Expression of matrix metalloproteinase-3 in mouse endometrial stromal cells during early pregnancy: regulation by interleukin-1alpha and tenascin-C

Inflammatory Markers in Uterine Lavage Fluids of Pregnant, Non-Pregnant, and Intrauterine Device Implanted Mares on Days 10 and 15 Post Ovulation

Simple Summary

While intrauterine devices (IUDs) are used to prevent disturbing oestrous behaviour in sport mares, their mechanism of action has not been elucidated. The presence of an embryo or an IUD prevents cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and subsequently prostaglandin (PG) release and luteolysis. It has been suggested that a plastic sphere would mimic the embryo by mechanotransduction. However, there is some evidence that IUDs also cause endometrial inflammation, which might contribute to luteostasis. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence and time course of possible inflammation by evaluating changes in uterine fluid composition. On Day 10 after ovulation, events leading to COX-2 and prostaglandin F_2α (PGF_2α) inhibition start, whereas either luteolysis occurs or the corpus luteum is maintained on Day 15. Therefore, uterine lavage fluid was evaluated at two time points in inseminated mares, either pregnant or not, and in mares inserted with an IUD. On Day 10, PGF_2α concentration in the fluid was significantly lower in the IUD group than in the pregnant mare one but did not differ from the non-pregnant mare group. On Day 15, the IUD group had significantly higher levels of the modulatory cytokine IL-10 and inhibin A, which could indicate previous inflammation and resolution stage.

Abstract

Intrauterine devices (IUDs) are used in mares to suppress oestrous behaviour, but the underlying mechanism is yet to be elucidated. The presence of an embryo or an IUD prevents cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and, subsequently, prostaglandin (PG) release and luteolysis. However, inflammation may also be involved. Endometrial inflammatory markers in uterine lavage fluid were measured on Day 10 (EXP 1, n = 25) and Day 15 (EXP 2, n = 27) after ovulation in inseminated mares, non-pregnant or pregnant, and in mares in which a small plastic sphere had been inserted into the uterus 4 (EXP 1) or 3 days (EXP 2) after ovulation. Uterine lavage fluid samples were analysed for nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) (only EXP 1), prostaglandin F_2α (PGF_2α), inhibin A and cytokines, and blood samples for progesterone and oestradiol. On Day 10, the concentration of PGF_2α was lower (p < 0.05) in the IUD group than in pregnant mares. The concentration of the modulatory cytokine IL-10 was significantly higher in the IUD group in comparison to non-pregnant mares, and inhibin A was significantly higher in IUD mares than in the pregnant counterparts on Day 15. The results suggest that the presence of IUD causes endometrial inflammation which is at a resolution stage on Day 15.

Intentional endometrial injury increases embryo implantation potentials through enhanced endometrial angiogenesis†

Embryo implantation rates have been found to be enhanced by precedent endometrial injuries, but the underlying mechanism is not fully investigated. Endometrial inflammation occurs both at peri-implantation period and after endometrial injury, in which vascular reaction is a distinctive feature of inflammation. In this study, intentional endometrial injury was done with a 0.7-mm-diameter brush inserted into the left uterine horn of female ICR mice, then turned around 720° (group 2), and the right uterine horn served as the controls without endometrial injuries (group 1). Intraperitoneal equine chorionic gonadotropin 2.5 IU was injected, followed by human chorionic gonadotropin 10 IU injection, and the uterus was dissected 5 days later, roughly at the peri-implantation period. The peri-implantation endometrium was obtained, and angiogenesis protein array revealed that matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), insulin-like growth factor binding protein 1 (IGFBP-1), and IL-1α were more strongly expressed in injured endometrium (group 2) than in the controls (group 1). Immunohistochemical CD34 staining was more prominently expressed in group 2 uterus, and the treatment with LY294002, a phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor, significantly decreased CD34 immunopositive cells. The capabilities of permeability, proliferation, tube formation, and migration of mouse endometrial endothelial cells were significantly enhanced in group 2 than in group 1. Our results demonstrate that enhanced endometrial angiogenesis is a possible mechanism accounting for the increased endometrial receptivity after endometrial injury.

IL-33/ST2 axis promotes glioblastoma cell invasion by accumulating tenascin-C

Tenascin-C (TNC), a very large multimeric glycoprotein, is overexpressed in human glioblastomas, leading to a highly motile and invasive phenotype of glioma cells. However, the regulation of TNC expression in glioma has remained unclear until now. Our data suggest that interleukin-33 (IL-33) may promote the accumulation of TNC protein by autocrine or paracrine modes of action in glioma. In the present study, the expression levels of TNC, IL-33, and ST2 were measured in glioma tissue specimens, and the impact of altered IL-33 expression on TNC was investigated in vitro and in vivo. In contrast with control treatment, IL-33 treatment increased TNC expression, and knockdown of IL-33 attenuated TNC expression in glioma cells. Furthermore, IL-33 induced the activation of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and increased the expression of TNC in U251 cells. In addition, blockage of the IL-33-ST2-NFκB pathway resulted in downregulation of TNC production. IL-33 promoted glioma cell invasion by stimulating the secretion of TNC. Similarly, knockdown of TNC inhibited the invasiveness of glioma cells. These findings provide a novel perspective on the role of the IL-33/NF-κB/TNC signalling pathway in supporting cancer progression. Thus, targeting the IL-33/NF-κB/TNC signalling pathway may be a useful therapeutic approach in glioma.

Expression of Matrix Metalloproteinases in the Mouse Uterus and Human Myometrium During Pregnancy, Labor, and Preterm Labor

BACKGROUND

Uterine extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling occurs throughout pregnancy and at parturition. Imbalanced availability of key mediators in ECM degradation, namely, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their tissue inhibitors (TIMPs), is implicated in the pathogenesis of preterm labor (PTL).

OBJECTIVES

Examine the expression of MMPs and their inhibitors TIMPs in (a) the mouse uterus throughout normal gestation, at labor, and during inflammation-induced PTL and (b) the human term and preterm myometrium.

METHODS

The expression of Mmp-2/9/3/10 and Timp-1/2 was determined in the uterus of C57BL/6 mice (n = 6/group) during pregnancy (on days (d) 5, 8, 12, 15, 17, and 18), at normal labor, and during lipopolysaccharide-induced PTL (n = 6/group). The expression of MMP-10 and TIMP-1 was determined in human term and preterm myometrium before the onset of labor (TNL, n = 7; PTNL, n = 7) and during active labor (TL, n = 8; PTL, n = 8). Gene expression and tissue localization were assessed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry, respectively.

RESULTS

Mmp-10 was higher during murine labor (53-fold vs early pregnancy) in contrast to Mmp-2/3/9 and Timp-1, the expression of which reached a nadir at labor ( P < .001 vs d5 [ Mmp-2/ 9] or P < .05 vs d8 [ Mmp-3 and Timp-1]). The Mmp-3/10 and Timp-1 were localized to the uterine epithelium and stroma/myometrium. In the human myometrium, TIMP-1 messenger RNA was higher and MMP-10 was lower in TL versus TNL ( P < .05), PTL ( P < .001), and PTNL ( P < .001). MMP-10 and TIMP-1 were localized to the myometrial smooth muscle cells, interstitial fibroblasts, and inflammatory cells.

CONCLUSIONS

These data implicate MMP-3, TIMP-1, and MMP-10 in the uterine ECM remodeling during physiological and pathological parturition.

The effect of lysophosphatidic acid together with interferon tau on the global transcriptomic profile in bovine endometrial cells

In cows, lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), which acts in an auto/paracrine manner, serves as a luteotropic factor during early pregnancy by stimulating progesterone and prostaglandin E₂ secretion, thus protecting the bovine corpus luteum and early embryo development. Our hypothesis was that LPA exerted some local effects on the bovine endometrium prior to early embryo-maternal interactions and that interferon tau (IFNτ), the pregnancy recognition signal, modulated this action. In the present study, we applied an in vitro model involving whole-transcriptomic profiling to examine the effects of LPA on gene expression in bovine endometrial cells. Microarray analyses revealed 36, 269 and 284 differentially expressed transcripts in bovine endometrial cells in the control vs. LPA, control vs. LPA + IFNτ and LPA vs. LPA + IFNτ groups, respectively. The expression of matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP13) and radical S-adenosyl methionine domain containing 2 (RSAD2) was increased in the LPA-treated endometrial cells. Among the transcripts differentially regulated by LPA together with IFNτ, many of the genes were classical- or novel-type I IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs). The results indicated that 10 of the 16 analyzed genes showed a positive correlation with their corresponding microarray data upon real-time PCR validation, indicating a considerable consistency between both techniques. In summary, these transcriptional profiling studies identified a number of genes that were regulated by LPA alone and LPA together with IFNτ in endometrial cells from the bovine uterus. Available studies support the idea that LPA, which acts in an auto/paracrine manner on the endometrium, alters the expression of genes that are probably important for uterine receptivity, maternal immune tolerance to the embryo and conceptus growth and development during early pregnancy. Moreover, the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that increased in the LPA + IFNτ-treated endometrial cells are largely in response to IFNτ actions and are possibly associated with crucial biological processes during the peri-implantation period of pregnancy.

Effect of postconditioning on dynamic expression of tenascin-C and left ventricular remodeling after myocardial ischemia and reperfusion

Background

Tenascin-C (TNC), an extracellular matrix glycoprotein, is expressed transiently in distinct areas in association with active tissue remodeling. This study aimed to explore how ischemic postconditioning (PC) affects myocardial expression of TNC and ventricular remodeling using ¹²⁵I-labeled anti-TNC antibody (¹²⁵I-TNC-Ab) in a rat model of ischemia and reperfusion.

Methods

In control rats (n = 27), the left coronary artery (LCA) was occluded for 30 min followed by reperfusion for 1, 3, 7, and 14 days. PC (n = 27) was performed just after the reperfusion. At the time of the study, ¹²⁵I-TNC-Ab (1.0 to 2.5 MBq) was injected. Six to 9 h later, to verify the area at risk, ^99mTc-MIBI (100 to 200 MBq) was injected intravenously just after the LCA reocclusion, with the rats sacrificed 1 min later. Dual tracer autoradiography was performed to assess ¹²⁵I-TNC-Ab uptake and area at risk. To examine the ventricular remodeling, echocardiography was performed 2 M after reperfusion in both groups.

Results

In control rats, ¹²⁵I-TNC-Ab uptake ratio at 1 day after reperfusion was 3.73 ± 0.71 and increased at 3 days (4.65 ± 0.87), followed by a significant reduction at 7 days (2.91 ± 0.55, P < 0.005 vs 3 days) and14 days (2.01 ± 0.17, P < 0.005 vs 1 and 3 days). PC attenuated the ¹²⁵I-TNC-Ab uptake throughout the reperfusion time from 1 to 14 days; 2.59 ± 0.59 at 1 day, P < 0.05: 3.10 ± 0.42 at 3 days, P < 0.005: 1.93 ± 0.37 at 7 days, P < 0.05: 1.40 ± 0.07 at 14 days, P < 0.001. In echocardiography, PC reduced the ventricular end-diastolic and systolic dimensions (1.00 ± 0.06 cm to 0.83 ± 0.14 cm (P < 0.05) and 0.90 ± 0.15 cm to 0.62 ± 0.19 cm (P < 0.05), respectively) and prevented a decline of ventricular percentage fractional shortening (10.5 ± 3.7 to 28.2 ± 10.7, P < 0.005).

Conclusions

These data indicate that ¹²⁵I-TNC-Ab imaging may be a way to monitor myocardial injury, the subsequent repair process, and its response to novel therapeutic interventions like PC by visualizing TNC expression.

Transcriptome changes in the porcine endometrium during the preattachment phase

The porcine conceptus undergoes rapid differentiation and expansion of its trophoblastic membranes between Days 11 and 12 of gestation. Concomitant with trophoblast elongation, production of conceptus estrogen, the porcine embryonic pregnancy recognition signal, increases. Conceptus attachment to the uterine surface epithelium starts after Day 13, initiating epitheliochorial placentation. To analyze the transcriptome changes in the endometrium in the course of maternal recognition of pregnancy, deep sequencing of endometrial RNA samples of Day 12 pregnant animals (n = 4) and corresponding nonpregnant controls (n = 4) was performed using RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq). Between 30 000 000 and 35 000 000 sequence reads per sample were produced and mapped to the porcine genome (Sscrofa10.2). Analysis of read counts revealed 2593 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Expression of selected genes was validated by the use of quantitative real-time RT-PCR. Bioinformatics analysis identified several functional terms specifically overrepresented for up-regulated or down-regulated genes. Comparison of the RNA-Seq data from Days 12 and 14 of pregnancy was performed at the level of all expressed genes, the level of the DEG, and the level of functional categories. This revealed specific gene expression patterns reflecting the different functions of the endometrium during these stages (i.e., recognition of pregnancy and preparation for conceptus attachment). Genes related to mitosis, immune response, epithelial cell differentiation and development, proteolysis, and prostaglandin signaling and metabolism are discussed in detail. This study identified comprehensive transcriptome changes in porcine endometrium associated with establishment of pregnancy and could be a resource for targeted studies of genes and pathways potentially involved in regulation of this process.

Interleukin-1 has opposing effects on connective tissue growth factor and tenascin-C expression in human cardiac fibroblasts

Cardiac fibroblasts (CF) play a central role in the repair and remodeling of the heart following injury and are important regulators of inflammation and extracellular matrix (ECM) turnover. ECM-regulatory matricellular proteins are synthesized by several myocardial cell types including CF. We investigated the effects of pro-inflammatory cytokines on matricellular protein expression in cultured human CF. cDNA array analysis of matricellular proteins revealed that interleukin-1α (IL-1α, 10ng/ml, 6h) down-regulated connective tissue growth factor (CTGF/CCN2) mRNA by 80% and up-regulated tenascin-C (TNC) mRNA levels by 10-fold in human CF, without affecting expression of thrombospondins 1-3, osteonectin or osteopontin. Western blotting confirmed these changes at the protein level. In contrast, tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) did not modulate CCN2 expression and had only a modest stimulatory effect on TNC levels. Signaling pathway inhibitor studies suggested an important role for the p38 MAPK pathway in suppressing CCN2 expression in response to IL-1α. In contrast, multiple signaling pathways (p38, JNK, PI3K/Akt and NFκB) contributed to IL-1α-induced TNC expression. In conclusion, IL-1α reduced CCN2 expression and increased TNC expression in human CF. These observations are of potential value for understanding how inflammation and ECM regulation are linked at the level of the CF.

High circulating levels of large splice variants of tenascin-C is associated with mortality and cardiovascular disease in chronic kidney disease patients

OBJECTIVES

Tenascin-C (TN-C) is an adhesion-modulating extracellular matrix glycoprotein which is overexpressed in various organs under disease conditions (infection and inflammation). In patients with heart disease, plasma TN-C levels have been shown to be predictive of cardiac remodeling. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with a state of chronic inflammation and high cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.

METHODS

In a prospective observational study, we examined the relationship between plasma concentration of large splice variants of TN-C (cTN-C) and cardiovascular outcomes, we studied a cohort of 94 prevalent CKD patients (mean±SD age: 68±13; 31% at CKD stages 2-3, 31% at stages 4-5, 38% at stage 5D).

RESULTS

Plasma cTN-C levels were elevated in this population and tended to rise as CKD progressed, with the increase becoming statistically significant at CKD stage 4-5 and 5D. Multivariate linear regression analysis indicated that CKD stage (p=0.04), IL-6 (p=0.02) and albumin (p=0.02) were independently associated with plasma cTN-C levels. During follow-up (mean duration: 969±405 days), 32 patients died (19 from CV events, 7 from infectious diseases and 6 from other causes). In a crude analysis, higher plasma cTN-C levels predicted overall and CV mortality (p=0.007 and p=0.003, respectively) and were associated with higher occurrence of CV events. Cox analyses confirmed that elevated plasma cTN-C levels were independently associated with cardiovascular events, cardiovascular and overall mortality.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest, for the first time, that plasma cTN-C levels are independently associated with cardiovascular outcomes in CKD patients. Further studies are needed in order to confirm the above observations and better understand TN-C's role in cardiovascular remodeling in CKD.

Dynamic expression of tenascin-C after myocardial ischemia and reperfusion: assessment by 125I-anti-tenascin-C antibody imaging

Tenascin-C, an extracellular matrix glycoprotein, appears only in the early stages of embryonic development. It is not normally expressed in the adult heart but does reappear transiently in distinct areas in association with active tissue remodeling. The aim of this study was to explore serial changes in the expression of tenascin-C after myocardial ischemia and reperfusion, using (125)I-labeled anti-tenascin-C antibody ((125)I-TNC-Ab) in a rat model of acute ischemia and reperfusion.

METHODS

The left coronary artery was occluded for 20 or 30 min, followed by reperfusion for 1, 3, or 7 d in rats with 20 min of ischemia and for 1, 3, 7, 14, or 28 d in rats with 30 min of ischemia. At the time of the study, (125)I-TNC-Ab (1.0-2.5 MBq) was injected. Three to 5 h later, to verify the area at risk, (99m)Tc-methoxyisobutylisonitrile (100-200 MBq) was injected intravenously just after the left coronary artery reocclusion and the rats were sacrificed 1 min later. Dual-tracer autoradiography was performed to assess (125)I-TNC-Ab uptake and the area at risk.

RESULTS

In rats with 20 min of ischemia, (125)I-TNC-Ab uptake peaked at 3 d after reperfusion, followed by faint uptake after 7 d (uptake ratios at 1, 3, and 7 d after reperfusion were 1.81 +/- 0.53, 2.46 +/- 0.79, and 1.23 +/- 0.17, respectively [P < 0.05 vs. 3 d]). In rats with 30 min of ischemia, uptake was high at 1 and 3 d after reperfusion (2.99 +/- 0.90 and 2.71 +/- 0.80, respectively), decreased at 7 and 14 d (1.94 +/- 0.23 and 2.06 +/- 0.37, respectively), and was weak at 28 d (1.47 +/- 0.27, P < 0.005 vs. 1 d, P < 0.05 vs. 3 d).

CONCLUSION

These data indicate that (125)I-TNC-Ab imaging may be a way to monitor myocardial injury and its repair process after ischemia and reperfusion by visualizing tenascin-C expression.

PTCH1 +/- dermal fibroblasts isolated from healthy skin of Gorlin syndrome patients exhibit features of carcinoma associated fibroblasts

Gorlin's or nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome (NBCCS) causes predisposition to basal cell carcinoma (BCC), the commonest cancer in adult human. Mutations in the tumor suppressor gene PTCH1 are responsible for this autosomal dominant syndrome. In NBCCS patients, as in the general population, ultraviolet exposure is a major risk factor for BCC development. However these patients also develop BCCs in sun-protected areas of the skin, suggesting the existence of other mechanisms for BCC predisposition in NBCCS patients. As increasing evidence supports the idea that the stroma influences carcinoma development, we hypothesized that NBCCS fibroblasts could facilitate BCC occurence of the patients. WT (n = 3) and NBCCS fibroblasts bearing either nonsense (n = 3) or missense (n = 3) PTCH1 mutations were cultured in dermal equivalents made of a collagen matrix and their transcriptomes were compared by whole genome microarray analyses. Strikingly, NBCCS fibroblasts over-expressed mRNAs encoding pro-tumoral factors such as Matrix Metalloproteinases 1 and 3 and tenascin C. They also over-expressed mRNA of pro-proliferative diffusible factors such as fibroblast growth factor 7 and the stromal cell-derived factor 1 alpha, known for its expression in carcinoma associated fibroblasts. These data indicate that the PTCH1^+/− genotype of healthy NBCCS fibroblasts results in phenotypic traits highly reminiscent of those of BCC associated fibroblasts, a clue to the yet mysterious proneness to non photo-exposed BCCs in NBCCS patients.

Deficiency of tenascin C attenuates allergen-induced bronchial asthma in the mouse

Tenascin C (TN-C) is an extracellular matrix glycoprotein whose expression is increased in several inflammatory diseases of the lung, including bronchial asthma. However, the exact function of TN-C in the pathogenesis of lung inflammation remains unclear. In the present study, we compared the degree of bronchial asthma in wild-type and TN-C-deficient (-/-) BALB/c mice. Bronchial asthma was induced by sensitization and challenge with ovalbumin. Littermates treated with saline were used as controls. Cytokines in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and plasma were measured by enzyme immunoassays. The number of eosinophils in the lung was significantly increased in wild-type mice compared with TN-C-knockout mice. Airway hyperreactivity, NF-kappaB activation and concentrations of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, IL-5, IL-13, metalloproteinase-9 and immunoglobulin-E in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were significantly decreased in ovalbumin-sensitized/challenged TN-C-knockout mice compared with their wild-type counterparts. In vitro experiments disclosed that TN-C significantly stimulates the secretion of IL-5, IL-13, IFN-gamma and immunoglobulin-E from spleen lymphocytes. These observations suggest that TN-C is involved in the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma.

Serum tenascin-C might be a novel predictor of left ventricular remodeling and prognosis after acute myocardial infarction

OBJECTIVES

We investigated clinical implications of serum tenascin-C (TN-C) levels in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

BACKGROUND

Tenascin-C, an extracellular matrix glycoprotein, is not normally expressed in the adult heart, but transiently appears during pathological conditions and plays important roles in tissue remodeling.

METHODS

Serum TN-C levels were measured by ELISA in 105 AMI patients at various time points, in 10 old myocardial infarction (OMI) patients, and 20 normal controls.

RESULTS

The mean serum TN-C level of AMI patients on admission (63.3 +/- 30.1 ng/ml) was significantly higher than that of controls and OMI (30.9 +/- 8.8 ng/ml and 27.4 +/- 11.7 ng/ml, respectively, p < 0.01), and peaked at 5 days (83.2 +/- 43.0 ng/ml). Follow-up examination (mean: 43.9 +/- 19.6 months) revealed that 25 of 105 AMI (23.8%) patients showed left ventricular (LV) remodeling (> or =20% end-diastolic volume increase), and in 15 (14.3%), major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were detected. The peak TN-C level was significantly higher in the remodeling group than the nonremodeling group (112 +/- 37 ng/ml vs. 66 +/- 29 ng/ml; p < 0.0001). By receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, TN-C levels clearly discriminated prediction of LV remodeling and MACE compared with other variables including plasma B-type natriuretic peptide, creatine kinase-MB, and LV function. Best predictive values of TN-C for remodeling and MACE were 84.8 and 92.8 ng/ml, respectively. Cox proportional hazards model analysis showed that TN-C was an important independent predictor of MACE.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that serum TN-C levels might be useful in predicting LV remodeling and prognosis after AMI.