Inhibitory Impact of Prenatal Exposure to Nano-Polystyrene Particles on the MAP2K6/p38 MAPK Axis Inducing Embryonic Developmental Abnormalities in Mice.

Nanoplastics, created by the fragmentation of larger plastic debris, are a serious pollutant posing substantial environmental and health risks. Here, we developed a polystyrene nanoparticle (PS-NP) exposure model during mice pregnancy to explore their effects on embryonic development. We found that exposure to 30 nm PS-NPs during pregnancy resulted in reduced mice placental weight and abnormal embryonic development.

Cholesterol mediates the effects of single and multiple environmental phenols in urine on obesity.

Background: Overweight and obesity are among the leading chronic diseases worldwide. Environmental phenols have been renowned as endocrine disruptors that contribute to weight changes; however, the effects of exposure to mixed phenols on obesity are not well established.

Methods: Using data from adults in National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, this study examined the individual and combined effects of four phenols on obesity.

SLC7A11 inhibits ferroptosis and downregulates PD-L1 levels in lung adenocarcinoma.

Introduction: Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is a prevalent form of lung cancer originating from lung glandular cells with low survival rates despite recent therapeutic advances due to its diverse and complex nature. Recent evidence suggests a link between ferroptosis and the effectiveness of anti-PD-L1 therapy, with potential synergistic effects.

Methods: Our study comprehensively analyzed the expression patterns of ferroptosis regulators in LUAD and their association with prognosis and PD-L1 expression.

Activation of LXRα attenuates 2-Ethylhexyl diphenyl phosphate (EHDPP) induced placental dysfunction.

2-Ethylhexyl diphenyl phosphate (EHDPP) is one of the typical organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) and has been widely detected in environmental media. Exposure to EHDPP during pregnancy affects placental development and fetal growth. Liver X receptor α (LXRα) is essential to placental development.

PPARγ Regulates Triclosan Induced Placental Dysfunction.

Exposure to the antibacterial agent triclosan (TCS) is associated with abnormal placenta growth and fetal development during pregnancy. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) is crucial in placenta development. However, the mechanism of PPARγ in placenta injury induced by TCS remains unknown.

The role of epithelial progesterone receptor isoforms in embryo implantation.

The loss of uterine epithelial progesterone receptor (PGR) is crucial for successful embryo implantation in both humans and mice. The two major isoforms PGRA and PGRB have divergent functions under both physiological and pathological conditions. The present study compares phenotypes and gene signatures of PGRA and PGRB in uterine epithelium using uterine epithelial-specific constitutively expressed PGRA or PGRB mouse models.

LncRNA MEG3 alleviates PFOS induced placental cell growth inhibition through its derived miR-770 targeting PTX3.

Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) is a persistent environmental pollutant. Exposure to PFOS has been associated with abnormal fetal development. The long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) has been showed to play a role in fetal growth restriction (FGR), preeclampsia (PE) and other pregnancy complications.

Effects of 2,2',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether on the development of mouse embryonic stem cells.

2,2',4,4'-Tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE47) poses potential risks to reproduction and development, but the mechanism of its toxicity has not yet been elucidated. To explore the developmental toxicity of BDE47, mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs), which are ideal models for testing the developmental toxicity of environmental contaminants in vitro, were exposed to BDE47 (0.04 μM, 1 μM, 25 μM, or 100 μM) for 24 h or 48 h in this study.

PFOS Inhibited Normal Functional Development of Placenta Cells via Signaling.

Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), a persistent environmental pollutant, has adverse effects on gestation pregnancy. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ () is involved in angiogenesis, metabolic processes, anti-inflammatory, and reproductive development. However, the function of in PFOS evoked disadvantageous effects on the placenta remain uncertain.

Enhancer RNA lnc-CES1-1 inhibits decidual cell migration by interacting with RNA-binding protein FUS and activating PPARγ in URPL.

Unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss (URPL) is a significant reproductive health issue, affecting approximately 5% of pregnancies. Enhancer RNAs (eRNAs) have been reported to play important roles during embryo development and may be related to URPL. To investigate whether and how eRNAs are involved in URPL, we performed RNA sequencing in decidual tissue.

Association between selected urinary heavy metals and asthma in adults: a retrospective cross-sectional study of the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Heavy metal in the physical environment may alter immune function and predispose to develop asthma in human. Our study was aimed to investigate associations between urinary heavy metals and asthma in adults. A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted with 3425 subjects aged 20 years and older in the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2014.

Hypomethylation of PRDM1 is associated with recurrent pregnancy loss.

Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) rates have continued to rise during the last few decades, yet the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. An emerging area of interest is the mediation of gene expression by DNA methylation during early pregnancy. Here, genome-wide DNA methylation from placental villi was profiled in both RPL patients and controls.

Prenatal low-dose DEHP exposure induces metabolic adaptation and obesity: Role of hepatic thiamine metabolism.

Di-(2-ethylhexyl)-phthalate (DEHP) is a ubiquitous environmental pollutant and is widely used in industrial plastics. However, the long-term health implications of prenatal exposure to DEHP remains unclear. We set out to determine whether prenatal DEHP exposure can induce metabolic syndrome in offspring and investigate the underlying mechanisms.

Glycylglycine plays critical roles in the proliferation of spermatogonial stem cells.

Glial cell line‑derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) is critical for the proliferation of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs), but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this study, an unbiased metabolomic analysis was performed to examine the metabolic modifications in SSCs following GDNF deprivation, and 11 metabolites were observed to decrease while three increased. Of the 11 decreased metabolites identified, glycylglycine was observed to significantly rescue the proliferation of the impaired SSCs, while no such effect was observed by adding sorbitol.

lncRNA HIF1A Antisense RNA 2 Modulates Trophoblast Cell Invasion and Proliferation through Upregulating PHLDA1 Expression.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to be involved in various human diseases, and increasing studies have revealed that lncRNAs can play a vital role in preeclampsia (PE). In our study, lncRNA hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF1A) antisense RNA 2 (HIF1A-AS2) was found to be significantly downregulated in placenta tissues of PE patients by quantitative real-time PCR analysis. Moreover, Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assays showed that downregulation of HIF1A-AS2 can impede cell proliferation of HTR-8/SVneo and JAR trophoblasts cells.

Metabolomics reveals the role of acetyl-l-carnitine metabolism in γ-FeO NP-induced embryonic development toxicity via mitochondria damage.

Iron oxides nanoparticles (FeO NPs), including α-FeO, γ-FeO, and FeO, are employed in many technological applications. However, very few studies have investigated the embryonic developmental toxicity of FeO NPs. In this study, metabolomics analysis were used to uncover the potential mechanisms of FeO NPs developmental toxicity on embryo-larval zebrafish and mice.

Maternal pentachlorophenol exposure induces developmental toxicity mediated by autophagy on pregnancy mice.

Pentachlorophenol (PCP) is often used as chlorinated hydrocarbon herbicides and insecticides, which has been suggested that toxicity of carcinogenic effect, teratogenic effect and reproductive system. However, there was still precious known about the underlying molecular mechanism of PCP on mammalian early development. To explore the developmental toxicity of PCP and its potential mechanism, pregnancy ICR mice except controls were exposed to PCP (0.

The enhancer RNA lnc-SLC4A1-1 epigenetically regulates unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss (URPL) by activating CXCL8 and NF-kB pathway.

Background: Enhancer RNAs (eRNAs) are a group of lncRNAs transcribed from enhancers, whose regulatory effects on gene expression are an emerging area of interest. However, the role of eRNAs in regulating trophoblast cells and unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss (URPL) remains elusive.

Methods: We profiled eRNAs in villi from URPL patients and matched controls by RNA-seq.

Neonatal and juvenile exposure to perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS): Advance puberty onset and kisspeptin system disturbance in female rats.

Perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) are widespread and persistent chemicals in the environment, and limited data about their effects on puberty development are available. In order to explore the effects of neonatal and juvenile PFOA/PFOS exposure on puberty maturation, female rats were injected with PFOA or PFOS at 0.1, 1 and 10 mg/kg/day during postnatal day (PND) 1-5 or 26-30.

Integrated analysis of DNA methylome and transcriptome identified CREB5 as a novel risk gene contributing to recurrent pregnancy loss.

Background: Aberrant DNA methylation is considered to be a potential cause of recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL), while potential mechanism has not yet been elucidated.

Methods: In order to uncover the contribution of the perturbation of DNA methylation in RPL, we performed genome-wide DNA methylation analysis combined with genome-wide gene expression in decidua tissue.

Findings: Totally, 539 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were identified and significantly correlated with gene expressions.

A multi-method evaluation of the effects of Inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IFN-γ, TNF-α) on pancreatic β-cells.

We aimed to explore the effects of Inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IFN-γ, TNF-α) on pancreatic β-cells. CCK-8 assay showed that the cell viability decreased after 24 hr treatment of TNF-α, 48 hr of IFN-γ, and 84 hr of IL-1β. EdU assay illustrated that after 24 hr treatment, there were significantly reduced EdU-labeled red fluorescence cells in TNF-α group while not in IFN-γ and IL-1β groups.

Association between Serum Vitamin Levels and Depression in U.S. Adults 20 Years or Older Based on National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005⁻2006.

Depression is one of the leading causes of disability around the world. Although several studies have been conducted to analyze the association between vitamins and depression, the results have been inconsistent. Based on the database of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) (2005⁻2006), a cross-sectional analysis was conducted to uncover the correlations between serum vitamin concentrations and depression in 2791 participants over 20 years of age.

Mitochondrial DNA sequencing and large-scale genotyping identifies gene mutation m.11696G>A associated with idiopathic oligoasthenospermia.

Genetic variants of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) were implicated to be associated with male infertility. Our previous whole mitochondrial genome sequencing and association study has identified two susceptibility mtDNA variants for oligoasthenospermia in Han Chinese men. In this study, we tested promising associations in an extended validation using 670 idiopathic oligoasthenospermia cases and 793 healthy controls to identify additional risk variants.

Copy number gain of VCX, X-linked multi-copy gene, leads to cell proliferation and apoptosis during spermatogenesis.

Male factor infertility affects one-sixth of couples worldwide, and non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) is one of the most severe forms. In recent years there has been increasing evidence to implicate the participation of X chromosome in the process of spermatogenesis. To uncover the roles of X-linked multi-copy genes in spermatogenesis, we performed systematic analysis of X-linked gene copy number variations (CNVs) and Y chromosome haplogrouping in 447 idiopathic NOA patients and 485 healthy controls.

X chromosome-wide identification of SNVs in microRNA genes and non-obstructive azoospermia risk in Han Chinese population.

Human X chromosome has higher densities of microRNAs (miRNAs) compared to the average densities on autosomes. Given that numbers of X-linked miRNAs can escape from meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI) silencing, it is proposed that X-linked miRNAs may play critical roles in the process of spermatogenesis. To test the hypothesis, we performed DNA capture sequencing of human X-linked miRNAs, which was followed by a two-stage case-control study to identify the non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) related single nucleotide variants (SNVs) in 1107 NOA cases and 1191 fertile healthy controls.