Long Non-coding RNA MEG3 Promotes Pyroptosis in Testicular Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury by Targeting MiR-29a to Modulate PTEN Expression

Circ_0036490 and DKK1 competitively bind miR-29a to promote lipopolysaccharides-induced human gingival fibroblasts injury

MicroRNA (miRNA) plays a regulatory role in periodontitis. This study aimed to explore whether miR-29a could affect lipopolysaccharides (LPSs)-induced injury in human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs) through the competitive endogenous RNAs (ceRNA) mechanism. Periodontal ligament (PDL) tissues and HGFs were derived from patients with periodontitis and healthy volunteers. Periodontitis cell model was established by treating HGFs with LPS. Expression levels of circ_0036490, miR-29a, and DKK1 were evaluated by the reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) method. Western blotting assay was performed to assess protein expression levels of pyroptosis-related proteins and Wnt signalling related proteins. Cell viability was evaluated by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. Concentration of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-18 were determined by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Pyroptosis rate were determined by flow cytometry assay to evaluate pyroptosis. The interaction between miR-29a and circ_0036490 or DKK1 was verified by dual-luciferase reporter and RNA pull-down assays. MiR-29a expression was lower in PDL tissues of patients with periodontitis than that in healthy group; likewise, miR-29a was also downregulated in LPS-treated HGFs. Overexpression of miR-29a increased cell viability and decreased pyroptosis of HGFs induced by LPS while inhibition of miR-29a exerted the opposite role. MiR-29a binds to circ_0036490 and elevation of circ_0036490 contributed to dysfuntion of LPS-treated HGFs and reversed the protection function of elevated miR-29a. In addition, miR-29a targets DKK1. Overexpression of DKK1 abrogated the effects of overexpressed miR-29a on cell vaibility, pyroptosis, and protein levels of Wnt signalling pathway of LPS-treated HGFs. Circ_0036490 and DKK1 competitively bind miR-29a to promote LPS-induced HGF injury in vitro. Wnt pathway inactivated by LPS was activated by miR-29a. Thence, miR-29a may be a promising target for periodontitis.

Activation of SIRT1/Nrf2/HO-1 and Beclin-1/AMPK/mTOR autophagy pathways by eprosartan ameliorates testicular dysfunction induced by testicular torsion in rats

Testicular torsion carries the ominous prospect of inducing acute scrotal distress and the perilous consequence of testicular atrophy, necessitating immediate surgical intervention to reinstate vital testicular perfusion, notwithstanding the paradoxical detrimental impact of reperfusion. Although no drugs have secured approval for this urgent circumstance, antioxidants emerge as promising candidates. This study aspires to illustrate the influence of eprosartan, an AT1R antagonist, on testicular torsion in rats. Wistar albino rats were meticulously separated into five groups, (n = 6): sham group, eprosartan group, testicular torsion-detorsion (T/D) group, and two groups of T/D treated with two oral doses of eprosartan (30 or 60 mg/kg). Serum testosterone, sperm analysis and histopathological examination were done to evaluate spermatogenesis. Oxidative stress markers were assessed. Bax, BCL-2, SIRT1, Nrf2, HO-1 besides cleaved caspase-3 testicular contents were estimated using ELISA or qRT-PCR. As autophagy markers, SQSTM-1/p62, Beclin-1, mTOR and AMPK were investigated. Our findings highlight that eprosartan effectively improved serum testosterone levels, testicular weight, and sperm count/motility/viability, while mitigating histological irregularities and sperm abnormalities induced by T/D. This recovery in testicular function was underpinned by the activation of the cytoprotective SIRT1/Nrf2/HO-1 axis, which curtailed testicular oxidative stress, indicated by lowering the MDA content and increasing GSH content. In terms of apoptosis, eprosartan effectively countered apoptotic processes by decreasing cleaved caspase-3 content, suppressing Bax and stimulating Bcl-2 gene expression. Simultaneously, it reactivated impaired autophagy by increasing Beclin-1 expression, decreasing the expression of SQSTM-1/p62 and modulate the phosphorylation of AMPK and mTOR proteins. Eprosartan hold promise for managing testicular dysfunction arising from testicular torsion exerting antioxidant, pro-autophagic and anti-apoptotic effect via the activation of SIRT1/Nrf2/HO-1 as well as Beclin-1/AMPK/mTOR pathways.

Integrative analysis of transcriptomics and metabolomics reveals the protective effect and mechanism of salidroside on testicular ischemia-reperfusion injury

Testicular torsion is a critical urologic condition for which testicular detorsion surgery is considered irreplaceable as well as the golden method of reversal. However, the surgical treatment is equivalent to a blood reperfusion process, and no specific drugs are available to treat blood reperfusion injuries. Salidroside (SAL) is one of the main effective substances in rhodiola, which has been shown to have antioxidant and antiapoptosis activities. This study was designed to determine whether SAL exerted a protective effect on testicular ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. In this study, the I/R injury model of the testes and reoxygenation (OGD/R) model were used for verification, and SAL was administered at doses of 100 mg/kg and 0.05 mmol/L, respectively. After the experiments, the testicular tissue and TM4 Sertoli cells were collected for histopathologic and biochemical analyses. The results revealed that SAL improves the structure of testicular tissue and regulates the oxidation-antioxidation system. To further understand the molecular mechanisms of SAL in treating testicular I/R injuries, transcriptomics and metabonomics analyses were integrated. The results show that the Nfr2/HO-1/GPX4/ferroptosis signaling pathway is enriched significantly, indicating that it may be the main regulatory pathway for SAL in the treatment of testicular I/R injuries. Thereafter, transfection with Nrf2 plasmid-liposome was used to reverse verify that the Nfr2/HO-1/GPX4/ferroptosis signaling pathway was the main pathway for SAL anti-testicular I/R injury treatment. Thus, it is suggested that SAL can protect against testicular I/R injuries by regulating the Nfr2/HO-1/GPX4 signaling pathway to inhibit ferroptosis and that SAL may be a potential drug for the treatment of testicular I/R injuries.

Multifaceted roles of Meg3 in cellular senescence and atherosclerosis

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Long noncoding RNAs are involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. As long noncoding RNAs maternally expressed gene 3 (Meg3) prevents cellular senescence of hepatic vascular endothelium and obesity-induced insulin resistance, we decided to examine its role in cellular senescence and atherosclerosis.

METHODS AND RESULTS

By analyzing our data and human and mouse data from the Gene Expression Omnibus database, we found that Meg3 expression was reduced in humans and mice with cardiovascular disease, indicating its potential role in atherosclerosis. In Ldlr-/- mice fed a Western diet for 12 weeks, Meg3 silencing by chemically modified antisense oligonucleotides attenuated the formation of atherosclerotic lesions by 34.9% and 20.1% in male and female mice, respectively, revealed by en-face Oil Red O staining, which did not correlate with changes in plasma lipid profiles. Real-time quantitative PCR analysis of cellular senescence markers p21 and p16 revealed that Meg3 deficiency aggravates hepatic cellular senescence but not cellular senescence at aortic roots. Human Meg3 transgenic mice were generated to examine the role of Meg3 gain-of-function in the development of atherosclerosis induced by PCSK9 overexpression. Meg3 overexpression promotes atherosclerotic lesion formation by 29.2% in Meg3 knock-in mice independent of its effects on lipid profiles. Meg3 overexpression inhibits hepatic cellular senescence, while it promotes aortic cellular senescence likely by impairing mitochondrial function and delaying cell cycle progression.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data demonstrate that Meg3 promotes the formation of atherosclerotic lesions independent of its effects on plasma lipid profiles. In addition, Meg3 regulates cellular senescence in a tissue-specific manner during atherosclerosis. Thus, we demonstrated that Meg3 has multifaceted roles in cellular senescence and atherosclerosis.

MiR-195-5p is involved in testicular ischemia/reperfusion injury by directly targeting PELP1 and regulating spermatogonia pyroptosis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI), which is characterized by testicular torsion and causes permanent impairment of spermatogenic function, is linked with pyroptosis. Studies have implicated endogenous small non-coding RNAs in IRI development across various organs. In this study, we elucidated the mechanism underlying miR-195-5p's action in regulating pyroptosis in testicular IRI.

METHODS

We established two models, namely a testicular torsion/ detorsion (T/D) mouse model and an oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R)-treated germ cell model. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was performed to evaluate the testicular ischemic injury. The expression of pyroptosis-related proteins and reactive oxygen species production in testis tissues were detected using Western blotting, quantitative real-time PCR, malondialdehyde and superoxide dismutase assay kits and immunohistochemistry. Cell viability and cytotoxicity were evaluated using CCK-8 and LDH assays, whereas expression patterns of inflammatory proteins were measured using ELISA, immunofluorescence, and western blot assays. miR-195-5p interaction with PELP1 was validated by conducting the luciferase enzyme reporter test.

RESULTS

Pyroptosis-related proteins NLRP3, GSDMD, IL-1β, and IL-18 were significantly upregulated following testicular IRI. A similar pattern was observed in the OGD/R model. miR-195-5p was significantly downregulated in mouse IRI testis tissue and OGD/R-treated GC-1 cells. Notably, miR-195-5p downregulation promoted whereas its upregulation attenuated pyroptosis in OGD/R-treated GC-1 cells. Furthermore, we found that PELP1 is a miR-195-5p target. miR-195-5p attenuated pyroptosis in GC-1 cells by inhibiting PELP1 expression during OGD/R, and this protective effect was blocked upon miR-195-5p downregulation. Collectively, these results indicated that miR-195-5p inhibits testicular IRI-induced pyroptosis by targeting PELP1, suggesting that it has the potential to serve as a novel target for the future development of therapies for testicular torsion.

HSP90-Dependent Upregulation of EZH2 Promotes Hypoxia/Reoxygenation-Induced Pyroptosis by Inhibiting miR-22 in Endothelial Cells

Objective

Endothelial cell pyroptosis induced by hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) plays a key role in the pathogenesis of myocardial infarction (MI). However, the underlying mechanism is not clearly elucidated.

Methods

Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) exposed to H/R acted as in vitro model to investigate the mechanism of H/R-induced endothelial cell pyroptosis. CCK-8 assays were performed to investigate the viability of HUVECs. Calcein-AM/PI staining was carried out to quantify the death of HUVECs. The expression level of miR-22 was measured by RT-qPCR. The protein expression levels of zeste 2 polycomb repressive complex 2 subunit (EZH2), NLRP3, cleaved caspase-1 (c-caspase-1), GSDMD-N and heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) were measured by Western blot. Levels of IL-1β and IL-18 in culture medium were detected by ELISA. The intracellular localization of EZH2 was detected by immunofluorescence staining. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay was used to detect the enrichment of EZH2 and H3K27me3 in the miR-22 promoter region. The binding between miR-22 and NLRP3 in HUVECs was confirmed by the dual luciferase assay. Reciprocal coimmunoprecipitation was conducted to detect the direct interaction between HSP90 and EZH2.

Results

H/R increased EZH2 expression, and the EZH2 siRNA could inhibit H/R-induced pyroptosis in HUVECs. H/R reduced miR-22 expression, which was reversed by EZH2 siRNA. Silencing of miR-22 by its inhibitor reversed EZH2 siRNA-induced pyroptosis inhibition in H/R-exposed HUVECs. Upregulation of miR-22 by its mimic suppressed EZH2 overexpression-enhanced pyroptosis in H/R-exposed HUVECs. ChIP assay confirmed that EZH2 bound to the miR-22 promoter region and repressed miR-22 expression through H3K27me3. Furthermore, luciferase reporter assay indicated that NLRP3 was a direct target of miR- 22 in HUVECs. Finally, HSP90 siRNA inhibited H/R-induced EZH2 expression, miR-22 downregulation, and pyroptosis in HUVECs.

Conclusion

H/R induces pyroptosis via the HSP90/EZH2/miR-22/NLRP3 signaling axis in endothelial cells.

Melatonin alleviated fluoride-induced impairment of spermatogenesis and sperm maturation process via Interleukin-17A

Fluoride-induced male reproductive failure is a major environmental and human health concern, but interventions are still lacking. Melatonin (MLT) has potential functions in regulating testicular damage and interleukin-17 (IL-17) production. This study aims to explore whether MLT can mitigate fluoride-induced male reproductive toxicity through IL-17A, and screen the potential targets. So the wild type and IL-17A knockout mice were employed and treated with sodium fluoride (100 mg/L) by drinking water and MLT (10 mg/kg.BW, intraperitoneal injection per two days starting from week 16) for 18 weeks. Bone F- concentrations, grade of dental damage, sperm quality, spermatogenic cells counts, histological morphology of testis and epididymis, and the mRNA expression of spermatogenesis and maturation, classical pyroptosis related and immune factor genes were detected respectively. The results revealed that MLT supplementations alleviated fluoride-induced impairment of spermatogenesis and maturation process, protecting the morphology of testis and epididymis through IL-17A pathway, and Tesk1 and Pten were identified as candidate targets from 29 regulation genes. Taken together, this study demonstrated a new physiological role for MLT in the protection against fluoride-induced reproductive injury and possible regulation mechanisms, which providing a useful therapeutic strategy for male reproductive function failure caused by fluoride or other environmental pollutants.

HDAC1 participates in polycystic ovary syndrome through histone modification to regulate H19/miR-29a-3p/NLRP3-mediated granulosa cell pyroptosis

Histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) is known to participate in the molecular etiology of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). However, its role in granulosa cell (GC) pyroptosis remains unclear. This study sought to investigate the mechanism of HDAC1 in PCOS-induced GC pyroptosis through histone modification. Clinical serum samples and the general data of study subjects were collected. PCOS mouse models were established using dehydroepiandrosterone and cell models were established in HGL5 cells using dihydrotestosterone. Expressions of HDAC1, H19, miR-29a-3p, and NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) and pyroptosis-related proteins and levels of hormones and inflammatory cytokines were determined. Ovarian damage was observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. Functional rescue experiments were conducted to verify the role of H19/miR-29a-3p/NLRP3 in GC pyroptosis in PCOS. HDAC1 and miR-29a-3p were downregulated whereas H19 and NLRP3 were upregulated in PCOS. HDAC1 upregulation attenuated ovarian damage and hormone disorders in PCOS mice and suppressed pyroptosis in ovarian tissues and HGL5 cells. HDAC1 inhibited H3K9ac on the H19 promoter and H19 competitively bound to miR-29a-3p to improve NLRP3 expression. Overexpressed H19 or NLRP3 or inhibited miR-29a-3p reversed the inhibition of GC pyroptosis by HDAC1 upregulation. Overall, HDAC1 suppressed GC pyroptosis in PCOS through deacetylation to regulate the H19/miR-29a-3p/NLRP3 axis.

The protective effect of p-Coumaric acid on hepatic injury caused by particulate matter in the rat and determining the role of long noncoding RNAs MEG3 and HOTAIR

Increasing air pollution is associated with serious human health problems. P-coumaric acid (PC) is a herbal phenolic compound that exhibits beneficial pharmacological potentials. Here, the protective effect of PC on liver injury induced by air pollution was examined. Thirty-two adult male Wistar rats (200-250 g) were divided randomly into four groups (n = 8). The groups were; Control (rats received DMSO and then exposed to clean air), PC (rats received PC and then exposed to clean air), DMSO + Dust (rats received DMSO and then exposed to dust), and PC + Dust (the animals received PC and then exposed to dust). The clean air, DMSO, PC, and dust were administrated 3 days a week for 6 consecutive weeks. The rats were anesthetized and their blood samples and liver sections were taken to conduct molecular, biomedical, and histopathological tests. Dust exposure increased the liver enzymes, bilirubin, triglyceride, cholesterol, and the production of liver malondialdehyde, and decreased in liver total anti-oxidant capacity and serum high-density lipoprotein. It also increased the mRNA expression of inflammatory-related cytokines, decreased the mRNA expression of SIRT-1, decreased the expression levels of miR-20b5p, and MEG3 while increased the expression levels of miR-34a, and HOTAIR. Dust exposure also increased the liver content of three cytokines TNF-α, NF-κB, HMGB-1, and ATG-7 proteins. PC enhanced liver function against adverse effects of dust through recovering almost all the studied variables. Exposure to dust damaged the liver through induction of oxidative stress, inflammation, and autophagy. PC protected the liver against dust-induced cytotoxicity.

Emodin alleviates testicular ischemia-reperfusion injury through the inhibition of NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis

Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is a major cause of injury after testicular torsion and can lead to permanent impairment of spermatogenesis. Emodin (6-methyl-1,3,8-trihydroxyanthraquinone) has potent anti-inflammatory effects and may be protective against IRI in various organs. Herein, we evaluated the effects of emodin on pyroptosis in spermatogenic cells and its role in the process of testicular IRI. A testicular torsion/detorsion (TTD) mouse model and an oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R) germ cell model were established. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was performed to evaluate the testicular ischemic injury. The expression of pyroptosis-related proteins and reactive oxygen species production in testis tissues were detected using Western blotting, quantitative real-time PCR, malondialdehyde and superoxide dismutase assay kits and immunohistochemistry. Cell viability and cytotoxicity were evaluated using Cell Counting Kit-8 and lactate dehydrogenase assay kit. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, immunofluorescence and immunoblotting were performed to assess inflammatory protein levels. The results revealed that pyroptosis and inflammation levels were upregulated after testicular IRI, and emodin inhibited inflammation and pyroptosis by acting on NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain-associated protein 3 (NLRP3). Emodin exerts protective effects on testicular IRI by acting on the NLRP3 signaling pathway and inhibiting IRI-mediated pyroptosis. Emodin treatment attenuated testicular IRI and inhibited pyroptosis. Inhibitory effects of emodin on pyroptosis were attributed to the inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasomes. Thus, emodin could be an alternative treatment for testicular IRI.

p-Coumaric acid has pure anti-inflammatory characteristics against hepatopathy caused by ischemia-reperfusion in the liver and dust exposure

Objectives

Studies show that chronic injuries like air pollution or acute damage such as hepatic ischemia-reperfusion (IR) cause various cellular pathologies such as oxidative stress, apoptosis, autophagy, and inflammation in hepatocytes. p-Coumaric acid (p-CA) is known as an antioxidant with many therapeutic impacts on inflammatory-related pathologies. In this experiment, we aimed to assess the hepatoprotective effects of p-CA on liver damage induced by dust and IR injury in adult male rats.

Materials and Methods

Forty-eight adult male Wistar rats were divided into 6 groups; Control (CTRL); sham; DMSO+Dust+Laparotomy (LPT); DMSO+Dust+Ischemia-reperfusion (IR); p-CA+Dust+LPT; and p-CA+Dust+IR. Clean air, DMSO, p-CA, and dust were administrated 3 days a week for 6 consecutive weeks. Animals were sacrificed, the blood samples were aspirated and the liver sections were prepared for biochemical and histopathological assessments.

Results

Significantly (P<0.05), the results represented that dust and IR can potentially increase the levels of ALT, AST, direct and total bilirubin, triglyceride, and cholesterol in serum. Also, MDA, TNF-α , NF-κB . HMGB-1 and ATG-7 levels were increased in hepatocytes. Gene expression of Nrf2, HOX-1, IL-6, HOTAIR, and miR-34a showed an incremental trend in the liver tissue. Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in hepatocytes was decreased following dust exposure and IR induction. Also, miR-20b-5p, MEG3, and SIRT1 in the liver were decreased in dust and dust+IR groups.

Conclusion

p-CA alleviated pathological changes caused by dust exposure and IR injury. p-CA protected hepatic injury induced by dust and IR by inhibition of oxidative injury, inflammation, and autophagy.

NADPH Oxidase-Mediated Testicular Oxidative Imbalance Regulates the TXNIP/NLRP3 Inflammasome Axis Activation after Ischemia Reperfusion Injury

Oxidative stress, inflammation and germ cell death are the main characteristics of testicular ischemia reperfusion injury (tIRI), which is considered as the underlying mechanism for testicular torsion and detorsion. The study aimed to examine the effect of tIRI-activated NADPH oxidase (NOX) on the expression of the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway components. Three groups of male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 12 each) were studied: sham, unilateral tIRI only and tIRI treated with apocynin, a NOX-specific inhibitor. The tIRI rat model was subjected to 1 h of ischemia followed by 4 h of reperfusion. H&E staining, real time PCR, biochemical assays, and Western blot were utilized to evaluate spermatogenic damage, gene expression, oxidative stress markers, and NLRP3 pathway components, respectively. As a result of tIRI, decreased total antioxidant capacity and suppressed activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase were associated with spermatogenic arrest. The components of the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway (TXNIP, NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1, GSDMD, MMP-9) were upregulated transcriptionally and post-transcriptionally during tIRI. In parallel, tissue inflammation was demonstrated by a marked increase in the concentrations of myeloperoxidase, IL-1β, and IL-18. Apocynin treatment prevented testicular oxidative stress and inflammation. Thus, NOX inhibition by apocynin prevented ROS accumulation, proinflammatory cytokine overexpression and NLRP3 inflammasome activation during tIRI.

Oleuropein attenuates testicular ischemia-reperfusion by inhibiting apoptosis and inflammation

BACKGROUND

Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is the key reason of injury after testicular torsion and may eventually lead to male infertility. Oleuropein, a natural antioxidant isolated from Olea europaea, has shown beneficial effects in different models of ischemia. We evaluated the effects of oleuropein on testicular IRI and explored the underlying protective mechanisms.

METHODS

A mouse testicular torsion/detorsion (T/D) model and an oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R) germ cell model were established and treated with oleuropein. H&E staining was used to evaluate testicular pathological changes. Apoptosis and apoptosis-associated protein levels in testis tissues were assessed by TUNEL staining, immunohistochemical staining and western blot. Apoptosis levels and apoptosis-associated protein levels in GC-1 were evaluated by flow cytometry, immunofluorescence and western blot. Oxidative stress levels were assessed by malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) kits. Cell viability and inflammatory protein levels were evaluated by CCK-8 assay coupled with qRT-PCR.

RESULTS

Relative to the control group, SOD activity was markedly suppressed, while MDA, Bax, Caspase-3, TNF-α as well as IL-1β levels were significantly increased in the T/D model and OGD/R model. However, all of the aforementioned alterations were relieved by oleuropein treatment.

CONCLUSION

Our findings indicate that oleuropein may be a promising treatment option to attenuate testicular IRI via its anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory as well as anti-apoptotic properties.

Integrated analysis of microRNA expression profiles and function network in mice testes after low dose lead exposure from early puberty

There is evidence suggesting the participation of non-coding RNAs in male reproductive dysfunction induced by lead, and the significance of microRNAs has been highlighted recently because of their essential roles in gene regulatory networks. To comprehensively understand the functions of miRNA and the regulatory networks, RNA sequencing was carried out to obtain miRNA expression profiles in mice testes exposed to low dose Pb for 90 days at the onset of puberty. In total, 44 differentially expressed miRNAs with 26 up-regulated and 18 down-regulated were identified between 200 mg/L Pb group and control group (p < 0.05). Enrichment analysis confirmed that the target genes of DE miRNAs might participate in the metabolism of testicular cells. Furthermore, a miRNA-mRNA co-expression network consisting of 19 miRNAs and 106 mRNAs and a competing endogenous RNA network of lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA including 179 genes were established. Finally, the expressions of 4 miRNAs (mmu-miR-451a, mmu-miR-133a-3p, mmu-miR-1a-3p and mmu-miR-486a-3p) and 4 mRNAs (Gramd1b, Tcf7l2, Mov10 and Srcin1) involved in regulatory networks were verified by RT-qPCR. In conclusion, our research might provide targets for the mechanism studies of miRNAs in reproductive toxicity of Pb.

Single-cell transcriptome profiling reveals several LncRNAs differentially expressed in idiopathic germ cell aplasia

Mechanisms underlying severe male infertility are still largely elusive. However, recently, a single-cell transcription study by our group identified several differentially expressed coding genes in all the somatic cell types in testes of patients with idiopathic germ cell aplasia (iGCA). Here, we leverage this work by extending the analysis also to the non-coding portion of the genome. As a result, we found that 43 LncRNAs were differentially expressed in the somatic cells of these patients. Interestingly, a significant portion of the overexpressed LncRNAs was found to be a target of TAF9B, a transcription factor known to be involved in germ cell survival. Moreover, several overexpressed LncRNAs were also found to be activated in a mouse model of Sertoli cells treated with bisphenol A, a widespread environmental contaminant, long suspected to impair male fertility. Finally, a literature search for MEG3, a maternally imprinted LncRNA overexpressed as well in our patients, found it to be involved, among other things, in obesity and inflammation, known comorbidities of iGCA, ultimately suggesting that our findings deepen the understanding of the molecular insights coupled not only to the pathogenesis, but also to the clinical course of this class of patients.

A Novel Risk Model Identified Based on Pyroptosis-Related lncRNA Predicts Overall Survival and Associates With the Immune Landscape of GC Patients

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common malignant gastrointestinal tumors worldwide. Pyroptosis was widely reported to exert a crucial function in tumor development. In addition, pyroptosis was also proved to be associated with the immune landscape. However, whether pyroptosis-related lncRNAs are associated with the prognosis and the immune landscape of GC remains unclear. In the present study, we first constructed a novel risk model by using pyroptosis-related lncRNAs. We identified 11 pyroptosis-related lncRNAs for the establishment of the risk model. The risk model could be used to predict the survival outcome and immune landscape of GC patients. The results of survival analysis and AUC value of a time-related ROC curve proved that our risk model has an elevated efficiency and accuracy in predicting the survival outcome of patients. We also found that the risk model was also associated with the immune landscape, drug sensitivity, and tumor mutation burden of GC patients. In conclusion, our risk model plays a crucial role in the tumor immune microenvironment and could be used to predict survival outcomes of GC patients.

LncRNA H19 activates cell pyroptosis via the miR-22-3p/NLRP3 axis in pneumonia

OBJECTIVE

Pneumonia is an infectious pulmonary disease with a high morbidity and mortality. It has been reported that multiple long noncoding RNAs (LncRNAs) are involved in the progression of pneumonia, such as LncRNA SNHG16. However, the role and underlying mechanism of LncRNA H19 in the pyroptosis of pneumonia has not been elucidated. The purpose of this research was to explore the mechanism by which LncRNA H19 regulates LPS-induced pneumonia in WI-38 cells.

METHODS

An LPS induced pneumonia model in WI-38 cells was established. Total RNA extracted from WI-38 cells was analyzed using RT-qPCR, and the total proteins isolated from the WI-38 cells were analyzed using Western blotting. MTT assays, TUNEL staining, bioinformatics, and luciferase reporter assays were subsequently conducted.

RESULTS

In the LPS induced pneumonia model, LncRNA H19 silences inhibited LPS-induced WL-38 cell pyroptosis, and LncRNA H19 overexpression promotes LPS-induced WL-38 cell pyroptosis. Also, LncRNA H19 acts as a sponge of miR-22-3p, which targets NLRP3, and NLRP3 attenuates the effect of LncRNA H19 silencing on LPS-induced WL-38 cell pyroptosis.

CONCLUSION

Our data demonstrated the roles and potential mechanisms of LncRNA H19 in the regulation of pneumonia cell pyroptosis, indicating that LncRNA H19 is an efficient predictive and curative target for pneumonia.