Frontiers in Endocrinology (Apr 2022)
Single-Cell RNA Sequencing of Human Corpus Cavernosum Reveals Cellular Heterogeneity Landscapes in Erectile Dysfunction
- Dong Fang,
- Dong Fang,
- Dong Fang,
- Xiao-Hui Tan,
- Xiao-Hui Tan,
- Xiao-Hui Tan,
- Wen-Peng Song,
- Wen-Peng Song,
- Wen-Peng Song,
- Yang-Yang Gu,
- Yang-Yang Gu,
- Yang-Yang Gu,
- Jian-Cheng Pan,
- Jian-Cheng Pan,
- Xiao-Qing Yang,
- Xiao-Qing Yang,
- Wei-Dong Song,
- Wei-Dong Song,
- Wei-Dong Song,
- Yi-Ming Yuan,
- Yi-Ming Yuan,
- Yi-Ming Yuan,
- Jing Peng,
- Jing Peng,
- Jing Peng,
- Zhi-Chao Zhang,
- Zhi-Chao Zhang,
- Zhi-Chao Zhang,
- Zhong-Cheng Xin,
- Zhong-Cheng Xin,
- Xue-Song Li,
- Xue-Song Li,
- Xue-Song Li,
- Rui-Li Guan,
- Rui-Li Guan,
- Rui-Li Guan
Affiliations
- Dong Fang
- Department of Urology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
- Dong Fang
- Institute of Urology, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Dong Fang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Urogenital Diseases (male) Molecular Diagnosis and Treatment Center, Beijing, China
- Xiao-Hui Tan
- Department of Urology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
- Xiao-Hui Tan
- Institute of Urology, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Xiao-Hui Tan
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Urogenital Diseases (male) Molecular Diagnosis and Treatment Center, Beijing, China
- Wen-Peng Song
- Institute of Urology, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Wen-Peng Song
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Urogenital Diseases (male) Molecular Diagnosis and Treatment Center, Beijing, China
- Wen-Peng Song
- Department of Dental Implant Center, Beijing Stomatological Hospital, School of Stomatology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Yang-Yang Gu
- Institute of Urology, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Yang-Yang Gu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Urogenital Diseases (male) Molecular Diagnosis and Treatment Center, Beijing, China
- Yang-Yang Gu
- Department of Radiation Medicine, Institute of Systems Biomedicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
- Jian-Cheng Pan
- Male Reproductive and Sexual Medicine, Department of Urology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Jian-Cheng Pan
- Institute of Urology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Xiao-Qing Yang
- Male Reproductive and Sexual Medicine, Department of Urology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Xiao-Qing Yang
- Institute of Urology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Wei-Dong Song
- Department of Urology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
- Wei-Dong Song
- Institute of Urology, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Wei-Dong Song
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Urogenital Diseases (male) Molecular Diagnosis and Treatment Center, Beijing, China
- Yi-Ming Yuan
- Department of Urology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
- Yi-Ming Yuan
- Institute of Urology, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Yi-Ming Yuan
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Urogenital Diseases (male) Molecular Diagnosis and Treatment Center, Beijing, China
- Jing Peng
- Department of Urology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
- Jing Peng
- Institute of Urology, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Jing Peng
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Urogenital Diseases (male) Molecular Diagnosis and Treatment Center, Beijing, China
- Zhi-Chao Zhang
- Department of Urology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
- Zhi-Chao Zhang
- Institute of Urology, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Zhi-Chao Zhang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Urogenital Diseases (male) Molecular Diagnosis and Treatment Center, Beijing, China
- Zhong-Cheng Xin
- Male Reproductive and Sexual Medicine, Department of Urology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Zhong-Cheng Xin
- Institute of Urology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Xue-Song Li
- Department of Urology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
- Xue-Song Li
- Institute of Urology, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Xue-Song Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Urogenital Diseases (male) Molecular Diagnosis and Treatment Center, Beijing, China
- Rui-Li Guan
- Department of Urology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
- Rui-Li Guan
- Institute of Urology, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Rui-Li Guan
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Urogenital Diseases (male) Molecular Diagnosis and Treatment Center, Beijing, China
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2022.874915
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 13
Abstract
PurposeTo assess the diverse cell populations of human corpus cavernosum in patients with severe erectile dysfunction (ED) at the single-cell level.MethodsPenile tissues collected from three patients were subjected to single-cell RNA sequencing using the BD Rhapsody™ platform. Common bioinformatics tools were used to analyze cellular heterogeneity and gene expression profiles from generated raw data, including the packages Seurat, Monocle, and CellPhoneDB.ResultsDisease-related heterogeneity of cell types was determined in the cavernous tissue such as endothelial cells (ECs), smooth muscle cells, fibroblasts, and immune cells. Reclustering analysis of ECs identified an arteriole ECs subcluster and another one with gene signatures of fibroblasts. The proportion of fibroblasts was higher than the other cell populations and had the most significant cellular heterogeneity, in which a distinct subcluster co-expressed endothelial markers. The transition trajectory of differentiation from smooth muscle cells into fibroblasts was depicted using the pseudotime analysis, suggesting that the expansion of corpus cavernosum is possibly compromised as a result of fibrosis. Cell-cell communications among ECs, smooth muscle cells, fibroblasts, and macrophages were robust, which indicated that inflammation may also have a crucial role in the development of ED.ConclusionsOur study has demonstrated a comprehensive single-cell atlas of cellular components in human corpus cavernosum of ED, providing in-depth insights into the pathogenesis. Future research is warranted to explore disease-specific alterations for individualized treatment of ED.
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