Department of Gynecological Minimal Invasive Center, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100010, China.
Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Genetics, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032 Anhui, China.
Biomed Res Int. 2020 Feb 28;2020:5403904. doi: 10.1155/2020/5403904. eCollection 2020.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common female endocrine system disease that affects 17.8% of women of reproductive age and leads to infertility, obesity, glucose metabolic disorders, cardiovascular disease, and body-mind problems. However, the etiology of PCOS remains unclear. Follicular growth is disrupted as a result of ovarian hyperandrogenism and distorted intraovarian paracrine signaling in women with PCOS. Microcommunication between oocytes and cumulus cells plays a critical role in folliculogenesis. Gap junction alpha 1 (GJA1) plays a crucial role in the developing follicles by forming communication channels between cumulus cells and oocytes, but this has not yet been reported in women with PCOS. Therefore, we aimed to study the role of GJA1 in the microcommunication between oocytes and cumulus cells in women with PCOS. In our study, cumulus cell-oocyte complexes (COCs) from women were isolated via ultrasound-guided vaginal puncture, and oocytes were selected from COCs and categorized based on 3 oocyte maturation stages. Then, RT-qPCR and immunofluorescence analysis were performed to detect both the gene expression and protein of GJA1 in oocytes from women with and without PCOS. There was no statistically significant difference in age and BMI (body mass index), but patients with PCOS had a higher ratio of basic LH/FSH (luteinizing hormone/follicle-stimulating hormone), androstenedione, and total ovarian volume. The qRT-PCR results showed higher gene expression of GJA1 in oocytes without PCOS at the germinal vesicle (GV) stage compared with that of oocytes from women with PCOS. Immunofluorescence analysis showed that the expression level of GJA1 in oocytes from women with PCOS was very weak compared with that of oocytes from women without PCOS. In conclusion, GJA1 may play a critical role in the development of oogenesis arrest in women with PCOS throughout the oogenesis processes, including oogenesis and oocyte maturation.
多囊卵巢综合征（PCOS）是一种常见的女性内分泌系统疾病，影响 17.8%的育龄妇女，导致不孕、肥胖、糖代谢紊乱、心血管疾病和身心问题。然而，PCOS 的病因仍不清楚。患有 PCOS 的妇女由于卵巢雄激素过多和卵巢内旁分泌信号紊乱，卵泡生长受到破坏。卵母细胞和颗粒细胞之间的微通讯在卵泡发生中起着关键作用。间隙连接蛋白 alpha 1（GJA1）在发育中的卵泡中通过在颗粒细胞和卵母细胞之间形成通讯通道发挥重要作用，但这在 PCOS 妇女中尚未报道。因此，我们旨在研究 GJA1 在 PCOS 妇女卵母细胞和颗粒细胞之间微通讯中的作用。在我们的研究中，通过超声引导阴道穿刺从妇女中分离出卵丘-卵母细胞复合物（COC），并从 COC 中选择卵母细胞，并根据卵母细胞 3 个成熟阶段进行分类。然后，通过 RT-qPCR 和免疫荧光分析检测有无 PCOS 的妇女卵母细胞中 GJA1 的基因表达和蛋白。两组间年龄和 BMI（体重指数）无统计学差异，但 PCOS 患者基础 LH/FSH（促黄体生成素/卵泡刺激素）、雄烯二酮和总卵巢体积比值较高。qRT-PCR 结果显示，GV 期无 PCOS 妇女卵母细胞中 GJA1 的基因表达高于 PCOS 妇女卵母细胞。免疫荧光分析显示，与无 PCOS 妇女的卵母细胞相比，PCOS 妇女的卵母细胞中 GJA1 的表达水平非常弱。总之，GJA1 可能在 PCOS 妇女的卵母细胞发生过程中，包括卵母细胞发生和卵母细胞成熟过程中，对卵母细胞发生阻滞的发展起关键作用。
