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Ruan J, Tian Q, Li S, Zhou X, Sun Q, Wang Y, Xiao Y, Li M, Chang K, Yi X. The IL-33-ST2 axis plays a vital role in endometriosis via promoting epithelial-mesenchymal transition by phosphorylating β-catenin. Cell Commun Signal 2024; 22:318. [PMID: 38858740 PMCID: PMC11163813 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-024-01683-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Interleukin 33 (IL-33) is a crucial inflammatory factor that functions as an alarm signal in endometriosis (EMs). Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a process related to inflammatory signals, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and lipid peroxidation, have been proposed as potential mechanisms that contribute to the development and progression of EMs. IL-33 is highly upregulated in the ectopic milieu. Moreover, ectopic endometrial cells constitutively express interleukin-33 receptor ST2 (IL-33R). However, the role of IL-33/ST2 in the EMT of EMs remains largely unknown. In this study, we aimed to mechanistically determine the role of IL-33/ST2 in EMs-associated fibrosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS We established a non-lethal oxidative stress model to explore the conditions that trigger IL-33 induction. We performed α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) protein detection, cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assays, and scratch assays to analyze the impact of IL-33 on primary endometrial stromal cells (ESCs) proliferation and invasion. Clinical samples from patients with or without EMs were subjected to immunohistochemical (IHC) and and immunofluorescence(IF) staining to assess the clinical relevance of IL-33 receptor ST2 and EMT-related proteins. Furthermore, we used the ectopic human endometrial epithelial cell line 12Z and normal human epithelial cell line EEC to evaluate the effects of IL-33 on Wnt/β-catenin signaling. The effect of IL-33 on EMT-associated fibrosis was validated in vivo by intraperitoneal injections of IL-33 and antiST2. RESULTS We observed that ectopic milieu, characterized by ROS, TGF-β1, and high level of estrogen, triggers the secretion of IL-33 from ectopic ESCs. Ectopic endometrial lesions exhibited higher level of fibrotic characteristics and ST2 expression than that in the normal endometrium. Exogenous recombinant human (rhIL-33) enhanced ESC migration and survival. Similarly, 12Z cells displayed a higher degree of EMT characteristics with elevated expression of CCN4 and Fra-1, downstream target genes of the WNT/β-catenin pathway, than that observed in EECs. Conversely, blocking IL-33 with neutralizing antibodies, knocking down ST2 or β-catenin with siRNA, and β-catenin dephosphorylation abolished its effects on EMT promotion. In vivo validation demonstrated that IL-33 significantly promotes EMs-related fibrosis through the activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. CONCLUSION Our data strongly support the vital role of the IL-33/ST2 pathway in EMs-associated fibrosis and emphasize the importance of the EMT in the pathophysiology of fibrosis. Targeting the IL-33/ST2/Wnt/β-catenin axis may hold promise as a feasible therapeutic approach for controlling fibrosis in EMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingyao Ruan
- Department of Gynecology, Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University, 419# Fangxie Road, Shanghai, 200011, China
| | - Qi Tian
- Department of Gynecology, Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University, 419# Fangxie Road, Shanghai, 200011, China
| | - Siting Li
- Department of Gynecology, Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University, 419# Fangxie Road, Shanghai, 200011, China
| | - Xiaoyu Zhou
- Department of Gynecology, Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University, 419# Fangxie Road, Shanghai, 200011, China
| | - Qianzhi Sun
- Department of Gynecology, Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University, 419# Fangxie Road, Shanghai, 200011, China
| | - Yuning Wang
- Department of Gynecology, Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University, 419# Fangxie Road, Shanghai, 200011, China
| | - Yinping Xiao
- Department of Pathology, Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Mingqing Li
- Laboratory for Reproductive Immunology, Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200011, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Kaikai Chang
- Department of Gynecology, Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University, 419# Fangxie Road, Shanghai, 200011, China.
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Shanghai, China.
| | - Xiaofang Yi
- Department of Gynecology, Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University, 419# Fangxie Road, Shanghai, 200011, China.
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Shanghai, China.
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Yang Y, Li LL, Qi YX, Liu DJ. Research Progress of Caspase in Endometriosis. Reprod Sci 2024; 31:1496-1507. [PMID: 38347381 DOI: 10.1007/s43032-023-01425-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2024]
Abstract
Endometriosis, a common chronic gynecological disease, refers to the presence and proliferation of endometrial tissue in locations other than the uterine cavity. Approximately 6 to 10% of the population of women of childbearing age are known to have endometriosis; the most common clinical signs are pelvic pain and infertility. Although endometriosis is a benign disease, it exhibits some typical features of malignant tumors, such as proliferation, invasion, metastasis, and recurrence. Endometriosis is considered a chronic, inflammatory, and estrogen-dependent disease, and multiple factors contribute to its occurrence and development. In recent years, increasing attention has been given to the role of apoptosis in the pathogenesis of this disease. Some researchers believe that spontaneous apoptosis of the endometrium is critical in maintaining its normal structure and function, and abnormal apoptosis can promote the occurrence and development of endometriosis. Inflammation is another likely process in the pathogenesis of endometriosis. Inflammation mediates the adhesion, proliferation, differentiation, and invasion of ectopic lesions of endometriosis, primarily by regulating the function of immune cells and increasing the level of proinflammatory cytokines in body fluids. The ultimate initiators of apoptosis and inflammatory cell death (pyroptosis) are the caspase family proteases. In this article, we review the progress in recent years in caspase function as well as the possible role of these enzymes in the pathogenesis of endometriosis, indicating potential treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Yang
- Department of Centre for Reproductive Medicine, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Lei-Lei Li
- The First Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Yu-Xin Qi
- The First Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Da-Jiang Liu
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
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Wang X, Zheng Q, Sun M, Liu L, Zhang H, Ying W. Signatures of necroptosis-related genes as diagnostic markers of endometriosis and their correlation with immune infiltration. BMC Womens Health 2023; 23:535. [PMID: 37817158 PMCID: PMC10566087 DOI: 10.1186/s12905-023-02668-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Endometriosis (EMS) occurs when normal uterine tissue grows outside the uterus and causes chronic pelvic pain and infertility. Endometriosis-associated infertility is thought to be caused by unknown mechanisms. In this study, using necroptosis-related genes, we developed and validated multigene joint signatures to diagnose EMS and explored their biological roles. METHODS We downloaded two databases (GSE7305 and GSE1169) from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and 630 necroptosis-related genes from the GeneCards and GSEA databases. The limma package in Rsoftware was used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). We interleaved common differentially expressed genes (co-DEGs) and necroptosis-related genes (NRDEGs) in the endometriosis dataset. The DEGs functions were reflected by gene ontology analysis (GO), pathway enrichment analysis, and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). We used CIBERSORT to analyze the immune microenvironment differences between EMS patients and controls. Furthermore, a correlation was found between necroptosis-related differentially expressed genes and infiltrating immune cells to better understand the molecular immune mechanism. RESULTS Compared with the control group, this study revealed that 10 NRDEGs were identified in EMS. There were two types of immune cell infiltration abundance (activated NK cells and M2 macrophages) in these two datasets, and the correlation between different groups of samples was statistically significant (P < 0.05). MYO6 consistently correlated with activated NK cells in the two datasets. HOOK1 consistently demonstrated a high correlation with M2 Macrophages in two datasets. The immunohistochemical result indicated that the protein levels of MYO6 and HOOK1 were increased in patients with endometriosis, further suggesting that MYO6 and HOOK1 can be used as potential biomarkers for endometriosis. CONCLUSIONS We identified ten necroptosis-related genes in EMS and assessed their relationship with the immune microenvironment. MYO6 and HOOK1 may serve as novel biomarkers and treatment targets in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuezhen Wang
- Department of Gynecology, Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province Affiliated to Wenzhou Medical University, Taizhou, 317000, China
| | - Qin Zheng
- Department of Gynecology, Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province Affiliated to Wenzhou Medical University, Taizhou, 317000, China
| | - Man Sun
- School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, China
| | - Luotong Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, China
| | - Huan Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, China.
| | - Weiwei Ying
- Department of Gynecology, Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province Affiliated to Wenzhou Medical University, Taizhou, 317000, China.
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Iavazzo C, Vrachnis N, Gkegkes ID. Peritoneal bacteria contamination and endometriosis pathogenesis. Arch Gynecol Obstet 2023; 307:221-222. [PMID: 35192038 DOI: 10.1007/s00404-022-06467-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Christos Iavazzo
- Gynaecological Oncology Department, Metaxa Cancer Hospital, Piraeus, Greece
| | - Nikolaos Vrachnis
- Third Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Attikon Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece
| | - Ioannis D Gkegkes
- Athens Colorectal Laboratory, Athens, Greece. .,Department of Colorectal Surgery, Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, 17c James House, Residential Village, Bovemoors Lane, Exeter, EX2 5DS, UK.
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