Vitamin D and its binding protein in patients with leiomyomas.

AIM: This study examined the levels of VitD, VitD binding protein (DBP), and free VitD in leiomyomas patients and their association with the quantity, dimensions, and site of fibroid growths. Additionally, we evaluated the potentiality of employing these factors as a biomarker tool for the diagnosis and assessment of uterine fibroid progression. METHODS: This study involved the participation of 55 women with leiomyomas and 50 healthy women. We utilized commercial ELISA kits to measure the levels of total VitD and DBP in their serum. Additionally, we calculated the levels of free VitD and the ratio of VitD to DBP. Moreover, we determined the number, size, and location of the leiomyomas in the patients. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the levels of total VitD between the groups. However, patients had significantly lower levels of free VitD and higher levels of DBP compared to the control group. The size of the largest leiomyomas showed a negative relationship with free VitD and a positive relationship with DBP. Receiver operating characteristic analyses, showed that the cut-off value for free VitD was 4.47 pg/mL, with a sensitivity of 75.6% and a specificity of 74.4%. The cut-off value for DBP was 256.2 µg/mL, with a sensitivity of 86% and a specificity of 70.3%. CONCLUSIONS: Free VitD and DBP potentially contribute to the development of leiomyomas and are linked to the size of these tumors. The measurement of serum levels of these factors could serve as additional biomarkers for the diagnosis of leiomyomas.

Cerebrolysin® and Environmental Enrichment, Alone or in Combination, Ameliorate Anxiety- and Depressive-Like Behaviors in a Post-Ischemic Depression Model in Mice.

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the beneficial effects of cerebrolysin (CBL) and enriched environment (EE), alone or in combination, on the neurobehavioral and molecular changes in the post-ischemic depression (PID) model in mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PID was induced in male Balb/c mice (25-30 g) by combining the transient bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (bCCAO), twice for 5 min at the interval of 10 min, with spatial restraint stress (2 h/day) for 2 weeks, started 48 h following the establishment of bCCAO model. Animals in the treatment groups received CBL (2.5 ml/kg) and/or were housed in EE (2 h/day) for two weeks. Anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors and sociability were evaluated the day after the last experiment. Changes in the serum corticosterone level, the hippocampal oxidative stress status, inflammatory cytokines, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and phosphorylated cAMP response element-binding protein (p-CREB)/CREB ratio were also detected. RESULTS: PID model induced anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors and impaired social behavior. These behavioral changes were accompanied by increased serum corticosterone level, increased lipid peroxidation, decreased antioxidant enzyme activities, reduced BDNF levels and p-CREB/CREB ratio, and increased protein levels of NF-κB and Iba-1 in the hippocampus. However, treatment with CBL and/or EE reversed behavioral and molecular changes induced by PID. CONCLUSION: Our findings imply that the model mimics many manifestations of human PID, and CBL and EE treatments, separately or in combination, are beneficial in reducing anxiety- and- depressive-like behaviors in this model.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition process during embryo implantation.

The epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) in endometrial epithelial and trophectoderm cells is essential for the progression of embryo implantation and its impairment could cause implantation failure. Therefore, EMT should be tightly regulated in both embryonic and endometrial cells during implantation. Studies reported the involvement of numerous factors in EMT regulation, including hormones, growth factors, transcription factors, microRNAs, aquaporins (AQPs), and ion channels. These factors act through different signaling pathways to affect the expression of epithelial and mesenchymal markers as well as the cellular cytoskeleton. Although the mechanisms involved in cancer cell EMT have been well studied, little is known about EMT during embryo implantation. Therefore, we comprehensively reviewed different factors that regulate the EMT, a key event required for the conceptus implantation to the endometrium.Summary sentence: Abnormal epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process within endometrial epithelial cells (EECs) or trophoblast cells can cause implantation failure. This process is regulated by various factors. Thus, the objective of this review was to summarize the effective factors on the EMT process during implantation.