ABSTRACT
The aim of the current study was to assess the mRNA levels of two mitochondria-related genes,including nuclear-encoded NRF1 [nuclear respiratory factor 1], mitochondrial transcription factor A [TFAM], and mitochondrial-encoded cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 [MT-CO1] genes in various stages of the human oocyte maturation. Oocytes were obtained from nine infertile women with male factor undergoing in vitro fertilization [IVF]/intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection protocol. Mitochondrial-related mRNA levels were performed by single-cell TaqMan real-time PCR. the expression level of the target genes was low at the germinal vesicle stage [P>0.05]. Although the mRNA level of NRF1gene remained stable in metaphase I, the mRNA level of TFAM and MT-CO1 increased significantly [P<0.05].In metaphase II, the expression level of all genes increasedcompared to metaphase I [P<0.05]. The overexpression levels of NRF1, TFAM, and MT-CO1 genes are related to the oocyte maturation. Therefore, the current study could be used clinically to improve the successrate of IVF.
ABSTRACT
Women with tubal ectopic pregnancies have high levels of circulating interleukin 6 (IL-6). IL-6 treatment in vitro significantly reduces the ciliary activity of tubal epithelium. The effects of IL-6 on target cells occur via the formation of a high-affinity complex with its receptors IL-6Ralpha and glycoprotein 130 (Gp130). IL-6Ralpha is specifically expressed in the cilia of the epithelial cells. In this study, we performed a quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction to determine the mRNA expression of IL-6Ralpha and Gp130 in the fallopian tubes obtained from 12 women with ectopic pregnancies, 12 women with normal pregnancies, and 12 healthy nonpregnant women in the luteal phase of their menstrual cycle. Fallopian tubes were evaluated from specimens taken during tubal ligation in normal pregnancies and nonpregnant fertile women or during tubal surgery in ectopic pregnancies. We observed that IL-6Ralpha mRNA expression in fallopian tubes was increased in ectopic pregnancy compared with that in the midluteal phase. We also found that the Gp130 mRNA expression was significantly lower in fallopian tubes from ectopic pregnancies than in those from nonpregnant women during the midluteal phase of their menstrual cycle, although its expression was noticeably high in fallopian tubes in the midluteal phase, which suggests that high Gp130 levels may possibly contribute to embryo transport into the uterus.