Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Department of Infertility, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
J Assist Reprod Genet. 2020 Aug;37(8):1769-1780. doi: 10.1007/s10815-020-01860-0. Epub 2020 Jul 9.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, about 22 nucleotides, non-coding RNAs which regulate a wide range of gene expression during post-transcriptional stage. They are released into intra- and extracellular microenvironments and play vital roles in different physiological and pathological pathways. Due to easy accessibility, detection of extracellular miRNAs in body fluids, e.g. serum, plasma, cerebrospinal fluid, and follicular fluid, has been explored in recent years. Since miRNAs are stable at unsuitable conditions, scientists have been investigating to use them as biomarkers in different fields of medicines. It goes without saying that experienced biomarkers would be required in reproductive medicine as well. Biomarkers can help clinicians and embryologists to diagnose disorders and assess the embryo quality via molecular pattern which is more reliable than nowadays routine methods. Follicular fluid as a noninvasive fluid in assisted reproductive techniques (ART) has attracted researchers as a rich pool for biomarkers, and miRNAs are not exception. Although miRNA biomarkers in reproduction field are located on their initial stage and there is a long path to move forward, several meticulous studies have been performed and discovered their associations with various conditions. In this regard, we summarize the reported miRNAs in follicular fluid and their correlations with female infertility and ART success rate, while subsequent investigations are required.
微小 RNA（miRNAs）是约 22 个核苷酸的小非编码 RNA，在转录后阶段调节广泛的基因表达。它们被释放到细胞内和细胞外的微环境中，并在不同的生理和病理途径中发挥重要作用。由于易于获取，近年来已经在研究中探索了在体液（例如血清、血浆、脑脊液和卵泡液）中检测细胞外 miRNAs。由于 miRNAs 在不适宜的条件下稳定存在，科学家们一直在研究将它们用作不同医学领域的生物标志物。不言而喻，生殖医学也需要有经验的生物标志物。生物标志物可以帮助临床医生和胚胎学家通过比当今常规方法更可靠的分子模式来诊断疾病和评估胚胎质量。卵泡液作为辅助生殖技术（ART）中的一种非侵入性液体，吸引了研究人员作为生物标志物的丰富来源，miRNAs 也不例外。尽管生殖领域的 miRNA 生物标志物处于初始阶段，还有很长的路要走，但已经进行了一些细致的研究，并发现了它们与各种情况的关联。在这方面，我们总结了卵泡液中报道的 miRNAs 及其与女性不孕和 ART 成功率的相关性，同时需要进一步研究。
