Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
Department of Laboratory Animal Sciences, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, 280 South Chongqing Road, Shanghai 200025, China.
Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Sep 21;24(18):14384. doi: 10.3390/ijms241814384.
Endogenous hydrogen sulfide (HS) produced by cystathionine β-synthase (CBS) and cystathionine-γ lyase (CSE) has emerged as a novel uterine vasodilator contributing to pregnancy-associated increases in uterine blood flow, which safeguard pregnancy health. Uterine artery (UA) HS production is stimulated via exogenous estrogen replacement and is associated with elevated endogenous estrogens during pregnancy through the selective upregulation of CBS without altering CSE. However, how endogenous estrogens regulate uterine artery CBS expression in pregnancy is unknown. This study was conducted to test a hypothesis that endogenous estrogens selectively stimulate UA CBS expression via specific estrogen receptors (ER). Treatment with Eβ (0.01 to 100 nM) stimulated CBS but not CSE mRNA in organ cultures of fresh UA rings from both NP and P (gestational day 20, GD20) rats, with greater responses to all doses of Eβ tested in P vs. NP UA. ER antagonist ICI 182,780 (ICI, 1 µM) completely attenuated Eβ-stimulated CBS mRNA in both NP and P rat UA. Subcutaneous injection with ICI 182,780 (0.3 mg/rat) of GD19 P rats for 24 h significantly inhibited UA CBS but not mRNA expression, consistent with reduced endothelial and smooth muscle cell CBS (but not CSE) protein. ICI did not alter mesenteric and renal artery CBS and CSE mRNA. In addition, ICI decreased endothelial nitric oxide synthase mRNA in UA but not in mesenteric or renal arteries. Thus, pregnancy-augmented UA CBS/HS production is mediated by the actions of endogenous estrogens via specific ER in pregnant rats.
内源性硫化氢 (HS) 由胱硫醚-β 合酶 (CBS) 和胱硫醚-γ 裂解酶 (CSE) 产生,已成为一种新型子宫血管舒张剂,有助于妊娠相关的子宫血流量增加,从而保障妊娠健康。外源性雌激素替代可刺激子宫动脉 (UA) HS 的产生,与妊娠期间内源性雌激素升高相关,这是通过 CBS 的选择性上调实现的,而 CSE 没有改变。然而,内源性雌激素如何调节妊娠期间子宫动脉 CBS 的表达尚不清楚。本研究旨在验证一个假说,即内源性雌激素通过特定的雌激素受体 (ER) 选择性刺激 UA CBS 的表达。用 Eβ(0.01 至 100 nM)处理新鲜 UA 环的器官培养物,可刺激 NP 和 P(妊娠第 20 天,GD20)大鼠的 CBS,但 CSE mRNA 不受影响,与 NP 相比,P 大鼠的 UA 对所有测试剂量的 Eβ 反应更大。ER 拮抗剂 ICI 182,780(ICI,1 µM)完全阻断了 NP 和 P 大鼠 UA 中 Eβ 刺激的 CBS mRNA。在 GD19 P 大鼠中皮下注射 ICI 182,780(0.3 mg/rat)24 h 可显著抑制 UA CBS,但不抑制 mRNA 表达,这与内皮细胞和平滑肌细胞 CBS(而非 CSE)蛋白减少一致。ICI 不改变肠系膜和肾动脉 CBS 和 CSE mRNA。此外,ICI 降低了 UA 内皮型一氧化氮合酶 mRNA,但不降低肠系膜或肾动脉。因此,妊娠增强的 UA CBS/HS 产生是由妊娠大鼠中内源性雌激素通过特定的 ER 介导的。