Dysregulated Expression of Long Noncoding RNAs in Endometriosis.

Endometriosis is a common debilitating gynecologic disease. Almost 10% of reproductive-age women are affected by this disease; they commonly suffer pelvic pain and/or infertility. Early diagnosis of this multifactorial disease remains difficult because its etiology is not clear and the early symptoms are nonspecific. In addition, many reproductive-age women are unwilling to undergo invasive laparoscopic surgery because of the possibility of decreasing fertility. Thus, identifying biomarkers for the early diagnosis of endometriosis a key focus of current research. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a class of noncoding transcripts that have length of > 200 nucleotides and lack protein-coding ability but still influence gene expression in various ways. With advances in genome-wide analysis, researchers have determined that lncRNAs play an important role in many human diseases, particularly tumors. Moreover, the role of lncRNAs in the pathogenesis of endometriosis has been continually recognized. In this review, we discuss the status of current research on dysregulated lncRNAs and their roles in the pathogenesis of endometriosis. We aim to stimulate new investigations toward the identification of lncRNAs as biomarkers for the early diagnosis and therapy of this long-term gynecological disease.

Role of lncRNAs as Novel Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets in Ovarian Cancer.

Ovarian cancer (OC) is the leading cause of death among all gynecological malignancies in the world and its underlying mechanism is still unclear. Compared with research on microRNAs, research on long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) is still in its infancy. Studies in recent years have demonstrated that lncRNAs exhibit multiple biological functions in various stages of OC development. In this review, we conclude that lncRNAs are closely involved in the pathogenesis of OC. The expression of lncRNAs indicates the early diagnosis, prognosis, and response to chemotherapy of OC. An attractive approach to treatment of OC is lncRNA small interfering RNA or acting as a plasmid targeting the expression of toxic genes, which is a novel step toward a major breakthrough in the treatment of human OC. E2-regulated lncRNA and its polymorphism, methylation, are also involved in OC. Further research efforts are needed before fully identifying, characterizing, and elucidating the actual functions of lncRNAs in OC at the molecular level and putting them into clinical practice.

Sperm proteome and reproductive technologies in mammals.

Sperm is highly differentiated cell that can be easily obtained and purified. Mature sperm is considered to be transcriptionally and translationally silent and incapable of protein synthesis. Recently, a large number of proteins have been identified in sperm from different species by using the proteomic approaches. Clinically, sperm proteins can be used as markers for male infertility due to different protein profiles identified in sperm from fertile and infertile male animals. Recent evidences have shown that the conditions of sperm preservation in vitro can also change the sperm protein profiles. This paper reviews the recent scientific publications available to address sperm proteome and their relationship with sperm cryopreservation, capacitation, fertilization, and separation of X and Y sperm. Future directions in the application of sperm proteomics to develop or optimize reproductive technologies in mammals are also discussed.

Polymorphisms in inhibin α gene promoter associated with male infertility.

Inhibins play important roles in normal gonadal function, including regulation of proliferation, differentiation, and steroidogenesis of Leydig and Sertoli cells via paracrine and autocrine processes. In adult males, circulating inhibin levels are correlated with fertility by regulating the number of Sertoli cells, total sperm count, and testicular volume. Given this important role, inhibin-α subunit (INHA) is a strong candidate gene in male fertility. However, limited data regarding the association of polymorphisms of INHA with male fertility are available. This study was based on the hypothesis that polymorphisms in the promoter of INHA are associated with male fertility. Han Chinese patients with non-normozoospermia (n=153) and normozoospermia (n=72) from Northern China were screened, and genotypes were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism after INHA promoter was amplified. Statistical analysis results revealed a significant difference in the allele frequency of INHA promoter between males with non-normozoospermia and normozoospermia. For c.-124G>A, males carrying c.-124GG genotype and c.-124GA genotype showed an increased risk of non-normozoospermic syndrome. For c.-16C>T polymorphism, no significant difference in allele frequency was observed between the two groups. Therefore, the haplotype AC possibly displayed a considerable reduced risk of non-normozoospermic syndrome.