Search

Background: Non‐obstructive azoospermia is the most severe form of male infertility. A testicular biopsy is required for the diagnosis of non‐obstructive azoospermia, and the causal factors for non‐obstructive azoospermia remain unknown. Objectives: To reduce the risk of multiple biopsies and identify factors that contribute to non‐obstructive azoospermia, we proposed an integrated approach for the preoperative diagnosis and clinical management of non‐obstructive azoospermia by applying the chromosome‐spreading technique and whole‐exome sequencing. Materials and Methods: Between July 2020 and December 2022, after ruling out definitive obstructive azoospermia and non‐obstructive azoospermia patients with testicular volume < 6 mL, 20 patients with non‐obstructive azoospermia who underwent preoperative testicular diagnostic biopsy using testicular sperm aspiration were subjected to retrospective analysis. Results: Microscopic examination identified four patients with sperm cells, and 16 without sperm cells. Routine pathological analysis classified one patient as normal spermatogenesis, three as hypospermatogenesis, five as maturation arrest, nine as Sertoli cell‐only, and two as unable to judge. With chromosome‐spreading technology using routine cell suspension samples for microscopic examination, 18 patient diagnoses were validated, and two patients without a definitive diagnosis were supplemented. Detection of the Y chromosome and a well‐organized whole‐exome sequencing analysis revealed potential genetic factors. Discussion and Conclusion: The full use of testicular biopsy is beneficial for the diagnosis of azoospermia, as it avoids the risk of multiple biopsies. Moreover, in combination with whole‐exome sequencing, clinicians can obtain more information regarding the pathogenesis of non‐obstructive azoospermia, which may guide treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Terpenoids emitted from plants are important for regulating plant‐insect interaction. However, it is still unclear how terpenoids affect the host defense system. There are few reports of terpenoids' involvement in the mechanisms that regulate woody plants' insect resistance. Results: The (E)‐β‐ocimene of terpenes was only found in RBO‐resist leaves, and its content was higher than that of other type terpenes. Further, we also found (E)‐β‐ocimene had a significant avoidance effect on RBO and reached 87.5% of the highest avoidance rate. Meanwhile, overexpression of HrTPS12 in Arabidopsis increased the HrTPS12 expression level, (E)‐β‐ocimene content, and enhanced the defense against RBO. However, silencing HrTPS12 in sea buckthorn revealed that the expression levels of HrTPS12 and (E)‐β‐ocimene significantly decreased, causing the attraction effect on RBO. Conclusion: HrTPS12 was an up‐regulator, which improves sea buckthorn resistance to RBO by regulating the synthesis of volatile (E)‐β‐ocimene. These results provide in‐depth information about the interaction between RBO and sea buckthorn and provide a theoretical basis for developing plant‐based insect repellents that can be used to manage RBO. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Asian longhorned beetle (ALB), Anoplophora glabripennis, is a serious wood borer of hardwood trees. Populus deltoides 'Shalinyang' (PdS) is attractive to ALB adults for oviposition but highly resistant to their offspring. Investigation of the chemicals regulating ALB oviposition is scarce in previous studies until now. To determine which chemicals emitted by PdS were attractive and induced oviposition behavior by ALB on non‐host poplar tree species, we first: collected and identified the bio‐active volatiles produced by PdS using coupled gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and coupled gas chromatography–electroantennographic detector (GC–EAD); then evaluated which chemicals were attractive in a Y‐tube olfactometer bioassay; and finally screened key compounds affecting ALB oviposition using a 'chemical‐stimulated oviposition on non‐host tree' bioassay. Results: (E)‐2‐Hexenal, hexyl acetate, (Z)‐3‐hexenol acetate, 1‐hexanol, (Z)‐3‐hexenol, β‐caryophyllene, and salicylaldehyde emitted from PdS were attractive to ALB. When (E)‐2‐hexenal, 1‐hexanol, (Z)‐3‐hexenol acetate, and (Z)‐3‐hexenol were applied to the non‐host tree Populus tomentosa, oviposition by ALB females was significantly increased. Furthermore, the mean number of oviposition pits increased as the (Z)‐3‐hexenol concentrations increased. Further tests on synergy between pairs of chemicals showed that (Z)‐3‐hexenol stimulated production of the most oviposition pits, but that the percentage of effective oviposition pits (those containing an egg and larva and not empty) decreased. Conclusion: (Z)‐3‐Hexenol is the main chemical component inducing ALB oviposition. These results increase understanding about the oviposition behavior of ALB and could help improve management strategies that regulate ALB behavior by planting mixed‐species forests resistant to ALB. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Problem: The phenotypes and functions of B and CD4+ T‐helper cell subsets during chronic inflammation of the endometria remain largely unexplored. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics and functions of follicular helper T (Tfh) cells to understand the pathological mechanisms of chronic endometritis (CE). Method of study: Eighty patients who underwent hysteroscopic and histopathological examinations for CE were divided into three groups—those with positive results for hysteroscopy and CD138 staining (DP), negative results for hysteroscopy but positive CD138 staining (SP), and negative results for hysteroscopy and CD138 staining (DN). The phenotypes of B cells and CD4+ T‐cell subsets were analyzed using flow cytometry. Results: CD38+ and CD138+ cells were mainly expressed in the non‐leukocyte population of the endometria, and the endometrial CD19+CD138+ B cells were fewer than the CD3+CD138+ T cells. The percentage of Tfh cells increased with chronic inflammation in the endometria. Additionally, the elevated percentage of Tfh cells correlated with the number of miscarriages. Conclusions: CD4+ T cells, particularly Tfh cells, may be critical in chronic endometrial inflammation and affect its microenvironment, thereby regulating endometrial receptivity, compared to B cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human expanded potential stem cells (hEPSC) have been derived from human embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells. Here direct derivation of hEPSC from human pre‐implantation embryos is reported. Like the reported hEPSC, the embryo‐derived hEPSC (hEPSC‐em) exhibit a transcriptome similar to morula, comparable differentiation potency, and high genome editing efficiency. Interestingly, the hEPSC‐em show a unique H3 lysine‐4 trimethylation (H3K4me3) open chromatin conformation; they possess a higher proportion of H3K4me3 bound broad domain (>5 kb) than the reported hEPSC, naive, and primed embryonic stem cells. The open conformation is associated with enhanced trophoblast differentiation potency with increased trophoblast gene expression upon induction of differentiation and success in derivation of trophoblast stem cells with bona fide characteristics. Hippo signaling is specifically enriched in the H3K4me3 broad domains of the hEPSC‐. Knockout of the Hippo signaling gene, YAP1 abolishes the ability of the embryo‐derived EPSC to form trophoblast stem cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Implantation is a limiting factor for treatment success in assisted reproduction. Both embryonic and endometrial factors contribute to implantation. Embryonic factors have often been ignored in previous studies about the role of endometrium in implantation. In this study, we sought to identify the endometrial genes associated with negative pregnancy outcomes following the transfer of a single euploid blastocyst. Methods: Computational analyses of the transcriptomes of mid‐secretory endometria from nine pregnant and seven non‐pregnant patients in a cycle preceding the transfer of a single euploid blastocyst in a vitrified‐warmed cycle were performed. Results: Principal component analysis of two reported endometrial receptivity gene sets showed close clustering of the pregnant and non‐pregnant samples. Differential gene expression analysis and co‐expression module analysis identified 131 genes associated with the pregnancy status. The endometrial signatures identified highlight the importance of immune and metabolic regulation in pregnancy outcome. Network analysis identified 20 hub genes that could predict pregnancy outcomes with 88.9% sensitivity and 85.7% specificity. Single‐cell gene expression analysis highlighted the regulation of endometrial natural killer (NK) cells, T cells, and macrophages during embryo implantation. Immune cell abundance analysis supported the dysregulation of cytotoxic immune cells in the endometria of non‐pregnant women. Conclusions: We reported the first endometrial gene signature associated with pregnancy after elimination of embryo aneuploidy and highlighted the importance of the endometrial immune microenvironment and metabolic status in pregnancy outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leptin receptor (LepR)‐positive cells are key components of the bone marrow hematopoietic microenvironment, and highly enrich skeletal stem and progenitor cells that maintain homeostasis of the adult skeleton. However, the heterogeneity and lineage hierarchy within this population has been elusive. Using genetic lineage tracing and single‐cell RNA sequencing, we found that Lepr‐Cre labels most bone marrow stromal cells and osteogenic lineage cells in adult long bones. Integrated analysis of Lepr‐Cre‐traced cells under homeostatic and stress conditions revealed dynamic changes of the adipogenic, osteogenic, and periosteal lineages. Importantly, we discovered a Notch3+ bone marrow sub‐population that is slow‐cycling and closely associated with the vasculatures, as well as key transcriptional networks promoting osteo‐chondrogenic differentiation. We also identified a Sca‐1+ periosteal sub‐population with high clonogenic activity but limited osteo‐chondrogenic potential. Together, we mapped the transcriptomic landscape of adult LepR+ stem and progenitor cells and uncovered cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying their maintenance and lineage specification. SYNOPSIS: Leptin receptor (LepR) marks skeletal cells critical for the maintenance and regeneration of the bone. This expression profiling study dissects the heterogeneity of Lepr‐positive skeletal cell populations, suggesting coexisting stem and progenitor pools with context‐dependent function. Comparative analysis catalogs Prrx1‐Cre‐ and Lepr‐Cre‐traced cells in the adult mouse long bones under homeostatic and various stress conditions.Identification of a perivascular, quiescent Notch3+ bone marrow stromal cell subset.Hoxb2 and Npdc1 are osteo‐chondrogenic regulators promoting fracture repair in vivo.Identification of a Sca‐1+ periosteal cell population with increased adipogenic potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), a histological subclass of non‐small‐cell lung cancer, is globally the leading cause of cancer‐related deaths. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging as cancer regulators. Zinc finger protein multitype 2 antisense RNA 1 (ZFPM2‐AS1) is an oncogene in gastric cancer, but its functions have not been investigated in LUAD. We showed that ZFPM2‐AS1 expression is high in LUAD samples based on GEPIA database (http://gepia.cancer-pku.cn/) and validated ZFPM2‐AS1 upregulation in LUAD cell lines. Functionally, ZFPM2‐AS1 facilitated proliferation, invasion, and epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition of LUAD cells. Thereafter, we found that ZFPM2 was negatively regulated by ZFPM2‐AS1, and identified the suppressive effect of ZFPM2 regulation by ZFPM2‐AS1 on LUAD progression. Mechanistically, we showed that ZFPM2‐AS1 interacted with up‐frameshift 1 (UPF1) to regulate mRNA decay of ZFPM2. Rescue assays in vitro and in vivo confirmed that ZFPM2‐AS1 regulated LUAD progression and tumor growth through ZFPM2. Taken together, our findings demonstrate a role for the ZFPM2‐AS1–UPF1–ZFPM2 axis in LUAD progression, suggesting ZFPM2‐AS1 as a new potential target for LUAD treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are useful for modeling neuron development and related diseases. Cortical interneurons are essential players in neuropsychiatric diseases such as autism. miRNAs are a class of pivotal regulators in neural differentiation. Using a previously established model of cortical interneuron differentiation from human embryonic stem cells, we profiled miRNAs involved in differentiation from human iPSCs. A number of miRNAs were modulated in the differentiation process. This study captured the temporal in vitro neurogenesis from iPSCs to mature cortical interneurons. The specific miRNAs identified at each stage of differentiation are of potential use for drug discovery and prospective clinical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bone tissue engineering scaffolds for the reconstruction of large bone defects should simultaneously promote osteogenic differentiation and avoid postoperative infection. Herein, we develop, for the first time, Ag-loaded MgSrFe-layered double hydroxide/chitosan (Ag-MgSrFe/CS) composite scaffold. This scaffold exhibits three-dimensional interconnected macroporous structure with a pore size of 100-300 μm. The layered double hydroxide nanoplates in the Ag-MgSrFe/CS show lateral sizes of 200-400 nm and thicknesses of ∼50 nm, and the Ag nanoparticles with particle sizes of ∼20 nm are uniformly dispersed on the scaffold surfaces. Human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) present good adhesion, spreading, and proliferation on the Ag-MgSrFe/CS composite scaffold, suggesting that the Ag and Sr elements in the composite scaffold have no toxicity to hBMSCs. When compared with MgFe/CS composite scaffold, the Ag-MgSrFe/CS composite scaffold has better osteogenic property. The released Sr2+ ions from the composite scaffold enhance the alkaline phosphatase activity of hBMSCs, promote the extracellular matrix mineralization, and increase the expression levels of osteogenic-related RUNX2 and BMP-2. Moreover, the Ag-MgSrFe/CS composite scaffold possesses good antibacterial property because the Ag nanoparticles in the composite scaffold effectively prevent biofilm formation against S. aureus. Hence, the Ag-MgSrFe/CS composite scaffold with excellent osteoinductivity and antibacterial property has a great potential for bone tissue engineering. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 106B: 863-873, 2018. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]