Differential expression of procollagen lysine 2-oxoglutarate 5-deoxygenase and matrix metalloproteinase isoforms in hypothyroid rat ovary and disintegration of extracellular matrix

The Thyroid Hormone Axis and Female Reproduction

Thyroid function affects multiple sites of the female hypothalamic-pituitary gonadal (HPG) axis. Disruption of thyroid function has been linked to reproductive dysfunction in women and is associated with menstrual irregularity, infertility, poor pregnancy outcomes, and gynecological conditions such as premature ovarian insufficiency and polycystic ovarian syndrome. Thus, the complex molecular interplay between hormones involved in thyroid and reproductive functions is further compounded by the association of certain common autoimmune states with disorders of the thyroid and the HPG axes. Furthermore, in prepartum and intrapartum states, even relatively minor disruptions have been shown to adversely impact maternal and fetal outcomes, with some differences of opinion in the management of these conditions. In this review, we provide readers with a foundational understanding of the physiology and pathophysiology of thyroid hormone interactions with the female HPG axis. We also share clinical insights into the management of thyroid dysfunction in reproductive-aged women.

PLOD1 acts as a tumor promoter in glioma via activation of the HSF1 signaling pathway

Procollagen-lysine, 2-oxoglutarate 5-dioxygenase 1 (PLOD1) is a collagen-related lysyl hydroxylase and its prognostic value in glioma patients was verified. However, its biological function in glioma has yet to be fully investigated. The PLOD1 mRNA status and clinical significance in gliomas were assessed via the GEPIA database. Overexpression or targeted depletion of PLOD1 was carried out in the human glioma cell line U87 and verified by western blotting. CCK8 and colony formation assays were implemented to examine the impact of PLOD1 on the proliferative and colony-forming phenotypes of U87 cells. Luciferase reporter assays and HSF1-specific pharmacologic inhibitors (KRIBB11) were employed to determine the regulatory relationship between PLOD1 and heat shock factor 1 (HSF1). High expression of PLOD1 was observed in tissue samples of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and brain lower-grade glioma (LGG). GEPIA overall survival further demonstrated that both GBM and LGG patients with high PLOD1 displayed worse clinical outcomes compared with those with low PLOD1. Overexpression and targeted depletion of PLOD1 enhanced and suppressed U87 cell proliferation and colony formation, respectively. Luciferase reporter assays showed that PLOD1 significantly enhanced the transcriptional activity of HSF1 in HEK293T cells. PLOD1 deficiency in U87 cells inhibited HSF1-induced survivin accumulation, whereas KRIBB11 also blocked the PLOD1-overexpressing induced survivin expression. An inhibitor of HSF1 signaling events abolished the increased clonogenic potential caused by PLOD1 overexpression in U87 cells. High expression of PLOD1 can increase the proliferation and colony formation of U87 cells by activating the HSF1 signaling pathway. This study suggested PLOD1/HSF1 as an effective therapeutic target for gliomas.

Thyroid hormones and female reproduction

Thyroid hormones are vital for the proper functioning of the female reproductive system, since they modulate the metabolism and development of ovarian, uterine, and placental tissues. Therefore, hypo- and hyperthyroidism may result in subfertility or infertility in both women and animals. Other well-documented sequelae of maternal thyroid dysfunctions include menstrual/estral irregularity, anovulation, abortion, preterm delivery, preeclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction, postpartum thyroiditis, and mental retardation in children. Several studies have been carried out involving prospective and retrospective studies of women with thyroid dysfunction, as well as in vivo and in vitro assays of hypo- and hyperthyroidism using experimental animal models and/or ovarian, uterine, and placental cell culture. These studies have sought to elucidate the mechanisms by which thyroid hormones influence reproduction to better understand the physiology of the reproductive system and to provide better therapeutic tools for reproductive dysfunctions that originate from thyroid dysfunctions. Therefore, this review aims to summarize and update the available information related to the role of thyroid hormones in the morphophysiology of the ovary, uterus, and placenta in women and animals and the effects of hypo- and hyperthyroidism on the female reproductive system.

FGF9-induced ovarian cancer cell invasion involves VEGF-A/VEGFR2 augmentation by virtue of ETS1 upregulation and metabolic reprogramming

Ovarian cancer (OC) renders its lethality to enhanced metastasis and late detection. A plethora of growth factors including Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) and Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF) stimulated signaling pathways regulate the invasive/metastatic behavior of ovarian tumors contributing to its aggressiveness. Autocrine VEGF-functioning by virtue of upregulated VEGFR2 contributes to the invasiveness of OC cells by modulating the MMPs. Studies have highlighted the interaction between FGF and VEGF signaling pathways during angiogenesis. Moreover, the previous involvement of FGF9 in controlling the OC invasiveness prompted us to investigate its role in regulating VEGF-A/VEGFR2 expression that may control the invasive behavior of the cells. Here we demonstrate that, FGF9-induction resulted in the augmentation of VEGF-A/VEGFR2 levels and the subsequent invasion of OC cells through the activation of the ERK-signaling pathway. Moreover, the ETS1 transcription factor was found to enhance the VEGFA/VEGFR2 expression by directly binding to their promoters and facilitated FGF9-dependent elevation of VEGF-signaling which augmented the metastatic potential of OC cells. Enhanced cellular invasiveness was associated with increased aerobic glycolysis, LDH-A expression, and lactate production. Lactate, in turn, controlled VEGF-A/VEGFR2 expression and the resulting cell invasion. Taken together, the augmentation of VEGF-A/VEGFR2 expression and subsequent invasion of OC cells were governed by FGF9-dependent enhancement of both ETS1 and LDH-A/lactate levels. Therefore, this study provides an insight into the mechanism governing elevated VEGF-autocrine functioning in OC that contributes to its invasive/metastatic behavior.

FGF16 promotes invasive behavior of SKOV-3 ovarian cancer cells through activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway

Uncontrolled cell growth and tissue invasion define the characteristic features of cancer. Several growth factors regulate these processes by inducing specific signaling pathways. We show that FGF16, a novel factor, is expressed in human ovary, and its expression is markedly increased in ovarian tumors. This finding indicated possible involvement of FGF16 in ovarian cancer progression. We observed that FGF16 stimulates the proliferation of human ovarian adenocarcinoma cells, SKOV-3 and OAW-42. Furthermore, through the activation of FGF receptor-mediated intracellular MAPK pathway, FGF16 regulates the expression of MMP2, MMP9, SNAI1, and CDH1 and thus facilitates cellular invasion. Inhibition of FGFR as well as MAPK pathway reduces the proliferative and invasive behavior of ovarian cancer cells. Moreover, ovarian tumors with up-regulated PITX2 expression also showed activation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway that prompted us to investigate possible interaction among FGF16, PITX2, and Wnt pathway. We identified that PITX2 homeodomain transcription factor interacts with and regulates FGF16 expression. Furthermore, activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway induces FGF16 expression. Moreover, FGF16 promoter possesses the binding elements of PITX2 as well as T-cell factor (Wnt-responsive), in close proximity, where PITX2 and β-catenin binds to and synergistically activates the same. A detail study showed that both PITX2 and T-cell factor elements and the interaction with their binding partners are necessary for target gene expression. Taken together, our findings indicate that FGF16 in conjunction with Wnt pathway contributes to the cancer phenotype of ovarian cells and suggests that modulation of its expression in ovarian cells might be a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of invasive ovarian cancers.

Wnt/β-catenin pathway is regulated by PITX2 homeodomain protein and thus contributes to the proliferation of human ovarian adenocarcinoma cell, SKOV-3

Pituitary homeobox-2 (PITX2) plays a substantial role in the development of pituitary, heart, and brain. Although the role of PITX2 isoforms in embryonic development has been extensively studied, its possible involvement in regulating the Wnt signaling pathway has not been reported. Because the Wnt pathway is strongly involved in ovarian development and cancer, we focused on the possible association between PITX2 and Wnt pathway in ovarian carcinoma cells. Remarkably, we found that PITX2 interacts and regulates WNT2/5A/9A/6/2B genes of the canonical, noncanonical, or other pathways in the human ovarian cancer cell SKOV-3. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and promoter-reporter assays further indicated the significant association of PITX2 with WNT2 and WNT5A promoters. Detailed study further reveals that the PITX2 isoform specifically activates the canonical Wnt signaling pathway either directly or through Wnt ligands. Thus, the activated Wnt pathway subsequently enhances cell proliferation. Moreover, we found the activation of Wnt pathway reduces the expression of different FZD receptors that limit further Wnt activation, demonstrating the existence of an auto-regulatory feedback loop. In contrast, PITX2 could not activate the noncanonical pathway as the Wnt5A-specific ROR2 receptor does not express in SKOV-3 cells. Collectively, our findings demonstrated that, despite being a target of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway, PITX2 itself induces the same, thus leading to the activation of the cell cycle regulating genes as well as the proliferation of SKOV-3 cells. Collectively, we highlighted that the PITX2 and Wnt pathway exerts a positive feedback regulation, whereas frizzled receptors generate a negative feedback in this pathway. Our findings will help to understand the molecular mechanism of proliferation in ovarian cancer cells.

ETS-1 protein regulates vascular endothelial growth factor-induced matrix metalloproteinase-9 and matrix metalloproteinase-13 expression in human ovarian carcinoma cell line SKOV-3

Matrix metalloproteinase-mediated degradation of extracellular matrix is a crucial event for invasion and metastasis of malignant cells. The expressions of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are regulated by different cytokines and growth factors. VEGF, a potent angiogenic cytokine, induces invasion of ovarian cancer cells through activation of MMPs. Here, we demonstrate that invasion and scattering in SKOV-3 cells were induced by VEGF through the activation of p38 MAPK and PI3K/AKT pathways. VEGF induced the expression of MMP-2, MMP-9, and MMP-13 and hence regulated the metastasis of SKOV-3 ovarian cancer cells, and the activities of these MMPs were reduced after inhibition of PI3K/AKT and p38 MAPK pathways. Interestingly, VEGF induced expression of ETS-1 factor, an important trans-regulator of different MMP genes. ETS-1 bound to both MMP-9 and MMP-13 promoters. Furthermore, VEGF acted through its receptor to perform the said functions. In addition, VEGF-induced MMP-9 and MMP-13 expression and in vitro cell invasion were significantly reduced after knockdown of ETS-1 gene. Again, VEGF-induced MMP-9 and MMP-13 promoter activities were down-regulated in ETS-1 siRNA-transfected cells. VEGF enriched ETS-1 in the nuclear fraction in a dose-dependent manner. VEGF-induced expression of ETS-1 and its nuclear localization were blocked by specific inhibitors of the PI3K and p38 MAPK pathways. Therefore, based on these observations, it is hypothesized that the activation of PI3K/AKT and p38 MAPK by VEGF results in ETS-1 gene expression, which activates MMP-9 and MMP-13, leading to the invasion and scattering of SKOV-3 cells. The study provides a mechanistic insight into the prometastatic functions of VEGF-induced expression of relevant MMPs.

Regulation of ovarian steroidogenesis in vitro by IGF-I and insulin in common carp, Cyprinus carpio: stimulation of aromatase activity and P450arom gene expression

Regulation of ovarian steroidogenesis in vitro by recombinant human insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and bovine insulin (b-insulin) was investigated in intact follicles and isolated follicular cells of carp, Cyprinus carpio at vitellogenic stage of oocyte maturation. In intact follicles, IGF-I and b-insulin stimulated testosterone and 17beta-estradiol production in vitro. In isolated theca cells, IGF-I and b-insulin stimulated testosterone production, whereas in granulosa cells, they stimulated 17beta-estradiol production when testosterone was added in the incubation medium as precursor substrate. In intact follicles and in theca cells, IGF-I and b-insulin had no effect on HCG-stimulated testosterone production. HCG-stimulated 17beta-estradiol production, however, was significantly increased by IGF-I and b-insulin. To clarify the mechanism of 17beta-estradiol production by the ovarian follicles during vitellogenic stage of carp, effects of IGF-I and b-insulin either alone or in combination with HCG on aromatase activity (conversion of testosterone to 17beta-estradiol) and cytochrome P450 aromatase (P450arom) gene expression were investigated in vitro. IGF-I and b-insulin alone stimulated aromatase activity and P450arom gene expression and significantly enhanced HCG-induced enzyme activity and P450arom gene expression. Our results thus indicate that IGF-I and b-insulin alone can stimulate testosterone and 17beta-estradiol production in vitellogenic follicles of C. carpio by stimulating aromatase activity and P450arom gene expression. Evidence also provided for the modulation of HCG-induced aromatase activity and P450arom gene expression by IGF-I and b-insulin in such follicles.

Tachykinin family genes and their receptors are differentially expressed in the hypothyroid ovary and pituitary

Plasma tachykinin levels are known to be altered with sexual acyclicity and loss of reproductive function. Ovulatory dysfunction, as seen in postmenopausal women, is also often encountered in hypothyroid patients. To know the involvement of different tachykinin genes in hypothyroidism-associated reproductive disorders, we performed DD-PCR with the pituitary RNA of control and hypothyroid rats to see the differentially expressed gene profile. Subsequently, we selected a few clones, tachykinin being one of them. Since its expression was up regulated in hypothyroidism as it does in the sexually acyclic females, we wanted to correlate these two phenomena with hypothyroidism associated reproductive disorders. We observed differential expression of tac2 along with other tk genes and their receptors in rat pituitary and ovary, which suggests that hypothyroidism affects the expression of these genes in these tissues. The experiments were repeated in ovarian tissue obtained at surgery from hypothyroid human patients, which showed similar expression pattern of TAC3 (equivalent to rat tac2) and their receptors as in rat ovary. Significant reduction of tac2 expression in reproductively less active rat ovary suggests the association of tac2 with reproductive senescence. Our results suggest that decline in reproductive function in hypothyroidism is associated with altered expression level of tac2 and its receptors. Further investigation in this area could elucidate the possible mechanism of tachykinins' involvement in loss of sexual cyclicity and other reproductive disorders associated with hypothyroidism.

Localization and thyroid hormone influenced expression of collagen II in ovarian tissue

Collagen type II (Col II), one of the main components of the hyaline cartilage, is a member of the fibril-forming collagen family. Due to its amino acid composition, the extent of lysine hydroxylation of Col II is much higher than that of other fibril forming collagens. Since lysyl hydroxylase isoforms are less synthesized in hypothyroid ovarian tissue, Col II level is expected to be reduced here and contribute to the degradation of ovarian ECM in this condition. As there was no previous report, we have demonstrated Col II expression in rat ovary. Col2A1 mRNA shares significant part of the total collagens in ovary as shown by the relative expression of the major collagen genes present in this tissue. It has also been shown that Col II is down regulated in hypothyroid ovarian tissue and its expression is increased upon stimulation by thyroid hormone (T(3)). To know whether less Col II in hypothyroid ovarian tissue is due to less synthesis of the protein or its increased rate of degradation is also involved in it, we demonstrated the status of Collagen - degrading Matrix Metalloproteinases in this condition and found up regulation of MMP-1, -8 and -13 in hypothyroid rat ovary. The present study shows the reduced Col II expression in hypothyroid rat ovary, with the concomitant increase in Col II degradation. This information will be useful for further studies on reproductive disorders.

Involvement of Pitx2, a homeodomain transcription factor, in hypothyroidism associated reproductive disorders

Hypothyroid-associated reproductive disorders have now become a striking phenomenon worldwide but the molecular mechanism behind these disorders is not fully known. Pitx2 gene encodes homeodomain transcription factor, which regulates Plod2 gene in brain tissue, transactivates gonadotropin genes in pituitary and plays a substantial role in cell growth and proliferation in different tissues. Pitx2 binds to Plod2 promoter and activates this gene in rat ovary. In this report, we show that Pitx2's expression is markedly reduced in hypothyroid ovary as well as in ovarian granulosa cells, which is recovered with T(3)-supplementation both in vitro and in vivo conditions. Reduced Pitx2 expression could decrease Plod2 expression and hence facilitate ovarian ECM degradation. We have also observed similar pattern of expression of Pitx1 and -3 in hypothyroid and T(3)-supplemented ovaries. The temporal expression of Pitx2 across the estrous cycle shows that it is expressed through all the 4 phases of the cycle and reaches its maximum in the proestrus phase suggesting its possible role in ovulation followed by luteinization. The present study reveals that the reduced Pitx2 expression in hypothyroid ovary could lead to ovarian dysfunction by modulating the Pitx2-Plod2 interaction, further study will be necessary to unravel the complete regulatory mechanism of Pitx2 in ovarian function.