Pentachloronitrobenzene alters progesterone production and primordial follicle recruitment in cultured granulosa cells and rat ovary†

Electrolytic growth of phenyl-modified silica isoporous membrane for non-polar extraction and electrochemical detection of pentachloronitrobenzene

A phenyl-modified silica isoporous membrane (Ph-SIM) was prepared on the indium-tin-oxide (ITO) electrode using the electrochemically assisted self-assembly (EASA) method. The resulting Ph-SIM preserved vertically ordered nanochannels while exhibiting outstanding hydrophobicity due to the incorporation of phenyl groups within the nanochannels. As a result, the Ph-SIM/ITO sensor exhibited a remarkable affinity for PCNB extraction through hydrophobic interactions, leading to high detection sensitivity. The electrochemical response showed a linear enhancement with the logarithmic concentration of PCNB ranging from 0.1 to 20.0 µM, and the limit of detection was 4.64 nM. Practical results demonstrated that the Ph-SIM/ITO sensor possessed good anti-fouling capability and robust stability, making it a promising candidate for portable detection of non-polar contaminants.

Pentachloronitrobenzene disturbed murine ventricular wall development by inhibiting cardiomyocyte proliferation via Hec1 downregulation

Exposure to the organochlorine fungicide pentachloronitrobenzene (PCNB) causes developmental abnormalities, including cardiac malformation. However, the molecular mechanism of PCNB cardiotoxicity remains elusive. We found that oral administration of PCNB to pregnant mice induced a hypoplastic wall with significant thinning of the compact myocardium in the developing hearts. PCNB significantly downregulates the expression of Hec1, a member of the NDC80 kinetochore complex, resulting in aberrant spindles, chromosome missegregation and an arrest in cardiomyocyte proliferation. Cardiac-specific ablation of Hec1 sharply inhibits cardiomyocyte proliferation, leading to thinning of the compact myocardium and embryonic lethality. Mechanistically, we found that activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) transactivates Hec1 expression. Either HEC1 or ATF3 overexpression significantly rescues mitotic defects and restore the decreased proliferative ability of cardiomyocytes caused by PCNB exposure. Our findings highlight that maternal PCNB exposure disrupts embryonic cardiac function by inhibiting cardiomyocyte proliferation and interfering with ventricular wall development, partially attributed to the downregulation of the Atf3-Hec1 axis.

Carnosol inhibits KGN cells oxidative stress and apoptosis and attenuates polycystic ovary syndrome phenotypes in mice through Keap1-mediated Nrf2/HO-1 activation

Excessive oxidative stress and apoptosis of ovarian granulosa cells lead to abnormal follicular development and ovulation disorders in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Carnosol is a plant-derived polyphenol that has been proven to exhibit several cell protective effects. In this study, we established hyperandrogenic PCOS models both in vitro and in vivo. In the human ovarian granulosa cell line, KGN cells, decreased viability and mitochondrial membrane potential, and upregulated reactive oxygen species (ROS) level and apoptosis induced by DHT were partly reversed by carnosol. Western blotting results showed that carnosol treatment inhibited the DHT-activated mitochondrial apoptotic pathway by activating nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf2)/heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1). Knockdown of Nrf2 by transfecting with siRNA or inhibiting HO-1 by zinc protoporphyrin (ZnPP) blocked the protective effects of carnosol. Computational modeling and pull-down assay results confirmed the direct binding of carnosol to kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1). In vivo results showed that the intraperitoneal administration of carnosol (50 and 100 mg/kg) improved estrous cycle disorders, polycystic ovary, and decreased elevated androgen in the PCOS mice. In summary, Carnosol has an effective role in inhibiting oxidative stress and apoptosis in DHT-treated KGN cells and protecting against mouse PCOS phenotypes through the Keap1-mediated activation of Nrf2/HO-1 signaling.

Rab10 protects against DOX-induced cardiotoxicity by alleviating the oxidative stress and apoptosis of cardiomyocytes

Doxorubicin (DOX) is a widely used anticancer drug, but its clinical application is limited by cardiotoxicity. As a member of the Rab family, Rab10 has multiple subcellular localizations and carries out a wide variety of functions. Here, we explored the role of Rab10 on DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. Cardiac-specific Rab10 transgenic mice were constructed and treated with DOX or saline. We found that cardiac-specific overexpression of Rab10 alleviated cardiac dysfunction and attenuated cytoplasmic vacuolization and mitochondrial damage in DOX-treated mouse heart tissues. Immunofluorescence staining and Western blot analysis showed that Rab10 alleviated DOX-induced apoptosis and oxidative stress in cardiomyocytes in mouse heart tissues. We demonstrated that DOX mediated apoptosis, oxidative stress and depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane potential in H9c2 cells, while overexpression and knockdown of Rab10 attenuated and aggravated these effects, respectively. Furthermore, we found that Mst1, a serine-threonine kinase, was cleaved and translocated into the nucleus in H9c2 cells after DOX treatment, and knockdown of Mst1 alleviated DOX-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Overexpression of Rab10 inhibited the cleavage of Mst1 mediated by DOX treatment in vivo and in vitro. Together, our findings demonstrated that cardiac-specific overexpression of Rab10 alleviated DOX-induced cardiac dysfunction and injury via inhibiting oxidative stress and apoptosis of cardiomyocytes, which may be partially ascribed to the inhibition of Mst1 activity.

Kisspeptin-10 Promotes Progesterone Synthesis in Bovine Ovarian Granulosa Cells via Downregulation of microRNA-1246

The objective of this study was to clarify the effect of kisspeptin-10 (kp-10) on the synthesis of progesterone (P4) in bovine granulosa cells (BGCs) and its mechanisms via microRNA 1246 (miR-1246). According to the results, we found that treating with kp-10 for 24 h could increase P4 level, the mRNA expression of the steroidogenesis-related gene steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), free cholesterol content, and decrease miR-1246 expression in BGCs. Overexpression of miR-1246 significantly inhibited P4 synthesis, StAR mRNA expression, and free cholesterol content in BGCs, whereas underexpression of miR-1246 significantly reversed this effect in BGCs. Additionally, overexpression of miR-1246 counteracted the accelerative effect of kp-10 on P4 synthesis, StAR mRNA expression, and free cholesterol content in BGCs. Conversely, underexpression of miR-1246 enhanced the accelerative effect of kp-10 on P4 synthesis, StAR mRNA expression, and free cholesterol content in BGCs. Meanwhile, results of dual-luciferase reporter assays indicated that miR-1246 targeted the 3′UTR of StAR in BGCs. These results demonstrated that kp-10 induced P4 synthesis in BGCs by promoting free cholesterol transport via regulating expression of miR-1246/StAR.

Effects of Osthole on Progesterone Secretion in Chicken Preovulatory Follicles Granulosa Cells

Simple Summary

Progesterone produced by granulosa cells regulates the diverse reproductive events in poultry. Osthole is a natural compound extracted from Cnidium. In this study, we confirmed Osthole up-regulated the progesterone secretion though elevating the expression of key proteins in the process of progesterone synthesis. These results indicate Osthole could be used in the pre-peak phase and (or) the peak phase to maximize the output of egg production in laying hens. Moreover, it provided a new idea that natural compounds may be the target library to screen the potential drugs used in poultry to increase the egg quality and yield.

Abstract

Osthole (Ost) is an active constituent of Cnidium monnieri (L.) Cusson which possesses anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties. It also has estrogen-like activity and can stimulate corticosterone secretion. The present study was aimed to check the role of Ost on progesterone (P4) secretion in cultured granulosa cells obtained from hen preovulatory follicles. Different concentrations (5, 2.5, and 1.25 µg/mL) of Ost was added to granulosa cells for 6, 12, 18, and 24 h to investigate the level of progesterone secretions using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The results showed that progesterone secretion was significantly increased in cells treated with Ost at 2.5 μg/mL. Also, qRT-PCR showed that mRNA expression of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) was significantly up-regulated by Ost at 2.5 μg/mL concentration. Cytochrome P450 side-chain cleavage (P450scc) and 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD) was significantly up-regulated by Ost. However, no significant differences were observed for the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). The protein expression of StAR, P450scc and 3β-HSD were significantly up-regulated by Ost treatment. The concentration of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and protein kinase A (PKA) in cell lysates showed no change with Ost treatment at 2.5 μg/mL by ELISA. An ROS kit showed non-significant difference in the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In conclusion, Ost treatment at a concentration of 2.5 μg/mL for 24 h had significantly up-regulated P4 secretion by elevating P450scc, 3β-HSD and StAR at both gene and protein level in granulosa cells obtained from hen preovulatory follicles.