291. Potential role of Glycodelin for fertilization success in ART

2005 ◽  
Vol 17 (9) ◽  
pp. 123
Author(s):  
G. Keck ◽  
N. Reichel ◽  
A. Zimmermann ◽  
I. Trinkaus ◽  
A. Schultz ◽  
...  

Background: Glycodelin (Gd), a dimeric glycoprotein, appears in the female and male reproductive tract in isoforms like GdA from amniotic fluid and endometrium, GdF from follicular fluid, GdS from seminal plasma and on sperm surface as well. Little is known about the role of Gd in IVF. The aim of our study was to investigate the influence of the Gd-amount in supernatants of IVF-cultures to fertilization success. Methods: Employing monoclonal antibody (mAb) M4f8 soluble Gd levels were evaluated by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We assayed 107 supernatants after 18 h in-vitro fertilisation of single cultured oocytes (S18) with 100000 motile spermatozoa derived from 11 couples undergoing conventional IVF procedure. The results have been compared to blanks comprised of sperm suspensions incubated without any oocytes. The Gd-content in S18 were correlated to fertilization success and characterized by PN-scoring 18 h after insemination. Furthermore we evaluated supernatants (n = 21) of oocytes after ICSI. Total protein (TP) of all supernatants was assessed for calculating the Gd/TP-ratio. Results: The soluble Gd values were calculated for the cultures belonging to each couple. The levels of Gd differed interindividually by a wide range from 4.9 up to 69.2 ng/mL (0.1–3.0% Gd/TP) and in the blanks 2.0–59.5 ng/mL (0.1–4.5% Gd/TP) as well. We associated a couple specific Gd level from 10.0–60.0 ng/mL with a high fertilisation rate (FR = 88%). Both a soluble Gd at a lower level in sperm–oocyte suspensions and a S18 > 60.0 ng/mL were accompanied by a decreased FR (25%). The supernatants (n = 21) after ICSI (FR = 14%) were found Gd-free. Conclusions: Gd-amounts in S18 fluctuated both between the different patients and within their individual sperm–egg cultures. Therefore the protein is suggested not being introduced by spermatozoa only but rather by cumulus cell effects. Beside other parameters one of the fertilisation-dependant factors may be the patient-specific Gd concentration in the surrounding medium.

Reproduction ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 160 (5) ◽  
pp. 725-735
Author(s):  
Julieta Gabriela Hamze ◽  
María Jiménez-Movilla ◽  
Raquel Romar

The role of specific zona pellucida (ZP) glycoproteins in gamete interaction has not yet been elucidated in many species. A recently developed 3D model based on magnetic sepharose beads (B) conjugated to recombinant ZP glycoproteins (BZP) and cumulus cells (CBZP) allows the study of isolated ZP proteins in gamete recognition studies. The objective of this work was to study the role of porcine ZP2, ZP3 and ZP4 proteins in sperm binding, cumulus cell adhesion and acrosome reaction triggering. ZP protein-bound beads were incubated with fresh ejaculated boar spermatozoa and isolated cumulus cells for 24 h. The number of sperm bound to the beads, the acrosomal shrouds (presence of acrosomal content) on the bead’s surface, and the acrosome integrity (by means of PNA-FITC lectin) in bound and unbound sperm were studied. Finally, in vitro matured porcine oocytes mixed with BZP2 were inseminated in vitro using fresh sperm and fertilisation results evaluated. Over 60% of beads had at least one sperm bound after 2 h of coincubation. ZP2-beads (BZP2) and cumulus-ZP2-bead complexes (CBZP2) reached the highest number of sperm per bead, whereas BZP3 and BZP4 models showed the highest number of unbound reacted sperm cells and acrosomal shrouds. Fertilisation efficiency and monospermy rate increased when oocytes were fertilised in the presence of BZP2. We, therefore, conclude that in pigs, it is mainly ZP2 that is involved in sperm-ZP binding whereas ZP3 and ZP4 induce acrosome reaction. Using magnetic sepharose ZP2-bound beads might be a valuable tool to improve the fertilisation rate in pigs.


BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. e051058
Author(s):  
Sine Berntsen ◽  
Bugge Nøhr ◽  
Marie Louise Grøndahl ◽  
Morten Rønn Petersen ◽  
Lars Franch Andersen ◽  
...  

IntroductionOver the last decades, the use of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) has increased, even among patients without male factor infertility. The increase has happened even though there is no evidence to support that ICSI results in higher live birth rates compared with conventional in vitro fertilisation (IVF) in cases with nonmale factor infertility. The lack of robust evidence on an advantage of using ICSI over conventional IVF in these patients is problematic since ICSI is more invasive, complex and requires additional resources, time and effort. Therefore, the primary objective of the IVF versus ICSI (INVICSI) study is to determine whether ICSI is superior to standard IVF in patients without severe male factor infertility. The primary outcome measure is first live birth from fresh and frozen-thawed transfers after one stimulated cycle. Secondary outcomes include fertilisation rate, ongoing pregnancy rate, birth weight and congenital anomalies.Methods and analysisThis is a two-armed, multicentre, randomised, controlled trial. In total, 824 couples/women with infertility without severe male factor will be recruited and allocated randomly into two groups (IVF or ICSI) in a 1:1 ratio. Participants will be randomised in variable block sizes and stratified by trial site and age. The main inclusion criteria are (1) no prior IVF/ICSI treatment, (2) male partner sperm with an expected count of minimum 2 million progressive motile spermatozoa following density gradient purification on the day of oocyte pick up and (3) age of the woman between 18 and 42 years.Ethics and disseminationThe study will be performed in accordance with the ethical principles in the Helsinki Declaration. The study is approved by the Scientific Ethical Committee of the Capital Region of Denmark. Study findings will be presented, irrespectively of results at international conferences and submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals.Trial registration numberNCT04128904. Pre-results.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Qingsong Sun ◽  
Man Luo ◽  
Zhiwei Gao ◽  
Xiang Han ◽  
Weiqin Wu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Acute lung injury (ALI) is a pulmonary disorder that leads to acute respiration failure and thereby results in a high mortality worldwide. Increasing studies have indicated that toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is a promoter in ALI, and we aimed to explore the underlying upstream mechanism of TLR4 in ALI. Methods We used lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to induce an acute inflammatory response in vitro model and a murine mouse model. A wide range of experiments including reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction, western blot, enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, flow cytometry, hematoxylin–eosin staining, RNA immunoprecipitation, luciferase activity and caspase-3 activity detection assays were conducted to figure out the expression status, specific role and potential upstream mechanism of TLR4 in ALI. Result TLR4 expression was upregulated in ALI mice and LPS-treated primary bronchial/tracheal epithelial cells. Moreover, miR-26a-5p was confirmed to target TLR4 according to results of luciferase reporter assay. In addition, miR-26a-5p overexpression decreased the contents of proinflammatory factors and inhibited cell apoptosis, while upregulation of TLR4 reversed these effects of miR-26a-5p mimics, implying that miR-26a-5p alleviated ALI by regulating TLR4. Afterwards, OPA interacting protein 5 antisense RNA 1 (OIP5-AS1) was identified to bind with miR-26a-5p. Functionally, OIP5-AS1 upregulation promoted the inflammation and miR-26a-5p overexpression counteracted the influence of OIP5-AS1 upregulation on cell inflammatory response and apoptosis. Conclusion OIP5-AS1 promotes ALI by regulating the miR-26a-5p/TLR4 axis in ALI mice and LPS-treated cells, which indicates a promising insight into diagnostics and therapeutics in ALI.


1992 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 193-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
George G Zhanel ◽  
Daryl J Hoban ◽  
Godfrey KM Harding

Antimicrobial activity is not an ‘all or none’ effect. An increase in the rate and extent of antimicrobial action is usually observed over a wide range of antimicrobial concentrations. Subinhibitory antimicrobial concentrations are well known to produce significant antibacterial effects, and various antimicrobials at subinhibitory concentrations have been reported to inhibit the rate of bacterial growth. Bacterial virulence may be increased or decreased by subinhibitory antimicrobial concentrations by changes in the ability of bacteria to adhere to epithelial cells or by alterations in bacterial susceptibility to host immune defences. Animal studies performed in rats, hamsters and rabbits demonstrate decreased bacterial adherence, reduced infectivity and increased survival of animals treated with subinhibitory antimicrobial concentrations compared to untreated controls. The major future role of investigation of subinhibitory antimicrobial concentrations will be to define more fully, at a molecular level, how antimicrobials exert their antibacterial effects.


1993 ◽  
Vol 264 (2) ◽  
pp. C457-C463 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Dorup ◽  
T. Clausen

In young rats fed a Mg(2+)-deficient diet for 3 wk, Mg2+ and K+ contents in soleus and extensor digitorum longus muscles were significantly reduced and closely correlated. In isolated soleus muscles, Mg2+ depletion induced an even more pronounced loss of K+, and Mg2+ and K+ contents were correlated over a wide range (r = 0.95, P < 0.001). Extracellular Mg2+ (0-1.2 mM) caused no change in total or ouabain-suppressible 86Rb influx. After long-term incubation in Ca(2+)-Mg(2+)-free buffer with EDTA and EGTA, cellular Mg2+ and K+ contents were reduced by 35 and 15%, respectively, without any reduction in ATP and total or ouabain-suppressible 86Rb influx. In Mg(2+)-depleted muscles 42K efflux was increased by up to 42%, and repletion with Mg2+ produced a graded decrease. We conclude that Mg2+ and K+ contents are closely correlated in muscles Mg2+ depleted in vivo or in vitro and that neither extracellular nor moderate intracellular Mg2+ depletion affects total or Na(+)-K+ pump-mediated K+ influx. The reduced K+ content may rather be related to increased K+ efflux from the muscles.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
An Liu ◽  
Wenyuan Shi ◽  
Dongdong Lin ◽  
Haihui Ye

C-type allatostatins (C-type ASTs) are a family of structurally related neuropeptides found in a wide range of insects and crustaceans. To date, the C-type allatostatin receptor in crustaceans has not been deorphaned, and little is known about its physiological functions. In this study, we aimed to functionally define a C-type ASTs receptor in the mud crab, Scylla paramamosian. We showed that C-type ASTs receptor can be activated by ScypaAST-C peptide in a dose-independent manner and by ScypaAST-CCC peptide in a dose-dependent manner with an IC50 value of 6.683 nM. Subsequently, in vivo and in vitro experiments were performed to investigate the potential roles of ScypaAST-C and ScypaAST-CCC peptides in the regulation of ecdysone (20E) and methyl farnesoate (MF) biosynthesis. The results indicated that ScypaAST-C inhibited biosynthesis of 20E in the Y-organ, whereas ScypaAST-CCC had no effect on the production of 20E. In addition, qRT-PCR showed that both ScypaAST-C and ScypaAST-CCC significantly decreased the level of expression of the MF biosynthetic enzyme gene in the mandibular organ, suggesting that the two neuropeptides have a negative effect on the MF biosynthesis in mandibular organs. In conclusion, this study provided new insight into the physiological roles of AST-C in inhibiting ecdysone biosynthesis. Furthermore, it was revealed that AST-C family peptides might inhibit MF biosynthesis in crustaceans.


2021 ◽  
Vol 74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Sawidis ◽  
Gülriz Baycu ◽  
Elżbieta Weryszko-Chmielewska ◽  
Aneta Sulborska

Abstract In vitro culture of Lilium longiflorum pollen grains was carried out to determine the role of manganese in pollen germination and pollen tube growth. Pollen germination was adversely affected by the presence of manganese (>10 −8 M), whereas low concentrations (10 −12 –10 −10 M) stimulated the process. Manganese caused morphological anomalies during tube growth, characterized by irregular pollen tube thickening and swollen tips. The main effect was the anomalous cell wall formation at the tip, in which the presence of several organelles reduced the number of secretory vesicles. A loose network of fibrillar material and spherical aggregates, mostly in the tip region, was detected, and this material was progressively loosened into the surrounding medium. As a response to potential toxicity, the excess manganese was isolated in vacuoles, which formed an internal barrier against penetration of manganese to the tip area. Elevated manganese concentrations might affect plant reproduction, resulting in anomalies in gamete development. Consequently, the loss in genetic diversity and decreased fruit set ultimately lower yield.


2005 ◽  
Vol 73 (4) ◽  
pp. 2515-2523 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriano L. S. Souza ◽  
Ester Roffê ◽  
Vanessa Pinho ◽  
Danielle G. Souza ◽  
Adriana F. Silva ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT In human schistosomiasis, the concentrations of the chemokine macrophage inflammatory protein 1α (MIP-1α/CCL3) is greater in the plasma of patients with clinical hepatosplenic disease. The objective of the present study was to confirm the ability of CCL3 to detect severe disease in patients classified by ultrasonography (US) and to evaluate the potential role of CCL3 in Schistosoma mansoni-infected mice. CCL3 was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in the plasma of S. mansoni-infected patients. CCL3-deficient mice were infected with 25 cercariae, and various inflammatory and infectious indices were evaluated. The concentration of CCL3 was higher in the plasma of S. mansoni-infected than noninfected patients. Moreover, CCL3 was greater in those with US-defined hepatosplenic than with the intestinal form of the disease. In CCL3-deficient mice, the size of the granuloma and the liver eosinophil peroxidase activity and collagen content were diminished compared to wild-type mice. In CCL3-deficient mice, the worm burden after 14 weeks of infection, but not after 9 weeks, was consistently smaller. The in vitro response of mesenteric lymph node cells to antigen stimulation was characterized by lower levels of interleukin-4 (IL-4) and IL-10. CCL3 is a marker of disease severity in infected humans, and experimental studies in mice suggest that CCL3 may be a causative factor in the development of severe schistosomiasis.


2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 406 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Starowicz ◽  
Jerzy Galas ◽  
Małgorzata Duda ◽  
Zbigniew Tabarowski ◽  
Maria Szołtys

The main objective of these studies was to determine the in vitro effects of prolactin (PRL) and testosterone (T) on steroidogenic function in post-ovulatory cumuli oophori containing unfertilised (ufCOCs) or fertilised (fCOCs) oocytes and to determine the differences between ufCOCs and fCOCs. In vivo, progesterone (P4) content was distinctly higher in isolated ampullae containing ufCOCs than in those containing fCOCs. Moreover, the expression of androgen (ARs) and prolactin (PRL-Rs) receptors was distinctly higher in ufCOCs than in fCOCs. Also, in vitro P4 profiles were generally higher in incubated ufCOCs, which had very high secretion rates of this steroid, especially after treatment with PRL+T. Testosterone significantly increased P4 levels only in incubated fCOCs, while the anti-androgen dihydroxyflutamide (2-Hf) markedly decreased P4 levels in both ufCOCs and fCOCs. Among post-incubation ufCOCs fertilised in vitro, the highest fertilisation rate was observed for oocytes in ufCOCs exposed to PRL+T, while those incubated with 2-Hf or T+2-Hf were not fertilisable. These studies establish differences in steroidogenic function and expression of ARs and PRL-Rs between post-ovulatory ufCOCs and fCOCs, with higher concentrations of P4 being observed in the microenvironment of ufCOCs. PRL+T stimulated P4 production by ufCOCs and increased in vitro fertilisation rate.


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