Follicular Fluid-Derived Exosomal MicroRNA-18b-5p Regulates PTEN-Mediated PI3K/Akt/mTOR Signaling Pathway to Inhibit Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Development.
Small RNA sequences in follicular fluid (FF)-derived exosomes (extracellular vesicles contain proteins, DNA, and RNA) vitally function in the development of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). It has been identified that microRNA (miR)-18b-5p is one of miRs that differ between control and PCOS women that passed the false discovery rate, and phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) is an important modifier of biological functions of ovarian granulosa cells (GCs) in PCOS. However, whether miR-18b-5p could functionally mediate the progression of PCOS via PTEN was not clarified completely, which was the issue we wanted to solve in our research. FF-derived exosomes were isolated using an extraction kit. KGN cells were co-cultured with miR-18b-5p-modified exosomes or transfected with a PTEN-related vector. After treatment, cell proliferation and apoptosis were observed. A rat model of PCOS was established by letrozole and then injected with miR-18b-5p-modified exosomes. Then, serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone, and estradiol (E2) levels in PCOS rats were measured. miR-18b-5p, PTEN, and phosphatidylinositol 3 kinases/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/Akt/mTOR) pathway-related genes were tested. In PCOS patients, miR-18b-5p was downregulated, and PTEN was highly expressed in FF and GCs. PTEN knockdown increased KGN cell proliferation and limited apoptosis. FF-derived exosomes stimulated proliferation and suppressed apoptosis of KGN cells; decreased FSH, LH, and testosterone; and increased E2 in PCOS rats. Upregulating miR-18b-5p further enhanced the inhibitory effects of exosomes on suppressing the progression of PCOS. miR-18b-5p targeted PTEN and could activate PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway. miR-18b-5p produced by FF-derived exosomes reduces PTEN expression and promotes the activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway to improve PCOS. Based on that, circulating miR-18b-5p levels can contribute to the progression of PCOS complications.
Zhou Z
,Tu Z
,Zhang J
,Tan C
,Shen X
,Wan B
,Li Y
,Wang A
,Zhao L
,Hu J
,Ma N
,Zhou J
,Chen L
,Song Y
,Lu W
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Follicular fluid-derived exosomal miR-143-3p/miR-155-5p regulate follicular dysplasia by modulating glycolysis in granulosa cells in polycystic ovary syndrome.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is characterized by follicular dysplasia. An insufficient glycolysis-derived energy supply of granulosa cells (GCs) is an important cause of follicular dysplasia in PCOS. Follicular fluid (FF) exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) have been proven to regulate the function of GCs. In this study, exosomes extracted from clinical FF samples were used for transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis, and a human ovarian granulocyte tumour cell line (KGN cells) was used for in vitro mechanistic studies.
In FF exosomal RNA-seq analysis, a decrease in glycolysis-related pathways was identified as an important feature of the PCOS group, and the differentially expressed miR-143-3p and miR-155-5p may be regulatory factors of glycolysis. By determining the effects of miR-143-3p and miR-155-5p on hexokinase (HK) 2, pyruvate kinase muscle isozyme M2 (PKM2), lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA), pyruvate, lactate and apoptosis in KGN cells, we found that upregulated miR-143-3p expression in exosomes from the PCOS group inhibited glycolysis in KGN cells; knockdown of miR-143-3p significantly alleviated the decrease in glycolysis in KGN cells in PCOS. MiR-155-5p silencing attenuated glycolytic activation in KGN cells; overexpression of miR-155-5p significantly promoted glycolysis in KGN cells in PCOS. In this study, HK2 was found to be the mediator of miR-143-3p and miR-155-5p in FF-derived exosome-mediated regulation of glycolysis in KGN cells. Reduced glycolysis accelerated apoptosis of KGN cells, which mediated follicular dysplasia through ATP, lactate and apoptotic pathways.
In conclusion, these results indicate that miR-143-3p and miR-155-5p in FF-derived exosomes antagonistically regulate glycolytic-mediated follicular dysplasia of GCs in PCOS. Video Abstract.
Cao J
,Huo P
,Cui K
,Wei H
,Cao J
,Wang J
,Liu Q
,Lei X
,Zhang S
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《Cell Communication and Signaling》
Guizhi Fuling Wan reduces autophagy of granulosa cell in rats with polycystic ovary syndrome via restoring the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.
Guizhi Fuling Wan (GFW) is a traditional Chinese medicine used to remove blood stasis and dissipate phlegm for treating gynecological diseases that was invented by Zhang Zhongjing in the Eastern Han dynasty. In recent years, GFW has been widely used to treat patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Clinical and animal studies have shown that it is effective in the treatment of PCOS, but its mechanism is unknown. Generally, it works by regulating autophagy via the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.
This study investigated the effects and mechanism of GFW in PCOS rats with insulin resistance (IR) in order to provide better understanding of its observed clinical effects and a theoretical basis for the study of traditional Chinese medicine.
Eighty-four female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into seven groups (n = 12 per group): 1) control, 2) PCOS model, 3) low-dose GFW, 4) medium-dose GFW, 5) high-dose GFW, 6) metformin, and 7) medium-dose GFW plus LY294002. In all non-control groups, we induced PCOS through daily letrozole combined with intragastric high-fat emulsion for 21 days. After treatment, rats were sacrificed and serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone (T), progesterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), 17β-estradiol, fasting insulin (FINS), and fasting plasma glucose levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The LH/FSH ratios and HOMA-IR values were calculated. Ovarian morphology was observed by hematoxylin and eosin staining, and all follicles were counted under a microscope. MDC-positive vesicles were used as markers to detect autophagy, and the expression levels of p62, Beclin1, and LC3-II were examined by immunostaining. Western blotting was used to measure PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway activation, granulosa cell apoptosis, and autophagy.
Compared with the PCOS model group, GFW-treated rats had less atretic and cystic follicles, and more mature follicles and corpus lutea. The GFW-treated rats had lower serum T, LH, and FINS levels than the PCOS model group, as well as lower LH/FSH ratios and HOMA-IR values. GFW treatment resulted in significantly reduced levels of cleaved-Caspase-3, cleaved-Caspase-9, BAX, Beclin1, Atg5, and LC3-II. Phosphorylation of PI3K, AKT, and mTOR was significantly higher in GFW-treated rats compared with the PCOS model group. The phosphorylation of PI3K, AKT, and mTOR was decreased with the use of a PI3K antagonist.
Our results indicate that GFW inhibited granulosa cell autophagy and promoted follicular development to attenuate ovulation disorder in PCOS-IR rats. This was associated with activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.
Liu M
,Zhu H
,Zhu Y
,Hu X
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MiR-383-5p promotes apoptosis of ovarian granulosa cells by targeting CIRP through the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.
To detect miR-383-5p and cold-inducible RNA binding protein (CIRBP, CIRP) expression in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and explore the mechanism underlying their effect on apoptosis in ovarian granulosa cells (GCs).
GCs were extracted from follicular fluid from 101 patients. MiR-383-5p and CIRP expression were assessed by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction analysis. Correlation between them was assessed by Spearman correlation analysis. The potential of using miR-383-5p expression for discriminating PCOS and non-PCOS patients was predicted by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Proliferation and apoptosis of KGN cells transfected for miR-383-5p overexpression or knockdown was evaluated using cell counting kit-8 assay, flow cytometry, and western blot analysis. CIRP was identified as a direct target of miR-383-5p, and verified by dual-luciferase reporter assay.
The expression level of miR-383-5p was decreased and CIRP mRNA was increased in PCOS patients. The expression of miR-383-5p was correlated negatively with body-mass index, basal luteinizing hormone and testosterone levels, luteinizing hormone/follicle-stimulating hormone ratio, and the number of retrieved and metaphase II oocytes. MiR-383-5p had sufficient potential for prediction of PCOS. There was a negative correlation between the expression of miR-383-5p and CIRP. Overexpression of miR-383-5p enhanced the apoptosis of KGN cells. CIRP reversed the effect of miR-383-5p on promotion of apoptosis. MiR-383-5p mimics could suppress the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, which was activated by the CIRP overexpressing plasmid.
MiR-383-5p promoted apoptosis of ovarian GCs through the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway by targeting CIRP.
Li Y
,Wu X
,Miao S
,Cao Q
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