Effects of Electroacupuncture on Expression of PI3K/Akt/Foxo3a in Granulosa Cells from Women with Shen(Kidney) Deficiency Syndrome Undergoing in vitro Fertilization-Embryo Transfer

Objective: To observe the effects of electroacupuncture(EA) on reproductive outcomes in women with Shen(Kidndy) deficiency syndrome after in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer(IVF-ET),and explore the underlying molecular mechanism.Methods: Sixty-six infertile patients with Shen de?ciency syndrome undergoing IVF-ET were divided into EA or control groups according to a random table,33 cases in each group.Before undergoing IVF,patients in the EA and control groups received EA therapy and placebo needle puncture,respectively,for 3 menstrual cycles.Shen de?ciency syndrome scores were assessed.Other outcome measures included the number of retrieved oocytes and fertilization,high-quality embryo and clinical pregnancy rates.Follicular ?uid was collected on the day of oocyte retrieval,and granulosa cell expression of phosphatidylinositide3-kinases(PI3 K),serine-threonine kinase(Akt) and forkhead box O3(Foxo3 a) m RNA were measured by reverse transcribed and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.Results: Syndrome scores for pre-versus post-treatments decreased significantly(16.53±1.75 to 8.67±1.61) in the EA group(P<0.05),but showed no signi?cant change in the control group(17.18±1.58 to 14.74±1.58).A signi?cant difference in score change was found between the EA and control groups(P<0.05).High-quality embryo and clinical pregnancy rates were both increased in the EA group compared with the control group [69.15%(195/282) vs.60.27%(176/292) and 66.67%(22/33) vs.42.42%(14/33),respectively,P<0.05].The fertilization rate was equivalent in EA and control groups.No difference was found in the number of retrieved oocytes between the two groups.Granulosa cell expression levels of PI3 K and Akt m RNA were signi?cantly increased in the EA group compared with the control group,while the expression of Foxo3 a was reduced(all P<0.05).Conclusions: For infertile patients with Shen de?ciency syndrome undergoing IVF,EA for tonifying Shen as an adjunct treatment may alleviate clinical symptoms and improve the high-quality embryo rate.The EA-induced mechanism may involve regulation of PI3 K/Akt/Foxo3 a expression in granulosa cells to improve the developmental microenvironment of oocytes and inhibit granulosa cell apoptosis,possibly contributing to the improved clinical pregnancy rate(Registration No.Chi CTR 1800016217).

Special AT-rich sequence-binding protein 1 promotes cell growth and metastasis in colorectal cancer

AIM: To evaluate the expression of special AT-rich sequence-binding protein 1 (SATB1 ) gene in colorectal cancer and its role in colorectal cancer cell proliferation and invasion.METHODS: Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the protein expression of SATB1 in 30 colorectal cancer (CRC) tissue samples and pair-matched adjacent nontumor samples. Cell growth was investigated after enhancing expression of SATB1. Wound-healing assay and Transwell assay were used to investigate the impact of SATB1 on migratory and invasive abilities of SW480 cells in vitro . Nude mice that received subcutaneous implantation or lateral tail vein were used to study the effects of SATB1 on tumor growth or metastasis in vivo . RESULTS: SATB1 was over-expressed in CRC tissues and CRC cell lines. SATB1 promotes cell proliferation and cell cycle progression in CRC SW480 cells. SATB1 over-expression could promote cell growth in vivo . In addition, SATB1 could significantly raise the ability of cell migration and invasion in vitro and promote the ability of tumor metastasis in vivo . SATB1 could up-regulate matrix metalloproteases 2, 9, cyclin D1 and vimentin, meanwhile SATB1 could down-regulate E-cadherin in CRC. CONCLUSION: SATB1 acts as a potential growth and metastasis promoter in CRC. SATB1 may be useful as a therapeutic target for CRC.

Effect of Weight Loss on In Vitro Fertilization Treatment Outcome

Background:To assess the effect of weight loss in overweight and/or obese women on the in vitro fertilization(IVF)treatment outcome before IVF cycles by a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials.Methods:Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials(RCTs)and cohort studies were conducted.Systematic literature searches were conducted,and all randomized trials that evaluated the impact of weight loss in IVF treatment cycles were included in the study.Study selection,quality estimation,and data extractions were performed independently and in duplicate.Results:A total of 924 patients were enrolled in seven studies;the effects of weight loss on the IVF treatment outcome before the IVF treatment cycle were assessed.The clinical pregnancy rate(risk ratio[RR]:1.61,95%confidence interval[CI]:1.15-2.27),miscarriage rate(RR:0.56,95%CI:0.34-0.93),and live birth rate(RR:1.86,95%CI:1.41-2.45)had a statistically significant difference between the intervention and control group.No significant differences were observed in the number of oocytes retrieved(weighted mean difference[WMD]:0.84,95%CI:−0.12-1.79),gonadotropin consumption(WMD:2.59,95%CI:−6.61-1.42),or the duration of stimulation(WMD:−0.46,95%CI:−1.64-0.71).Conclusions:Before IVF treatment,obese and overweight women should lose weight by physical activity and/or dietary management because weight loss can improve pregnancy rate,reduce miscarriage rate,and meliorate live birth rate.At the same time,further prospective RCTs are required to establish which methods of weight loss are most suited to this purpose,as well as determining whether cut points for body mass index need to be recommended before accessing IVF.

Curcumin modulates oxidative stress to inhibit pyroptosis and improve the inflammatory microenvironment to treat endometriosis

Endometriosis(EM)is a common disease that affects approximately 10%-15%of women of childbearing age.The pathogenesis of EM is unclear,but studies have shown a strong association between EM and inflammation,as well as oxidative stress.^(1) Pyroptosis is also called inflammatory cell death.When pyroptosis occurs,it activates a strong inflammatory response.Pyroptosis is associated with oxidative stress,and Ros act as intermediate triggers to activate pyroptosi.

Calcium silicate bioactive ceramics induce osteogenesis through oncostatin M

Immune reactions are a key factor in determining the destiny of bone substitute materials after implantation.Macrophages,the most vital factor in the immune response affecting implants,are critical in bone formation,as well as bone biomaterial-mediated bone repair.Therefore,it is critical to design materials with osteoimmunomodulatory properties to reduce host-to-material inflammatory responses by inducing macrophage polarization.Our previous study showed that calcium silicate(CS)bioceramics could significantly promote osteogenesis.Herein,we further investigated the effects of CS on the behavior of macrophages and how macrophages regulated osteogenesis.Under CS extract stimulation,the macrophage phenotype was converted to the M2 extreme.Stimulation by a macrophage-conditioned medium that was pretreated by CS extracts resulted in a significant enhancement of osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells(BMSCs),indicating the important role of macrophage polarization in biomaterial-induced osteogenesis.Mechanistically,oncostatin M(OSM)in the macrophage-conditioned medium promoted osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs through the ERK1/2 and JAK3 pathways.This in vivo study further demonstrated that CS bioceramics could stimulate osteogenesis better thanβ-TCP implants by accelerating new bone formation at defective sites in the femur.These findings improve our understanding of immune modulation of CS bioactive ceramics and facilitate strategies to improve the in vitro osteogenesis capability of bone substitute materials.