Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells Derived Exosomes Improved The Aged Mouse IVM Oocytes Quality.

During assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment, the aged women, especially those over 35 years old, have fewer mature oocytes and poorer quality of the oocytes comparing with the young women. In vitro maturation (IVM) technology facilitates the usage of immature oocytes, which is clinically important for the aged women. However, the maturation rate is low for the oocytes from the aged women. Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells derived exosomes (HUCMSCs-exosomes), as important mediators of intercellular communication, have been widely used to restore ovarian function and improve female fertility. In this study, we isolated HUCMSCs-exosomes and collected the immature germinal vesicle oocytes from the naturally aged mouse model. And we added these HUCMSCs-exosomes to the conventional IVM culture system. The effects of HUCMSCs-exosomes on IVM oocytes were observed and analyzed from multiple aspects including maturation rate, spindle morphology, mitochondria function, and development potential. We found the quality of oocytes was improved by HUCMSCs-exosomes. Based on the results, we propose that HUCMSCs-exosomes may provide a novel and cell free strategy in the improvement of the IVM in elderly infertile women in the future.

Preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy helps to achieve a live birth with fewer transfer cycles for the blastocyst FET patients with unexplained recurrent implantation failure.

PURPOSE: This retrospective cohort study aimed to investigate the value of preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) as a screening test for patients suffering from unexplained recurrent implantation failure (RIF). METHODS: After screening patients in one reproductive medicine center, twenty-nine, forty-nine and thirty-eight women (< 40 years old) who had suffered unexplained RIF with PGT-A, or RIF without PGT-A, or no RIF with PGT-A were included. The clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate per transfer, the conservative and optimal cumulative clinical pregnancy rates (CCPR) and live birth rates (CLBR) after three blastocyst FETs were analyzed. RESULTS: The live birth rate per transfer was significantly higher in the RIF + PGT-A group than that in the RIF + NO PGT-A group (47.6% vs. 24.6%, p = 0.014). After 3 cycles of FET, RIF + PGT-A group had significantly higher conservative CLBR and optimal CLBR compared to the RIF + NO PGT-A group (69.0% vs. 32.7%, p = 0.002 and 73.7% vs. 57.5%, p = 0.016), but had similar conservative and optimal CLBRs compared to the NO RIF + PGT-A group. The number of FET cycles required when half women achieved a live birth was 1 in the PGT-A group and 3 in RIF + NO PGT-A group. The miscarriage rates were not different between the RIF + PGT-A and RIF + NO PGT-A, RIF + PGT-A and NO RIF + PGT-A groups. CONCLUSION: PGT-A did be superior in reducing the number of transfer cycles required to achieve a similar live birth rate. Further studies to identify the RIF patients who would benefit most from PGT-A are necessary.

Application of Nonlinear Models Combined with Conventional Laboratory Indicators for the Diagnosis and Differential Diagnosis of Ovarian Cancer.

Existing biomarkers for ovarian cancer lack sensitivity and specificity. We compared the diagnostic efficacy of nonlinear machine learning and linear statistical models for diagnosing ovarian cancer using a combination of conventional laboratory indicators. We divided 901 retrospective samples into an ovarian cancer group and a control group, comprising non-ovarian malignant gynecological tumor (NOMGT), benign gynecological disease (BGD), and healthy control subgroups. Cases were randomly assigned to training and internal validation sets. Two linear (logistic regression (LR) and Fisher's linear discriminant (FLD)) and three nonlinear models (support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF), and artificial neural network (ANN)) were constructed using 22 conventional laboratory indicators and three demographic characteristics. Model performance was compared. In an independent prospectively recruited validation set, the order of diagnostic efficiency was RF, SVM, ANN, FLD, LR, and carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125)-only (AUC, accuracy: 0.989, 95.6%; 0.985, 94.4%; 0.974, 93.4%; 0.915, 82.1%; 0.859, 80.1%; and 0.732, 73.0%, respectively). RF maintained satisfactory classification performance for identifying different ovarian cancer stages and for discriminating it from NOMGT-, BGD-, or CA125-positive control. Nonlinear models outperformed linear models, indicating that nonlinear machine learning models can efficiently use conventional laboratory indicators for ovarian cancer diagnosis.

Interleukin-6 and Hypoxia Synergistically Promote EMT-Mediated Invasion in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer via the IL-6/STAT3/HIF-1α Feedback Loop.

Extensive peritoneal spread and capacity for distant metastasis account for the majority of mortality from epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Accumulating evidence shows that interleukin-6 (IL-6) promotes tumor invasion and migration in EOC, although the molecular mechanisms remain to be fully elucidated. Meanwhile, the hypoxic microenvironment has been recognized to cause metastasis by triggering epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in several types of cancers. Here, we studied the synergy between IL-6 and hypoxia in inducing EMT in two EOC cell lines, A2780 cells and SKOV3 cells. Exogenous recombination of IL-6 and autocrine production of IL-6 regulated by plasmids both induced EMT phenotype in EOC cells characterized by downregulated E-cadherin as well as upregulated expression of vimentin and EMT-related transcription factors. The combined effects of IL-6 and hypoxia were more significant than those of either one treatment on EMT. Suppression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) before IL-6 treatment inhibited the EMT phenotype and invasion ability of EOC cells, indicating that HIF-1α occupies a key position in the regulatory pathway of EMT associated with IL-6. EMT score was found positively correlated with mRNA levels of IL-6, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), and HIF-1α, respectively, in 489 ovarian samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas dataset. Next, blockade of the abovementioned molecules by chemical inhibitors reversed the alteration in the protein levels of EMT markers induced by either exogenous or endogenous IL-6. These findings indicate a positive feedback loop between IL-6 and HIF-1α, and induce and maintain EMT phenotype through STAT3 signaling, which might provide a novel rationale for prognostic prediction and therapeutic targets in EOC.

Interfacial Engineering and a Low-Crystalline Strategy for High-Performance Supercapacitor Negative Electrodes: Fe2P2O7 Nanoplates Anchored on N/P Co-doped Graphene Nanotubes.

Developing novel hybrid negative electrode materials with high specific capacity, rate capacitance, and long-term cycle stability is a key factor for pushing large-scale application of supercapacitors. However, construction of robust interfaces and low-crystalline active materials plays a crucial role in realizing the target. In this paper, a one-step phosphorization approach was employed to make low-crystalline Fe2P2O7 nanoplates closely bonded to N/P-co-doped graphene nanotubes (N/P-GNTs@b-Fe2P2O7) through interfacial chemical bonding. The N and P heteroatoms as substitutions for C in GNT skeletons can introduce rich electronic centers, which induces Fe2P2O7 to fix the surface of N/P-GNTs through Fe-N and Fe-P bonds as confirmed by the characterizations. Moreover, the low-crystalline active materials own a disordered internal structure and numerous defects, which not only endows with excellent conductivity but also provides many active sites for redox reactions. Benefiting from the synergistic effects, the prepared N/P-GNTs@b-Fe2P2O7 can not only deliver a high capacity of 257 mA h g-1 (927 F g-1) at 1 A g-1 but also present an excellent rate capability of 184 mA h g-1 (665 F g-1) at 50 A g-1 and outstanding cycle stability (∼90.6% capacity retention over 40,000 cycles). Furthermore, an asymmetric supercapacitor was assembled using the obtained N/P-GNTs@b-Fe2P2O7 as electrode materials, which can present the energy density as high as 83.3 W h kg-1 at 791 W kg-1 and long-term durability. Therefore, this strategy not only offers an effective pathway for achieving high-performance negative electrode materials but also lays a foundation for further industrialization.

[Effects of beta glucan in highland barley on blood glucose and serum lipid in high fat-induced C57 mouse].

OBJECTIVE: Study the effects of ß-glucan in highland barley on blood glucose and serum lipid in high fat diet induced C57 mouse. METHODS: Using table of random number, 40 male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into 4 groups (10 mice in each group) by weight: high dosage group (4% ß-glucan and high fat diet), low dosage group (2% ß-glucan and high fat diet), high fat diet group and normal control group. Food-intake and body weight of C57 mouse were observed. Glucose tolerance tests and examinations of fasting blood glucose were performed at the end of 11 weeks of intervention. Mice were sacrificed after 12 wk of treatment, and serum specimens were obtained to test relevant biochemical indicators. RESULTS: After 12 weeks raise, among high dosage group, low dosage group, high fat diet group and normal control group, the weight was (32.8 ± 1.5), (40.4 ± 1.9), (40.7 ± 2.1) and (33.5 ± 1.3) g, respectively (F = 55.26, P < 0.05); average food intake was (3.48 ± 0.56), (3.69 ± 0.76), (3.66 ± 0.81) and (3.54 ± 0.61) g/d respectively (F = 0.26, P > 0.05); fasting blood-glucose was (5.29 ± 1.59), (6.13 ± 1.75), (7.63 ± 1.09) and (4.24 ± 0.98) mmol/L respectively (F = 9.54, P < 0.01); serum insulin level was (1.97 ± 0.10), (2.44 ± 0.24), (3.02 ± 0.36) and (1.48 ± 0.28) ng/ml respectively (F = 47.58, P < 0.01); the area under blood glucose concentration curve was (25.81 ± 1.44), (30.42 ± 2.01), (35.17 ± 1.20) and (21.03 ± 1.24) mmol×L(-1)×h(-1), respectively (F = 64.98, P < 0.05); insulin resistance index was (9.84 ± 3.78), (13.69 ± 4.48), (21.54 ± 3.27) and (5.81 ± 1.59) respectively (F = 30.18, P < 0.01); serum total cholesterol (TC) level was (4.05 ± 0.88), (4.30 ± 0.48), (4.73 ± 0.66) and (3.37 ± 0.40) mmol/L respectively (F = 6.70, P < 0.01); serum triglyceride (TG) level was (0.90 ± 0.09), (0.98 ± 0.09), (1.05 ± 0.06) and (0.76 ± 0.26) mmol/L respectively (F = 6.75, P < 0.01); serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level was (2.91 ± 0.59), (3.34 ± 0.46), (4.89 ± 0.42) and (3.24 ± 0.37) mmol/L respectively (F = 31.73, P < 0.01); serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level was (0.25 ± 0.15), (0.42 ± 0.19), (0.72 ± 0.12) and (0.32 ± 0.11) mmol/L, respectively (F = 17.27, P < 0.01); free fatty acids (FFA) level was (1.06 ± 0.03), (1.05 ± 0.05), (1.18 ± 0.32) and (1.04 ± 0.02) mmol/L, respectively (F = 1.36, P > 0.05); HDL-C/LDL-C was (13.77 ± 5.51), (9.11 ± 3.53), (7.04 ± 1.65) and (11.21 ± 3.31), respectively (F = 5.24, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The ß-glucan in highland barley reduced the serum glucose and serum lipid, as well as insulin resistance and the risk of arterial sclerosis in high-fat induced C57 mouse.

Application of response surface methodology to the modeling of alpha-amylase purification by aqueous two-phase systems.

Mathematical models concerning the purification of alpha-amylase from the cultivation supernatant of Bacillus subtilis in a polyethylene glycol-citrate aqueous two-phase system (ATP) are established with response surface methodology. The PEG3350, citrate and sodium chloride concentrations were selected as variables to evaluate the purification impact factors in aqueous two-phase system, including partition coefficients of alpha-amylase, total protein, purification factor and alpha-amylase yield. An experimental space with two-fold purification and over 90% yield of alpha-amylase is achieved through the optimized condition basing on the model. Two systems with low viscosity within said space were further selected to perform alpha-amylase purification and the experimental results coincide well with the calculation of the models, which indicates that the model provides a promising tool for experimental design of protein purification by aqueous two-phase system.

One-step purification of alpha-amylase from the cultivation supernatant of recombinant bacillus subtilis by high-speed counter-current chromatography with aqueous polymer two-phase systems.

Purification of alpha-amylase from the cultivation supernatant of recombinant Bacillus subtilis by high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) in polyethylene glycol (PEG) 4000-inorganic salt aqueous polymer two-phase systems was studied. The effects of sodium chloride concentration on the partition coefficients of alpha-amylase and total protein were respectively tested in PEG4000-phosphate and PEG4000-citrate aqueous polymer two-phase systems to find the proper range of sodium chloride concentration for the HSCCC purification of alpha-amylase. Alpha-amylase was purified from the cultivation supernatant by HSCCC in PEG4000-phosphate system containing 2% (w/w) sodium chloride, yet with considerable loss of activity. PEG4000-citrate aqueous polymer two-phase system containing 2% (w/w) sodium chloride and supplemented with 0.56% (w/w) CaCl2 as protective agent was then successfully applied to purify alpha-amylase from cultivation supernatant by HSCCC to homogeneity and significantly increased the recovery of alpha-amylase activity from around 30 to 73.1%.

[Separation of proteins in aqueous two-phase systems with high-speed counter-current chromatography].

High-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) is a continuous liquid-liquid partition chromatography, with remarkable advantages of high separation efficiency and no adsorption or denaturation by solid phase. The retention of stationary phase and the separation of proteins in polyethylene glycol 1000 (PEG1000)-phosphate aqueous two-phase system (ATPs) were studied with a multi-column high speed-counter-current chromatograph. The flow direction and speed of the mobile phase, and the rotation direction and speed of the apparatus showed different effects on the retention of the stationary phase, which reached the maximum at 33.3% with a flow rate of 0.6 mL/min and a rotation speed of 900 r/min in 14.0% PEG1000-16.0% phosphate ATPs. Distinct differences in partition coefficients among cytochrome C, lysozyme and hemoglobin were found at pH 9.2 and these three proteins were successfully separated in 14.0% PEG1000-16.0% phosphate ATPs at pH 9.2 by HSCCC with the apparatus rotating at 850 r/min and the mobile phase flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The major protein components in hen egg white, including ovaltransferrin, ovalbumin and lysozyme also show distinct differences of partition coefficients in PEG1000-phosphate ATPs at pH 9.2. Ovalbumin and lysozyme were successfully purified to homogeneity and ovaltransferrin to ca 60% purity from the hen egg white sample with yields over 90% in 15.0% PEG1000-17.0% phosphate ATPs at pH 9.2 with the apparatus rotating at 850 r/min and mobile phase flow rate of 1.0 mL/min.

[Purification of ovalbumin from hen egg white by high-speed counter-current aqueous two-phase chromatography].

High-speed counte-recurrent chromatography (HSCCC) is a continuous liquid-liquid partition chromatography without solid matrix, which has the significant features of high resolution and high recovery. The separation of bio-macromolecule in aqueous two-phase systems (ATPs) with HSCCC is still under research, and the establishment of high-speed counter-current aqueous two-phase chromatography (HSCCC-ATP) relies on the improvement of equipment structure and optimization of operation parameters. By using a multi-column high-speed counter-current chromatograph, the separation of protein mixture and the purification of ovalbumin from hen egg white were studied. The effects of pH and PEG concentration on the partition coefficients of proteins were tested in PEG1000-phosphate ATPs, and distinct differences among partition coefficients of proteins were found at pH 9.2 and 15.0% (W/W) PEG concentration in said system. The separation of protein mixture, consisting of cytochrome C, lysozyme and myoglobin was successfully performed in 15.0% (W/W) PEG1000-17.0% (W/W) potassium phosphate ATPs at pH 9.2 with high-speed counter-current chromatograph at rotation speed of 850r/min and flow rate of 0.8mL/min, using upper phase as stationary phase. pH and PEG concentration also had distinct effects on the partition coefficients of the major protein components in hen egg white, including ovaltransferrin, ovalbumin and lysozyme. The optimal pH value and PEG concentration for the purification of ovalbumin by HSCCC-ATP were found to be 9.2 and 16.0% (W/W) respectively. Ovalbumin was successfully purified to homogeneity from the hen egg white sample in 16.0% (W/W) PEG1000-17.0% (W/W) potassium phosphate ATPs at pH 9.2 with high-speed counter-current chromatograph at rotation speed of 850r/min and flow rate of 1.8mL/min, using upper phase as stationary phase. The purification recovery of ovalbumin was around 95%.

Partial purification of alpha-amylase from culture supernatant of Bacillus subtilis in aqueous two-phase systems.

A study was made of the partition and purification of alpha-amylase from a culture supernatant of Bacillus subtilis in the polyethylene glycol (PEG)--citrate aqueous two-phase system (ATPS). Factors that influenced the partition of the protein in this system, including the molecular weight of the PEG, the tie line length of ATPS, the pH value and the sodium chloride concentration, were investigated. Purification of alpha-amylase was attained with a purification factor (PF) of 1.8 and 90% yield at pH 6.0 in a PEG1000-citrate ATPS with short tie line length. By utilizing the salt-out effect of neutral salt, the purification of alpha-amylase was further improved to 2.0 of PF and 80% yield in a PEG3350-citrate ATPS with 4% sodium chloride.