The Relationship between Cadmium Exposure and Mortality in Postmenopausal Females: A Cohort Study of 2001-2018 NHANES.

Cadmium is one of the most harmful elements to human health, and the health of postmenopausal females is an important public health issue. However, the correlation between exposure to cadmium and the survival status of postmenopausal women is currently not fully clear. This research intended to explore the correlation between cadmium exposure and mortality among postmenopausal females using a representative sample of the population in the U.

Oocyte quality is impaired in a hyperandrogenic PCOS mouse model by increased Foxo1 expression.

One of the most important characteristics of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is excess androgen, which has adverse effects on pregnancy outcomes and increases the risk of offspring developing metabolic disorders. Foxo1 has been shown to play an important role in PCOS, but whether it has an affect on oocyte's quality in PCOS remains unclear. The current research investigated the effect of excess androgen exposure on mouse oocyte quality, as well as the possible molecular mechanism.

Growth Hormone Promotes Oocyte Maturation In Vitro by Protecting Mitochondrial Function and Reducing Apoptosis.

Some studies have been conducted to explore the influence of growth hormone (GH) on oocytes in in vitro maturation (IVM); however, previous studies reporting showed different results, and the specific mechanisms were not clear. In the present study, GH supplementation improved oocyte maturation rate. The rate of germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) in the GH group was 83.

A Novel Salt Inducible Kinase 2 Inhibitor, ARN-3261, Sensitizes Ovarian Cancer Cell Lines and Xenografts to Carboplatin.

Salt-induced kinase 2 (SIK2) is a serine-threonine kinase that regulates centrosome splitting, activation of PI3 kinase and phosphorylation of class IIa HDACs, affecting gene expression. Previously, we found that inhibition of SIK2 enhanced sensitivity of ovarian cancer cells to paclitaxel. Carboplatin and paclitaxel constitute first-line therapy for most patients with ovarian carcinoma, producing a 70% clinical response rate, but curing <20% of patients with advanced disease.

The role of CXC chemokine ligand 16 in physiological and pathological pregnancies.

The survival and development of a semi-allogeneic fetus during pregnancy require the involvement of a series of cytokines and immune cells. Chemokines are a type of special cytokine those were originally described as having a role in leukocyte trafficking. CXC chemokine ligand (CXCL) 16 is a member of the chemokine family, and CXC chemokine receptor (CXCR) 6 is its sole receptor.

Trophoblast-Derived CXCL16 Decreased Granzyme B Production of Decidual γδ T Cells and Promoted Bcl-xL Expression of Trophoblasts.

Background: Decidual γδ T cells are known to regulate the function of trophoblasts at the maternal-fetal interface; however, little is known about the molecular mechanisms of cross talk between trophoblast cells and decidual γδ T cells.

Methods: Expression of chemokine C-X-C motif ligand 6 (CXCL16) and its receptor CXCR6 was evaluated in first-trimester human villus and decidual tissues by immunohistochemistry. γδ T cells were isolated from first-trimester human deciduae and cocultured with JEG3 trophoblast cells.

IL-25 promotes Th2 bias by upregulating IL-4 and IL-10 expression of decidual γδT cells in early pregnancy.

Decidual immune cells (DICs), consisting of both innate and adaptive immune cells, have a pivotal role in maintaining immune tolerance for normal pregnancy. Our previous study demonstrated that interleukin (IL)-25 stimulates the proliferation of decidual stromal cells (DSCs) in an autocrine manner. However, the role of IL-25 in functional regulation of DICs is largely unknown.

IL‑33 restricts invasion and adhesion of trophoblast cell line JEG3 by downregulation of integrin α4β1 and CD62L.

Interleukin-33 (IL-33) promotes migration of cancer cells through downregulating the expression of E-cadherin. Previous studies have demonstrated that IL‑33 stimulates the proliferation of trophoblasts. However, the effect of IL‑33 on the adhesion and invasion of trophoblasts has not been investigated in detail.

PCSK6 regulated by LH inhibits the apoptosis of human granulosa cells via activin A and TGFβ2.

Mammalian proprotein convertases (PCs) play an important role in folliculogenesis, as they proteolytically activate a variety of substrates such as the transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) superfamily. PC subtilism/kexin 6 (PCSK6) is a member of the PC family and is ubiquitously expressed and implicated in many physiological and pathological processes. However, in human granulosa cells, the expression of the PC family members, their hormonal regulation, and the function of PCs are not clear.

Interleukin-25 induced by human chorionic gonadotropin promotes the proliferation of decidual stromal cells by activation of JNK and AKT signal pathways.

Objective: To clarify the role and mechanism of interleukin (IL)-25 in regulating the biological functions of decidual stromal cells (DSCs) in human early pregnancy.

Design: Laboratory study of the effect of IL-25 induced by hCG on the proliferation of DSCs.

Setting: Research laboratories.

Thymic stromal lymphopoietin suppresses the apoptosis of decidual gamma-delta T cells via regulation of the signal transduction and activation of transcription 3/caspase-3 signaling pathway.

Problem: To investigate whether thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) regulates the apoptosis of decidual γδ T cells and to elucidate the mechanism.

Method Of Study: Primary human decidual γδ T cells were treated with TSLP only or TSLP combined with different signaling inhibitors (STAT3, STAT5, AKT, and ERK). The levels of signal transduction and activation of transcription 3 (STAT3) tyrosine phosphorylation and caspase3 expression were determined using Western blot analysis, and the apoptosis of decidual γδ T cells was analyzed by flow cytometry.

Thymic stromal lymphopoietin downregulates NME1 expression and promotes invasion in human trophoblasts via the activation of STAT3 signaling pathway.

Our previous study has demonstrated that TSLP induces the invasion of human trophoblasts and plays a role in embryo implantation. The present study is undertaken to explore the mechanism by which TSLP modulates trophoblast invasion. It was revealed that TSLP treatment significantly downregulated NME1 and TIMP1 expression in both human trophoblasts and JEG-3 cells.

The decidual gamma-delta T cells up-regulate the biological functions of trophoblasts via IL-10 secretion in early human pregnancy.

The functions of decidual γδT cells in early human pregnancy are not fully understood. The present study was undertaken to characterize the action of decidual γδT cells, and analyze their regulatory roles in proliferation and invasion of trophoblasts in early human pregnancy. It was revealed that decidual γδT cells were a CD4(-) and CD8(-) subset whose numbers increased significantly in either the decidua or peripheral blood.

CXCL12 controls over-invasion of trophoblasts via upregulating CD82 expression in DSCs at maternal-fetal interface of human early pregnancy in a paracrine manner.

Tetraspanin CD82 has been identified as a potential contributor to controlling trophoblast invasiveness in human first-trimester pregnancy. However, it is unclear how the regulation of CD82 expression at maternal-fetal interface. The present study is to investigate the effect of the trophoblast-derived CXCL12 on CD82 expression in decidual stromal cells (DSCs) that in turn controls trophoblast cell invasiveness.

The costimulatory signal upregulation is associated with Th1 bias at the maternal-fetal interface in human miscarriage.

PROBLEM  To evaluate whether the association of the costimulatory signal regulation with T helper 1/T helper 2 (Th1/Th2) bias at maternal-fetal interface in human pregnancy loss. METHOD OF STUDY  The expression of CD80 and CD86 in decidual tissues and CD28 and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4) in the decidual T cells was compared between normal early pregnancy and miscarriage by qPCR and Western blot. The cytokine production in decidual T cells was performed by flow cytometry.

Regulation of costimulatory signal in maternal-fetal immune tolerance.

A pregnancy is associated with modifications in the immune status of the mother, but the mechanisms are not well understood. Several observations have indicated that CD28/CTLA-4 and B7-1/B7-2 are involved in the maternal-fetal immune regulation. This review aims to recapitulate our current knowledge concerning the role of CD28/CTLA-4 and B7-1/B7-2 in maternal-fetal immune regulation.