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Li L, Zhang Z, Li H, Zhou M, Li F, Chu C, Zhang Y, Zhu X, Ju H, Li X. Research progress on the STAT signaling pathway in pregnancy and pregnancy-associated disorders. Front Immunol 2024; 14:1331964. [PMID: 38235138 PMCID: PMC10792037 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1331964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) proteins, pivotal regulators of signaling cascades, undergo activation in response to the stimulation of cytokines and growth factors, and participate in biological processes, including inflammation, immune responses, cell proliferation, and differentiation. During the process of pregnancy, STAT signaling is involved in regulating embryonic implantation, endometrial decidualization, and establishing and maintaining maternal-fetal immune tolerance. Increasing evidence suggests that aberrant STAT signaling contributes to the occurrence and development of pregnancy disorders, including repeated implantation failure (RIF), preeclampsia (PE), recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA), preterm birth (PTB) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Elucidating the molecular mechanisms of the STAT signaling pathway holds promise for further understanding the establishment and maintenance of normal pregnancy, and thereby providing potent targets and strategic avenues for the prevention and management of ailments associated with pregnancy. In this review, we summarized the roles of the STAT signaling pathway and its related regulatory function in embryonic implantation, endometrial decidualization, and maternal-fetal immune tolerance. In conclusion, in-depth research on the mechanism of the STAT signaling pathway not only enhances our understanding of normal pregnancy processes but also offers STAT-based therapeutic approaches to protect women from the burden of pregnancy-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lihua Li
- Innovative Institute of Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
- School of Clinical and Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Zhen Zhang
- Innovative Institute of Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
- School of Clinical and Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Haoyang Li
- International Business School, Tianjin Foreign Studies University, Tianjin, China
| | - Miaomiao Zhou
- Innovative Institute of Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Fang Li
- Innovative Institute of Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Chu Chu
- Innovative Institute of Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Yunhong Zhang
- Innovative Institute of Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Zhu
- Innovative Institute of Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Hongmei Ju
- Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Xia Li
- Innovative Institute of Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
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Sheller-Miller S, Richardson L, Martin L, Jin J, Menon R. Systematic review of p38 mitogen-activated kinase and its functional role in reproductive tissues. Am J Reprod Immunol 2018; 80:e13047. [PMID: 30178469 PMCID: PMC6261682 DOI: 10.1111/aji.13047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2018] [Revised: 08/13/2018] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxidative stress (OS) plays a role in uterine tissue remodeling during pregnancy and parturition. While p38 MAPK is an OS-response kinase, a precise functional role is unknown. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review of literature on p38 MAPK expression, activation, and function in reproductive tissues throughout pregnancy and parturition, published between January 1980 and August 2017, using four electronic databases (Web of Science, PubMed, Medline, and CoCHRANE). We identified 418 reports; 108 were selected for full-text evaluation and 74 were included in final review. p38 MAPK was investigated using feto-maternal primary or immortalized cells, tissue explants, and animal models. Western blot was most commonly used to report phosphorylated (active) p38 MAPK. Human placenta (27), chorioamniotic membranes (14), myometrium (13), decidua (8), and cervix (1) were the studied tissues. p38 MAPK's functions were tissue and gestational age dependent. Isoform specificity was hardly reported. p38 MAPK activity was induced by ROS or proinflammatory cytokines to promote cell signaling linked to cell fate, primed uterus, ripened cervix, and proinflammatory cytokine/chemokine production. In 35 years, reports on p38 MAPK's role during pregnancy and parturition are scarce and current literature is insufficient to provide a comprehensive description of p38 MAPK's mechanistic role during pregnancy and parturition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Sheller-Miller
- Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine & Perinatal Research, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, Texas
| | - Lauren Richardson
- Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine & Perinatal Research, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, Texas
- Department of Neuroscience & Cell Biology, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, Texas
| | - Laura Martin
- Department of Pathology, Botucatu Medical School, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, Brazil
| | - Jin Jin
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ramkumar Menon
- Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine & Perinatal Research, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, Texas
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Saikia PJ, Das D, Mize D, Das M, Sarma HN. Spatiotemporal expression of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-C in mice fetal-maternal tissues during periimplantation (D4–D7). MIDDLE EAST FERTILITY SOCIETY JOURNAL 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mefs.2016.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
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Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha and Pregnancy: Focus on Biologics. An Updated and Comprehensive Review. Clin Rev Allergy Immunol 2017; 53:40-53. [DOI: 10.1007/s12016-016-8596-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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Gagliostro V, Seeger P, Garrafa E, Salvi V, Bresciani R, Bosisio D, Sozzani S. Pro-lymphangiogenic properties of IFN-γ-activated human dendritic cells. Immunol Lett 2016; 173:26-35. [PMID: 26987844 DOI: 10.1016/j.imlet.2016.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2016] [Accepted: 03/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Dendritic cells (DCs) play a crucial role in the initiation of adaptive immune responses. In addition, through the release of pro- and anti-angiogenic mediators, DCs are key regulators of blood vessel remodeling, a process that characterizes inflammation. Less information is available on the role of DCs in lymphangiogenesis. This study reports that human DCs produce VEGF-C, a cytokine with potent pro-lymphangiogenic activity when stimulated with IFN-γ. DC-derived VEGF-C was biologically active, being able to promote tube-like structure formation in cultures of human lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs). DCs co-cultured with IL-15-activated NK cells produced high levels of VEGF-C, suggesting a role for NK-DC cross-talk in peripheral lymphoid and non-lymphoid tissues in inflammation-associated lymphangiogenesis. Induction of VEGF-C by IFN-γ was detected also in other myeloid cells, such as blood-purified CD1c(+) DCs, CD14(+) monocytes and in monocyte-derived macrophages. In all these cell types, VEGF-C was found associated with the cell membrane by low affinity, heparan sulphate-mediated, interactions. Therefore, human DCs should be considered as new players in inflammation-associated lymphangiogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Gagliostro
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Pascal Seeger
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Emirena Garrafa
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Valentina Salvi
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Roberto Bresciani
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Daniela Bosisio
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Silvano Sozzani
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy; Humanitas Clinical Research Center, Rozzano, Italy.
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Hu Y, Blair JD, Yuen RKC, Robinson WP, von Dadelszen P. Genome-wide DNA methylation identifies trophoblast invasion-related genes: Claudin-4 and Fucosyltransferase IV control mobility via altering matrix metalloproteinase activity. Mol Hum Reprod 2015; 21:452-65. [PMID: 25697377 DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gav007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2014] [Accepted: 02/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Previously we showed that extravillous cytotrophoblast (EVT) outgrowth and migration on a collagen gel explant model were affected by exposure to decidual natural killer cells (dNK). This study investigates the molecular causes behind this phenomenon. Genome wide DNA methylation of exposed and unexposed EVT was assessed using the Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip array (450 K array). We identified 444 differentially methylated CpG loci in dNK-treated EVT compared with medium control (P < 0.05). The genes associated with these loci had critical biological roles in cellular development, cellular growth and proliferation, cell signaling, cellular assembly and organization by Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA). Furthermore, 23 mobility-related genes were identified by IPA from dNK-treated EVT. Among these genes, CLDN4 (encoding claudin-4) and FUT4 (encoding fucosyltransferase IV) were chosen for follow-up studies because of their biological relevance from research on tumor cells. The results showed that the mRNA and protein expressions of both CLDN4 and FUT4 in dNK-treated EVT were significantly reduced compared with control (P < 0.01 for both CLDN4 and FUT4 mRNA expression; P < 0.001 for CLDN4 and P < 0.01 for FUT4 protein expression), and were inversely correlated with DNA methylation. Knocking down CLDN4 and FUT4 by small interfering RNA reduced trophoblast invasion, possibly through the altered matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and/or MMP-9 expression and activity. Taken together, dNK alter EVT mobility at least partially in association with an alteration of DNA methylation profile. Hypermethylation of CLDN4 and FUT4 reduces protein expression. CLDN4 and FUT4 are representative genes that participate in modulating trophoblast mobility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxiang Hu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - John D Blair
- Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Ryan K C Yuen
- Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Wendy P Robinson
- Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Peter von Dadelszen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Sikorski K, Wesoly J, Bluyssen HAR. Data mining of atherosclerotic plaque transcriptomes predicts STAT1-dependent inflammatory signal integration in vascular disease. Int J Mol Sci 2014; 15:14313-31. [PMID: 25196434 PMCID: PMC4159852 DOI: 10.3390/ijms150814313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2014] [Revised: 07/29/2014] [Accepted: 08/01/2014] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Atherosclerotic plaque development involves multiple extra- and intra-cellular signals engaging cells from the immune system and from the vasculature. Pro-inflammatory pathways activated by interferon gamma (IFNγ) and toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) ligands are profoundly involved in plaque formation and have been shown to involve cross-talk in all atheroma-interacting cell types leading to increased activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription-1 (STAT1) and elevated expression of pro-inflammatory mediators. Here we demonstrate that in Gene Expression Omnibus repository (GEO) deposited microarray datasets, obtained from human coronary and carotid atherosclerotic plaques, a significant increase in expression of pro-inflammatory and immunomodulatory genes can be detected. Moreover, increased expression of multiple chemokines, adhesion molecules and matrix-remodeling molecules was commonly detected in both plaque types and correlated with the presence of putative STAT1 binding sites in their promoters, suggesting strong involvement of STAT1 in plaque development. We also provide evidence to suggest that STAT1-nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NFκB) or STAT1-interferon-regulated factor (IRF) regulatory modules are over-represented in the promoters of these inflammatory genes, which points to a possible contribution of IFNγ and TLR4 cross-talk in the process of atherogenesis. Finally, a subset of these genes encodes for secreted proteins that could serve as a basis of a non-invasive diagnostic assay. The results of our in silico analysis in vitro provide potential evidence that STAT1-dependent IFNγ-TLR4 cross-talk plays a crucial role in coronary and carotid artery plaque development and identifies a STAT1-dependent gene signature that could represent a novel diagnostic tool to monitor and diagnose plaque progression in human atherosclerosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krzysztof Sikorski
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Poznan 61-614, Poland.
| | - Joanna Wesoly
- Laboratory of High-Throughput Technologies, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, Poznan 61-614, Poland.
| | - Hans A R Bluyssen
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Poznan 61-614, Poland.
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Abstract
The endometrium has a complex and dynamic blood and lymphatic vasculature which undergoes regular cycles of growth and breakdown. While we now have a detailed picture of the endometrial blood vasculature, our understanding of the lymphatic vasculature in the endometrium is limited. Recent studies have illustrated that the endometrium contains a population of lymphatic vessels with restricted distribution in the functional layer relative to the basal layer. The mechanisms responsible for this restricted distribution and the consequences for endometrial function are not known. This review will summarise our current understanding of endometrial lymphatics, including the mechanisms regulating their growth and function. The potential contribution of lymphatic vessels and lymphangiogenic growth factors to various endometrial disorders will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane E Girling
- Gynaecology Research Centre, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The University of Melbourne, The Royal Women's Hospital, Cnr Flemington Rd and Grattan St, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
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Effects of local decidua on trophoblast invasion and spiral artery remodeling in focal placenta creta – An immunohistochemical study. Placenta 2012; 33:998-1004. [DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2012.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2012] [Revised: 09/05/2012] [Accepted: 09/06/2012] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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