Project description:Interstitial cystitis (IC) and bladder pain syndrome are terms used to describe a heterogenous chronic pelvic and bladder pain disorder of unknown etiology. The goal of this pilot study was to determine if gene expression profiling of bladder biopsy tissue from patients experiencing symptoms could be used to separate the patients based on some clinical parameter. Gene expression profiles in bladder biopsy tissue from patients with: (1) low bladder capacity (defined here as <400 ml upon hydordistension), (2) normal capacity (M-bM-^IM-%400 ml), and (3) controls were compared. Gene expression profiles from low bladder capacity tissues differed significantly from normal capacity and control tissue, suggesting gene expression profiling may be a useful tool for better understanding IC disease pathophysiology.
Project description:We report the application of single cell RNA-seq for transcript profiling in bladder tissue from Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) with Hunner lesions and without Hunner lesions and normal tissue.
Project description:Interstitial cystitis (IC) and bladder pain syndrome are terms used to describe a heterogenous chronic pelvic and bladder pain disorder of unknown etiology. The goal of this pilot study was to determine if gene expression profiling of bladder biopsy tissue from patients experiencing symptoms could be used to separate the patients based on some clinical parameter.
Project description:Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) is a chronic and debilitating pain disorder of the bladder and urinary tract with poorly understood etiology. A definitive diagnosis of IC/BPS can be challenging because many symptoms of IC/BPS are shared with other urological disorders. An analysis of urine presents an attractive and non-invasive resource for monitoring and diagnosing IC/BPS. Here, a non-targeted LC-MS and LC-MS/MS-based peptidomics analysis of urine samples collected from IC/BPS patients were compared to urine samples from asymptomatic controls.
Project description:Recent evidence suggests that the descending modulatory pathways from the brainstem rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM) are important for bladder inflammatory pain. This study aimed to identify the long-term molecular changes in RVM neurons due to early life cystitis during neuronal development and the effect of reexposure later in adulthood. RVM tissues from two treatment protocols were used: (1) neonatal zymosan exposures with acute adult rechallenge (RC) and (2) only neonatal zymosan exposures (NRC). RNAseq analysis showed upregulation of several genes associated with synaptic plasticity (Grin1, Grip2, Notch1, Arc, and Scn2b) in the cystitis groups compared to controls in both protocols. The RC protocol exhibited a stronger treatment effect with significantly higher fold differences between the groups compared to the NRC protocol (p<0.001, fold differences RC vs NRC). In microarrays, miR-34a-5p showed cystitis-induced downregulation in both protocols. Bioinformatics analysis identified multiple 3’UTRs complementary binding sites for miR-34a-5p on Grin2b, Notch1, Grip2, Scn2b, and Arc genes. The enhanced response in the RC protocol indicates a possible priming effect of early life cystitis on rechallenge in adulthood. These long-term molecular alterations may play a critical role in the development of chronic bladder pain conditions as seen in patients with Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder pain syndrome
Project description:<p>Hunner-type interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (HIC) is a complex and clinically challenging chronic disorder characterized by bladder-centered symptoms, including persistent pelvic pain and urinary urgency frequency, with elusive pathogenesis involving poorly defined multi-system interactions and systemic implications. To investigate upstream drivers of urothelial injury, we employed an integrative multi-omics approach, incorporating metagenomic sequencing, targeted metabolomics of urine and serum, and single-cell RNA sequencing. Our analysis identified Enterococcus avium, Megasphaera micronuciformis, and Fusobacterium nucleatum as the significantly enriched species in HIC patients, with bile acid metabolism appearing as a prominently altered pathway. Metabolomic profiling revealed the elevated levels of taurochenodeoxycholic acid (TCDCA) and tauroursodeoxycholic acid, while single-cell transcriptomic data pointed to TLR3 signaling as a key mediator of urothelial injury. Cross-omics correlation proposed a mechanistic axis involving E. avium, TCDCA, and TLR3 activation. Functional validation using fecal microbiota transplantation, E. avium transplantation, and TCDCA administration demonstrated that this axis contributes to the urothelial barrier disruption and inflammatory responses via TLR3. Intervention with a TLR3 inhibitor demonstrated therapeutic potential. These findings shed light on the pathogenesis of HIC, highlighting the potential role of the gut-bladder axis in disease development. This may contribute not only to the discovery of novel biomarkers but also to the development of personalized treatment strategies targeting specific molecular and microbial pathways.</p>
Project description:<p>Hunner-type interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (HIC) is a complex and clinically challenging chronic disorder characterized by bladder-centered symptoms, including persistent pelvic pain and urinary urgency frequency, with elusive pathogenesis involving poorly defined multi-system interactions and systemic implications. To investigate upstream drivers of urothelial injury, we employed an integrative multi-omics approach, incorporating metagenomic sequencing, targeted metabolomics of urine and serum, and single-cell RNA sequencing. Our analysis identified <em>Enterococcus avium</em>, <em>Megasphaera micronuciformis</em>, and <em>Fusobacterium nucleatum</em> as the significantly enriched species in HIC patients, with bile acid metabolism appearing as a prominently altered pathway. Metabolomic profiling revealed the elevated levels of taurochenodeoxycholic acid (TCDCA) and tauroursodeoxycholic acid, while single-cell transcriptomic data pointed to TLR3 signaling as a key mediator of urothelial injury. Cross-omics correlation proposed a mechanistic axis involving <em>E. avium</em>, TCDCA, and TLR3 activation. Functional validation using fecal microbiota transplantation, <em>E. avium</em> transplantation, and TCDCA administration demonstrated that this axis contributes to the urothelial barrier disruption and inflammatory responses via TLR3. Intervention with a TLR3 inhibitor demonstrated therapeutic potential. These findings shed light on the pathogenesis of HIC, highlighting the potential role of the gut-bladder axis in disease development. This may contribute not only to the discovery of novel biomarkers but also to the development of personalized treatment strategies targeting specific molecular and microbial pathways.</p>
Project description:Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) is a chronic inflammatory condition with limited treatments. Although macrophages are implicated in its pathogenesis, the mechanisms driving their phenotypic switching remain unclear. This study identifies CCR1's role in IC/BPS and evaluates CCR1 inhibition as a therapeutic strategy. Integrated bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing reveal enrichment of pro-inflammatory CCR1⁺ macrophages in bladder tissue from patients with IC/BPS. In a lipopolysaccharide-induced rat model, pharmacological inhibition of CCR1 suppresses M1 polarization, promotes M2 polarization, and improves pain thresholds, urinary symptoms as well as bladder inflammation. Mechanistically, CCR1 knockdown enhances FOXO1 phosphorylation and degradation, reduces its nuclear translocation, and activates PPARγ signaling to promote M2 polarization. Analysis of clinical samples shows increased CCL7 levels in bladder tissue and urine, with urinary levels correlating with symptom severity. These findings identify CCR1 as a candidate target for further therapeutic evaluation in IC/BPS.