TGF-β1 alleviates HgCl2 induced apoptosis via P38 MAPK signaling pathway in human trophoblast cells

HOXC8 alleviates high glucose-triggered damage of trophoblast cells during gestational diabetes mellitus via activating TGFβ1-mediated Notch1 pathway

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is an increasingly frequent disease occurred during pregnancy. HOXC8 has been disclosed to take part in the regulation of cancers. Additionally, the HOXC8 expression was dramatically decreased in the placenta of pre-eclampsia patients, but its expression and function have not been investigated in GDM. In this work, it was demonstrated that the mRNA and protein expression of HOXC8 was lower in GDM placenta tissues and GDM cell model. In addition, HOXC8 facilitated trophoblast cell proliferation and weakened trophoblast cell mitochondrial apoptosis. HOXC8 enhanced trophoblast cell migration and angiogenesis. Moreover, HOXC8 activated the TGFβ1-mediated Notch1 signaling pathway. Results showed that the mRNA and protein expressions of TGFβ1 and Notch1 were both lower in the GDM group than that in the NP group. Besides, there were positive correlations among HOXC8, TGFβ1 and Notch1. Inhibition of TGFβ1 (SB202190 treatment) reversed the effects of HOXC8 on trophoblast cells through modulating cell proliferation, mitochondrial apoptosis, migration and angiogenesis. At last, through in vivo experiments, it was identified that HOXC8 relieved GDM symptoms in vivo. In conclusion, HOXC8 alleviated HG-stimulated damage of trophoblast cells during GDM through activating TGFβ1-mediated Notch1 pathway. This discovery may provide a novel and useful bio-target for GDM treatment.

Selenium regulates the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway to protect broilers from hexavalent chromium-induced kidney dysfunction and apoptosis

Hexavalent chromium [Cr (VI)] is a common environmental pollutant. Although selenium (Se) can antagonize the toxicity of Cr (VI), the specific underlying mechanism has not been identified. To investigate this mechanism, we used potassium dichromate (K₂Cr₂O₇) and selenium-rich yeast (SeY) to construct single Cr (VI)- and combined Se/Cr (VI)-exposed broiler models during a 42-day period. Broilers were randomly assigned to the control (C), SeY (Se), SeY + Cr (VI) (Se/Cr), and Cr (VI) (Cr) groups. The antagonistic mechanisms of Se and Cr (VI) were evaluated using histopathological evaluation, serum and tissue biochemical tests, real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and western blotting. The results suggested that Se alleviated the morphological and structural damage to renal tubules and glomeruli, while reducing the organ index, creatinine levels, and blood urea nitrogen levels in the kidneys of Cr (VI)-exposed broilers. Furthermore, Cr (VI) reduced the levels of superoxide dismutase and glutathione, and increased the levels of malondialdehyde, in broiler kidney tissues. However, Se alleviated Cr (VI)-induced oxidative stress by increasing the levels of superoxide dismutase and glutathione, and decreasing the levels of malondialdehyde, within a certain range. Compared to the C group, the levels of p38, JNK, p-p38, p-JNK, p-p38/p38, and p-JNK/JNK significantly increased, whereas those of ERK, p-ERK, and p-ERK/ERK decreased, in the Cr group. Compared to the Cr group, the levels of p38, JNK, p-p38, p-JNK, p-p38/p38, and p-JNK/JNK significantly decreased, whereas those of ERK, p-ERK, and p-ERK/ERK increased, in the Se/Cr group. Furthermore, the levels of p53, c-Myc, Bax, Cyt-c, caspase-9, and caspase-3 significantly increased, and those of Bcl-2 and Bcl-2/Bax significantly decreased, following Cr (VI) exposure, while Se restored the expression of these genes. In conclusion, our findings suggest that SeY can protect against Cr (VI)-induced dysfunction and apoptosis by regulating the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway activated by oxidative stress in broiler kidney tissues.

Mercury-Induced Oxidative Stress Response in Benthic Foraminifera: An In Vivo Experiment on Amphistegina lessonii

The evaluation of the effects of pollution (e.g., Hg pollution) is a difficult task and relies mostly on biomonitoring based on bioindicators. The application of biomarkers may represent a complementary or alternative approach in environmental biomonitoring. Mercury is known to pose a significant health hazard due to its ability to cross cellular membranes, bioaccumulate, and biomagnify. In the present research, the effects of short-term (i.e., 24 h) Hg exposure in the symbiont-bearing benthic foraminiferal species Amphistegina lessonii are evaluated using several biomarkers (i.e., proteins and enzymes). Mercury leads to significant changes in the biochemistry of cells. Its effects are mainly associated with oxidative stress (i.e., production of reactive oxygen species: ROS), depletion of glutathione (GSH), and alteration of protein synthesis. Specifically, our findings reveal that exposure to Hg leads to the consumption of GSH by GPx and GST for the scavenging of ROS and the activation of antioxidant-related enzymes, including SOD and GSH-enzymes (GST, GSR, GPx, and Se-GPx), that are directly related to a defense mechanism against ROS. The Hg exposure also activates the MAPK (e.g., p-p38) and HSP (e.g., HSP 70) pathways. The observed biochemical alterations associated with Hg exposure may represent effective and reliable proxies (i.e., biomarkers) for the evaluation of stress in A. lessonii and lead to a possible application for the detection of early warning signs of environmental stress in biomonitoring.

Gene Expression Network Analysis Identifies Potential Targets for Prevention of Preeclampsia

Objective

Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy-specific multisystem disease as well as an important cause of maternal and perinatal death. This study aimed to analyze the placental transcriptional data and clinical information of PE patients available in the published database and predict the target genes for prevention of PE.

Methods

The clinical information and corresponding RNA data of PE patients were downloaded from the GEO database. Cluster analysis was performed to examine the correlation between different genotyping genes and clinical manifestations. Then, bioinformatic approaches including GO, KEGG, WGCNA, and GSEA were employed to functionally characterize candidate target genes involved in pathogenesis of PE.

Results

Two PE datasets GSE60438 and GSE75010 were obtained and combined, thereby providing the data of 205 samples in total (100 non-PE and 105 PE samples). After eliminating the batch effect, we grouped and analyzed the integrated data, and further performed GSEA analysis. It was found that the genes in group 1 and group 2 were different from those in normal samples. Moreover, WGCNA analysis revealed that genes in group 1 were up-regulated in turquoise module, including SASH1, PIK3CB and FLT-1, while genes in group 2 were up-regulated in the blue and brown modules. We further conducted GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses and found that the differential genes in turquoise module were mainly involved in biological processes such as small molecular catabolic process, while being highly enriched in pathways, including MAPK signaling pathway and Rap1 signaling pathway.

Conclusion

FLT-1 was conventionally used to predict PE risk, and sFLT-1 could also be used as an indicator to evaluate PE treatment effect. As a candidate biomarker for predicting PE, SASH1 may participate in proliferation, migration, invasion and epithelial mesenchymal transformation of human trophoblast cells by regulating MAPK pathway and Rap1 signaling pathway, thus affecting the progression of PE. The mechanism allowing PIK3CB to regulate PE development was not clear, while the gene could be another candidate biomarker for PE risk prediction. This is an exploratory study and our findings were still required verification in further studies.

Efficacy of Low Molecular Heparin on Preeclampsia by Inhibiting Apoptosis of Trophoblasts via the p38MAPK Signaling Pathway

OBJECTIVE

To explore the efficacy of low molecular heparin on preeclampsia by inhibiting apoptosis of trophoblasts via the p38MAPK signaling pathway.

METHODS

A preeclampsia rat model was established, and the effects of low molecular heparin on preeclampsia via the p38MAPK signaling pathway were analyzed based on intervention of the rats with different combinations of low molecular heparin and p38MAPK signaling pathway activator. Furthermore, a hypoxia/reoxygenation model of trophoblasts in vitro was established to explore the effects of low molecular heparin on trophoblasts via the p38MAPK signaling pathway.

RESULTS

After treatment with low molecular heparin, pregnant rats in the heparin group showed significantly decreased blood pressure, 24 h proteinuria, and p38MAPK protein levels in placenta tissues and decreased apoptosis rate of placenta tissue cells (all P < 0.05) and showed more fetal rats and lowered weight of them (both P < 0.05) but showed no significant change in the weight of placenta (all P > 0.05). Pregnant rats treated with low molecular heparin and p38MAPK activator showed significantly higher blood pressure, 24 h proteinuria, and p38MAPK protein levels in placenta tissues and apoptosis rate of placenta tissue cells than those of pregnant rats in the heparin group (all P < 0.05) and also showed less fetal rats and lighter fetal rats than those in the heparin group (both P < 0.05) but showed no difference with them in the weight of placenta (P > 0.05). Further analysis revealed that low molecular heparin could protect the survival and migration of trophoblasts under hypoxia/reoxygenation conditions and reduce apoptosis of them (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Low molecular heparin can alleviate preeclampsia by inhibiting the p38MAPK signaling pathway and can inhibit apoptosis of trophoblasts and promote proliferation and migration of them.

Protein Kinase A Is Involved in Neuropathic Pain by Activating the p38MAPK Pathway to Mediate Spinal Cord Cell Apoptosis

Neuropathic pain is a serious clinical problem to be solved. This study is aimed at investigating protein kinase A (PKA) expression in neuropathic pain and its possible mechanisms of involvement. A neuropathic pain-related gene expression dataset was downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus, and differentially expressed genes were screened using the R software. cytoHubba was used to screen for hub genes. A spared nerve injury (SNI) rat model was established, and the paw withdrawal threshold was determined using von Frey filaments. Western blotting and immunofluorescence were used to detect the expression and cellular localization, respectively, of key proteins in the spinal cord. Western blot, ELISA, and TUNEL assays were used to detect cell signal transduction, inflammation, and apoptosis, respectively. Pka was identified as a key gene involved in neuropathic pain. After SNI, mechanical allodynia occurred, PKA expression in the spinal cord increased, the p38MAPK pathway was activated, and spinal cord inflammation and apoptosis occurred in rats. PKA colocalized with neurons, astrocytes, and microglia, and apoptotic cells were mainly neurons. Intrathecal injection of a PKA inhibitor not only relieved mechanical hyperalgesia, inflammatory reaction, and apoptosis in SNI rats but also inhibited p38MAPK pathway activation. However, intrathecal injection of a p38MAPK inhibitor attenuated mechanical hyperalgesia, inflammation, and apoptosis, but did not affect PKA expression. In conclusion, PKA is involved in neuropathic pain by activating the p38MAPK pathway to mediate spinal cord cell apoptosis.

Elevated blood mercury level has a non-linear association with infertility in U.S. women: Data from the NHANES 2013-2016

Mercury is a ubiquitous toxic heavy metal associated with an increased risk of female infertility; however, the evidence supporting this is limited and controversial. We aimed to explore the relationship between the total blood mercury and infertility in 1796 selected participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) (2013-2016). We found no significant association between mercury and infertility based on a fully-adjusted model (OR 1.04; 95 % CI 0.91, 1.19), and the results remained robust in a series of sensitive analysis. However, a non-linear relationship was detected. By a two-piecewise linear regression model and recursive algorithm, we identified an inflection point of 5.278 μg/L, when blood mercury was >5.278 μg/L, a 1-unit increase in mercury (log2) was associated with 157 % greater adjusted odds of infertility (OR 2.57; 95 % CI 1.12, 5.87). Our findings provide new insights to advance the research of the link between mercury and infertility.