Linarin ameliorates bisphenol A-induced prostatic primary ciliogenesis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition via...

Changes in epithelial features are the crucial pathological phenomena in many prostatic diseases. Previous studies elucidated the negative effects of bisphenol A (BPA) on regulating exosome-mediated epithelium-mesenchyme communication. This study investigated the effects of linarin, a natural flavonoid, on BPA-induced epithelium changes in mouse prostate, as well as in a co-culture system of human epithelial-stromal cells. The visualized evaluation for mouse prostatic collagen deposition was performed via Masson and Sirius red staining. The characteristics of prostate epithelium including primary ciliogenesis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and circ_0027470/miR-1236-3p/Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) axis were evaluated through immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, qPCR and western blotting. The results showed that linarin attenuated epithelial primary ciliogenesis and EMT which were triggered by BPA-exposed stromal exosomes. Additionally, linarin reduced the circ_0027470 level, increased the miR-1236-3p level, and inhibited the activity of the Sonic Hedgehog signaling pathway. This study added new evidence for the application of linarin in improving prostatic injuries caused by BPA.