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Purpose: Although adenomyosis is a common and benign gynecological disease, the specific pathogenesis of this condition is yet to be fully elucidated. It is difficult to culture primary cells of the ectopic endometrial epithelia and stroma from human adenomyosis lesions. Most of the previous of studies on adenomyosis were based on primary eutopic endometrium cells. However, as yet, no efficient protocols have been developed for the isolation, culture or purification of primary ectopic epithelial and stromal cells from human adenomyosis lesions. Therefore, the present study aimed to develop an efficient protocol for the isolation and culture of primary ectopic epithelial and stromal cells from human adenomyosis lesions. Methods: In the present study, we aimed to obtain ectopic endometrium tissue from human adenomyosis foci and use a simple and operable type I collagenase digestion method for primary culture. Cells were isolated by sterile cell strainer filtration and flow cytometry was performed to identify, purify, and evaluate the viability of isolated ectopic endometrial cells. Results: Using our method, we successfully isolated and cultured highly purified and active ectopic endometrial epithelial and stromal cells from human adenomyosis foci. Ep-CAM was expressed in ectopic epithelial cells of human adenomyosis with a purity of 93.74% and a viability of 80.58%. In addition, CD10 were robustly expressed by ectopic stromal cells in human adenomyosis. Cellular purity and viability were determined to be 96.37 and 93.49%, respectively. Conclusion: Our method provides a new experimental model for studying the molecular pathogenesis of human adenomyosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endometriosis is an immune chronic inflammatory disease, and there are currently no more effective drugs for treating endometriosis due to its unknown etiology. Salbutamol is a β2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR) agonist commonly used to treat asthma by selectively activating β2 receptors on airway smooth muscle and leukocytes, exerting bronchial dilation and synergistic anti-inflammatory effects. In recent years, β2AR agonists have been used in endometriosis studies, and we speculate that salbutamol may have a therapeutic effect on endometriosis. The purpose of this research was to explore the therapeutic effect of salbutamol on endometriosis mice. The mouse endometriosis model was established and treated with different doses of salbutamol. Endometrial lesions were harvested for pathological diagnosis, immunohistochemistry (IHC), Masson staining, and toluidine blue analysis. We found that the number and size of endometriotic lesions were all significantly decreased after 3 weeks of treatment with different doses of salbutamol on endometriosis model mice (P < 0.05). After Salbutamol treatment, the amount of mast cells (toluidine blue) and macrophages (F4/80) in the lesions as well as the expressions of interleukin (IL)-1β, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-ɑ, platelet-derived growth factor subunit B (PDGFB), CD31, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β, Masson staining, BCL2, TUBB3, substance P (SP), and nerve growth factor (NGF) were significantly reduced (P < 0.05). These results suggested that salbutamol could effectively treat endometriosis in mice by reducing immune inflammatory cells and factors, angiogenesis, and fibrosis, increasing apoptosis of endometriotic lesions, and decreasing neurogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lunar surface chemistry is essential for revealing petrological characteristics to understand the evolution of the Moon. Existing chemistry mapping from Apollo and Luna returned samples could only calibrate chemical features before 3.0 Gyr, missing the critical late period of the Moon. Here we present major oxides chemistry maps by adding distinctive 2.0 Gyr Chang'e-5 lunar soil samples in combination with a deep learning-based inversion model. The inferred chemical contents are more precise than the Lunar Prospector Gamma-Ray Spectrometer (GRS) maps and are closest to returned samples abundances compared to existing literature. The verification of in situ measurement data acquired by Chang'e 3 and Chang'e 4 lunar rover demonstrated that Chang'e-5 samples are indispensable ground truth in mapping lunar surface chemistry. From these maps, young mare basalt units are determined which can be potential sites in future sample return mission to constrain the late lunar magmatic and thermal history. In this study, the authors map the lunar surface chemistry. They achieve this through a combination of deep learning and actual samples from the Chinese Chang'e-5 mission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel benzoxazine monomer (UPA) had been synthesized by the reaction of urushiol with formaldehyde and propylamine. From the ring-opening reaction of UPA, the corresponding new biobased resin polybenzoxazine (PUPA) was obtained. The PUPA was used to fabricate honeycomb-structured porous films using the breath figures technique. The obtained films were characterized by scanning electronic microscopy. The results showed that PUPA films were highly ordered porous films. Furthermore, the PUPA porous films possess excellent acid, alkali and organic solvent resistance properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to investigate potential factors, especially early-life exposures, associated with endometrioma (OMA) and/or deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) in Chinese women. Methods: This is a subgroup analyses of the FEELING study, which was a case–control study that investigated the clinical, lifestyle, and environmental factors associated with OMA and/or DIE in China, Russia, and France. In this subgroup analysis, the data for the Chinese participants were further analyzed using logistic regression model. Results: All women (N = 546) had fully completed the questionnaire. The mean age of the participants was 31.8 (range: 18-41) years. Univariable analysis showed that noncyclic chronic pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea intensity class, and whether breastfed during infancy were distributed differently between patients with OMA or DIE and those with no endometriosis (non-EM) or superficial peritoneal endometriosis (SUP; P <.05). Multivariable analysis revealed that not having been breastfed was a protective factor against OMA and DIE (odds ratio [OR] = 0.33, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.16-0.69). Further analysis indicated not having been breastfed was a protective factor for DIE compared with non-EM (OR = 0.13, 95% CI: 0.02-0.88) and with OMA + SUP (OR = 0.19, 95% CI: 0.04-0.85) but was not a protective factor for OMA compared with non-EM (OR = 0.66, 95% CI: 0.32-1.36) and with SUP (OR = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.31-1.30). Conclusion: This is the first study suggesting that not having been breastfed might protect against DIE in Chinese women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitric oxide (NO) is involved in skeletal muscle glucose uptake during exercise and also in the increase in insulin sensitivity after exercise. Given that neuronal nitric oxide synthase (NOS) isoform mu (nNOSμ) is a major isoform of NOS in skeletal muscle, we examined if the increase in skeletal muscle insulin-stimulated glucose uptake 3.5 h following ex vivo contraction of extensor digitorum longus (EDL) is reduced in muscles from nNOSμ+/− and nNOSμ−/− mice compared with nNOSμ+/+ mice. 3.5 h post-contraction/basal, muscles were exposed to saline or insulin (120μU/ml) with or without the presence of the NOS inhibitor NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA) during the last 30 min and glucose uptake was determined by radioactive tracers. Skeletal muscle insulin-stimulated glucose uptake from nNOSμ+/+, nNOSμ+/−, and nNOSμ−/− mice increased approximately twofold 3.5 h following ex vivo contraction when compared to rest. L-NMMA significantly attenuated this increase in muscle insulin-stimulated glucose uptake by around 50%, irrespective of genotype. Low levels of NOS activity were detected in muscles from nNOSμ−/− mice. In conclusion, NO mediates increases in mouse skeletal muscle insulin response following ex vivo contraction independently of nNOSμ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uncarboxylated osteocalcin (ucOC) stimulates muscle glucose uptake in mice EDL and soleus muscles. However, whether ucOC also exerts a similar effect in insulin-stimulated muscles in a muscle type-specific manner is currently unclear. We aimed to test the hypothesis that, with insulin stimulation, ucOC per se has a greater effect on oxidative muscle compared with glycolytic muscle, and to explore the underlying mechanisms. Mouse (C57BL6, male 9-12 weeks) extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and soleus muscles were isolated and longitudinally split into halves. Muscle samples were treated with varying doses of recombinant ucOC (0, 0.3, 1, 3, 30 ng/ml), followed by insulin addition. Muscle glucose uptake, protein phosphorylation and total expression of protein kinase B (Akt), Akt substrate of 160 kDa (AS160), extracellular signal-regulated kinase isoform 2 (ERK2), and adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase subunit α (AMPKα) were assessed. ucOC treatment at 30 ng/ml enhanced muscle glucose uptake in insulin-stimulated soleus, a mainly oxidative muscle (17.5%, p < 0.05), but not in EDL-a mostly glycolytic muscle. In insulin-stimulated soleus only, ucOC treatment (3 and 30 ng/ml) increased phosphorylation of AS160 and ERK2, but not Akt or AMPKα. The ucOC-induced increase in ERK2 phosphorylation in soleus was not associated with the increase in glucose uptake or AS160 phosphorylation. ucOC enhances glucose uptake and AS160 phosphorylation in insulin-stimulated oxidative but not glycolytic muscle, via upstream mechanisms which appear to be independent of ERK or AMPK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a regulator for the formation and maintenance of chronic pain in various chronic disorders and has been shown to increase in the serum of women with endometriosis. However, BDNF expression in the peritoneal fluid (PF) and ectopic lesions and its role in endometriosis pain remain unclear. Thus, this study aims to determine the BDNF concentrations in serum and PFs and BDNF expression levels in ectopic lesions and endometriotic stromal cells (ESCs) of women with endometriosis (n = 60). The obtained results were then compared with those of women without endometriosis (n = 38). Brain-derived neurotrophic factor concentrations in serum and PF, as well as the BDNF expression levels in ectopic lesions and endometriotic cells, were evaluated through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, immunohistochemical staining, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, and Western blot analysis. As a result, BDNF concentrations in serum and PF were significantly higher in women with endometriosis with pain (2284.3 ± 51.5 pg/mL, n = 23; 58.8 ± 6.4 pg/mL, n = 16) than in women with endometriosis without pain (1999.8 ± 61.1 pg/mL, n = 37; 31.7 ± 2.9 pg/mL, n = 25; P < .01). Moreover, BDNF messenger RNA (mRNA) expression levels in ectopic lesions (8.97 ± 1.44, n = 29) were significantly higher than eutopic (0.97 ± 0.14, n = 16; P < .01) and control endometrium (1.23 ± 0.19, n = 18; P < .01) and were correlated with endometriosis pain (P < .05). Furthermore, increased BDNF mRNA and protein expression levels in ESCs induced by estradiol or interleukin 1β were removed using a phosphorylated extracellular-regulated protein kinase 1/2 inhibitor. These results suggest that BDNF may play an important role in the pathogenesis of endometriosis pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recepteur d'origine nantais (RON) protein expression has been demonstrated to correlate with tumor progression, metastasis, and prognosis, and its mRNA expression increases in deeply infiltrating endometriotic lesions. However, it remains unclear whether RON protein expression also increases in endometriotic lesions, and may be a risk factor of malignant transformation in endometriotic lesions.Methods: The protein expression of RON in control (n = 19), eutopic (n = 16), and ectopic (n = 51) endometria, as well as in endometriosis-associated ovarian cancers (EAOC, n = 16) was determined by immunohistochemical (IHC) staining.Results: Endometriotic lesions expressed low levels of RON protein, but no RON protein expression appeared in matched eutopic or control endometrium. EAOC exhibited high levels of RON protein. The frequency and IHC score of RON protein expression were both significantly higher in EAOC [100.0% (14/14), 5.37 ± 0.74] than those in endometriotic lesions [51.0% (26/51), 2.15 ± 1.12; P = 0.002, 0.001]. Multivariate analysis of covariance only revealed a correlation of RON protein expression and EAOC (P = 0.006), but no correlations of RON protein expression and clinical parameters (P > 0.05).Conclusions: These obtained results suggest that increased RON expression might be involved in the pathogenesis of endometriosis and disease-associated ovarian cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The present study aimed to investigate clinical, lifestyle, and environmental factors associated with endometrioma (OMA) and/or deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) as determined by case-control comparison [women with superficial peritoneal endometriosis (SUP) or no endometriosis], and compare differences between factor associated with endometriosis at a national level.Methods: This was three countries (China, Russia, and France), case-control study in 1008 patients. Patients were identified and enrolled during their first routine appointment with their physician post-surgery for a benign gynecologic indication, excluding pregnancy. Retrospective information on symptoms and previous medical history was collected via face-to-face interviews; patients also completed a questionnaire to provide information on current habits. For every DIE patient recruited (n = 143), two women without endometriosis (n = 288), two SUP patients (n = 288), and two OMA patients (n = 288) were recruited.Results: For the overall population, factors significantly associated (P ≤ 0.05) with DIE or OMA [Odds ratio (OR) >1] were: previous use of hormonal treatment for endometriosis [OR 6.66; 95% confidence interval (CI) 4.05-10.93]; previous surgery for endometriosis (OR 1.95; 95% CI 1.11-3.43); and living or working in a city or by a busy area (OR 1.66; 95% CI 1.09-2.52). Differences between regions with regard to the diagnosis, symptomatology, and treatment of endometriosis exist.Conclusion: The findings provide insight into potential risk factors for endometriosis and differences between regions in terms of endometriosis management and symptomatology. Further investigations are required to confirm the associations found in this study.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier, NCT01351051.Funding: Ipsen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Placental protein 14 (PP-14) is the principal secretory phase product of endometrium and has been shown to inhibit cell immune function. But its role in the pathogenesis of endometriosis is controversy. The objective of this study is to determine the concentrations of PP-14 in peritoneal fluid (PF) and serum and PP-14 protein expression in endometriotic lesions in women with ovarian endometriosis (n = 75) when compared to women without endometriosis (n = 49) between day 7 and day 20 of their menstrual cycle. Concentrations of PP-14 in PF and serum as well as PP-14 protein expression in endometriotic lesions in women with and without endometriosis were evaluated by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunohistochemical staining, respectively. Serum PP-14 concentrations were significantly increased in women with endometriosis (7.5 ± 1.4 ng/mL) compared to those in women without endometriosis (5.8 ± 0.9 ng/mL; P < .05) and statistically decreased after surgery and further reduced by using gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist therapy (P < .05). However, the concentrations of PP-14 in PF did not reach a significant difference between women with and without endometriosis (P > .05). In women with endometriosis, scores of PP-14 protein expression in the lesions (n = 50, 2.2 [0∼5.8]) were significantly correlated with serum PP-14 concentrations (n = 50, 7.6 ± 1.3 ng/mL; P < .01). Our results suggest that PP-14 may play an important role in the pathogenesis of endometriosis. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The authors previously demonstrated decreased levels of pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) in peritoneal fluid of women with endometriosis compared to women without endometriosis. Here, the authors determine whether women with endometriosis have altered levels of PEDF in serum. Peripheral blood samples were collected from 71 women with and without endometriosis (n = 43 and 28, respectively) before laparoscopic surgery. Concentrations of serum PEDF were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We detected lower levels of serum PEDF in women with endometriosis (16.3 ± 6.6 ng/mL) than in those without endometriosis (24.5 ± 7.3 ng/mL; P < .001). In women with endometriosis, the concentrations of serum PEDF were significantly lower in women with pain (n = 11, 12.6 ± 7.1 ng/mL) compared to women without pain (n = 32, 17.5 ± 6.0 ng/mL; P < .05). However, the concentrations of serum PEDF did not correlate with disease stage or site or infertility. In addition, the concentrations of serum PEDF did not show any difference in the phase of the cycle in either group. Our results suggest that reduced levels of serum PEDF in women with endometriosis and disease-related pain may play a role in the pathogenesis of this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Narrowing of the uterine spiral arterioles below the deciduomyometrial junction is 1 of the key pathophysiological changes in women with preeclampsia. The contribution of pelvic autonomic nerves to decidualization and impaired placentation in preeclampsia is not clear. Placental bed biopsies were obtained from 10 women with preeclampsia and 23 nornotensive women at Caesarean section. We stained them with anti-S100 and CD34 antibodies to detect the presence of nerve fibers and blood vessels, respectively. We detected S100-immunoactive nerve fibers in the myometrium but not in the decidua in both groups of women. S100-immunoactive nerve fiber density in the placental bed myometrium was significantly increased in women with preeclampsia compared to normotensive women. There was no clear relationship between the densities of nerve fibers and CD34-positive blood vessels in these biopsies. These results suggest increased nerve fibers in the placental bed myometrium may play a role in the pathogenesis of the preeclampsia. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

dominant male sterility (DGMS) line 79-399-3, developed from a spontaneous mutation in Brassica oleracea var. capitata, has been widely used in production of hybrid cultivars in China. In this line, male sterility is controlled by a dominant gene Ms-cd1. In the present study, fine mapping of Ms-cd1 was conducted by screening a segregating population Ms79-07 with 2,028 individuals developed by four times backcrossing using a male sterile Brassica oleracea var. italica line harboring Ms-cd1 as donor and Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra as the recipient. Bulked segregation analysis (BSA) was performed for the BC population Ms79-07 using 26,417 SRAP primer SRAPs and 1,300 SSRs regarding of male sterility and fertility. A high-resolution map surrounding Ms-cd1 was constructed with 14 SRAPs and one SSR. The SSR marker 8C0909 was closely linked to the MS-cd1 gene with a distance of 2.06 cM. Fourteen SRAPs closely linked to the target gene were identified; the closest ones on each side were 0.18 cM and 2.16 cM from Ms-cd1. Three of these SRAPs were successfully converted to dominant SCAR markers with a distance to the Ms-cd1 gene of 0.18, 0.39 and 4.23 cM, respectively. BLAST analysis with these SCAR marker sequences identified a collinear genomic region about 600 kb in scaffold 000010 on chromosomeA10 in B. rapa and on chromosome 5 in A. thaliana. These results provide additional information for map-based cloning of the Ms-cd1 gene and will be helpful for marker-assisted selection (MAS). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]