Epigallocatechin-3-gallate improves the quality of maternally aged oocytes.

The decline in female fertility as age advances is intricately linked to the diminished developmental potential of oocytes. Despite this challenge, the strategies available to enhance the quality of aged oocytes remain limited. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), characterised by its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and tissue protective properties, holds promise as a candidate for improving the quality of maternally aged oocytes.

Role of Androgen Receptor for Reconsidering the "True" Polycystic Ovarian Morphology in PCOS.

Purpose: Polycystic ovarian morphology (PCOM) is one of the key features of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The diagnosis of PCOM according to the Rotterdam criteria (≥12 antral follicles per ovary) is debated because of the high prevalence of PCOM in the general population. Androgen receptor (AR) is associated with the PCOS phenotype and might as well play a role during folliculogenesis.

RNA-Binding Protein IGF2BP2/IMP2 is a Critical Maternal Activator in Early Zygotic Genome Activation.

A number of genes involved in zygotic genome activation (ZGA) have been identified, but the RNA-binding maternal factors that are directly related to ZGA in mice remain unclear. The present study shows that maternal deletion of (also commonly known as ) in mouse embryos causes early embryonic developmental arrest in vitro at the 2-cell-stage. Transcriptomics and proteomics analyses of 2-cell-stage embryos in mice reveal that deletion of IMP2 downregulates the expression of and , both of which are required for early embryonic developmental competence.

The HMGA2-IMP2 Pathway Promotes Granulosa Cell Proliferation in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

Context: The high mobility group AT hook 2 (HMGA2) gene was previously identified in a genome-wide association study as a candidate risk gene that might be related to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Whether HMGA2 contributes to promoting granulosa cell (GC) proliferation in PCOS remains unknown.

Objective: We sought to determine whether HMGA2 is involved in the ovarian dysfunction of PCOS and in the mechanism of increased GC proliferation.

Resveratrol improves in vitro maturation of oocytes in aged mice and humans.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of resveratrol on oocyte maturation in aged mice and humans.

Design: Experimental laboratory study.

Setting: University-based reproductive medicine center.

Wilms' Tumor 1 Overexpression in Granulosa Cells Is Associated with Polycystic Ovaries in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Patients.

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a heterogeneous disorder characterized by chronic ovulatory dysfunction, hyperandrogenism, and polycystic ovaries. Wilms' tumor 1 (WT1) encoding a transcription factor involved in the differentiation of granulosa cells (GCs) regulates androgen receptor in the development of male genitalia. However, the expression pattern and possible role of WT1 in ovaries of PCOS patients are still unknown.

Integrated microRNA and mRNA signatures in peripheral blood lymphocytes of familial epithelial ovarian cancer.

Purpose: Characterization of the genetic landscapes of familial ovarian cancer through integrated analysis of microRNA and mRNA by partial least squares (PLS) and Monte Carlo technique based on genome-wide association studies (GWAS).

Methods: The miRNA and mRNA transcriptional data in familial ovarian cancer were characterized from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The miRNA and mRNA expression profiles in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) of 74 familial ovarian cancer patients and 47 control subjects were analyzed with the integration of partial least squares (PLS) and Monte Carlo techniques.

Identification of reference genes for qRT-PCR in granulosa cells of healthy women and polycystic ovarian syndrome patients.

Comparative gene expression analysis by qRT-PCR is commonly used to detect differentially expressed genes in studies of PCOS pathology. Impaired GC function is strongly associated with PCOS pathogenesis, and a growing body of studies has been dedicated to identifying differentially expressed genes in GCs in PCOS patients and healthy women by qRT-PCR. It is necessary to validate the expression stability of the selected reference genes across the tested samples for target gene expression normalization.

STMN1 Promotes Progesterone Production Via StAR Up-regulation in Mouse Granulosa Cells.

Stathmin 1 (STMN1) is a biomarker in several types of neoplasms. It plays an important role in cell cycle progression, mitosis, signal transduction and cell migration. In ovaries, STMN1 is predominantly expressed in granulosa cells (GCs).

[Prevalence, detection, management, and control of hypertension in the population of Mongolian and Han nationalities with age ≥ 55 years in a pastoral area of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region].

Objective: To know about the status of hypertension among Mongolian and Han aged older than 55 years living in pastoral area of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Methods: Stratified sampling method was adopted and 9146 people aged 55 years or older were selected, blood pressure measurement and related information were collected, prevalence, awareness, treatment and control rates of hypertension were analyzed.

Results: The hypertension crude prevalence rate of Mongolian and Han subjects was 54.

Resting-state fMRI studies in epilepsy.

Epilepsy is a disease characterized by abnormal spontaneous activity in the brain. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS-fMRI) is a powerful technique for exploring this activity. With good spatial and temporal resolution, RS-fMRI is a promising approach for accurate localization of the focus of seizure activity.

[A prevalence study on mild cognitive impairment among the elderly populations of Mongolian and Han nationalities in a pastoral area of Inner Mongolia].

Objective: To understand the epidemiological characteristics and distribution of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in elderly populations from Mongolian and Han nationalities living in the pastoral areas of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China.

Methods: According to the MCI clinical diagnostic criteria from Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4th revised edition (DSM-IV) by American Psychiatric Association, the individuals under study were at the age of 55 or over, with Mongolian or Han ethnicities and living in the pastoral area of Inner Mongolia.

Results: The crude MCI morbidity rates of Mongolian and Han of the study populations in the pastoral area of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China was 19.

[Effects of recurrent audiogenic seizures on hippocampal structure and seizure behavior of P77PMC rats].

Objective: To investigate the functional role of hippocampal mossy fiber sprouting in the pathophysiologic mechanism of initiation and propagation of epilepsy.

Methods: The authors examined hippocampal mossy fiber synaptic reorganization and the changes of hippocampal neurons in P77PMC rats at different stages in the course of recurrent seizures using Timm's method of silver sulfide staining and Nissl staining and observed the effects of recurrent audiogenic seizures (AGSs) on seizure behavior of P77PMC rats.

Results: Frequent recurrent AGSs could cause neuronal loss in CA(1) region of hippocampus and hippocampal mossy fiber sprouting got into the inner molecular layer of dentate gyrus in P77PMC rats, and could decrease the latency of IV/V grade of AGSs, increase the durations of AGSs.