The lncRNA LINC00339-encoded peptide promotes trophoblast adhesion to endometrial cells via MAPK and PI3K-Akt signaling pathways

BACKGROUND

Endometrial receptivity (ER), a pivotal event for successful embryo implantation, refers to the capacity of endometrium to allow the adhesion of the trophectoderm of the blastocyst to endometrial cells. In this paper, we set to elucidate whether the peptides encoded by lncRNAs could influence trophoblast cells' adhesion to endometrial cells.

METHODS

WGCNA construction and bioinformatics were used to find out the ER-related lncRNAs with coding potential. Protein analysis was done by immunoblotting and immunofluorescence (IF) microscopy. CCK-8 and Calcein-AM/PI double staining assays were employed to evaluate cell viability. The effect of the peptide on trophoblast spheroids' adhesion to endometrial cells was evaluated. The RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis was applied to identify downstream molecular processes.

RESULTS

lncRNA LINC00339 was found to be related to ER development and it had been predicted to have protein-coding potential. LINC00339 had high occupancy of ribosomes and was confirmed to encode a 49-aa peptide (named LINC00339-205-49aa). LINC00339-205-49aa could promote the attachment of JAR trophoblast spheroids to Ishikawa endometrial cells in vitro. LINC00339-205-49aa also upregulated the expression of E-cadherin in Ishikawa cells. Mechanistically, MAPK and PI3K-Akt signaling pathways were involved in the modulation of LINC00339-205-49aa, which were activated by LINC00339-205-49aa in Ishikawa cells.

CONCLUSION

These data demonstrate that a previously uncharacterized peptide encoded by lncRNA LINC00339 has the ability to enhance JAR trophoblast spheroids' adhesion to Ishikawa endometrial cells, highlighting a new opportunity for the development of drugs to improve ER.

Melatonin regulates autophagy in granulosa cells from patients with premature ovarian insufficiency via activating Foxo3a

Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is a diverse form of female infertility characterized by a decline in ovarian function before the age of 40. Melatonin (MT) is a potential clinical treatment for restoring or safeguarding ovarian function in POI. However, the specific therapeutic mechanism underlying this effect remains unclear. To address this, we conducted experiments using human granulosa cells (GCs) from both POI and normal patients. We examined the expression levels of autophagy-related genes and proteins in GCs through qRT-PCR and western blot analysis. Autophagy flux was monitored in GCs infected with GFP-LC3-adenovirus, and the regulatory function of MT in autophagy was investigated. Additionally, we employed pharmacological intervention of autophagy using 3-Methyladenine (3-MA) and RNA interference of Forkhead box O-3A (FOXO3A) to elucidate the mechanism of MT in the autophagy process. Compared to GCs from normal patients, GCs from POI patients exhibited irregular morphology, decreased proliferation, increased apoptosis, and elevated ROS levels. The expression of autophagy-related genes was downregulated in POI GCs, resulting in reduced autophagic activity. Furthermore, MT levels were decreased in POI GCs, but exogenous MT effectively activated autophagy. Mechanistically, melatonin treatment downregulated FOXO3A expression and induced phosphorylation in POI GCs. Importantly, silencing FOXO3A abolished the protective effect of melatonin on GCs. These findings indicate that autophagy is downregulated in POI GCs, accompanied by a deficiency in MT. Moreover, we demonstrated that supplementing MT can rescue autophagy levels and enhance GC viability through the activation of FOXO3A signaling. Thus, MT-FOXO3A may serve as a potential therapeutic target for POI treatment.

Naringenin alleviates the excessive lipid deposition of polycystic ovary syndrome rats and insulin-resistant adipocytes by promoting PKGIα

BACKGROUND

Naringenin (NGEN) has anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic effects. On this basis, this study aims to determine whether NGEN affects insulin resistance (IR) in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

METHODS

CCK-8 assay and oil red O staining were used to detect the cytotoxicity of NGEN and lipid production in cells or tissues, respectively. The differentiated mature SW872 cells were treated with palmitic acid (PA) to mimic IR cell model. Through detecting glucose consumption, the changes of inflammation and glycolipid metabolism can be observed with the assessment on expression levels of the inflammatory factors as well as lipid synthesis- (ACC, SREBP1c, PPARγ), glucose metabolism- and thermogenesis (ATGL, GLUT4, UCP1)-related genes. Insulin sensitivity was determined by changes in glucose consumption and PKGIα pathway. PKGIα was silenced to verify the protective mechanism of NGEN. PCOS rat model was constructed to confirm the results of cell experiments in vivo.

RESULTS

NGEN generated no effect on SW872 cell viability. SW872 cells were differentiated and mature, as evidenced by lipid droplet formation, lipid synthesis gene activation, sugar metabolism and inhibition of thermogenesis-related genes. PA induction promoted lipid synthesis in mature adipocytes, and inhibited glucose metabolism and cell insulin sensitivity. NGEN pretreatment effectively alleviated the above-mentioned abnormalities. The protective mechanism of NGEN was achieved through promoting PKGIα activation. NGEN also mitigated the abnormal glucose and lipid metabolism in PCOS rats.

CONCLUSION

NGEN inhibits the expression of PKGIα to alleviate IR that occurs in PCOS.

[Analysis of biofilm-forming ability and drug resistance for Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae]

Investigate the biofilm-forming ability and drug resistance of Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (HvKP) to provide scientific basis for the treatment of HvKP-infection. A total of 96 Klebsiella pneumoniae strains isolated from clinical infection specimens in Changsha Central Hospital from January to December in 2021 were retrospectively collected, and the clinical data of patients were collected. The string test preliminarily distinguished between HvKP and classic Klebsiella pneumoniae (CKP). The biofilm-forming ability of clinical strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP) was determined by microplate method. The Vitek 2 Compact automatic microbial identification/drug sensitivity analysis system was used for bacterial identification and drug sensitivity test. The clinical data of patients, biofilm forming ability and drug resistance in the HvKP group and those in the CKP group were compared and analyzed. The results showed that a total of 20 strains of HvKP were isolated from 96 non-repetitive KP, and the detection rate was 20.8%. HvKP mainly come from respiratory specimens, up to 75.0%.The prevalence of hepatobiliary diseases and the infection rate of multiple sites in patients with HvKP infection were higher than those in patients with CKP infection, and the difference was statistically significant(χ2=5.184,7.488;P=0.023,0.006).There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of gender, age, ICU admission, hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease, lung disease, urinary system disease, central nervous system disease and laboratory test indexes (all P>0.05).17 (85.0%) strains of HvKP can form biofilm, including 2 strains with weak biofilm-forming ability (10.0%), 10 strains with moderate biofilm-forming ability (50.0%) and 5 strains with strong biofilm-forming ability (25.0%). Among the 76 CKP, 71 (93.4%) could form biofilm, including 13 (17.1%) with weak biofilm-forming ability, 30(39.5%) with moderate biofilm-forming ability and 28 (36.8%) with strong biofilm-forming ability. There was no significant difference in biofilm-forming ability between HvKP and CKP (χ2=1.470,P=0.225).The overall resistance rate of HvKP was not high, but a multi-resistant HvKP resistant to carbapenems was found. The detection rate of multi-resistant HvKP (5.0%) was lower than that of multi-resistant CKP (28.9%), and the difference was statistically significant (χ2=4.984, P=0.026).The resistance rate of HvKP to piperacillin/tazobactam, aztreonam, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, ceftazidime, cefepime, tobramycin, minocycline, doxycycline, and compound sulfamethoxazole was lower than that of CKP, and the difference was statistically significant (all P<0.05). In conclusion, most of hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae can form biofilm in this study, but the difference of biofilm-forming ability is not obvious compared with classic Klebsiella pneumoniae. HvKP maintains high sensitivity to commonly used antibacterial drugs, but the drug resistance monitoring of the bacteria cannot be ignored.

Genetic characteristic of coexisting of mcr-1 and blaNDM-5 in Escherichia coli isolates from lesion-bearing animal organs

The coexistence of mcr-1 and blaNDM-5 in the plasmid of Escherichia coli has been widely reported and such strains have been mainly isolated from animal and human feces. However, few reports have focused on the genetic diversity of mcr-1-carrying chromosomes and blaNDM-5-carrying plasmids in E. coli isolates from lesion-bearing animal organs. This study investigated the genetic characteristics of chromosome-mediated mcr-1 and plasmid-mediated blaNDM-5 in E. coli isolated from lesion-bearing animal organs. Nine mcr-1- and blaNDM-5-positive E. coli strains (MNPECs) showed extensive drug resistance (XDR). The predominant clonal complexes (CC) mainly belonged to CC156, CC10, and CC165 from the 56 MNEPCs (including nine strains in this study) retrieved from the literature. These strains were widely distributed in China, and originated from pig fecal samples, human stool/urine samples as well as intestinal contents of chicken. Two transconjugants harboring blaNDM-5 gene were also successfully obtained from two donors (J-8 and N-14) and this transfer increased the MIC for meropenem by 256 times. However, conjugative transfer of mcr-1 gene failed. Both J-8 and N-14 strains contained point mutations associated with quinolone resistance and more than three types of AMR genes, including the mcr-1 gene on the chromosome and the blaNDM-5 gene on the IncX3-type plasmid. The genetic structure of mcr-1 located on the chromosome was an intact Tn6330, and blaNDM-5-carrying IncX3-type plasmid was ISAb125-IS5-blaNDM-5-bleO-trpF-tat-cutA-IS26 gene cassette. Moreover, differences between chromosomes included additional partial sequence of phage integrated into host genome and the different genes associated with O-antigen synthesis.

MALAT1 downregulation is associated with polycystic ovary syndrome via binding with MDM2 and repressing P53 degradation

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a metabolic disorder of the reproductive system that affects 6-20% women of reproductive age. Multiple coding and non-coding genes were found to be affected in patients with PCOS, including MALAT1, an 8.7 kb long non-coding RNA. MALAT1 has been found to interact with miRNAs in granulosa cells (GCs); however, its binding proteins in GCs are still unknown. In this study, MALAT1 binding proteins in primary GCs were recruited by RNA antisense purification (RAP) assay and identified by mass spectrometry. The interaction between MALAT1 and proteins was examined by the PAR-CLIP assay and immunofluorescence. Functional studies were performed using the human granulosa-like tumor cell line (KGN) and primary granulosa cells. We identified that MALAT1 interacted with MDM2 and PARP1 in the cell nucleus. MDM2 binds to the 3' segment of MALAT1, containing the ENE domain through the ring finger domain. Knockdown of MALAT1 in GCs increased p53 protein levels by repressing p53 ubiquitination and degradation. MALAT1 promoted the binding between P53 and MDM2, which further boosted P53 proteasome dependent degradation. Knockdown of MALAT1 in KGN cells and primary GCs increased apoptosis and reduced proliferation.

[Correlation study between changes in intestinal microflora structure and immune indexes in newly treated patients with pulmonary tuberculosis]

To explore the correlation between the changes of the intestinal flora of newly treated pulmonary tuberculosis patients and the immune indicators of the body, and to provide a reference for the prevention and treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis. A single-center and case-control study was adopted. From October 2020 to April 2021, 43 patients with newly diagnosed tuberculosis in the Department of Tuberculosis, Affiliated Changsha Central Hospital,University of South China were selected as the control group. 43 cases of newly treated pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB), 43 healthy control (HC) during the same period, collected fresh feces and whole blood of subjects, and used Illumina Hiseq high-throughput sequencing technology to analyze 16S of all microorganisms in feces The V4 region of rRNA was amplified and sequenced, and the structure of the intestinal flora was analyzed by QIIME software. Use flow cytometry to determine the subject's immune indicators (CD3⁺, CD4⁺, CD8⁺, CD4⁺CD25⁺CD127^-Treg, CD14⁺CD16⁺, CD14⁺CD16^-), and analyze the changes in intestinal flora and immune function in newly treated pulmonary tuberculosis patients Inherent connection. The χ² test, t test, and Wilcox rank sum test were used to analyze the differences in age, gender, α diversity, and relative abundance of the two groups of people. Compared with the HC group, the alpha diversity of the intestinal flora in the PTB group decreased (shannon index: t=3.906, P=0.000 2; simpson index: Z=553, P=0.004 7; chao1 index: t=5.395, P=0.000 0). β diversity analysis showed that there were significant differences in the structure of the intestinal flora between the two groups (P=0.000). Species difference analysis showed that at the phylum level, the relative abundance of Firmicutes in the PTB group was significantly lower than that in the HC group (Z=486.0, P=0.000 5). At the genus level, there are 15 different bacterial genera between the two groups. In the PTB group, bifidobacterium, enterococcus, lactobacillus, anaerostipes, the relative abundance of the above 5 genera of veillonella is higher than that of the HC group (P<0.05); Butyricimonas, clostridium, and broutella (blautia), coprococcus, dorea, lachnospira, roseburia, faecalibacterium, ruminococcus, the relative abundance of 10 bacterial genera including dialister was lower than that of the HC group (P<0.05). Comparison of immune indexes between groups showed that CD14⁺CD16⁺monocytes (%) in the PTB group were higher than those in the HC group (t=2.456, P=0.001 6<0.05), while CD14⁺CD16^-monocytes (%) were lower than HC (t=-4.368, P=0.000<0.05), while the differences in CD3⁺, CD4⁺, CD8⁺, CD4⁺/CD8⁺and Treg (CD4⁺CD25⁺CD127^-) were not statistically significant (P>0.05). Spearman correlation analysis showed that Firmicutes in the PTB group was negatively correlated with CD4⁺/CD8⁺, CD14⁺CD16⁺(r=-0.218, P=0.048; r=-0.245, P=0.025), and positively correlated with CD14⁺CD16^-Correlation (r=0.250, P=0.022); At the genus level, Faecalis is positively correlated with CD4⁺/CD8⁺and CD4⁺(r=0.250, P=0.023; r=0.258, P=0.019); Rosella and CD3⁺, CD8⁺and CD14⁺CD16^-are positively correlated (r=0.27, P=0.024; r=0.219, P=0.046; r=0.027, P=0.039), and negatively correlated with CD14⁺CD16⁺(r=-0.280, P= 0.01). Changes in the structure of the intestinal flora of newly treated pulmonary tuberculosis patients may be one of the influencing factors of the immune function of the body. Targeted optimization of the structure of the intestinal flora and improvement of the body's immunity may be used as an effective auxiliary treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis.

MicroRNA-664a-3p inhibits the proliferation of ovarian granulosa cells in polycystic ovary syndrome and promotes apoptosis by targeting BCL2A1

Background

To investigate whether micro ribonucleic acid-664a-3p (miR-664a-3p) targeting BCL2A1 affects the proliferation and apoptosis of ovarian granulosa cells.

Methods

Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the expression of miR-664a-3p in granulosa cells, granular tumor cell lines (KGN), and normal ovarian epithelial cell lines (IOSE80) in the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) group and the control group. After overexpressing miR-664a-3p or inhibiting its expression in KGN cells, qRT-PCR and Western blotting were used to detect the messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein levels of related genes. At the same time, a cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and flow cytometer were used to detect cell proliferation and apoptosis. The TargetScan website was used to predict the potential binding sites of miR-664a-3p and B-cell lymphoma 2-related protein A1 (BCL2A1), which was further verified by qRT-PCR, Western blotting, and the luciferase reporter gene method.

Results

The expression of miR-664a-3p was significantly decreased in both PCOS tissues and KGN cells (both P<0.05), and the overexpression of miR-664a-3p inhibited the proliferation of KGN cells and induced their apoptosis. Moreover, our results confirmed that miR-664a-3p directly targets BCL2A1 (P<0.05), and the inhibitory effect of miR-664a-3p on KGN cells was reversed by BCL2A1 overexpression (both P<0.05). The up-regulation of BCL2A1 promotes cell proliferation and reduces cell apoptosis by the mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MAPK/ERK) pathway (both P<0.05).

Conclusions

The up-regulation of miR-664a-3p inhibits the proliferation of KGN cells and increases apoptosis by down-regulating the expression of BCL2A1 and blocking the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway.

Dysregulated miR-142, -33b and -423 in granulosa cells target TGFBR1 and SMAD7: a possible role in polycystic ovary syndrome

It is well established that microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles are altered in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). In addition, abnormal transforming growth factor beta (TGFB) signaling in granulosa cells is related to the pathological conditions of PCOS. However, the function of dysregulated miRNAs in PCOS is still unclear. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the roles of specific miRNAs in PCOS. We collected follicular fluid from 46 patients with PCOS and 32 healthy controls. Granulosa cells (GCs) were separated and the levels of six candidate miRNAs were determined by quantitative RT-PCR. The direct targets of three dysregulated miRNAs were predicted using bioinformatic tools and confirmed using a dual luciferase assay and immunoblotting. The biological function of three dysregulated miRNAs in primary GCs was determined using a cell proliferation assay and flow cytometry. We found that miR-423 expression was downregulated (P = 0.038), and the levels of miR-33b (P = 0.032) and miR-142 (P = 0.021) were upregulated in GCs from patients with PCOS, compared to controls. miR-423 directly repressed SMAD family member 7 (SMAD7) expression, while transforming growth factor beta receptor 1 (TGFBR1) was a direct target of both miR-33b and miR-142. An RNA oligonucleotide mixture containing miR-423 inhibitor, miR-33b mimic, and miR-142 mimic repressed TGFB signaling, promoted cell proliferation (P = 0.0098), repressed apoptosis (P = 0.027), and increased S phase cell numbers (P = 0.0036) in primary cultures of GCs, compared to the cells treated with a sequence scrambled control RNA oligonucleotide. This study unveiled the possible roles of three miRNAs in PCOS and might provide candidate biomarkers for PCOS diagnosis while in vivo functional studies, using transgenic or knockout mouse models, are expected to confirm the roles of dysregulated miRNAs in the pathogenesis of PCOS.

Altered miR-186 and miR-135a contribute to granulosa cell dysfunction by targeting ESR2: A possible role in polycystic ovary syndrome

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a group of negative regulators of gene expression that function at the posttranscriptional level. Dysregulation of miRNAs is involved in many pathophysiological processes, including polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). In this study, we first detected the expression levels of 6 candidate miRNA in granulosa cells (GCs) from 63 women with PCOS and 20 healthy controls. We found that miR-186 and miR-135a were overexpressed in GCs from PCOS patients. Subsequently, the direct targets of miR-186 and miR-135a were predicted using bioinformatics analysis and verified by luciferase assays and immunoblotting. The present study determined that miR-186 and miR-135a repressed ESR2 expression in GCs, which further inhibited CDKN1A expression, promoted GC proliferation and repressed GC apoptosis. Meanwhile, the levels of miR-186 and miR-135a in GCs were found to positively correlate with serum estradiol levels in patients with PCOS. Furthermore, estradiol treatment directly increased miR-186 and miR-135a levels in KGN and primary GCs, which provides new insight into understanding the pathophysiology of PCOS.

Preoperative bathing with chlorhexidine reduces the incidence of surgical site infections after total knee arthroplasty: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Surgical site infection is a devastating postoperative complication, and the occurrence ranges from 1% to 2% after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The efficacy of the preoperative use of chlorhexidine for reducing infection has been debated. This meta-analysis aimed to examine the efficacy of the use of chlorhexidine to prevent surgical site infections after TKA.

METHODS

In February 2017, a systematic literature review was conducted using the following electronic databases: PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and the Google database. Data from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and retrospective comparative study (RCS) that compared the use of chlorhexidine versus control washes to prep patients for TKA were retrieved. The primary endpoint was to compare the total incidence of infection with and without the use of chlorhexidine. The secondary outcomes were the incidence of infection in low-risk category patients, moderate-risk category patients, and high-risk category patients. After testing for publication bias and heterogeneity between studies, data were aggregated for random-effects modeling when necessary.

RESULTS

Four clinical trials that included 8787 patients (chlorhexidine group: n = 2615, control group: n = 6172) were ultimately included in the meta-analysis. Chlorhexidine was associated with a reduced total incidence of infection, corresponding to a reduction of 1.69% [risk ratio (RR) = 0.22; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 0.12-0.40; P = .000]. Similarly, chlorhexidine was associated with a reduction in the incidence of infection among patients in the moderate-risk category (RR, 0.18; 95% CI, 0.05-0.63; P = .007) and the high-risk category (RR, 0.13; 95% CI, 0.03-0.67; P = .014). There was no significant difference between the incidence of infection in low-risk category patients with chlorhexidine use compared with the use of control washes (RR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.22-1.60; P = .330).

CONCLUSION

The preoperative use of chlorhexidine could reduce the total incidence of infection and the incidence of infection in moderate-risk and high-risk category patients. The overall evidence and the number of included studies was limited; thus, a greater number of high-quality RCTs is still needed to further identify the effects of chlorhexidine on reducing the incidence of infection after TKA.

Effectiveness and Tolerability of Anticoagulants for Thromboprophylaxis after Major Joint Surgery: a Network Meta-Analysis

Background/Aims: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is the most common complication after major joint surgery. VTE can easily develop into pulmonary embolism (PE), leading to cardiopulmonary dysfunction or sudden death. We aimed to comprehensively analyse the thromboprophylactic drugs that are used to prevent thrombosis and reduce bleeding risk. Methods: We searched the PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases for randomized controlled trials that evaluated the use of thromboprophylaxis after major joint surgery. The major outcomes were the numbers of all-cause VTE and bleeding events, and the secondary outcomes were major VTE and major bleeding/clinically relevant non-major bleeding events. A random-effects network meta-analysis was used to assess the effectiveness and tolerability of each anticoagulant after major joint surgery. Results: We included 104 trials that assessed 110,643 patients in our meta-analysis. The cluster ranking of major outcomes indicated that FXI-ASO, ardeparin, aspirin, and apixaban were ideal for preventing all-cause VTE and avoiding all bleeding events. Nadroparin, recombinant hirudin, and rivaroxaban effectively inhibited VTE but were associated with a high risk of bleeding. For secondary outcomes, we found that betrixaban, dalteparin, warfarin, and eribaxaban were ideal for preventing major VTE and reducing major bleeding, while rivaroxaban effectively inhibited major VTE but was associated with a high risk of major/clinically relevant non-major bleeding. A sensitivity analysis showed that the effect of apixaban was more robust for major outcomes, while aspirin was more robust for preventing all-cause bleeding events. In secondary outcomes, the effect of warfarin was more robust, while apixaban was still considered an ideal treatment to inhibit major VTE and bleeding events. Conclusion: Our study indicates that FXI-ASO, ardeparin, aspirin, and apixaban are ideal for preventing all-cause VTE and reducing all bleeding events, among which apixaban is the most reliable. Betrixaban, dalteparin, warfarin, and eribaxaban are ideal for preventing major VTE and reducing major/clinically relevant non-major bleeding events, among which warfarin is the most reliable.

miR-483 is Down-Regulated in Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and Inhibits KGN Cell Proliferation via Targeting Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1 (IGF1)

Background

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a common metabolic disorder in premenopausal woman, characterized by hyperandrogenism, oligoanovulation, and insulin resistance. microRNAs play pivotal roles in regulating key factors of PCOS. However, relevant research remains limited. This study aimed to reveal the role and potential mechanism of miR-483 in PCOS.

Material/Methods

PCOS patients (n=20) were recruited for detecting miR-483 expression in lesion and normal ovary cortex. Human granulosa-like tumor cell line KGN was used to alter miR-483 expression by cell transfection. Cell viability and proliferation were analyzed by MTT assay and colony formation assay, and cell cycle was detected by flow cytometry. Interaction between miR-483 and IGF1 was verified by luciferase reporter assay. KGN cells were further treated by insulin to investigate the relationship between miR-483 and insulin.

Results

miR-483 was significantly down-regulated in lesion ovary cortex from PCOS patients (P<0.001). In KGN cells, overexpression of miR-483 inhibited cell viability and proliferation, and induced cell cycle arrest. miR-483 also inhibited CCNB1, CCND1, and CDK2. miR-483 sponge induced the opposite effects. miR-483 directly targeted IGF1 3′UTR, and IGF1 promoted KGN cell proliferation and reversed miR-483-inhibited cell viability. Insulin treatment in KGN cells inhibited miR-483, and promoted IGF1 and cell proliferation.

Conclusions

These results suggest that miR-483 is a PCOS suppressor inhibiting cell proliferation, possibly via targeting IGF1, and that it is involved in insulin-induced cell proliferation. miR-483 is a potential alternative for diagnosing and treating PCOS.

Effects of high progesterone on outcomes of in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer in patients with different ovarian responses

The data of 3,841 cycles undergoing in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) in our reproductive Center between January 2003 and December 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the number of oocytes retrieved, this study was divided into the high ovarian response group (oocyte retrieval≥20, 842 cycles), the moderate ovarian response group (5<oocyte retrieval<20, 2008 cycles), and the low ovarian response group (oocyte retrieval≤5, 991 cycles). The treatment outcomes were compared between the patients with an increased progesterone (P) level and the patients where the P level did not increase. With increase in ovarian response, the cut-off values of serum P on the day of human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) rose, and respectively were 2.5 ng/ml in the high ovarian response group, 2.25 ng/ml in the moderate ovarian response group, and 1.5 ng/ml in the low ovarian response group. In each group, the clinical pregnancy rate and embryo implantation rate were lower in the patients with an increased P level compared to those where the P level did not increase (all p<0.05). However, there were no significant difference in the fertilization rate, cleavage rate, and high-quality embryo rate (all p>0.05). The increased level of P on the day of hCG may affect the treatment outcomes of IVF-ET. The cut-off values of serum P seem to be associated with ovarian response. Increased ovarian response causes the cut-off values of serum P to rise.