LncRNA SNHG15 sponges miR-3143/FOXO3 to regulate autophagy in ovarian dysfunction induced by benzene exposure

Benzene, a recognized carcinogen, is utilized in synthesizing various chemicals. Epidemiological studies have established a positive correlation between benzene exposure and increased incidences of abnormal menstruation and dysmenorrhea. This exposure might also pose risks to the fetal hematopoietic system. However, the precise molecular mechanisms underlying these effects are not fully understood. In this study, a chronic benzene exposure model was established through dynamic inhalation. We assessed the autophagy levels in mouse ovarian granulosa cells and human ovarian granulosa cells treated with 1,4-benzoquinone using molecular biology techniques such as qPCR, Western blot, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), etc. The experimental results show that Benzene-exposed mice exhibited autophagy, a reduced number of ovarian granulosa cells, and vacuolar lesions in the fallopian tubes. Cell-based experiments demonstrated that benzene exposure significantly upregulated SNHG15 expression in human ovarian granulosa cells (P < 0.05). The upregulation of SNHG15 enhanced FOXO3 expression via the miR-3143/FOXO3 axis, which in turn increased the transcription of autophagy-related proteins such as Atg5 (P < 0.05), ultimately leading to excessive autophagy in granulosa cells and ovarian dysfunction. Benzene and its metabolite benzoquinone increase autophagy in ovarian granulosa cells. The lncRNA SNHG15 regulates this autophagy induced by benzene exposure through sponge-like binding to miR-3143/FOXO3, thus impairing ovarian function. Inhibiting SNHG15, miR-3143, and FOXO3 expression markedly reduced autophagy in granulosa cells and ameliorated ovarian dysfunction resulting from benzene exposure. These results suggest that the ceRNA axis involving SNHG15 may be a potential clinical therapeutic target.