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Piibor J, Waldmann A, Prasadani M, Kavak A, Andronowska A, Klein C, Kodithuwakku S, Fazeli A. Investigation of Uterine Fluid Extracellular Vesicles' Proteomic Profiles Provides Novel Diagnostic Biomarkers of Bovine Endometritis. Biomolecules 2024; 14:626. [PMID: 38927030 PMCID: PMC11202259 DOI: 10.3390/biom14060626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2024] [Revised: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Cow uterine infections pose a challenge in dairy farming, resulting in reproductive disorders. Uterine fluid extracellular vesicles (UF-EVs) play a key role in cell-to-cell communication in the uterus, potentially holding the signs of aetiology for endometritis. We used mass spectrometry-based quantitative shotgun proteomics to compare UF-EV proteomic profiles in healthy cows (H), cows with subclinical (SE) or clinical endometritis (CLE) sampled at 28-35 days postpartum. Functional analysis was performed on embryo cultures with the exposure to different EV types. A total of 248 UF-EV proteins exhibited differential enrichment between the groups. Interestingly, in SE, EV protein signature suggests a slight suppression of inflammatory response compared to CLE-UF-EVs, clustering closer with healthy cows' profile. Furthermore, CLE-UF-EVs proteomic profile highlighted pathways associated with cell apoptosis and active inflammation aimed at pathogen elimination. In SE-UF-EVs, the regulation of normal physiological status was aberrant, showing cell damage and endometrial repair at the same time. Serine peptidase HtrA1 (HTRA1) emerged as a potential biomarker for SE. Supplementation of CLE- and SE-derived UF-EVs reduced the embryo developmental rates and quality. Therefore, further research is warranted to elucidate the precise aetiology of SE in cattle, and HTRA1 should be further explored as a potential diagnostic biomarker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Piibor
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 62, 51006 Tartu, Estonia; (J.P.); (A.W.); (M.P.); (A.K.); (S.K.)
| | - Andres Waldmann
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 62, 51006 Tartu, Estonia; (J.P.); (A.W.); (M.P.); (A.K.); (S.K.)
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, LV-3004 Jelgava, Latvia
| | - Madhusha Prasadani
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 62, 51006 Tartu, Estonia; (J.P.); (A.W.); (M.P.); (A.K.); (S.K.)
| | - Ants Kavak
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 62, 51006 Tartu, Estonia; (J.P.); (A.W.); (M.P.); (A.K.); (S.K.)
| | - Aneta Andronowska
- Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Juliana Tuwima 10, 10-748 Olsztyn, Poland;
| | - Claudia Klein
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Höltystr. 10, 31535 Neustadt, Germany;
| | - Suranga Kodithuwakku
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 62, 51006 Tartu, Estonia; (J.P.); (A.W.); (M.P.); (A.K.); (S.K.)
- Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya 20400, Sri Lanka
| | - Alireza Fazeli
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 62, 51006 Tartu, Estonia; (J.P.); (A.W.); (M.P.); (A.K.); (S.K.)
- Department of Pathophysiology, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Ravila St. 14b, 50411 Tartu, Estonia
- Division of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine & Population Health, University of Sheffield, Level 4, Jessop Wing, Tree Root Walk, Sheffield S10 2SF, UK
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Fives C, Toulouse A, Kenny L, Brosnan T, McCarthy J, Fitzgerald B. Cytology Techniques Can Provide Insight into Human Placental Structure Including Syncytiotrophoblast Nuclear Spatial Organisation. J Dev Biol 2023; 11:46. [PMID: 38132714 PMCID: PMC10743966 DOI: 10.3390/jdb11040046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to provide the first systematic description of human placental cytology appearances and to investigate syncytiotrophoblast nuclear organisation patterns using cytology techniques. Term placentas from normal pregnancies were sampled using fine-needle aspiration (FNA) and direct scrapes. Standard histological examination was also performed to exclude pathological changes in the placentas being studied. Both Papanicolaou-stained cytospin preparations and air-dried Giemsa slides from FNA provided high-quality material for cytological assessment with good cellularity. Among the key features of the cytology preparations were villous "microbiopsies" that allowed for the three-dimensional appreciation of villous branching patterns. Cytological appearances, including nuclear characteristics of villous cytotrophoblast and syncytiotrophoblast, were also well demonstrated. In microbiopsies and detached villous trophoblast sheets, complex patterns of syncytiotrophoblast nuclear organisation, not previously described cytologically, were observed, including irregular spacing of nuclei, syncytioplasm windows and linear nuclear arrangements. This study showed that placental cytology (a) provides technically excellent material for cytological evaluation, (b) confirms the presence of complex nuclear organisational patterns in the syncytiotrophoblast by eliminating the possibility of tangential sectioning artefact, (c) provides superior nuclear detail over standard histological sections and (d) may be an untapped research resource for the investigation of normal and pathological processes because of its ability to look at the placenta in a novel way and through its potential for both ex vivo and in vivo placental sampling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassie Fives
- Department of Pathology, Cork University Hospital, T12 DC4A Cork, Ireland
| | - André Toulouse
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, T12 XF62 Cork, Ireland
| | - Louise Kenny
- Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7TX, UK
| | - Therese Brosnan
- Department of Pathology, Cork University Hospital, T12 DC4A Cork, Ireland
- Pregnancy Loss Research Group, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University College Cork, T12 YE02 Cork, Ireland
| | - Julie McCarthy
- Department of Pathology, Cork University Hospital, T12 DC4A Cork, Ireland
| | - Brendan Fitzgerald
- Department of Pathology, Cork University Hospital, T12 DC4A Cork, Ireland
- Pregnancy Loss Research Group, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University College Cork, T12 YE02 Cork, Ireland
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Marikawa Y, Alarcon VB. An active metabolite of the anti-COVID-19 drug molnupiravir impairs mouse preimplantation embryos at clinically relevant concentrations. Reprod Toxicol 2023; 121:108475. [PMID: 37748715 PMCID: PMC10671791 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2023.108475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
Molnupiravir is a nucleoside analog antiviral that is authorized for use in the treatment of COVID-19. For its therapeutic action, molnupiravir is converted after ingestion to the active metabolite N4-hydroxycytidine, which is incorporated into the viral genome to cause lethal mutagenesis. Molnupiravir is not recommended for use during pregnancy, because preclinical animal studies suggest that it is hazardous to developing embryos. However, the mechanisms underlying the embryotoxicity of molnupiravir are currently unknown. To gain mechanistic insights into its embryotoxic action, the effects of molnupiravir and N4-hydroxycytidine were examined on the in vitro development of mouse preimplantation embryos. Molnupiravir did not prevent blastocyst formation even at concentrations that were much higher than the therapeutic plasma levels. By contrast, N4-hyroxycytidine exhibited potent toxicity, as it interfered with blastocyst formation and caused extensive cell death at concentrations below the therapeutic plasma levels. The adverse effects of N4-hydroxycytidine were dependent on the timing of exposure, such that treatment after the 8-cell stage, but not before it, caused embryotoxicity. Transcriptomic analysis of N4-hydroxycytidine-exposed embryos, together with the examination of eIF-2a protein phosphorylation level, suggested that N4-hydroxycytidine induced the integrated stress response. The adverse effects of N4-hydroxycytidine were significantly alleviated by the co-treatment with S-(4-nitrobenzyl)-6-thioinosine, suggesting that the embryotoxic potential of N4-hydroxycytidine requires the activity of nucleoside transporters. These findings show that the active metabolite of molnupiravir impairs preimplantation development at clinically relevant concentrations, providing mechanistic foundation for further studies on the embryotoxic potential of molnupiravir and other related nucleoside antivirals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Marikawa
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, Department of Anatomy, Biochemistry and Physiology, University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA
| | - Vernadeth B Alarcon
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, Department of Anatomy, Biochemistry and Physiology, University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA.
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