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Zhang K, Wang S, Qiu Y, Bai B, Zhang Q, Xie X. Retrospective studies and quantitative proteomics reveal that abnormal expression of blood pressure, blood lipids, and coagulation related proteins is associated with hypospadias. Hum Genet 2024:10.1007/s00439-024-02676-z. [PMID: 38850429 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-024-02676-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
Hypospadias refers to the abnormal position of the male urethral orifice, which not only leads to urination disorder but also causes sexual dysfunction in adulthood. However, the complex and diverse pathogenic factors of hypospadias are still unclear. To study the pathogenesis and prognosis of hypospadias, we counted the serological indexes of children with hypospadias, and found that sSBP, TC and LDL increased in children with mild, moderate and severe hypospadias. Subsequently, we used quantitative proteomics to find differential proteins in mild, moderate and severe hypospadias. After bioinformatics analysis and biochemical experiments on the screened DEPs, we found that the expression of proteins related to immune inflammation, coagulation, blood pressure and inflammation, and blood lipid were differential expressed in the prepuce tissue of children with hypospadias. We further confirmed that the proteins FGB, FGG, SERPINA1, and AGT involved in the angiotensin system, cholesterol metabolism, and coagulation were significantly up-regulated by biochemical experiments. In particular, the AGT protein of the angiotensin system involved in blood pressure regulation, we have shown that it increases with the severity of hypospadias. This study suggests that children with hypospadias are more likely to suffer from hyperlipidemia and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Our findings provide a theoretical basis for early monitoring of blood lipids and blood pressure to prevent CVD in children with hypospadias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kexin Zhang
- Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Child Development and Nutriomics, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, 100020, China
| | - Shengxiong Wang
- Department of Urology, Affiliated Children's Hospital, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, 100020, China
| | - Ying Qiu
- Department of Urology, Affiliated Children's Hospital, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, 100020, China
| | - Baoling Bai
- Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Child Development and Nutriomics, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, 100020, China.
| | - Qin Zhang
- Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Child Development and Nutriomics, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, 100020, China.
| | - Xianghui Xie
- Department of Urology, Affiliated Children's Hospital, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, 100020, China.
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Zhu S, Hu J, Chen G, Fu W, Zhang J, Jia W. Urine-derived exosomes and their role in modulating uroepithelial cells to prevent hypospadias. Int Immunopharmacol 2024; 132:111828. [PMID: 38552294 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2024.111828] [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: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Urethral hypospadias, a common congenital malformation in males, is closely linked with disruptions in uroepithelial cell (UEC) processes. Evidence exists reporting that urine-derived exosomes (Urine-Exos) enhance UEC proliferation and regeneration, suggesting a potential role in preventing hypospadias. However, the specific influence of Urine-Exos on urethral hypospadias and the molecular mechanisms involved are not fully understood. This study focuses on investigating the capability of Urine-Exos to mitigate urethral hypospadias and aims to uncover the underlying molecular mechanisms. METHODS Bioinformatics analysis was performed to identify key gene targets in Urine-Exos potentially involved in hypospadias. Subsequent in vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted to validate the regulatory effects of Urine-Exos on hypospadias. RESULTS Bioinformatics screening revealed syndecan-1 (SDC1) as a potential pivotal gene for the prevention of hypospadias. In vitro experiments demonstrated that Urine-Exos enhanced the proliferation and migration of UECs by transferring SDC1 and inhibiting cell apoptosis. Notably, Urine-Exos upregulated β-catenin expression through SDC1 transfer, further promoting UEC proliferation and migration. These findings were confirmed in a congenital hypospadias rat model induced by di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). CONCLUSION This study reveals the therapeutic potential of Urine-Exos in hypospadias, mediated by the SDC1/β-catenin axis. Urine-Exos promote UEC proliferation and migration, thereby inhibiting the progression of hypospadias. These findings offer new insights and potential therapeutic targets for the management of congenital malformations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shibo Zhu
- Department of Pediatric Urology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510623, PR China
| | - Jinhua Hu
- Department of Pediatric Urology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510623, PR China
| | - Guifang Chen
- Department of Pediatric Urology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510623, PR China
| | - Wen Fu
- Department of Pediatric Urology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510623, PR China
| | - Jin Zhang
- Department of Pediatric Urology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510623, PR China
| | - Wei Jia
- Department of Pediatric Urology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510623, PR China.
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Shi B, He E, Chang K, Xu G, Meng Q, Xu H, Chen Z, Wang X, Jia M, Sun W, Zhao W, Zhao H, Dong L, Cui H. Genistein prevents the production of hypospadias induced by Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate through androgen signaling and antioxidant response in rats. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 466:133537. [PMID: 38244450 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 01/22/2024]
Abstract
Environmental estrogen exposure has increased dramatically over the past 50 years. In particular, prenatal exposure to estrogen causes many congenital diseases, among which reproductive system development disorders are extremely serious. In this study, the molecular mechanism of hypospadias and the therapeutic effect of genistein (GEN) were investigated through in vivo models prepared by Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) exposure between 12 and 19 days of gestation. With increased DEHP concentrations, the incidence of hypospadias increased gradually. DEHP inhibited the key enzymes involved in steroid synthesis, resulting in decreasing testosterone synthesis. At the same time, DEHP increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) and produced inflammatory factors via NADPH oxidase-1 (NOX1) and NADPH oxidase-4 (NOX4) pathways. It also inhibited Steroid 5 α Reductase 2 (Srd5α2) and decreased dihydrotestosterone (DHT) synthesis. Additionally, DEHP inhibited the androgen receptor (AR), resulting in reduced DHT binding to the AR that ultimately retarded the development of the external reproductive system. GEN, a phytoestrogen, competes with DEHP for binding to estrogen receptor β (ERβ). This competition, along with GEN's antiestrogen and antioxidant properties, could potentially reverse impairments. The findings of this study provide valuable insights into the role of phytoestrogens in alleviating environmental estrogen-induced congenital diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bowen Shi
- Graduate School, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China; Tianjin Children's Hospital (Tianjin University Children's Hospital), Tianjin 300134, China
| | - Enyang He
- Graduate School, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Kaili Chang
- Graduate School, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Guodong Xu
- Tianjin Children's Hospital (Tianjin University Children's Hospital), Tianjin 300134, China
| | - Qingya Meng
- Tianjin Children's Hospital (Tianjin University Children's Hospital), Tianjin 300134, China
| | - Haihua Xu
- Tianjin Children's Hospital (Tianjin University Children's Hospital), Tianjin 300134, China
| | - Ziying Chen
- Tianjin Children's Hospital (Tianjin University Children's Hospital), Tianjin 300134, China
| | - Xiaojia Wang
- Tianjin Children's Hospital (Tianjin University Children's Hospital), Tianjin 300134, China
| | - Miao Jia
- Graduate School, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Wenjing Sun
- Graduate School, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Wei Zhao
- Graduate School, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Hailan Zhao
- Graduate School, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Liang Dong
- Graduate School, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China; Tianjin Children's Hospital (Tianjin University Children's Hospital), Tianjin 300134, China.
| | - Hualei Cui
- Graduate School, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China; Tianjin Children's Hospital (Tianjin University Children's Hospital), Tianjin 300134, China.
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Zhu S, Tang X, Zhang J, Hu J, Gao X, Li D, Jia W. Urinary extracellular vesicles prevent di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate-induced hypospadias by facilitating epithelial-mesenchymal transition via PFN2 delivery. Cell Biol Toxicol 2023; 39:2569-2586. [PMID: 37953354 DOI: 10.1007/s10565-023-09838-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Urinary extracellular vesicles (EVs) have gained increasing interest in recent years as a potential source of noninvasive biomarkers of diseases related to urinary organs, but knowledge of the mechanism is still limited. The current study sought to clarify the mechanism of urinary EVs behind di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP)-induced hypospadias via PFN2 delivery. METHOD PFN2 expression in hypospadias was predicted by bioinformatics analysis. Following the induction of a hypospadias rat model using DEHP, rats were injected with EVs and/or underwent alteration of PFN2 and TGF-β1 to assess their effects in vivo. The extracted rat urothelial cells (UECs) were co-cultured with EVs extracted from urine for in vitro experiments. RESULT Microarray analysis predicted poor PFN2 expression in hypospadias. Upregulated PFN2 was found in urinary EVs, and restrained epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) was observed in DEHP-exposed rats. Urinary EVs or PFN2 overexpression increased SMAD2, SMAD3, and TGF-β1 protein expression and SMAD2 and SMAD3 phosphorylation in UECs and DEHP-exposed rats. UEC migration, invasion, and EMT were augmented by EV co-culture or upregulation of PFN2. Of note, the silencing of TGF-β1 counterweighed the effect of PFN2. Besides, EV co-culture or overexpression of PFN2 or TGF-β1 elevated the body weight, anal-genital distance (AGD), anal-genital index (AGI), and EMT of DEHP-exposed rats. CONCLUSION In summary, urinary EVs activated the SMAD/TGF-β1 pathway to induce EMT via PFN2 delivery, thus protecting against DEHP-induced hypospadias. (1) EMT in epithelial cells inhibits DEHP-induced hypospadias. (2) Urine-derived EVs deliver PFN2 to promote EMT in epithelial cells. (3) PFN2 can activate the SMAD/TGF-β1 signaling axis. (4) Urine-derived EVs can transmit PFN2 to activate the SMAD/TGF-β1 signaling axis, thus promoting EMT and inhibiting the occurrence of hypospadias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shibo Zhu
- Department of Pediatric Urology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiangliang Tang
- Department of Pediatric Urology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, People's Republic of China
| | - Jin Zhang
- Department of Pediatric Urology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, People's Republic of China
| | - Jinhua Hu
- Department of Pediatric Urology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaofeng Gao
- Department of Pediatric Urology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, People's Republic of China
| | - Dian Li
- Department of Pediatric Urology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Jia
- Department of Pediatric Urology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, People's Republic of China.
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Zhang H, Yi X, Hu W, Zhu G, Fu X, Jin W, Qin L, Li M. MEHP activates JNK to inhibit the migration of human foreskin fibroblasts. Syst Biol Reprod Med 2023; 69:423-434. [PMID: 37812750 DOI: 10.1080/19396368.2023.2262082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the impact of mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) on the proliferation, apoptosis, and migration of human foreskin fibroblast cells (HFF-1) and the role of the JNK signaling pathway in cell migration. HFF-1 cells were randomly assigned to the control group with 0 MEHP exposure (M0) or the experimental groups with 25, 50, 100, 200, and 400 μmol/L MEHP exposure (M25, M50, M100, M200, and M400, respectively). After 24 and 48 h of MEHP exposure, the proliferation of HFF-1 cells in any group had no significant change. However, compared with the M0 group, the M200 and M400 groups presented substantially increased apoptosis of HFF-1 cells. Moreover, cell migration ability significantly decreased in all groups (p < 0.05). Additionally, the transcription and phosphorylated protein activation of JNK kinase in HFF-1 cells were substantially upregulated with the increase in MEHP exposure. Subsequently, HFF-1 cells were randomly divided into three groups: the DMSO blank control group, the 100 μM MEHP experimental group (M100), and the 100 μM MEHP plus 10 μM SP600125 (specific JNK inhibitor) experimental group (S10). The activation of JNK protein in HFF-1 cells was substantially downregulated in the S10 group. HFF-1 cells were also divided into the blank control group (M0). They were treated with 100 μM MEHP and varying concentrations of SP600125 (5, 10, and 15 μM for S5, S10, and S15, respectively). As the concentration of the antagonist increased, the migration ability of HFF-1 cells was returned to normal. Finally, the ROS in HFF-1 cells increased under MEHP exposure. This finding indicates that the regulation of cell migration by the JNK signaling pathway may be important in the occurrence of hypospadias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hu Zhang
- Urology Department, The First Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan Province, China
| | - Xuan Yi
- Urology Department, The First Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan Province, China
| | - Wei Hu
- Urology Department, The First Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan Province, China
| | - Guoqiang Zhu
- Urology Department, The First Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan Province, China
| | - Xiaowen Fu
- Urology Department, The First Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan Province, China
| | - Wei Jin
- Urology Department, The First Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan Province, China
| | - Long Qin
- Urology Department, The First Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan Province, China
| | - Mingyong Li
- Urology Department, The First Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan Province, China
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The RPE Cell and the Immune System. RETINAL PIGMENT EPITHELIUM IN HEALTH AND DISEASE 2020. [PMCID: PMC7121222 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-28384-1_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The RPE cell plays a pivotal role in retinal immunity. In fact, the RPE cell orchestrates both innate and adaptive immunity and contains a plethora of factors to regulate the immune response. Many immunoregulatory activities of the RPE cell are accomplished through cytokine production, toll-like receptor (TLR) activation, complement regulation and antigen presentation. The RPE cells immune regulatory network plays an essential role in retinal immunity and autoimmunity, retinal infections and in a variety of retinal degenerative disorders. Understanding the immune regulatory properties of this cell may provide additional clues to disease mechanisms that may lead to future treatments for many human retinal diseases.
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