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Dutta S, Lee J, Banu SK, Arosh JA. Dual inhibition of AKT and ERK1/2 pathways restores the expression of progesterone Receptor-B in endometriotic lesions through epigenetic mechanisms. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2024; 592:112290. [PMID: 38825223 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2024.112290] [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: 03/26/2024] [Revised: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent and progesterone-resistant gynecological inflammatory disease of reproductive-age women. Progesterone resistance, loss of progesterone receptor -B (PR-B) in the stromal cells of the endometrium, is one of the hallmarks of endometriosis and a major contributing factor for infertility in endometriosis patients. Loss of PR-B in the stromal cells of the endometriotic lesions poses resistance to the success of progesterone-based therapy. The working hypothesis is that PR-B is hypermethylated and epigenetically silenced, and inhibition of AKT and ERK1/2 pathways will decrease the hypermethylation, reverse the epigenetic silencing, and restore the expression of PR-B via DNA methylation and histone modification mechanisms in the endometriotic lesions. The objectives are to (i) determine the effects of dual inhibition of AKT and ERK1/2 pathways on the expression of PR-B and DNA methylation and histone modification protein machinery in the endometriotic lesions and (ii) identify the underlying epigenetic mechanisms of PR-B restoration in the endometriotic lesions. The results indicate that dual inhibition of AKT and ERK1/2 pathways decreases the hypermethylation, reverses the epigenetic silencing, and restores the expression of PR-B via DNA methylation and H3K9 and H3K27 methylation mechanisms in the endometriotic lesions or endometriotic stromal cells of human origin. These results support the novel concept that restored expression of PR-B in the endometriotic lesions and endometrium may improve the clinical outcome of progesterone therapy in endometriosis patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sudipta Dutta
- Reproductive Endocrinology and Cell Signaling Laboratory, Department of Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, Texas, 77843, College Station, USA
| | - JeHoon Lee
- Reproductive Endocrinology and Cell Signaling Laboratory, Department of Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, Texas, 77843, College Station, USA
| | - Sakhila K Banu
- Reproductive Endocrinology and Cell Signaling Laboratory, Department of Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, Texas, 77843, College Station, USA
| | - Joe A Arosh
- Reproductive Endocrinology and Cell Signaling Laboratory, Department of Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, Texas, 77843, College Station, USA.
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2
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Madasu C, Liao Z, Parks SE, Sharma KL, Bohren KM, Ye Q, Li F, Palaniappan M, Tan Z, Yuan F, Creighton CJ, Tang S, Masand RP, Guan X, Young DW, Monsivais D, Matzuk MM. Identification of potent pan-ephrin receptor kinase inhibitors using DNA-encoded chemistry technology. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2322934121. [PMID: 38701119 PMCID: PMC11087803 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2322934121] [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: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
EPH receptors (EPHs), the largest family of tyrosine kinases, phosphorylate downstream substrates upon binding of ephrin cell surface-associated ligands. In a large cohort of endometriotic lesions from individuals with endometriosis, we found that EPHA2 and EPHA4 expressions are increased in endometriotic lesions relative to normal eutopic endometrium. Because signaling through EPHs is associated with increased cell migration and invasion, we hypothesized that chemical inhibition of EPHA2/4 could have therapeutic value. We screened DNA-encoded chemical libraries (DECL) to rapidly identify EPHA2/4 kinase inhibitors. Hit compound, CDD-2693, exhibited picomolar/nanomolar kinase activity against EPHA2 (Ki: 4.0 nM) and EPHA4 (Ki: 0.81 nM). Kinome profiling revealed that CDD-2693 bound to most EPH family and SRC family kinases. Using NanoBRET target engagement assays, CDD-2693 had nanomolar activity versus EPHA2 (IC50: 461 nM) and EPHA4 (IC50: 40 nM) but was a micromolar inhibitor of SRC, YES, and FGR. Chemical optimization produced CDD-3167, having picomolar biochemical activity toward EPHA2 (Ki: 0.13 nM) and EPHA4 (Ki: 0.38 nM) with excellent cell-based potency EPHA2 (IC50: 8.0 nM) and EPHA4 (IC50: 2.3 nM). Moreover, CDD-3167 maintained superior off-target cellular selectivity. In 12Z endometriotic epithelial cells, CDD-2693 and CDD-3167 significantly decreased EFNA5 (ligand) induced phosphorylation of EPHA2/4, decreased 12Z cell viability, and decreased IL-1β-mediated expression of prostaglandin synthase 2 (PTGS2). CDD-2693 and CDD-3167 decreased expansion of primary endometrial epithelial organoids from patients with endometriosis and decreased Ewing's sarcoma viability. Thus, using DECL, we identified potent pan-EPH inhibitors that show specificity and activity in cellular models of endometriosis and cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chandrashekhar Madasu
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
| | - Zian Liao
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
| | - Sydney E. Parks
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
| | - Kiran L. Sharma
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
| | - Kurt M. Bohren
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
| | - Qiuji Ye
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
| | - Feng Li
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
| | - Murugesan Palaniappan
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
| | - Zhi Tan
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
| | - Fei Yuan
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
| | - Chad J. Creighton
- Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center Division of Biostatistics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
| | - Suni Tang
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
| | - Ramya P. Masand
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
| | - Xiaoming Guan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
| | - Damian W. Young
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
| | - Diana Monsivais
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
| | - Martin M. Matzuk
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
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3
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Dunn TN, Cope DI, Tang S, Sirupangi T, Parks SE, Liao Z, Yuan F, Creighton CJ, Masand RP, Alpuing Radilla L, Guan X, Detti L, Monsivais D, Matzuk MM. Inhibition of CSF1R and KIT With Pexidartinib Reduces Inflammatory Signaling and Cell Viability in Endometriosis. Endocrinology 2024; 165:bqae003. [PMID: 38227801 PMCID: PMC10948355 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqae003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2024] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
Endometriosis is a common and debilitating disease, affecting ∼170 million women worldwide. Affected patients have limited therapeutic options such as hormonal suppression or surgical excision of the lesions, though therapies are often not completely curative. Targeting receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) could provide a nonhormonal treatment option for endometriosis. We determined that 2 RTKs, macrophage-colony stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R) and mast/stem cell growth factor receptor KIT (KIT), are overexpressed in endometriotic lesions and could be novel nonhormonal therapeutic targets for endometriosis. The kinase activity of CSF1R and KIT is suppressed by pexidartinib, a small molecule inhibitor that was recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. Using immunohistochemistry, we detected CSF1R and KIT in endometriotic tissues obtained from peritoneal lesions, colorectal lesions, and endometriomas. Specifically, we show that KIT is localized to the epithelium of the lesions, while CSF1R is expressed in the stroma and macrophages of the endometriotic lesions. Given the high epithelial expression of CSF1R and KIT, 12Z endometriotic epithelial cells were used to evaluate the efficacy of dual CSF1R and KIT inhibition with pexidartinib. We found that pexidartinib suppressed activation in 12Z cells of JNK, STAT3, and AKT signaling pathways, which control key proinflammatory and survival networks within the cell. Using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, we determined that pexidartinib suppressed interleukin 8 (IL8) and cyclin D1 (CCND1) expression. Lastly, we demonstrated that pexidartinib decreased cell growth and viability. Overall, these results indicate that pexidartinib-mediated CSF1R and KIT inhibition reduces proinflammatory signaling and cell viability in endometriosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy N Dunn
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Dominique I Cope
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Suni Tang
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Tirupataiah Sirupangi
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Sydney E Parks
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Zian Liao
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Fei Yuan
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Chad J Creighton
- Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center Division of Biostatistics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Ramya P Masand
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Linda Alpuing Radilla
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Xiaoming Guan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Laura Detti
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Diana Monsivais
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Martin M Matzuk
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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4
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Sun Y, Zhang S, Zhang X, Li G, Sun F, Wang M, Ren C, Jiang A, Yang T. AURKA Enhances the Glycolysis and Development of Ovarian Endometriosis Through ERβ. Endocrinology 2024; 165:bqae018. [PMID: 38340326 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqae018] [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: 10/07/2023] [Revised: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Ovarian endometriosis (EMs) is a benign, estrogen-dependent gynecological disorder. Estrogen receptor beta (ERβ), a nuclear receptor for estradiol, plays an important role in the development of ovarian EMs. Here, we investigated the biological significance of aurora kinase A (AURKA) in ovarian EMs and the mechanism by which it regulates ERβ. We used immunohistochemical assays to verify that AURKA and ERβ were highly expressed in ectopic endometrial tissues. Cell proliferation and colony formation assays were used to demonstrate that AURKA promoted the proliferation of EMs cells. Wound-healing assay, Transwell migration assay, and Matrigel invasion assay further showed that AURKA enhanced the ability of EMs cells to migrate and invade. In addition, AURKA was shown to stimulate glycolysis in EMs cells by measuring the concentration of glucose and lactate in the cell supernatants. Moreover, the AURKA inhibitor alisertib was found to inhibit the progression of ovarian EMs and glycolysis in a mouse model of EMs by measuring ectopic tissues as well as by testing the peritoneal fluid of mice. Furthermore, coimmunoprecipitation assay showed that AURKA interacted with ERβ. The rescue experiments confirmed that AURKA regulated the development and glycolysis of ovarian EMs in an ERβ-dependent manner. AURKA contributed to the development of ovarian EMs by upregulating of ERβ. AURKA may represent a new target for the treatment of ovarian EMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujun Sun
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, 261041, P.R. China
- Department of Emergency, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, 261041, P.R. China
- School of Clinical Medicine, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, 261053, P.R. China
| | - Shucai Zhang
- Department of Emergency, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, 261041, P.R. China
| | - Xiaohui Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zhucheng People's Hospital, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, 262299, P.R. China
| | - Guotao Li
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, 261041, P.R. China
- Department of Emergency, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, 261041, P.R. China
| | - Fangyuan Sun
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, 261041, P.R. China
- Department of Emergency, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, 261041, P.R. China
- School of Clinical Medicine, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, 261053, P.R. China
| | - Mengxue Wang
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, 261041, P.R. China
- Department of Emergency, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, 261041, P.R. China
- School of Clinical Medicine, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, 261053, P.R. China
| | - Chune Ren
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, 261041, P.R. China
- Department of Emergency, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, 261041, P.R. China
| | - Aifang Jiang
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, 261041, P.R. China
- Department of Emergency, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, 261041, P.R. China
| | - Tingting Yang
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, 261041, P.R. China
- Department of Emergency, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, 261041, P.R. China
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5
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Szymański M, Bonowicz K, Antosik P, Jerka D, Głowacka M, Soroka M, Steinbrink K, Kleszczyński K, Gagat M. Role of Cyclins and Cytoskeletal Proteins in Endometriosis: Insights into Pathophysiology. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:836. [PMID: 38398227 PMCID: PMC10886501 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16040836] [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: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Endometriosis is a gynecological condition where endometrium-like tissue grows outside the uterus, posing challenges in understanding and treatment. This article delves into the deep cellular and molecular processes underlying endometriosis, with a focus on the crucial roles played by cyclins and cytoskeletal proteins in its pathogenesis, particularly in the context of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT). The investigation begins by examining the activities of cyclins, elucidating their diverse biological roles such as cell cycle control, proliferation, evasion of apoptosis, and angiogenesis among ectopic endometrial cells. A comprehensive analysis of cytoskeletal proteins follows, emphasizing their fundamental biological roles and their specific significance to endometriotic cell features. This review sheds light on the interconnected pathways through which cyclins and cytoskeletal proteins converge, contributing to the genesis and progression of endometriosis. Understanding these molecular complexities not only provides insight into the underlying causes of the disease but also holds promise for the development of specific therapeutic approaches, ushering in a new era in the management of this devastating disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcin Szymański
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, 85-092 Bydgoszcz, Poland; (M.S.); (K.B.); (D.J.)
| | - Klaudia Bonowicz
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, 85-092 Bydgoszcz, Poland; (M.S.); (K.B.); (D.J.)
- Faculty of Medicine, Collegium Medicum, Mazovian Academy in Płock, 08-110 Płock, Poland; (M.G.); (M.S.)
| | - Paulina Antosik
- Department of Clinical Pathomorphology, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, 85-094 Bydgoszcz, Poland;
| | - Dominika Jerka
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, 85-092 Bydgoszcz, Poland; (M.S.); (K.B.); (D.J.)
| | - Mariola Głowacka
- Faculty of Medicine, Collegium Medicum, Mazovian Academy in Płock, 08-110 Płock, Poland; (M.G.); (M.S.)
| | - Małgorzata Soroka
- Faculty of Medicine, Collegium Medicum, Mazovian Academy in Płock, 08-110 Płock, Poland; (M.G.); (M.S.)
| | - Kerstin Steinbrink
- Department of Dermatology, University of Münster, Von-Esmarch-Str. 58, 48149 Münster, Germany; (K.S.); (K.K.)
| | - Konrad Kleszczyński
- Department of Dermatology, University of Münster, Von-Esmarch-Str. 58, 48149 Münster, Germany; (K.S.); (K.K.)
| | - Maciej Gagat
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, 85-092 Bydgoszcz, Poland; (M.S.); (K.B.); (D.J.)
- Faculty of Medicine, Collegium Medicum, Mazovian Academy in Płock, 08-110 Płock, Poland; (M.G.); (M.S.)
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Anthis AHC, Kilchenmann S, Murdeu M, LeValley PJ, Wolf M, Meyer C, Cipolato O, Tibbitt MW, Rosendorf J, Liska V, Rduch T, Herrmann IK. Reversible Mechanical Contraception and Endometriosis Treatment Using Stimuli-Responsive Hydrogels. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024:e2310301. [PMID: 38298130 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202310301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
Female sterilization via fallopian tube ligation is a common procedure; However, after the operation, over 10% of women seek re-fertilization, which is frequently unsuccessful. In addition, there is evidence that fallopian tubes contribute to the spread of endometriotic tissue as they serve as channels for proinflammatory media entering the abdominal cavity via retrograde menstruation. Here, stimuli-degradable hydrogel implants are presented for the functional, biocompatible, and reversible occlusion of fallopian tubes. The hydrogel implants, designed with customized swelling properties, mechanically occlude fallopian tubes in a high-performance manner with burst pressures reaching 255-558 mmHg, exceeding normal abdominal pressures (95 mmHg). Their damage-free removal can be achieved within 30 min using near-visible UV light or a glutathione solution, employing a method akin to standard fallopian tube perfusion diagnostics. Ultrasound-guided implant placement is demonstrated using a clinical hysteroscope in a human-scale uterus model and biocompatibility in a porcine in vivo model. Importantly, the prevention of live sperm as well as endometrial cell passage through blocked fallopian tubes is demonstrated. Overall, a multifunctional system is presented that constitutes a possible means of on-demand, reversible contraception along with the first-ever mechanical approach to abdominal endometriosis prevention and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre H C Anthis
- Nanoparticle Systems Engineering Laboratory, Institute of Energy and Process Engineering (IEPE), Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering (D-MAVT), ETH Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 3, Zurich, 8092, Switzerland
- Particles Biology Interactions Laboratory, Department of Materials Meet Life, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, St. Gallen, 9014, Switzerland
- Ingenuity Laboratory, University Hospital Balgrist, Forchstrasse 340, Zurich, 8008, Switzerland
| | - Samuel Kilchenmann
- Nanoparticle Systems Engineering Laboratory, Institute of Energy and Process Engineering (IEPE), Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering (D-MAVT), ETH Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 3, Zurich, 8092, Switzerland
| | - Manon Murdeu
- Particles Biology Interactions Laboratory, Department of Materials Meet Life, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, St. Gallen, 9014, Switzerland
| | - Paige J LeValley
- Nanoparticle Systems Engineering Laboratory, Institute of Energy and Process Engineering (IEPE), Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering (D-MAVT), ETH Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 3, Zurich, 8092, Switzerland
- Particles Biology Interactions Laboratory, Department of Materials Meet Life, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, St. Gallen, 9014, Switzerland
| | - Morris Wolf
- Macromolecular Engineering Laboratory, Institute of Energy and Process Engineering (IEPE), Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering (D-MAVT), ETH Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 3, Zurich, 8092, Switzerland
| | - Charlotte Meyer
- Nanoparticle Systems Engineering Laboratory, Institute of Energy and Process Engineering (IEPE), Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering (D-MAVT), ETH Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 3, Zurich, 8092, Switzerland
- Particles Biology Interactions Laboratory, Department of Materials Meet Life, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, St. Gallen, 9014, Switzerland
| | - Oscar Cipolato
- Nanoparticle Systems Engineering Laboratory, Institute of Energy and Process Engineering (IEPE), Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering (D-MAVT), ETH Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 3, Zurich, 8092, Switzerland
- Particles Biology Interactions Laboratory, Department of Materials Meet Life, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, St. Gallen, 9014, Switzerland
| | - Mark W Tibbitt
- Macromolecular Engineering Laboratory, Institute of Energy and Process Engineering (IEPE), Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering (D-MAVT), ETH Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 3, Zurich, 8092, Switzerland
| | - Jachym Rosendorf
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Alej Svobody 923/80, Pilsen, 32300, Czech Republic
- Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Alej Svobody 1655/76, Pilsen, 32300, Czech Republic
| | - Vaclav Liska
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Alej Svobody 923/80, Pilsen, 32300, Czech Republic
- Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Alej Svobody 1655/76, Pilsen, 32300, Czech Republic
| | - Thomas Rduch
- Particles Biology Interactions Laboratory, Department of Materials Meet Life, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, St. Gallen, 9014, Switzerland
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics (Frauenklinik), Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen (KSSG), Rorschacherstrasse 95, St. Gallen, 9007, Switzerland
| | - Inge K Herrmann
- Nanoparticle Systems Engineering Laboratory, Institute of Energy and Process Engineering (IEPE), Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering (D-MAVT), ETH Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 3, Zurich, 8092, Switzerland
- Particles Biology Interactions Laboratory, Department of Materials Meet Life, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, St. Gallen, 9014, Switzerland
- Ingenuity Laboratory, University Hospital Balgrist, Forchstrasse 340, Zurich, 8008, Switzerland
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich, Rämistrasse 71, Zurich, 8006, Switzerland
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7
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Ling X, Liu L, Jiang A, Shi X, Liu L, Wang X, Lu C, Ren C, Yu Z. PFKFB3 promotes endometriosis cell proliferation via enhancing the protein stability of β-catenin. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2024; 579:112083. [PMID: 37820851 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2023.112083] [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: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Endometriosis is a common inflammatory disease in women of reproductive age and is highly associated with infertility. However, the molecular mechanism of endometriosis remains unclear. 6-Phosphofructose-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase 3 (PFKFB3) is a key enzyme in glycolysis and plays an important regulatory role in the development of cancer. Here we found that PFKFB3 is highly expressed in endometriotic tissues. PFKFB3 promotes the proliferation and growth of endometriosis cells. Meanwhile, PFKFB3 promotes glycolysis in endometriosis cells. Furthermore, PFKFB3 promotes migration and invasion of endometriosis cells. On this basis, we found that PFKFB3 promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in endometriosis cells. PFKFB3 interacts with the essential factor of EMT, β-catenin, and promotes the protein stability of β-catenin. In addition, the PFKFB3 inhibitor PFK-015 inhibites the growth of endometriosis cells and the development of endometrial tissue. In conclusion, our study shows that PFKFB3 plays an important role in the development of endometriosis and provides new ideas for the clinical diagnosis or treatment of endometriosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Ling
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, PR China; School of Clinical Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, PR China
| | - Lan Liu
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, PR China; School of Clinical Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, PR China
| | - Aifang Jiang
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, PR China
| | - Xiaodan Shi
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, PR China
| | - Lu Liu
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, PR China; School of Clinical Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, PR China
| | - Xiaoyun Wang
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, PR China; School of Clinical Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, PR China
| | - Chao Lu
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, PR China
| | - Chune Ren
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, PR China.
| | - Zhenhai Yu
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, PR China.
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8
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Mendoza-Ramirez S, Hernández-Robles CM, Velasco-Rueda I, Romero-Utrilla A, Arrecillas-Zamora MD, Agustín-Godínez E, Morales-Jáuregui LL, Ramírez-Balderrama LA, Olvera-Olvera MA, Murguia-Perez M. Myxoid Endometriosis: An Entity That Can Cause Confusion with Malignant Entities. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:3176. [PMID: 37891997 PMCID: PMC10605558 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13203176] [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: 08/03/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Myxoid endometriosis, a rare entity, is part of the histological changes that can occur in endometriosis. Pathologists must know the histological guidelines for the morphological recognition of this entity, as well as the histochemical and immunohistochemical techniques that support diagnosis, and define the morphological characteristics of myxoid endometriosis. In the present work, we propose diagnostic guidelines and primary differential diagnoses using special histochemical techniques and immunohistochemical reactions to recognize this entity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saulo Mendoza-Ramirez
- Hospital General de Mexico “Dr. Eduardo Liceaga”, Mexico City 06720, Mexico; (S.M.-R.); (A.R.-U.); (M.D.A.-Z.)
- Centro Médico ABC Observatorio, Mexico City 01120, Mexico
| | - Claudia Mariana Hernández-Robles
- UMAE Hospital de Especialidades N° 1 Centro Médico Nacional Bajío, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Guanajuato 37328, Leon, Mexico; (C.M.H.-R.); (E.A.-G.); (L.A.R.-B.)
| | - Italú Velasco-Rueda
- Hospital General de Zona N°. 1 “Dr. Emilio Varela Luján”, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Zacatecas 98000, Zacatecas, Mexico;
| | - Alejandra Romero-Utrilla
- Hospital General de Mexico “Dr. Eduardo Liceaga”, Mexico City 06720, Mexico; (S.M.-R.); (A.R.-U.); (M.D.A.-Z.)
| | | | - Eduardo Agustín-Godínez
- UMAE Hospital de Especialidades N° 1 Centro Médico Nacional Bajío, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Guanajuato 37328, Leon, Mexico; (C.M.H.-R.); (E.A.-G.); (L.A.R.-B.)
| | | | - Lázaro Ariel Ramírez-Balderrama
- UMAE Hospital de Especialidades N° 1 Centro Médico Nacional Bajío, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Guanajuato 37328, Leon, Mexico; (C.M.H.-R.); (E.A.-G.); (L.A.R.-B.)
| | - Marco Antonio Olvera-Olvera
- Hospital General de Zona con Medicina Familiar N° 21, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Leon 37380, Guanajuato, Mexico;
| | - Mario Murguia-Perez
- UMAE Hospital de Especialidades N° 1 Centro Médico Nacional Bajío, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Guanajuato 37328, Leon, Mexico; (C.M.H.-R.); (E.A.-G.); (L.A.R.-B.)
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9
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Yotova I, Proestling K, Haslinger I, Witzmann-Stern M, Widmar B, Kuessel L, Husslein H, Wenzl R, Hudson QJ. DIRAS3 regulates autophagy in an endometriosis epithelial cell line. Reprod Biomed Online 2023; 47:103251. [PMID: 37598541 DOI: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2023.06.006] [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: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
RESEARCH QUESTION What is the role of DIRAS3 in endometriosis pathogenesis? DESIGN Prospective patient cohort study combined with experiments in the 12Z human endometriosis epithelial cell line model to determine the role of DIRAS3 in endometriosis. Endometrium and endometriosis lesion samples were collected from premenopausal women from 24 control and 40 endometriosis patients by laparoscopic surgery. The role of DIRAS3 in endometriosis was assessed by siRNA knockdown in 12Z cells followed by proliferation, apoptosis, invasion and autophagy assays. Autophagy was induced by serum starvation and the levels of autophagy determined by assessing changes in the expression levels and localization of autophagy marker proteins, such as LC3. RESULTS DIRAS3 mRNA showed a large increase in expression in ectopic endometriosis lesions compared with endometrium from control patients, with expression largely localized to the epithelium. DIRAS3 knockdown in 12Z endometriosis epithelial cells caused a significant reduction in the number of proliferating cells (1.6-fold, adjusted P = 0.0007) and increased apoptosis (AnnexinV/7AAD double-positive cells +48%, P = 0.01), indicating an effect on cell proliferation. Induction of autophagy by serum starvation caused significant upregulation in DIRAS3 expression after 24 h (mRNA +2.4-fold [adjusted P = 0.017], protein +8.1-fold (adjusted P = 0.029), reduced LC3I/LC3II ratio (-2.2-fold, adjusted P = 0.044) and an increase in the number of double positive LC3/DIRAS3 puncta (+2.3-fold, P = 0.02). Knockdown of DIRAS3 in serum-starved cells led to a reduction in autophagy, indicated by an overall decrease in LC3 expression and significant increase in LC3I/LC3II ratio. CONCLUSIONS DIRAS3 is highly upregulated in endometriosis lesions. Studies in an endometriosis epithelial cell line indicate that DIRAS3 facilitates cell survival in this context by inducing autophagy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iveta Yotova
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria..
| | - Katharina Proestling
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Isabella Haslinger
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Matthias Witzmann-Stern
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Barbara Widmar
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Lorenz Kuessel
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Heinrich Husslein
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - René Wenzl
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Quanah J Hudson
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
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10
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Kai K, Joshi NR, Burns GW, Hrbek SM, Vegter EL, Ochoa-Bernal MA, Song Y, Moldovan GE, Sempere LF, Miyadahira EH, Serafini PC, Fazleabas AT. MicroRNA-210-3p Regulates Endometriotic Lesion Development by Targeting IGFBP3 in Baboons and Women with Endometriosis. Reprod Sci 2023; 30:2932-2944. [PMID: 37188982 PMCID: PMC10556147 DOI: 10.1007/s43032-023-01253-5] [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: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRs) play an important role in the pathophysiology of endometriosis; however, the role of miR-210 in endometriosis remains unclear. This study explores the role of miR-210 and its targets, IGFBP3 and COL8A1, in ectopic lesion growth and development. Matched eutopic (EuE) and ectopic (EcE) endometrial samples were obtained for analysis from baboons and women with endometriosis. Immortalized human ectopic endometriotic epithelial cells (12Z cells) were utilized for functional assays. Endometriosis was experimentally induced in female baboons (n = 5). Human matched endometrial and endometriotic tissues were obtained from women (n = 9, 18-45 years old) with regular menstrual cycles. Quantitative reverse transcript polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis was performed for in vivo characterization of miR-210, IGFBP3, and COL8A1. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemical analysis were performed for cell-specific localization. Immortalized endometriotic epithelial cell lines (12Z) were utilized for in vitro functional assays. MiR-210 expression was decreased in EcE, while IGFBP3 and COL8A1 expression was increased in EcE. MiR-210 was expressed in the glandular epithelium of EuE but attenuated in those of EcE. IGFBP3 and COL8A1 were expressed in the glandular epithelium of EuE and were increased compared to EcE. MiR-210 overexpression in 12Z cells suppressed IGFBP3 expression and attenuated cell proliferation and migration. MiR-210 repression and subsequent unopposed IGFBP3 expression may contribute to endometriotic lesion development by increasing cell proliferation and migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kentaro Kai
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Oita University Faculty of Medicine, Yufu, Japan
| | - Niraj R Joshi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA
| | - Gregory W Burns
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA
| | - Samantha M Hrbek
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA
| | - Erin L Vegter
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA
| | - Maria Ariadna Ochoa-Bernal
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA
| | - Yong Song
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA
| | - Genna E Moldovan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA
| | - Lorenzo F Sempere
- Department of Radiology, Precision Health Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | | | - Paulo C Serafini
- Department of Gynecology, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Asgerally T Fazleabas
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA.
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11
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Teworte S, Aleandri S, Weber JR, Carone M, Luciani P. Mucoadhesive 3D printed vaginal ovules to treat endometriosis and fibrotic uterine diseases. Eur J Pharm Sci 2023; 188:106501. [PMID: 37339708 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2023.106501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023]
Abstract
Gynaecological health is a neglected field of research that includes conditions such as endometriosis, uterine fibroids, infertility, viral and bacterial infections, and cancers. There is a clinical need to develop dosage forms for gynecological diseases that increase efficacy and reduce side effects and explore new materials with properties tailored to the vaginal mucosa and milieu. Here, we developed a 3D printed semisolid vaginal ovule containing pirfenidone, a repurposed drug candidate for endometriosis. Vaginal drug delivery allows direct targeting of the reproductive organs via the first uterine pass effect, but vaginal dosage forms can be challenging to self-administer and retain in situ for periods of more than 1-3 h. We show that a semisoft alginate-based vaginal suppository manufactured using semisolid extrusion additive manufacturing is superior to vaginal ovules made using standard excipients. The 3D-printed ovule showed a controlled release profile of pirfenidone in vitro in standard and biorelevant release tests, as well as better mucoadhesive properties ex vivo. An exposure time of 24 h of pirfenidone to a monolayer culture of an endometriotic epithelial cell line, 12Z, is necessary to reduce the cells' metabolic activity, which demonstrates the need for a sustained release formulation of pirfenidone. 3D printing allowed us to formulate mucoadhesive polymers into a semisolid ovule with controlled release of pirfenidone. This work enables further preclinical and clinical studies into vaginally administered pirfenidone to assess its efficacy as a repurposed endometriosis treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Teworte
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bern, Freiestrasse 3, Bern 3012, Switzerland
| | - Simone Aleandri
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bern, Freiestrasse 3, Bern 3012, Switzerland
| | - Jessica R Weber
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bern, Freiestrasse 3, Bern 3012, Switzerland
| | - Marianna Carone
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bern, Freiestrasse 3, Bern 3012, Switzerland
| | - Paola Luciani
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bern, Freiestrasse 3, Bern 3012, Switzerland.
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12
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Wang M, Fan R, Jiang J, Sun F, Sun Y, Wang Q, Jiang A, Yu Z, Yang T. PIM2 Promotes the Development of Ovarian Endometriosis by Enhancing Glycolysis and Fibrosis. Reprod Sci 2023; 30:2692-2702. [PMID: 37059967 DOI: 10.1007/s43032-023-01208-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023]
Abstract
Endometriosis is a common gynecological disorder characterized by the presence of the endometrial glands and the stroma outside the uterine cavity. The disease affects reproductive function and quality of life in women of reproductive age. Endometriosis is similar to tumors in some characteristics, such as glycolysis. PIM2 can promote the development of tumors, but the mechanism of PIM2 in endometriosis is still unclear. Therefore, our goal is to study the mechanism of PIM2 in endometriosis. Through immunohistochemistry, we found PIM2, HK2, PKM2, SMH (smooth muscle myosin heavy chain), Desmin, and α-SMA (α-smooth muscle actin) were strongly expressed in the ovarian endometriosis. In endometriotic cells, PIM2 enhanced glycolysis and fibrosis via upregulating the expression of PKM2. Moreover, the PIM2 inhibitor SMI-4a inhibited the development of endometriosis. And we established a PIM2 knockout mouse model of endometriosis to demonstrate the role of PIM2 in vivo. In summary, our study indicates that PIM2 promotes the development of endometriosis. PIM2 may serve as a promising therapeutic target for endometriosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengxue Wang
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China
- School of Clinical Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Ruiqi Fan
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China
- School of Clinical Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Junyi Jiang
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Fangyuan Sun
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China
- School of Clinical Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Yujun Sun
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China
- School of Clinical Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Qian Wang
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China
- School of Clinical Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Aifang Jiang
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhenhai Yu
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China.
| | - Tingting Yang
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China.
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13
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Liu YN, Kang JW, Zhang Y, Song SS, Xu QX, Zhang H, Lu L, Wei SW, Liang C, Su RW. Vanillin prevents the growth of endometriotic lesions through anti-inflammatory and antioxidant pathways in a mouse model. Food Funct 2023. [PMID: 37409688 DOI: 10.1039/d3fo00750b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/07/2023]
Abstract
Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent chronic inflammatory gynecological disease defined by the presence of endometrial glands and mesenchyme outside the uterine cavity, named ectopic endometrium. Recent studies showed that endometriosis is associated with hormone imbalance, inflammation and oxidative stress. As the main component of vanilla bean extract, vanillin is widely used as a flavoring agent in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. It is known for its anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antitumor properties, but its therapeutic efficacy in endometriosis has not been studied. In this study, we evaluated the roles of vanillin in this disease using an induced endometriotic mouse model. The results showed that vanillin significantly inhibited the growth of endometrial lesions. Compared with the control group, the weight and volume of lesions were reduced considerably in the vanillin-treated group, showing its fantastic ability to inhibit cell proliferation and promote apoptosis. In addition, in the treatment group, mRNA expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines Tnfa, Infg, Il1b, and Il6 was reduced, the number of macrophages and neutrophils was decreased, and the NF-κB signaling pathway was inhibited, indicating that vanillin suppressed the inflammatory response in the ectopic endometrium. Besides, we found that the intensity of tissue reactive oxygen species (ROS) was significantly lower, and mitochondrial complex IV expression was reduced in the vanillin-treated group. Meanwhile, treatment of the immortalized human endometriotic epithelial cell line (11Z) with vanillin resulted in the downregulation of cyclin genes that drive the cell proliferation process, inhibited cell proliferation, promoted apoptosis, and downregulated the expression of LPS-induced inflammatory cytokines. Most importantly, our data showed that the vanillin treatment had only minimal effects on the eutopic endometrium with respect to the pregnancy process, indicating its safety to be used in treating endometriosis in adults. In conclusion, our data suggest that vanillin has potential therapeutic properties for endometriosis as a regulatory molecule of cell proliferation, apoptosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying-Nan Liu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
| | - Jin-Wen Kang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
| | - Yu Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
| | - Shan-Shan Song
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
| | - Qi-Xin Xu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
| | - Han Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
| | - Lei Lu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
| | - Shu-Wen Wei
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
| | - Chen Liang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
| | - Ren-Wei Su
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
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14
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Ellis K, Wood R. The Comparative Invasiveness of Endometriotic Cell Lines to Breast and Endometrial Cancer Cell Lines. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1003. [PMID: 37371583 DOI: 10.3390/biom13061003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Endometriosis is an invasive condition that affects 10% of women (and people assigned as female at birth) worldwide. The purpose of this study was to characterize the relative invasiveness of three available endometriotic cell lines (EEC12Z, iEc-ESCs, tHESCs) to cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231, SW1353 and EM-E6/E7/TERT) and assess whether the relative invasiveness was consistent across different invasion assays. All cell lines were subjected to transwell, spheroid drop, and spheroid-gel invasion assays, and stained for vimentin, cytokeratin, E-Cadherin and N-Cadherin to assess changes in expression. In all assays, endometriotic cell lines showed comparable invasiveness to the cancer cell lines used in this study, with no significant differences in invasiveness identified. EEC12Z cells that had invaded within the assay periods showed declines in E-Cadherin expression compared to cells that had not invaded within the assay period, without significant changes in N-Cadherin expression, which may support the hypothesis that an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition is an influence on the invasiveness shown by this peritoneal endometriosis cell line.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Ellis
- Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand
- Endometriosis New Zealand, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand
| | - Rachael Wood
- Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand
- The Biomolecular Interaction Centre, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand
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15
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Song Y, Burns GW, Joshi NR, Arora R, Kim JJ, Fazleabas AT. Spheroids as a model for endometriotic lesions. JCI Insight 2023; 8:e160815. [PMID: 37104033 PMCID: PMC10393231 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.160815] [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: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The development and progression of endometriotic lesions are poorly understood, but immune cell dysfunction and inflammation are closely associated with the pathophysiology of endometriosis. There is a need for 3D in vitro models to permit the study of interactions between cell types and the microenvironment. To address this, we developed endometriotic spheroids (ES) to explore the role of epithelial-stromal interactions and model peritoneal invasion associated with lesion development. Using a nonadherent microwell culture system, spheroids were generated with immortalized endometriotic epithelial cells (12Z) combined with endometriotic stromal (iEc-ESC) or uterine stromal (iHUF) cell lines. Transcriptomic analysis found 4,522 differentially expressed genes in ES compared with spheroids containing uterine stromal cells. The top increased gene sets were inflammation-related pathways, and an overlap with baboon endometriotic lesions was highly significant. Finally, to mimic invasion of endometrial tissue into the peritoneum, a model was developed with human peritoneal mesothelial cells in an extracellular matrix. Invasion was increased in the presence of estradiol or pro-inflammatory macrophages and suppressed by a progestin. Taken together, our results strongly support the concept that ES are an appropriate model for dissecting mechanisms that contribute to endometriotic lesion development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Song
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
| | - Gregory W. Burns
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
| | - Niraj R. Joshi
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
| | - Ripla Arora
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
| | - J. Julie Kim
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Asgerally T. Fazleabas
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
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16
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Handley KF, Mehta S, Martin AL, Biswas S, Maharaj K, Nagy MZ, Mine JA, Cortina C, Yu X, Sprenger K, Mandal G, Innamarato P, Powers JJ, Harro CM, Chaurio RA, Anadon CM, Shahzad MM, Flores I, Conejo-Garcia JR. Actionable spontaneous antibody responses antagonize malignant progression in ovarian carcinoma. Gynecol Oncol 2023; 173:114-121. [PMID: 37121178 PMCID: PMC10701373 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2023.03.020] [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: 11/13/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To demonstrate that shared antibody responses in endometriosis and endometriosis-associated ovarian cancer spontaneously antagonize malignant progression and can be leveraged to develop future immunotherapies. METHODS B cells from cyopreserved clear cell ovarian carcinoma (CCC, n = 2), endometrioid ovarian carcinoma (EC, n = 2), and endometriomas (n = 2) were isolated, activated, and EBV-immortalized. Antibodies were purified from B cell supernatants and used for screening arrays containing most of the human proteome. Targets were prioritized based on accessibility (transmembrane or secreted proteins), expression in endometriosis and cancer, and concurrent IgA and IgG responses. We focused on antibodies targeting tumor-promoting syndecan binding protein (SDCBP) to demonstrate anti-tumor activity. Immunoblots and qPCR were performed to assess SDCBP expression in ovarian cancer and endometriosis cell lines and tumor samples. Recombinant IgG4 was generated using the variable heavy and light chains of dominant B cell receptors (BCRs) reacting against the extracellular domain of SDCBP, and used in in vivo studies in human CCC- and high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC)-bearing immunodeficient mice. RESULTS Nine accessible proteins detected by both IgA and IgG were identified in all samples - including SDCBP, which is expressed in ovarian carcinomas of multiple histologies. Administration of α-SDCBP IgG4 in OVCAR3 (HGSOC), TOV21G and RMG-I (CCC) tumor-bearing mice significantly decreased tumor volume compared to control irrelevant IgG4. CONCLUSIONS Spontaneous antibody responses exert suboptimal but measurable immune pressure against malignant progression in ovarian carcinomas. Using tumor-derived antibodies for developing novel immunotherapeutics warrants further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katelyn F Handley
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA; Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA.
| | - Sumit Mehta
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA; Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Alexandra L Martin
- Department of Clinical Science, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA; University of Tennessee Health Science Center/West Cancer Clinic, Memphis, TN 38138, USA
| | - Subir Biswas
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA; Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC), Tata Memorial Centre, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai-410210, India
| | - Kamira Maharaj
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Mate Z Nagy
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Jessica A Mine
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA; Department of Immunology, Duke School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Duke Cancer Institute, Duke School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Carla Cortina
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Xiaoqing Yu
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Kimberly Sprenger
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Gunjan Mandal
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA; Division of Cancer Biology, DBT-Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar- 751023, India
| | - Patrick Innamarato
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - John J Powers
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Carly M Harro
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Ricardo A Chaurio
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA; Department of Immunology, Duke School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Duke Cancer Institute, Duke School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Carmen M Anadon
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA; Department of Immunology, Duke School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Duke Cancer Institute, Duke School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Mian M Shahzad
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA; Department of Oncologic Sciences, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Idhaliz Flores
- Departments of Basic Sciences and Obstetrics & Gynecology, Ponce Health Sciences University, Ponce, PR 00716, USA
| | - José R Conejo-Garcia
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA; Department of Immunology, Duke School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Duke Cancer Institute, Duke School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
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17
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Wilson MR, Harkins S, Reske JJ, Siwicki RA, Adams M, Bae-Jump VL, Teixeira JM, Chandler RL. PIK3CA mutation in endometriotic epithelial cells promotes viperin-dependent inflammatory response to insulin. Reprod Biol Endocrinol 2023; 21:43. [PMID: 37170094 PMCID: PMC10173629 DOI: 10.1186/s12958-023-01094-6] [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: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Endometrial epithelia are known to harbor cancer driver mutations in the absence of any pathologies, including mutations in PIK3CA. Insulin plays an important role in regulating uterine metabolism during pregnancy, and hyperinsulinemia is associated with conditions impacting fertility. Hyperinsulinemia also promotes cancer, but the direct action of insulin on mutated endometrial epithelial cells is unknown. Here, we treated 12Z endometriotic epithelial cells carrying the PIK3CAH1047R oncogene with insulin and examined transcriptomes by RNA-seq. While cells naively responded to insulin, the magnitude of differential gene expression (DGE) was nine times greater in PIK3CAH1047R cells, representing a synergistic effect between insulin signaling and PIK3CAH1047R expression. Interferon signaling and the unfolded protein response (UPR) were enriched pathways among affected genes. Insulin treatment in wild-type cells activated normal endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) response programs, while PIK3CAH1047R cells activated programs necessary to avoid ERS-induced apoptosis. PIK3CAH1047R expression alone resulted in overexpression (OE) of Viperin (RSAD2), which is involved in viral response and upregulated in the endometrium during early pregnancy. The transcriptional changes induced by insulin in PIK3CAH1047R cells were rescued by knockdown of Viperin, while Viperin OE alone was insufficient to induce a DGE response to insulin, suggesting that Viperin is necessary but not sufficient for the synergistic effect of PIK3CAH1047R and insulin treatment. We identified interferon signaling, viral response, and protein targeting pathways that are induced by insulin but dependent on Viperin in PIK3CAH1047R mutant cells. These results suggest that response to insulin signaling is altered in mutated endometriotic epithelial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mike R Wilson
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA
| | - Shannon Harkins
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA
| | - Jake J Reske
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA
| | - Rebecca A Siwicki
- Genomics Core Facility, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA
| | - Marie Adams
- Genomics Core Facility, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA
| | - Victoria L Bae-Jump
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Jose M Teixeira
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA
- Reproductive and Developmental Sciences Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Ronald L Chandler
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA.
- Reproductive and Developmental Sciences Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.
- Department for Epigenetics, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA.
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18
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Patiño-García D, Palomino J, Pomés C, Celle C, Torres-Estay V, Orellana R. Estetrol Increases Progesterone Genetic Response without Triggering Common Estrogenic Effects in Endometriotic Cell Lines and Primary Cultures. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11041169. [PMID: 37189786 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11041169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Estetrol (E4), a natural estrogen produced by the human fetal liver, is actively studied for menopause and breast cancer treatment. It has low side effects and preferential estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) affinity. There are no data about its effects on endometriosis, a common gynecological disease affecting 6-10% of cycling women, generating painful pelvic lesions and infertility. Current combined hormone treatment (progestins and estrogens) is safe and efficient; nevertheless, one-third of patients develop progesterone (P4) resistance and recurrence by reducing P4 receptors (PRs) levels. We aimed to compare E4 and 17β-estradiol (E2) effects using two human endometriotic cell lines (epithelial 11Z and stromal Hs832 cells) and primary cultures from endometriotic patients. We evaluated cell growth (MTS), migration (wound assay), hormone receptors levels (Western blot), and P4 response by PCR array. Compared to E2, E4 did not affect cell growth or migration but increased estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and PRs, and reduced ERβ. Finally, the incubation with E4 improved the P4 gene response. In conclusion, E4 increased PRs levels and genetic response without inducing cell growth or migration. These results suggest that E4 might be useful for endometriosis treatment avoiding P4 resistance; however, evaluating its response in more complex models is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Patiño-García
- Departamento de Ciencias Químicas y Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins, General Gana 1702, Santiago 8370874, Chile
- División de Ginecología, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Alameda 340, Santiago 8331150, Chile
| | - Jaime Palomino
- Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins, General Gana 1702, Santiago 8370874, Chile
| | - Cristián Pomés
- División de Ginecología, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Alameda 340, Santiago 8331150, Chile
| | - Claudia Celle
- División de Ginecología, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Alameda 340, Santiago 8331150, Chile
| | - Verónica Torres-Estay
- Departamento de Ciencias Químicas y Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins, General Gana 1702, Santiago 8370874, Chile
- Escuela de Química y Farmacia, Facultad de Medicina y Ciencia, Universidad San Sebastián, Bellavista 7, Santiago 8420524, Chile
| | - Renán Orellana
- Departamento de Ciencias Químicas y Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins, General Gana 1702, Santiago 8370874, Chile
- Programa de Magíster en Ciencias Químico Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins, General Gana 1702, Santiago 8370874, Chile
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19
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Zhou W, Liu H, Yuan Z, Zundell J, Towers M, Lin J, Lombardi S, Nie H, Murphy B, Yang T, Wang C, Liao L, Goldman AR, Kannan T, Kossenkov AV, Drapkin R, Montaner LJ, Claiborne DT, Zhang N, Wu S, Zhang R. Targeting the mevalonate pathway suppresses ARID1A-inactivated cancers by promoting pyroptosis. Cancer Cell 2023; 41:740-756.e10. [PMID: 36963401 PMCID: PMC10085864 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2023.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 01/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/26/2023]
Abstract
ARID1A, encoding a subunit of the SWI/SNF complex, is mutated in ∼50% of clear cell ovarian carcinoma (OCCC) cases. Here we show that inhibition of the mevalonate pathway synergizes with immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) by driving inflammasome-regulated immunomodulating pyroptosis in ARID1A-inactivated OCCCs. SWI/SNF inactivation downregulates the rate-limiting enzymes in the mevalonate pathway such as HMGCR and HMGCS1, which creates a dependence on the residual activity of the pathway in ARID1A-inactivated cells. Inhibitors of the mevalonate pathway such as simvastatin suppresses the growth of ARID1A mutant, but not wild-type, OCCCs. In addition, simvastatin synergizes with anti-PD-L1 antibody in a genetic OCCC mouse model driven by conditional Arid1a inactivation and in a humanized immunocompetent ARID1A mutant patient-derived OCCC mouse model. Our data indicate that inhibition of the mevalonate pathway simultaneously suppresses tumor cell growth and boosts antitumor immunity by promoting pyroptosis, which synergizes with ICB in suppressing ARID1A-mutated cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zhou
- Immunology, Microenvironment and Metastasis Program, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Heng Liu
- Immunology, Microenvironment and Metastasis Program, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Zhe Yuan
- Immunology, Microenvironment and Metastasis Program, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Joseph Zundell
- Immunology, Microenvironment and Metastasis Program, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Martina Towers
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77054, USA
| | - Jianhuang Lin
- Immunology, Microenvironment and Metastasis Program, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Simona Lombardi
- Immunology, Microenvironment and Metastasis Program, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - Hao Nie
- Immunology, Microenvironment and Metastasis Program, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Brennah Murphy
- Immunology, Microenvironment and Metastasis Program, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Tyler Yang
- Immunology, Microenvironment and Metastasis Program, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Chen Wang
- Immunology, Microenvironment and Metastasis Program, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Liping Liao
- Immunology, Microenvironment and Metastasis Program, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Aaron R Goldman
- Molecular and Cellular Oncogenesis Program, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Toshitha Kannan
- Bioinformatics Facility, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Andrew V Kossenkov
- Gene Expression and Regulation Program, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Ronny Drapkin
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Penn Ovarian Cancer Research Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Luis J Montaner
- Immunology, Microenvironment and Metastasis Program, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Daniel T Claiborne
- Immunology, Microenvironment and Metastasis Program, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Nan Zhang
- Immunology, Microenvironment and Metastasis Program, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Shuai Wu
- Immunology, Microenvironment and Metastasis Program, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Rugang Zhang
- Immunology, Microenvironment and Metastasis Program, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Experimental Therapeutics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77054, USA.
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20
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Zubrzycka A, Migdalska-Sęk M, Jędrzejczyk S, Brzeziańska-Lasota E. Assessment of BMP7, SMAD4, and CDH1 Expression Profile and Regulatory miRNA-542-3p in Eutopic and Ectopic Endometrium of Women with Endometriosis. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24076637. [PMID: 37047609 PMCID: PMC10095043 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24076637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Alterations in the expression of numerous genes and the miRNAs that are recognized as their regulators in the endometrial cells of women with endometriosis may disrupt the intracellular signaling pathways associated with epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT). So far, the functional role of BMP7 in endometrial physiology has been confirmed, especially in the context of fertility, but the role of the activation of a specific mechanism operating through the BMP–SMAD–CDH1 axis in the formation of endometrial lesions remains unexplored. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression profile of miR-542-3p and the EMT markers (BMP7, SMAD4, CDH1) in matched eutopic endometrium (EUE) and ectopic endometrium (ECE) samples from women with endometriosis in relation to healthy women. The levels of expression of the studied genes and miRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) obtained from women diagnosed with endometriosis and those without the disease were also evaluated. Fifty-four patients (n = 54: with endometriosis—n = 29 and without endometriosis—n = 25) were included in the study. A comparative analysis of the relative mean expression values (RQ) of the studied mRNA and miRNA assessed by RT-qPCR demonstrated downregulation of BMP7, SMAD4, and CDH1 expression in ectopic lesions and upregulation in the eutopic endometrium compared with the control group. In the eutopic tissue of women with endometriosis, miR-542-3p expression was similar to that of the control but significantly lower than in endometrial lesions. We also confirmed a trend towards a negative correlation between miR-542-3p and BMP7 in ectopic tissue, and in PBMC, a significant negative correlation of miR-542-3p with further BMP signaling genes, i.e., SMAD4 and CDH1, was observed. These results indicate that the miRNA selected by us may be a potential negative regulator of BMP7-SMAD4-CDH1 signaling associated with EMT. The different patterns of BMP7, SMAD4, and CDH1 gene expression in ECE, EUE, and the control endometrium observed by us suggests the loss of the endometrial epithelium phenotype in women with endometriosis and demonstrates their involvement in the pathogenesis and pathomechanism of this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Zubrzycka
- Department of Biomedicine and Genetics, Medical University of Lodz, St. Pomorska 251, C-5, 92-213 Lodz, Poland
| | - Monika Migdalska-Sęk
- Department of Biomedicine and Genetics, Medical University of Lodz, St. Pomorska 251, C-5, 92-213 Lodz, Poland
| | - Sławomir Jędrzejczyk
- Institute of Medical Expertises, St. Aleksandrowska 67/93, 91-205 Lodz, Poland
- Operative and Conservative Gynecology Ward, Dr. K. Jonscher Municipal Medical Centre, St. Milionowa 14, 93-113 Lodz, Poland
| | - Ewa Brzeziańska-Lasota
- Department of Biomedicine and Genetics, Medical University of Lodz, St. Pomorska 251, C-5, 92-213 Lodz, Poland
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21
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Qin R, Zheng F, Qin W, Wang J, Ma N, Tian W, Li J, Liao M, Qin A. Progranulin promotes proliferation, migration and invasion via the PI3K/Akt signalling pathway in a model of endometriosis. Reprod Biomed Online 2023; 46:425-435. [PMID: 36604215 DOI: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2022.11.006] [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: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
RESEARCH QUESTION What are the levels of progranulin (PGRN) expression in primary endometrial stromal cells (ESC) and endometrial tissue in patients with endometriosis (EMS)? What is the role and mechanism of action of PGRN in EMS? DESIGN Endometrial tissue was collected from 30 patients, 15 with EMS (EMS group) and 15 without EMS (non-EMS group). PGRN expression in endometrial tissue and ESC was analysed by immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, western blotting and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. PGRN overexpression and silencing ESC were established with lentivirus to detect the effect on proliferation, invasion and migration. The relationship between PGRN and the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) signalling pathway was verified by western blotting. A rescue assay was performed with PI3K inhibitor treatment. RESULTS The PGRN expression was significantly higher in EMS samples. PGRN up-regulation promoted proliferation (P = 0.007), migration (P = 0.002) and invasion (P < 0.001) of eutopic endometrial stromal cells (EUESC). The ratio of p-AKT/AKT was higher in the overexpression PGRN (ovPGRN) group than in the overexpression-NC (ovNC) group (P = 0.004). Silencing PGRN produced the opposite results, and LY2940002 addition reversed the effect of PGRN up-regulation on the proliferation, invasion and migration of EUESC. CONCLUSIONS PGRN might promote the proliferation, invasion and migration of EUESC via the PI3K/Akt signalling pathway. These preliminary in-vitro findings may present a new perspective and inspire further study of the mechanism of EMS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rongyan Qin
- Reproductive Medical Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Fengque Zheng
- The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Liuzhou, China
| | - Weili Qin
- Reproductive Medical Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Jiawei Wang
- Reproductive Medical Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Nana Ma
- Reproductive Medical Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Wencai Tian
- Reproductive Medical Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Jiaxu Li
- Reproductive Medical Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Ming Liao
- Reproductive Medical Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.
| | - Aiping Qin
- Reproductive Medical Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.
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22
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Kulinska KI, Białas P, Dera-Szymanowska A, Billert M, Kotwicka M, Szymanowski K, Wołun-Cholewa M. The role of phoenixin in the proliferation and migration of ectopic epithelial cells in vitro. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2023; 646:44-49. [PMID: 36706704 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2023.01.056] [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: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
AIM Endometriosis is one of the most common gynecologic diseases in women of reproductive age. The pathophysiology of endometriosis is still not fully understood. Phoenixin (PNX-14) is a newly discovered neuropeptide that regulates the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis and reproductive functions. Recently, we reported that PNX-14, its precursor protein and receptor were expressed in human endometrium. Moreover, PNX-14 serum levels in endometriosis were reduced. This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro biological functions of physiological PNX-14 concentrations on the ectopic endometrium Z12 cells. METHODS The proliferation and migration of Z12 cells were assessed using the xCELLigence® RTCA DP system following 72 h of stimulation with 0.05 and 0.2 nM of PNX-14. GPR173 and small integral membrane protein 20 (SMIM20) gene expression was evaluated using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and the protein levels of GPR173 were analyzed using Western blot analysis. RESULTS PNX-14 at the concentration observed in the serum of patients with endometriosis (0.05 nM) reduced GPR173 and increased SMIM20 expression, while protein levels of GPR173 remained unchanged. Cell proliferation was increased by the 0.02 nM PNX-14- the concentration found in healthy subjects. The 0.2 nM of PNX-14 decreased SMIM20 expression with no change to GPR173 expression and reduced ectopic epithelial cell proliferation during the first 5 h after stimulation. However, at 72 h, the proliferation increased. CONCLUSIONS This study shows that PNX-14 at endometriosis specific concentration desensitized ectopic epithelium to PNX-14, and increased the expression of SMIM20 to restore the physiological levels of PNX-14.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolina Iwona Kulinska
- Chair and Department of Cell Biology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-806, Poznan, Poland.
| | - Piotr Białas
- Chair and Department of Cell Biology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-806, Poznan, Poland; Division of Urological Cancers, Department of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Scheelevägen 2, 223 81, Lund, Sweden
| | - Anna Dera-Szymanowska
- Clinic of Perinatology and Gynaecology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-535, Poznan, Poland
| | - Maria Billert
- Department of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Biostructure, Poznan University of Life Sciences, 60-637, Poznan, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Kotwicka
- Chair and Department of Cell Biology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-806, Poznan, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Szymanowski
- Clinic of Perinatology and Gynaecology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-535, Poznan, Poland
| | - Maria Wołun-Cholewa
- Chair and Department of Cell Biology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-806, Poznan, Poland.
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23
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Ngueta AD, Roy J, Maltais R, Poirier D. Chemical Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of 3-Substituted Estrone/Estradiol Derivatives as 17β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 1 Inhibitors Acting via a Reverse Orientation of the Natural Substrate Estrone. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28020632. [PMID: 36677690 PMCID: PMC9862175 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28020632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Estradiol (E2) plays an important role in the progression of diseases such as breast cancer and endometriosis. Inhibition of 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (17β-HSD1), the enzyme that catalyzes the last step in the biosynthesis of the estrogenic hormone E2, therefore constitutes an interesting approach for the treatment of these two estrogen-dependent diseases. In order to obtain new inhibitors of 17β-HSD1, the impact of a m-carbamoylphenyloxy group at position three of an estrane nucleus was evaluated by preparing three derivatives of estrone (E1) and E2 using a microwave-assisted synthesis of diaryl ethers. Their inhibitory activity was addressed on two cell lines (T-47D and Z-12) representative of breast cancer and endometriosis, respectively, but unlike T-47D cells, Z-12 cells were not found suitable for testing potential 17β-HSD1 inhibitors. Thus, the addition of the m-carbamoylphenyl group at C3 of E1 (compound 5) did not increase the inhibition of E1 to E2 transformation by 17β-HSD1 present in T-47D cells (IC50 = 0.31 and 0.21 μM for 5 and E1, respectively), and this negative effect was more obvious for E2 derivatives 6 and 10 (IC50 = 1.2 and 1.3 μM, respectively). Molecular docking allowed us to identify key interactions with 17β-HSD1 and to highlight these new inhibitors' actions through an opposite orientation than natural enzyme substrate E1's classical one. Furthermore, molecular modeling experiments explain the better inhibitory activity of E1-ether derivative 5, as opposed to the E2-ether derivatives 6 and 10. Finally, when tested on T-47D and Z-12 cells, compounds 5, 6 and 10 did not stimulate the proliferation of these two estrogen-dependent cell lines. In fact, they reduced it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrien Djiemeny Ngueta
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Endocrinology and Nephrology Unit, CHU de Québec Research Center—Université Laval, Quebec, QC G1V 4G2, Canada
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Jenny Roy
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Endocrinology and Nephrology Unit, CHU de Québec Research Center—Université Laval, Quebec, QC G1V 4G2, Canada
| | - René Maltais
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Endocrinology and Nephrology Unit, CHU de Québec Research Center—Université Laval, Quebec, QC G1V 4G2, Canada
| | - Donald Poirier
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Endocrinology and Nephrology Unit, CHU de Québec Research Center—Université Laval, Quebec, QC G1V 4G2, Canada
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Correspondence:
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Li J, He Y, Qu Y, Ren C, Wang X, Cheng Y, Sun L, Zhang X, Zhang G. Promotion of BST2 expression by the transcription factor IRF6 affects the progression of endometriosis. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1115504. [PMID: 37143676 PMCID: PMC10151653 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1115504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Endometriosis (EM) is a benign, multifactorial, immune-mediated inflammatory disease that is characterized by persistent activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway and some features of malignancies, such as proliferation and lymphangiogenesis. To date, the pathogenesis of EM is still unclear. In this study, we investigated whether BST2 plays a role in the development of EM. Methods Bioinformatic analysis was performed with data from public databases to identify potential candidate targets for drug treatment. Experiments were conducted at the cell, tissue, and mouse EM model levels to characterize the aberrant expression patterns, molecular mechanisms, biological behaviors of endometriosis as well as treatment outcomes. Results BST2 was significantly upregulated in ectopic endometrial tissues and cells compared with control samples. Functional studies indicated that BST2 promoted proliferation, migration, and lymphangiogenesis and inhibited apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. The transcription factor (TF) IRF6 induced high BST2 expression by directly binding the BST2 promoter. The underlying mechanism by which BST2 functions in EM was closely related to the canonical NF-κB signaling pathway. New lymphatic vessels may serve as a channel for the infiltration of immune cells into the endometriotic microenvironment; these immune cells further produce the proinflammatory cytokine IL-1β, which in turn further activates the NF-κB pathway to promote lymphangiogenesis in endometriosis. Conclusion Taken together, our findings provide novel insight into the mechanism by which BST2 participates in a feedback loop with the NF-κB signaling pathway and reveal a novel biomarker and potential therapeutic target for endometriosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jixin Li
- Department of Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Yanan He
- Department of Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Yanjun Qu
- Department of Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Chengcheng Ren
- Department of Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Xiaotong Wang
- Department of Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Yan Cheng
- Department of Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Liyuan Sun
- Department of Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- Central Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Guangmei Zhang
- Department of Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
- *Correspondence: Guangmei Zhang,
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Arosh JA, Sivakumar KK, Lee J, Banu SK. Effects of selective inhibition of prostaglandin E2 receptors EP2 and EP4 on the miRNA profile in endometriosis. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2022; 558:111728. [PMID: 35944745 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2022.111728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent, progesterone-resistant, chronic inflammatory gynecological disease of reproductive-age women. Two major clinical symptoms of endometriosis are chronic pelvic pain and infertility, which profoundly affect the quality of life in women. Current hormonal therapies to induce a hypoestrogenic state are unsuccessful because of undesirable side effects, reproductive health concerns, and failure to prevent disease recurrence. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) plays an important role in the survival and growth of endometriotic lesions. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, noncoding RNAs that control gene expressions through multiple mechanisms and have important roles in the pathogenesis of endometriosis. The objective of the present study is to determine the effects of pharmacological inhibition of PGE2 receptors, EP2 and EP4, on miRNA profile in endometriosis. The novel results collectively indicate that inhibition of PGE2-EP2/EP4 signaling regulated several miRNA clusters associated with cell adhesion, migration, invasion, survival and growth in cell-specific and the chromosome-specific manner and reverses the epigenetic silencing of proapoptotic miRNAs 15a and 34c in the human endometriotic epithelial and stromal cells and experimental endometriotic lesions. Thus, selective inhibition of EP2/EP4 receptors could emerge as a potential nonsteroidal therapy for endometriosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joe A Arosh
- Reproductive Endocrinology and Cell Signaling Laboratory, Department of Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, TX, 77843, College Station, USA.
| | - Kirthiram K Sivakumar
- Reproductive Endocrinology and Cell Signaling Laboratory, Department of Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, TX, 77843, College Station, USA
| | - JeHoon Lee
- Reproductive Endocrinology and Cell Signaling Laboratory, Department of Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, TX, 77843, College Station, USA
| | - Sakhila K Banu
- Reproductive Endocrinology and Cell Signaling Laboratory, Department of Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, TX, 77843, College Station, USA
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Mwaura AN, Riaz MA, Maoga JB, Mecha E, Omwandho COA, Scheiner-Bobis G, Meinhold-Heerlein I, Konrad L. Activin A Modulates Betaglycan Shedding via the ALK4-SMAD3-Dependent Pathway in Endometriotic Cells. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12121749. [PMID: 36551177 PMCID: PMC9776114 DOI: 10.3390/biom12121749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The TGF-β superfamily members, activins and inhibins, are mainly involved in cell proliferation, cell survival, invasion, immune surveillance, and lesion growth in endometriosis. Herein, we investigated the modulation of the TGF-β type III receptor (betaglycan or BG) by activin A and inhibin A in endometriosis in vitro. Often, BG undergoes ectodomain shedding releasing soluble BG (sBG) which frequently antagonizes TGF-β signaling. The effects of activin A on BG shedding and signaling pathways involved were evaluated with the inhibitors LY364947 and SIS3, siRNA knockdown in human endometrial cells (12Z, THESC, Ishikawa, and primary stromal cells) and were quantified with BG ELISAs. The effects of activin A and inhibin A on the secretion of MMP2 and MMP3 were analyzed using ELISAs. The effects of activin A on the BG expression were analyzed using RT-qPCR and western blot. The CCK-8 and BrdU assays were used to evaluate the effects of the recombinant BG on cell viability and proliferation. Activin A stimulation resulted in a significant time- and dose-dependent reduction in BG shedding, which was found to be activin A/ALK-4/SMAD3- but not SMAD2-dependent. Activin A increased the BG mRNA expression but had no effect on the protein expression. Likewise, inhibin A was found to block BG shedding. Activin A, but not inhibin A, significantly enhanced the secretion of MMP2 and MMP3. The recombinant BG had no effect on the viability and proliferation of endometriotic cells. Together, these observations support a novel role for activin A with BG in modulating the TGF-β superfamily ligands in endometrial cells in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnes N. Mwaura
- Faculty of Medicine, Center of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Justus-Liebig-University, D-35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Muhammad A. Riaz
- Faculty of Medicine, Center of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Justus-Liebig-University, D-35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Jane B. Maoga
- Faculty of Medicine, Center of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Justus-Liebig-University, D-35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Ezekiel Mecha
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Nairobi, Nairobi P.O. Box 30197-00100, Kenya
| | - Charles O. A. Omwandho
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Nairobi, Nairobi P.O. Box 30197-00100, Kenya
- Department of Health Sciences, Kirinyaga University, Kerugoya P.O. Box 143-10300, Kenya
| | - Georgios Scheiner-Bobis
- Institute for Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, School of Veterinary Medicine, Justus-Liebig-University, D-35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Ivo Meinhold-Heerlein
- Faculty of Medicine, Center of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Justus-Liebig-University, D-35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Lutz Konrad
- Faculty of Medicine, Center of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Justus-Liebig-University, D-35392 Giessen, Germany
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-641-985-45282; Fax: +49-641-985-45258
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Wilson MR, Reske JJ, Chandler RL. AP-1 Subunit JUNB Promotes Invasive Phenotypes in Endometriosis. Reprod Sci 2022; 29:3266-3277. [PMID: 35616875 PMCID: PMC9669088 DOI: 10.1007/s43032-022-00974-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Endometriosis is a disease defined by the presence of abnormal endometrium at ectopic sites, causing pain and infertility in 10% of women. Mutations in the chromatin remodeling protein ARID1A (AT-rich interactive domain-containing protein 1A) have been identified in endometriosis, particularly in the more severe deep infiltrating endometriosis and ovarian endometrioma subtypes. ARID1A has been shown to regulate chromatin at binding sites of the Activator Protein 1 (AP-1) transcription factor, and AP-1 expression has been shown in multiple endometriosis models. Here, we describe a role for AP-1 subunit JUNB in promoting invasive phenotypes in endometriosis. Through a series of knockdown experiments in the 12Z endometriosis cell line, we show that JUNB expression in endometriosis promotes the expression of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition genes co-regulated by ARID1A including transcription factors SNAI1 and SNAI2, cell adhesion molecules ICAM1 and VCAM1, and extracellular matrix remodelers LOX and LOXL2. In highly invasive ARID1A-deficient endometriotic cells, co-knockdown of JUNB is sufficient to suppress invasion. These results suggest that AP-1 plays an important role in the progression of invasive endometriosis, and that therapeutic inhibition of AP-1 could prevent the occurrence of deep infiltrating endometriosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mike R Wilson
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA
| | - Jake J Reske
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA
| | - Ronald L Chandler
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA.
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA.
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Ling X, Lu J, Wang X, Liu L, Liu L, Wang Y, Sun Y, Ren C, Lu C, Yu Z. Ovarian tumorB1-mediated heat shock transcription factor 1 deubiquitination is critical for glycolysis and development of endometriosis. iScience 2022; 25:105363. [PMID: 36339263 PMCID: PMC9626688 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 09/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Endometriosis is a common chronic condition characterized by abnormal growth of the endometrium outside the uterus. Heat shock transcription factor 1 (HSF1) is a significant regulator of the proteotoxic stress response and plays an essential role in developing endometriosis. However, the mechanisms regulating HSF1 protein stability in endometriosis remain unclear. Here, we demonstrate that OTUB1 interacts with HSF1 and promotes HSF1 protein stability through deubiquitination. In addition, OTUB1 enhances glycolysis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of endometriosis cells, leading to promote proliferation, migration, and invasion of endometriosis cells. The progression of endometriosis is inhibited in an OTUB1-knockout mouse model. In summary, OTUB1 promotes the development of endometriosis by up-regulating HSF1. OTUB1/HSF1 axis may become a new therapeutic target for endometriosis. OTUB1 interacts with HSF1 and promotes HSF1 protein stability via deubiquitination OTUB1 enhances glycolysis and EMT of endometriosis cells Knockdown of OTUB1 inhibits the development of endometriotic tissue in vivo OTUB1/HSF1 axis may become a new therapeutic target for endometriosis
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McCallion A, Nasirzadeh Y, Lingegowda H, Miller JE, Khalaj K, Ahn S, Monsanto SP, Bidarimath M, Sisnett DJ, Craig AW, Young SL, Lessey BA, Koti M, Tayade C. Estrogen mediates inflammatory role of mast cells in endometriosis pathophysiology. Front Immunol 2022; 13:961599. [PMID: 36016927 PMCID: PMC9396281 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.961599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Endometriosis is an estrogen dependent, chronic inflammatory disease characterized by the growth of endometrial lining outside of the uterus. Mast cells have emerged as key players in regulating not only allergic responses but also other mechanisms such as angiogenesis, fibrosis, and pain. The influence of estrogen on mast cell function has also been recognized as a potential factor driving disease pathophysiology in number of allergic and chronic inflammatory conditions. However, precise information is lacking on the cross talk between endocrine and immune factors within the endometriotic lesions and whether that contributes to the involvement of mast cells with disease pathophysiology. In this study, we observed a significant increase in mast cell numbers within endometriotic lesions compared to matched eutopic endometrium from the same patients. Compared to eutopic endometrium, endometriotic lesions had significantly higher levels of stem cell factor (SCF), a potent growth factor critical for mast cell expansion, differentiation, and survival for tissue resident mast cells. Targeted mRNA Q-PCR array revealed that the endometriotic lesions harbour microenvironment (upregulation of CPA3, VCAM1, CCL2, CMA1, CCR1, and KITLG) that is conducive to mast cells recruitment and subsequent differentiation. To examine cross-talk of mast cells within the endometriotic lesion microenvironment, endometriotic epithelial cells (12Z) and endometrial stromal cells (hESC) incubated with mast cell-conditioned media showed significantly increased production of pro-inflammatory and chemokinetic cytokines. To further understand the impact of estrogen on mast cells in endometriosis, we induced endometriosis in C57BL/6 mice. Mature mast cells were significantly higher in peritoneal fluid of estrogen-treated mice compared to untreated mice within the sham operated groups. Mouse endometriotic lesion tissue revealed several genes (qRT-PCR) relevant in mast cell biology significantly upregulated in the estrogen treated, endometriosis-induced group compared to control endometrium. The endometriotic lesions from estrogen treated mice also had significantly higher density of Alcian blue stained mast cells compared to untreated lesions or control endometrium. Collectively, these findings suggest that endometriotic lesions provide a microenvironment necessary for recruitment and differentiation of mast cells. In turn, mast cells potentially release pro-inflammatory mediators that contribute to chronic pelvic pain and endometriosis disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison McCallion
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Yasmin Nasirzadeh
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | | | - Jessica E. Miller
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Kasra Khalaj
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - SooHyun Ahn
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Stephany P. Monsanto
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Mallikarjun Bidarimath
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Danielle J. Sisnett
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Andrew W. Craig
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, Canada
| | - Steven L. Young
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wake Forest Baptist Health, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Bruce A. Lessey
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wake Forest Baptist Health, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Madhuri Koti
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Chandrakant Tayade
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
- *Correspondence: Chandrakant Tayade,
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Wang M, Wu Y, He Y, Liu J, Chen Y, Huang J, Qi G, Li P. SIRT1 upregulation promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition by inducing senescence escape in endometriosis. Sci Rep 2022; 12:12302. [PMID: 35853978 PMCID: PMC9296487 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-16629-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Endometrial epithelial cells carry distinct cancer-associated alterations that may be more susceptible to endometriosis. Mouse models have shown that overexpression of SIRT1 associated with oncogene activation contributes to the pathogenesis of endometriosis, but the underlying reason remains elusive. Here, we used integrated systems biology analysis and found that enrichment of endometrial stromal fibroblasts in endometriosis and their cellular abundance correlated negatively with epithelial cells in clinical specimens. Furthermore, endometrial epithelial cells were characterized by significant overexpression of SIRT1, which is involved in triggering the EMT switch by escaping damage or oncogene-induced induced senescence in clinical specimens and in vitro human cell line models. This observation supports that genetic and epigenetic incident favors endometrial epithelia cells escape from senescence and fuel EMT process in endometriosis, what could be overcome by downregulation of SIRT1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minghua Wang
- Department of Pathology, Longgang District People's Hospital, Shenzhen, 518172, China.,Department of Pathology, Jinan University School of Medicine, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Yongqi Wu
- Department of Pathology, Jinan University School of Medicine, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Yunbiao He
- Department of Medical Statistics, Jinan University School of Medicine, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Jing Liu
- Department of Pathology, Jinan University School of Medicine, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Yingxing Chen
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Jieqiong Huang
- Department of Pathology, Jinan University School of Medicine, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Guolong Qi
- Department of Medical Statistics, Jinan University School of Medicine, Guangzhou, 510632, China.
| | - Ping Li
- Department of Pathology, Jinan University School of Medicine, Guangzhou, 510632, China.
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Khan KN, Fujishita A, Mori T. Pathogenesis of Human Adenomyosis: Current Understanding and Its Association with Infertility. J Clin Med 2022; 11:4057. [PMID: 35887822 PMCID: PMC9316454 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11144057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this review article was to summarize our current understanding on the etiologies and pathogenesis of human adenomyosis and to clarify the relative association between adenomyosis and infertility. The exact pathogenesis of adenomyosis is still elusive. Among different reported concepts, direction invagination of gland cells from the basalis endometrium deep into myometrium is the most widely accepted opinion on the development of adenomyosis. According to this concept, endometrial epithelial cells and changed fibroblasts, abnormally found in the myometrium in response to repeated tissue injury and/or disruption at the endometrium-myometrium interface (EMI), elicit hyperplasia and hypertrophy of the surrounding smooth muscle cells. In this review, a comprehensive review was performed with a literature search using PubMed for all publications in English and Japanese (abstract in English), related to adenomyosis and infertility, from inception to April 2021. As an estrogen-regulated factor, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) exhibits multiple functions in endometriosis, a disease commonly believed to arise from the functionalis endometrium. As a mechanistic basis of gland invagination, we investigated the role of HGF, either alone or in combination with estrogen, in the occurrence of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in adenomyosis. Aside from microtrauma at the EMI, metaplasia of displaced Müllerian remnants, differentiation of endometrial stem/progenitor cells within the myometrium and somatic mutation of some target genes have been put forward to explain how adenomyosis develops. In addition, the possible role of microRNAs in adenomyosis is also discussed. Besides our knowledge on the conventional classification (focal and diffuse), two recently proposed classifications (intrinsic and extrinsic) of adenomyosis and the biological differences between them have been described. Although the mechanistic basis is unclear, the influence of adenomyosis on fertility outcome is important, especially considering the recent tendency to delay pregnancy among women. Besides other proposed mechanisms, a recent transmission election microscopic (TEM) study indicated that microvilli damage and an axonemal alteration in the apical endometria of human adenomyosis, in response to endometrial inflammation, may be involved in negative fertility outcomes. We present a critical analysis of the literature data concerning the mechanistic basis of infertility in women with adenomyosis and its impact on fertility outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khaleque N. Khan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan;
| | - Akira Fujishita
- Department of Gynecology, Saiseikai Nagasaki Hospital, Nagasaki 850-0003, Japan;
| | - Taisuke Mori
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan;
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Gołąbek-Grenda A, Olejnik A. In vitro modeling of endometriosis and endometriotic microenvironment - Challenges and recent advances. Cell Signal 2022; 97:110375. [PMID: 35690293 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2022.110375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2022] [Revised: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Endometriosis is a chronic condition with high prevalence in reproductive age women, defined as the growth of endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity, most commonly on the pelvic peritoneum. The ectopic endometrial lesions exist in a unique microenvironment created by the interaction of epithelial, stromal, endothelial, glandular, and immune cell components, dominated by inflammatory, angiogenic, and endocrine signals. Current research is directed at understanding the complex microenvironment of the lesions and its relationship with different endometriosis stages, phenotypes, and disease symptoms and at the development of novel diagnostic and therapeutic concepts that minimalize the undesirable side effects of current medical management. Recreating pathophysiological cellular and molecular mechanisms and identifying clinically relevant metrics to assess drug efficacy is a great challenge for the experimental disease models. This review summarizes the complete range of available in vitro experimental systems used in endometriotic studies, which reflect the multifactorial nature of the endometriotic lesion. The article discusses the simplistic in vitro models such as primary endometrial cells and endometriotic cell lines to heterogeneous 2D co-cultures, and recently more common, 3D systems based on self-organization and controlled assembly, both in microfluidic or bioprinting methodologies. Basic research models allow studying fundamental pathological mechanisms by which menstrual endometrium adheres, invades, and establishes lesions in ectopic sites. The advanced endometriosis experimental models address the critical challenges and unsolved problems and provide an approach to drug screening and medicine discovery by mimicking the complicated behaviors of the endometriotic lesion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agata Gołąbek-Grenda
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Microbiology, Poznan University of Life Sciences, 48 Wojska Polskiego St., 60-627 Poznan, Poland
| | - Anna Olejnik
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Microbiology, Poznan University of Life Sciences, 48 Wojska Polskiego St., 60-627 Poznan, Poland.
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Li LP, Li ZM, Wang ZZ, Cheng YF, He DM, Chen G, Cao BN, Zou Y, Luo Y. A novel nude mouse model for studying the pathogenesis of endometriosis. Exp Ther Med 2022; 24:498. [PMID: 35837067 PMCID: PMC9257831 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2022.11425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Endometriosis is a common female gynecological disease that is characterized by the presence of functional endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity. At present, many animal models have been established. However, previous studies consistently use human endometrial tissue implanted in the subcutaneous or abdominal cavity for modeling and rarely use endometrial cells. In the present study, we ascertained whether immortalized stromal and/or epithelial endometrial cells are able to induce subcutaneous endometriosis in nude mice. Mixed human immortalized endometriosis stromal and epithelial cells, but not the cells of Group 1 or Group 2, were successfully constructed and led to endometriotic-like lesions. The endometriosis-like lesions observed in nude mice consisted of endometriosis-like glands lined with columnar epithelial cells and surrounded by stromal cells in the fibrous fatty connective tissue. Immunofluorescence analysis showed that glandular epithelial cells were intensely stained for E-cadherin and cytokeratin 7, and surrounding stromal cells were mildly stained for neprilysin (CD10) and vimentin. Moreover, the cells present in the endometriosis-like lesions were of human origin. Our data indicate that the mixture of human immortalized endometriosis stromal cells and epithelial cells is able to establish subcutaneous endometriosis lesions in nude mice. This model could be used to understand the molecular mechanisms involved in the occurrence and development of endometriosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Ping Li
- Prenatal Diagnosis Center, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P.R. China
| | - Zeng-Ming Li
- Key Laboratory of Women's Reproductive Health of Jiangxi Province, Jiangxi Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P.R. China
| | - Zhao-Zhen Wang
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Jiangxi Health Vocational College, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330052, P.R. China
| | - Yu-Fen Cheng
- Department of Gynecology, Jiangxi Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P.R. China
| | - De-Ming He
- Department of Pathology, Jiangxi Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P.R. China
| | - Ge Chen
- Key Laboratory of Women's Reproductive Health of Jiangxi Province, Jiangxi Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P.R. China
| | - Bian-Na Cao
- Department of Gynecology, Jiangxi Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P.R. China
| | - Yang Zou
- Key Laboratory of Women's Reproductive Health of Jiangxi Province, Jiangxi Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P.R. China
| | - Yong Luo
- Key Laboratory of Women's Reproductive Health of Jiangxi Province, Jiangxi Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P.R. China
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Hao M, Liu X, Guo SW. Activation of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor retards the development of endometriosis. Reprod Biol Endocrinol 2022; 20:85. [PMID: 35658970 PMCID: PMC9166516 DOI: 10.1186/s12958-022-00955-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Women with endometriosis have been shown to have a reduced vagal tone as compared with controls and vagotomy promoted while vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) decelerated the progression of endometriosis in mice. Extensive research also has shown that the activation of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway by VNS activates α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR), potently reducing inflammation. Yet whether α7nAChR plays any role in endometriosis is unknown. We evaluated its expression in normal endometrium, ovarian and deep endometriotic lesions, and evaluated its role in the development of endometriosis. METHODS Immunohistochemistry analyses of α7nAChR in endometriotic lesions as well as control endometrium, and quantification of tissue fibrosis by Masson trichrome staining were performed. Mouse experiments were conducted to evaluate the impact of α7nAChR activation or suppression on lesional progression and possible therapeutic effect. Finally, in vitro experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of activation of α7nAChR on epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transdifferentiation (FMT), smooth muscle metaplasia (SMM) and fibrogenesis in an endometriotic epithelial cell line and primary endometriotic stromal cells derived from ovarian endometrioma tissue samples. RESULTS Immunostaining of α7nAChR was significantly reduced in human endometriotic epithelial cells as compared with their counterpart in normal endometrium. Lesional α7nAChR staining levels correlated negatively with lesional fibrosis and the severity of dysmenorrhea. The α7nAChR agonist significantly impeded the development of endometriotic lesions in mouse models possibly through hindrance of EMT and FMT. It also demonstrated therapeutic effects in mice with induced deep endometriosis. Treatment of endometriotic epithelial and stromal cells with an α7nAChR agonist significantly abrogated platelet-induced EMT, FMT and SMM, and suppressed cellular contractility and collagen production. CONCLUSIONS α7nAChR is suppressed in endometriotic lesions, and its activation by pharmacological means can impede EMT, FMT, SMM, and fibrogenesis of endometriotic lesions. As such, α7nAChR can be rightfully viewed as a potential target for therapeutic invention. TRIAL REGISTRATION Not applicable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meihua Hao
- Shanghai Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200011, China
| | - Xishi Liu
- Shanghai Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200011, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine-Related Diseases, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Sun-Wei Guo
- Shanghai Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200011, China.
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine-Related Diseases, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
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Ellis K, Munro D, Clarke J. Endometriosis Is Undervalued: A Call to Action. Front Glob Womens Health 2022; 3:902371. [PMID: 35620300 PMCID: PMC9127440 DOI: 10.3389/fgwh.2022.902371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Endometriosis is an inflammatory chronic pain condition caused by uterine tissue growing outside of the uterus that afflicts at least 11% of women (and people assigned female at birth) worldwide. This condition results in a substantial burden to these women, and society at large. Although endometriosis was first identified over 160 years ago, substantial knowledge gaps remain, including confirmation of the disease's etiology. Research funding for endometriosis is limited, with funding from bodies like the National Institutes of Health (NIH) constituting only 0.038% of the 2022 health budget—for a condition that affects 6.5 million women in the US alone and over 190 million worldwide. A major issue is that diagnosis of endometriosis is frequently delayed because surgery is required to histologically confirm the diagnosis. This delay increases symptom intensity, the risk of central and peripheral sensitization and the costs of the disease for the patient and their nation. Current conservative treatments of presumed endometriosis are pain management and birth control. Both of these methods are flawed and can be entirely ineffective for the reduction of patient suffering or improving ability to work, and neither addresses the severe infertility issues or higher risk of certain cancers. Endometriosis research deserves the funding and attention that befits a disease with its substantial prevalence, effects, and economic costs. This funding could improve patient outcomes by introducing less invasive and more timely methods for diagnosis and treatment, including options such as novel biomarkers, nanomedicine, and microbiome alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Ellis
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Deborah Munro
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
- *Correspondence: Deborah Munro
| | - Jennifer Clarke
- Faculty of Health, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
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Mwaura AN, Riaz MA, Maoga JB, Mecha E, Omwandho COA, Scheiner-Bobis G, Meinhold-Heerlein I, Konrad L. Role of Betaglycan in TGF-β Signaling and Wound Healing in Human Endometriotic Epithelial Cells and in Endometriosis. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11040513. [PMID: 35453712 PMCID: PMC9027931 DOI: 10.3390/biology11040513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Endometriosis is characterized by the presence of ectopic endometrium most often in the pelvis. The transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) superfamily is also involved in the pathogenesis; however, betaglycan (BG, syn. TGF-β type III receptor) as an important co-receptor was not studied. We analyzed mainly BG ectodomain shedding because released soluble BG (sBG) often antagonizes TGF-β signaling. Furthermore, we studied the role of TGF-βs and BG in wound healing and evaluated the suitability of BG measurements in serum and endocervical mucus for non-invasive diagnosis of endometriosis. Evaluation of the BG shedding and signaling pathways involved as well as wound healing was performed with enzyme-linked immune assays (ELISAs), reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), small interfering RNA (siRNA) knockdown, and scratch assays with human endometriotic epithelial cells. TGF-β1/2 stimulation resulted in a significant dose-dependent reduction in BG shedding in endometriotic cells, which was TGF-β/activin receptor-like kinase-5 (ALK-5)/mother against decapentaplegic homolog3 (SMAD3)- but not SMAD2-dependent. Inhibition of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) using the pan-MMP inhibitor GM6001 and tissue inhibitor of MMPs (TIMP3) equally attenuated BG shedding, signifying the involvement of MMPs in shedding. Likewise, recombinant BG moderately reduced the secretion of TGF-β1/2 and wound healing of endometriotic cells. TGF-β1 significantly enhanced the secretion of MMP2 and MMP3 and moderately promoted wound healing. In order to evaluate the role of BG in endometriosis, serum (n = 238) and mucus samples (n = 182) were analyzed. Intriguingly, a significant reduction in the levels of sBG in endocervical mucus but not in the serum of endometriosis patients compared to controls was observed. Collectively, these observations support a novel role for BG in the pathophysiology of endometriosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnes N. Mwaura
- Center of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Faculty of Medicine, Justus-Liebig-University, Feulgenstr. 10-12, D-35392 Giessen, Germany; (A.N.M.); (M.A.R.); (J.B.M.); (I.M.-H.)
| | - Muhammad A. Riaz
- Center of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Faculty of Medicine, Justus-Liebig-University, Feulgenstr. 10-12, D-35392 Giessen, Germany; (A.N.M.); (M.A.R.); (J.B.M.); (I.M.-H.)
| | - Jane B. Maoga
- Center of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Faculty of Medicine, Justus-Liebig-University, Feulgenstr. 10-12, D-35392 Giessen, Germany; (A.N.M.); (M.A.R.); (J.B.M.); (I.M.-H.)
| | - Ezekiel Mecha
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Nairobi, Nairobi 00100, Kenya;
| | | | - Georgios Scheiner-Bobis
- Institute for Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, School of Veterinary Medicine, Justus-Liebig-University, D-35392 Giessen, Germany;
| | - Ivo Meinhold-Heerlein
- Center of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Faculty of Medicine, Justus-Liebig-University, Feulgenstr. 10-12, D-35392 Giessen, Germany; (A.N.M.); (M.A.R.); (J.B.M.); (I.M.-H.)
| | - Lutz Konrad
- Center of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Faculty of Medicine, Justus-Liebig-University, Feulgenstr. 10-12, D-35392 Giessen, Germany; (A.N.M.); (M.A.R.); (J.B.M.); (I.M.-H.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel./Fax: +49-641-985-45282
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Wilson MR, Reske JJ, Koeman J, Adams M, Joshi NR, Fazleabas AT, Chandler RL. SWI/SNF Antagonism of PRC2 Mediates Estrogen-Induced Progesterone Receptor Expression. Cells 2022; 11:1000. [PMID: 35326450 PMCID: PMC8946988 DOI: 10.3390/cells11061000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Endometrial cancer (EC) is characterized by high estrogen levels unopposed by progesterone. Treatment with progestins is standard for early EC, but the response to progestins is dependent on progesterone receptor (PGR) expression. Here, we show that the expression of PGR in endometrial epithelial cells is dependent on ARID1A, a DNA-binding subunit of the SWI/SNF chromatin-remodeling complex that is commonly mutated in EC. In endometrial epithelial cells with estrogen receptor overexpression, we find that ARID1A promotes estrogen signaling and regulates common gene expression programs. Normally, endometrial epithelial cells expressing estrogen receptors respond to estrogen by upregulating the PGR. However, when ARID1A expression is lost, upregulation of PGR expression is significantly reduced. This phenomenon can also occur following the loss of the SWI/SNF subunit BRG1, suggesting a role for ARID1A- and BRG1-containing complexes in PGR regulation. We find that PGR is regulated by a bivalent promoter, which harbors both H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 histone tail modifications. H3K27me3 is deposited by EZH2, and inhibition of EZH2 in the context of ARID1A loss results in restoration of estrogen-induced PGR expression. Our results suggest a role for ARID1A deficiency in the loss of PGR in late-stage EC and a therapeutic utility for EZH2 inhibitors in this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mike R. Wilson
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA; (M.R.W.); (J.J.R.); (N.R.J.); (A.T.F.)
| | - Jake J. Reske
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA; (M.R.W.); (J.J.R.); (N.R.J.); (A.T.F.)
| | - Julie Koeman
- Genomics Core Facility, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA; (J.K.); (M.A.)
| | - Marie Adams
- Genomics Core Facility, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA; (J.K.); (M.A.)
| | - Niraj R. Joshi
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA; (M.R.W.); (J.J.R.); (N.R.J.); (A.T.F.)
| | - Asgerally T. Fazleabas
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA; (M.R.W.); (J.J.R.); (N.R.J.); (A.T.F.)
- Department of Women’s Health, Spectrum Health System, Grand Rapids, MI 49341, USA
| | - Ronald L. Chandler
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA; (M.R.W.); (J.J.R.); (N.R.J.); (A.T.F.)
- Department of Women’s Health, Spectrum Health System, Grand Rapids, MI 49341, USA
- Center for Epigenetics, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
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Impact of Musashi-1 and Musashi-2 Double Knockdown on Notch Signaling and the Pathogenesis of Endometriosis. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23052851. [PMID: 35269992 PMCID: PMC8911246 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23052851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The stem cell marker and RNA-binding protein Musashi-1 is overexpressed in endometriosis. Musashi-1-siRNA knockdown in Ishikawa cells altered the expression of stem cell related genes, such as OCT-4. To investigate the role of both human Musashi homologues (MSI-1 and MSI-2) in the pathogenesis of endometriosis, immortalized endometriotic 12-Z cells and primary endometriotic stroma cells were treated with Musashi-1- and Musashi-2-siRNA. Subsequently, the impact on cell proliferation, cell apoptosis, cell necrosis, spheroid formation, stem cell phenotype and the Notch signaling pathway was studied in vitro. Using the ENDOMET Turku Endometriosis database, the gene expression of stem cell markers and Notch signaling pathway constituents were analyzed according to localization of the endometriosis lesions. The database analysis demonstrated that expression of Musashi and Notch pathway-related genes are dysregulated in patients with endometriosis. Musashi-1/2-double-knockdown increased apoptosis and necrosis and reduced stem cell gene expression, cell proliferation, and the formation of spheroids. Musashi silencing increased the expression of the anti-proliferation mediator p21. Our findings suggest the therapeutic potential of targeting the Musashi–Notch axis. We conclude that the Musashi genes have an impact on Notch signaling and the pathogenesis of endometriosis through the downregulation of proliferation, stemness characteristics and the upregulation of apoptosis, necrosis and of the cell cycle regulator p21.
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The Anti-Endometriotic Effect of Cyperi Rhizoma Extract, Inhibiting Cell Adhesion and the Expression of Pain-Related Factors through Akt and NF-kB Pathways. Medicina (B Aires) 2022; 58:medicina58030335. [PMID: 35334511 PMCID: PMC8953559 DOI: 10.3390/medicina58030335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Rhizomes of Cyperus rotundus have been widely used as a traditional medicine in Asia for the treatment of gynecological diseases. However, there is no scientific evidence demonstrating the effect of C. rotundus rhizomes on endometriosis, which is characterized by the adhesion of endometrial tissues outside the uterus, resulting in chronic and severe pelvic pain. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Cyperi rhizoma extract (CRE) on cell adhesion and the expression of pain-related factors (neurotrophins) in endometriotic cells, and to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms. CRE inhibited the adhesion of human endometriotic 12Z cells to peritoneal mesothelial Met5A cells using by adhesion assays. The mRNA expression of adhesion molecules [P-cadherin and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2] was downregulated by CRE treatment. In addition, CRE significantly inhibited the mRNA expression of neurotrophins (BDNF, NGF, NT-3 and NT-4/5) in 12Z cells. Moreover, Akt overexpression markedly neutralized the inhibition of cell adhesion by CRE and expression of neurotrophins in 12Z cells. Furthermore, it was found that CRE suppressed NF-kB activation through the Akt pathway. These data suggest that CRE exerts anti-endometriotic activities by the inhibition of cell adhesion and neurotrophin expression, through the negative regulation of the Akt and NF-kB pathways in endometriotic cells.
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40
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Resveratrol impairs cellular mechanisms associated with the pathogenesis of endometriosis. Reprod Biomed Online 2022; 44:976-990. [DOI: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2022.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Kim HI, Schultz CR, Chandramouli GVR, Geerts D, Risinger JI, Bachmann AS. Pharmacological targeting of polyamine and hypusine biosynthesis reduces tumor activity of endometrial cancer. J Drug Target 2022; 30:623-633. [PMID: 35100927 DOI: 10.1080/1061186x.2022.2036164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Endometrial cancer (EC) is a common and deadly cancer in women and novel therapeutic approaches are urgently needed. Polyamines (putrescine, spermidine, spermine) are critical for mammalian cell proliferation and MYC coordinately regulates polyamine metabolism through ornithine decarboxylase (ODC). ODC is a MYC target gene and rate-limiting enzyme of polyamine biosynthesis and the FDA-approved anti-protozoan drug α-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) inhibits ODC activity and induces polyamine depletion that leads to tumor growth arrest. Spermidine is required for the hypusine-dependent activation of eukaryotic translation initiation factors 5A1 (eIF5A1) and 5A2 (eIF5A2) and connects the MYC/ODC-induced deregulation of spermidine to eIF5A1/2 protein translation, which is increased during cancer cell proliferation. We show that the eIF5A1 is significantly upregulated in EC cells compared to control cells (p = 0.000038) and that combined pharmacological targeting of ODC and eIF5A hypusination with cytostatic drugs DFMO and N1-guanyl-1,7-diaminoheptane (GC7), respectively, reduces eIF5A1 activation and synergistically induces apoptosis in EC cells. In vivo, DFMO/GC7 suppressed xenografted EC tumor growth in mice more potently than each drug alone compared to control (p = 0.002) and decreased putrescine (p = 0.045) and spermidine levels in tumor tissues. Our data suggest DFMO and GC7 combination therapy may be useful in the treatment or prevention of EC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Im Kim
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids MI
| | - Chad R Schultz
- Department of Pediatrics and Human Development, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids MI
| | | | - Dirk Geerts
- Glycostem Therapeutics, Oss, The Netherlands
| | - John I Risinger
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids MI
| | - André S Bachmann
- Department of Pediatrics and Human Development, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids MI
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Groothuis P. Model Systems in Endometriosis Research: Translation, Translation, Translation! FRONTIERS IN REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH 2022; 3:809366. [PMID: 36304048 PMCID: PMC9580766 DOI: 10.3389/frph.2021.809366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
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Arosh JA, Lee J, Banu SK. Effects of dual inhibition of AKT and ERK1/2 pathways on endometrial pro-inflammatory, hormonal, and epigenetic microenvironment in endometriosis. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2022; 539:111446. [PMID: 34478807 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2021.111446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent and progesterone-resistant gynecological inflammatory disease of reproductive-age women. The prevalence of endometriosis is ~5-10% in reproductive-age women, increasing to 20-30% in women with subfertility. The current anti-estrogen therapies can be prescribed only for a short time because of the undesirable side effects on menstruation, pregnancy, bone health, and failure to prevent a recurrence. The causes of endometriosis-associated infertility are multifactorial and poorly understood. The objective of the present study was to determine the inhibitory effects of AKT and/or ERK1/2 pathways on the microenvironment of the endometrium in a xenograft mouse model of endometriosis of human origin. Results indicate that dual inhibition of AKT and ERK1/2 pathways, but not inhibition of either AKT or ERK1/2 pathway, suppresses the growth of the endometriotic lesions in vivo. Dual inhibition of AKT and ERK1/2 pathways suppresses the production of proinflammatory cytokines, decreases E2 biosynthesis and signaling, and restores progesterone receptor-B signaling components in the epithelial and stromal cells of the endometrium in a cell-specific manner. These results together suggest that dual inhibition of AKT and ERK1/2 pathways suppresses the estrogen-dominant state and concomitantly increases the progesterone-responsive state of the endometrium. Therefore, dual inhibition of AKT and ERK1/2 pathways could emerge as long-term nonsteroidal therapy for endometriosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joe A Arosh
- Reproductive Endocrinology and Cell Signaling Laboratory, Department of Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, Texas, 77843, College Station, USA.
| | - JeHoon Lee
- Reproductive Endocrinology and Cell Signaling Laboratory, Department of Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, Texas, 77843, College Station, USA
| | - Sakhila K Banu
- Reproductive Endocrinology and Cell Signaling Laboratory, Department of Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, Texas, 77843, College Station, USA
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Morris SA, Korach KS, Burns KA. Unique Sensitivity of Uterine Tissue and the Immune System for Endometriotic Lesion Formation. Front Physiol 2021; 12:805784. [PMID: 34975547 PMCID: PMC8719640 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.805784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Endometriosis is a debilitating disease that affects about 10% of reproductive-aged adolescents and women. The etiology of the disease is unknown; however, a prevailing hypothesis is that endometriosis develops from retrograde menstruation, where endometrial tissue and fluids flow back through the oviducts into the peritoneal cavity. There is no cure for endometriosis, and symptoms are treated palliatively. Despite the advances in knowledge, the complexity of endometriosis etiology is still unknown. Recent work by our group suggests that the initiation of endometriosis is immune-dependent. Using a mouse model of endometriosis, we hypothesized the initiation of endometriosis is immune regulated and uterine endometrium specific. In the absence of a functional immune system non-obese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficiency (NOD/SCID mice), endometriotic lesions did not form. Uterine endometrial tissue forms endometriotic lesions, whereas tissues with differing basal expression levels of estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1) and estrogen receptor beta (ESR2), similar cellular composition to uterus (i.e. bladder, mammary gland, and lung), and treated with estradiol did not form lesions. As MMP7 is known to play a major role in the organization/reorganization of the endometrium during the menstrual cycle, blocking metalloproteinase (MMP) activity significantly decreased the invasive properties of these cells. Together, these findings suggest that endometriosis is immune and uterine specific and that MMP7 likely plays a role in the ability of uterine tissue and the innate immune system to establish and maintain endometriotic lesions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie A. Morris
- Department of Environmental Health, Division of Environmental Genetics and Molecular Toxicology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Kenneth S. Korach
- Receptor Biology Group, Reproductive, and Developmental Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | - Katherine A. Burns
- Department of Environmental Health, Division of Environmental Genetics and Molecular Toxicology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
- *Correspondence: Katherine A. Burns
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Lingegowda H, Miller JE, Marks RM, Symons LK, Alward T, Lomax AE, Koti M, Tayade C. Synthetic Cannabinoid Agonist WIN 55212-2 Targets Proliferation, Angiogenesis, and Apoptosis via MAPK/AKT Signaling in Human Endometriotic Cell Lines and a Murine Model of Endometriosis. FRONTIERS IN REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH 2021; 3:726936. [PMID: 36304004 PMCID: PMC9580784 DOI: 10.3389/frph.2021.726936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Endometriosis (EM) is characterized by the growth of endometrium-like tissue outside the uterus, leading to chronic inflammation and pelvic pain. Lesion proliferation, vascularization, and associated inflammation are the hallmark features of EM lesions. The legalization of recreational cannabinoids has garnered interest in the patient community and is contributing to a greater incidence of self medication; however, it remains unknown if cannabinoids possess marked disease-modifying properties. In this study, we assess the effects of synthetic cannabinoid, WIN 55212-2 (WIN 55), in EM-representative in vitro and in vivo syngeneic mouse models. WIN 55 reduced proliferation and angiogenesis in vitro, via MAPK/Akt-mediated apoptosis. These findings were corroborated in a mouse model of EM, where we found reduced TRPV1 expression in the dorsal root ganglia of the EM mouse model exposed to WIN 55, suggesting reduced signaling of pain stimuli. Ultimately, these pieces of evidence support the use of cannabinoid receptor agonists as a potential therapeutic intervention for EM associated pain and inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jessica E. Miller
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Ryan M. Marks
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Lindsey K. Symons
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Taylor Alward
- Gastrointestinal Disease Research Unit (GIDRU), Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Alan E. Lomax
- Gastrointestinal Disease Research Unit (GIDRU), Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Madhuri Koti
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kingston General Hospital, Kingston, ON, Canada
- Division of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Chandrakant Tayade
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
- *Correspondence: Chandrakant Tayade
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Godin SK, Wagner J, Huang P, Bree D. The role of peripheral nerve signaling in endometriosis. FASEB Bioadv 2021; 3:802-813. [PMID: 34632315 PMCID: PMC8493968 DOI: 10.1096/fba.2021-00063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
A hallmark of endometriosis - a chronic debilitating condition whose causes are poorly understood - is neuronal innervation of lesions. Recent evidence demonstrates that the peripheral nervous system plays an important role in the pathophysiology of this disease. Sensory nerves, which surround and innervate endometriotic lesions, not only drive the chronic and debilitating pain associated with endometriosis but also contribute to a pro-growth phenotype by secreting neurotrophic factors and interacting with surrounding immune cells. The diverse array of contributions that neurons play in endometriosis indicate that it should be considered as a nerve-centric disease. This review is focused on the emerging field of exoneural biology and how it applies to the field of endometriosis, in particular the role that peripheral nerves play in driving and maintaining endometriotic lesions. A better understanding of the mechanisms of neuronal contribution to endometriosis, as well as their interactions with accompanying stromal and immune cells, will unearth novel disease-relevant pathways and targets, providing additional, more selective therapeutic horizons.
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Stejskalová A, Vankelecom H, Sourouni M, Ho MY, Götte M, Almquist BD. In vitro modelling of the physiological and diseased female reproductive system. Acta Biomater 2021; 132:288-312. [PMID: 33915315 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2021.04.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2020] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The maladies affecting the female reproductive tract (FRT) range from infections to endometriosis to carcinomas. In vitro models of the FRT play an increasingly important role in both basic and translational research, since the anatomy and physiology of the FRT of humans and other primates differ significantly from most of the commonly used animal models, including rodents. Using organoid culture to study the FRT has overcome the longstanding hurdle of maintaining epithelial phenotype in culture. Both ECM-derived and engineered materials have proved critical for maintaining a physiological phenotype of FRT cells in vitro by providing the requisite 3D environment, ligands, and architecture. Advanced materials have also enabled the systematic study of factors contributing to the invasive metastatic processes. Meanwhile, microphysiological devices make it possible to incorporate physical signals such as flow and cyclic exposure to hormones. Going forward, advanced materials compatible with hormones and optimised to support FRT-derived cells' long-term growth, will play a key role in addressing the diverse array of FRT pathologies and lead to impactful new treatments that support the improvement of women's health. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: The female reproductive system is a crucial component of the female anatomy. In addition to enabling reproduction, it has wide ranging influence on tissues throughout the body via endocrine signalling. This intrinsic role in regulating normal female biology makes it susceptible to a variety of female-specific diseases. However, the complexity and human-specific features of the reproductive system make it challenging to study. This has spurred the development of human-relevant in vitro models for helping to decipher the complex issues that can affect the reproductive system, including endometriosis, infection, and cancer. In this Review, we cover the current state of in vitro models for studying the female reproductive system, and the key role biomaterials play in enabling their development.
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Ma L, Andrieu T, McKinnon B, Duempelmann L, Peng RW, Wotzkow C, Müller C, Mueller MD. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition contributes to the downregulation of progesterone receptor expression in endometriosis lesions. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2021; 212:105943. [PMID: 34144151 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2021.105943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Endometriosis is a common, estrogen-dependent disease, in which endometrial tissue grows in the peritoneal cavity. These lesions often express low levels of progesterone receptors (PR), which potentially play an important role in the insufficient response to progestin treatment. Here, we uncover an interconnection between the downregulated PR expression and the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in endometriotic lesions. The majority of ectopic epithelial glands (93.1 %, n = 67/72) display heterogeneous states of EMT by immunohistochemistry staining. Interestingly, low PR expression associated with high N-cadherin expression, a hallmark of EMT. In order to gain mechanistic insights, we performed in vitro functional assays with the endometriotic epithelial cell lines EM'osis and 12Z. TGF-β-induced EMT, marked by elevations of CDH2 and SNAI1/2, led to a significant downregulation of PR gene expression in both cell lines. In contrast, silencing of SNAI1 in EM'osis and of SNAI1 plus SNAI2 in 12Z elevated PR gene expression significantly. We found that not only in vitro, but also in the epithelial component of endometriotic lesions strong expression of SNAI1/2 concurred with weak expression of PR. In summary, these results suggested the negative correlation association of the heterogeneous states of EMT and suppressed PR expression in endometriotic lesions. Our functional assays indicate that EMT contributes to the downregulation of PR expression via the upregulation of EMT-TFs, like SNAI1 and SNAI2, which may ultimately lead to progesterone resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijuan Ma
- Department of Gynecology and Gynecological Oncology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Friedbuehlstrasse 19, 3010, Bern, Switzerland; Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Murtenstrasse 35, 3008, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Andrieu
- Department of Gynecology and Gynecological Oncology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Friedbuehlstrasse 19, 3010, Bern, Switzerland; Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Murtenstrasse 35, 3008, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Brett McKinnon
- Department of Gynecology and Gynecological Oncology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Friedbuehlstrasse 19, 3010, Bern, Switzerland; Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Murtenstrasse 35, 3008, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Lea Duempelmann
- Department of Gynecology and Gynecological Oncology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Friedbuehlstrasse 19, 3010, Bern, Switzerland; Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Murtenstrasse 35, 3008, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Ren-Wang Peng
- Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Murtenstrasse 35, 3008, Bern, Switzerland; Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, Murtenstrasse 50, 3008, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Carlos Wotzkow
- Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Murtenstrasse 35, 3008, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Christoph Müller
- Institute of Pathology, University of Bern, Murtenstrasse 31, 3008, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Michael D Mueller
- Department of Gynecology and Gynecological Oncology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Friedbuehlstrasse 19, 3010, Bern, Switzerland; Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Murtenstrasse 35, 3008, Bern, Switzerland
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Neuditschko B, Leibetseder M, Brunmair J, Hagn G, Skos L, Gerner MC, Meier-Menches SM, Yotova I, Gerner C. Epithelial Cell Line Derived from Endometriotic Lesion Mimics Macrophage Nervous Mechanism of Pain Generation on Proteome and Metabolome Levels. Biomolecules 2021; 11:1230. [PMID: 34439896 PMCID: PMC8393596 DOI: 10.3390/biom11081230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Endometriosis is a benign disease affecting one in ten women of reproductive age worldwide. Although the pain level is not correlated to the extent of the disease, it is still one of the cardinal symptoms strongly affecting the patients' quality of life. Yet, a molecular mechanism of this pathology, including the formation of pain, remains to be defined. Recent studies have indicated a close interaction between newly generated nerve cells and macrophages, leading to neurogenic inflammation in the pelvic area. In this context, the responsiveness of an endometriotic cell culture model was characterized upon inflammatory stimulation by employing a multi-omics approach, including proteomics, metabolomics and eicosanoid analysis. Differential proteomic profiling of the 12-Z endometriotic cell line treated with TNFα and IL1β unexpectedly showed that the inflammatory stimulation was able to induce a protein signature associated with neuroangiogenesis, specifically including neuropilins (NRP1/2). Untargeted metabolomic profiling in the same setup further revealed that the endometriotic cells were capable of the autonomous production of 7,8-dihydrobiopterin (BH2), 7,8-dihydroneopterin, normetanephrine and epinephrine. These metabolites are related to the development of neuropathic pain and the former three were found up-regulated upon inflammatory stimulation. Additionally, 12-Z cells were found to secrete the mono-oxygenated oxylipin 16-HETE, a known inhibitor of neutrophil aggregation and adhesion. Thus, inflammatory stimulation of endometriotic 12-Z cells led to specific protein and metabolite expression changes suggesting a direct involvement of these epithelial-like cells in endometriosis pain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Neuditschko
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Vienna, Waehringer Straße 38, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (B.N.); (M.L.); (J.B.); (G.H.); (L.S.); (S.M.M.-M.)
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Vienna, Waehringer Straße 42, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Marlene Leibetseder
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Vienna, Waehringer Straße 38, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (B.N.); (M.L.); (J.B.); (G.H.); (L.S.); (S.M.M.-M.)
| | - Julia Brunmair
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Vienna, Waehringer Straße 38, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (B.N.); (M.L.); (J.B.); (G.H.); (L.S.); (S.M.M.-M.)
| | - Gerhard Hagn
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Vienna, Waehringer Straße 38, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (B.N.); (M.L.); (J.B.); (G.H.); (L.S.); (S.M.M.-M.)
| | - Lukas Skos
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Vienna, Waehringer Straße 38, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (B.N.); (M.L.); (J.B.); (G.H.); (L.S.); (S.M.M.-M.)
| | - Marlene C. Gerner
- Division of Biomedical Science, University of Applied Sciences, FH Campus Wien, Favoritenstraße 226, 1100 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Samuel M. Meier-Menches
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Vienna, Waehringer Straße 38, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (B.N.); (M.L.); (J.B.); (G.H.); (L.S.); (S.M.M.-M.)
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Vienna, Waehringer Straße 42, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Joint Metabolome Facility, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Vienna, Waehringer Straße 38, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Iveta Yotova
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 23, 1090 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Christopher Gerner
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Vienna, Waehringer Straße 38, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (B.N.); (M.L.); (J.B.); (G.H.); (L.S.); (S.M.M.-M.)
- Joint Metabolome Facility, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Vienna, Waehringer Straße 38, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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LINC01133 Inhibits Invasion and Promotes Proliferation in an Endometriosis Epithelial Cell Line. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22168385. [PMID: 34445100 PMCID: PMC8395043 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Endometriosis is a common gynecological disorder characterized by ectopic growth of endometrium outside the uterus and is associated with chronic pain and infertility. We investigated the role of the long intergenic noncoding RNA 01133 (LINC01133) in endometriosis, an lncRNA that has been implicated in several types of cancer. We found that LINC01133 is upregulated in ectopic endometriotic lesions. As expression appeared higher in the epithelial endometrial layer, we performed a siRNA knockdown of LINC01133 in an endometriosis epithelial cell line. Phenotypic assays indicated that LINC01133 may promote proliferation and suppress cellular migration, and affect the cytoskeleton and morphology of the cells. Gene ontology analysis of differentially expressed genes indicated that cell proliferation and migration pathways were affected in line with the observed phenotype. We validated upregulation of p21 and downregulation of Cyclin A at the protein level, which together with the quantification of the DNA content using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis indicated that the observed effects on cellular proliferation may be due to changes in cell cycle. Further, we found testis-specific protein kinase 1 (TESK1) kinase upregulation corresponding with phosphorylation and inactivation of actin severing protein Cofilin, which could explain changes in the cytoskeleton and cellular migration. These results indicate that endometriosis is associated with LINC01133 upregulation, which may affect pathogenesis via the cellular proliferation and migration pathways.
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