Chronically elevated androgen and/or consumption of a Western-style diet impairs oocyte quality and granulosa cell function in the nonhuman primate periovulatory follicle.
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ABSTRACT: Purpose: To investigate the impact of chronically-elevated androgens in presence and absence of an obesogenic diet on oocyte quality in the naturally-selected primate periovulatory follicle. Methods: Rhesus macaques were treated using a 2-by-2 factorial design (n=10/treatment) near onset of menarche with implants containing either cholesterol (C) or testosterone (T; 4-5 fold increase above C) and a standard or “Western-style” diet alone (WSD), or in combination (T+WSD). Following ~3.5 years of treatment, females underwent controlled ovulation (COv; n=7-10/treatment) cycles, and contents of the naturally-selected periovulatory follicle were aspirated. Follicular fluid (FF) was analyzed for cytokines, chemokines, growth factors, and steroids. RNA was extracted from luteinizing granulosa cells (LGCs) and assessed by RNA-seq. Results: Only healthy, metaphase (M) I/II-stage oocytes (100%) were retrieved in the C group, whereas degenerated oocytes were prevalent in other groups (33-43%; overall effect of WSD and T, p=0.1). Levels of two chemokines and one growth factor were reduced (p<0.04) in FF of follicles with a MI/MII oocyte in WSD+T (CCL11) or T and WSD+T groups (CCL2 and FGF2) compared to C and/or WSD. Intrafollicular cortisol was elevated in T compared to C follicles (p<0.02). Changes in expression pattern of 640+ gene products were detected in LGC samples from follicles with degenerated oocytes versus MI/MII-stage oocytes. Pathway analysis on RNAs altered by T and/or WSD found enrichment of genes mapping to steroidogenic and immune cell pathways. Conclusions: Female primates experiencing hyperandrogenemia and/or consuming a WSD exhibit an altered intrafollicular microenvironment and reduced oocyte quality/competency, despite displaying menstrual cyclicity.
Project description:Protein composition of human ovarian follicular fluid (FF) constitutes the microenvironment for oocyte development. Several proteomics studies of FF from pre-ovulatory follicles have revealed insights on oocyte maturation, however, there is a lack of knowledge on changes produced at protein levels in the FF of human small antral follicles (hSAF) related to the upcoming oocyte maturation. Using mass spectrometry-based proteomics, we evaluated the protein composition of FF that surrounds oocytes capable to reach metaphase II (MII) after IVM with the protein profile of FF that surrounds immature oocytes. The samples were collected from small antral follicles (size 6.0 ± 1.5 mm) extracted from six women, from which two or three samples were extracted. The comparison was based on both, a multivariate (sPLS-DA) and univariate analyses (t-test).
Project description:Vitrification is increasingly used to cryopreserve gametes and embryos in assisted reproductive technology (ART). Our prior research demonstrates that vitrification preserves the viability and functionality of ovarian follicles. However, its impact on follicle-enclosed oocyte remains unknown. The current study investigates whether vitrification, combined with a 3D encapsulated in vitro follicle growth (eIVFG) system, maintains oocyte transcriptome during in vitro follicle development and oocyte maturation. Immature mouse preantral follicles were vitrified and cultured in eIVFG for 8 days to grow to the preovulatory stage, followed with the induction of ovulation and oocyte maturation on day 9, with fresh follicles as the control. Oocytes at germinal vesicle (GV) stage from grown preovulatory follicles on day 8 and oocytes at metaphase II (MII) upon ovulation on day 9 were collected for single-oocyte Smart-Seq2 RNA sequencing analysis. The principal component analysis (PCA) separated GV and MII oocytes into two distinct clusters, but oocytes from fresh and vitrified follicles were largely overlapped. Differential gene expression (DEG) analysis revealed that GV or MII oocytes from fresh and vitrified follicles had comparable expression of maternal effect genes and other genes related to oocyte meiotic and developmental competence. There was a significant transcriptomic change during the GV-to-MII transition. Gene ontology (GO) and KEGG analysis identified DEGs between GV and MII oocytes related to cell cycle, RNA processing, mitochondria, and ribosome. In summary, our study demonstrates that vitrification preserves oocyte transcriptome during in vitro follicle development and oocyte maturation, supporting its potential in fertility preservation. Moreover, our single-oocyte RNA sequencing analysis identifies key DEGs upon GV-to-MII transition, indicating their potential functions in underpinning oocyte meiotic and developmental competence.
Project description:Our aim with this work is to identify and quantify the miRNA profile of the human follicular fluid using a miRNA microarray approach in young and advanced-aged women and in follicles with different oocyte quality. Data collected in this study would be utilized in a future as a marker to predict the oocyte quality. This observational prospective study includes women enrolled in the assisted reproduction program of Hospital Universitari i Politècnic la Fe (Valencia, Spain). The study was accepted by IRB of this Hospital and all couples received informed consent of our study and assisted technique according to service protocols. The study was divided in two stages: Stage 1: Patients (n=21) who had follicles yielding oocytes with different degree of maturation were included (n=21). The follicular fluid samples from 21 patients were pooled in different groups. Expression of miRNA in the follicular fluids was compared within each patient according the degree of oocyte maturation. Stage 2: Patients were allocated into two groups according to the patient's age: advanced age (AA; >36 years old) and young age (YA; <36 years old). Follicular fluids from follicles containing MII oocytes were pooled and miRNA expression was subsequently compared. Please note that the MII samples with underscore (such as MII1 vs MII_1) indicate different pools so they are not the same sample, but we maintained the number because they correspond to paired samples pools for GV and MI.
Project description:Affymetrix gene expression profiling in cumulus cells (CC) retrieved from patients undergoing GnRH agonists and GnRH antagonists IVF treatment. Oocytes from three different maturity stages were considered: metaphase I oocytes (MI), nonfertilized metaphase II (MII) oocytes (MII-NF) and MII oocytes developed to blactocyst stage embryo (MII-BL). From 4 GnRH agonist treated patients, CC MI, CC MII-NF and CC MII-BL samples were collected; from 5 GnRH agonist and 6 GnRH antagonist treated patients, CC MII-NF and CC MII-BL samples were collected; and from 2 GnRH agonist and 4 GnRH antagonist treated patients, CC MI and CC MII-BL were collected. Altogether, 10 CC MI, 15 CC MII-NF and 21 CC MII-BL were collected and considered for transcriptome analysis.
Project description:Affymetrix gene expression profiling in cumulus cells (CC) retrieved from patients undergoing GnRH agonists and GnRH antagonists IVF treatment. Oocytes from three different maturity stages were considered: metaphase I oocytes (MI), nonfertilized metaphase II (MII) oocytes (MII-NF) and MII oocytes developed to blactocyst stage embryo (MII-BL).
Project description:We analyzed the functions of BTG family proteins in maternal mRNA degradation in mouse oocytes. By comparing the degradation of transcripts in WT oocytes and KO oocytes, we are able to know the defects in maternal mRNA clearance in BTG4-deleted oocytes, and identified the BTG4 target genes in oocyte cyplasmic maturation. 2 WT oocyte samples at GV stage, 2 WT oocyte samples at MII stage, 2 Btg4-/- oocyte samples at GV stage and 2 Btg4-/- oocyte samples at MII stage?2 WT embryo samples at zygote stage, 2 WT embryo samples at 2-cell stage, 2 Btg4-/- embryo samples at zygote stage and 2 Btg4-/- embryo samples at 2-cell stage , and a WT GV oocyte, a WT MII oocyte, a Erk-/- GV oocyte and a Erk-/- MII oocyte are performed RNA sequencing.
Project description:Follicles of polycystic ovaries (PCO) often become arrested in early antral stages at around 3 to 11 mm in diameter. The condition disturbs dominant follicle selection and may result in altered ovulation and anovulation. During the growth and development of human follicles, the follicular fluid (FF) constitutes the avascular microenvironment in which the oocyte develops and acts as a vehicle for hormone signaling between cues from circulation and follicular cells. Previous proteomics studies performed on FF from women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) have revealed information on the protein changes associated with the pathophysiology of this disorder. However, these studies have been conducted on FF samples obtained in connection with oocyte pick-up during ovarian stimulation right at the time of ovulation and are limited to follicular conditions during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. This study aimed to detect proteomic alterations in FF from human small antral follicles (hSAF) obtained from women with PCO as compared to normal women.
Project description:Purpose: The goals of this study are to study the function of Cnot6l during oocyte maturation . Methods: Comparing the polysome-bounded transcripts at GV, MI and MII stage in WT and Cnot6l-/- oocytes by RNA sequencing. Results: Using an optimized data analysis workflow, we mapped about 15 million sequence reads per sample to the mouse genome (build mm9) and identified 23236 transcripts with TopHat workflow. Conclusions: CNOT6L stimulated degradation of maternal transcriptsto oocyte meiotic maturation.
Project description:Human ovarian follicles develop a fluid-filled antrum when they reach a diameter of around 250 µm. The antrum contains follicular fluid (FF) composed of secretions from cells in the follicle and from circulation. The composition of FF undergoes massive changes in relation to follicular development. Previously, only FF from large pre-ovulatory follicles aspirated just prior to ovulation, has been analyzed by proteomics; resulting in a high proportion of plasma proteins being detected due to diffusion of proteins through the increasingly leaky basal membrane in larger follicles. We present the first proteomics analysis of FF from normal unstimulated human small antral ovarian follicles (diameter: 3-8mm) identifying the largest number of proteins reported in human FF to date: 2,050 proteins of which 1,151 were identified for the first time in human FF by mass spectrometry. Furthermore, an identified growth factor, midkine, was shown to impact follicular regulatory processes including enhancement of nuclear maturation of immature human oocytes.
Project description:This study examined the small antral follicles (SAFs) in ovaries of young adult rhesus monkeys following consumption of a western-style diet (WSD), with or without chronically elevated androgen levels since before puberty. Cholesterol or testosterone (T; n=6/group) implants were placed subcutaneously beginning at 1 yr of age, with addition of a WSD (high fat/fructose) at 5.5 yrs. Ovaries from treated females and age-matched controls were collected at 7 yrs of age. Compared to controls, consumption of a WSD, with and without T treatment, increased the numbers of SAFs per ovary (P<0.001), due to the presence of more atretic follicles (P<0.01). Immunostaining for the cellular proliferation markers (pRb and pH3) was greater in granulosa cells of healthy SAFs (P<0.01), while staining for the cell cycle inhibitor (p21) was higher in atretic SAFs (P<0.01). Intense CYP17A1 staining was observed on the theca of SAFs from WSD+/- T groups, compared to controls. Microarray analyses of the transcriptome in SAFs isolated from a subgroup (n=3/grp) of WSD and WSD+T treated females and controls consuming a standard diet, identified mRNA levels for 1944 genes changed >2-fold (p<0.05) among the three groups. Pathway analyses identified several gene pathways altered by WSD and/or WSD+T associated with lipid, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, plus ovarian processes. Alterations of several SAF mRNAs are similar to those observed in follicular cells from women with PCOS. These data indicate chronic exposure to a WSD in the presence and absence of chronically elevated T alters structure and function of SAFs within primate ovaries. Affymetrix Microarray analyses of the transcriptome in SAFs isolated from ovaries of WSD and WSD+T treated rhesus macaque females and controls consuming a standard diet. Presumptive healthy SAFs were chosen for transcriptome evaluation based on criteria similar to previous studies: the presence of a clear antrum lacking dark oocytes or granulosa cells. Isolated SAFs were pooled by female/ovary (3.7±0.3 SAFs/ovary, n=3 ovaries/group), cleaned of extraneous stroma using 30-gauge needles, ruptured, and entire cellular contents (follicle wall/granulosa cells and cumulous-oocyte complex) placed into lysis buffer for RNA isolation (Absolutely RNA Nanoprep Kit, Agilent Technologies, Inc. USA).