Zhang Zijing, Huang Lu, Brayboy Lynae, Birrer Michael
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR.
Winthrop P Rockefeller Cancer Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR.
Biol Reprod. 2025 Jun 3. doi: 10.1093/biolre/ioaf122.
The aging of mammalian ovary is accompanied by an increase in tissue fibrosis and heightened inflammation. Myeloid cells, including macrophages, monocytes, dendritic cells, and neutrophils, play pivotal roles in shaping the ovarian tissue microenvironment and regulating inflammatory responses. However, a comprehensive understanding of the roles of these cells in the ovarian aging process is lacking. To bridge this knowledge gap, we utilized single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) and flow cytometry analysis to functionally characterize CD45+ CD11b+ myeloid cell populations in young (3 months old) and aged (14-17 months old) murine ovaries. Our dataset unveiled the presence of five ovarian macrophage subsets, including a Cx3cr1lowCd81hi subset unique to the aged murine ovary. Most notably, our data revealed significant alterations in ANNEXIN and TGFβ signaling within aged ovarian myeloid cells, which suggest a novel mechanism contributing to the onset and progression of aging-associated inflammation and fibrosis in the ovarian tissue.
哺乳动物卵巢的衰老伴随着组织纤维化的增加和炎症的加剧。髓样细胞，包括巨噬细胞、单核细胞、树突状细胞和中性粒细胞，在塑造卵巢组织微环境和调节炎症反应中发挥着关键作用。然而，目前尚缺乏对这些细胞在卵巢衰老过程中作用的全面了解。为了填补这一知识空白，我们利用单细胞RNA测序（scRNAseq）和流式细胞术分析，对年轻（3个月大）和年老（14 - 17个月大）小鼠卵巢中的CD45 + CD11b +髓样细胞群体进行功能表征。我们的数据集揭示了存在五个卵巢巨噬细胞亚群，包括老年小鼠卵巢特有的Cx3cr1lowCd81hi亚群。最值得注意的是，我们的数据显示老年卵巢髓样细胞中膜联蛋白和TGFβ信号发生了显著变化，这提示了一种导致卵巢组织中与衰老相关的炎症和纤维化发生及进展的新机制。
