Search results for " cumulus cells"
showing 10 items of 12 documents
Gene Expression and Apoptosis Levels in Cumulus Cells of Patients with Polymorphisms of FSHR and LHB Undergoing in Vitro Fertilization Program
2017
Background/Aims: FSH receptor (FSHR) Ala307Thr and Asn680Ser and LHβ chain (LHB) Trp28Arg and Ile35Thr polymorphisms affect the response to pharmacological ovarian stimulation with r-FSH in women undergoing assisted reproductive treatment (ART). Here, we evaluated the expression level of selected genes involved in follicle maturation and the possible onset of apoptosis in cumulus cells of patients with single and double FSHR and LHB polymorphisms, as potential markers of oocyte competence. Methods: Cumulus cells from 36 stimulated patients were collected and SNP genotyping performed by PCR. Gene expression was evaluated through real-time PCR, and apoptosis estimated via TUNEL assay, and cle…
The gene expression profile of cumulus cells reveals altered pathways in patients with endometriosis
2014
PURPOSE: The objective of this experimental study was to compare the global gene expression profile of CC of mature oocytes in 18 patients with severe endometriosis and CC in 18 control patients affected by a severe male factor. METHODS: For each group, the CC were pooled, RNA was extracted and a microarray performed. For validating the microarray, a quantitative real-time PCR was performed in the CC of an independent set of patients with endometriosis (n = 5) and controls (n = 7). RESULTS: 595 differentially expressed genes (320 down-regulated, 275 up-regulated, p < 0.05, fold change ≥1.5) were identified. The most significant changes were observed in genes involved in the chemokine signal…
Lower apoptosis rate in human cumulus cells after administration of recombinant luteinizing hormone to women undergoing ovarian stimulation for in vi…
2007
Objective: To investigate the effects of recombinant (r-) LH supplementation in “low responder” patients undergoing ovarian stimulation with r-FSH for an IVF program. The apoptosis rate in cumulus cells was used as an indicator of oocyte quality. Design: Comparison of the rate of DNA fragmentation and caspase-3 activity in cumulus cells in women stimulated with r-LH and r-FSH, versus patients treated with r-FSH alone (control). Setting: In vitro fertilization (IVF) laboratory. Patient(s): Forty patients undergoing assisted fertilization programs treated with a GnRH agonist, or r-FSH treatment begun on day 3 of the cycle (control). In the r-LH group, from day 8 of gonadotropin stimulation, 1…
Apoptosis rate in cumulus cells can be considerate as an indicator for the selection of embryos to improve ongoing pregnancy and implantation rate
2014
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DNA FRAGMENTATION INDEX AND pAKT IN CUMULUS CELLS: NEW MARKERS OF OOCYTE COMPETENCE
2016
The specific LH and FSH polymorphisms could influence the growth of follicles and oocytes.Some studies have shown that certain single nucleotide polymorphisms of FSHR are associated with changes in the ovarian activity, having functional implications in human reproduction. Carriers of polymorphic variant of betaLH show sub-optimal ovarian response to the standard long GnRH-agonist down-regulation protocol, when stimulated with recombinant FSH. No studies have been designed relating the polymorphic variants of FSHR and LHB with the oocyte competence. In previous studies, we demonstrated the correlation between the apoptosis rate and the expression level of some survival pathways molecules, a…
SELECTION OF THE BEST OOCYTES FOR INTRACYTOPLASMICSPERM INJECTION (ICSI) USING APOPTOTIC ANALYSIS OF CUMULUS CELLS
2015
Introduction: We studied the apoptosis rate of the cumulus cells of individual cumulus-oocyte complex (COC), to verify a relationship with clinical outcomes, in terms of pregnancy and implantation rates. Usually oocytes are selected using morphological criteria. We tried to verify if cumulus cell apoptotic rate could be used as molecular criteria in selecting oocytes with higher implantation potentiality (1;2). Materials and Methods: The study design consisted in two different trials: in the first, we investigated apoptosis rate in cumulus cells of the three selected oocytes, to be fertilized by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI); in a second trial, average apoptosis rate of the cumulu…
New molecular markers for the evaluation of gamete quality.
2013
Purpose: Only 30 % of IVF cycles result in a pregnancy, so that multiple embryos need to be replaced, per treatment cycle, to increase pregnancy rates, resulting in a multiple gestation rate of 25 %. The use of new markers in the gamete selection, could reduce the number of the oocytes to be fertilized and embryos to be produced, but the tools to evidence the gamete competence remain unavailable and more studies are needed to identify bio-markers to select the best oocyte and sperm to produce embryos with higher implantation potentiality. Methods: To define oocyte competence, the apoptosis of the surrounding cumulus cells and the oxygen consumption rates for individual oocytes before fertil…
Apoptosis rate of cumulus cells can be considered as an indicator for the selection of embryos to improve ongoing pregnancy and implantation rates.
2014
Cumulus cells apoptosis rate an adjunct to morphology evaluation for the embryo selection on day 3 could be considered a new tool, compared with embryo selection by morphology alone, to select the embryos with higher implantation potential to increase the clinical outcomes after ICSI. Several studies have demonstrated a lower cumulus cell apoptotic rates in women who achieved pregnancy compared with women who did not become pregnant after ICSI. A prospective randomized observational study on 76 ICSI patients was performed before Ovum Pick-Up. Patients were randomized into either the control group (embryo selection by morphology only, A group: 48 patients) or the treatment group (morphology …
APOPTOTIC ANALYSIS OF CUMULUS CELLS FOR THE SELECTION OF COMPETENT OOCYTES TO BE FERTILIZED BY INTRACYTOPLASMIC SPERM INJECTION (ICSI)
2015
Oocyte quality is one of the main factors for the success of in vitro fertilization protocols. Apoptosis is known to affect oocyte quality and may impair subsequent embryonic development and implantation. The aim of this study was to investigate the apoptosis rate of single and pooled cumulus cells of cumulus cell–oocyte complexes (COCs), as markers of oocyte quality, prior to intracytoplasmatic sperm injection (ICSI).We investigated the apoptosis rate by TUNEL assay (DNA fragmentation) and caspase-3 immunoassay of single and pooled cumulus cells of COCs. The results showed that DNA fragmentation in cumulus cells was remarkably lower in patients who achieved a pregnancy than in those who di…