Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, People's Republic of China.
Biol Trace Elem Res. 2019 Dec;192(2):277-286. doi: 10.1007/s12011-019-01677-8. Epub 2019 Feb 25.
Selenium (Se) is considered one of the essential micronutrients for humans and animals, and its effects on physiological functions are multifaceted. In the present study, we investigated the effects of Se deficiency on uterine smooth muscle contraction in mice by studying G protein Rho (RhoA)/Rho kinase (ROCK) signalling pathway-related molecules. The α-sma in smooth muscle tissue of mice was determined. The extracorporeal contraction curve for uterine smooth muscle in mice was determined. Both of these results indicate that Se deficiency impairs the contractile ability of uterine smooth muscle in mice. The expression of mRNA was measured by real-time quantitative PCR. The results showed that there was no significant change in mRNA expression of RhoA, ROCK, myosin light chain phosphatase (MLCP), or myosin light chain (MLC) in tissues. The protein levels were detected by Western blot. The results showed that there were no significant differences in RhoA, ROCK, MLCP, or MLC expression. However, compared with the CG, the concentration of phosphorylated MLC (P-MLC) increased in the SG and the concentration of P-MLC decreased in the DG. The activity of ROCK and MLCP was tested by liquid scintillation. The results suggest that the lack of Se may affect the regulation of MLCP by ROCK. Cellular experiments were performed to compare with results from tissues. There was no significant difference between the two models. The results indicated that Se deficiency affects uterine smooth muscle contraction by regulating the RhoA/ROCK signalling pathway. As the concentration of Se decreases, the activity of MLCP increases, which promotes the dephosphorylation of P-MLC, causing a decrease in contraction.
硒（Se）被认为是人类和动物必需的微量元素之一，其对生理功能的影响是多方面的。本研究通过研究 G 蛋白 Rho（RhoA）/Rho 激酶（ROCK）信号通路相关分子，探讨了硒缺乏对小鼠子宫平滑肌收缩的影响。测定了小鼠平滑肌组织中的α-SMA。测定了小鼠子宫平滑肌的体外收缩曲线。这两个结果都表明硒缺乏会损害小鼠子宫平滑肌的收缩能力。通过实时定量 PCR 测量 mRNA 的表达。结果表明，组织中 RhoA、ROCK、肌球蛋白轻链磷酸酶（MLCP）或肌球蛋白轻链（MLC）的 mRNA 表达没有明显变化。通过 Western blot 检测蛋白水平。结果表明，RhoA、ROCK、MLCP 或 MLC 的表达没有显著差异。然而，与 CG 相比，SG 中磷酸化 MLC（P-MLC）的浓度增加，DG 中 P-MLC 的浓度降低。通过液体闪烁法测试 ROCK 和 MLCP 的活性。结果表明，缺硒可能会影响 ROCK 对 MLCP 的调节。进行细胞实验与组织结果进行比较。两种模型之间没有显著差异。结果表明，硒缺乏通过调节 RhoA/ROCK 信号通路影响子宫平滑肌收缩。随着硒浓度的降低，MLCP 的活性增加，促进 P-MLC 的去磷酸化，导致收缩减少。
