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Major Gram-negative bacilli of the human GI-tract, such as the abundant B. fragilis and Escherichia coli (E. coli), are capable of discharging a remarkably complex assortment of pro-inflammatory neurotoxins

(i) bacterial amyloids (10, 21); (ii) endotoxins and exotoxins (5, 12); (iii) LPS (12, 18); and (iv) small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs)

integral components of the outer leaflet of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, LPS

LPS, the major molecular component of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria normally serves as a physical barrier providing the bacteria protection from its surroundings

LPS is also recognized by the immune system as a marker for the detection of bacterial pathogen invasion and responsible for the development of inflammatory response is perhaps the most potent stimulator and trigger of inflammation known

AD-affected brains have remarkably large loads of bacterial-derived toxins compared to controls. The transfer of noxious, pro-inflammatory molecules from the GI-tract microbiome to the CNS may be increasingly important during the course of aging when both the GI-tract and blood–brain barriers become significantly more permeable

first evidence of a perinuclear association of LPS with AD brain cell nuclei

LPS-mediated stimulation of chronic inflammation, beta-amyloid accumulation, and episodic memory decline in murine models of AD (39, 40) and a biophysical association of LPS with amyloid deposits and blood vessels in human AD patients

Strong adherence of LPS to the nuclear periphery has recently been shown to inhibit nuclear maturation and function that may impair or block export of mRNA signals from brain cell nuclei, a highly active organelle with extremely high rates of transcription, mRNA processing, and export into the cytoplasm

LPS may be further injurious to the nuclear membrane just as LPS contributes to cerebrovascular endothelial cell membrane injury

high intake of dietary fiber is a strong inhibitor of B. fragilis abundance and proliferation in the intact human GI-tract and as such is a potent inhibitor of the neurotoxic B. fragilis-derived amyloids, LPS, enterotoxins, and sncRNAs.

GI-tract microbiome-derived LPS may be an important initiator and/or significant contributor to inflammatory degeneration in the AD CNS

LPS has been recently localized to the same anatomical regions involved in AD-type neuropathology

a known pro-inflammatory transcription factor complex that triggers the expression of pathogenic pathways involved in neurodegenerative inflammation

pro-inflammatory amyloids, endo- and exotoxins, LPSs, and sncRNAs but also serve as potent sources of membrane-disrupting agents

We first investigated testosterone production after 24 and 48 h of ibuprofen exposure to assess its effects on Leydig cell steroidogenesis. Inhibition of testosterone levels was significant and dose-dependent (β = −0.405, P = 0.01 at 24 h and β = −0.664, P < 0.0001 at 48 h) (Fig. 2A) and was augmented over time

The AMH data show that the hypogonadism affected not only Leydig cells but also Sertoli cells and also occurred as early as 14 d of administration

Sertoli cell activity showed that AMH levels decreased significantly with ibuprofen administration, by 9% (P = 0.02) after 14 d (Fig. 1B) and by 7% (P = 0.05) after 44 d compared with the placebo group

Examination of the effect of ibuprofen exposure on both the ∆4 and ∆5 steroid pathways (Fig. 2B) showed that it generally inhibited all steroids from pregnenolone down to testosterone and 17β-estradiol; the production of each steroid measured decreased at doses of 10−5–10−4 M. Under control conditions, production of androstenediol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) was below the limit of detection except in one experiment with DHEA

Measuring the mRNA expression of genes involved in steroidogenesis in vitro showed that ibuprofen had a profound inhibitory effect on the expression of these genes (Fig. 3 B–D), consistent with that seen above in our ex vivo organ model. Taken together, these data examining effects on the endocrine cells confirm that ibuprofen-induced changes in the transcriptional machinery were the likely reason for the inhibition of steroidogenesis.

Suppression of gene expression concerned the initial conversion of cholesterol to the final testosterone synthesis. Hence, expression of genes involved in cholesterol transport to the Leydig cell mitochondria was impaired

A previous study reported androsterone levels decreased by 63% among men receiving 400 mg of ibuprofen every 6 h for 4 wk

We next examined the gene expression involved in testicular steroidogenesis ex vivo and found that levels of expression of every gene that we studied except CYP19A1 decreased after exposure for 48 h compared with controls

the changes in gene expression indicate that the transcriptional machinery behind the endocrine action of Leydig cells was most likely impaired by ibuprofen exposure.

Together, these data show that ibuprofen also directly impairs Sertoli cell function ex vivo by inhibiting transcription

ibuprofen use in men led to (i) elevation of LH; (ii) a decreased testosterone/LH ratio and, to a lesser degree, a decreased inhibin B/FSH ratio; and (iii) a reduction in the levels of the Sertoli cell hormone AMH

The decrease in the free testosterone/LH ratio resulted primarily from the increased LH levels, revealing that testicular responsiveness to gonadotropins likely declined during the ibuprofen exposure. Our data from the ex vivo experiments support this notion, indicating that the observed elevation in LH resulted from ibuprofen’s direct antiandrogenic action

AMH levels were consistently suppressed by ibuprofen both in vivo and ex vivo, indicating that this hormone is uncoupled from gonadotropins in adult men. The ibuprofen suppression of AMH further demonstrated that the analgesic targeted not only the Leydig cells but also the Sertoli cells, a feature encountered not only in the human adult testis but also in the fetal testis

ibuprofen displayed broad transcription-repression abilities involving steroidogenesis, peptide hormones, and prostaglandin synthesis

a chemical compound, through its effects on the signaling compounds, can result in changes in the testis at gene level, resulting in perturbations at higher physiological levels in the adult human

The analgesics acetaminophen/paracetamol and ibuprofen have previously been shown to inhibit the postexercise response in muscles by repressing transcription

Previous ex vivo studies on adult testis have indeed pointed to an antiandrogenicity, only on Leydig cells, of phthalates (41), aspirin, indomethacin (42), and bisphenol A (BPA) and its analogs

ibuprofen’s effects were not restricted to Leydig and Sertoli cells, as data showed that the expression of genes in peritubular cells was also affected

short-term exposure

In the clinical setting, compromised Leydig cell function resulting in increased insensitivity to LH is defined as compensated hypogonadism (4), an entity associated with all-cause mortality

compensated hypogonadic men present with an increased likelihood of reproductive, cognitive, and physical symptoms

an inverse relationship was recently reported between endurance exercise training and male sexual libido

AMH concentrations are lower in seminal plasma from patients with azoospermia than from men with normal sperm levels

inhibin B is a key clinical marker of reproductive health (32). The function of AMH, also secreted by Sertoli cells, and its regulation through FSH remain unclear in men

the striking dual effect of ibuprofen observed here on both Leydig and Sertoli cells makes this NSAID the chemical compound, of all the chemical classes considered, with the broadest endocrine-disturbing properties identified so far in men.

after administration of 600 mg of ibuprofen to healthy volunteers

14 d or at the last day of administration at 44 d