AQP8 and AQP9 expression in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome and its association with fertilization-embryo transfer outcomes.

The aim of the present study was to investigate aquaporin (AQP)8 and AQP9 expression in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and its association with fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) outcomes. A total of 45 patients with PCOS undergoing IVF-ET (test group) and 50 patients with oviduct obstruction or ovarian cyst (control group) were assessed for the mRNA expression of AQP8 and AQP9 in ovarian tissues by reverse transcription-quantitative (RT-q)PCR. The levels of luteinizing hormone, anti-mullerian hormone and testosterone were determined, which were revealed to be significantly different between the two groups (P<0.05). The RT-qPCR results indicated that AQP8 expression in the control group was lower than that in the test group (t=37.75, P<0.01), whereas AQP9 expression in the control group was higher than that in the test group (t=19.59, P<0.01). The number of eggs obtained in the group with high AQP8 expression was significantly lower than that in the group with low AQP8 expression (t=2.64, P<0.01). The number of high-quality embryos in the high AQP8 expression group was not significantly different from that in the low AQP8 expression group (t=1.02, P>0.05). The pregnancy rate in patients with high AQP9 expression was higher than that in the low AQP9 expression group (P<0.05) and the abortion rate in the former was lower than that in the latter (P<0.05). In conclusion, AQP8 and AQP9 are differentially expressed in ovarian tissues of patients with PCOS vs. normal control subjects. The expression of AQP8 is closely associated with the occurrence and development of oocytes, whereas the expression of AQP9 is associated with the success rate of pregnancy in patients with PCOS.