Cillo Fabiana, Brevini Tiziana A L, Antonini Stefania, Paffoni Alessio, Ragni Guido, Gandolfi Fulvio
Laboratory of Biomedical Embryology, Centre for Stem Cells Research, University of Milan, via Celoria 10, 20133 Milan, Italy.
Reproduction. 2007 Nov;134(5):645-50. doi: 10.1530/REP-07-0182.
At present, oocyte selection is mainly based upon morphological criteria but it is generally acknowledged that its reliability requires further improvement. The aim of this study was to determine whether transcript levels in cumulus cells can provide a useful marker of oocyte developmental competence in vitro. A retrospective study was performed on cumulus cells isolated from 90 oocytes retrieved from 45 patients. Upon fertilization, 35 oocytes originated good-quality embryos and 36 developed into poor-quality embryos, whereas 19 failed to be fertilized. Semi-quantitative measurement of hyaluronic acid synthase 2 (HAS2), gremlin1 (GREM1), and pentraxin 3 (PTX3) mRNAs was performed and data for all genes were obtained from all the samples. Cumulus cells isolated from oocytes that originated high-quality embryos on day 3 of culture had HAS2 and GREM1 transcript levels higher than those detected in cells from oocytes that did not fertilize or developed into poor-quality embryos. No differences were observed in PTX3 levels. Results indicate that the measurement of HAS2 and GREM1 levels in cumulus cells would reliably complement the morphological evaluation providing a useful tool for selecting oocytes with greater chances to be fertilized and develop in vitro.
目前，卵母细胞的选择主要基于形态学标准，但人们普遍认为其可靠性有待进一步提高。本研究的目的是确定卵丘细胞中的转录水平是否能够为体外卵母细胞发育能力提供有用的标志物。对从45例患者获取的90枚卵母细胞中分离出的卵丘细胞进行了一项回顾性研究。受精后，35枚卵母细胞形成了优质胚胎，36枚发育成了劣质胚胎，而19枚未能受精。对透明质酸合酶2（HAS2）、gremlin1（GREM1）和五聚素3（PTX3）的mRNA进行了半定量测量，并从所有样本中获取了所有基因的数据。在培养第3天从形成优质胚胎的卵母细胞中分离出的卵丘细胞，其HAS2和GREM1转录水平高于未受精或发育成劣质胚胎的卵母细胞中的细胞所检测到的水平。PTX3水平未观察到差异。结果表明，测量卵丘细胞中HAS2和GREM1的水平将可靠地补充形态学评估，为选择有更大机会受精并在体外发育的卵母细胞提供一个有用的工具。
