis is a common inflammatory disease characterized by the presence of endometrial cells outside the uterine cavity. It is estimated that it affects 10% of women of reproductive age. Its pathogenesis covers a wide range of abnormalities, including adhesion, proliferation, and cell signaling disturbances. It is associated with a significant deterioration in quality of life as a result of chronic pelvic pain and may also lead to infertility. One of the most serious complications of endometriosis is an ectopic pregnancy (EP). Currently, the exact mechanism explaining this phenomenon is unknown; therefore, there are no effective methods of prevention. It is assumed that the pathogenesis of EP is influenced by abnormalities in the contraction of the fallopian tube muscles, the mobility of the cilia, and in the fallopian microenvironment. Endometriosis can disrupt function on all three levels and thus contribute to the implantation of the embryo beyond the physiological site. This review takes into account aspects of the molecular mechanisms involved in the pathophysiology of endometriosis and EP, with particular emphasis on the similarities between them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Załęcka
- 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Warsaw, Starynkiewicza 1/3, 02-015 Warsaw, Poland;
| | - Katarzyna Pankiewicz
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute of Mother and Child in Warsaw, Kasprzaka 17a, 01-211 Warsaw, Poland; (K.P.); (T.I.)
| | - Tadeusz Issat
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute of Mother and Child in Warsaw, Kasprzaka 17a, 01-211 Warsaw, Poland; (K.P.); (T.I.)
| | - Piotr Laudański
- 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Warsaw, Starynkiewicza 1/3, 02-015 Warsaw, Poland;
- OVIklinika Infertility Center, Połczyńska 31, 01-377 Warsaw, Poland
- Correspondence:
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14
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Almeida MM, Dias-Rocha CP, Calviño C, Trevenzoli IH. Lipid endocannabinoids in energy metabolism, stress and developmental programming. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2022; 542:111522. [PMID: 34843899 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2021.111522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) regulates brain development and function, energy metabolism and stress in a sex-, age- and tissue-dependent manner. The ECS comprises mainly the bioactive lipid ligands anandamide (AEA) and 2-aracdonoylglycerol (2-AG), cannabinoid receptors 1 and 2 (CB1 and CB2), and several metabolizing enzymes. The endocannabinoid tonus is increased in obesity, stimulating food intake and a preference for fat, reward, and lipid accumulation in peripheral tissues, as well as favoring a positive energy balance. Energy balance and stress responses share adaptive mechanisms regulated by the ECS that seem to underlie the complex relationship between feeding and emotional behavior. The ECS is also a key regulator of development. Environmental insults (diet, toxicants, and stress) in critical periods of developmental plasticity, such as gestation, lactation and adolescence, alter the ECS and may predispose individuals to the development of chronic diseases and behavioral changes in the long term. This review is focused on the ECS and the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD).
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Macedo Almeida
- Carlos Chagas Filho Biophysics Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | | | - Camila Calviño
- Carlos Chagas Filho Biophysics Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Isis Hara Trevenzoli
- Carlos Chagas Filho Biophysics Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
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15
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Ye Q, Zeng X, Cai S, Qiao S, Zeng X. Mechanisms of lipid metabolism in uterine receptivity and embryo development. Trends Endocrinol Metab 2021; 32:1015-1030. [PMID: 34625374 DOI: 10.1016/j.tem.2021.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Metabolic regulation plays important roles in embryo development and uterine receptivity during early pregnancy, ultimately influencing pregnancy efficiency in mammals. The important roles of lipid metabolism during early pregnancy have not been fully understood. Here, we described the regulatory roles of phospholipid, sphingolipid, and cholesterol metabolism on early embryo development, implantation, and uterine receptivity through production of cannabinoids, prostaglandins, lysophosphatidic acid, sphingosine-1-phosphate, and steroid hormones. Moreover, the impacts of lipids and fatty acids on embryo development potential and the related epigenetic modifications are also discussed. This review aims to elucidate the modulations of lipid metabolism on uterine receptivity and embryo development, contributing to novel strategies to establish dietary balanced lipids and fatty acids for reducing early embryo loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianhong Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Ministry of Agriculture Feed Industry Center, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, P. R. China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Biofeed Additives, Beijing 100193, P. R. China
| | - Xiangzhou Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Ministry of Agriculture Feed Industry Center, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, P. R. China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Biofeed Additives, Beijing 100193, P. R. China
| | - Shuang Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Ministry of Agriculture Feed Industry Center, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, P. R. China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Biofeed Additives, Beijing 100193, P. R. China
| | - Shiyan Qiao
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Ministry of Agriculture Feed Industry Center, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, P. R. China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Biofeed Additives, Beijing 100193, P. R. China
| | - Xiangfang Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Ministry of Agriculture Feed Industry Center, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, P. R. China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Biofeed Additives, Beijing 100193, P. R. China.
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16
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Bariani MV, Correa F, Rubio APD, Wolfson ML, Schander JA, Cella M, Aisemberg J, Franchi AM. Maternal obesity reverses the resistance to LPS-induced adverse pregnancy outcome and increases female offspring metabolic alterations in cannabinoid receptor 1 knockout mice. J Nutr Biochem 2021; 96:108805. [PMID: 34147601 DOI: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2021.108805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2020] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Maternal overnutrition negatively impacts the offspring's health leading to an increased risk of developing chronic diseases or metabolic syndrome in adulthood. What we eat affects the endocannabinoid system (eCS) activity, which in turn modulates lipogenesis and fatty acids utilization in hepatic, muscle, and adipose tissues. This study aimed to evaluate the transgenerational effect of maternal obesity on cannabinoid receptor 1 knock-out (CB1 KO) animals in combination with a postnatal obesogenic diet on the development of metabolic disturbances on their offspring. CB1 KO mice were fed a control diet (CD) or a high-fat diet (HFD; 33% more energy from fat) for 3 months. Offspring born to control and obese mothers were also fed with CD or HFD. We observed that pups born to an HFD-fed mother presented higher postnatal weight, lower hepatic fatty acid amide hydrolase activity, and increased blood cholesterol levels when compared to the offspring born to CD-fed mothers. When female mice born to HFD-fed CB1 KO mothers were exposed to an HFD, they gained more weight, presented elevated blood cholesterol levels, and more abdominal adipose tissue accumulation than control-fed adult offspring. The eCS is involved in several reproductive physiological processes. Interestingly, we showed that CB1 KO mice in gestational day 15 presented resistance to LPS-induced deleterious effects on pregnancy outcome, which was overcome when these mice were obese. Our results suggest that an HFD in CB1 receptor-deficient mice contributes to a "nutritional programming" of the offspring resulting in increased susceptibility to metabolic challenges both perinatally and during adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Victoria Bariani
- Laboratorio de Fisiología de la Preñez y el Parto, Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos (CEFyBO-UBA/CONICET). Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Fernando Correa
- Laboratorio de Fisiología de la Preñez y el Parto, Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos (CEFyBO-UBA/CONICET). Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ana Paula Domínguez Rubio
- Departamento de Química Biológica. Intendente Güiraldes, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto de Química Biológica. Intendente Güiraldes, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Manuel Luis Wolfson
- Laboratorio de Fisiología de la Preñez y el Parto, Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos (CEFyBO-UBA/CONICET). Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Julieta Aylen Schander
- Laboratorio de Fisiología de la Preñez y el Parto, Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos (CEFyBO-UBA/CONICET). Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Maximiliano Cella
- Laboratorio de Fisiología de la Preñez y el Parto, Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos (CEFyBO-UBA/CONICET). Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Julieta Aisemberg
- Laboratorio de Fisiología de la Preñez y el Parto, Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos (CEFyBO-UBA/CONICET). Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Ana María Franchi
- Laboratorio de Fisiología de la Preñez y el Parto, Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos (CEFyBO-UBA/CONICET). Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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17
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Barry JM, Birnbaum AK, Jasin LR, Sherwin CM. Maternal Exposure and Neonatal Effects of Drugs of Abuse. J Clin Pharmacol 2021; 61 Suppl 2:S142-S155. [PMID: 34396555 DOI: 10.1002/jcph.1928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The public health crisis of pregnant women being exposed to drugs of abuse and of its impact on their unborn children continues to grow at an alarming rate globally. The state of pregnancy is unique, with physiological changes that can lead to changes in the way drugs are handled by the body in both pharmacokinetics and response. These changes place the pregnant woman, fetus, and newborn infant at risk, as many of these drugs can cross the placenta and into breast milk. The substances most commonly linked to harmful effects include alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, stimulants, and opioids. The pharmacological and toxicological changes caused by in utero exposure or breastfeeding exposure are difficult to study, and the full extent of the mechanisms involved are not fully understood. However, these changes can significantly affect the risks of substance abuse and influence optimal treatment of pregnant women with a substance use disorder. In addition, newborns who were exposed to drugs of abuse in utero can experience withdrawal syndromes. Pharmacological management in infants is used to guide and treat withdrawal symptoms, with the goal being to improve the infant's sleep, eating, and comfort. Several barriers may prevent pregnant women from seeking help for substance use, including stigma and interactions with the legal system. Understanding changes in pharmacology, including pharmacokinetic changes that happen during pregnancy, is essential for anticipating the extent of maternal exposure and neonatal adverse effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica M Barry
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Angela K Birnbaum
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Lisa R Jasin
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Dayton Children's Hospital, Dayton, Ohio, USA
| | - Catherine M Sherwin
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Wright State University, Boonshoft School of Medicine, Dayton Children's Hospital, Dayton, Ohio, USA
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18
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Corsi DJ, Murphy MS, Cook J. The Effects of Cannabis on Female Reproductive Health Across the Life Course. Cannabis Cannabinoid Res 2021; 6:275-287. [PMID: 33998877 PMCID: PMC8380785 DOI: 10.1089/can.2020.0065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Cannabis is commonly used for its medicinal and therapeutic benefits and is also widely used as a recreational drug. Cannabis use has been increasing in Canada, including among Canadian women of reproductive age. Post-legalization, further increases in cannabis use are expected due to increased availability and lowered perceptions of harm. Although cannabinoids are well known for their effects on the central and peripheral nervous systems, endocannabinoid receptors have also been characterized throughout the female reproductive tract. Cannabinoids may affect many aspects of female reproductive health, including fertility, pregnancy outcomes with neonatal implications, and menopause. Purpose: To provide a comprehensive review of trends in cannabis use among women and review the impact of cannabis across the female reproductive lifespan. Methods: We searched PubMed and Cochrane Library databases using keywords and MeSH terms. Included studies reported the potential impact of cannabinoids on female fertility, pregnancy, transmission to breast milk, neonatal outcomes, and menopause. Results: The existing literature is primarily concentrated on the effect of cannabis use in pregnancy and breastfeeding, with little exploration of its impact on fertility and in later life. Studies are limited in number, with small sample sizes, and are hampered by methodological challenges related to confounding and other potential biases. Conclusions: There remain critical gaps in the literature about the potential risks of cannabis use, particularly in vulnerable populations, including pregnant women, women who are breastfeeding, and their infants. Given the rise in the prevalence of cannabis use, new, robust investigations into the consequences of cannabis exposure on female reproductive health are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J. Corsi
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada
- Better Outcomes Registry & Network (BORN) Ontario, Ottawa, Canada
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Malia S.Q. Murphy
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Jocelynn Cook
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
- Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada, Ottawa, Canada
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19
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Wang S, Larina IV. In vivo dynamic 3D imaging of oocytes and embryos in the mouse oviduct. Cell Rep 2021; 36:109382. [PMID: 34260920 PMCID: PMC8344084 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Revised: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Developmental biologists have always relied on imaging to shed light on dynamic cellular events. However, processes such as mammalian fertilization and embryogenesis are generally inaccessible for direct imaging. In consequence, how the oviduct (fallopian tube) facilitates the transport of gametes and preimplantation embryos continues to be unanswered. Here we present a combination of intravital window and optical coherence tomography for dynamic, volumetric, in vivo imaging of oocytes and embryos as they are transported through the mouse oviduct. We observed location-dependent circling, oscillating, and long-distance bi-directional movements of oocytes and embryos that suggest regulatory mechanisms driving transport and question established views in the field. This in vivo imaging approach can be combined with a variety of genetic and pharmacological manipulations for live functional analysis, bringing the potential to investigate reproductive physiology in its native state. Wang and Larina present in vivo volumetric imaging of oocytes and embryos as they are transported through the mouse oviduct with optical coherence tomography and an intravital microscopy. The study reveals complex dynamics of oocytes and embryos that suggest a regulatory role of cilia and oviductal contractions in driving the transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shang Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ 07030, USA.
| | - Irina V Larina
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
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20
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Progesterone receptor isoform B regulates the Oxtr- Plcl2- Trpc3 pathway to suppress uterine contractility. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2011643118. [PMID: 33707208 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2011643118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Uterine contractile dysfunction leads to pregnancy complications such as preterm birth and labor dystocia. In humans, it is hypothesized that progesterone receptor isoform PGR-B promotes a relaxed state of the myometrium, and PGR-A facilitates uterine contraction. This hypothesis was tested in vivo using transgenic mouse models that overexpress PGR-A or PGR-B in smooth muscle cells. Elevated PGR-B abundance results in a marked increase in gestational length compared to control mice (21.1 versus 19.1 d respectively, P < 0.05). In both ex vivo and in vivo experiments, PGR-B overexpression leads to prolonged labor, a significant decrease in uterine contractility, and a high incidence of labor dystocia. Conversely, PGR-A overexpression leads to an increase in uterine contractility without a change in gestational length. Uterine RNA sequencing at midpregnancy identified 1,174 isoform-specific downstream targets and 424 genes that are commonly regulated by both PGR isoforms. Gene signature analyses further reveal PGR-B for muscle relaxation and PGR-A being proinflammatory. Elevated PGR-B abundance reduces Oxtr and Trpc3 and increases Plcl2 expression, which manifests a genetic profile of compromised oxytocin signaling. Functionally, both endogenous PLCL2 and its paralog PLCL1 can attenuate uterine muscle cell contraction in a CRISPRa-based assay system. These findings provide in vivo support that PGR isoform levels determine distinct transcriptomic landscapes and pathways in myometrial function and labor, which may help further the understanding of abnormal uterine function in the clinical setting.
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21
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Bianchi E, Sun Y, Almansa-Ordonez A, Woods M, Goulding D, Martinez-Martin N, Wright GJ. Control of oviductal fluid flow by the G-protein coupled receptor Adgrd1 is essential for murine embryo transit. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1251. [PMID: 33623007 PMCID: PMC7902839 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21512-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Dysfunction of embryo transport causes ectopic pregnancy which affects approximately 2% of conceptions in the US and Europe, and is the most common cause of pregnancy-related death in the first trimester. Embryo transit involves a valve-like tubal-locking phenomenon that temporarily arrests oocytes at the ampullary-isthmic junction (AIJ) where fertilisation occurs, but the mechanisms involved are unknown. Here we show that female mice lacking the orphan adhesion G-protein coupled receptor Adgrd1 are sterile because they do not relieve the AIJ restraining mechanism, inappropriately retaining embryos within the oviduct. Adgrd1 is expressed on the oviductal epithelium and the post-ovulatory attenuation of tubal fluid flow is dysregulated in Adgrd1-deficient mice. Using a large-scale extracellular protein interaction screen, we identified Plxdc2 as an activating ligand for Adgrd1 displayed on cumulus cells. Our findings demonstrate that regulating oviductal fluid flow by Adgrd1 controls embryo transit and we present a model where embryo arrest at the AIJ is due to the balance of abovarial ciliary action and the force of adovarial tubal fluid flow, and in wild-type oviducts, fluid flow is gradually attenuated through Adgrd1 activation to enable embryo release. Our findings provide important insights into the molecular mechanisms involved in embryo transport in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrica Bianchi
- Cell Surface Signalling Laboratory, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | - Yi Sun
- Receptor Discovery Group, Microchemistry, Proteomics and Lipidomics Department, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | | | - Michael Woods
- Mouse Production Team, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | - David Goulding
- Electron and Advanced Light Microscopy Suite, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | - Nadia Martinez-Martin
- Receptor Discovery Group, Microchemistry, Proteomics and Lipidomics Department, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Gavin J Wright
- Cell Surface Signalling Laboratory, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK.
- Department of Biology, Hull York Medical School, York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, Wentworth Way, York, UK.
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22
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Taylor AH, Tortolani D, Ayakannu T, Konje JC, Maccarrone M. (Endo)Cannabinoids and Gynaecological Cancers. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 13:E37. [PMID: 33375539 PMCID: PMC7795647 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13010037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Gynaecological cancers can be primary neoplasms, originating either from the reproductive tract or the products of conception, or secondary neoplasms, representative of metastatic disease. For some of these cancers, the exact causes are unknown; however, it is recognised that the precise aetiopathogeneses for most are multifactorial and include exogenous (such as diet) and endogenous factors (such as genetic predisposition), which mutually interact in a complex manner. One factor that has been recognised to be involved in the pathogenesis and progression of gynaecological cancers is the endocannabinoid system (ECS). The ECS consists of endocannabinoids (bioactive lipids), their receptors, and metabolic enzymes responsible for their synthesis and degradation. In this review, the impact of plant-derived (Cannabis species) cannabinoids and endocannabinoids on gynaecological cancers will be discussed within the context of the complexity of the proteins that bind, transport, and metabolise these compounds in reproductive and other tissues. In particular, the potential of endocannabinoids, their receptors, and metabolic enzymes as biomarkers of specific cancers, such as those of the endometrium, will be addressed. Additionally, the therapeutic potential of targeting selected elements of the ECS as new action points for the development of innovative drugs will be presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony H. Taylor
- Endocannabinoid Research Group, Reproductive Sciences Section, Department of Cancer Studies and Molecular Medicine, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK; (A.H.T.); (T.A.)
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Daniel Tortolani
- European Centre for Brain Research, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00164 Rome, Italy;
| | - Thangesweran Ayakannu
- Endocannabinoid Research Group, Reproductive Sciences Section, Department of Cancer Studies and Molecular Medicine, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK; (A.H.T.); (T.A.)
- Gynaecology Oncology Cancer Centre, Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool Women’s Hospital, Liverpool L8 7SS, UK
- Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GB, UK
| | - Justin C. Konje
- Endocannabinoid Research Group, Reproductive Sciences Section, Department of Cancer Studies and Molecular Medicine, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK; (A.H.T.); (T.A.)
| | - Mauro Maccarrone
- European Centre for Brain Research, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00164 Rome, Italy;
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
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23
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Adrenomedullin insufficiency alters macrophage activities in fallopian tube: a pathophysiologic explanation of tubal ectopic pregnancy. Mucosal Immunol 2020; 13:743-752. [PMID: 32203061 DOI: 10.1038/s41385-020-0278-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Revised: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Ectopic pregnancy is the major cause of maternal morbidity and mortality in the first trimester of pregnancy. Tubal ectopic pregnancy (TEP) accounts for nearly 98% of all ectopic pregnancies. TEP is usually associated with salpingitis but the underlying mechanism in salpingitis leading to TEP remains unclear. Adrenomedullin (ADM) is a peptide hormone abundantly expressed in the fallopian tube with potent anti-inflammatory activities. Its expression peaks at the early luteal phase when the developing embryo is being transported through the fallopian tube. In the present study, we demonstrated reduced expression of ADM in fallopian tubes of patients with salpingitis and TEP. Using macrophages isolated from the fallopian tubes of these women, our data revealed that the salpingistis-associated ADM reduction contributed to aggravated pro-inflammatory responses of the tubal macrophages resulting in production of pro-inflammatory and pro-implantation cytokines IL-6 and IL-8. These cytokines activated the expression of implantation-associated molecules and Wnt signaling pathway predisposing the tubal epithelium to an adhesive and receptive state for embryo implantation. In conclusion, this study provided evidence for the role of ADM in the pathogenesis of TEP through regulating the functions of tubal macrophages.
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24
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Castel P, Barbier M, Poumerol E, Mandon-Pépin B, Tassistro V, Lepidi H, Pelissier-Alicot AL, Manzoni OJ, Courbiere B. Prenatal cannabinoid exposure alters the ovarian reserve in adult offspring of rats. Arch Toxicol 2020; 94:4131-4141. [PMID: 32833042 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-020-02877-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
In animals, research in the past two decades has demonstrated the strong involvement of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) in numerous steps of the reproductive process, including ovarian physiology. Reproductive lifespan is closely related to the number of nongrowing ovarian follicles, called ovarian reserve (OR), which is definitively established during foetal life. Thus, OR damage may lead to poor reproductive outcomes and a shortened reproductive lifespan. We investigated whether prenatal ECS modulation had an effect on the OR at different ages in the rat offspring. Four groups of gestating female rats (F0) were exposed to the CB1-/CB2-receptor agonist WIN55212 (0.5 mg/kg), the CB1R inverse agonist SR141716 (3 mg/kg) or Δ9THC (5 mg/kg) and were compared to negative control groups. OR was histologically assessed at different postnatal timepoints (F1 individuals): postnatal day (PND) 6, PND40 and PND90. At PND6, prenatal exposure had no effect on OR. In the young adult group (PND90) exposed during gestation to WIN55212, we observed a CB1R-mediated delayed OR decrease, which was reversed by prenatal CB1R blockade by SR141716. Conversely, after prenatal SR141716 exposure, we observed higher OR counts at PND90. RT-PCR experiments also showed that prenatal ECS modulation perturbed the mRNA levels of ECS enzymes and OR regulation genes. Our findings support the role of the ECS in OR regulation during the foetal life of rats and highlight the need for further studies to elucidate its precise role in OR physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Castel
- Aix Marseille Univ, Avignon Université, CNRS, IRD, IMBE, Marseille, France. .,Aix Marseille Univ, IMBE, CHU Conception, Service de Gynécologie-Obstétrique, Marseille, France.
| | - Magalie Barbier
- Aix Marseille Univ, Avignon Université, CNRS, IRD, IMBE, Marseille, France
| | - Elodie Poumerol
- UMR BDR, INRA, ENVA, Université Paris Saclay, Jouy-en-Josas, 78350, France
| | | | - Virginie Tassistro
- Aix Marseille Univ, Avignon Université, CNRS, IRD, IMBE, Marseille, France
| | - Hubert Lepidi
- Aix Marseille Univ, APHM, Laboratoire d'anatomie pathologique, Marseille, France
| | - Anne-Laure Pelissier-Alicot
- INMED, INSERM U1249, Marseille, France.,Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France.,Cannalab Cannabinoids Neuroscience Research International Associated Laboratory, INSERM-Aix-Marseille University/Indiana University, Marseille, France.,Aix Marseille Univ, APHM, CHU Timone, Service de Medecine Legale, Marseille, France
| | - Olivier J Manzoni
- INMED, INSERM U1249, Marseille, France.,Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France.,Cannalab Cannabinoids Neuroscience Research International Associated Laboratory, INSERM-Aix-Marseille University/Indiana University, Marseille, France
| | - Blandine Courbiere
- Aix Marseille Univ, Avignon Université, CNRS, IRD, IMBE, Marseille, France.,Aix Marseille Univ, IMBE, CHU Conception, Service de Gynécologie-Obstétrique, Marseille, France
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Maia J, Fonseca BM, Cunha SC, Braga J, Gonçalves D, Teixeira N, Correia-da-Silva G. Impact of tetrahydrocannabinol on the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol metabolism: ABHD6 and ABHD12 as novel players in human placenta. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Biol Lipids 2020; 1865:158807. [PMID: 32829065 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbalip.2020.158807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Revised: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Cannabis use has been increasing worldwide for recreational and medical purposes. Consumption by pregnant women is associated with disturbances in pregnancy outcome, such as low birth weight, prematurity and intrauterine growth retardation, though the underlying biochemical mechanisms are unknown. The endocannabinoid system is involved in several reproductive events and the disruption of its homeostasis by ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive cannabinoid, may lead to a negative gestational outcome. In human placenta, THC impairs the levels of the endocannabinoid anandamide (AEA). The other major endocannabinoid, 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) also plays an important role on proper placentation and pregnancy success. However, THC impact on 2-AG homeostasis has never been addressed. Hence, the effects of THC in 2-AG levels and metabolic enzymes expression were explored. Long-term treatment impairs the expression of the main 2-AG synthetic and degradative enzymes. Curiously, with the highest concentration, despite the maintenance of diacylglycerol lipase alpha (DAGLα) and the decrease in monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) expression, 2-AG levels remain constant. Given the endocannabinoid signalling local tight regulation, we hypothesize the involvement of other 2-AG degradative enzymes. Indeed, THC increases the expression of the hydrolyzing enzymes alpha beta hydrolase domain-6 (ABHD6) and -12 (ABHD12), that we firstly describe in human placental tissues. The results show that THC, depending on time of exposure, induces alterations in 2-AG metabolic enzymes expression in placental explants, highlighting the importance of 2-AG regulation and endocannabinoid signalling in placental development. Alterations in this homeostasis may explain the negative pregnancy outcome related to cannabis consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Maia
- UCIBIO, REQUIMTE, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Bioquímica, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Bruno M Fonseca
- UCIBIO, REQUIMTE, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Bioquímica, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Sara C Cunha
- LAQV, REQUIMTE, Departamento de Ciências Químicas, Laboratório de Bromatologia e Hidrologia, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Jorge Braga
- Departamento da Mulher e da Medicina Reprodutiva, Serviço de Obstetrícia, Centro Materno-Infantil do Norte-Centro Hospitalar do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Daniela Gonçalves
- Departamento da Mulher e da Medicina Reprodutiva, Serviço de Obstetrícia, Centro Materno-Infantil do Norte-Centro Hospitalar do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Natércia Teixeira
- UCIBIO, REQUIMTE, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Bioquímica, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Georgina Correia-da-Silva
- UCIBIO, REQUIMTE, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Bioquímica, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.
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Maia J, Fonseca BM, Teixeira N, Correia-da-Silva G. The fundamental role of the endocannabinoid system in endometrium and placenta: implications in pathophysiological aspects of uterine and pregnancy disorders. Hum Reprod Update 2020; 26:586-602. [PMID: 32347309 PMCID: PMC7317288 DOI: 10.1093/humupd/dmaa005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2019] [Revised: 01/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The endocannabinoid system (ECS) consists of the cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2, the main endocannabinoids anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) and their metabolic enzymes N-acylphosphatidylethanolamine-specific phospholipase D, fatty acid amide hydrolase, diacylglycerol lipase and monoacylglycerol lipase. This system is involved in the modulation of essential physiological processes. Its role in the reproductive system has become significantly important in recent years, given its major role in events such as gametogenesis, decidualisation, implantation and placentation. OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE In this paper, we review the literature and summarize the role of the ECS elements in reproduction and their potential as early markers for diagnosis of reproductive disorders or as pharmacological targets for treatment. SEARCH METHODS Original research and review papers published from 1964 to June 2019 were selected in terms of relevance, reliability and quality by searching PubMed, MEDLINE and Web of Science, using the following search terms: endocannabinoid system and endometriosis; endocannabinoid system and ectopic pregnancy; endocannabinoid system and miscarriage; endocannabinoid system and pre-eclampsia; endocannabinoid system and endometrial cancer; endocannabinoid system and reproduction; endocannabinoid, endometrium; placenta; N-acylethanolamines; anandamide; 2-arachidonoylglycerol; and cannabinoids. OUTCOMES This review demonstrates relevant information concerning ECS alterations in endometriosis, ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, pre-eclampsia and endometrial cancer. We highlight the importance of the endocannabinoids in endometrial and placental physiology and pathophysiology, from studies in vitro and in vivo and in clinical observations. The most studied of the endogenous cannabinoids is AEA. The levels of AEA were increased in plasma of patients with endometriosis and miscarriage, as well as in the fallopian tube of women with ectopic pregnancy and in endometrial biopsies of endometrial cancer. Changes in the pattern of expression of the cannabinoid receptor CB1 were also observed in endometrial biopsies of endometriosis, fallopian tube and decidua of patients with ectopic pregnancy and pre-eclamptic placenta. Moreover, alterations in CB2 expression have been reported in association with endometrial cancer. In general, studies on the cannabinoid signalling through CB2 and on the biological activities of the other major endocannabinoid, namely 2-AG, as well as its metabolic enzymes are scarce and avidly required. WIDER IMPLICATIONS The pathophysiological mechanisms involved in the described endometrial and placental pathologies are still unclear and lack the means for an early diagnosis. Based on current evidence, though alterations in ECS are demonstrated at tissue level, it is difficult to associate plasmatic changes in AEA with specific endometrial and placental diseases. Thus, pairing alterations in AEA levels with 2-AG and/or other endocannabinoid-like molecules may provide more accurate and early diagnoses. In addition, patients may benefit from new therapies that target the ECS and endocannabinoid signalling.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Maia
- UCIBIO, REQUIMTE, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Bioquímica, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - BM Fonseca
- UCIBIO, REQUIMTE, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Bioquímica, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - N Teixeira
- UCIBIO, REQUIMTE, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Bioquímica, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - G Correia-da-Silva
- UCIBIO, REQUIMTE, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Bioquímica, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
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Delta-9 THC can be detected and quantified in the semen of men who are chronic users of inhaled cannabis. J Assist Reprod Genet 2020; 37:1497-1504. [PMID: 32356125 PMCID: PMC7311607 DOI: 10.1007/s10815-020-01762-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of this proof-of-concept study was to determine whether delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and THC metabolites (11-OH THC and THC-COOH) can be detected in semen. METHODS Twelve healthy men aged 18-45 years who identified as chronic and heavy users of inhaled cannabis were recruited. THC and THC metabolite levels were measured in serum, urine, and semen of the participants. Semen analyses were performed. Serum reproductive hormones were measured. RESULTS The median age and BMI of participants were 27.0 years and 24.7 kg/m2, respectively. Over half the participants were daily users of cannabis for over 5 years. Serum reproductive hormones were generally within normal ranges, except prolactin, which was elevated in 6 of 12 participants (mean 13.9 ng/mL). The median sperm concentration, motility, and morphology were 75.5 million/mL, 69.5%, and 5.5%, respectively. Urinary THC-COOH was detected in all 12 participants, and at least one serum THC metabolite was present in 10 of 12 participants. Two semen samples had insufficient volume to be analyzed. THC was above the reporting level of 0.50 ng/mL in the semen of two of the remaining participants. Seminal THC was moderately correlated with serum levels of THC (r = 0.66), serum 11-OH THC (r = 0.57), and serum THC-COOH (r = 0.67). Seminal delta-9 THC was not correlated with urinary cannabinoid levels or semen analysis parameters. CONCLUSION This is the first study to identify and quantify THC in human semen, demonstrating that THC can cross the blood-testis barrier in certain individuals. Seminal THC was found to be moderately correlated with serum THC and THC metabolites.
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Totorikaguena L, Olabarrieta E, Lolicato F, Romero‐Aguirregomezcorta J, Smitz J, Agirregoitia N, Agirregoitia E. The endocannabinoid system modulates the ovarian physiology and its activation can improve in vitro oocyte maturation. J Cell Physiol 2020; 235:7580-7591. [DOI: 10.1002/jcp.29663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 02/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Lide Totorikaguena
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and NursingUPV/EHU Leioa Bizkaia Spain
| | - Estibaliz Olabarrieta
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and NursingUPV/EHU Leioa Bizkaia Spain
| | | | | | - Johan Smitz
- Laboratory of Follicular Biology (FOBI), UZ Brussel Brussels Belgium
| | - Naiara Agirregoitia
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and NursingUPV/EHU Leioa Bizkaia Spain
| | - Ekaitz Agirregoitia
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and NursingUPV/EHU Leioa Bizkaia Spain
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The Expression of ERK1/2 in Female Yak ( Bos grunniens) Reproductive Organs. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10020334. [PMID: 32093255 PMCID: PMC7070411 DOI: 10.3390/ani10020334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 02/15/2020] [Accepted: 02/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The main reproductive organs undergo different histological appearances and physiological processes under different reproductive statuses. The variation of these organs depends on a delicate regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Extracellular signal-regulated kinases1/2 (ERK1/2) are members of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) super family. They have important roles in regulating various biological processes of different cells, tissues, and organ types. Activated ERK1/2 generally promotes cell survival, but under certain conditions, ERK1/2 also have the function of inducing apoptosis. It is widely believed that ERK1/2 play a significant role in regulating the reproductive processes of mammals. The goal of our research is to investigate the expression and distribution of ERK1/2 in the yak's main reproductive organs during different stages. In the present study, samples of the ovary, oviduct, and uterus of 15 adult female yak were collected and used in the experiment. The ERK1/2 proteins, localization, and quantitative expression of their mRNA were investigated using immunohistochemistry (IHC), western blot (WB) and relative quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The results indicated that ERK1/2 proteins and their mRNA were highly expressed in the ovary of the luteal phase and gestation period, in the oviduct of the luteal phase, and in the uterus of the luteal phase and gestation period. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed a strong distribution of ERK1/2 proteins in follicular granulosa cells, granular luteal cells, villous epithelial cells of the oviduct, endometrial glandular epithelium, and luminal epithelium. These results demonstrated that the expression of ERK1 and ERK2 proteins and their mRNA in the yak's ovary, oviduct, and uterus varies with the stage of the reproductive cycle. The variation character of ERK1 and ERK 2 expression in the yak's main reproductive organs during different stages implies that they play an important role in regulating the reproductive function under different physiological statuses.
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Jordan T, Ngo B, Jones CA. The use of cannabis and perceptions of its effect on fertility among infertility patients. Hum Reprod Open 2020; 2020:hoz041. [PMID: 32072021 PMCID: PMC7016357 DOI: 10.1093/hropen/hoz041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2019] [Revised: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 11/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION What is the prevalence of cannabis use and the perceptions of its impact on fertility among infertility patients? SUMMARY ANSWER A total of 13% of infertility patients used cannabis within the last year, and current usage is associated with patient perceptions of negative effects of cannabis on fertility and pregnancy. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Cannabis use is increasing among the general population and pregnant women, particularly in places where cannabis use is legal despite having known and potential negative effects on fertility and pregnancy. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION A cross-sectional patient survey study was performed between July 2017 and September 2017. Patients attending a university-affiliated hospital-based fertility clinic (n = 290) were invited to complete a written survey. Inclusion criteria were limited to the ability to read English. There were no exclusion criteria. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Of the 290 patients approached, 270 (93%) agreed to participate. The questions covered demographics, cannabis usage, perceptions of the effect of cannabis on fertility and pregnancy, cessation of use due to infertility and personal history of disclosing cannabis use to healthcare providers (HCP). MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE The results showed that 13% of respondents disclosed use of cannabis in the past year (past year users) and 38% had not used cannabis in the past year but had previously used cannabis (>1 year users) while 49% had never used cannabis (never users). Baseline demographics were similar for the three groups, but across four measures of fertility and pregnancy health, past-year users perceived less of a negative effect compared to >1 year users, and never users (P values of 0.02, 0.03, 0.01, <0.001 for questions on pregnancy, offspring health, male fertility and female fertility, respectively). Of past year users, 72% said they had or would disclose use to their HCP, but only 9.4% reported that their HCP had actually instructed them to discontinue use. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION Self-reported patient surveys are subject to reporting bias and may not reflect actual use and perceptions. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS This study suggests that cannabis use is common among infertility patients. Given the known negative impacts of cannabis on pregnancy, the authors would have expected informed infertility patients to cease cannabis use as part of their efforts to conceive. As the prevalence of cannabis use in the last year among infertility patients is similar to that in the general Canadian population, it is unclear whether the prevalence of cannabis use in the sample population merely reflects the average usage in society or, after taking into account those who reduced their usage to improve their fertility, is a factor contributing to infertility and thus prompting fertility referral. Given concern about the potential negative impact of cannabis use on fertility, and that only 9% of past year users had been instructed by an HCP to cease cannabis use, HCPs should consider the benefits of counselling about cannabis cessation for patients who are attempting to conceive. Future research should focus on analysing the effects of cannabis use on female fertility and determining whether a reduction in use among patients with infertility can improve conception rates. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) Michelle Shin, Clinical Research Associate, is supported by the University of Toronto GREI Fellowship Fund, which is sponsored by unrestricted research grants from EMD Serono, Merck Canada and Ferring Pharmaceuticals. The authors have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Jordan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Toronto, 123 Edward Street, Suite 1200, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5G 1E2
| | - B Ngo
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Hepatology and Nutrition, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5G 1X8
| | - C A Jones
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Toronto, 123 Edward Street, Suite 1200, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5G 1E2.,Sinai Health System, Mount Sinai Fertility, 250 Dundas Street West, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5T 2Z5
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Castel P, Simon P, Barbier M, Sunyach C, Tassistro V, Manzoni O, Pelissier AL, Courbiere B. [Focus on the endocannabinoid system and the reprotoxicity of marijuana in female users]. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 48:384-392. [PMID: 32017991 DOI: 10.1016/j.gofs.2020.01.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Among recreative compounds, marijuana is the most used worldwide. Delta9THC binding on brain endocannabinoid receptors drives its psychotropic effects. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is an endogenous neurohormonal system essential for homeostasis composed of ligands, metabolic enzymes and at least 2 receptors discovered to date. In female reproduction, the ECS regulates the hypothalamic-pituitary axis and many steps of the reproduction process, such as ovulation, tubal transportation and trophoblast implantation. Delta9THC can cross the placental barrier and bind to the fetal endocannabinoid system. In humans, fetal and obstetrical consequences of marijuana use during pregnancy are intrauterine growth restriction and preterm delivery. In the light of legalization projects currently reviewed in several western countries, further research should be conducted to improve knowledge on maternal, fetal and reprotoxic consequences of marijuana use during reproductive age and pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Castel
- Aix-Marseille université, Avignon université, CNRS, IRD, IMBE, institut méditerranéen de biodiversité et d'écologie marine et continentale, équipe biomarqueurs, environnement et santé, site Timone, 27, boulevard Jean-Moulin, 13005 Marseille, France; Pôle femmes-parents-enfants, plateforme couple reproduction enfant : environnement & risques (CREER), hôpital de La Conception, hôpital Nord, AP-HM, Marseille, France.
| | - P Simon
- Pôle femmes-parents-enfants, plateforme couple reproduction enfant : environnement & risques (CREER), hôpital de La Conception, hôpital Nord, AP-HM, Marseille, France; Aix-Marseille université, Inserm, INMED, institut de neurobiologie de la méditerranée, 163, avenue de Luminy, 13009 Marseille, France
| | - M Barbier
- Aix-Marseille université, Avignon université, CNRS, IRD, IMBE, institut méditerranéen de biodiversité et d'écologie marine et continentale, équipe biomarqueurs, environnement et santé, site Timone, 27, boulevard Jean-Moulin, 13005 Marseille, France; Pôle femmes-parents-enfants, plateforme couple reproduction enfant : environnement & risques (CREER), hôpital de La Conception, hôpital Nord, AP-HM, Marseille, France
| | - C Sunyach
- Aix-Marseille université, Avignon université, CNRS, IRD, IMBE, institut méditerranéen de biodiversité et d'écologie marine et continentale, équipe biomarqueurs, environnement et santé, site Timone, 27, boulevard Jean-Moulin, 13005 Marseille, France; Pôle femmes-parents-enfants, plateforme couple reproduction enfant : environnement & risques (CREER), hôpital de La Conception, hôpital Nord, AP-HM, Marseille, France
| | - V Tassistro
- Aix-Marseille université, Avignon université, CNRS, IRD, IMBE, institut méditerranéen de biodiversité et d'écologie marine et continentale, équipe biomarqueurs, environnement et santé, site Timone, 27, boulevard Jean-Moulin, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - O Manzoni
- Aix-Marseille université, Inserm, INMED, institut de neurobiologie de la méditerranée, 163, avenue de Luminy, 13009 Marseille, France
| | - A-L Pelissier
- Aix-Marseille université, Inserm, INMED, institut de neurobiologie de la méditerranée, 163, avenue de Luminy, 13009 Marseille, France; Service de médecine légale, CHU Timone Adultes, AP-HM, Marseille, France
| | - B Courbiere
- Aix-Marseille université, Avignon université, CNRS, IRD, IMBE, institut méditerranéen de biodiversité et d'écologie marine et continentale, équipe biomarqueurs, environnement et santé, site Timone, 27, boulevard Jean-Moulin, 13005 Marseille, France; Pôle femmes-parents-enfants, plateforme couple reproduction enfant : environnement & risques (CREER), hôpital de La Conception, hôpital Nord, AP-HM, Marseille, France
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Qian J, Zhang Y, Qu Y, Zhang L, Shi J, Zhang X, Liu S, Kim BH, Hwang SJ, Zhou T, Chen Q, Ward SM, Duan E, Zhang Y. Caffeine consumption during early pregnancy impairs oviductal embryo transport, embryonic development and uterine receptivity in mice. Biol Reprod 2019; 99:1266-1275. [PMID: 29982366 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioy155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 07/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Caffeine consumption has been widely used as a central nervous system stimulant. Epidemiological studies, however, have suggested that maternal caffeine exposure during pregnancy is associated with increased abnormalities, including decreased fertility, delayed conception, early spontaneous abortions, and low birth weight. The mechanisms underlying the negative outcomes of caffeine consumption, particularly during early pregnancy, remain unclear. In present study, we found that pregnant mice treated with moderate (5 mg/kg) or high (30 mg/kg) dosage of caffeine (intraperitoneally or orally) during preimplantation resulted in retention of early embryos in the oviduct, defective embryonic development, and impaired embryo implantation. Transferring normal blastocysts into the uteri of caffeine-treated pseudopregnant females also showed abnormal embryo implantation, thus indicating impaired uterine receptivity by caffeine administration. The remaining embryos that managed to implant after caffeine treatment also showed increased embryo resorption rate and abnormal development at mid-term stage, and decreased weight at birth. In addition to a dose-dependent effect, significant variations between individual mice under the same caffeine dosage were also observed, suggesting different sensitivities to caffeine, similar to that observed in human populations. Collectively, our data revealed that caffeine exposure during early pregnancy impaired oviductal embryo transport, embryonic development, and uterine receptivity, which are responsible for abnormal implantation and pregnancy loss. The study raises the concern of caffeine consumption during early stages of pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Qian
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yunfang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, Reno, Nevada, USA.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yongcun Qu
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Liwen Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Junchao Shi
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, Reno, Nevada, USA
| | - Xudong Zhang
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, Reno, Nevada, USA
| | - Shichao Liu
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, Reno, Nevada, USA
| | - Bo Hyun Kim
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, Reno, Nevada, USA
| | - Sung Jin Hwang
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, Reno, Nevada, USA
| | - Tong Zhou
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, Reno, Nevada, USA
| | - Qi Chen
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, Reno, Nevada, USA
| | - Sean M Ward
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, Reno, Nevada, USA
| | - Enkui Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Wu J, Kong S, Guo C, Wang J, Lu J, Jiang R, Wang H. An exaggerated epinephrine-adrenergic receptor signaling impairs uterine decidualization in mice. Reprod Toxicol 2019; 90:109-117. [PMID: 31520687 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2019.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2019] [Revised: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Our understanding of the relationship between stress-derived epinephrine and early pregnancy failure remains incomplete. Here, we explored the effect of epinephrine exposure on early pregnancy and pseudopregnancy in mice. Increased expression of adrenergic receptors Adra1b, Adra2b and Adrb2 was observed during decidualization and post-implantation embryogenesis was delayed or survival impaired. Epinephrine treatment also impaired decidualization in both the gravid and pseudopregnant uterus, suggesting the effect on decidualization was independent of the conceptus. This included a suppression of endometrial stroma cell proliferation and of key decidualization regulators, including COX2, BMP2 and WNT4. Collectively, these data demonstrate that maternal epinephrine exposure during early pregnancy impairs uterine decidualization and embryo development, underlying early pregnancy failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinxiang Wu
- The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuangbo Kong
- Reproductive Medical Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, People's Republic of China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, People's Republic of China
| | - Chuanhui Guo
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianqi Wang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, People's Republic of China
| | - Jinhua Lu
- Reproductive Medical Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, People's Republic of China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, People's Republic of China
| | - Ruiwei Jiang
- Reproductive Medical Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, People's Republic of China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, People's Republic of China.
| | - Haibin Wang
- The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, People's Republic of China; Reproductive Medical Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, People's Republic of China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, People's Republic of China.
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Myosalpinx Contractions Are Essential for Egg Transport Along the Oviduct and Are Disrupted in Reproductive Tract Diseases. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2019; 1124:265-294. [DOI: 10.1007/978-981-13-5895-1_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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Luschnig P, Schicho R. Cannabinoids in Gynecological Diseases. Med Cannabis Cannabinoids 2019; 2:14-21. [PMID: 34676329 DOI: 10.1159/000499164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2018] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a multifunctional homeostatic system involved in many physiological and pathological conditions. The ligands of the ECS are the endo-cannabinoids, whose actions are mimicked by exogenous cannabinoids, such as phytocannabinoids and synthetic cannabinoids. Responses to the ligands of the ECS are mediated by numerous receptors like the classical cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2) as well as ECS-related receptors, e.g., G protein-coupled receptors 18 and 55 (GPR18 and GPR55), transient receptor potential ion channels, and nuclear peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors. The ECS regulates almost all levels of female reproduction, starting with oocyte production through to parturition. Dysregulation of the ECS is associated with the development of gynecological disorders from fertility disorders to cancer. Cannabinoids that act at the ECS as specific agonists or antagonists may potentially influence dysregulation and, therefore, represent new therapeutic options for the therapy of gynecological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Luschnig
- Division of Pharmacology, Otto Loewi Research Center, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Rudolf Schicho
- Division of Pharmacology, Otto Loewi Research Center, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
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Li Y, Bian F, Sun X, Dey SK. Mice Missing Cnr1 and Cnr2 Show Implantation Defects. Endocrinology 2019; 160:938-946. [PMID: 30776303 PMCID: PMC6435011 DOI: 10.1210/en.2019-00024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Cannabinoid/endocannabinoid signaling is primarily mediated by cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1; encoded by Cnr1) and/or type 2 (CB2; encoded by Cnr2). Here, we show that Cnr1-/-Cnr2-/- mice are subfertile as a result of compromised implantation. Upon implantation, the epithelium is smooth and adhered to the blastocyst trophectoderm within the implantation chamber (crypt) in wild-type mice, whereas the epithelium in Cnr1-/-Cnr2-/- mice is ruffled, which compromises appropriate blastocyst-uterine interactions. The suboptimal implantation leads to higher incidence of pregnancy failure in Cnr1-/-Cnr2-/- mice. Histological analysis revealed heightened edema around the implantation chamber in these deleted females. With the use of a reporter mouse line, we observed that CB2 is present on endothelial cells of uterine blood vessels, and its absence leads to blood vessel leakage during implantation. These results suggest that appropriately regulated uterine edema is important to optimal implantation.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Embryo Implantation/genetics
- Female
- Infertility, Female/genetics
- Infertility, Female/metabolism
- Mice
- Mice, Knockout
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/genetics
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/metabolism
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2/genetics
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2/metabolism
- Signal Transduction/physiology
- Uterus/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingju Li
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Fenghua Bian
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Xiaofei Sun
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Correspondence: Sudhansu K. Dey, PhD, or Xiaofei Sun, PhD, Reproductive Sciences, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, MLC 7045, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229. E-mail: or
| | - Sudhansu K Dey
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Correspondence: Sudhansu K. Dey, PhD, or Xiaofei Sun, PhD, Reproductive Sciences, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, MLC 7045, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229. E-mail: or
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Maia J, Midão L, Cunha SC, Almada M, Fonseca BM, Braga J, Gonçalves D, Teixeira N, Correia-da-Silva G. Effects of cannabis tetrahydrocannabinol on endocannabinoid homeostasis in human placenta. Arch Toxicol 2019; 93:649-658. [PMID: 30659320 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-019-02389-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 01/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Cannabis use has become a hot topic in several countries due to the debate about its legalization for medical purposes. However, data are limited regarding adverse events, safety and potential impact on reproductive health. Cannabis consumption during pregnancy has been associated with gestational disorders such as preterm birth, intrauterine growth restriction, low birth weight and increased risk of miscarriage, though the underlying biochemical mechanisms are still unknown. Given that the endocannabinoid system (ECS) is involved in several reproductive processes, we tested the hypothesis that the negative outcomes may result from the impact on the ECS homeostasis caused by the main psychoactive compound of cannabis, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). We demonstrate that THC (10-40 µM) impairs placental endocannabinoid system by disrupting the endocannabinoid anandamide (AEA) levels and the expression of AEA synthetic and degrading enzymes N-arachidonoylphosphatidylethanolamine-specific phospholipase D (NAPE-PLD) and fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), respectively. Although, no alterations in cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2 expression were observed. Thus, long-term local AEA levels are associated with a shift in the enzymatic profile to re-establish ECS homeostasis. In chronic cannabis users, high AEA levels in placenta may disturb the delicate balance of trophoblast cells turnover leading to alterations in normal placental development and foetal growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Maia
- UCIBIO, REQUIMTE, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Bioquímica, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Rua Jorge de Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313, Porto, Portugal
| | - L Midão
- UCIBIO, REQUIMTE, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Bioquímica, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Rua Jorge de Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313, Porto, Portugal
- Departamento de Química, Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - S C Cunha
- LAQV, REQUIMTE, Departamento de Ciências Químicas, Laboratório de Bromatologia e Hidrologia, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - M Almada
- UCIBIO, REQUIMTE, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Bioquímica, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Rua Jorge de Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313, Porto, Portugal
| | - B M Fonseca
- UCIBIO, REQUIMTE, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Bioquímica, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Rua Jorge de Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313, Porto, Portugal
| | - J Braga
- Departamento da Mulher e da Medicina Reprodutiva, Serviço de Obstetrícia, Centro Materno-Infantil do Norte-Centro Hospitalar do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - D Gonçalves
- Departamento da Mulher e da Medicina Reprodutiva, Serviço de Obstetrícia, Centro Materno-Infantil do Norte-Centro Hospitalar do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - N Teixeira
- UCIBIO, REQUIMTE, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Bioquímica, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Rua Jorge de Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313, Porto, Portugal
| | - Georgina Correia-da-Silva
- UCIBIO, REQUIMTE, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Bioquímica, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Rua Jorge de Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313, Porto, Portugal.
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Bukiya AN. Physiology of the Endocannabinoid System During Development. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2019; 1162:13-37. [PMID: 31332732 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-21737-2_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The endocannabinoid (eCB) system comprises endogenously produced cannabinoids (CBs), enzymes of their production and degradation, and CB-sensing receptors and transporters. The eCB system plays a critical role in virtually all stages of animal development. Studies on eCB system components and their physiological role have gained increasing attention with the rising legalization and medical use of marijuana products. The latter represent exogenous interventions that target the eCB system. This chapter summarizes knowledge in the field of CB contribution to gametogenesis, fertilization, embryo implantation, fetal development, birth, and adolescence-equivalent periods of ontogenesis. The material is complemented by the overview of data from our laboratory documenting the functional presence of the eCB system within cerebral arteries of baboons at different stages of development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna N Bukiya
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA.
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Isoform-Specific Compensation of Cyclooxygenase (Ptgs) Genes during Implantation and Late-Stage Pregnancy. Sci Rep 2018; 8:12097. [PMID: 30108257 PMCID: PMC6092371 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-30636-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2018] [Accepted: 08/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The participation of cyclooxygenase (COX) in embryo implantation and parturition has been studied extensively. However, the distinct role of the two COX isoforms in these processes still remains unclear. Using three characterized mouse lines where the Ptgs1 and Ptgs2 genes substitute for one another, this study focused on the reproductive significance of their distinct roles and potential biological substitution. In both non-gravid and gravid uteri, the knock-in COX-2 is expressed constitutively, whereas the knock-in COX-1 is slightly induced in early implantation. The delayed onset of parturition previously found in COX-1 null mice was corrected by COX-2 exchange in COX-2>COX-1 mice, with normal term pregnancy, gestation length and litter size. In contrast, loss of native COX-2 in COX-1>COX-2 mice resulted in severely impaired reproductive functions. Knock-in COX-1 failed to substitute for the loss of COX-2 in COX-1>COX-2 mice during implantation, indicating that COX-1 may be replaced by COX-2, but not vice versa. A panel of prostaglandins detected in uterus and ovary demonstrates that prostaglandin biosynthesis preferentially depends on native COX-1, but not COX-2. More interestingly, preferential compensations by the COX isoforms were sustained despite weak dependency on their role in prostaglandin biosynthesis in the uterus and ovary.
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40
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Effects of feeding a source of omega-3 fatty acid during the early postpartum period on the endocannabinoid system in the bovine endometrium. Theriogenology 2018; 121:141-146. [PMID: 30145543 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2018.07.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2018] [Revised: 07/30/2018] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
A total of sixteen Holstein dairy cows (35 ± 1.1 kg/d of milk yield) were randomly assigned to consider the effects of feeding omega-3 sources on endometrial endocannabinoids system (ECS) genes expression to understand the effect mechanism of omega-3 on reproductive performances during the early postpartum period to evaluate to what extent can be intervened in reproduction, e.g. via nutrition to improve fertility. Experimental diets were 1) either protected palm oil (control) or 2) extruded linseed (linseed). Cows (n = 16) were fed from calving date to 70 days in milk (DIM). There was no difference between groups (mean ± S.E.M.) in parity (3.0 ± 1.00) or body condition score (BCS) at calving day (3.1 ± 0.25). At 30 DIM, the ovulatory cycles of cows were synchronized using two injections of prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) with a 14-day interval. On day 15 of synchronized estrous cycle (d0 = ovulation) uterine endometrial biopsies were collected to evaluate the expression of genes related to ECS (endocannabinoid receptor (CNR2), N-acyl phosphatidylethanolamine phospholipase D (NAPEPLD), fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), N-acylethanolamine acid amidase (NAAA), monoglyceride lipase (MGLL)) and PGF2α. Results showed that dry matter intake and milk yield were not affected by diets. Uterine endometrial NAAA (7.69 fold), and MGLL (1.96 fold) genes expression were greater (P < 0.05) in cows fed linseed compared with control ones. The messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of CNR-2 (4.26 fold), and NAPEPLD (20.0 fold) were decreased (P < 0.05) in animals fed linseed compared to control cows. The expression of mRNA for the FAAH was not influenced by the diets. First service conception rate was greater in cows fed linseed compared to control cows (75 vs. 25%). Pregnancy loss within 32-60 day after artificial insemination (AI) was lower in cows fed linseed compared to control cows (0 vs. 100%). In conclusion these data demonstrated that positive effect of omega-3 on reproduction may act through a mechanism involving the ECS. However, more studies to be undertaken to confirm these results.
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41
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Implantation loss induced by ethanolamine in the rat is ameliorated by a choline-supplemented diet. Reprod Toxicol 2018; 78:102-110. [DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2018.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2017] [Revised: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 04/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Guerreiro TM, Gonçalves RF, Melo CFOR, de Oliveira DN, Lima EDO, Visintin JA, de Achilles MA, Catharino RR. A Metabolomic Overview of Follicular Fluid in Cows. Front Vet Sci 2018; 5:10. [PMID: 29473045 PMCID: PMC5809397 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2018.00010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Accepted: 01/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Follicular fluid (FF) protects the oocyte against proteolysis and extrusion during ovulation, providing an appropriate microenvironment that favors proper embryonic development; thereby, FF plays a key role in embryo quality. Being directly related to cattle breeding, studying FF is extremely important in livestock science to measure cattle fertility. This may eventually help to assess the quality of both meat and milk, products widely consumed worldwide. There is an important commercial interest in the evaluation and characterization of compounds present in the FF of livestock that present greater likelihood of pregnancy. Mass spectrometry is a great ally for this type of analysis and can provide quick and efficient screening for molecular markers in biological samples. The present study demonstrated the potential of high-resolution mass spectrometry in analyzing FF samples from two distinct groups of Nellore cows (Bos indicus): high and low fertility, as determined by the number of oocytes produced. We were able to delineate markers of interest for each group, which may ultimately be related to biochemical pathways that lead to higher or lower reproductive performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiane Melina Guerreiro
- Innovare Biomarkers Laboratory, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Campinas - UNICAMP, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Roseli Fernandes Gonçalves
- Department of Animal Reproduction, College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, São Paulo University - USP, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Carlos Fernando O Rodrigues Melo
- Innovare Biomarkers Laboratory, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Campinas - UNICAMP, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Diogo Noin de Oliveira
- Innovare Biomarkers Laboratory, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Campinas - UNICAMP, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Estela de Oliveira Lima
- Innovare Biomarkers Laboratory, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Campinas - UNICAMP, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jose Antônio Visintin
- Department of Animal Reproduction, College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, São Paulo University - USP, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Rodrigo Ramos Catharino
- Innovare Biomarkers Laboratory, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Campinas - UNICAMP, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
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43
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Incubation of spermatozoa with Anandamide prior to cryopreservation reduces cryocapacitation and improves post-thaw sperm quality in the water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis). Anim Reprod Sci 2017; 189:77-83. [PMID: 29277315 DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2017.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2017] [Revised: 12/12/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Anandamide (AEA), an endocannabinoid, has been shown to reduce capacitation and acrosomal exocytosis in human spermatozoa. Because buffalo spermatozoa are highly susceptible to cryopreservation induced damage, AEA was assessed as to whether it could protect spermatozoa from cryo-damage. Six ejaculates from six Murrah buffalo bulls (total 36 ejaculates) were utilized for the study. Each ejaculate was divided into four aliquots; spermatozoa in Aliquot 1 were extended in Tris-Citrate-Egg Yolk and frozen as per the standard protocol. Spermatozoa in Aliquots 2, 3 and 4 were incubated with AEA at 1 nM, 1 μM and 10 μM, respectively in Tris-Citrate extender for 15 min at 37 °C before cryopreservation. Cryopreserved spermatozoa were thawed at 37 °C for 30 s before assessment of sperm motility, membrane integrity, capacitation, acrosome reaction, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and lipid peroxidation status. The proportion of motile and membrane intact spermatozoa were greater (P < 0.05) with use of 1 μM AEA incorporated group compared with other groups. The proportion of un-capacitated and acrosome intact spermatozoa was greater (P < 0.05) with use of 1 or 10 μM of AEA compared with the other groups. When compared to the control group, use of 1 μM AEA resulted in a greater proportion of spermatozoa with high MMP (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the lipid peroxidation status of spermatozoa among any of the four groups. It was inferred that the protective role of AEA during cryopreservation of buffalo spermatozoa was dose dependent and incubation of spermatozoa with AEA at 1 μM concentration prior to cryopreservation reduced cryo-capacitation and improved post-thaw sperm quality in buffalo.
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Pérez-Cerezales S, Ramos-Ibeas P, Acuña OS, Avilés M, Coy P, Rizos D, Gutiérrez-Adán A. The oviduct: from sperm selection to the epigenetic landscape of the embryo†. Biol Reprod 2017; 98:262-276. [DOI: 10.1093/biolre/iox173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2017] [Accepted: 12/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Serafín Pérez-Cerezales
- Departmento de Reproducción Animal, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, Madrid, Spain
| | - Priscila Ramos-Ibeas
- School of Agriculture, Food Science and Veterinary Medicine, College of Life Sciences, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Omar Salvador Acuña
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa, Culiacán, Mexico
| | - Manuel Avilés
- Departamento de Biología Celular e Histología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
- Departamento de Biología de la Reproducción, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria Virgen de la Arrixaca Murcia, Spain
| | - Pilar Coy
- Departamento de Biología de la Reproducción, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria Virgen de la Arrixaca Murcia, Spain
- Physiology of Reproduction Group, Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Murcia-Campus Mare Nostrum, Murcia, Spain
| | - Dimitrios Rizos
- Departmento de Reproducción Animal, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alfonso Gutiérrez-Adán
- Departmento de Reproducción Animal, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, Madrid, Spain
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Correa F, Wolfson ML, Valchi P, Aisemberg J, Franchi AM. Endocannabinoid system and pregnancy. Reproduction 2017; 152:R191-R200. [PMID: 27798285 DOI: 10.1530/rep-16-0167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2016] [Accepted: 08/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The endocannabinoid system (eCS), is a complex system, comprising the main endogenous ligands anandamide and 2-arachidonoyl glycerol, the cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2 and the biosynthetic and degrading enzymes. Cumulative evidence shows that the eCS plays an important role in reproduction, from egg fertilization to parturition. Therefore, alterations in this system, either by recreation/therapeutic use of cannabis or deregulation of the endogenous cannabinoids, might lead to adverse pregnancy outcomes, including retardation in embryo development, poor blastocyst implantation, inhibition of decidualization, miscarriage and compromised placentation. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanisms by which the eCS participates in different stages of pregnancy remain poorly understood. In this review, we will examine the evidence from animal and human studies to support the role of the eCS in implantation, early-to-late pregnancy and placentation as well as the difficulties of targeting this system for treatment of female infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Correa
- Center for Pharmacological and Botanical StudiesNational Research Council, School of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Manuel L Wolfson
- Center for Pharmacological and Botanical StudiesNational Research Council, School of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Paula Valchi
- Center for Pharmacological and Botanical StudiesNational Research Council, School of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Julieta Aisemberg
- Center for Pharmacological and Botanical StudiesNational Research Council, School of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ana María Franchi
- Center for Pharmacological and Botanical StudiesNational Research Council, School of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Matsumoto H. Molecular and cellular events during blastocyst implantation in the receptive uterus: clues from mouse models. J Reprod Dev 2017. [PMID: 28638003 PMCID: PMC5649093 DOI: 10.1262/jrd.2017-047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The success of implantation is an interactive process between the blastocyst and the uterus. Synchronized development of embryos with uterine differentiation to a receptive state is necessary to complete pregnancy. The period of uterine receptivity for implantation is limited and referred to as the “implantation window”, which is regulated by ovarian steroid hormones. Implantation process is complicated due to the many signaling molecules in the hierarchical mechanisms with the embryo-uterine dialogue. The mouse is widely used in animal research, and is uniquely suited for reproductive studies, i.e., having a large litter size and brief estrous cycles. This review first describes why the mouse is the preferred model for implantation studies, focusing on uterine morphology and physiological traits, and then highlights the knowledge on uterine receptivity and the hormonal regulation of blastocyst implantation in mice. Our recent study revealed that selective proteolysis in the activated blastocyst is associated with the completion of blastocyst implantation after embryo transfer. Furthermore, in the context of blastocyst implantation in the mouse, this review discusses the window of uterine receptivity, hormonal regulation, uterine vascular permeability and angiogenesis, the delayed-implantation mouse model, morphogens, adhesion molecules, crosslinker proteins, extracellular matrix, and matricellular proteins. A better understanding of uterine and blastocyst biology during the peri-implantation period should facilitate further development of reproductive technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiromichi Matsumoto
- Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Reproduction, Division of Animal Science, Department of Agrobiology and Bioresources, School of Agriculture, Utsunomiya University, Tochigi 321-8505, Japan.,Center for Bioscience Research and Education, Utsunomiya University, Tochigi 321-8505, Japan
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47
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Spatial distribution of cannabinoid receptor 1 and fatty acid amide hydrolase in the cat ovary and oviduct. Acta Histochem 2017; 119:417-422. [PMID: 28478955 DOI: 10.1016/j.acthis.2017.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2016] [Revised: 04/26/2017] [Accepted: 04/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Involvement of the endocannabinoid system in female reproduction has been extensively described in humans with the cognate receptors and ligands being found in the ovaries and genital tract. In human, an imbalance of the endocannabinoid system is linked with both ectopic pregnancy and infertility. In bovine species anandamide levels regulate aspects of sperm-oviduct interaction. Here we report the immunohistochemical distribution of cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1R) and fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) in cat ovary and oviduct, using paraffin-embedded tissue samples and commercially available antibodies. We found a differential expression of both CB1R and FAAH during different stages of ovarian function and in the oviduct. CB1R was detected only in tertiary follicle granulosa cells while more immature follicles were negative. FAAH was instead found in ovarian pre-antral follicles, the oocyte cytoplasm, and in granulosa cells of primary, secondary and tertiary follicles. Secondary and tertiary follicles were also FAAH immunoreactive. Luteal cells were immunopositive for both CB1R and FAAH. Because CBR1 in oviduct was found only in ciliated cells, it might represent a specific marker at least in cats. In contrast, FAAH immunoreactivity was observed in both ciliated and non-ciliated cells. The present study may thus serve as the starting point for further investigations on the role of the endocannabinoid system in cat reproduction. Additional work will be needed to assess whether the morphological distribution of CB1R and FAAH changes in different conditions such as pre-pubertal age, follicular phase of the sexual cycle and pregnancy.
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48
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López-Cardona AP, Pérez-Cerezales S, Fernández-González R, Laguna-Barraza R, Pericuesta E, Agirregoitia N, Gutiérrez-Adán A, Agirregoitia E. CB 1 cannabinoid receptor drives oocyte maturation and embryo development via PI3K/Akt and MAPK pathways. FASEB J 2017; 31:3372-3382. [PMID: 28428264 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201601382rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2016] [Accepted: 04/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Endocannabinoids have been recognized as mediators of practically all reproductive events in mammals. However, little is known about the role of this system in oocyte maturation. In a mouse model, we observed that activation of cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) during in vitro oocyte maturation modulated the phosphorylation status of Akt and ERK1/2 and enhanced the subsequent embryo production. In the absence of CB1, in vivo oocyte maturation was impaired and embryo development delayed. Cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2) was unable to rescue these effects. Finally, we confirmed abnormal oocyte maturation rather than impaired embryonic transport through the oviduct in CB1 knockouts. Our data suggest that cannabinoid agonists may be useful in vitro maturation supplements. For in vitro fertilization patients intolerant to gonadotropins, this could be a promising and only option.-López-Cardona, A. P., Pérez-Cerezales, S., Fernández-González, R., Laguna-Barraza, R., Pericuesta, E., Agirregoitia, N., Gutiérrez-Adán, A., Agirregoitia, E. CB1 cannabinoid receptor drives oocyte maturation and embryo development via PI3K/Akt and MAPK pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Patricia López-Cardona
- Department of Animal Reproduction, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Madrid, Spain.,Groupo de Investigación (G.I.)-Biogénesis, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Serafín Pérez-Cerezales
- Department of Animal Reproduction, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Madrid, Spain
| | - Raúl Fernández-González
- Department of Animal Reproduction, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ricardo Laguna-Barraza
- Department of Animal Reproduction, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Madrid, Spain
| | - Eva Pericuesta
- Department of Animal Reproduction, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Madrid, Spain
| | - Naiara Agirregoitia
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Bizkaia
| | - Alfonso Gutiérrez-Adán
- Department of Animal Reproduction, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ekaitz Agirregoitia
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Bizkaia
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Zhang Y, Hu M, Meng F, Sun X, Xu H, Zhang J, Cui P, Morina N, Li X, Li W, Wu XK, Brännström M, Shao R, Billig H. Metformin Ameliorates Uterine Defects in a Rat Model of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. EBioMedicine 2017; 18:157-170. [PMID: 28336389 PMCID: PMC5405166 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2017.03.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2017] [Revised: 03/14/2017] [Accepted: 03/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Adult rats treated concomitantly with insulin and human chorionic gonadotropin exhibit endocrine, metabolic, and reproductive abnormalities that are very similar to those observed in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients. In this study, we used this rat model to assess the effects of metformin on PCOS-related uterine dysfunction. In addition to reducing androgen levels, improving insulin sensitivity, and correcting the reproductive cycle, metformin treatment induced morphological changes in the PCOS-like uterus. At the molecular and cellular levels, metformin normalized the androgen receptor-mediated transcriptional program and restored epithelial–stromal interactions. In contrast to glucose transport, uterine inflammatory gene expression was suppressed through the PI3K–Akt–NFκB network, but without affecting apoptosis. These effects appeared to be independent of AMPK subunit and autophagy-related protein regulation. We found that when metformin treatment partially restored implantation, several implantation-related genes were normalized in the PCOS-like rat uterus. These results improve our understanding of how metformin rescues the disruption of the implantation process due to the uterine defects that result from hyperandrogenism and insulin resistance. Our data provide insights into the molecular and functional clues that might help explain, at least in part, the potential therapeutic options of metformin in PCOS patients with uterine dysfunction. The therapeutic dose of metformin sufficiently suppresses hyperandrogenism and insulin resistance. Metformin inhibits uterine androgen receptor (AR)-dependent gene expression to restore epithelial–stromal interactions. Metformin reduces uterine inflammation through the PI3K–Akt–NFκB pathway. Metformin partially restores implantation in PCOS-like rats.
The systemic benefits of metformin therapy for women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are widely appreciated, but knowledge of the molecular mechanisms of its action and to what extent it beneficially affects uterine function is limited. Using a PCOS-like rat model, we show that treatment with metformin can reverse the negative effects of androgenic and inflammatory conditions in the rat uterus. Importantly, we find that the sustained benefit of metformin is to rescue implantation failure in some PCOS-like rats. Thus, our data will be of translational value in the clinical management of metformin treatment in PCOS patients with uterine dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuehui Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Key Laboratory and Unit of Infertility in Chinese Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, 150040 Harbin, China; Department of Physiology/Endocrinology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Min Hu
- Department of Physiology/Endocrinology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Fanci Meng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Key Laboratory and Unit of Infertility in Chinese Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, 150040 Harbin, China
| | - Xiaoyan Sun
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Key Laboratory and Unit of Infertility in Chinese Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, 150040 Harbin, China
| | - Hongfei Xu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Key Laboratory and Unit of Infertility in Chinese Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, 150040 Harbin, China
| | - Jiao Zhang
- Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Second Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, 150001 Harbin, China
| | - Peng Cui
- Department of Physiology/Endocrinology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Integrative Medicine and Neurobiology, State Key Lab of Medical Neurobiology, Shanghai Medical College, Institute of Acupuncture Research (WHO Collaborating Center for Traditional Medicine), Institute of Brain Science, Fudan University, 200032 Shanghai, China
| | - Njomeza Morina
- Department of Physiology/Endocrinology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Xin Li
- Department of Physiology/Endocrinology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University, 200011 Shanghai, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, 200011 Shanghai, China
| | - Wei Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Key Laboratory and Unit of Infertility in Chinese Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, 150040 Harbin, China
| | - Xiao-Ke Wu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Key Laboratory and Unit of Infertility in Chinese Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, 150040 Harbin, China
| | - Mats Brännström
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 41345 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Ruijin Shao
- Department of Physiology/Endocrinology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Håkan Billig
- Department of Physiology/Endocrinology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
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Li S, Winuthayanon W. Oviduct: roles in fertilization and early embryo development. J Endocrinol 2017; 232:R1-R26. [PMID: 27875265 DOI: 10.1530/joe-16-0302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 157] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2016] [Accepted: 10/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Animal oviducts and human Fallopian tubes are a part of the female reproductive tract that hosts fertilization and pre-implantation development of the embryo. With an increasing understanding of roles of the oviduct at the cellular and molecular levels, current research signifies the importance of the oviduct on naturally conceived fertilization and pre-implantation embryo development. This review highlights the physiological conditions within the oviduct during fertilization, environmental regulation, oviductal fluid composition and its role in protecting embryos and supplying nutrients. Finally, the review compares different aspects of naturally occurring fertilization and assisted reproductive technology (ART)-achieved fertilization and embryo development, giving insight into potential areas for improvement in this technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Li
- School of Molecular BiosciencesCollege of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Wipawee Winuthayanon
- School of Molecular BiosciencesCollege of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
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