Identification of shared genetic architecture between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and type 2 diabetes: A genome-wide analysis.

Background: The incidence of complications of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) has been increasing.

Method: In order to identify the shared genetic architecture of the two disease phenotypes of NAFLD and T2D, a European population-based GWAS summary and a cross-trait meta-analysis was used to identify significant shared genes for NAFLD and T2D. The enrichment of shared genes was then determined through the use of functional enrichment analysis to investigate the relationship between genes and phenotypes.

Maternal inheritance of glucose intolerance via oocyte TET3 insufficiency.

Diabetes mellitus is prevalent among women of reproductive age, and many women are left undiagnosed or untreated. Gestational diabetes has profound and enduring effects on the long-term health of the offspring. However, the link between pregestational diabetes and disease risk into adulthood in the next generation has not been sufficiently investigated.

Comparison of Genome-Wide DNA Methylation Profiles of Human Fetal Tissues Conceived by Fertilization and Natural Conception.

Background: Assisted reproductive technology (ART) might induce adverse pregnancy outcomes and increase the risk of metabolic diseases in offspring' later life with unknown reasons. Here we evaluated the global methylation level and methylation profile of fetal tissue from elective terminations of pregnancy (ETP) after natural conception and multifetal pregnancy reduction (MFPR) after fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET).

Results: Global methylation levels were comparable between the fetal tissue of ETP after natural conception group and MFPR after IVF-ET group.

LINC00673 exerts oncogenic function in cervical cancer by negatively regulating miR-126-5p expression and activates PTEN/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Background: Recent studies have indicated the crucial regulator roles of a long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) LINC00673 in cancer pathogenesis and development. However, the clinical significance and functional effects of LINC00673 in cervical cancer remains unknown.

Methods: LINC00673 mRNA expression in cervical cancer tissues was measured by quantitative Real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), and the association between LINC00673 expression and the overall survival (OS) time of patients was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier survival plot.

Oocyte exposure to supraphysiological estradiol during ovarian stimulation increased the risk of adverse perinatal outcomes after frozen-thawed embryo transfer: a retrospective cohort study.

Maternal supraphysiological estradiol (E2) environment during pregnancy leads to adverse perinatal outcomes. However, the influence of oocyte exposure to high E2 levels on perinatal outcomes remains unknown. Thus, a retrospective cohort study was conducted to explore the effect of high E2 level induced by controlled ovarian stimulation (COH) on further outcomes after frozen embryo transfer (FET).

Melatonin rescues impaired penetration ability of human spermatozoa induced by mitochondrial dysfunction.

Fertilization failure often occurs during in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles despite apparently normal sperm and oocytes. Accumulating evidence suggests that mitochondria play crucial roles in the regulation of sperm function and male fertility. 3-Nitrophthalic acid (3-NPA) can induce oxidative stress in mitochondria, and melatonin, as an antioxidant, can improve mitochondrial function by reducing mitochondrial oxidative stress.

Proteomics of Uterosacral Ligament Connective Tissue from Women with and without Pelvic Organ Prolapse.

Purpose: Damage to the uterosacral ligaments is an important contributor to uterine and vaginal prolapse. The aim of this study is to identify differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in the uterosacral ligaments of women with and without pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and analyze their relationships to cellular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of POP.

Experimental Design: Uterosacral ligament connective tissue from four patients with POP and four control women undergo iTRAQ analysis followed by ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA) of DEPs.

An adapted carrier for the cryopreservation of human testicular spermatozoa.

Research Question: Does the adapted carrier Cryoplus improve the quality of cryopreserved spermatozoa compared with the use of conventional containers, and what is the effect of the adapted carrier on clinical outcomes?

Design: Semen samples from 27 cases of oligozoospermia were used to investigate whether the adapted carrier improved cryopreserved sperm quality compared with the use of 0.25-ml straws and 2-ml cryogenic vials. Thirty testicular sperm samples were used to study the quality of testicular spermatozoa cryopreserved in the adapted carrier.

Basonuclin 1 deficiency is a cause of primary ovarian insufficiency.

Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) leads to infertility and premature menopause in young women. The genetic etiology of this disorder remains unknown in most patients. Using whole exome sequencing of a large Chinese POI pedigree, we identified a heterozygous 5 bp deletion inducing a frameshift in BNC1, which is predicted to result in a non-sense-mediated decay or a truncated BNC1 protein.

Effects of Levonorgestrel and progesterone on Oviductal physiology in mammals.

Background: Our previous study indicated that emergency contraception, including levonorgestrel and progesterone, could lead to ectopic pregnancy following contraception failure. However, our understanding of the effects of levonorgestrel and progesterone on oviductal physiology is limited.

Methods: The receptivity of the fallopian tubal epithelium after levonorgestrel and progesterone treatment was examined through western blots for receptivity markers and JAr-spheroid-fallopian tubal epithelial cell attachment assays.

Aberrant expression and DNA methylation of lipid metabolism genes in PCOS: a new insight into its pathogenesis.

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), whose etiology remains uncertain, is a highly heterogenous and genetically complex endocrine disorder. The aim of this study was to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in granulosa cells (GCs) from PCOS patients and make epigenetic insights into the pathogenesis of PCOS.

Results: Included in this study were 110 women with PCOS and 119 women with normal ovulatory cycles undergoing in vitro fertilization acting as the control group.

Proteomics and bioinformatics analysis of altered protein expression in the placental villous tissue from early recurrent miscarriage patients.

Introduction: Recurrent miscarriage (RM) affects 5% of women, it has an adverse emotional impact on women. Because of the complexities of early development, the mechanism of recurrent miscarriage is still unclear. We hypothesized that abnormal placenta leads to early recurrent miscarriage (ERM).

Altered DNA methylation in neonates born large-for-gestational-age is associated with cardiometabolic risk in children.

Background: Infants being born Large-for-gestational-age (LGA) are prone to developing cardiometabolic disease. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear.

Results: Clinical investigation showed that children born LGA had significantly higher serum level of total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-c), and insulin, ratio of TC/high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-c) compared to children born appropriate for gestational age (AGA).

The impaired myocardial ischemic tolerance in adult offspring of diabetic pregnancy is restored by maternal melatonin treatment.

Diabetic pregnancy, with ever increasing prevalence, adversely affects embryogenesis and increases vasculometabolic disorder risks in adult offspring. However, it remains poorly understood whether maternal diabetes increases the offspring's susceptibility to heart injuries in adulthood. In this study, we observed that cardiac function and structure were comparable between adult offspring born to diabetic mice and their counterparts born to nondiabetic mice at baseline.

Aquaporin7 plays a crucial role in tolerance to hyperosmotic stress and in the survival of oocytes during cryopreservation.

Hyperosmotic stress may induce apoptosis of different cells. However, oocytes show tolerance to osmotic stress during cryopreservation by vitrification, which is an assisted reproductive technique. The underlying mechanism is still not understood.

Calcitriol attenuates cardiac remodeling and dysfunction in a murine model of polycystic ovary syndrome.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex reproductive and metabolic disorder affecting 10 % of reproductive-aged women, and is well associated with an increased prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors. However, there are few data concerning the direct association of PCOS with cardiac pathologies. The present study aims to investigate the changes in cardiac structure, function, and cardiomyocyte survival in a PCOS model, and explore the possible effect of calcitriol administration on these changes.

Differential proteomic analysis of umbilical artery tissue from preeclampsia patients, using iTRAQ isobaric tags and 2D nano LC-MS/MS.

Unlabelled: Epidemiological studies suggest that the impact of preeclampsia does not only affect the mother but also the children. We know that adverse events in utero may predispose individuals to premature cardiovascular disease in adulthood, but we do not know the mechanisms. To gain insights into the mechanisms of cardiovascular dysfunction in the offspring of preeclampsia, we employed a global stable isotope labeled profiling strategy using iTRAQ reagents, followed by 2D-LC-MS/MS.

Expression of aquaporins in human embryos and potential role of AQP3 and AQP7 in preimplantation mouse embryo development.

Background/aims: Water channels, also named aquaporins (AQPs), play crucial roles in cellular water homeostasis.

Methods: RT-PCR indicated the mRNA expression of AQPs 1-5, 7, 9, and 11-12, but not AQPs 0, 6, 8, and 10 in the 2∼8-cell stage human embryos. AQP3 and AQP7 were further analyzed for their mRNA expression and protein expression in the oocyte, zygote, 2-cell embryo, 4-cell embryo, 8-cell embryo, morula, and blastocyst from both human and mouse using RT-PCR and immunofluorescence, respectively.

Aquaporin-1 plays a crucial role in estrogen-induced tubulogenesis of vascular endothelial cells.

Context: Aquaporin-1 (AQP1) has been proposed as a mediator of estrogen-induced angiogenesis in human breast cancer and endometrial cancer. Elucidation of the molecular mechanisms governing AQP1-mediated, estrogen-induced angiogenesis may contribute to an improved understanding of tumor development.

Objective: Our objective was to identify the estrogen-response element (ERE) in the promoter of the Aqp1 gene and investigate the effects and mechanisms of AQP1 on estrogen-induced tubulogenesis of vascular endothelial cells.

Cryoprotectants up-regulate expression of mouse oocyte AQP7, which facilitates water diffusion during cryopreservation.

Objective: To investigate the effects of cryoprotectants on the expression of AQP7 in oocytes.

Design: Experimental animal study.

Setting: University-based research laboratory.

Functions of water channels in male and female reproductive systems.

Twelve water channels (aquaporins) are expressed in mammalian reproductive systems, and play very important roles in maintaining water homeostasis in reproductive cells. Impairment of their functions can result in attenuated male and female fertility. Alteration of AQPs expression is also found in reproductive tissues of the patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome, endometriosis or endometrium carcinoma.

Functional expression of large-conductance calcium-activated potassium channels in human endometrium: a novel mechanism involved in endometrial receptivity and embryo implantation.

Background: Large-conductance calcium-activated potassium channels (BK(Ca) channels) mediate physiological processes in nonexcitable cells.

Objective: The aim of the study was to determine BK(Ca) channel expression in human endometrium and its role in endometrial receptivity and embryo implantation.

Methods: BK(Ca) channel expression in human endometrium is described at different phases of the menstrual cycle using quantitative real time-PCR and Western blot techniques.