Effect of miR-194-5p regulating STAT1/mTOR signaling pathway on the biological characteristics of ectopic endometrial cells from mice.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to find out the regulatory mechanism of miR-194-5p targeting STAT1/mTOR signaling pathway on the biological characteristics of endometrial epithelium cells from mice with endometriosis (EMs). METHODS: Mouse model of EMs was constructed to observe the histopathological changes of endometrium via HE staining. The targeting relationship between miR-194-5p and STAT1 was verified by bioinformatics website as well as dual-luciferase reporter assay. The expressions of miR-194-5p and STAT1 in the cells were detected by qRT-PCR, then, the proliferative activity, invasion ability, apoptosis and cycle of cells were determined after overexpression of miR-194-5p, or down-regulation of miR-194-5p and STAT1. RESULTS: In the ectopic endometrial epithelial cells, the expression of miR-194-5p was reduced, while the expression of STAT1 was significantly elevated. Overexpression of miR-194-5p or down-regulation of STAT1 significantly inhibited the proliferation and invasion and promoted apoptosis of ectopic endometrial cells. While down-regulation of miR-194-5p reversed the results, and inhibition of STAT1 partially reversed the effects partially. CONCLUSIONS: The miR-194-5p inhibits mTOR signaling pathway by inhibiting the expression of STAT1 gene, so as to inhibit the proliferation and invasion, as well as to promote the apoptosis of ectopic endometrial epithelial cells in mice with EMs.

Erratum: Effect of miR-194-5p regulating STAT1/mTOR signaling pathway on the biological characteristics of ectopic endometrial cells from mice.

[This corrects the article on p. 6136 in vol. 12, PMID: 33194019.].

Vitrification freezing of large ovarian tissue in the human body.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to carry out the vitrification freezing of a large ovarian tissue in the human body, and evaluate its feasibility. RESULTS: A total of 18 ovarian tissues in the human body were selected, and each tissue was cut into three large ovarian cortex slices. These tissues were randomly divided into three groups: vitrification freezing group (group A), programmed freezing group (group B), and fresh control group (group C). Then, the morphological analysis and apoptosis detection of each ovarian tissue was carried out, followed by the recycling of ovarian tissues at three weeks after the heterotransplantation of nude mice, in order to detect the follicle preservation conditions. The immunohistochemistory method was applied to detect the follicle activity. In comparing the proportion of primordial follicle with normal morphology after unfreezing between group A and group B, the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Furthermore, the incidence of follicle apoptosis in group A and group B was higher than that in the group C (P < 0.05). However, when comparing between group A and group B, the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The interstitial cell apoptosis rate in group A was lower than that of the group B, showing that the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with programmed freezing, the vitrification freezing of large ovarian tissues in the human body was feasible to a certain extent. This can be used as an alternative scheme to realize the freeze preservation of ovarian tissues in the human body.

A novel positive feedback regulation between long noncoding RNA UICC and IL-6/STAT3 signaling promotes cervical cancer progression.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), a novel class of transcripts that have critical roles in carcinogenesis and progression, have emerged as important gene expression modulators. However, the pathophysiological contributions and the underlying mechanisms of specific lncRNAs in cervical cancer remain largely unknown. Here, using transcriptome microarray analysis, we identified a novel lncRNA termed lncRNA upregulated in cervical cancer (lnc-UICC) that was highly expressed in cervical cancer tissue. lnc-UICC expression in cervical cancer was associated with FIGO stage, lymph node metastasis and prognosis. Through gain- and loss-of-lnc-UICC expression, we found lnc-UICC could significantly promote tumor growth and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, lnc-UICC promoted STAT3 activation through two complementary ways. lnc-UICC could regulate the IL-6 transcription through binging to IL-6 promoter. lnc-UICC also directly interacted with the phospho-STAT3, and increased its protein stability by protecting it from proteasome-dependent degradation. Moreover, we revealed that lnc-UICC was a STAT3-responsive lncRNA, as STAT3 could bind to the lnc-UICC promoter to enhance its transcription, suggesting that there exists a positive feedback loop between lnc-UICC and IL-6/STAT3 signaling. In sum, therefore, we have identified an lncRNA-based IL-6/STAT3 signaling regulatory circuit that promotes tumorigenesis and metastasis in cervical cancer cells, highlighting the role that lncRNAs can play in tumor progression.

Comparison of Two Techniques of Laparoscopy-Assisted Peritoneal Vaginoplasty.

Neovagina creation is essential for patients with the Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome. We compared a technique involved the pushing down of the peritoneum with the technique of separating the peritoneum for laparoscopy-assisted peritoneal vaginoplasty. We collected patients with congenital absence of vagina who underwent laparoscopy-assisted peritoneal vaginoplasty of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University between January 2011 and May 2013. The 2 surgical groups (pushing group and separating group) were compared for various parameters. The values of the following parameters were significantly lower for the pushing group compared with the separating group: mean operating time (78 ± 13 minutes vs 135 ± 28 minutes), mean duration of hospitalization (12.9 ± 2.7 days vs 18.0 ± 3.8 days), mean cost of hospitalization (14 016 ± 1640 RMB vs 18 783 ± 2143 RMB), requirement for a drainage tube (4% vs 27%; χ(2) = 8.864), requirement for analgesic drugs (20% vs 40%; χ(2) = 3.977), and postoperative rehospitalization (3.3% vs 10.0% at 2 months and 6.7% vs 26.7% at 6 months; χ(2) = 4.268 and 5.196). Mean values for blood loss (57 ± 19 mL vs 66 ± 20 mL), time to pass gas (21 ± 4 hours vs 23 ± 7 hours), and length of the reconstructed vagina (9.0 ± 0.4 cm vs 8.9 ± 0.5 cm) were not significantly different between the 2 groups. In addition, mean postoperative Female Sexual Function Index score did not differ significantly between the 2 groups or among the 2 groups and a control group (27.0 ± 4.8 vs 26.7 ± 5.2 vs 27.9 ± 4.5; p > .05). The technique involving pushing down of the peritoneum offers advantages of reduced cost, complications, hospitalization, operative time, and pain over the traditional technique. Sexuality approaches so-called "normal" sexuality.