Highly expressed lncRNA H19 in endometriosis promotes aerobic glycolysis and histone lactylation.

In brief: Abnormal glucose metabolism may be involved in the pathogenesis of endometriosis. The present study identifies that highly expressed H19 leads to increased aerobic glycolysis and histone lactylation levels in endometriosis.

Abstract: Previous studies from our group and others have shown increased IncRNA H19 expression in both the eutopic endometrium and the ectopic endometriosis tissue during endometriosis. In this study, we use immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, and protein quantification to determine that levels of aerobic glycolysis and histone lactylation are increased in endometriosis tissues. In human endometrial stromal cells, we found that high H19 expression resulted in abnormal glucose metabolism by examining the levels of glucose, lactate, and ATP and measuring protein levels of enzymes that participate in glycolysis. At the same time, immunofluorescence and western blotting demonstrated increased histone lactylation in H19 overexpressing cells. Altering aerobic glycolysis and histone lactylation levels through the addition of sodium lactate and 2-deoxy-d-glucose demonstrated that increased aerobic glycolysis and histone lactylation levels resulted in enhanced cell proliferation and cell migration, contributing to endometriosis. To validate these findings in vivo, we constructed an endometriosis mouse model, demonstrating similar changes in endometriosis tissues in vivo. Both aerobic glycolysis and histone lactylation levels were elevated in endometriotic lesions. Taken together, these data demonstrate elevated expression levels of H19 in endometriosis patients promote abnormal glucose metabolism and elevated histone lactylation levels in vivo, enhancing cell proliferation and migration and promoting the progression of endometriosis. Our study provides a functional link between H19 expression and histone lactylation and glucose metabolism in endometriosis, providing new insights into disease mechanisms that could result in novel therapeutic approaches.