Ruvolo Giovanni, Matranga Domenica, Barreca Maria Magdalena, Bosco Liana
Centro di Biologia della Riproduzione, 90141 Palermo, Italy.
Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy.
Life (Basel). 2024 Apr 25;14(5):554. doi: 10.3390/life14050554.
(1) Background: In this paper we aim to study the relationship between the expression levels of molecules involved in apoptotic/survival pathways, considered as molecular markers of oocyte competence (i.e., AKT, p-AKT, ERK1/2, and p-ERK1/2) in mural granulosa cells (MGCs) and the administration of r-FSH alone or combined with exogenous r-LH, in ovarian stimulation protocol. Moreover, we aim to evaluate oocyte competence by comparing normally cleaved embryos that were transferred in the uterus, with embryos that were arrested during in vitro culture. (2) Methods: The study included 34 normo-responder women undergoing ICSI procedures. All subjects were divided into two groups. Group A consisted of 18 women stimulated with r-FSH and used as a control group; Group B consisted of 14 women stimulated with r-FSH combined with r-LH. The MGCs were obtained from individual follicles. Immunoblot analyses were carried out to analyze the AKT, p-AKT, ERK1/2, and p-ERK1/2 levels in MGCs and to correlate them with the ovarian stimulation protocol. Furthermore, the oocyte competence was evaluated, for each follicle, according to the development of the embryo during in vitro culture and the pregnancy outcome. (3) Results: We found no significant difference in the levels of molecules in isolated MGCs between groups A and B. These results, in light of our previous research, suggest for the first time, to our knowledge, that cumulus cells and mural granulosa cells in the same follicle show different expression levels of molecules involved in the apoptotic mechanism. (4) Conclusions: Our results could clarify some controversial data in the literature where cumulative cell pools of cumulus and granulosa were analyzed, described as ovarian follicle cells, and used as markers of oocyte competence. In this paper, we found evidence that cumulus and granulosa cells need to be analyzed separately.
(1) 背景：在本文中，我们旨在研究壁层颗粒细胞（MGCs）中参与凋亡/存活途径的分子（被视为卵母细胞能力的分子标志物，即AKT、p-AKT、ERK1/2和p-ERK1/2）的表达水平与单独使用重组促卵泡激素（r-FSH）或联合外源性重组促黄体生成素（r-LH）进行卵巢刺激方案之间的关系。此外，我们旨在通过比较移植到子宫内的正常分裂胚胎与在体外培养过程中停滞的胚胎，来评估卵母细胞的能力。(2) 方法：该研究纳入了34名接受卵胞浆内单精子注射（ICSI）手术的正常反应女性。所有受试者分为两组。A组由18名接受r-FSH刺激的女性组成，用作对照组；B组由14名接受r-FSH联合r-LH刺激的女性组成。从单个卵泡中获取MGCs。进行免疫印迹分析以分析MGCs中AKT、p-AKT、ERK1/2和p-ERK1/2的水平，并将它们与卵巢刺激方案相关联。此外，根据体外培养期间胚胎的发育情况和妊娠结局，对每个卵泡的卵母细胞能力进行评估。(3) 结果：我们发现A组和B组分离的MGCs中分子水平没有显著差异。根据我们之前的研究，这些结果首次表明，据我们所知，同一卵泡中的卵丘细胞和壁层颗粒细胞显示出参与凋亡机制的分子的不同表达水平。(4) 结论：我们的结果可以澄清文献中一些有争议的数据，在这些文献中，分析了作为卵巢卵泡细胞描述的卵丘和颗粒细胞的累积细胞池，并将其用作卵母细胞能力的标志物。在本文中，我们发现有证据表明需要分别分析卵丘细胞和颗粒细胞。
