scholarly journals Uterine Dysfunction in Diabetic Mice: The Role of Hydrogen Sulfide

Antioxidants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 917
Author(s):  
Emma Mitidieri ◽  
Domenico Vanacore ◽  
Carlotta Turnaturi ◽  
Raffaella Sorrentino ◽  
Roberta d’Emmanuele di Villa Bianca

It is well-known that the physiological uterine peristalsis, related to several phases of reproductive functions, plays a pivotal role in fertility and female reproductive health. Here, we have addressed the role of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) signaling in changes of uterine contractions driven by diabetes in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice, a murine model of type-1 diabetes mellitus. The isolated uterus of NOD mice showed a significant reduction in spontaneous motility coupled to a generalized hypo-contractility to uterotonic agents. The levels of cyclic nucleotides, cAMP and cGMP, notoriously involved in the regulation of uterus homeostasis, were significantly elevated in NOD mouse uteri. This increase was well-correlated with the higher levels of H2S, a non-specific endogenous inhibitor of phosphodiesterases. The exposure of isolated uterus to L-cysteine (L-Cys), but not to sodium hydrogen sulfide, the exogenous source of H2S, showed a weak tocolytic effect in the uterus of NOD mice. Western blot analysis revealed a reorganization of the enzymatic expression with an upregulation of 3-mercaptopyruvate-sulfurtransferase (3-MST) coupled to a reduction in both cystathionine-β-synthase (CBS) and cystathionine-γ-lyase (CSE) expression. In conclusion, the increased levels of cyclic nucleotides dysregulate the uterus peristalsis and contractility in diabetic mice through an increase in basal H2S synthesis suggesting a role of 3-MST.

Author(s):  
Tiantian Yue ◽  
Fei Sun ◽  
Faxi Wang ◽  
Chunliang Yang ◽  
Jiahui Luo ◽  
...  

AbstractThe methyl-CpG-binding domain 2 (MBD2) interprets DNA methylome-encoded information through binding to the methylated CpG DNA, by which it regulates target gene expression at the transcriptional level. Although derailed DNA methylation has long been recognized to trigger or promote autoimmune responses in type 1 diabetes (T1D), the exact role of MBD2 in T1D pathogenesis, however, remains poorly defined. Herein, we generated an Mbd2 knockout model in the NOD background and found that Mbd2 deficiency exacerbated the development of spontaneous T1D in NOD mice. Adoptive transfer of Mbd2−/− CD4 T cells into NOD.scid mice further confirmed the observation. Mechanistically, Th1 stimulation rendered the Stat1 promoter to undergo a DNA methylation turnover featured by the changes of DNA methylation levels or patterns along with the induction of MBD2 expression, which then bound to the methylated CpG DNA within the Stat1 promoter, by which MBD2 maintains the homeostasis of Th1 program to prevent autoimmunity. As a result, ectopic MBD2 expression alleviated CD4 T cell diabetogenicity following their adoptive transfer into NOD.scid mice. Collectively, our data suggest that MBD2 could be a viable target to develop epigenetic-based therapeutics against T1D in clinical settings.


Life Sciences ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 119551
Author(s):  
Yi Wang ◽  
Shengwen Wang ◽  
Yu Xin ◽  
Jinyue Zhang ◽  
Shaofan Wang ◽  
...  

2015 ◽  
Vol 117 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Tan ◽  
Chi Zhang ◽  
Xiaoqing Yan ◽  
Zhifeng Huang ◽  
Junlian Gu ◽  
...  

The role of FGF21 plays in the development and progression of diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) has not been addressed. Here we demonstrated that type 1 diabetes decreased FGF21 levels in the blood, but up-regulated cardiac fgf21 expression about 40 fold at 2 months and 3-1.5 fold at 4 and 6 months after diabetes, which indicated a cardiac specific FGF21 adaptive up-regulation. To define the critical role of FGF21 in DCM, type 1 diabetes was induced in FGF21 knock out (FGF21KO) mice. At 1, 2 and 4 months after diabetes onset, no significant differences between FGF21KO and wild type (WT) diabetic mice in blood glucose and triglyceride levels were observed. But FGF21KO diabetic mice showed earlier and more severe cardiac dysfunction, remodeling and oxidative stress, as well as greater increase in cardiac lipid accumulation than WT diabetic mice. Mechanistically, FGF21 reduced palmitate-induced cardiac cell death, which was accompanied by up-regulation of cardiac Erk1/2, p38 MAPK and AMPK phosphorylation. Inhibition of each kinase with its inhibitor and/ or siRNA revealed that FGF21 prevents palmitate-induced cardiac cell death via up-regulating the Erk1/2-dependent p38 MAPK/AMPK signaling pathway. In vivo administration of FGF21, but not FGF21 plus ERK1/2 inhibitor, to diabetic mice significantly prevented cardiac cell death and reduced inactivation of Erk1/2, p38 MAPK and AMPK, and prevented cardiac remodeling and dysfunction at late-stage. Our results demonstrate that cardiac FGF21 decompensation may contribute to the development of DCM and FGF21 may be a therapeutic target for the treatment of diabetic cardiac damage via activation of Erk1/2-P38 MAPK-AMPK signaling.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manal Alkan ◽  
François Machavoine ◽  
Rachel Rignault ◽  
Julie Dam ◽  
Michel Dy ◽  
...  

Recent evidence has highlighted the role of histamine in inflammation. Since this monoamine has also been strongly implicated in the pathogenesis of type-1 diabetes, we assessed its effect in the nonobese diabetic (NOD) mouse model. To this end, we used mice (inactivated) knocked out for the gene encoding histidine decarboxylase, the unique histamine-forming enzyme, backcrossed on a NOD genetic background. We found that the lack of endogenous histamine in NOD HDC−/−mice decreased the incidence of diabetes in relation to their wild-type counterpart. Whereas the proportion of regulatory T and myeloid-derived suppressive cells was similar in both strains, histamine deficiency was associated with increased levels of immature macrophages, as compared with wild-type NOD mice. Concerning the cytokine pattern, we found a decrease in circulating IL-12 and IFN-γin HDC−/−mice, while IL-6 or leptin remained unchanged, suggesting that histamine primarily modulates the inflammatory environment. Paradoxically, exogenous histamine given to NOD HDC−/−mice provided also protection against T1D. Our study supports the notion that histamine is involved in the pathogenesis of diabetes, thus providing additional evidence for its role in the regulation of the immune response.


2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonia Nasi ◽  
Driss Ehirchiou ◽  
Athanasia Chatzianastasiou ◽  
Noriyuki Nagahara ◽  
Andreas Papapetropoulos ◽  
...  

Redox Biology ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 609-617 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuguang Zhao ◽  
Wenjing Song ◽  
Zhenyu Wang ◽  
Zongqiang Wang ◽  
Xing Jin ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mei-Ling Yang ◽  
Fernanda M. C. Sodré ◽  
Mark J. Mamula ◽  
Lut Overbergh

The generation of post-translational modifications (PTMs) in human proteins is a physiological process leading to structural and immunologic variety in proteins, with potentially altered biological functions. PTMs often arise through normal responses to cellular stress, including general oxidative changes in the tissue microenvironment and intracellular stress to the endoplasmic reticulum or immune-mediated inflammatory stresses. Many studies have now illustrated the presence of ‘neoepitopes’ consisting of PTM self-proteins that induce robust autoimmune responses. These pathways of inflammatory neoepitope generation are commonly observed in many autoimmune diseases including systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and type 1 diabetes (T1D), among others. This review will focus on one specific PTM to self-proteins known as citrullination. Citrullination is mediated by calcium-dependent peptidylarginine deiminase (PAD) enzymes, which catalyze deimination, the conversion of arginine into the non-classical amino acid citrulline. PADs and citrullinated peptides have been associated with different autoimmune diseases, notably with a prominent role in the diagnosis and pathology of rheumatoid arthritis. More recently, an important role for PADs and citrullinated self-proteins has emerged in T1D. In this review we will provide a comprehensive overview on the pathogenic role for PADs and citrullination in inflammation and autoimmunity, with specific focus on evidence for their role in T1D. The general role of PADs in epigenetic and transcriptional processes, as well as their crucial role in histone citrullination, neutrophil biology and neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation will be discussed. The latter is important in view of increasing evidence for a role of neutrophils and NETosis in the pathogenesis of T1D. Further, we will discuss the underlying processes leading to citrullination, the genetic susceptibility factors for increased recognition of citrullinated epitopes by T1D HLA-susceptibility types and provide an overview of reported autoreactive responses against citrullinated epitopes, both of T cells and autoantibodies in T1D patients. Finally, we will discuss recent observations obtained in NOD mice, pointing to prevention of diabetes development through PAD inhibition, and the potential role of PAD inhibitors as novel therapeutic strategy in autoimmunity and in T1D in particular.


Biomolecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 1692
Author(s):  
Theodora Panagaki ◽  
Elisa B. Randi ◽  
Csaba Szabo

It is estimated that over 1.5 billion people suffer from various forms of chronic liver disease worldwide. The emerging prevalence of metabolic syndromes and alcohol misuse, along with the lack of disease-modifying agents for the therapy of many severe liver conditions predicts that chronic liver disease will continue to be a major problem in the future. Better understanding of the underlying pathogenetic mechanisms and identification of potential therapeutic targets remains a priority. Herein, we explored the potential role of the 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase/hydrogen sulfide (H2S) system in the regulation of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and of its downstream processes in the immortalized hepatic cell line HepG2 in vitro. ER stress suppressed endogenous H2S levels and pharmacological supplementation of H2S with sodium hydrogen sulfide (NaHS) mitigated many aspects of ER stress, culminating in improved cellular bioenergetics and prevention of autophagic arrest, thereby switching cells’ fate towards survival. Genetic silencing of 3-MST or pharmacological inhibition of the key enzymes involved in hepatocyte H2S biosynthesis exacerbated many readouts related to ER-stress or its downstream functional responses. Our findings implicate the 3-MST/H2S system in the intracellular network that governs proteostasis and ER-stress adaptability in hepatocytes and reinforce the therapeutic potential of pharmacological H2S supplementation.


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