Identification of competing endogenous RNA network in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to investigate key long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) involved in competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network associated with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three mRNA datasets, two miRNA datasets, and one lncRNA dataset of LSCC were downloaded from GEO database. Following the identification of differentially expressed mRNAs (DEmRNAs), (microRNAs) miRNAs (DEmiRNAs), and lncRNAs (DElncRNAs) in LSCC compared with adjacent tissues, functional enrichment of DEmRNAs was performed. Then, construction of the ceRNA (DElncRNA-DEmiRNA-DEmRNA) regulatory network and functional analyses of all DEmRNAs in ceRNA regulatory network were conducted. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reactions (qRT-PCR) were used to detect the expression levels of selected DEmRNAs, DEmiRNAs, and DElncRNAs. RESULTS: A total of 3449 DEmRNAs, 40 DEmiRNAs, and 100 DElncRNAs were identified in LSCC. The ceRNA networks, which contained 132 DElncRNA-DEmiRNA pairs and 287 DEmiRNA-DEmRNA pairs, involving 44 lncRNAs, 3 miRNAs, and 271 mRNAs, were obtained. DEmRNAs in ceRNA regulatory networks were significantly enriched in pathways in cancer, prostate cancer, and aldosterone-regulated sodium reabsorption. Except for HCG22 and hsa-miR-1246, expressions of the others in the qRT-PCR results played the same pattern with that in our integrated analysis, generally. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that HCG22/EGOT-hsa-miR-1275-FAM107A and HCG22/EGOT-hsa-miR-1246-Glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase 1 like interaction pairs may play a central role in LSCC.

Relationship between the positions of cytoplasmic granulation and the oocytes developmental potential in human.

To evaluate the relationship between the positions of cytoplasmic granulation and the oocytes developmental potential in human, we detected the developmental potentials of oocytes with centrally located cytoplasmic granulation (CLCG). The patients' age, body mass index (BMI), Infertility duration, follicle stimulation hormone (FSH) levels, average stimulate ovulation days, gonadotropin (GN) total dose, fertilization rate, cleavage rate, high quality embryo rate, embryo utilization rate and pregnancy rate were analyzed. The results showed that there were no significant difference on patients' age, BMI, infertility duration, FSH levels, average stimulate ovulation days, GN total dose, pregnancy rate and birth rate between CLCG group and control group in patients with BMI < 24 (P > 0.05). However, there was no significant difference in fertilization rate, cleavage rate, and high quality embryo rate in patients with BMI < 24 (P > 0.05). The pregnancy rate was low in both groups, but 35 and 15 healthy fetuses were born in each group. We also found that the central granulated area size did not affect fertilization rate, cleavage rate, embryo utilization rate, and high quality embryo rate (P > 0.05). These results suggested CLCG might be a normal morphology of oocyte. The oocytes from patients with or without CLCG had no significant difference in their developmental potentials. The patients who transferred CLCG embryos had successful delivery. The developmental potentials of oocytes with different CLCG grades had no obvious differences.

[The rate of morphologically normal sperm does not affect the clinical outcomes of conventional IVF in patients with one retrieved oocyte].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of the rate of morphologically normal sperm (MNS) on the clinical outcomes of conventional in vitro fertilization (IVF) in patients with one retrieved oocyte. METHODS: From January 2013 to January 2015, a total of 256 couples with one retrieved oocyte underwent conventional IVF in our center. According to the rate of MNS, the patients were divided into two groups: MNS < 4% (134 cycles) and MNS ≥ 4% (122 cycles). We compared the rates of no transferrable embryo cycles, fertilization, cleavage, normal fertilization, abnormal fertilization, high-quality embryo and transferrable embryo between the two groups. A total of 75 fresh embryo transfer cycles were performed, 43 in the MNS < 4% group and the other 32 in the MNS ≥ 4% group. We also compared the rates of implantation, clinical pregnancy and abortion between the two groups. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in the rates of no transferrable embryo cycles, fertilization, cleavage, normal fertilization, abnormal fertilization, high-quality embryo and transferrable embryo (P > 0.05). The rates of implantation, clinical pregnancy and abortion exhibited no remarkable differences either in the fresh embryo transfer cycles between the two groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The rate of MNS does not affect the clinical outcomes of conventional IVF in patients with one retrieved oocyte.

Efficacy of swim-up versus density gradient centrifugation in improving sperm deformity rate and DNA fragmentation index in semen samples from teratozoospermic patients.

PURPOSE: To compare the efficacy of swim-up and DGC in improving sperm deformity and DNA fragmentation and to determine which method is better in teratozoospermic patients requiring artificial reproduction. METHODS: The present study compared the effects of swim-up and density gradient centrifugation (DGC), the two most commonly used semen preparation methods, on sperm deformity rate and DNA fragmentation index (DFI) in semen samples from teratozoospermic patients. RESULTS: The results demonstrated that both swim-up and DGC yielded a significantly lower sperm deformity rate and DFI in comparison to unprocessed whole semen, with DGC having more favorable results. Sperm deformity rate in unprocessed whole semen samples was significantly lower in the 20-29 age group than in the 40-49 age group, but no significant difference was observed in DFI between different age groups. There was no significant correlation between sperm deformity rate and DFI. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that enrichment of sperm with normal morphology and intact DNA in teratozoospermic patients could be achieved by both DGC and swim-up procedures, and that DGC is a better method.