Impact of gene polymorphisms involved in the vitamin D metabolic pathway on the susceptibility to and severity of autism spectrum disorder.

This study explores the association between genetic variations in the vitamin D pathway and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) susceptibility and severity in Thai children. A total of 276 participants, including 169 children with ASD and 107 healthy controls, were recruited. Genotyping of vitamin D pathway genes (CYP2R1, CYP27B1, GC, and VDR) was conducted using TaqMan-based real-time PCR, while serum vitamin D levels were measured by chemiluminescence immunoassay.

Investigation of chimeric transcripts derived from LINE-1 and Alu retrotransposons in cerebellar tissues of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

LINE-1 and Alu retrotransposons are components of the human genome and have been implicated in many human diseases. These elements can influence human transcriptome plasticity in various mechanisms. Chimeric transcripts derived from LINE-1 and Alu can also impact the human transcriptome, such as exonization and post-transcriptional modification.

Sex-specific impacts of prenatal bisphenol A exposure on genes associated with cortical development, social behaviors, and autism in the offspring's prefrontal cortex.

Background: Recent studies have shown that prenatal BPA exposure altered the transcriptome profiles of autism-related genes in the offspring's hippocampus, disrupting hippocampal neuritogenesis and causing male-specific deficits in learning. However, the sex differences in the effects of prenatal BPA exposure on the developing prefrontal cortex, which is another brain region highly implicated in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), have not been investigated.

Methods: We obtained transcriptome data from RNA sequencing analysis of the prefrontal cortex of male and female rat pups prenatally exposed to BPA or control and reanalyzed.

Transcriptomic analysis of glutamate-induced HT22 neurotoxicity as a model for screening anti-Alzheimer's drugs.

Glutamate-induced neurotoxicity in the HT22 mouse hippocampal neuronal cell line has been recognized as a valuable cell model for the study of neurotoxicity associated with neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the relevance of this cell model for AD pathogenesis and preclinical drug screening remains to be more elucidated. While there is increasing use of this cell model in a number of studies, relatively little is known about its underlying molecular signatures in relation to AD.

Epigenetic Gene-Regulatory Loci in Alu Elements Associated with Autism Susceptibility in the Prefrontal Cortex of ASD.

Alu elements are transposable elements that can influence gene regulation through several mechanisms; nevertheless, it remains unclear whether dysregulation of Alu elements contributes to the neuropathology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In this study, we characterized transposable element expression profiles and their sequence characteristics in the prefrontal cortex tissues of ASD and unaffected individuals using RNA-sequencing data. Our results showed that most of the differentially expressed transposable elements belong to the Alu family, with 659 loci of Alu elements corresponding to 456 differentially expressed genes in the prefrontal cortex of ASD individuals.

Investigation of autism-related transcription factors underlying sex differences in the effects of bisphenol A on transcriptome profiles and synaptogenesis in the offspring hippocampus.

Background: Bisphenol A (BPA) has been linked to susceptibility to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Our recent studies have shown that prenatal BPA exposure disrupted ASD-related gene expression in the hippocampus, neurological functions, and behaviors associated with ASD in a sex-specific pattern. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of BPA are still unclear.

LINE-1 and Alu methylation signatures in autism spectrum disorder and their associations with the expression of autism-related genes.

Long interspersed nucleotide element-1 (LINE-1) and Alu elements are retrotransposons whose abilities cause abnormal gene expression and genomic instability. Several studies have focused on DNA methylation profiling of gene regions, but the locus-specific methylation of LINE-1 and Alu elements has not been identified in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Here we interrogated locus- and family-specific methylation profiles of LINE-1 and Alu elements in ASD whole blood using publicly-available Illumina Infinium 450 K methylation datasets from heterogeneous ASD and ASD variants (Chromodomain Helicase DNA-binding 8 (CHD8) and 16p11.

Ergosterol isolated from cloud ear mushroom (Auricularia polytricha) attenuates bisphenol A-induced BV2 microglial cell inflammation.

Bisphenol A (BPA) has been reported to have neurotoxic properties that may increase the risk of neurodegenerative diseases by inducing neuroinflammation. Auricularia polytricha (AP) is an edible mushroom with several medicinal properties. Herein, the anti-neuroinflammatory effects of AP extracts against BPA-induced inflammation of BV2 microglial cells were investigated.

Autism-Related Transcription Factors Underlying the Sex-Specific Effects of Prenatal Bisphenol A Exposure on Transcriptome-Interactome Profiles in the Offspring Prefrontal Cortex.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an environmental risk factor for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). BPA exposure dysregulates ASD-related genes in the hippocampus and neurological functions of offspring. However, whether prenatal BPA exposure has an impact on genes in the prefrontal cortex, another brain region highly implicated in ASD, and through what mechanisms have not been investigated.

Alteration of Extracellular Matrix Components in the Anterior Pituitary Gland of Neonatal Rats Induced by a Maternal Bisphenol A Diet during Pregnancy.

The extracellular matrix (ECM) plays crucial roles in the anterior pituitary gland via the mechanism of cell-ECM interaction. Since bisphenol A (BPA), a well-known endocrine disruptor, can cross through the placenta from mother to fetus and bind with estrogen receptors, cell populations in the neonatal anterior pituitary gland could be the target cells affected by this chemical. The present study treated maternal rats with 5000 µg/kg body weight of BPA daily throughout the pregnancy period and then investigated the changes in ECM-producing cells, i.

Gold Nanoparticles Affect Pericyte Biology and Capillary Tube Formation.

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are used for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, especially antiangiogenesis, which are accomplished via inhibition of endothelial cell proliferation, migration, and tube formation. However, no research has been performed on the effects of AuNPs in pericytes, which play vital roles in endothelial cell functions and capillary tube formation during physiological and pathological processes. Therefore, the effects of AuNPs on the morphology and functions of pericytes need to be elucidated.

Sex differences in the effects of prenatal bisphenol A exposure on autism-related genes and their relationships with the hippocampus functions.

Our recent study has shown that prenatal exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) altered the expression of genes associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In this study, we further investigated the effects of prenatal BPA exposure on ASD-related genes known to regulate neuronal viability, neuritogenesis, and learning/memory, and assessed these functions in the offspring of exposed pregnant rats. We found that prenatal BPA exposure increased neurite length, the number of primary neurites, and the number of neurite branches, but reduced the size of the hippocampal cell body in both sexes of the offspring.

Prenatal exposure to bisphenol A alters the transcriptome-interactome profiles of genes associated with Alzheimer's disease in the offspring hippocampus.

Our recent study revealed that prenatal exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) disrupted the transcriptome profiles of genes in the offspring hippocampus. In addition to genes linked to autism, several genes associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) were found to be differentially expressed, although the association between BPA-responsive genes and AD-related genes has not been thoroughly investigated. Here, we demonstrated that in utero BPA exposure also disrupted the transcriptome profiles of genes associated with neuroinflammation and AD in the hippocampus.

Phenotypic subgrouping and multi-omics analyses reveal reduced diazepam-binding inhibitor (DBI) protein levels in autism spectrum disorder with severe language impairment.

Background: The mechanisms underlying autism spectrum disorder (ASD) remain unclear, and clinical biomarkers are not yet available for ASD. Differences in dysregulated proteins in ASD have shown little reproducibility, which is partly due to ASD heterogeneity. Recent studies have demonstrated that subgrouping ASD cases based on clinical phenotypes is useful for identifying candidate genes that are dysregulated in ASD subgroups.

Sex Differences in the Effects of Prenatal Bisphenol A Exposure on Genes Associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Hippocampus.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder inexplicably biased towards males. Although prenatal exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) has recently been associated with the ASD risk, whether BPA dysregulates ASD-related genes in the developing brain remains unclear. In this study, transcriptome profiling by RNA-seq analysis of hippocampi isolated from neonatal pups prenatally exposed to BPA was conducted and revealed a list of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with ASD.

Investigation of epigenetic regulatory networks associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by integrated global LINE-1 methylation and gene expression profiling analyses.

Background: The exact cause and mechanisms underlying the pathobiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) remain unclear. Dysregulation of long interspersed element-1 (LINE-1) has been reported in the brains of ASD-like mutant mice and ASD brain tissues. However, the role and methylation of LINE-1 in individuals with ASD remain unclear.

Integrated genome-wide Alu methylation and transcriptome profiling analyses reveal novel epigenetic regulatory networks associated with autism spectrum disorder.

Background: Alu elements are a group of repetitive elements that can influence gene expression through CpG residues and transcription factor binding. Altered gene expression and methylation profiles have been reported in various tissues and cell lines from individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the role of Alu elements in ASD remains unclear.

Polygonumins A, a newly isolated compound from the stem of Polygonum minus Huds with potential medicinal activities.

Polygonumins A, a new compound, was isolated from the stem of Polygonum minus. Based on NMR results, the compound's structure is identical to that of vanicoside A, comprising four phenylpropanoid ester units and a sucrose unit. The structure differences were located at C-3″″'.

Characteristics of pericytes in diethylstilbestrol (DES)-induced pituitary prolactinoma in rats.

Prolactinomas are the most common tumor of the human pituitary. They result in excessive prolactin secretion and important changes in the vasculature. Pericytes are perivascular cells associated with capillaries and have crucial roles in physiological and pathological neovascularization.

Are endocrine disrupting compounds environmental risk factors for autism spectrum disorder?

Recent research on the etiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has shifted in part from a singular focus on genetic causes to the involvement of environmental factors and their gene interactions. This shift in focus is a result of the rapidly increasing prevalence of ASD coupled with the incomplete penetrance of this disorder in monozygotic twins. One such area of environmentally focused research is the association of exposures to endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) with elevated risk for ASD.

miR-570 interacts with mitochondrial ATPase subunit g (ATP5L) encoding mRNA in stored platelets.

Loss of platelet quality during ex vivo storage is a major concern in the transfusion medicine field and it has been known that platelet mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with storage time. In the last decade, small noncoding RNAs also known as microRNAs (miRNAs) have been reported to regulate key cellular processes through their target sequence interactions with selected mRNAs. In this study, we focused on understanding the mechanisms of platelet mitochondrial dysfunction during storage through miRNA regulation of mRNAs.

Platelet MicroRNAs: An Overview.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short ~22-nucleotide noncoding RNA that have been found to influence the expression of many genes and cellular processes by either repressing translation or degrading messenger RNA transcripts. Platelet miRNA expression has been shown to be perturbed during ex vivo storage of platelets and in platelet-associated disorders. Although bioinformatics-based miRNA target predictions have been established, direct experimental validation of the role of miRNAs in platelet biology has been rather slow.

Small ncRNA Expression-Profiling of Blood from Hemophilia A Patients Identifies miR-1246 as a Potential Regulator of Factor 8 Gene.

Hemophilia A (HA) is a bleeding disorder caused by deficiency of functional plasma clotting factor VIII (FVIII). Genetic mutations in the gene encoding FVIII (F8) have been extensively studied. Over a thousand different mutations have been reported in the F8 gene.

Evaluation of small noncoding RNAs in ex vivo stored human mature red blood cells: changes in noncoding RNA levels correlate with storage lesion events.

Background: While biomarkers of storage lesions (SLs) for red blood cells (RBCs) abound, the physiologic consequences of SLs and associated important events are poorly understood. Previously we have identified differentially expressed regulatory small noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) in stored RBCs, suggesting their role in the RBC SL process and their potential as quality biomarkers of stored RBCs.

Study Design And Methods: Comprehensive ncRNA expression analysis of RBCs stored for up to 56 days was performed on RNAs collected from enriched mature RBCs on Days 0, 7, 14, 28, 42, and 56.