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Belloni A, Notarstefano V, Greco S, Pellegrino P, Giorgini E, Ciarmela P. FTIR Microspectroscopy as a new probe to study human uterine lesions: Characterization of tumor cell lines from uterine smooth muscle cells and evaluation of EPA and DHA in vitro treatments. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2024; 1870:166873. [PMID: 37666437 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2023.166873] [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: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 08/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023]
Abstract
During their life, women are likely to develop uterine diseases, which often compromise their fertile and perimenopausal age. Besides benign lesions like leiomyomas, several malignant neoplasms can occur, such as the uterine leiomyosarcoma, which represents the most frequent malignancy among the rarest uterine cancers. It presents several variants similar to both benign and malignant neoplasms, and sometimes it shares symptoms with the benign counterpart. In this scenario, for a correct diagnosis and a successful prognosis, it is mandatory to detect new reliable markers which strengthen histopathological outcomes and let define a more appropriate and less harmful therapy. Based on this concerning evidence, in the present study, Fourier Transform Infrared Microspectroscopy has been exploited at a cellular level on uterine leiomyoma and leiomyosarcoma cell lines to (1) identify specific spectral biomarkers able to distinguish between benign and malignant lesions, and (2) evaluate the efficacy of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids (respectively EPA and DHA), already successfully tested. Results evidenced reliable differences in the spectral signature of benign and malignant cells, mainly in terms of lipids and nucleic acids composition. Moreover, even if EPA and DHA seemed to exert different effects on the tested cell lines, no cytotoxic and/or anti-apoptotic actions were observed after omega-3 based treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Belloni
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy.
| | - Valentina Notarstefano
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy.
| | - Stefania Greco
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy.
| | - Pamela Pellegrino
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy.
| | - Elisabetta Giorgini
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy.
| | - Pasquapina Ciarmela
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy.
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Taylor AH, Bachkangi P, Konje JC. Labour and premature delivery differentially affect the expression of the endocannabinoid system in the human placenta. Histochem Cell Biol 2023; 160:577-593. [PMID: 37750996 DOI: 10.1007/s00418-023-02236-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
Plasma concentrations of N-arachidonyletholamine (AEA), N-oleoylethanolamide (OEA) and N-palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) increase at term and can predict when a woman is likely to go into labour. We hypothesised that increased plasma AEA concentrations in women in preterm and term labour might also be increased and have a function in the placenta at the end of pregnancy. Here we examined the expression of the N-acylethanolamine-modulating enzymes fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) and N-acyl-phosphatidylethanolamine-specific phospholipase-D (NAPE-PLD) and of the cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2) in the placenta and their activation in an in vitro model of the third-trimester placenta to determine if those expressions change with labour and have functional significance. Expression of CB1, CB2, FAAH and NAPE-PLD was examined by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and RT-qPCR in placental samples obtained from four patient groups: preterm not in labour (PTNL), term not in labour (TNL), preterm in labour (PTL) and term in labour (TL). Additionally, the effects of AEA on a third-trimester human cell line (TCL-1) were evaluated. All ECS components were present in the third-trimester placenta, with NAPE-PLD and CB2 being the key modulated proteins in terms of expression. Functionally, AEA reduced TCL-1 cell numbers through the actions of the CB2 receptor whilst CB1 maintained placental integrity through the expression of the transcription regulators histone deacetylase 3, thyroid hormone receptor β 1 and the modulation of 5α reductase type 1. The placenta in the third trimester and at term is different from the placenta in the first trimester with respect to the expression of CB1, CB2, FAAH and NAPE-PLD, and the expression of these proteins is affected by labour. These data suggest that early perturbation of some ECS components in the placenta may cause AEA-induced PTL and thus PTB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony H Taylor
- Department of Cancer Studies and Molecular Medicine, Endocannabinoid Research Group, Reproductive Sciences Section, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.
| | - Panos Bachkangi
- Department of Cancer Studies and Molecular Medicine, Endocannabinoid Research Group, Reproductive Sciences Section, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Queen's Hospital, University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust, Burton On Trent, UK
| | - Justin C Konje
- Department of Cancer Studies and Molecular Medicine, Endocannabinoid Research Group, Reproductive Sciences Section, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
- Feto Maternal Centre, Al Markhiya, Doha, Qatar
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Maia J, Iannotti FA, Piscitelli F, Fonseca BM, Braga A, Braga J, Teixeira N, Di Marzo V, Correia-da-Silva G. The endocannabinoidome in human placenta: Possible contribution to the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. Biofactors 2023; 49:887-899. [PMID: 37092955 DOI: 10.1002/biof.1952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
Preeclampsia (PE) was first reported thousands of years ago, yet there is still a shortage of biomarkers to determine the severity and type of PE. The importance of the expanded endocannabinoid system, or endocannabinoidome (eCBome), has emerged recently in placental physiology and pathology, though the potential alterations of the eCBome in PE have not been fully explored. Analysis by qRT-PCR using placental samples of normotensive and PE women demonstrate for the first time the presence of ABHD4, GDE1, and DAGLβ in both normotensive and PE placental tissues. Interestingly, NAPE-PLD, FAAH-1, DAGLα, MAGL, and ABHD6 mRNA levels were increased in the placental tissues of PE patients. Quantification in plasma and placental tissues showed a decrease for anandamide (AEA), N-oleoylethanolamine (OEA), and N-docosahexaenoylethanolamine (DHEA) in the placenta, accompanied only by a decrease in plasma levels of AEA. In addition, a strong negative correlation was obtained between OEA and the biomarker of PE, soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1. Given the inflammatory nature of PE and the anti-inflammatory role of OEA and DHEA, the decrease in the local levels of these mediators may underlie the inflammatory component of this pathology. Additionally, lower AEA levels in both placenta and plasma may contribute to the atypical alterations of the spiral arteries in PE due to the vasorelaxation effects of AEA. These results add new information to the role of the eCBome members in placental development, while also pointing to a potential role as biomarkers of PE.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Maia
- UCIBIO.REQUIMTE-Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Biological Sciences, Laboratory of Biochemistry, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Biological Sciences, Laboratory of Biochemistry, Associate Laboratory i4HB-Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Fabio Arturo Iannotti
- Endocannabinoid Research Group, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Pozzuoli, Italy
| | - Fabiana Piscitelli
- Endocannabinoid Research Group, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Pozzuoli, Italy
| | - Bruno Miguel Fonseca
- UCIBIO.REQUIMTE-Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Biological Sciences, Laboratory of Biochemistry, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Biological Sciences, Laboratory of Biochemistry, Associate Laboratory i4HB-Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - António Braga
- Serviço de Obstetrícia, Departamento da Mulher e da Medicina Reprodutiva, Centro Materno-Infantil do Norte-Centro Hospitalar do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Jorge Braga
- Serviço de Obstetrícia, Departamento da Mulher e da Medicina Reprodutiva, Centro Materno-Infantil do Norte-Centro Hospitalar do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Natércia Teixeira
- UCIBIO.REQUIMTE-Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Biological Sciences, Laboratory of Biochemistry, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Biological Sciences, Laboratory of Biochemistry, Associate Laboratory i4HB-Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Vincenzo Di Marzo
- Endocannabinoid Research Group, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Pozzuoli, Italy
- Canada Excellence Research Chair on the Microbiome-Endocannabinoidome Axis in Metabolic Health, Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Centre de Recherche de l'Institut de Cardiologie et Pneumologie de l'Université et Institut sur la Nutrition et les Aliments Fonctionnels, Centre NUTRISS, Université Laval, Quebec City, Canada
| | - Georgina Correia-da-Silva
- UCIBIO.REQUIMTE-Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Biological Sciences, Laboratory of Biochemistry, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Biological Sciences, Laboratory of Biochemistry, Associate Laboratory i4HB-Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
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Emerging Roles of Endocannabinoids as Key Lipid Mediators for a Successful Pregnancy. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065220. [PMID: 36982295 PMCID: PMC10048990 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, Cannabis use/misuse for treating pregnancy-related symptoms and other chronic conditions has increased among pregnant women, favored by decriminalization and/or legalization of its recreational uses in addition to its easy accessibility. However, there is evidence that prenatal Cannabis exposure might have adverse consequences on pregnancy progression and a deleterious impact on proper neurodevelopmental trajectories in the offspring. Maternal Cannabis use could interfere with the complex and finely controlled role performed by the endocannabinoid system in reproductive physiology, impairing multiple gestational processes from blastocyst implantation to parturition, with long-lasting intergenerational effects. In this review, we discuss current clinical and preclinical evidence regarding the role of endocannabinoids in development, function, and immunity of the maternal–fetal interface, focusing on the impact of Cannabis constituents on each of these gestational processes. We also discuss the intrinsic limitations of the available studies and the future perspectives in this challenging research field.
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Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and Small-for-Gestational-Age: An Insight into the Placental Molecular Biomarkers. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24032240. [PMID: 36768564 PMCID: PMC9916826 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and small-for-gestational-age (SGA) are two metabolic-related diseases that could affect women during pregnancy. Considering that the chorionic villi (CVs) are crucial structures for the feto-maternal exchange, the alterations in their conformation have been linked to an imbalanced metabolic environment of placenta. In this study, a multidisciplinary approach has been carried out to describe the changes occurring in the placental CVs of GDM and SGA patients. The results revealed higher levels of superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD-1) and catalase (CAT), especially in the GDM placentae, which could be correlated with the hyperglycemic environment characteristic of this pathology. Furthermore, spectroscopy and histologic analyses revealed that both pathologies modify the placental lipid composition altering its structure. However, SGA induces lipid peroxidation and reduces collagen deposition within the CVs. Since the endocannabinoid system (ECS) is involved in placentation and different metabolic activities, the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) and transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 1 (TRPV-1) were analyzed. No changes have been observed either at general or specific levels in the CVs comparing control and pathological samples, suggesting the non-involvement of the cannabinoid system in these two pathologies.
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