The effect of growth hormone on the metabolome of follicular fluid in patients with diminished ovarian reserve.

BACKGROUND: Increasing evidence supports that the co-treatment with growth hormone (GH) enhances ovarian response and oocyte quality during controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) in patients with diminished ovarian reserve (DOR). The composition of follicular fluid (FF) plays an essential role in oocyte development and mirrors the communication occurring between the oocyte and follicular microenvironment. However, the effect of GH on the FF metabolome remains unclear. METHODS: This prospective observational study recruited DOR patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles with minimal stimulation protocol for COS. Each patient receiving GH co-treatment was matched to a patient without GH co-treatment by propensity score matching. The FF was collected after isolating oocytes and assayed by gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) metabolomics. The Pearson correlation was performed to evaluate the relationship between the number of oocytes retrieved and the levels of differential metabolites. The KEGG database was used to map differential metabolites onto various metabolic pathways. RESULTS: One hundred thirty-four FF metabolites were identified by GC-MS metabolomics. Twenty-four metabolites, including glutathione, itaconic acid and S-adenosylmethionin (SAM) showed significant differences between the GH and control groups (p-value < 0.05 and q-value < 0.1). In addition, the number of oocytes retrieved was significantly higher in the GH group compared to the control group (3 vs 2, p = 0.04) and correlated with the levels of five differential metabolites. Among them, the levels of antioxidant metabolite itaconic acid were upregulated by GH administration, while SAM levels were downregulated. CONCLUSIONS: The co-treatment with GH during COS may improve oocyte development by altering FF metabolite profiles in DOR patients. However, given the downregulation of SAM, a regulator of genomic imprinting, the potential risk of imprinting disturbances should not be neglected.

[Concentration calibration method of ambient trace-gas monitoring with tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy].

Tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) is a new method to detect trace-gas qualitatively or quantificationally based on the scan characteristic of the diode laser used to obtain the absorption spectroscopy in the characteristic absorption region It needs to be combined with a long absorption path in the ambient trace-gas measurements. TDLAS is a new trace gas detective method developed with the combination of a tunable diode laser source and a long absorption path; it has significant advantages not only in the sensitivity but also in rapidity of response. It has been widely used in many atmospheric trace-gases detection, ground trace-gas detection and, gas leakage detection. On-line calibrating is necessary to most trace gas monitor, and in the present paper the authors introduced a simple and accurate method, analyzed it in the theory, and proved it's feasibility in the experiment.