LPS Administration during Fertilization Affects Epigenetic Inheritance during Embryonic Development

Intrauterine inflammation can cause infertility by disrupting reproductive function. The pathogenesis underlying this process may primarily involve endotoxins from lipopolysaccharides (LPS), which are produced by Gram-negative bacteria. However, the long-term effects of endotoxins in mammalian pregnancy following LPS exposure during fertilization have not been clarified. In this study, we performed experiments to analyze the influence of LPS on early embryonic development and fetal development in mice. Mice uteruses were examined for the expression of genes related to the inflammatory response. The expression of Il-1β and Il-6 increased following the administration of 200 and 1000 µg/kg LPS. Exposure to LPS using in vitro fertilization (IVF) significantly decreased the embryonic developmental rate. A concentration of 100 µg/kg LPS significantly increased the placental weight and fetal crown –rump length (CRL), whereas a concentration of 200 µg/kg LPS significantly decreased the placenta weight and fetal weight in vivo. These findings indicate that maternal LPS during fertilization affects fetal development until the late stage of pregnancy. Thus, maternal endotoxins may affect epigenetic inheritance during embryonic development from the early to late stages of pregnancy

Potential Role of Pig UCP3 in Modulating Adipocyte Browning via the Beta-Adrenergic Receptor Signaling Pathway

Adipose tissue plays an important role in regulating body temperature and metabolism, with white adipocytes serving as storage units for energy. Recent research focused on the browning of white adipocytes (beige adipocytes), causing thermogenesis and lipolysis. The process of browning is linked to the activation of uncoupling protein (UCP) expression, which can be mediated by the β3 adrenergic receptor pathway. Transcriptional factors, such as peroxisome proliferator activated receptor γ (PPARγ) and PPARγ coactivator 1 alpha, play vital roles in cell fate determination for fat cells. Beige adipocytes have metabolic therapeutic potential to combat diseases such as obesity, diabetes mellitus, and dyslipidemia, owing to their significant impact on metabolic functions. However, the molecular mechanisms that cause the induction of browning are unclear. Therefore, research using animal models and primary culture is essential to provide an understanding of browning for further application in human metabolic studies. Pigs have physiological similarities to humans; hence, they are valuable models for research on adipose tissue. This study demonstrates the browning potential of pig white adipocytes through primary culture experiments. The results show that upregulation of UCP3 gene expression and fragmentation of lipid droplets into smaller particles occur due to isoproterenol stimulation, which activates beta-adrenergic receptor signaling. Furthermore, PPARγ and PGC-1α were found to activate the UCP3 promoter region, similar to that of UCP1. These findings suggest that pigs undergo metabolic changes that induce browning in white adipocytes, providing a promising approach for metabolic research with potential implications for human health. This study offers valuable insights into the mechanism of adipocyte browning using pig primary culture that can enhance our understanding of human metabolism, leading to cures for commonly occurring diseases

Evaluation of Lipopolysaccharide and Interleukin-6 as Useful Screening Tool for Chronic Endometritis

Universal diagnostic criteria for chronic endometritis (CE) have not been established due to differences in study design among researchers and a lack of typical clinical cases. Lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) have been reported to cause inflammation in the reproductive systems of several animals. This study aimed to elucidate the influence of LPS in the pathogenesis of CE in humans. We investigated whether LPS affected cytokine production and cell proliferation in the endometrium using in vivo and in vitro experiments. LPS concentrations were analyzed between control and CE patients using endometrial tissues. LPS administration stimulated the proliferation of EM-E6/E7 cells derived from human endometrial cells. High LPS concentrations were detected in CE patients. LPS concentration was found to correlate with IL-6 gene expression in the endometrium. Inflammation signaling evoked by LPS led to the onset of CE, since LPS stimulates inflammatory responses and cell cycles in the endometrium. We identified LPS and IL-6 as suitable candidate markers for the diagnosis of CE

Verification of the effects of circadian lighting on people by wall lighting

執務者の生体リズムの乱れは，執務者の生産性や集中度の低下を助長する.この生体リズムの乱れを改善するために，天井照明の色温度を時間ごとに変更するサーカディアン照明システム（以下，サーカディアン照明）が提案されている．サーカディアン照明は，執務者の作業時における快適性や集中度を向上させるだけでなく，執務者の生体リズムの乱れを改善する．しかし，一般的なオフィスの天井照明には色温度や照度を変更できない照明が広く用いられているため，サーカディアン照明を導入するには大掛かりな工事が必要であり容易でない．そこで本研究では，安価で設置ができ，部屋の雰囲気を容易に変更可能である壁面照明を用いてサーカディアン照明を再現する手法を提案した．実験の結果，サーカディアン壁面照明点灯時では快適性と集中度が向上した．被験者の選好する色温度は正午から夕方になるにつれ低くなることが分かった．Disruption of the worker\u27s biological rhythm contributes to a decrease in the productivity and concentration of the worker. A circadian light system (hereafter, circadian light) that changes the color temperature of the ceiling light every time has been proposed to improve the disturbance of the biological rhythm. Circadian light not only improves the comfort and concentration of the worker when working, but also improves the disturbance of the biological rhythm of the worker. However, general office ceiling light, which cannot change color temperature and illuminance, is widely used, so introducing circadian light requires large-scale construction and is not easy. In this study, we propose a method to reproduce circadian light using wall lighting that can be installed at low cost and that can easily change the atmosphere of the room. As a result of the experiment, comfort and concentration improved when the circadian wall lighting was turned on. It was also found that the subject\u27s preferred color temperature decreased from noon to evening