Testis-specific gene C7orf61 is involved in mouse sperm-egg fusion.

PURPOSE: Chromosome 7 open reading frame 61 (C7orf 61) was a testis-specific gene, and may be involved in the process of spermatogenesis. This study was aimed to investigate the expression of C7orf61 in the testis and determine its role in spermatogenesis. Materials and Medhods: Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, Western blot and immunofluorescence were performed to evaluate the expression characteristics of C7orf61 in mice and humans. In vitro fertilization assay was used to determine the role of the C7ORF61 protein in sperm-egg fusion. RESULTS: The results demonstrated that C7orf61 was a testis-specific gene; the C7ofr61 mRNA expression level sharply increased in the fourth postnatal week and gradually increased until the adult stage. The C7ORF61 protein was located throughout the subacrosomal area and close to the nucleus in both mouse and human sperm. The incubation with the C7ORF61 antibody significantly decreased the fertilization rate of mouse eggs. CONCLUSION: The present findings suggested that the C7ORF61 protein might be involved in sperm-egg fusion, and could serve as a useful target for contraceptives. However, further research is still needed to know the detailed molecular mechanism of its role.

Effectiveness of growth hormone in promoting endometrial growth in patients with endometrial dysplasia in frozen embryo transfer.

This study was designed to investigate the effect of growth hormone (GH) in promoting endometrial thickness, blood flow, and pregnancy outcome in patients with thin endometrium for frozen embryo transfer. Thirty-eight patients were recruited in the reproductive center of Jingzhou Hospital affiliated to Yangtze University who cancelled fresh embryo transfer due to thin endometrium and planned to undergo frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) from May 2019 to May 2020. The patients were randomly divided into the GH injection group (19 cases, endometrium preparation with hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and GH by subcutaneous injection) and the control group (19 cases, endometrium preparation with HRT). Both groups were similar in socio-demographic characteristics. After treatment, the thickness and volume of endometrium in the HRT & GH group were significantly increased (p < 0.05), and the growth rate was significantly higher than that in the control group (p < 0.05). The proportion of type A & B endometrium increased from 78.9% to 94.7% in the HRT & GH group. Moreover, the proportion of type Ⅰ and Ⅱ of endometrial blood perfusion in the HRT & GH group significantly increased compared with that before treatment. The human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) positive rate (47.4 vs. 42.1%) and clinical pregnancy rate (36.8% vs. 31.6%) were slightly higher in the HRT&GH group than that in the control group. In conclusion, for patients with thin endometrium, HRT combined with subcutaneous injection of GH can increase the thickness and volume of the endometrium, improving the blood perfusion of the endometrium. This may play a positive role in improving endometrial receptivity and pregnancy outcome.

Melatonin and its emerging physiological role in reproduction: A review and update.

Melatonin is a neuroendocrine hormone secreted by the pineal gland. The secretion of melatonin follows a circadian rhythm controlled by the suprachiasmatic nucleus, and its secretion is synchronized with the changes in light and dark periods in nature, with the highest secretion level at night. Melatonin is a critical hormone that coordinates external light stimulation and cellular responses of the body. It transmits information about the environmental light cycle, including the circadian and seasonal rhythms, to the relevant tissues and organs in the body, which, along with changes in its secretion level, ensures that its regulated functional activities are adapted in response to changes in the outside environment. Melatonin takes beneficial actions mainly through the interaction with specific membrane-bound receptors, termed MT1 and MT2. Melatonin also acts as a scavenger of free radicals via non-receptor-mediated mechanism. For more than half of acentury melatonin has been associated with vertebrate reproduction, especially in the context of seasonal breeding. Though modern humans show little remaining reproductive seasonality, the relationships between melatonin and human reproduction continue to attract extensive attention. Melatonin plays important roles in improving mitochondrial function, reducing the damage of free radicals, inducing oocyte maturation, increasing fertilization rate and promoting embryonic development, which improves the outcomes of in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer. The present article reviews the progress that has been made in our evolving understanding of the physiological role of melatonin in reproduction and its potential clinical applications in reproductive medicine.

Effects of Oocyte Cytoplasmic Central Granulation on Embryonic Development, Blastocyst Formation, and Pregnancy Outcome in Assisted Reproductive Technology and Its Mechanism.

To investigate whether oocyte centrally located cytoplasmic granulation (CLCG) affects embryonic development, blastocyst formation, and pregnancy outcomes in assisted reproductive technology, fifty patients with CLCG in all oocytes were selected as the CLCG group. Then, 150 patients with no abnormal oocyte morphology were randomly recruited as the control group. Both groups underwent laparoscopy, hysterosalpingography (HSG), vaginal ultrasound, and male semen examination. The down-regulation regimen was selected regarding the patient's ovarian reserve. The egg maturation rate, normal fertilization rate, cleavage rate, available embryo rate, and high-quality embryo rate in the CLCG group were greatly inferior to those in the control group, with remarkable differences (P< 0.05). CLCG grading of oocytes after 30 cycles in the CLCG group indicated that there were 36 cases in the mild group and 14 cases in the severe group. The egg maturation rate in the mild group was lower than that in the severe group, with a notable difference (P< 0.05). The fertilization rate, cleavage rate, available embryo rate, and high-quality embryo rate in the mild group were higher than those in the severe group, with a notable difference (P< 0.05). Compared with the control group, there was no considerable difference in the implantation rate, clinical pregnancy rate, and abortion rate between the CLCG group (P> 0.05). In summary, oocyte CLCG may affect fertilization, embryonic development, and blastocyst formation, but not pregnancy outcomes.

Emerging progress on diagnosis and treatment of female genital tuberculosis.

Female genital tuberculosis (FGTB) is an infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and usually occurs secondary to pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) through the blood circulation, lymph circulation, or direct spreading from abdominal TB. FGTB is an uncommon type of TB that can destroy genital organs, and lead to menstrual disorders and infertility. The diagnosis of FGTB is often made by detection of acid-fast bacilli under microscopy, culture with endometrial biopsy, or histopathological examination of epithelioid granuloma on a biopsy. A multidrug anti-TB regimen is the major management of FGTB, including rifampicin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol, while surgery is proposed in more deteriorated cases. However, the conception rate in infertile women with FGTB is still low, even after multidrug anti-TB therapy. Additionally, the risk of complications, such as ectopic pregnancy or miscarriage, remains high. In this review, we summarize the characteristics of FGTB, present current epidemiological data, and focus on its early diagnosis and effective management.

Pregnancy in a patient with endometrial tuberculosis by in vitro fertilization: a case report.

Female genital tuberculosis is an important cause of infertility in developing countries where tuberculosis is endemic. However, the true incidence of genital tuberculosis is unknown because symptoms and signs are usually minimal, making its detection difficult. We herein report a case of subfertility due to endometrial tuberculosis. The patient had primary infertility and planned to utilize assisted reproductive technology because of bilateral fallopian tube obstruction. She underwent hysteroscopy and endometrial biopsy. The biopsy revealed epithelioid cells and multinuclear giant cells in the interstitium, and tuberculosis of the endometrium could not be excluded. Chest computed tomography showed secondary pulmonary tuberculosis in the upper left lung. A tuberculin test was positive, and a sputum culture of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was negative. The clinical diagnosis was secondary pulmonary tuberculosis. Considering the above findings in combination with the endometrial biopsy results, we concluded that the patient had endometrial tuberculosis. She underwent antituberculosis treatment for 6 months, after which the endometrial tuberculosis resolved and she achieved pregnancy by in vitro fertilization.

CSN6 and Rab34 Are Involved in Androgen Receptor Trafficking in Mouse Testicular Sertoli Cells.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Androgen and its receptor (AR) play an important role in maintaining spermatogenesis and male fertility. Our previous studies showed that testosterone at a physiological concentration induces cytoplasmic AR translocation to the Sertoli cell plasma membrane of within 5 minutes. METHODS: In this study, mass spectrometry (MS) and bioinformatic analyses were applied to identify candidate proteins mediating AR trafficking. The candidate proteins were knocked down by shRNA transfection. RESULTS: Nine candidate proteins were identified by MS. The data was verified by co-immunoprecipitation and Western blot. Of the candidates, CSN6 regulated AR transport through the phosphorylation signaling pathway and Rab34 affected AR trafficking by regulating Ras activity. CONCLUSIONS: CSN6 and Rab34 are involved in AR trafficking by regulating the phosphorylation signaling pathway. These findings provide new insights into the testosterone signaling pathway in Sertoli cells that mediates spermatogenesis.