Coumestrol induces mitochondrial dysfunction by stimulating ROS production and calcium ion influx into mitochondria in human placental choriocarcinoma cells
AbstractSTUDY QUESTIONDoes coumestrol inhibit proliferation of human placental choriocarcinoma cells?SUMMARY ANSWERCoumestrol promotes cell death in the choriocarcinoma cells by regulating ERK1/2 MAPK and JNK MAPK signaling pathways and through disruption of Ca2+ and ROS homeostasis.WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADYA number of patients who suffer from choriocarcinomas fail to survive due to delayed diagnosis or a recurrent tumor and resistance to traditional chemotherapy using platinum-based agents and methotrexate. To overcome these limitations, it is important to discover novel compounds which have no adverse effects yet can inhibit...
Source: Molecular Human Reproduction - October 11, 2017 Category: Molecular Biology Source Type: research
Evaluation of apoptotic- and autophagic-related protein expressions before and after IVM of fresh, slow-frozen and vitrified pre-pubertal mouse testicular tissue
This study may also contribute to improve work on testicular tissues from pre-pubertal and adolescent cancer survivors.STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S)This study was supported by a Ph.D. grant from the Rouen Normandie Universit é and a financial support from ‘la Ligue nationale contre le cancer’ (both awarded to L.D.), funding from Institute for Research and Innovation in Biomedicine (IRIB), Agence de la Biomédecine, and co-supported by European Union and Région Normandie. Europe gets involved in Normandie with Euro pean Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest. ...
Source: Molecular Human Reproduction - October 11, 2017 Category: Molecular Biology Source Type: research
Glycerol and testicular activity: the good, the bad and the ugly
ABSTRACTOver the past decades, there have been several studies suggesting that semen quality is declining. Interestingly, these observations are paired with a significant increase in the number of individuals diagnosed with metabolic diseases, including obesity and diabetes mellitus. Hence, it is tempting to hypothesize that obesity and its associated comorbidities and risk factors (such as a hypercaloric diets) impair the homeostasis of the male reproductive health, with a possible direct effect on the testes. The blood and interstitial fluids of obese individuals usually have increased levels of glycerol, notably due to ...
Source: Molecular Human Reproduction - September 28, 2017 Category: Molecular Biology Source Type: research
Treatment with AICAR inhibits blastocyst development, trophectoderm differentiation and tight junction formation and function in mice
AbstractSTUDY QUESTIONWhat is the impact of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation on blastocyst formation, gene expression, and tight junction formation and function?SUMMARY ANSWERAMPK activity must be tightly controlled for normal preimplantation development and blastocyst formation to occur.WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADYAMPK isoforms are detectable in oocytes, cumulus cells and preimplantation embryos. Cultured embryos are subject to many stresses that can activate AMPK.STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATIONTwo primary experiments were carried out to determine the effect of AICAR treatment on embryo development...
Source: Molecular Human Reproduction - September 28, 2017 Category: Molecular Biology Source Type: research
Oleic acid stimulation of motility of human extravillous trophoblast cells is mediated by stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 activity
AbstractSTUDY QUESTIONDo fatty acids regulate development and motility of human extravillous trophoblast cells (EVTs)?SUMMARY ANSWEROleic acid is a promising lipid molecule that has beneficial effects on motility and development of human EVTs.WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADYFatty acid uptake into trophoblast cells is important for maintaining cellular events during pregnancy, but the molecular mechanisms of action of various fatty acids, including trans fatty acids, saturated fatty acids and monounsaturated fatty acids, in EVT cell lines are not clear.STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATIONEffects of oleic acid, elaidic acid, palmitic acid and ...
Source: Molecular Human Reproduction - September 28, 2017 Category: Molecular Biology Source Type: research
Heterogeneous hCG and hMG commercial preparations result in different intracellular signalling but induce a similar long-term progesterone response in vitro
This study was supported by a grant of the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research (PRIN 2015XCR88M). The authors have no conflict of interest. (Source: Molecular Human Reproduction)
Source: Molecular Human Reproduction - September 11, 2017 Category: Molecular Biology Source Type: research
Assessment of sperm nuclear quality after in vitro maturation of fresh or frozen/thawed mouse pre-pubertal testes
AbstractSTUDY QUESTIONIs nuclear quality ofin vitro generated spermatozoa from fresh or frozen/thawed pre-pubertal mouse testes similar to that of theirin vivo counterparts?SUMMARY ANSWERThe production of spermatozoa with aneuploidy, DNA fragmentation or chromatin condensation defects was not significantly increased in organotypic cultures compared toin vivo controls.WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADYAlthough murine spermatozoa have been producedin vitro from pre-pubertal testes, their nuclear DNA integrity has never been investigated.STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATIONFresh and frozen/thawed testicular fragments from 6 to 7 dayspostpartum (d...
Source: Molecular Human Reproduction - September 11, 2017 Category: Molecular Biology Source Type: research
The polycystic ovary syndrome-associated gene Yap1 is regulated by gonadotropins and sex steroid hormones in hyperandrogenism-induced oligo-ovulation in mouse
This study is funded by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2016YFC1000600 and 2017YFSF1001500) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (31528016, 31371449 and 31671558). The authors have no competing interests. (Source: Molecular Human Reproduction)
Source: Molecular Human Reproduction - August 30, 2017 Category: Molecular Biology Source Type: research
Characterization of a novel role for the dynamin mechanoenzymes in the regulation of human sperm acrosomal exocytosis
This study identifies a novel causative link between dynamin activity and the ability of human spermatozoa to complete a progesterone-induced acrosome reaction. Such findings encourage a more detailed analysis of the contribution of dynamin dysregulation as an underlying aetiology in infertile males whose spermatozoa are unable to penetrate the zona pellucida.STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S)This research was supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia Project Grant (APP1103176) awarded to B.N. and E.A.M. The authors report no conflict of interest. (Source: Molecular Human Reproduction)
Source: Molecular Human Reproduction - August 30, 2017 Category: Molecular Biology Source Type: research
Immune cell and transcriptomic analysis of the human decidua in term and preterm parturition
This study used decidual samples collected from 36 women across four clinical groups: term (38 –42 weeks of gestation) not in labour, TNL; term in labour, TL; preterm (<35 weeks of gestation)not in labour, PTNL; and preterm in labour, PTL.PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODSDecidual lymphocytes were isolated from fresh decidual tissue collected from women in each of our four patient groups and stained with a panel of antibodies (CD45, CD3, CD19, CD56, CD4, CD8 and TCRV α24-Jα18) to investigate lymphocyte populations present in the decidua (TNL,n = 8; TL,n = 7; PTNL,n = 5; PTL,n = 5). RNA was extracted from decid...
Source: Molecular Human Reproduction - August 22, 2017 Category: Molecular Biology Source Type: research
Growth regulation by estrogen in breast cancer 1 (GREB1) is a novel progesterone-responsive gene required for human endometrial stromal decidualization
This study used the Nuclear Receptor Signaling Atlas.LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTIONAlthoughin vitro cell culture studies indicate that GREB1 is required for endoemtrial decidualization, thein vivo role of GREB1 in endometrial function and dysfunction should be assessed by using knock-out mouse models.WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGSIdentification and functional analysis of GREB1 as a key molecular mediator of decidualization may lead to improved diagnosis and clinical management of women with peri-implantation loss due to inadequate endometrial decidualization.STUDY FUNDING AND COMPETING INTEREST(S)This research was fu...
Source: Molecular Human Reproduction - August 17, 2017 Category: Molecular Biology Source Type: research
Apposition to endometrial epithelial cells activates mouse blastocysts for implantation
This study used an establishedin vitro model of implantation to examine cellular and molecular interactions during blastocyst attachment to endometrial epithelial cells.PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODSMouse blastocysts developed from embryonic day (E) 1.5in vitro were hatched and co-cultured with confluent human endometrial adenocarcinoma-derived Ishikawa cells in serum-free medium. A scale of attachment stability based on blastocyst oscillation upon agitation was devised. Blastocysts were monitored for 48 h to establish the kinetics of implantation, and optical sectioning using fluorescence microscopy revealed att...
Source: Molecular Human Reproduction - August 17, 2017 Category: Molecular Biology Source Type: research
Effects of oncotherapy on testicular stem cells and niche
(Source: Molecular Human Reproduction)
Source: Molecular Human Reproduction - August 11, 2017 Category: Molecular Biology Source Type: research
Are there intracellular Ca 2+ oscillations correlated with flagellar beating in human sperm? A three vs. two-dimensional analysis
AbstractSTUDY QUESTIONAre there intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) oscillations correlated with flagellar beating in human sperm?SUMMARY ANSWERThe results reveal statistically significant [Ca2+]i oscillations that are correlated with the human sperm flagellar beating frequency, when measured in three-dimensions (3D).WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADYFast [Ca2+]i oscillations that are correlated to the beating flagellar frequency of cells swimming in a restricted volume have been detected in hamster sperm. To date, such findings have not been confirmed in any other mammalian sperm species. An important question that has remained regarding the...
Source: Molecular Human Reproduction - August 10, 2017 Category: Molecular Biology Source Type: research
A20, an essential component of the ubiquitin-editing protein complex, is a negative regulator of inflammation in human myometrium and foetal membranes
AbstractSTUDY QUESTIONDoes A20 regulate mediators involved in the terminal processes of human labour in primary myometrial and amnion cells?SUMMARY ANSWERA20 is a nuclear factor-kappa B (NF- κB) responsive gene that acts as a negative regulator of NF-κB-induced expression of pro-labour mediators.WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADYInflammation is commonly implicated in spontaneous preterm birth and the processes involved in rupture of foetal membranes and uterine contractions. In myometrium and foetal membranes, the pro-inflammatory transcription factor NF- κB regulates the transcription of pro-labour mediators in response to inflamma...
Source: Molecular Human Reproduction - August 9, 2017 Category: Molecular Biology Source Type: research
