Samul-tang (SM), a traditional herbal medicine, has been used to treat menstrual irregularities and infertility in women. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of SM ...remain elusive. We investigated the potential protective effect of SM against chronic ovarian dysfunction and used bioinformatics analysis to identify its underlying mechanism in a mouse model of cyclophosphamide (CP)-induced diminished ovarian reserve. Female C57BL/6 mice were intraperitoneally injected with CP three times a week, followed by oral administration of distilled water (CP group) or SM (CP + SM group) for 4 weeks. Four weeks later, the effect of SM was assessed by ovarian tissue histological analysis, steroid hormone measurement, oocyte quality, and mRNA and microRNA microarray analysis in the ovaries. Although SM administration did not prevent CP-induced follicle loss in mice, the quality of oocytes was better in CP + SM mice than in CP mice. Gene expression analysis revealed that the expression of fertilisation- and ovarian follicle development-related genes was altered by CP treatment but normalized after SM administration. Further bioinformatics analysis showed possible interactions between differentially expressed mRNAs and microRNAs. Therefore, we demonstrated the protective effects of SM on ovarian function and oocyte maturation against CP-induced damage via multiple epigenetic mechanisms.
Repeated and prolonged stress causes hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) dysregulation. Excessive hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity has been linked to inadequate activation of the ...hypothalamus-pituitary-ovarian axis, which controls the growth and development of ovarian follicles and oocytes. Therefore, we assessed the ovarian reserve under high-housing-density-induced prolonged stress, and investigated the mechanisms underlying diminished ovarian reserve in this study. Eight-week-old female C57BL/6 mice were housed for 10 weeks under different housing densities. We then assessed hormone levels, performed histology and immunohistochemistry analyses of ovarian follicles, evaluated ovarian mRNA expression, and measured angiotensin II-mediated apoptosis in vitro. More densely housed mice presented increased corticosterone levels and decreased follicle-stimulating and luteinizing hormone levels. Moreover, mice exposed to prolonged ordinary stress showed a reduced level of serum anti-Müllerian hormone and an increased number of atretic ovarian follicles. Stressed mice showed increased levels of angiotensinogen and angiotensin II in the ovaries and serum. Furthermore, our in vitro study confirmed that high-housing-density-related stress induced granulosa cell apoptosis, resulting in diminished ovarian reserves. Collectively, our findings highlight the importance of women managing everyday stress to maintain their reproductive health.
Advanced maternal age and ovarian aging are deleterious to the quantity and quality of oocytes and epigenetic modifications, which can affect the health of offspring. However, relatively little is ...known about the regulation of microRNA‐mediated transcription during ovarian aging. We therefore aimed to identify age‐related mRNA and microRNA changes and their interactions in the ovaries of aged mice. We performed QuantSeq 3′mRNA and small RNA sequencing to compare their expression patterns in post‐ovulation ovaries from young (12‐week‐old) and old (44‐week‐old) mice. Functional annotation and integrative analyses were performed to identify the potential functions of differentially expressed genes and identify binding sites for critical microRNAs. We found 343 differentially expressed genes and 9 microRNAs in our comparison of the two mouse groups, with fold changes >2.0 (P < 0.01). Furthermore, we identified possible direct interactions between 24 differentially expressed mRNAs and 8 microRNAs. The differentially expressed genes are involved in fat digestion and absorption, the PI3K‐Akt signaling pathway, serotonergic synapse, and ovarian steroidogenesis, which are important for folliculogenesis and oocyte growth. During ovarian aging, changes in gene expression induce alterations in folliculogenesis, oocyte growth, and steroidogenesis, resulting in decreased oocyte quality and reproductive outcomes.
During the secretory phase of the estrous cycle, endometrium senescence is accompanied by biological mechanisms such as metabolic dysfunction and epigenetic changes, leading to decreased embryo ...receptivity and implantation failure. Samul-tang has been reported to improve implantation potential in aged mice.
To uncover the age-related changes in the transcriptomes, we performed QuantSeq 3′mRNA sequencing to compare the mRNA expression patterns in the uteri between young and old mice. Young and old female BALB/c mice were administered distilled water or Samul-tang for 4 weeks, and the corresponding effects on the uteri of aged mice were investigated.
We found 586 differentially expressed genes between the young and old mouse groups. Functional annotation analysis revealed 10 important pathways, including arachidonic acid metabolism and glutathione metabolism, involved in uterine cellular proliferation and decidualization. Using in silico analysis, we identified the three most abundantly interacting microRNAs―miR-223–3p, 155–5p, and 129–5p―with differentially expressed genes associated with important biological pathways. Samul-tang administration restored the expression of miR-223–3p, which could interact with important genes such as histamine ammonia-lyase (Hal) and acid phosphatase 5 (Acp5) for embryo implantation.
Our study demonstrated that uterine aging changes the expression of genes involved in metabolic pathways that are crucial to uterine health, leading to cellular senescence. We postulate that the regulation of miR-223–3p via Samul-tang administration can be of therapeutic importance in cellular senescence.
Dried ginger (
(ZR)) is frequently used to prevent or treat common cold and flu. This study aimed to investigate the influence of ZR extracts on influenza-specific antibody production in ...cyclophosphamide (Cy)-induced immunocompromised mice. Female BALB/c mice were injected three times with saline or Cy. To investigate the effect of ZR, either distilled water or ZR was administered orally to mice daily for 10 days after Cy injection. After ZR administration, the mice were immunized with the 2017/2018 influenza vaccine. Pretreatment with ZR extracts enhanced influenza-specific antibody production in Cy-induced immunocompromised mice after flu vaccination and restored the influenza antigen-specific T helper (Th) type 1/Th2 balance to the normal state. Further, ZR suppressed the eosinophil enrichment caused by Cy injection in the spleen. We demonstrated that ZR can be used to increase antibody production in immunocompromised individuals before vaccination.
Most patients with cancer undergo multiple administrations of anticancer drugs during treatment, resulting in chronic impairment of their reproductive health. As improved treatment options increase ...cancer survival, it has become increasingly important to address fertility issues in cancer survivors. In this study, we examined the pathophysiological effects of multiple exposures to cyclophosphamide (Cy) on the ovaries of mice and their underlying molecular mechanism.
Female C57BL/6 mice were intraperitoneally injected with 100 mg/kg Cy six times over 2 weeks; 4 weeks later, the mice were sacrificed and their ovaries, sera, and oocytes were collected for histological observation, measurement of anti-Müllerian hormone levels, and assessment of oocyte quantity and quality in response to hormonal stimulation. Gene expression changes in Cy-treated ovaries were examined by microarray and bioinformatics analyses.
After repeated Cy exposure, the anti-Müllerian hormone level was decreased, and follicle loss and impairments in the quality of oocyte were irreversible. The expression levels of genes involved in folliculogenesis, oogenesis, and zona pellucida glycoprotein transcription displayed sustained alterations in Cy-exposed ovaries even after 4 weeks.
The adverse effects of Cy on ovarian function and oocytes remained even after chemotherapy was complete. Therefore, strategies to prevent ovarian damage or restore ovarian function after treatment are required to safeguard the fertility of young cancer survivors.
Strengthening of immunodominance hierarchy of influenza subtype-specific neutralizing antibody response by annual polyvalent vaccinations could increase the variation of vaccine effectiveness by ...subtype. Therefore, we suggest the assessment of neutralizing antibody titer prior to seasonal vaccination and recommend the inoculation of only strains lower than protective levels.
Despite the advancements in vaccination research and practices, influenza viruses remain a global health concern. Inducing a robust immune response by vaccination is especially challenging in the ...elderly, the immunocompromised, and persons with chronic illnesses. Polysaccharides derived from food may act as a safe and readily accessible means to boost the immune system during vaccination. In this study, we investigated whether crude polysaccharides derived from carrot pomace (CPP) could stimulate innate immune cell function and promote influenza vaccine immunogenicity. In bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs), CPP increased the fraction of CD11c+MHCII+ cells and the expression of co-stimulatory molecules CD40 and CD80, indicative of enhanced maturation and activation. Functionally, CPP-treated BMDCs promoted inflammatory cytokine production in splenic lymphocytes. In a mouse model of immunosuppression induced by cyclophosphamide, animals given CPP before and after an influenza vaccine challenge showed increased frequencies of dendritic cells and natural killer cells in the spleen, in addition to the recovery of vaccine-specific antibody titers. Moreover, innate myeloid cells in CPP-fed mice showed evidence of phenotypic modification via markedly enhanced interleukin(IL)-12 and interferon(IFN)-γ production in response to lipopolysaccharide(LPS) stimulation ex vivo. Our findings suggest that the administration of carrot pomace polysaccharides can significantly enhance the efficacy of influenza vaccination.
Poor ovarian response (POR) is one reason for infertility. In vitro fertilization (IVF) is frequently used to help achieve pregnancy, and performing acupuncture before IVF may promote ovulation and ...reduce egg retrieval pain. The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture on clinical pregnancy rates (CPR) after IVF in women with POR.
Eight electronic databases were searched in January 2020, and reference lists of retrieved articles and previous review articles were hand-searched. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) using any type of acupuncture for women with POR undergoing IVF were considered. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias standards.
Three RCTs were included in this review. CPR and the number of retrieved oocytes were measured in two studies, while the values of anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) and antral follicle count (AFC) were only reported in one study. In two studies, CPR was higher in the intervention group than the control group 37.8 % vs 24.3 %. We did not conduct a meta-analysis, as there was a high level of heterogeneity in interventions among the included trials.
This study suggests that acupuncture may improve CPR, AMH, AFC and the number of retrieved oocytes in women with POR undergoing IVF. However it is difficult to conclude that acupuncture is more effective than conventional treatment. Additionally, more clinical trials are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture on CPR and other outcomes of POR.
PROSPERO CRD42018087813; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42018087813
Objective
The aim of this study is to summarize preclinical studies on herbal medicines used to treat cancer cachexia and its underlying mechanisms.
Methods
We searched four representing databases, ...including PubMed, EMBASE, the Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, and the Web of Science up to December 2016. Randomized animal studies were included if the effects of any herbal medicine were tested on cancer cachexia. The methodological quality was evaluated by the Collaborative Approach to Meta-Analysis and Review of Animal Data from Experimental Studies (CAMARADE) checklist.
Results
A total of fourteen herbal medicines and their compounds were identified, including Coptidis Rhizoma, berberine, Bing De Ling, curcumin, Qing-Shu-Yi-Qi-Tang,
Scutellaria baicalensis
, Hochuekkito, Rikkunshito, hesperidin, atractylodin, Sipjeondaebo-tang, Sosiho-tang, Anemarrhena Rhizoma, and Phellodendri Cortex. All the herbal medicines, except curcumin, have been shown to ameliorate the symptoms of cancer cachexia through anti-inflammation, regulation of the neuroendocrine pathway, and modulation of the ubiquitin proteasome system or protein synthesis.
Conclusions
This study showed that herbal medicines might be a useful approach for treating cancer cachexia. However, more detailed experimental studies on the molecular mechanisms and active compounds are needed.
PDF
