Search Results
You are looking at 11 - 20 of 33 items for
- Author: Hui Li x
- Refine by access: All content x
Laboratory for Reproductive Immunology, Key Laboratory of Reproduction Regulation of NPFPC, SIPPR, IRD, Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
Search for other papers by Xuan-Tong Liu in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Hui-Ting Sun in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Zhong-Fang Zhang in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Ru-Xia Shi in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Li-Bing Liu in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Jia-Jun Yu in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Wen-Jie Zhou in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Chun-Jie Gu in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Shao-Liang Yang in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Yu-Kai Liu in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Hui-Li Yang in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Feng-Xuan Xu in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
Search for other papers by Ming-Qing Li in
Google Scholar
PubMed
It has been reported that the impaired cytotoxicity of natural killer (NK) cells and abnormal cytokines that are changed by the interaction between ectopic endometrial cells and immune cells is indispensable for the initiation and development of endometriosis (EMS). However, the mechanism of NK cells dysfunction in EMS remains largely unclear. Here, we found that NK cells in peritoneal fluid from women with EMS highly expressed indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO). Furthermore, IDO+NK cells possessed lower NKp46 and NKG2D but higher IL-10 than that of IDO-NK. Co-culture with endometrial stromal cells (nESCs) from healthy control or ectopic ESCs (eESCs) from women with EMS led to a significant increase in the IDO level in NK cells from peripheral blood, particularly eESCs, and an anti-TGF-β neutralizing antibody suppressed these effects in vitro. NK cells co-cultured with ESC more preferentially inhibited the viability of nESCs than eESCs did, and pretreating with 1-methyl-tryptophan (1-MT), an IDO inhibitor, reversed the inhibitory effect of NK cells on eESC viability. These data suggest that ESCs induce IDO+NK cells differentiation partly by TGF-β and that IDO further restricts the cytotoxicity of NK cells in response to eESCs, which provides a potential therapeutic strategy for EMS patients, particularly those with a high number of impaired cytotoxic IDO+NK cells.
Search for other papers by Pei-Li Wu in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Jing-Wen Zhu in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Cheng Zeng in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Xin Li in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Qing Xue in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Hui-Xia Yang in
Google Scholar
PubMed
In brief
Insufficient trophoblast invasion at the maternal–fetal interface contributes to abortion-prone pregnancy. Our study shows that decreased levels of IGFBP7 in unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (URSA) trophoblast cells inhibit MMP2 and Slug expression as well as trophoblast invasion, suggesting that IGFBP7 should be considered a potential therapeutic protein target in URSA.
Abstract
Insufficient trophoblast invasion at the maternal–fetal interface contributes to abortion-prone pregnancy. Cyclosporine A (CsA) can exert therapeutic effects on URSA by promoting trophoblast invasion. A previous study showed decreased expression of insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 7 (IGFBP7) in the sera of recurrent spontaneous abortion patients. However, the role of IGFBP7 in URSA remains unknown. The aim of this study was to determine whether IGFBP7 modulates trophoblast invasion in URSA and the underlying molecular mechanisms. We found that IGFBP7 was expressed at lower levels in villous specimens from URSA patients. Manipulating IGFBP7 expression significantly affected the MMP2 and Slug expression in HTR-8/SVneo cells as well as trophoblast invasion in vitro. Inactivation of IGF-1R by IGFBP7 was observed, and IGF-1R inhibition increased the IGFBP7-induced MMP2 and Slug expression in HTR-8/SVneo cells. Moreover, the level of c-Jun was significantly upregulated in the URSA group. Silencing IGFBP7 increased the binding of downstream c-Jun to the MMP2 and Slug promoter regions in HTR-8/SVneo cells, thus suppressing transcription. In addition, increased expression of IGFBP7 in HTR-8/SVneo cells was observed upon CsA treatment. Knockdown of IGFBP7 inhibited the CsA-enhanced MMP2 and Slug expression in HTR-8/SVneo cells. Our results suggest that in normal pregnancy, IGFBP7 induces MMP2 and Slug expression via the IGF-1R-mediated c-Jun signaling pathway, thereby promoting trophoblast invasion. IGFBP7 depletion in URSA inhibits MMP2 and Slug expression as well as trophoblast invasion. Moreover, IGFBP7 participates in CsA-induced trophoblast invasion, suggesting that IGFBP7 is a potential therapeutic target for URSA.
Search for other papers by Dong Han in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Xin-Yan Cao in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Hui-Li Wang in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Jing-Jing Li in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Yan-Bo Wang in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Jing-He Tan in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Although studies suggest that the low competence of oocytes from prepubertal animals is due to their insufficient cytoplasmic maturation and that FSH improves oocyte maturation possibly by retarding meiotic progression and allowing more time for cytoplasmic maturation, the mechanisms by which puberty and gonadotropins regulate meiotic progression require additional detailed studies. For the first time, we observed that while meiotic progression was significantly slower, the maturation-promoting factor (MPF) activity of oocytes was significantly higher in prepubertal than in adult mice. To resolve this contradiction, we specified the molecules regulating the MPF activity and their localization during oocyte maturation in prepubertal and adult mice primed with or without gonadotropins. Our tests using corresponding enzyme regulators suggested that while activities of protein kinase A were unaffected, the activity of adenylate cyclase (ADCY) and phosphodiesterase increased while cell division cycle 2 homolog A (CDC2A) decreased significantly after puberty. While most of the adult oocytes had CDC2A protein concentrated in the germinal vesicle (GV) region, the majority of prepubertal oocytes showed no nuclear concentration of CDC2A. Maximally priming mice with equine chorionic gonadotropin brought the above parameters of prepubertal oocytes close to those in adult oocytes. Together, the results suggest that puberty and gonadotropin control oocyte meiotic progression mainly by regulating the ADCY activity and the concentration of the activated MPF toward the GV region.
Laboratory for Reproductive Immunology, NHC Key Lab of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
Search for other papers by Qiu-Chan Qu in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Hui-Hui Shen in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Cheng-Jie Wang in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Xin-Yan Zhang in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Jiang-Nan Wu in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Hang-Cheng Lu in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Xue-Min Qiu in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Jia-Yi Ding in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Xiao-Fang Tan in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Li-Bing Liu in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
Search for other papers by Ming-Qing Li in
Google Scholar
PubMed
A successful pregnancy requires sufficient decidualization of endometrial stromal cells (ESCs). CD82, a metastasis suppressor, is a critical regulator for trophoblast invasion but the effect in decidualization was largely unknown. Here we reported that there was a high level of CD82 in DSC by the immunohistochemistry staining and flow cytometer analysis. Stimulation with prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) elevated the expression of CD82 in ESCs. In contrast, celecoxib, a selective COX-2 inhibitor, significantly downregulated the expression of CD82 in decidual stromal cells (DSCs). Bioinformatics analysis and further research showed that recombinant human interleukin (IL)-1β protein (rhIL-1β) upregulated CD82 in ESCs. Of note, blocking IL-1β signaling with anti-human IL-1β neutralizing antibody could reverse the stimulatory effect of PGE2 on CD82 in ESCs. Silencing CD82 resulted in the decease of the decidualization markers PRL and IGFBP1 mRNA levels in DSCs. More importantly, we observed rhIL-1β also upregulated the expression of COX-2, and the upregulation of PRL and IGFBP1 induced by rhIL-1β could be abolished by celecoxib in ESCs or CD82 deficiency in DSCs. This study suggests that CD82 should be a novel promotor for decidualization under a positive regulation of the COX-2/PGE2/IL-1β positive feedback loop.
NHC Key Lab of Reproduction Regulation, Shanghai Institute for Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Technologies, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
Search for other papers by Xue-Yun Qin in
Google Scholar
PubMed
NHC Key Lab of Reproduction Regulation, Shanghai Institute for Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Technologies, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
Search for other papers by Hui-Hui Shen in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Xin-Yan Zhang in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Xing Zhang in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Feng Xie in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Wen-Jun Wang in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
Search for other papers by Yu Xiong in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Jie Mei in
Google Scholar
PubMed
NHC Key Lab of Reproduction Regulation, Shanghai Institute for Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Technologies, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
Search for other papers by Ming-Qing Li in
Google Scholar
PubMed
In brief
Hypoxia is vital for the establishment of the maternal–fetal interface during early pregnancy. This study shows that decidual macrophages (dMφ) could be recruited and reside in decidua under the regulation of hypoxia/VEGFA-CCL2 axis.
Abstract
Infiltration and residence of decidual macrophages (dMφ) are of great significance to pregnancy maintenance for their role in angiogenesis, placental development, and inducing immune tolerance. Besides, hypoxia has now been acknowledged as an important biological event at maternal–fetal interface in the first trimester. However, whether and how hypoxia regulates biofunctions of dMφ remain elusive. Herein, we observed increased expression of C–C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2) and residence of macrophages in decidua compared to secretory-phase endometrium. Moreover, hypoxia treatment on stromal cells improved the migration and adhesion of dMφ. Mechanistically, these effects might be mediated by upregulated CCL2 and adhesion molecules (especially ICAM2 and ICAM5) on stromal cells in the presence of endogenous vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGFA) in hypoxia. These findings were also verified by recombinant VEGFA and indirect coculture, indicating that the interaction between stromal cells and dMφ in hypoxia condition may facilitate dMφ recruitment and residence. In conclusion, VEGFA derived from a hypoxic environment may manipulate CCL2/CCR2 and adhesion molecules to enhance the interactions between dMφ and stromal cells and thus contribute to the enrichment of macrophages in decidua early during normal pregnancy.
College of Veterinary Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
Search for other papers by Wen-Lin Chang in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Qing Yang in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Hui Zhang in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Hai-Yan Lin in
Google Scholar
PubMed
College of Veterinary Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
Search for other papers by Zhi Zhou in
Google Scholar
PubMed
College of Veterinary Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
Search for other papers by Xiaoyin Lu in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Cheng Zhu in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Li-Qun Xue in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Hongmei Wang in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Placenta-specific protein 1 (PLAC1), a placenta-specific gene, is known to be involved in the development of placenta in both humans and mice. However, the precise role of PLAC1 in placental trophoblast function remains unclear. In this study, the localization of PLAC1 in human placental tissues and its physiological significance in trophoblast invasion and migration are investigated by technical studies including real-time RT-PCR, in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry, and functional studies by utilizing cell invasion and migration assays in the trophoblast cell line HTR8/SVneo as well as the primary inducing extravillous trophoblasts (EVTs). The results show that PLAC1 is mainly detected in the trophoblast columns and syncytiotrophoblast of the first-trimester human placental villi, as well as in the EVTs that invade into the maternal decidua. Knockdown of PLAC1 by RNA interference significantly suppresses the invasion and migration of HTR8/SVneo cells and shortens the distance of the outgrowth of the induced EVTs from the cytotrophoblast column of the explants. All the above data suggests that PLAC1 plays an important role in human placental trophoblast invasion and migration.
Guangdong and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Male Reproductive Medicine and Genetics, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Genitourinary Tumor, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Departments of Laboratory Medicine, Pathology, Shenzhen PKU-HKUST Medical Center, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen 518036, China
Search for other papers by Ruiying Diao in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Kin Lam Fok in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Li Zhao in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Guangdong and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Male Reproductive Medicine and Genetics, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Genitourinary Tumor, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Departments of Laboratory Medicine, Pathology, Shenzhen PKU-HKUST Medical Center, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen 518036, China
Search for other papers by Hao Chen in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Hui Tang in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Jing Chen in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Aiping Zheng in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Xiaohu Zhang in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Yaoting Gui in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Hsiao Chang Chan in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Zhiming Cai in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Sperm quality declines with aging; however, the underlying molecular mechanism remains elusive. The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) has been shown to play an essential role in fertilizing capacity of sperm and male fertility. This study aimed to investigate the involvement of age-dependent CFTR downregulation in lowering sperm quality in old age. Two hundred and one healthy fertile men of three age groups (20–40 years, n=64; 40–60 years, n=61; and >60 years, n=76) were recruited. Expression of CFTR was determined by RT-PCR, western blot, and immunofluorescence staining. Collected sperm were treated with CFTR inhibitor or potentiator. Sperm quality was assessed by motility and bicarbonate-induced capacitation. The results showed that the expression of CFTR on the equatorial segment and neck region of sperm was significantly decreased in an age-dependent manner. Reduction of CFTR expression in sperm from old men was correlated with lowered forward motility and decreased HCO3 − sensitivity required for sperm capacitation. Activation of CFTR by genistein partially rescued the decreased forward motility in sperm from old men. Decreased CFTR expression in sperm was also found to be associated with lowered sperm quality in aging mice. These results suggest that age-dependent downregulation of CFTR in sperm leads to lowered sperm quality in old age sperm. CFTR may be a pontential target for rescuing sperm motility as well as a fertility indicator in old age men.
Department of Growth and Reproduction, Group of Skeletal, Mineral, and Gonadal Endocrinology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
Search for other papers by Zhi-hui Cui in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Yong-dan Ma in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Yi-cheng Wang in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Huan Liu in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Jia-wei Song in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Li-xue Zhang in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Wen-jing Guo in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Xue-qin Zhang in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Sha-sha Tu in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Dong-zhi Yuan in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Jin-hu Zhang in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Li Nie in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Reproductive Endocrinology and Regulation Joint Laboratory, West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
Search for other papers by Li-min Yue in
Google Scholar
PubMed
In brief
Impaired spermatogenesis resulting from disturbed cholesterol metabolism due to intake of high-fat diet (HFD) has been widely recognized, however, the role of preprotein invertase subtilin 9 (PCSK9), which is a negative regulator of cholesterol metabolism, has never been reported. This study aims to reveal the role of PCSK9 on spermatogenesis induced by HFD in mice.
Abstract
Long-term consumption of a high-fat diet (HFD) is an important factor that leads to impaired spermatogenesis exhibiting poor sperm quantity and quality. However, the mechanism of this is yet to be elucidated. Disrupted cholesterol homeostasis is one of many crucial pathological factors which could contribute to impaired spermatogenesis. As a negative regulator of cholesterol metabolism, preprotein invertase subtilin 9 (PCSK9) mediates low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) degradation to the lysosome, thereby reducing the expression of LDLR on the cell membrane and increasing serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level, resulting in lipid metabolism disorders. Here, we aim to study whether PCSK9 is a pathological factor for impaired spermatogenesis induced by HFD and the underlying mechanism. To meet the purpose of our study, we utilized wild-type C57BL/6 male mice and PCSK9 knockout mice with same background as experimental subjects and alirocumab, a PCSK9 inhibitor, was used for treatment. Results indicated that HFD induced higher PCSK9 expression in serum, liver, and testes, and serum PCSK9 is negatively correlated with spermatogenesis, while both PCSK9 inhibitor treatment and PCSK9 knockout methodologies ameliorated impaired lipid metabolism and spermatogenesis in mice fed a HFD. This could be due to the overexpression of PCSK9 induced by HFD leading to dyslipidemia, resulting in testicular lipotoxicity, thus activating the Bcl-2–Bax–Caspase3 apoptosis signaling pathway in testes, particularly in Leydig cells. Our study demonstrates that PCSK9 is an important pathological factor in the dysfunction of spermatogenesis in mice induced by HFD. This finding could provide innovative ideas for the diagnosis and treatment of male infertility.
Search for other papers by Li Nie in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Li-xue Zhang in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Yi-cheng Wang in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Yun Long in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Yong-dan Ma in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Lin-chuan Liao in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Xin-hua Dai in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Zhi-hui Cui in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Huan Liu in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Zhao-qi Wang in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Zi-yang Ma in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Dong-zhi Yuan in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Reproductive Endocrinology and Regulation Joint Laboratory, West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
Search for other papers by Li-min Yue in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Uterine receptivity to the embryo is crucial for successful implantation. The establishment of uterine receptivity requires a large amount of energy, and abnormal energy regulation causes implantation failure. Glucose metabolism in the endometrium is tissue specific. Glucose is largely stored in the form of glycogen, which is the main energy source for the endometrium. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), an important energy-sensing molecule, is a key player in the regulation of glucose metabolism and its regulation is also tissue specific. However, the mechanism of energy regulation in the endometrium for the establishment of uterine receptivity remains to be elucidated. In this study, we aimed to investigate the energy regulation mechanism of mouse uterine receptivity and its significance in embryo implantation. The results showed that the AMPK, p-AMPK, glycogen synthase 1, and glycogen phosphorylase M levels and the glycogen content in mouse endometrial epithelium varied in a periodic manner under regulation by the ovarian hormone. Specifically, progesterone significantly activated AMPK, promoted glycogenolysis, and upregulated glycogen phosphorylase M expression. AMPK regulated glycogen phosphorylase M expression and promoted glycogenolysis. AMPK was also found to be activated by changes in the energy or glycogen of the endometrial epithelial cells. The inhibition of AMPK activity or glycogenolysis altered the uterine receptivity markers during the window of implantation and ultimately interfered with implantation. In summary, consistency and synchronization of AMPK and glycogen metabolism constitute the core regulatory mechanism in mouse endometrial epithelial cells involved in the establishment of uterine receptivity.
Search for other papers by Wen-jing Guo in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Yi-cheng Wang in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Yong-dan Ma in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Zhi-hui Cui in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Li-xue Zhang in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Li Nie in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Xue-qin Zhang in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Mei-jiao Wang in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Jin-hu Zhang in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Dong-zhi Yuan in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Li-min Yue in
Google Scholar
PubMed
The incidence of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) due to high-fat diet (HFD) consumption has been increasing significantly. However, the mechanism by which a HFD contributes to the pathogenesis of PCOS has not been elucidated. Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) is a key protein that regulates cholesterol metabolism. Our previous study revealed abnormally high PCSK9 levels in serum from patients with PCOS and in serum and hepatic and ovarian tissues from PCOS model mice, suggesting that PCSK9 is involved in the pathogenesis of PCOS. However, the factor that induces high PCSK9 expression in PCOS remains unclear. In this study, Pcsk9 knockout mice were used to further explore the role of PCSK9 in PCOS. We also studied the effects of a HFD on the expression of PCSK9 and sterol regulatory element-binding protein 2 (SREBP2), a regulator of cholesterol homeostasis and a key transcription factor that regulates the expression of PCSK9, and the roles of these proteins in PCOS pathology. Our results indicated HFD may play an important role by inducing abnormally high PCSK9 expression via SREBP2 upregulation. We further investigated the effects of an effective SREBP inhibitor, fatostain, and found that it could reduce HFD-induced PCSK9 expression, ameliorate hyperlipidemia and improve follicular development in PCOS model mice. Our study thus further elucidates the important role of an HFD in the pathogenesis of PCOS and provides a new clue in the prevention and treatment of this disorder.
