ABSTRACT
During the luteal and follicular phases of the estrous cycle, cumulus-oocyte complexes (COC) and oviduct epithelial cells (OEC) undergo notable physiological and morphological changes. Maintaining proper zinc (Zn) homeostasis is crucial in both somatic and germinal mammalian cells. This study aimed to assess the impact of the estrous phase (luteal or follicular) on Zn transporter expression in bovine COC and OEC (BOEC). The expression of Zn transporters Slc39a6 (ZIP6), Slc39a8 (ZIP8), Slc39a14 (ZIP14), Slc30a3 (ZnT3), Slc30a7 (ZnT7), and Slc30a9 (ZnT9) was analyzed in COC and BOEC from cows during the luteal or follicular phases. Gene expression of ZIP6, ZIP14, and ZnT9 was quantified in COC and BOEC. The gene expression in the remaining transporters could not be quantified due to low mRNA levels (ZIP8 and ZnT3 in COC and BOEC; ZnT7 in BOEC) or absence of expression (ZnT7 in COC). In COC, the relative expression (RE) of all three transporters was higher in the luteal phase compared to the follicular phase (P ≤ 0.05). In BOEC, the luteal phase increased the RE of ZIP 6 (P ≤ 0.05), decreased the RE of ZnT9 (P ≤ 0.05), and did not modify the RE of ZIP14 (P > 0.05) compared to the follicular phase. In conclusion, the study reveals differences in the gene expression of ZIP6, ZIP14, and ZnT9 according to the estrous cycle phase in ex vivo samples of bovine COC and OEC.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: XRCC1 (X-ray repair cross-complementing group 1) plays a central role in the DNA base excision repair mechanism. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the XRCC1 gene are thought to modulate DNA repair capacity and have been linked to cancer risk in several studies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a case-control study comprising 217 cervical samples, including 103 cervical carcinomas and 114 normal tissue samples. Cervical samples were genotyped for two XRCC1 SNPs (Arg194Trp and Arg399Gln) by PCR-RFLPs. RESULTS: Subjects carrying heterozygous Arg399Gln or the combined Gln399Gln + Arg399Gln variant genotypes had a significantly reduced risk for cervical cancer development. In addition, the 194Arg-399Gln haplotype was also found to be associated with a decreased risk for cervical carcinoma. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that XRCC1 genotypes and haplotypes contribute in reducing the risk for cervical cancer development. Furthermore, genetic susceptibility conferred by Arg399Gln polymorphism operates independently of human papillomavirus infection of cervical tissue.