Four Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in INSR, SLC6A14, TAS2R38, and OR2W3 Genes in Association with Idiopathic Infertility in Persian Men.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze and evaluate 4 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)-T132903C, C109869T, T824C, and T886C- and their correlation to the idiopathic Persian (Iranian) infertile male with oligospermia and azoospermia. STUDY DESIGN: A total of 96 idiopathic infertile male patients and 100 normal fertile men (controls) were included in the study. SNP analysis was performed using Real-Time High Resolution Melt analysis (PCR-HRM). Results were confirmed using PCR-RFLP and DNA sequencing analysis. RESULTS: The frequency of 2 SNPs, T132903C in INSR and C109869T in SLC6A14, were statistically different in the infertile males as compared to the control males (p < 0.02 for T132903C and p < 0.04 for C109869T). The SNP frequency for T824C in OR2W3 and T886C in TAS2R38 were similar in the infertile men and the control group with p values of < 0.2 for the T824C and p < 0.9 for T886C SNPs, respectively. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate a significant correlation between T132903C and C109869T SNPs in the INSR and SLC6A14 genes with idiopathic infertility in Persian males. These SNPs may also play a role in defects in spermatogenesis (oligospermia and azoospermia). Our study on Persian infertile, male patients was surprisingly consistent with what others have reported for the European male population. Such similarity might indicate a solid and crucial involvement of these SNPs in idiopathic male infertility in general.

Human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells can secrete insulin in vitro and in vivo.

Diabetes mellitus is characterized by autoimmune destruction of pancreatic beta cells, leading to decreased insulin production. Differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into insulin-producing cells offers novel ways of diabetes treatment. MSCs can be isolated from the human umbilical cord tissue and differentiate into insulin-secreting cells. Human umbilical cord-derived stem cells (hUDSCs) were obtained after birth, selected by plastic adhesion, and characterized by flow cytometric analysis. hUDSCs were transduced with nonintegrated lentivirus harboring PDX1 (nonintegrated LV-PDX1) and was cultured in differentiation medium in 21 days. Pancreatic duodenum homeobox protein-1 (PDX1) is a transcription factor in pancreatic development. Significant expressions of PDX1, neurogenin3 (Ngn3), glucagon, glucose transporter2 (Glut2), and somatostatin were detected by quantitative RT-PCR (P < 0.05). PDX1 and insulin proteins were shown by immunocytochemistry analysis. Insulin secretion of hUDSCs(PDX1+) in the high-glucose medium was 1.8 µU/mL. They were used for treatment of diabetic rats and could decrease the blood glucose level from 400 mg/dL to a normal level in 4 days. In conclusion, our results demonstrated that hUDSCs are able to differentiate into insulin-producing cells by transduction with nonintegrated LV-PDX1. These hUDSCs(PDX1+) have the potential to be used as a viable resource in cell-based gene therapy of type 1 diabetes.

Insulin producing cells established using non-integrated lentiviral vector harboring PDX1 gene.

AIM: To investigate reprogramming of human adipose tissue derived stem cells into insulin producing cells using non-integrated lentivirus harboring PDX1 gene. METHODS: In this study, human adipose tissue derived stem cells (hADSCs) were obtained from abdominal adipose tissues by liposuction, selected by plastic adhesion, and characterized by flow cytometric analysis. Human ADSCs were differentiated into adipocytes and osteocytes using differentiating medium to confirm their multipotency. Non-integrated lentiviruses harboring PDX1 (Non-integrated LV-PDX1) were constructed using specific plasmids (pLV-HELP, pMD2G, LV-105-PDX1-1). Then, hADSCs were transduced with non-integrated LV-PDX1. After transduction, ADSCs(PDX1+) were cultured in high glucose DMEM medium supplement by B27, nicotinamide and ßFGF for 21 d. Expressions of PDX1 and insulin were detected at protein level by immunofluorescence analysis. Expressions of PDX1, neurogenin3 (Ngn3), glucagon, glucose transporter2 (Glut2) and somatostatin as specific marker genes were investigated at mRNA level by quantitative RT-PCR. Insulin secretion of hADSCs(PDX1+) in the high-glucose medium was detected by electrochemiluminescence test. Human ADSCs(PDX1+) were implanted into hyperglycemic rats. RESULTS: Human ADSCs exhibited their fibroblast-like morphology and made colonies after 7-10 d of culture. Determination of hADSCs identified by FACS analysis showed that hADSCs were positive for mesenchymal cell markers and negative for hematopoietic cell markers that guaranteed the lack of hematopoietic contamination. In vitro differentiation of hADSCs into osteocytes and adipocytes were detected by Alizarin red and Oil red O staining and confirmed their multilineage differentiation ability. Transduced hADSCs(+PDX1) became round and clusters in the differentiation medium. The appropriate expression of PDX1 and insulin proteins was confirmed using immunocytochemistry analysis. Significant expressions of PDX1, Ngn3, glucagon, Glut2 and somatostatin were detected by quantitative RT-PCR. hADSCs(PDX1+) revealed the glucose sensing ability by expressing Glut2 when they were cultured in the medium containing high glucose concentration. The insulin secretion of hADSCs(PDX1+) in the high glucose medium was 2.32 µU/mL. hADSCs(PDX1+) implantation into hyperglycemic rats cured it two days after injection by reducing blood glucose levels from 485 mg/dL to the normal level. CONCLUSION: Human ADSCs can differentiate into IPCs by non-integrated LV-PDX1 transduction and have the potential to be used as a resource in type 1 diabetes cell therapy.

Derivation of islet-like cells from mesenchymal stem cells using PDX1-transducing lentiviruses.

Pancreatic duodenum homeobox protein-1 (PDX1) is a master regulatory gene in pancreatic development. Reprogramming of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is a promising tool for producing insulin-producing cells. In this study, lentivirus harboring PDX1 (LV-PDX1) has been used for persistence gene expression in MSCs. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential of lentivirus to introduce the PDX1 gene into MSCs to produce insulin-secreting cells and apply it for treatment of hyperglycemia in diabetic rats. MSCs were isolated from rat bone marrow, characterized, and transduced by LV-PDX1. Significant expressions of PDX1, neurogenin3, glucagon, glucose transporter2 (Glut2), and insulin were detected by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (P < 0.05). PDX1 and insulin were detected at the protein level by immunofluorescence analysis. PDX1 could trigger a gene expression cascade that involved pancreatic endocrine differentiation and also revealed the glucose sensing ability by expressing Glut2 in high-glucose medium. The insulin secretion of MSCs(PDX1+) in the high-glucose medium was 1.75-fold higher than that secreted in the low-glucose medium (P < 0.05). MSCs(PDX1+) implanted into diabetic rats could decrease the blood glucose level from 485 mg/dL to the normal level in 3 days. This study showed MSCs(PDX1+) have the potential to be used as a viable resource in cell-based gene therapy of type 1 diabetes.

Association study of six SNPs in PRM1, PRM2 and TNP2 genes in iranian infertile men with idiopathic azoospermia.

BACKGROUND: Histones are replaced by protamines to condensate and package DNA into the sperm head during mammalian spermatogenesis. Protamine genes defects have been reported to cause sperm DNA damage and male infertility. OBJECTIVE: In this study relationship among some protamines genes family SNPs include PRM1 (C321A), PRM2 (C248T) and TNP2 (T1019C), (G1272C), (G del in 1036 and 1046 bp) were studied in 96 idiopathic infertile men with azoospermia or oligospermia and 100 normal control men. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Analysis of SNPs was performed using restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP), single strand conformational polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) and PCR sequencing. RESULTS: No polymorphisms were found for tested SNPs except for PRM1 (C321A) and TNP2 (G1272C) in which frequency of altered AA and GG genotypes were slightly higher in infertile case group. Statistical analysis showed no significant association related to PRM1 (C321A) p=0.805 and TNP2 (G1272C) loci p=0.654. CONCLUSION: These results are consistent with previous studies and indicating that all tested SNPs was not associated with oligospermia and azospermia and idiopatic male infertility in Iranian population.

Study of GT-repeat expansion in Heme oxygenase-1 gene promoter as genetic cause of male infertility.

PURPOSE: The length of GT-repeats polymorphic region in the promoter of human Heme oxygenase-1 gene (HO-1) alters the level of its transcriptional activity in response to oxidative stresses. Decreased level of HO-1 protein in the seminal plasma has been reported to be associated with oligospermia and azoospermia in male infertility. This is the first study to investigate the association between GT-repeats expansion in the promoter of the HO-1 gene and male infertility. METHODS: The frequencies of different GT-repeats alleles in the promoter of HO-1 gene were determined in 100 cases and 100 normal controls using PCR-PAGE, ABI fragment analysis genotyping and sequencing analysis. RESULTS: All alleles were classified into S and L alleles. S alleles were specified as number 0 to 3 with <27 GT-repeats and L alleles were specified as number 4 to 6 with >27 repeats. The L allele frequency was significantly higher among case group (54.5%) than that was obtained in the normal control group (37.5%). Statistical analysis provided a significant relationship between L allele and male infertility (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study shows for the first time that GT-repeats expansion in promoter of the HO-1 gene is associated with oligospermia and azoospermia among Iranian infertile cases.

OCT4B1, a novel spliced variant of OCT4, is highly expressed in gastric cancer and acts as an antiapoptotic factor.

The octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (OCT4) is involved in regulating pluripotency and self-renewal maintenance of embryonic stem cells. Recently, misexpression of OCT4 has been also reported in some adult stem as well as cancer cells; a finding which is still controversial. In addition to the previously described spliced variants of the gene (e.g., OCT4A and OCT4B), we have recently identified a novel variant of the gene, designated as OCT4-B1. In this study, we investigated a potential expression and function of OCT4B1 in a series of gastric cancer tissues and a gastric adenocarcinoma cell line, AGS. Using the Taqman real-time PCR approach, we have detected the expression of OCT4B1 in tumors with no or much lower expression in marginal samples of the same patients (p < 0.002). We have also analyzed the effects of OCT4B1 knock-down in AGS cell line treated with specific siRNA directed toward OCT4B1. Our data revealed that interfering with the expression of OCT4B1 caused profound changes in the morphology and cell cycle distribution of the cells. Furthermore, down-regulation of OCT4B1 significantly elevated the relative activity of caspase-3/caspase-7 and the rate of apoptosis in the cells (more than 30%). All together, our findings suggest that OCT4B1 has a potential role in tumorigenesis of gastric cancer and candidates the variant as a new tumor marker with potential value in diagnosis and treatment of gastric cancer.

ATM Gene Mutations Detection in Iranian Ataxia-Telangiectasia Patients.

Ataxia-Telangiectasia (AT) is an autosomal recessive disorder involving cerebellar degeneration, immunodeficiency, radiation sensitivity and cancer predisposition. The ATM gene on human chromosome 11q22.3 has recently been identified as the gene responsible for ataxia-telangiectasia (AT). The gene mutated in AT, which has been designated as the ATM gene, encodes a large protein kinase with a PI-3 kinase-related domain. More than 100 mutations are broadly distributed throughout the ATM gene. The large size of the ATM gene (66 exons spanning ~150kb of genomic DNA) together with the diversity and broad distribution of mutations in AT patients, greatly limits the utility of direct mutation screening as a diagnostic tool. In this study, 20 families with at least one affected child clinically suspected to have ataxia-telangiectasia were examined and their DNA was extracted and amplified with standard methods. Sequencing methods were used to detect the new point mutation. Four exons which were hot spots for point mutations in ATM gene were detected by PCR-SSCP or PCR-RFLP.