Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) contributes to pelvic organ prolapse by modulating collagen expression via the JAK2–STAT3 pathway

Abstract

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a prevalent condition that affects postmenopausal women and significantly impacts their quality of life. The most common potential causes include vaginal delivery, age, and obesity. However, the specific pathophysiological mechanisms involved remain unclear. Therefore, we conducted a comparative analysis of vaginal anterior wall-associated proteins between POP patients and non-POP patients using Masson staining, immunohistochemistry, western blotting, and real-time quantitative fluorescence PCR. Additionally, we investigated the effect of ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) on collagen secretion by fibroblasts in cell culture and instantaneous transfection experiments. Furthermore, the role of CNTF in the development of POP was investigated by constructing a rat prolapse model in which bilateral ovaries were removed and vaginal delivery was simulated. The findings indicated that the anterior vaginal wall of POP patients exhibited high CNTF expression, low collagen I expression, and high collagen III expression. Furthermore, cell transfection experiments demonstrated that CNTF may inhibit collagen I expression and promote collagen III expression by activating the JAK2–STAT3 pathway. A rat model constructed by simulating vaginal delivery after bilateral ovary removal is also an appropriate animal model for studying POP.