Increased oxidative stress and cancer biomarkers in the ventral prostate of older rats submitted to maternal malnutrition

Quantification of the effect of in utero events on lifetime resilience in dairy cows

Currently, the dairy industry is facing many challenges that could affect its sustainability, including climate change and public perception of the industry. As a result, interest is increasing in the concept of identifying resilient animals, those with a long productive lifespan, as well as good reproductive performance and milk yield. There is much evidence that events in utero, that is, the developmental origins of health and disease hypothesis, alter the life-course health of offspring and we hypothesized that these could alter resilience in calves, where resilience is identified using lifetime data. The aim of this study was to quantify lifetime resilience scores (LRS) using an existing scoring system, based on longevity with secondary corrections for age at first calving and calving interval, and to quantify the effects of in utero events on the LRS using 2 datasets. The first was a large dataset of cattle on 83 farms in Great Britain born from 2006 to 2015 and the second was a smaller, more granular dataset of cattle born between 2003 and 2015 in the Langhill research herd at Scotland's Rural College. Events during dam's pregnancy included health events (lameness, mastitis, use of an antibiotic or anti-inflammatory medication), the effect of heat stress as measured by temperature-humidity index, and perturbations in milk yield and quality (somatic cell count, percentage fat, percentage protein and fat:protein ratio). Daughters born to dams that experienced higher temperature-humidity indexes while they were in utero during the first and third trimesters of pregnancy had lower LRS. Daughter LRS were also lower where milk yields or median fat percentages in the first trimester were low, and when milk yields were high in the third trimester. Dam LRS was positively associated with LRS of their offspring; however, as parity of the dam increased, LRS of their calves decreased. Similarly, in the Langhill herd, dams of a higher parity produced calves with lower LRS. Additionally, dams that recorded a high maximum locomotion score in the third trimester of pregnancy were negatively associated with lower calf LRS in the Langhill herd. Our results suggest that events that occur during pregnancy have lifelong consequences for the calf's lifetime performance. However, experience of higher temperature-humidity indexes, higher dam LRS, and mothers in higher parities explained a relatively small proportion of variation in offspring LRS, which suggests that other factors play a substantial role in determining calf LRS. Although "big data" can contain a considerable amount of noise, similar findings between the 2 datasets indicate it is likely these findings are real.

Maternal malnutrition associated with postnatal sugar consumption increases inflammatory response and prostate disorders in rat offspring

Maternal malnutrition can alter developmental biology, programming health and disease in offspring. The increase in sugar consumption during the peripubertal period, a worldwide concern, also affects health through adulthood. Studies have shown that maternal exposure to a low protein diet (LPD) is associated with an increase in prostate disease with aging. However, the combined effects of maternal LPD and early postnatal sugar consumption on offspring prostate disorders were not investigated. The effects on aging were evaluated using a maternal gestational model with lactational LPD (6% protein) and sugar consumption (10%) from postnatal day (PND) 21-90, associating the consequences on ventral prostate (VP) rats morphophysiology on PND540. An increase was shown in mast cells and in the VP of the CTR + SUG and Gestational and Lactational Low Protein (GLLP) groups. In GLLP + SUG, a significant increase was shown in TGF-β1 expression in both the systemic and intra-prostatic forms, and SMAD2/3p had increased. The study identified maternal LPD and sugar consumption as risk factors for prostatic homeostasis in senility, activating the TGFβ1-SMAD2/3 pathway, a signaling pathway with potential markers for prostatic disorders.

A low dose of benzo(a)pyrene during prepuberty in male rats generated immediate oxidative stress in the testes and compromised steroidogenic enzymes/proteins

The prepubertal period is crucial for sexual development and any alterations can interfere with the reproductive system in adulthood. The aim of this study was to evaluate how Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) can affect the testes during the prepubertal period. Juvenile male Wistar rats were divided into a control (corn oil + DMSO) and a BaP-group (0.1 μg/kg/day), exposed to BaP for 31 days (gavage), and all parameters were evaluated on postnatal day (PND) 54. Leukocyte counts were decreased. Histological analyses of the testes revealed that height and seminiferous tubules diameters (STDs) were reduced, tubular dynamics were altered, and Leydig cell atrophy was evident in the BaP-group. The testosterone concentration was decreased while FSH levels increased within the BaP-exposed group. Steroidogenic enzymes in the testes were decreased, but steroidogenic acute regulatory protein was not altered. The expression of gstp1 and ckit enzymes was decreased. Reduced glutathione (GSH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were increased, whereas malondialdehyde (MDA) was decreased in the testes. In conclusion, BaP or its metabolites causes low systemic toxicity; however, it adversely influences testicular function by disrupting the hormonal axis, unbalancing testicular antioxidative, and blocking the action of the steroidogenic mechanisms.

Can exposure to lisdexamfetamine dimesylate from juvenile period to peripubertal compromise male reproductive parameters in adult rats?

Lisdexamfetamine (LDX) is a d-amphetamine prodrug used to treat attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, a common neurodevelopmental disorder in children and adolescents. Due to its action mediated by elevated levels of catecholamines, mainly dopamine and noradrenaline, which influence hormonal regulation and directly affect the gonads, this drug may potentially disrupt reproductive performance. This study evaluated the effects of exposure to LDX from the juvenile to peripubertal period (critical stages of development) on systemic and reproductive toxicity parameters in male rats. Male Wistar rats (23 days old) were treated with 0; 5.2; 8.6 or 12.1 mg/kg/day of LDX from post-natal day (PND) 23 to 53, by gavage. LDX treatment led to reduced daily food and water consumption, as well as a decrease in social behaviors. The day of preputial separation remained unaltered, although the treated animals exhibited reduced weight. At PND 54, the treated animals presented signs of systemic toxicity, evidenced by a reduction in body weight gain, increase in the relative weight of the liver, spleen, and seminal gland, reduction in erythrocyte and leukocyte counts, reduced total protein levels, and disruptions in oxidative parameters. In adulthood, there was an increase in immobile sperm, reduced sperm count, morphometric changes in the testis, and altered oxidative parameters, without compromising male sexual behavior and fertility. These findings showed that LDX-treatment during the juvenile and peripubertal periods induced immediate systemic toxicity and adversely influenced reproductive function in adult life, indicating that caution is necessary when prescribing this drug during the peripubertal phase.

Deregulation of ABCG1 early in life contributes to prostate carcinogenesis in maternally malnourished offspring rats

AIMS

The developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) concept has provided the framework to assess how early life experiences can shape health and disease throughout the life course. Using a model of maternal exposure to a low protein diet (LPD; 6% protein) during the gestational and lactational periods, we demonstrated changes in the ventral prostate (VP) transcriptomic landscape in young rats exposed to maternal malnutrition. Male offspring Sprague Dawley rats were submitted to maternal malnutrition during gestation and lactation, and they were weighed, and distance anogenital was measured, followed were euthanized by an overdose of anesthesia at 21 postnatal days. Next, the blood and the ventral prostate (VP) were collected and processed by morphological analysis, biochemical and molecular analyses. RNA-seq analysis identified 411 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the VP of maternally malnourished offspring compared to the control group. The molecular pathways enriched by these DEGs are related to cellular development, differentiation, and tissue morphogenesis, all of them involved in both normal prostate development and carcinogenesis. Abcg1 was commonly deregulated in young and old maternally malnourished offspring rats, as well in rodent models of prostate cancer (PCa) and in PCa patients. Our results described ABCG1 as a potential DOHaD gene associated with perturbation of prostate developmental biology with long-lasting effects on carcinogenesis in old offspring rats. A better understanding of these mechanisms may help with the discussion of preventive strategies against early life origins of non-communicable chronic diseases.

Insights from the maternal lineage of the F2 generation after exposure to an environmentally relevant dose of benzo(a)pyrene in the male rats of F0 generation

Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) is a substance with the potential to induce endocrine disruption in the F0 generation and cause adverse multigenerational effects (F1 generation) for reproductive parameters in rats. The objective of this study was to investigate the occurrence of transgenerational inheritance in the reproductive aspects of male and female rats belonging to the F2 generation (MF2). This investigation was conducted following the exposure of male rats from the F0 generation to BaP to assess potential effects on subsequent generation from the maternal lineage (F1). For that, juvenile male Wistar rats (F0) were orally exposed to BaP (0.1 µg/kg/day) for 31 consecutive days. In adulthood, they were mated with untreated females to obtain female offspring (F1), which later produced the MF2. In the MF2 generation, both males and females exhibited increased body weight on postnatal day (PND) 1. In MF2 males, we observed delayed preputial separation, altered pup weight, reduced levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), increased intratesticular testosterone levels, decreased type A sperm, epididymal disturbances, reduced 5 α-reductase activity, increased testicular proliferation, and alterations in testicular antioxidant enzymes. In MF2 females, we noted morphological uterine enlargement, reduced sexual activity, and decreased progesterone levels. The findings suggest that the alterations observed in both MF2 males and females can be attributed to modifications in the sperm from F0 generation, which were subsequently transmitted to F1 females and MF2 generation due to BaP exposure.

Early-life origin of prostate cancer through deregulation of miR-206 networks in maternally malnourished offspring rats

The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) concept has provided the framework to assess how early life experiences can shape health and disease throughout the life course. While maternal malnutrition has been proposed as a risk factor for the developmental programming of prostate cancer (PCa), the molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. Using RNA-seq data, we demonstrated deregulation of miR-206-Plasminogen (PLG) network in the ventral prostate (VP) of young maternally malnourished offspring. RT-qPCR confirmed the deregulation of the miR-206-PLG network in the VP of young and old offspring rats. Considering the key role of estrogenic signaling pathways in prostate carcinogenesis, in vitro miRNA mimic studies also revealed a negative correlation between miR-206 and estrogen receptor α (ESR1) expression in PNT2 cells. Together, we demonstrate that early life estrogenization associated with the deregulation of miR-206 networks can contribute to the developmental origins of PCa in maternally malnourished offspring. Understanding the molecular mechanisms by which early life malnutrition affects offspring health can encourage the adoption of a governmental policy for the prevention of non-communicable chronic diseases related to the DOHaD concept.

Oxidative stress associated with spatial memory impairment and social olfactory deterioration in female mice reveals premature aging aroused by perinatal protein malnutrition

Early-life adversity, like perinatal protein malnutrition, increases the vulnerability to develop long-term alterations in brain structures and function. This study aimed to determine whether perinatal protein malnutrition predisposes to premature aging in a murine model and to assess the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved. To this end, mouse dams were fed either with a normal (NP, casein 20%) or a low-protein diet (LP, casein 8%) during gestation and lactation. Female offspring were evaluated at 2, 7 and 12 months of age. Positron emission tomography analysis showed alterations in the hippocampal CA3 region and the accessory olfactory bulb of LP mice during aging. Protein malnutrition impaired spatial memory, coinciding with higher levels of reactive oxygen species in the hippocampus and sirt7 upregulation. Protein malnutrition also led to higher senescence-associated β-galactosidase activity and p21 expression. LP-12-month-old mice showed a higher number of newborn neurons that did not complete the maturation process. The social-odor discrimination in LP mice was impaired along life. In the olfactory bulb of LP mice, the senescence marker p21 was upregulated, coinciding with a downregulation of Sirt2 and Sirt7. Also, LP-12-month-old mice showed a downregulation of catalase and glutathione peroxidase, and LP-2-month-old mice showed a higher number of newborn neurons in the subventricular zone, which then returned to normal values. Our results show that perinatal protein malnutrition causes long-term impairment in cognitive and olfactory skills through an accelerated senescence phenotype accompanied by an increase in oxidative stress and altered sirtuin expression in the hippocampus and olfactory bulb.

Associations of phthalates with prostate cancer among the US population

Human exposure to harmful phthalates has raised global health concerns. According to cellular and molecular investigations, phthalates and their metabolites can promote prostate cancer (PCa). Despite being a prevalent cancer afflicting the global male population, the epidemiological association between phthalates and prostate cancer remains understudied. This work aims to investigate whether phthalate metabolites are related to prostate cancer. Moreover, we sought to understand whether their elevated concentrations are associated with increased serum concentrations of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), among non-prostate cancer interviewees. According to National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from 2003 to 2010, we screened eligible men aged 20 years or older. Then, crude and multivariate regression models were constructed to assess the relationship. The phthalates significantly related to PCa were analyzed based on variables associated with PCa status and PSA. The molar sum ∑di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (∑DEHP) was simultaneously associated with increased risk of PCa and increasing PSA concentrations. Among PCa-related phthalates, high molecular weight phthalate metabolites included mono-benzyl phthalate (MBzP) and three metabolites of DEHP. In summary, phthalates are potentially associated with prostate tumorigenesis in the US population. However, additional in-depth prospective studies in different ethnic groups are required to validate the causality between both.

Effect of SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnancy on CD147, ACE2 and HLA-G expression

INTRODUCTION

Recent studies reported a differential expression of both ACE2 and CD147 in pregnant women associated to SARS-CoV-2 placental infection. The aim of this study is to further investigate the placental SARS-CoV-2 infection and the potential effect on protein expression (ACE2, CD147, HLA-G and CD56).

METHODS

The study was on three subgroups: i) 18 subjects positive for SARS-CoV-2 swab at delivery; ii) 9 subjects that had a positive SARS-CoV-2 swab during pregnancy but resulted negative at delivery; iii) 11 control subjects with physiological pregnancy and with no previous or concomitant SARS-CoV-2 swab positivity. None of the subjects were vaccinated for SARS-CoV-2 infection. The placenta samples were analyzed for SARS-CoV-2 NP (Nucleocapsid protein) positivity and the expression of ACE2, CD147, HLA-G and CD56.

RESULTS

We observed a higher percentage of SARS-CoV-2 NP positive placenta samples in the group of SARS-CoV-2 PCR positive at delivery in comparison with SARS-CoV-2 PCR negative at delivery. The localization of SARS-CoV-2 NP positivity in placenta samples was mainly in syncytiotrophoblast (ST) of SARS-CoV-2 PCR positive at delivery group and in extra-villous trophoblast (EVT) of SARS-CoV-2 PCR negative at delivery group. CD147, HLA-G positivity was higher in ST of SARS-CoV-2 PCR positive at delivery group, while CD56-expressing immune cells were decreased in comparison with control subjects.

DISCUSSION

We confirmed the ability of SARS-CoV-2 to infect placenta tissues. The simultaneous SARS-CoV-2 swab positivity at delivery and the positivity of the placenta tissue for SARS-CoV-2 NP seems to create an environment that modifies the expression of specific molecules, as CD147 and HLA-G. These data suggest a possible impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy, that might be worthy to be monitored also in vaccinated subjects.

Maternal exposure of rats to sodium saccharin during gestation and lactation on male offspring†

We investigated the effects of fetal programming in Sprague-Dawley rats through the maternal consumption of sodium saccharin on the testicular structure and function in male offspring. Feed intake and efficiency, organ and fat weight, quantification and expression of androgen receptor (AR), and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) proteins, sperm count, and hormone levels were determined. Consumption alterations were found in the final weeks of the experiment. Decreases in AR and PCNA expression and quantification, tubular diameter, and luminal volume, and increases in epithelial and interstitial relative volumes were observed. Lower sperm count and transit, and lower estradiol concentration were also found. Sodium saccharin consumption by dams programmed male offspring by affecting the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonad axis with alterations in the Sertoli cell population, in spermatogonia proliferation, the expression and quantification of AR, and in sperm count. We hypothesized that these changes may be due to an estradiol reduction that caused the loosening of adhesion junctions of the blood-testis barrier, causing cell losses during spermatogenesis, also reflected by a decrease in tubular diameter with an increase in epithelial volume and consequent decrease in luminal volume. We conclude that maternal sodium saccharin consumption during pregnancy and lactation programmed alterations in the reproductive parameters of male offspring, thus influencing spermatogenesis.

Aquaporins as Prognostic Biomarker in Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is a complex heterogeneous disease that affects millions of males worldwide. Despite rapid advances in molecular biology and innovation in technology, few biomarkers have been forthcoming in prostate cancer. The currently available biomarkers for the prognosis of prostate cancer are inadequate and face challenges, thus having limited clinical utility. To date, there are a number of prognostic and predictive biomarkers identified for prostate cancer but lack specificity and sensitivity to guide clinical decision making. There is still tremendous scope for specific biomarkers to understand the natural history and complex biology of this heterogeneous disease, and to identify early treatment responses. Accumulative studies indicate that aquaporins (AQPs) a family of membrane water channels may serve as a prognostic biomarker for prostate cancer in monitoring disease advancement. In the present review, we discuss the existing prostate cancer biomarkers, their limitations, and aquaporins as a prospective biomarker of prognostic significance in prostate cancer.

miR-18a-5p Is Involved in the Developmental Origin of Prostate Cancer in Maternally Malnourished Offspring Rats: A DOHaD Approach

The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) concept correlates early life exposure to stressor conditions with the increased incidence of non-communicable chronic diseases, including prostate cancer (PCa), throughout the life span. However, the molecular mechanisms involved in this process remain poorly understood. In this study, the deregulation of two miRNAs (rno-miR-18a-5p and rno-miR-345-3p) was described in the ventral prostate VP of old rats born to dams fed with a low protein diet (LPD) (6% protein in the diet) during gestational and lactational periods. Integrative analysis of the (VP) transcriptomic and proteomic data revealed changes in the expression profile of 14 identified predicted targets of these two DE miRNAs, which enriched terms related to post-translational protein modification, metabolism of proteins, protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum, phosphonate and phosphinate metabolism, the calnexin/calreticulin cycle, metabolic pathways, N-glycan trimming in the ER and the calnexin/calreticulin cycle, hedgehog ligand biogenesis, the ER-phagosome pathway, detoxification of reactive oxygen species, antigenprocessing-cross presentation, RAB geranylgeranylation, collagen formation, glutathione metabolism, the metabolism of xenobiotics by cytochrome P450, and platinum drug resistance. RT-qPCR validated the deregulation of the miR-18a-5p/P4HB (prolyl 4-hydroxylase subunit beta) network in the VP of older offspring as well as in the PNT-2 cells transfected with mimic miR-18a-5p. Functional in vitro studies revealed a potential modulation of estrogen receptor α (ESR1) by miR-18a-5p in PNT-2 cells, which was also confirmed in the VP of older offspring. An imbalance of the testosterone/estrogen ratio was also observed in the offspring rats born to dams fed with an LPD. In conclusion, deregulation of the miR-18a-5p/P4HB network can contribute to the developmental origins of prostate cancer in maternally malnourished offspring, highlighting the need for improving maternal healthcare during critical windows of vulnerability early in life.

Maternal Diabetes and Postnatal High-Fat Diet on Pregnant Offspring

Maternal diabetes-induced fetal programming predisposes offspring to type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity in adulthood. However, lifelong health and disease trajectories depend on several factors and nutrition is one of the main ones. We intend to understand the role of maternal diabetes-induced fetal programming and its association with a high-fat diet during lifelong in the female F1 generation focusing on reproductive outcomes and the possible changes in physiological systems during pregnancy as well as the repercussions on the F2 generation at birth. For this, we composed four groups: F1 female pups from control (OC) or from diabetic dams (OD) and fed with standard (SD) or high-fat diet from weaning to full-term pregnancy. During pregnancy, glucose intolerance and insulin sensitivity were evaluated. In a full-term pregnancy, the maternal blood and liver were collected to evaluate redox status markers. The maternal blood, placental tissue, and fetal blood (pool) were collected to evaluate adiponectin and leptin levels. Maternal reproductive parameters were evaluated as well. Maternal diabetes and high-fat diet consumption, in isolation, were both responsible for increased infertility rates and fasting glucose levels in the F1 generation and fetal growth restriction in the F2 generation. The association of both conditions showed, in addition to those, increased lipoperoxidation in maternal erythrocytes, regardless of the increased endogenous antioxidant enzyme activities, glucose intolerance, decreased number of implantation sites and live fetuses, decreased litter, fetal and placental weight, increased preimplantation losses, and increased fetal leptin serum levels. Thus, our findings show that fetal programming caused by maternal diabetes or lifelong high-fat diet consumption leads to similar repercussions in pregnant rats. In addition, the association of both conditions was responsible for glucose intolerance and oxidative stress in the first generation and increased fetal leptin levels in the second generation. Thus, our findings show both the F1 and F2 generations harmed health after maternal hyperglycemic intrauterine environment and exposure to a high-fat diet from weaning until the end of pregnancy.

The Immunological Role of the Placenta in SARS-CoV-2 Infection-Viral Transmission, Immune Regulation, and Lactoferrin Activity

A pandemic of acute respiratory infections, due to a new type of coronavirus, can cause Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and has created the need for a better understanding of the clinical, epidemiological, and pathological features of COVID-19, especially in high-risk groups, such as pregnant women. Viral infections in pregnant women may have a much more severe course, and result in an increase in the rate of complications, including spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, and premature birth-which may cause long-term consequences in the offspring. In this review, we focus on the mother-fetal-placenta interface and its role in the potential transmission of SARS-CoV-2, including expression of viral receptors and proteases, placental pathology, and the presence of the virus in neonatal tissues and fluids. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the anti-viral activity of lactoferrin during viral infection in pregnant women, analyzes its role in the pathogenicity of pandemic virus particles, and describes the potential evidence for placental blocking/limiting of the transmission of the virus.