Biophysical characterization of Aptenodytes forsteri cytochrome P450 aromatase

Exosomes: potential diagnostic markers and drug carriers for adenomyosis

Adenomyosis is a common benign gynecological disorder and an important factor leading to infertility in fertile women. Adenomyosis can cause deep lesions and is persistent and refractory in nature due to its tumor-like biological characteristics, such as the ability to implant, adhere, and invade. The pathogenesis of adenomyosis is currently unclear. Therefore, new therapeutic approaches are urgently required. Exosomes are nanoscale vesicles secreted by cells that carry proteins, genetic materials and other biologically active components. Exosomes play an important role in maintaining tissue homeostasis and regulating immune responses and metabolism. A growing body of work has shown that exosomes and their contents are key to the development and progression of adenomyosis. This review discusses the current research progress, future prospects and challenges in this emerging therapeutic tool by providing an overview of the changes in the adenomyosis uterine microenvironment and the biogenesis and functions of exosomes, with particular emphasis on the role of exosomes and their contents in the regulation of cell migration, proliferation, fibrosis formation, neovascularization, and inflammatory responses in adenomyosis.

Global expression response of genes in sex-undifferentiated Nile tilapia gonads after exposure to trace letrozole

The aromatase inhibitor letrozole can be found in rivers, effluents, and even drinking water. Studies have demonstrated that letrozole affects various metabolic pathways and may cause reproductive toxicity, especially in fish exposed during development. However, studies on the effect of a low concentration of letrozole at the whole-gonad transcriptomic level in the early stage of fish sexual development have not been investigated. The aim of our study was to explore the potential effects of a low concentration of letrozole on the gonad transcriptome of Nile tilapia at an early stage of sexual development. In this study, 9 dpf (days postfertilization) Nile tilapia were exposed to trace letrozole for 12 days. Letrozole exposure from 9 dpf to 21 dpf persistently altered phenotypic sex development and induced the male-biased sex ratio. The transcriptome results showed that 1173 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were present in the female control vs 1.5 μg/L letrozole-treated female comparison group and that 1576 DEGs were present in the 1.5 μg/L letrozole-treated female vs male control comparison group. Differentially expressed gene enrichment analysis revealed several crucial pathways, including the drug metabolism-cytochrome P450 pathway, the ErbB-PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway, and the calcium signalling pathway. Further analysis of these identified DEGs indicated that some key genes correlated with metabolism and epigenetic regulation were significantly affected by letrozole, such as UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (Ugt), glutathione S-transferase omega-1 (Gsto1), lysine-specific demethylase 6bb (Kdm6bb, original name is Kdm6a), jumonji and AT-rich interaction domain containing 2 (Jarid2b, original name is Jarid2), growth arrest and DNA damage inducible gamma (Gadd45g), and chromobox protein 7 (Cbx7). The qRT-PCR validation results for twelve DEGs showed that the Pearson's correlation of the log₁₀^{fold change} values between the qPCR and RNA-Seq results was 0.90, indicating the accuracy and reliability of the RNA-Seq results. Our study is the first to report the effect of letrozole on the transcriptome of gonads from fish during early-stage sexual development. These findings will be useful for understanding the toxic effects and molecular mechanisms of letrozole exposure at the early stage of gonad development on the sexual development of aquatic organisms.