Binding mode of porphyrins to poly[d(A-T)2] and poly[d(G-C)2]

We examined the binding geometry of Co-meso-tetrakis (N-methyl pyridinium-4-yl)porphyrin, Co-meso-tetrakis (N-n-butyl pyridinium-4-yl)porphyrin and their metal-free ligands to poly[d(A-T)(2)] and poly[d(G-C)(2)] by optical spectroscopic methods including absorption, circular and linear dichroism spectroscopy, and fluorescence energy transfer technique. Signs of an induced CD spectrum in the Soret band depend only on the nature of the DNA sequence; all porphyrins exhibit negative CD when bound to poly[d(G-C)(2)] and positive when bound to poly[d(A-T)(2)]. Close analysis of the linear dichroism result reveals that all porphyrins exhibit outside binding when complexed with poly[d(A-T)(2)], regardless of the existence of a central metal and side chain. However, in the case of poly[d(G-C)(2)], we observed intercalative binding mode for two nonmetalloporphyrins and an outside binding mode for metalloporphyrins. The nature of the outside binding modes of the porphyrins, when complexed with poly[d(A-T)(2)] and poly[d(G-C)(2)], are quite different. We also demonstrate that an energy transfer from the excited nucleo-bases to porphyrins can occur for metalloporphyrins.

Associations of dietary calcium intake with metabolic syndrome and bone mineral density among the Korean population: KNHANES 2008-2011

Excessive amount of calcium intake increased risk for metabolic syndrome in men. However, modest amount decreased the risk of metabolic syndrome and osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. Modest amount of calcium also increased bone mineral density (BMD) in both men and postmenopausal women.

INTRODUCTION

The present study aimed to evaluate the associations of dietary calcium intake with metabolic syndrome and bone mineral density (BMD) in Korean men and women, especially postmenopausal women.

METHODS

The study was performed using data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2008-2011) and included 14,705 participants (5953 men, 4258 premenopausal women, and 4494 postmenopausal women). Clinical and other objective characteristics, presence of metabolic syndrome, and the BMD of the femur neck and lumbar spine were evaluated according to dietary calcium intake.

RESULTS

There was a higher tendency for metabolic syndrome in men with a dietary calcium intake of >1200 mg/day than with ≤400 mg of calcium intake; >400 and ≤800 mg of calcium intake was helpful for postmenopausal women to decrease risk for metabolic syndrome. Overall, the group with calcium intake >400 and ≤800 mg daily had significantly increased BMD in both femoral neck and lumbar spine from both men and postmenopausal women. From both femoral neck and lumbar spine, the prevalence of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women significantly decreased in the group whose calcium intake was >400 and ≤800 mg daily.

CONCLUSION

Excessive dietary calcium may increase the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in men. For postmenopausal women, calcium intake does not increase the risk of metabolic syndrome, but modest amount decreases the risk. It may increase the BMD in men and postmenopausal women, and also reduce the prevalence of both osteoporosis and metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women.

The effect of prolonged breast-feeding on the development of postmenopausal osteoporosis in population with insufficient calcium intake and vitamin D level

Breast-feeding affects bone metabolism and calcium homeostasis, and prolonged breast-feeding may influence the development of postmenopausal osteoporosis, particularly in highly susceptible populations. The study determined that breast-feeding may be a risk factor for postmenopausal osteoporosis, especially in people with low calcium intakes and vitamin D deficiencies.

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this study was to determine whether breast-feeding is a risk factor in the development of postmenopausal osteoporosis, especially in highly susceptible population.

METHODS

The study was performed using data from the 2010 to 2011 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, and it included 1231 postmenopausal women who were aged between 45 and 70 years. Osteoporosis was defined using the World Health Organization's T-score criteria, namely, a T-score of ≤-2.5 at the femoral neck or the lumbar spine. The patients' ages, body mass indexes, daily calcium intakes, serum vitamin D levels, exercise levels, smoking histories, and reproductive factors relating to menarche, menopause, delivery, breast-feeding, hormone treatment, and oral contraceptive use were evaluated. Comparisons between the osteoporosis and non-osteoporosis groups were undertaken using Student's t test and the chi-square test, and logistic regression models were built.

RESULTS

A significant increase in the risk of osteoporosis was apparent in postmenopausal women with prolonged breast-feeding histories (≥24 months) (model 1: odds ratio [OR] = 2.489; 95 % confidence interval [CI] = 1.111 to 5.578, p = 0.027; model 2: OR = 2.503; 95 % CI = 1.118 to 5.602, p = 0.026; model 3: OR = 2.825; 95 % CI = 1.056 to 7.56, p = 0.039), particularly in those with inadequate serum vitamin D levels and calcium intakes (<800 mg/day).

CONCLUSIONS

Breast-feeding seems to increase the risk of postmenopausal osteoporosis; however, its impact may not be definitive in women with sufficient vitamin D levels and calcium intakes. Therefore, sufficient calcium intakes and adequate vitamin D levels may be important to prevent osteoporosis in postmenopausal women that is derived from breast-feeding.

Potential roles of aquaporin 9 in the pathogenesis of endometriosis

Aquaporins (AQPs) are involved in cell migration, proliferation and carcinogenesis in tumor development and physiologic inflammatory processes, but their associations with endometriosis have not been fully evaluated. In this study, tissue samples were obtained from women undergoing laparoscopic surgery for endometriosis and other benign conditions. Analysis of expressions of AQP subtypes in eutopic and ectopic endometrium of patients with endometriosis (Eu-EMS and Ect-EMS, respectively) and eutopic endometrium of control patients without endometriosis (Eu-CTL) were performed using the NanoString nCounter System and western blotting. Human endometrial stromal cells (HESCs) were cultured and transfected with the siRNA of the AQP of interest. Among the AQP1–9 subtypes, endometrial expression of AQP2 and AQP8 was significantly increased, whereas AQP9 expression was significantly decreased in the Eu-EMS group compared to the Eu-CTL group. Comparison of expression of AQP2, AQP8 and AQP9 among Eu-EMS, Ect-EMS and Eu-CTL groups revealed significant differences for only AQP9. Expression of AQP9 in the Eu-EMS group was decreased compared with that in Eu-CTL. After transfection of AQP9 siRNA in HESCs, expressions of MMP2 and MMP9 were significantly elevated. Increased expression of phosphorylated ERK 1/2 and phosphorylated p38 MAPK proteins after transfection was also confirmed using western blot analysis. Increased migration and invasion potentials of HESCs after transfection were determined by migration and wound healing assays. These findings suggest that AQP9 may be involved in the pathogenesis of endometriosis and warrant further investigation as a potential therapeutic target for treating endometriosis.

Use of the Endometriosis Fertility Index to Predict Natural Pregnancy after Endometriosis Surgery: A Single-Center Study

AIMS

Our objective was to predict natural pregnancy after endometriosis surgery using the endometriosis fertility index (EFI).

METHODS

A retrospective medical records review was conducted, examining patients surgically treated for endometriosis at a single center in Korea between January 2009 and February 2015. In total, 68 women attempting natural conception were analyzed by assessing age, preoperative serum CA-125, body mass index, revised American Fertility Society (rAFS) stage, EFI, and pregnancy outcome. Kaplan-Meier estimates and log-rank tests were used to generate cumulative natural pregnancy rate curves based on an EFI cut-point. A receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted for EFI.

RESULTS

Seventy-seven patients attempted conceptions, resulting in 33 natural and 9 assisted conceptions. Excluding assisted conceptions, the mean EFI scores of 68 women who were not pregnant and pregnant were 5.43 ± 0.36 and 6.88 ± 0.28 respectively. The relation between EFI and natural pregnancy was significant (cumulative overall pregnancy rate, p = 0.006), whereas rAFS stage was not (univariate logistics, p = 0.853). The cut-point for maximum natural pregnancy outcomes was 6 (area under ROC curve = 0.710, 95% CI 0.586-0.835).

CONCLUSION

The EFI is a reliable staging system for predicting natural pregnancy after endometriosis surgery. EFI scores can be used to guide postoperative treatment of women with endometriosis.

Folpet induces mitochondrial dysfunction and ROS-mediated apoptosis in mouse Sertoli cells

Folpet is a phthalimide type of fungicide and has been used to control several crop diseases. Although it has adverse effects on the gastrointestinal tract, its mechanism and toxic effects on testis have not been demonstrated. In the present study, we elucidated the cytotoxic effect of folpet on the mouse Sertoli cell line, TM4. Our results revealed that folpet suppressed viability and proliferative capacity of TM4 cells and further inhibited 3D spheroid formation. Moreover, folpet impeded appropriate cell cycle progression and induced apoptotic cell death in TM4 cells. It disrupted the electrochemical gradient of mitochondria and calcium homeostasis in TM4 cells. Furthermore, endoplasmic reticulum stress-related proteins were activated in folpet-treated TM4 cells, and relative reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was also increased. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) treatment reinstated the folpet-induced ROS generation in TM4 cells. Additionally, NAC restored the proliferative capacity and reduced the apoptotic cells in folpet-treated TM4 cells. Collectively, we demonstrated that folpet causes ROS-mediated apoptotic cell death with mitochondrial dysfunction and calcium dysregulation in TM4 cells.

Association of metabolic syndrome with coronary atherosclerosis in non-diabetic postmenopausal women

OBJECTIVE

We investigated the possible association of metabolic syndrome with arterial stiffness and coronary atherosclerosis in non-diabetic, postmenopausal women.

METHODS

A total of 293 non-diabetic, postmenopausal women who visited the health promotion center for a routine health check-up were included in a cross-sectional study. Arterial stiffness was measured by brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity, and coronary atherosclerosis was detected using 64-row multi-detector computed tomography.

RESULTS

Women with coronary atherosclerosis had a significantly higher proportion of metabolic syndrome than those without coronary atherosclerosis. The brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity was significantly higher in women who had metabolic syndrome compared to those who had no metabolic syndrome (1567.71 ± 211.81 vs. 1336.75 ± 159.62 cm/s, p < 0.001). In addition, the brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity was shown to increase with increasing number of metabolic syndrome components (p for trend < 0.001). Metabolic syndrome was associated with increased risk of coronary atherosclerosis (adjusted odds ratio 2.38; 95% confidence interval 1.01-5.06), after adjusting for confounding factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Metabolic syndrome increases the risk of coronary atherosclerosis in postmenopausal women. Increased arterial stiffness may partly explain an increased risk of coronary atherosclerosis in postmenopausal women with metabolic syndrome.

Dinitramine induces cardiotoxicity and morphological alterations on zebrafish embryo development

Dinitramine (DN), an herbicide in the dinitroaniline family, is used in agricultural areas to prevent unwanted plant growth. Dinitroaniline herbicides inhibit cell division by preventing microtubulin synthesis. They are strongly absorbed by the soil and can contaminate groundwater; however, the mode of action of these herbicides in non-target organisms remains unclear. In this study, we examined the developmental toxicity of DN in zebrafish embryos exposed to 1.6, 3.2, and 6.4 mg/L DN, compared to embryos exposed to DMSO (control) for 96 h. Visual assessments using transgenic zebrafish (fli1:eGFP) indicated abnormal cardiac development with enlarged ventricles and atria, decreased heartbeats, and impaired cardiac function. Along with cardiac development, vessel formation and angiogenesis were suppressed through activation of the inflammatory response. In addition, exposure to 6.4 mg/L DN for 96 h induced cell death, with upregulation of genes related to apoptosis. Our results showed that DN induced morphological changes and triggered an inflammatory response and apoptotic cell death that can impair embryonic growth and survival, providing an important mechanism of DN in aquatic organisms.

Reproductive toxicity of folpet through deregulation of calcium homeostasis in porcine trophectoderm and luminal epithelial cells during early pregnancy

Folpet, a fungicide, is utilized even in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. The LD50 of folpet in mammals, birds, and fish is relatively high. Recently, several negative effects of folpet on the respiratory system and cornea have been reported. However, there is no study on the negative effects of folpet on maternal-fetus interactions. In the present study, we used porcine trophectoderm (pTr) cells and porcine luminal epithelial (pLE) cells to investigate the toxic effects of folpet during implantation. Folpet treatment decreased cell proliferation and promoted apoptosis with cell cycle arrest. In addition, the ERK, JNK, and AKT signal pathways were activated by folpet treatment. Folpet treatment induced calcium overload in pTr and pLE cells mediating antimigratory and antiadhesive effects in both cell lines. Co-treatment with calcium chelates decreased the anti-implantation effect of folpet. Overall, our results demonstrated potential reproductive toxicity of folpet in pig.

Relationship between menopausal hormone therapy and incidence of fractures in postmenopausal women

OBJECTIVE

Long-term protective effects of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) at fractures with different doses and components are controversial. We analyzed the effect of MHT on the incidence of spine and femur fractures according to MHT type, age at commencement, duration and dose of hormones in Korean women.

METHOD

This retrospective study evaluated propensity score-matched patients with MHT from the Korean National Health Insurance Service database. Among women aged ≥50 years with menopause between 2004 and 2007, spine and femur fracture incidence until 2017 was analyzed in 36,446 women who had received MHT for >1 year. Estrogen-progesterone therapy (EPT), estrogen-only therapy (ET) or tibolone therapy was conducted.

RESULTS

EPT significantly lowered the incidence of spine and femur fractures with a conventional dose, but not with a low dose. Tibolone significantly decreased the incidence of spine fractures in women aged 50-59 years when used for >5 years, and the incidence of femur fractures in women older than 60 years when used for >3 years. ET significantly lowered the risk of femur fractures when estradiol was used for >5 years.

CONCLUSION

In menopausal women, all MHT including conventional-dose EPT, ET and tibolone tended to lower the incidence of fractures. The effects, however, varied with the type of fracture and type of MHT.