IFN-γ inhibits osteopontin expression in human decidual stromal cells and can be attenuated by 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3

Conceptus interferon gamma is essential for establishment of pregnancy in the pig

Establishment and maintenance of pregnancy in the pig is a complex process that relies on conceptus regulation of the maternal proinflammatory response to endometrial attachment. Following elongation, pig conceptuses secrete interferon gamma (IFNG) during attachment to the endometrial luminal epithelium. The objective here was to determine if conceptus production of IFNG is important for early development and establishment of pregnancy. CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing and somatic cell nuclear transfer technologies were used to create an IFNG loss-of-function study in pigs. Wild-type (IFNG+/+) and null (IFNG-/-) fibroblast cells were used to create embryos through somatic cell nuclear transfer. IFNG expression was not detected in IFNG-/- conceptuses on either day 15 or day 17 of pregnancy. Ablation of conceptus IFNG production resulted in the reduction of stromal CD3+ and mast cells which localized to the site of conceptus attachment on day 15. The uteri of recipients with IFNG-/- conceptuses were inflamed, hyperemic and there was an abundance of erythrocytes in the uterine lumen associated with the degenerating conceptuses. The endometrial stromal extracellular matrix was altered in the IFNG-/- embryo pregnancies and there was an increased endometrial mRNA levels for collagen XVII (COL17A1), matrilin 1 (MATN1), secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1) and cysteine-rich secretory protein 3 (CRISP3), which are involved with repair and remodeling of the extracellular matrix. These results indicate conceptus IFNG production is essential in modulating the endometrial proinflammatory response for conceptus attachment and survival in pigs.

BAG2-Mediated Inhibition of CHIP Expression and Overexpression of MDM2 Contribute to the Initiation of Endometriosis by Modulating Estrogen Receptor Status

Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent gynecological disease primarily affecting women of childbearing age, which gives rise to pelvic pain calling for multiple operations, and sometimes leading to infertility. However, the etiology of endometriosis remains poorly understood. In this study we investigated the roles of two Ubiquitin E3 Ligases, namely hsc70-interacting protein (CHIP) and mouse double minute 2 (MDM2), in the abnormal estrogenic activity in endometriosis. We first collected endometrial tissues from 91 cases of endometriosis and 78 cases of uterine myomas. Next, we established a murine endometriosis model by ectopic endometrial tissue implantation. In other studies, we isolated human endometrial stromal cells (HESCs) were isolated from the endometrial tissues, and performed HA- or FLAG-immunoprecipitation assays and immunoblotting with an anti-ubiquitin antibody to test the interactions among BAG2, CHIP, MDM2, estrogen receptor α (ERα), and ERβ. The expression of ERα was downregulated while that of ERβ, BAG2, and MDM2 was upregulated in human endometriosis and in the mouse model. CHIP degraded ERβ instead of ERα via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, while BAG2 impaired the CHIP-mediated degradation of ERβ in cultured HESCs derived from human endometriosis. The degradation of ERα by MDM2 in cultured endometriosis-HESCs also occurred through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Knockdown of both BAG2 and MDM2 alleviated the development of endometriosis in mice. Our findings suggest that the interference of BAG2 and MDM2 may have therapeutic effects in endometriosis. Understanding better the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of the abnormal estrogenic activity in endometriosis is crucial for the advancement of targeted therapeutic strategies.

Osteopontin as a Link between Inflammation and Cancer: The Thorax in the Spotlight

The glycoprotein osteopontin (OPN) possesses multiple functions in health and disease. To this end, osteopontin has beneficial roles in wound healing, bone homeostasis, and extracellular matrix (ECM) function. On the contrary, osteopontin can be deleterious for the human body during disease. Indeed, osteopontin is a cardinal mediator of tumor-associated inflammation and facilitates metastasis. The purpose of this review is to highlight the importance of osteopontin in malignant processes, focusing on lung and pleural tumors as examples.

Unfavorable effect of calcitriol and its low-calcemic analogs on metastasis of 4T1 mouse mammary gland cancer

Low vitamin D status is considered as a risk factor for breast cancer and has prognostic significance. Furthermore, vitamin D deficiency increases after adjuvant cancer therapy, which alters bone metabolism increasing the risk of osteoporosis. It is now postulated that vitamin D supplementation in breast cancer treatment delays the recurrence of cancer thereby extending survival. We evaluated the impact of calcitriol and its low-calcemic analogs, PRI-2191 and PRI-2205, on the tumor growth, angiogenesis, and metastasis of 4T1 mouse mammary gland cancer. Gene expression analysis related to cancer invasion/metastasis, real-time PCR, ELISA, western blotting, and histochemical studies were performed. In vitro studies were conducted to compare the effects of calcitriol and its analogs on 4T1 and 67NR cell proliferation and expression of selected proteins. Calcitriol and its analogs increased lung metastasis without influencing the growth of primary tumor. The levels of plasma 17β-estradiol and transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) were found to be elevated after treatment. Moreover, the results showed that tumor blood perfusion improved and osteopontin (OPN) levels increased, whereas vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and TGFβ levels decreased in tumors from treated mice. All the studied treatments resulted in increased collagen content in the tumor tissue in the early step of tumor progression, and calcitriol caused an increase in collagen content in lung tissue. In addition, in vitro proliferation of 4T1 tumor cells was not found to be affected by calcitriol or its analogs in contrast to non-metastatic 67NR cells. Calcitriol and its analogs enhanced the metastatic potential of 4T1 mouse mammary gland cancer by inducing the secretion of OPN probably via host cells. In addition, OPN tumor overexpression prevailed over the decreasing tumor TGFβ level and blood vessel normalization via tumor VEGF deprivation induced by calcitriol and its analogs. Moreover, the increased plasma TGFβ and 17β-estradiol levels contributed to the facilitation of metastatic process.