Project description:Testicular injury is often observed in drug development. Serum hormones are usually used as non-invasive biomarkers for testicular injury; however, their sensitivity is low. Therefore, it is difficult to monitor testicular injury in pre-clinical and clinical drug developments. In recent years, molecules in body fluid exosomes are attracting attention as disease biomarkers such as cancer. In this study, small RNAs in serum exosomes were analyzed for identifying non-invasive biomarkers of testicular injury in rats, which are mainly used in a pre-clinical drug development. Testicular injury models in rats were prepared by a single oral administration of 2000 mg/kg ethylene glycol monomethyl ether in which spermatocytes degeneration and sertoli cells vacuolation were observed, or 400 mg/kg carbendazim in which sertoli cells vacuolation and seminiferous tubules dilation were observed. Serum exosome small RNA-seq was performed in these models. The analysis identified 3 small RNAs that fluctuated in common between the models, and miR-423-5p and miR-128-3p were selected as candidate markers. For qPCR validation of the candidates, testicular injury models were further prepared by a single oral administration of 60 mg/kg 1,3-dinitrobenzene or 500 mg/kg nitrofurazone in which spermatocytes degeneration and sertoli cells vacuolation were observed. In qPCR analysis, the selected two miRNAs in exosomes were upregulated in the all models except for 1,3-dinitrobenzene model in which severe hemolysis was observed. On the other hand, the miRNAs in serum did not significantly change in the any models. In conclusion, we identified miR-423-5p and miR-128-3p in serum exosome as non-invasive biomarkers for testicular injury in rats.
Project description:Methoxyacetic acid (MAA) is the active metabolite of the widely used industrial chemical ethylene glycol monomethyl ether, an established testicular toxicant. MAA induces the degradation of testicular germ cells in association with changes in gene expression in both germ cells and Sertoli cells of the testis. This study investigates the impact of MAA on gene expression in testicular Leydig cells, which play a critical role in germ cell survival and male reproductive function. Cultured mouse TM3 Leydig cells were treated with MAA for 3, 8, and 24 h and global gene expression was monitored by microarray analysis. A total of 3,912 MAA-responsive genes were identified. Ingenuity Pathway analysis identified reproductive system disease, inflammatory disease and connective tissue disorder as the top biological functions affected by MAA. The MAA-responsive genes were classified into 1,366 early responders, 1,387 mid-responders, and 1,138 late responders, based on the time required for MAA to elicit a response. Analysis of enriched functional clusters for each subgroup identified 106 MAA early response genes involved in transcription regulation, including 32 genes associated with developmental processes and 60 DNA-binding proteins that responded to MAA rapidly but transiently, and which may contribute to the downstream effects of MAA seen for large numbers of mid and late response genes. Genes within the phosphatidylinositol/phospholipase C/calcium signaling pathway, whose activity is required for potentiation of nuclear receptor signaling by MAA, were also enriched in the set of early MAA response genes. These findings on the progressive changes in gene expression induced by MAA in Leydig cells may help elucidate the signaling pathways perturbed by this testicular toxicant and explain its mechanism of toxicity at the gene level.
Project description:Analysis of developmental toxicity of environmental toxin 2,2',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47) at the level of gene expression. Dams of Wistar rats were exposed to environmentaly relevant doses of BDE-47 at gestation and lactation. Gene expression in total brains and frontal lobes was analysed in offspring on postnatal day 10.
Project description:Cryopreservation consists of preserving living cells or tissues at <-100˚C and has many applications in, for instance, stem cell and organ banking. Cryoprotectant agents, like ethylene glycol, are required for successful cryopreservation but have toxic side effects due to largely unknown mechanisms. In this work, we studied the toxicity of ethylene glycol in Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVECs). Exposing cells to 60% ethylene glycol for two hours at 4˚C resulted in a slight decrease in cell growth, suggesting a modest toxicity of ethylene glycol and that HUVECs do not exhibit particular sensitivity to it. Gene expression analysis with whole genome micro-arrays revealed signatures indicative of a generalized stress response at 24 hours after stress and recovery at 72 hours, involving signaling pathways, glycoproteins, and genes involved in extracellular and transmembrane functions. These results reveal a new paradigm and signatures for future experiments in elucidating the toxicity effects of ethylene glycol in vascular endothelial cells.
Project description:Optimal androgen signaling is critical for testicular development and spermatogenesis. Methoxyacetic acid (MAA), the primary active metabolite of the industrial chemical ethylene glycol monomethyl ether, disrupts spermatogenesis and causes testicular atrophy. Transcriptional trans-activation studies have indicated that MAA can enhance androgen receptor activity, however, whether MAA actually impacts the expression of androgen-responsive genes in vivo, and which genes might be affected is not known. A mouse TM3 Leydig cell line that stably expresses androgen receptor (TM3-AR) was prepared and analyzed by transcriptional profiling to identify target gene interactions between MAA and testosterone on a global scale. MAA is shown to have widespread effects on androgen-responsive genes, affecting processes ranging from apoptosis to ion transport, cell adhesion, phosphorylation and transcription, with MAA able to enhance, as well as antagonize, androgenic responses. Moreover, testosterone is shown to exert both positive and negative effects on MAA gene responses. Motif analysis indicated that binding sites for FOX, HOX, LEF/TCF, STAT5 and MEF2 family transcription factors are among the most highly enriched in genes regulated by testosterone and MAA. Notably, 65 FOXO targets were repressed by testosterone or showed repression enhanced by MAA when combined with testosterone; these include 16 genes associated with developmental processes, six of which are Hox genes. These findings highlight the complex interactions between testosterone and MAA, and provide insight into the effects of MAA exposure on androgen-dependent processes in a Leydig cell model. TM3-AR cells (see below) were grown in DMEM-F12 medium containing 5% horse serum and 2.5% FBS. LNCaP cells were maintained in RPMI 1640 containing 10% FBS. RNA was isolated using TRIzol reagent using the manufacturer’s protocol.
Project description:Optimal androgen signaling is critical for testicular development and spermatogenesis. Methoxyacetic acid (MAA), the primary active metabolite of the industrial chemical ethylene glycol monomethyl ether, disrupts spermatogenesis and causes testicular atrophy. Transcriptional trans-activation studies have indicated that MAA can enhance androgen receptor activity, however, whether MAA actually impacts the expression of androgen-responsive genes in vivo, and which genes might be affected is not known. A mouse TM3 Leydig cell line that stably expresses androgen receptor (TM3-AR) was prepared and analyzed by transcriptional profiling to identify target gene interactions between MAA and testosterone on a global scale. MAA is shown to have widespread effects on androgen-responsive genes, affecting processes ranging from apoptosis to ion transport, cell adhesion, phosphorylation and transcription, with MAA able to enhance, as well as antagonize, androgenic responses. Moreover, testosterone is shown to exert both positive and negative effects on MAA gene responses. Motif analysis indicated that binding sites for FOX, HOX, LEF/TCF, STAT5 and MEF2 family transcription factors are among the most highly enriched in genes regulated by testosterone and MAA. Notably, 65 FOXO targets were repressed by testosterone or showed repression enhanced by MAA when combined with testosterone; these include 16 genes associated with developmental processes, six of which are Hox genes. These findings highlight the complex interactions between testosterone and MAA, and provide insight into the effects of MAA exposure on androgen-dependent processes in a Leydig cell model.
Project description:Methoxyacetic acid (MAA) is the active metabolite of the widely used industrial chemical ethylene glycol monomethyl ether, an established testicular toxicant. MAA induces the degradation of testicular germ cells in association with changes in gene expression in both germ cells and Sertoli cells of the testis. This study investigates the impact of MAA on gene expression in testicular Leydig cells, which play a critical role in germ cell survival and male reproductive function. Cultured mouse TM3 Leydig cells were treated with MAA for 3, 8, and 24 h and global gene expression was monitored by microarray analysis. A total of 3,912 MAA-responsive genes were identified. Ingenuity Pathway analysis identified reproductive system disease, inflammatory disease and connective tissue disorder as the top biological functions affected by MAA. The MAA-responsive genes were classified into 1,366 early responders, 1,387 mid-responders, and 1,138 late responders, based on the time required for MAA to elicit a response. Analysis of enriched functional clusters for each subgroup identified 106 MAA early response genes involved in transcription regulation, including 32 genes associated with developmental processes and 60 DNA-binding proteins that responded to MAA rapidly but transiently, and which may contribute to the downstream effects of MAA seen for large numbers of mid and late response genes. Genes within the phosphatidylinositol/phospholipase C/calcium signaling pathway, whose activity is required for potentiation of nuclear receptor signaling by MAA, were also enriched in the set of early MAA response genes. These findings on the progressive changes in gene expression induced by MAA in Leydig cells may help elucidate the signaling pathways perturbed by this testicular toxicant and explain its mechanism of toxicity at the gene level. Mouse TM3 Leydig cells (American Type Culture Collection, Manassas, VA) were grown in DMEM-F12 medium containing 5% horse serum and 2.5% FBS. Cells were grown to ~60% confluence and treated with culture medium alone, or with culture medium containing 1 mM or 5 mM MAA for either 3, 8 or 24 h. Total RNA was then isolated using TRIzol reagent, followed by incubation with RQ1 RNAse-free DNAse for 1 h at 37°C and then heating at 75°C for 5 min using the manufacturerâs protocol. A total of 6 cultures of TM3 cells were independently treated with MAA under each of the 6 treatment conditions specified above (i.e., 1 mM or 5 mM MAA for either 3, 8 or 24 h), and the corresponding 6 sets of RNA samples were validated by RNA integrity analysis (Agilent Bioanalyzer). Each RNA sample was also validated by qPCR analysis using SYBR Green I-based chemistry and primers specific for 3 genes known to respond to MAA (Cyp17a1, Shbg, and Igfbp3) to verify consistency of the MAA responses. The 6 RNA samples were then used to prepare two independent pools (n=3 RNA samples each) for microarray analysis with dye swaps. Sample labeling, hybridization to microarrays, scanning and calculation of normalized expression ratios were carried out at the Wayne State University Institute of Environmental Health Sciences microarray facility using Alexa 555 and Alexa 647 aminoallyl-aRNA samples
Project description:Whereas the risk factors for structural valve deterioration (SVD) of glutaraldehyde (GA)- treated bioprosthetic heart valves (BHVs) are well-studied, those responsible for the failure of next-generation BHVs fixed with alternative chemicals remain largely unknown. Here, we collected 11 ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether (EGDE)-treated BHVs excised because of SVD and 5 calcified aortic valves (AVs) replaced with BHVs due to the calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD), further deciphering their proteomic profile.
Project description:Testicular toxicity is one of the frequent adverse effects of cancer chemotherapy and the problem is that there is no effective biomarker. To find effective biomarkers, we focused on epigenetic mechanisms of male germline. Therefore, our study investigated the DNA methylation status of male germline under the testicular toxicity induced by doxorubicin(DXR), a widely used anticancer agent. We established mouse models of initial stage of testicular toxicity and testicular pre-toxicity by administrating 0.2 mg/kg and 0.02 mg/kg of DXR twice a week for 5 weeks. Western blotting analysis revealed the protein expression levels of DNA methyltransferases DNMT3a and DNMT3b were decreased in both the DXR administration groups. Consistently, comprehensive DNA methylation analysis of sperm DNA using MBD-seq revealed that the majority of methylation changes induced by DXR administration were hypomethylation. This study showed the possibility of early diagnosis of testicular toxicity by examining DNA methylation status of sperm.