Advanced Maternal Age Affects the Cryosusceptibility of Ovulated but not In Vitro Matured Mouse Oocytes.

Oocyte cryopreservation is offered to women of various age groups for both health and social reasons. Oocytes derived from either controlled ovarian stimulation or in vitro maturation (IVM) are cryopreserved via vitrification. As maternal age is a significant determinant of oocyte quality, there is limited data on the age-related susceptibility of oocytes to the vitrification-warming procedure alone or in conjunction with IVM. In the present study, metaphase II oocytes obtained from 2, 6, 9, and 12 month old Swiss albino mice either by superovulation or IVM were used. To understand the association between maternal age and oocyte cryotolerance, oocytes were subjected to vitrification-warming and compared to non vitrified sibling oocytes. Survived oocytes were evaluated for mitochondrial potential, spindle integrity, relative expression of spindle checkpoint protein transcripts, and DNA double-strand breaks. Maturation potential and vitrification-warming survival were significantly affected (p < 0.001 and p < 0.05, respectively) in ovulated oocytes from the advanced age group but not in IVM oocytes. Although vitrification-warming significantly increased spindle abnormalities in ovulated oocytes from advanced maternal age (p < 0.01), no significant changes were observed in IVM oocytes. Furthermore, Bub1 and Mad2 transcript levels were significantly higher in vitrified-warmed IVM oocytes (p < 0.05). In conclusion, advanced maternal age can have a negative impact on the cryosusceptibility of ovulated oocytes but not IVM oocytes in mice.

Comprehensive analysis of the exocytosis pathway genes in cervical cancer.

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer (CC) is the fourth most common gynecological malignancy globally. This suggests the need for improved markers for prognosis, better understanding of the molecular mechanism, and targets for therapy. The defective exocytosis pathway is proposed as bona fide drivers of carcinogenesis. This study aimed to identify the exocytosis pathway network and its contribution to CC. METHODS: We screened exocytosis genes from the The Cancer Genome Atlas Cervical Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Endocervical Adenocarcinoma (TCGA-CESC) dataset and performed differential expression and methylation, Kaplan-Meier survival, and pathway enrichment analysis. We constructed the protein-protein interaction networks (PPIN), predicted the possible metastatic genes, and identified FDA approved drugs to target the exocytosis network in CC. RESULTS: Integrated bioinformatics analysis identified 245 differentially methylated genes, including 153 hypermethylated and 92 hypomethylated genes. Further, 89 exocytosis pathway genes were differentially expressed, including 60 downregulated and 29 upregulated genes in CC. The overlapping analysis identified 39 genes as methylation regulated genes and showed an inverse correlation between methylation and expression. The HCMDB database identified nine of the identified genes (GRIK5, PTPN6, GAB2, ATP8B4, HTR2A, SPARC, CLEC3B, VWF, and S100A11) were linked with metastasis in CC. Moreover, the Kaplan-Meier survival analysis identified that high expression of PTPN6 and low expression of CLEC3B were significantly linked with poor overall survival (OS) in patients with CC. The KEGG pathway enrichment analysis identified differentially expressed genes that were mainly involved with proteoglycans in cancer, TGF-beta signaling, PI3K-Akt signaling, MAPK signaling pathway, and others. The PPIN identified 89 nodes, 192 edges with VWF, MMP9, THBS1, IGF1, CLU, A2M, IGF2, SPARC, VAMP2, and FIGF as top 10 hub genes. The drug-gene interaction analysis identified 188 FDA approved drugs targeting 32 genes, including 5 drugs that are already in use for treating CC. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, we have identified the exocytosis pathway networks, candidate genes, and novel drugs for better management of CC.

Unveiling antioxidant and anti-cancer potentials of characterized Annona reticulata leaf extract in 1,2-dimethylhydrazine-induced colorectal cancer in Wistar rats.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CC) is the third most common cancer in the world. Annona reticulata (AR) also known as bullock's heart, is a traditional herb. AR leaf extract was initially investigated for its anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-malarial, anti-helminthic, anti-stress, and wound healing properties. Only a few in vitro cancer studies have been conducted on AR. Although few studies have linked AR leaf extract to many cancers, comprehensive studies addressing regulation, biological functions, and molecular mechanisms leading to CC pathogenesis are clearly lacking. OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to explore the antioxidant and anti-cancer potentials of AR leaf extract in CC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The MTT assay was used to test the anti-proliferative activity of AR leaf extract in vitro on the HCT116 cell line. Qualitative and quantitative phytochemical characterization was carried out using gas chromatography: mass spectrometry (GC-MS). 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) was used to establish CC model in female Wistar rats. The acute toxicity of AR leaf extract was tested in accordance with OECD guidelines. Aberrant Crypt Foci (ACF) count, organ index, and hematological estimations were used to screen for in vivo anti-cancer potential. The antioxidant activity of colon homogenate was determined. RESULTS: The alcoholic leaf extract (IC50, 0.55 µg/ml) was found to be more potent than the aqueous extract. Using GC-MS, a total of 108 compounds were quantified in the alcoholic leaf extract. The LD 50 value was found to be safe at a dose of 98.11 mg/kg of body weight. AR alcoholic leaf extract significantly (p < 0.05) decreased ACF count and normalized colon length/weight ratio. AR leaf extract increased RBC, hemoglobin and platelets levels. The AR alcoholic leaf extract reduced the DMH-induced tumors and significantly (p < 0.05) increased the activity of endogenous antioxidant enzymes such as catalase, reduced glutathione, superoxide dismutase, and decreased the lipid peroxidase activity. AR leaf extract reduced the inflammation caused by DMH and helped to repair the colon's damaged muscle layers. CONCLUSION: Based on the findings from the present study, it can be concluded that the alcoholic leaf extract of AR has antioxidant and anti-proliferative properties and can aid in the prevention of CC development and dysplasia caused by DMH.

Integrated bioinformatic analysis of miR-15a/16-1 cluster network in cervical cancer.

The miR-15a/16-1 cluster is abnormally expressed in cervical cancer (CC) tissues and plays a vital role in cervical carcinogenesis. We aimed to evaluate the miR-15a/16-1 expression in healthy and cancerous cervical tissues, identify the associated networks, and to test its prognostic significance. miR-15a/16-1-MC expressions were analyzed in TCGA-CESC datasets by UALCAN, GEPIA2, and Datasetviewer. miR-15a/16-1 validated targets were extracted from mirTarBase and in silico functional analysis of the target genes were performed using WebGestalt. The interaction networks were constructed by the miRNet, STRING, and NetworkAnalyst tools. The prognostic significance and metastatic potential of the target genes were predicted using UALCAN and HCMDB. The FDA approved drugs to target miR-15a/16-1 and target gene network in CC were performed using DGIdb, STITCH and PanDrugs. TCGA-CESC and GEO data analysis suggested significant overexpression of miR-15a/16-1 in CC samples. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that miR-15a and its four target genes (BCL2, CCNE1, NUP50, and RBPJ) influence the overall survival of CC patients. Among the 66 differentially expressed target genes, 12 of them are linked to head, neck, or lung metastasis. Functional enrichment analysis predicted the association of this cluster with p53 signaling, human papillomavirus infection, PI3-AKT signaling pathway, and pathways in cancer. Drug-gene interaction analysis showed 52 potential FDA approved drugs to interact with the miR-15a/16-1 target genes. Nine of the 52 drugs are currently used as a chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of CC patients. The present study shows that miR-15a/16-1 expression can be used as a clinical marker and target for therapy in CC.